Ch.121121. Ash and Sugar

The so-called Tetrad member, Iclit, managed to survive for over two hours while being exposed to high heat and smoke.

The citizens of the imperial capital didn’t leave until the end, watching the spectacle intently.

Some people quarreled as they jostled for a better view, while others sipped beer from a distance.

I could understand. It’s not every day you get to see a Tetrad member being burned alive.

And they weren’t just watching.

“Ha. Finally dead.”

“I win, right? Hand over those 20,000 Lyra.”

“No, brother. My wallet is really… I’ll pay you at the workshop tomorrow!”

“Stop talking nonsense and pay up.”

Quite a few people seemed to be placing small bets on when Iclit would die. Bets of a few silver coins, not even gold, or tonight’s drinks.

Even the guards were letting it happen. It was widely known that there were many bored people in the imperial capital these days.

‘Well, several theater troupes have closed down, they said.’

After Cordana, the entertainment that imperial citizens routinely enjoyed had been gradually declining. Theater, concerts, dance performances, and so on.

There was supposedly one successful long-running play that crudely satirized the previous Hero’s party and packed the house, but that was an exception.

It seemed they had reached the point where they couldn’t feel stimulated without events like public executions.

To outsiders, this scene must appear strange.

Even the demonkin were looking fearfully at the humans, and the refugees in their shabby clothes were murmuring, “Is this normal in the imperial capital…?”

Even Saintess Gang Hannah was holding her head as if mentally and physically exhausted.

But no one was taking care of her. Not even the clergy.

They seemed to think that the Saintess (a girl summoned from the inferno) would smile while watching a burning, given her perception. Her relatively tough demeanor so far had reinforced this misunderstanding.

I decided to encourage her.

“Saintess. Actually, the Empire had rarely carried out burnings until Cordana. It was essentially a forgotten concept for the past 20 years.”

“For something so rare, everyone seems to be enjoying it…”

“Everyone’s become desensitized. You may not believe it, but many people used to dismiss even gladiatorial matches as cruel. But somehow… things ended up like this.”

“……”

There seemed no need to explain why the world had become like this.

After all, she had witnessed firsthand the rampaging addicts (a word she taught me) on her very first day of being summoned.

‘Still, she doesn’t need to watch until the end.’

It was almost time for the bone-crushing anyway.

Since Iclit’s last breath, court magicians had been continuously casting fire spells toward the stake.

“Wow!”

“Oh, what a treat. Getting to see attack magic in the imperial capital.”

Cheers erupted from the crowd with each blast.

This wasn’t specifically meant as entertainment; it was happening because of my nod of instruction. There was no need to waste firewood on a demon who was already dead.

‘No one would notice if the Saintess disappeared in the midst of this. They’d just think she left because it was boring.’

I turned back to the Saintess to tell her to go inside the church.

But before I could speak, she beat me to it.

“…But I think there are advantages to this method.”

Was she serious? Judging by her expression, she didn’t seem to be saying empty words. I never expected to hear this from someone from a country that even protected debtors’ human rights.

When I heard her explanation, it made some sense.

“…The coin gate that Gwon Heejin designed. Thousands of people lost money, but not a single BJ or celebrity who profited from early sales was arrested.”

“I see.”

“I was so dumbfounded that I looked into it, and apparently cryptocurrency isn’t regulated under capital market law… Ah, I’m not sure if this makes sense to you.”

“It’s fine. I think I get the gist of it.”

“I thought you might. They were all forced to quit streaming, but some might have resumed despite the controversy by now. Why would they give up when they can make money just by breathing while streaming?”

“……”

“I’m not saying all those people should be killed… but seeing this makes me feel frustrated in a new way.”

She meant that unlike her world, where major scammers only face temporary loss of income, the Empire at least allows for punishment. In fact, I never concerned myself with national law when executing economic criminals.

‘I suppose it’s good there’s at least that advantage.’

Killing doesn’t solve everything, but at least in the Empire, swindlers don’t get to enjoy wealth and prosperity without consequences. It was also fortunate that the Saintess wasn’t terrified.

“Anyway, I’m glad, Saintess.”

“Yes. No need to worry about me.”

“I’m not worried anymore. To be honest, I don’t think I have the luxury to worry.”

“…That seems about right.”

The Saintess was already staring at my warhammer.

The warhammer that Selin had voluntarily handed over.

It was a weapon I used more than the holy sword due to its solid weight and good feel.

However, I couldn’t deny that its value as a ceremonial item exceeded its value as a weapon.

