The day that has been long-awaited by Emperor Valentin's party has come.
The troops from the sleeping north, headed by Governor Fidel, were stationed all over the Vesala's territory. Along with him were Grandmaster Andvari and Randel to ensure that there would be no mishaps that might happen while apprehending the traitors.
On the other side of the Empire, a part of the Imperial Sky Knights was led by Grandmaster Reuben. They were positioned strategically in the locations that have been verified to house the accomplice of the Vesala's underground forces.
Assisting the two groups were Leon's Crimson Blades, who worked in full swing ever since the start of the investigation. They played a big role in gathering enough evidence to incriminate the identified accomplices of treason.
On the Capital's side, there was still a little bit of high tension, for the Emperor and General Farauld were sure that there would be retaliation. Leon also stayed in the capital to ensure that there was at least one S class Mage on every territory thereof.
The help of restrictions limited the movements of the suspects and made monitoring them easier. Also, Kayden's team was finally able to produce enough cure potions to protect the knights who would participate in the arrest.
Looking at all the preparations being ready and implemented, Emperor Valentin stood in the room in their secret command center and finally announced.
"Men, the day of retaliation has come! This is the time when the good would finally suppress the evil ones! Come forth and wield your sword, arrest the sinners, and let none of them be ignored! Remember the victims and the fallen! Remember the hardships we've been through because of their sinister hearts!"
"We heed the Emperor's call!" General Farauld, Governor Fidel, Leon, Grandmasters Andi, and Ben replied as they listened on their respective communication stones.
On the sites they were assigned to, they finally gave the long-awaited signal to the knights.
Finally, the arrest had commenced!
–
The territory of the West is where the Astaze's area of influence resides.
The territory has been blessed with lush forest and a picturesque view of the greenery perfect for training the summoners of the East. It was also a land that boasts a solid heritage of arts and culinary. It also houses the most prestigious wineries and the second-largest auction house in the Seirende Empire.
In this vast territory that was blessed with the beauty of nature and talents, there were still selected people who were not satisfied with the sanctity of the peace that the West Territory gives.
They still chose to cling to sinister means to step on people for money and sometimes to satisfy their monstrous desire of seeing people in misery.
One of these persons was Baron Wiltenham who was publicly known as a strong supporter of the Second Prince, and yet he was secretly an active participant in the Vesala's schemes.
The Wiltenham Vineyard not only was a place to cultivate the grapes of the highest quality. Unknown to many, below this bountiful vineyard was a laboratory for making cursed potions and weapons.
Moreover, he recruits farmers of all forms and mysteriously sends them to be delegated for an excursion trip only for a 'few' of them to decide to no longer come back to the barony. But in reality, these missing few were actually sold as a slave or potion testers in the underground action markets organized by the Vesala and their accomplices.
All of his transgressions have been documented and archived in the Imperial Notary, the Crimson Blades were even able to rescue the fortunate ones who were about to be sold to slavery and experimentations.
The most gruesome of all his crimes was kidnapping the young ladies of the land who had good magical aptitudes. He would turn them into his bed slaves until they were almost about to die of exhaustion. Their half-dead bodies would be sent to the secret members of the cursed army to be the replenishment for Duke Vesala and his dark knights.
When the apprehension crew was sneakily surrounding his estate and properties, he was still lying lazily on his secret lounge lewdly touching the women who were surrounding him as he enjoyed his wine.
The women wore blank and soulless expressions as if they were not realizing how disgraceful and shameful were Baron Wiltenham's actions towards them. They just wordlessly sat around the baron's chair, wearing nothing but a thin muslin dress. The most apprehensive thing about them was the chains attached to their neck, wrist, and feet.
"Hah!!! Finally, the second prince was done for. Now I can openly kiss up to the Vesala's and pledge allegiance with them! Surely, the Marquis would not resent me for he no longer has any candidate to push for the throne, isn't it?" He swirled the translucent red wine on his hand while the other cupped the chin of the woman beside him as if he was in a conversation with him.
The woman just blankly stared at him, not even letting out a sound. Feeling unsatisfied with the lack of response, the baron frowned and used his force to throw the woman away to the wall.
Thud! The woman didn't even let out a groan of pain, instead she just quietly laid on the floor with the bones of her body broken from the impact.
Although it was not reflective on her face, her eyes seemed to desire that her death would come so that she would no longer suffer this kind of humiliation and treatment.
The pain in her bones was the indication that her time had come. Realizing this, a drop of tear started to form in her eyes, somehow liberating her from the long days of darkness.
But just as she was about to eternally close her eyes, she was able to bear witness to something indescribable.
Boom!
The large wooden door of the secret lounge was opened and it revealed groups of valiant knights wearing the insignia of the Imperial Sky Knights.
"Baron Wiltenham, by the order of Emperor Valentin de Seirende, you are under arrest for being guilty of treason! Resist no more for we will bring you to trial!" The leader of the Imperial Sky Knights announced like an angel of justice bringing forth the judgment on the filthy barony.
"Ridiculous! I am not guilty! For generations, the Wiltenham Family has been faithful and loyal to the Empire! How dare you accuse me of treason?!" The baron was caught off guard as he was still in the act of enjoying the women in his presence.
But the oppressive leader of the knights made him unable to come up with elaborate words to resist the arrest and could only clumsily deny the accusation.
"Say no more for the court has already secured all the evidence of your evil deeds!" The leader paid no heed to his futile resistance and ordered his men to secure him and rescue the slaves.
"No, you can't do this to me! Get your hands off me!!! Filthy people!" The baron desperately tried to retaliate as he shook his body vigorously to escape the clutches of the knights. "I am a noble! And even if you dare to accuse me like this, you cannot treat me so shamefully like this!!!"
One knight who had a strong sense of justice did not even spare him any dignity. With a force of his hand, he violently held the back of the baron's head and rubbed it on the ground, "You are no noble… You are just a filthy evil man."
The baron's face was rubbed on the dirty floor and the pain immediately assaulted his head. No one of the fellow knights stopped their comrade's actions.
Instead, they silently approved of his way of treating the criminals.
These people have treated their countrymen like animals, how audacious they were to demand that they be still treated with dignity even after being exposed as criminals?
The knight repeatedly stepped on the back of his head, and bruises and tears started to appear on the baron's face. When he could no longer endure the pain, the knight finally stopped as they were also determined not to kill them right away because killing them immediately is mercy.
The baron whimpered and his pig head face which was still on the ground happened to turn towards the direction of the woman he just threw violently to the wall earlier.
Fortunately, the knights came on time and they were able to give her a healing potion and save her from the clutches of death.
Their eyes met, one was in pain and the other was being treated by a medic.
Both were crying in tears.
The first one was crying because he suffered from pain and humiliation for the first time in his life, and never did he expect that he would be treated in such a way.
The other was crying with relief and freedom. Her feeling of wanting to die was immediately killed by the raging fire of wanting to live long enough to see this man receive his punishment from the Empire and from the heavens!