A weapon that had already crushed one Hero and one Tetrad member. And soon it would thrash another Tetrad member.

By now, it could be enshrined somewhere as a holy relic, upgraded in status. It clearly had more commercial value than existing holy relics.

While I was thinking this, people’s gazes gradually turned toward me.

Unable to disappoint their expectations, I slowly moved forward. Iclit’s skull was buried in the ashes.

The next process proceeded naturally, as if rehearsed.

I shattered the skull with a few powerful hammer blows, after which the magicians naturally intervened and turned over the floor material.

A moment for Gwon Heejin to get some fresh air.

Of course, this time of liberation wouldn’t last long. It would soon be covered again, well mixed with the remains from Iclit’s burning.

At least now he had a companion, so perhaps he’d be less lonely.

***

The area in front of the chapel was already clean.

As I dusted off the ash from my warhammer’s head, I naturally recalled the day I sent off Gwon Heejin.

Of course, there were many differences from then.

Back then, most spectators were nobles, but now the majority were commoners. It meant the calamity triggered by Cordana had reached even the common people.

And another difference…

‘Everyone’s so calm. Compared to back then.’

Back then, many people wailed, unable to overcome their sense of loss and anger. More than ten people even collapsed from exhaustion after crying.

But now, about half the people seemed to be enjoying it as entertainment. The refugees, who were the victims, looked downright excited.

“Hero! Thank you so much…!”

“We’re saved, we’re saved!”

Yet even amid all this, I couldn’t smile.

The fact that these people could afford to be relaxed while the Empire was rotting to its core was ultimately because of me. That wasn’t taking credit—it was reality.

Unlike the spectators who could return to their homes or flock to taverns to continue the afterglow of the burning, my schedule was packed with tasks to complete afterward. I didn’t even have time to rest.

First, I had to punish the copycat criminal before the crowd dispersed.

A student from the Academy who tried to sell fake deeds by spreading the false rumor that “a new residential district is being built in the imperial capital.”

He was caught when he sought advice from a lawyer with a bureaucratic background after planning alone and getting stuck.

His name was Kipper.

According to intelligence reports, he seemed to have gone down a bad path after losing over 100 million and having his youth deleted due to Cordana.

Of course, his background didn’t matter.

What mattered was one thing: punishing him in front of many people. I gestured to a guard to bring him over.

Kneeling in fear, Kipper rolled his eyes from side to side and hastily opened his mouth. It wasn’t a plea not to burn him.

“Um, Hero!? I heard you’re getting another domain. Do you have any particular domain in mind?”

He was quite perceptive for an administrative student.

He seemed to be trying to win my favor by using his own wisdom.

“If you’ll allow me, just one word…!”

“Go ahead.”

“Thank you. You know the old Count Neize’s domain? The one who used to be the exchange director… I don’t know if you’re aware, but most of the farmland there is sugar beet fields. There’s also a sugar factory. It’s not that wealthy for a place that sells sugar, but that’s because…”

“Because the refining process requires too much labor. You can reduce the effort with the help of several magicians, but that costs more. In the end, to produce sugar economically, it’s best to focus solely on sugar. That way, you can efficiently use byproducts from the refining process as fertilizer or feed.”

“Yes. That’s right. Plus, with sugar, there’s almost no worry about oversupply… Huh? You already knew?”

Kipper was staring at me blankly.

I had already decided to accept the former Count Neize’s domain and turn it into a direct-controlled sugar factory. I heard that currently, many harvested sugar beets were being consumed as vegetables because they couldn’t be processed into sugar. That place would be perfect for putting refugees to good use.

But I didn’t intend to dismiss Kipper just because he stated the obvious.

‘It’s quite impressive that he can think like this when facing punishment.’

Come to think of it, I heard this Kipper was among the top students in the administrative department. If he had graduated normally, he might have become an elite official like Viscount Hyde.

I felt a bitter taste in my mouth as I looked up at the empty air, lamenting the reality that the educated ones were the first to be corrupted by malice.

But that didn’t mean I would skip the punishment.

“Work in the iron mines for about 30 years. If you don’t like that, become fertilizer right here.”

“W-what? That’s just telling me to die.”

Yes, that’s it. I nodded and offered him the choice.

Academy students watching the scene gasped, and Prince nodded before leaving. The Minister of Justice hinted that an imperial decree would be issued within half a day. Thanks to Kipper, I had reduced some troublesome work.

After a moment of contemplation, the copycat criminal Kipper finally chose the mines. Whether it was a wise choice, I couldn’t tell.