Chapter 631
Then Give Me Some Reward. (3)
"Hey! Do you not know who I am?"
There are people who completely lose control when their circumstances suddenly change whether it’s due to their inherent nature or the influence of their environment.
Right now, Alfoi was exactly that kind of person. He was harassing the castle’s servants.
“I-I’m sorry.”
"Do it properly! Properly! Ugh, do I really have to teach you every little thing? What do you even take me for?"
Alfoi tormented the servants whenever they made mistakes or even when they didn’t simply because he wasn’t pleased with them.
He had always been arrogant. However, his status as a slave had kept that personality somewhat in check.
After rolling around in Fenris, enduring hardship after hardship, all restrictions had finally been lifted. And so, his true nature emerged once again.
Yet, since many people still praised him, Alfoi had no awareness of any problem.
“Hah… This is why ordinary people are so tiresome…”
Clicking his tongue, Alfoi roamed aimlessly around the royal palace.
The nobles and officials who saw him frowned, but since he was incredibly popular, they couldn’t do anything about it.
However, when someone behaves arrogantly for too long, bad rumors are bound to spread.
“No, I swear, he’s completely different from what I heard.”
“I’ve never seen anyone so conceited in my life.”
“If you only look at his actions, he behaves like some high-ranking noble. And he’s just a commoner.”
No matter how great a person’s achievements are, once their flaws are exposed, people will start criticizing them. And Alfoi kept giving them reasons to do so.
The number of people fanning the flames of these rumors steadily grew.
"Hey, hey, he’s not 100th-Circle. Turns out he's only 10th-Circle."
"Really? So it was exaggerated tenfold? I didn’t think he was that kind of person… what a disappointment."
"You’ve heard about his personality, right? They say he’s incredibly rude. If something even slightly displeases him, he wrecks everything."
"He actually thinks he’s a king."
"I even heard he once committed treason. That’s how nasty his temper is."
Though Alfoi had brought this situation upon himself, it was Claude who took it a step further, exaggerating and spreading the rumors.
Claude didn’t care about the means, his only focus was destroying Alfoi’s reputation and combined with Alfoi’s terrible attitude, the rumors spread like wildfire.
People no longer praised Alfoi. Instead, they started to avoid him.
The more this happened, the worse Alfoi’s temper became. Though he couldn’t pinpoint the exact cause, he could sense the atmosphere shifting against him.
"What the hell! Why is everyone suddenly acting so indifferent toward me? I saved this damn world!"
Never once did he think he had done anything wrong. He only believed that no one was showing the proper respect befitting the hero who had saved the world.
The more Alfoi raged, the more Claude reveled in it. He secretly met with Kaor and spoke.
“I think it’s about time we get started. His reputation has completely hit rock bottom. No one’s going to take his side now.”
“Oh? Finally, the moment we’ve been waiting for has arrived.”
Kaor grinned wickedly.
He, too, couldn’t stand seeing Alfoi doing well. The man had even started acting arrogantly in front of him, but his fame had grown too great to put him in his place outright.
Thanks to Alfoi, two people who didn’t get along, Claude and Kaor, had now joined hands. Both were too petty to watch Alfoi succeed without doing anything about it.
Inside a grand chamber of the royal palace, Alfoi lazed about day after day. He indulged himself so thoroughly that, in just a few days, he had noticeably gained weight.
“Ahh, now this is life.”
In truth, he was meant to rest until Ghislain returned. But Alfoi simply assumed he could continue living like this forever.
As he sat on a large chair, leisurely eating fruit, the door suddenly burst open, and knights strode in.
“What the hell? Do you have any idea where you are? How dare you barge in so rudely?”
Alfoi scowled. The knights who had entered were former Mad Dogs, now under Kaor’s command.
One knight at the front smirked and spoke.
“Well… Looks like you’ll have to come with us for a bit.”
“What? Go where?”
“The Chief Overseer wants to see you.”
Alfoi scoffed. Since his return, he had seen Claude a few times but had always ignored him with a smirk.
There was no reason for someone like him to waste words on a mere ‘slave.’
And, for some reason, Claude had also been avoiding him, never even making eye contact. It seemed he had finally learned his place, which secretly pleased Alfoi.
With that in mind, he responded arrogantly.
“Where does a mere slave get the gall to summon me, the Man Who Defeated a God and the Dragon Slayer? If he wants to see me, he should come himself. It’s quite audacious of a slave to act so high and mighty.”
The knights merely shrugged.
“Well, can’t be helped then. We’ll just have to take you by force.”
“What? How dare you lay a Mmmpphh!”
The knights all lunged at once, forcefully restraining and gagging Alfoi.
As he struggled, one of the knights spoke with mock solemnity.
“Alfoi, you are under arrest on charges of treason. Defend yourself in court if you must. We really didn’t want to go this far…”
Then, with a sly grin, he added,
“But the Chief Overseer insists we bring you in.”
Alfoi was dragged away under the accusation of being the ringleader of a rebellion that had incited mages to revolt.
“Mmmph! Mmmph!”
Even as he thrashed, Alfoi’s mind raced furiously.
‘What? Treason? I mean… sure, I did start a rebellion… but didn’t that all just get swept under the rug?’
After slaying the dragon, no one had brought it up again. He had assumed that meant he was forgiven.
Most importantly, the Lord had personally freed him from his slave status, hadn’t he?
He had been showered with nothing but praise ever since, so it never even crossed his mind that the issue might still be hanging over his head.
“Mmph! Mmmph! Let me—!”
Alfoi tried to shout for them to let him go, but the knights were too thrilled with their task to listen. They carried him off at full speed.
Boom!
Only when they arrived at the largest court in the capital did they finally remove the gag from his mouth.
"What… What the hell is this?! Do you have any idea who I am? How dare you!"
Alfoi shouted furiously and lifted his head.
Up on the high seat, Claude sat with an imposing expression.
"Hey! Claude! Do you really think you’ll get away with this?!"
Alfoi's fame was sky-high. Everyone praised him.
Yet, this slave dared to drag him here?
"You! A slave has no right to act like this! You're a slave! Since when does a slave have the authority to capture a free man? And who the hell do you think you are to sit there and pass judgment?!"
Alfoi bellowed at the top of his lungs, but Claude only smirked.
He still hadn’t realized his situation.
Then, with a solemn and authoritative voice, Claude declared,
"Alfoi, listen carefully. As the Chief Justice of this territory, I must uphold the law with absolute fairness. Passing judgment on your treason charges falls under my jurisdiction."
"What…? You…?"
Alfoi’s mind blanked for a moment.
It was something he had completely forgotten.
Claude was at the pinnacle of every field except military affairs. When Ghislain had brought him in, he had handed over full authority, intending to work him to the bone.
The territory had expanded, and more administrators had been appointed, but Claude still stood at the top of everything.
Although he usually left law enforcement to the judges under him, the ultimate authority to establish and enforce laws was still his.
Alfoi suddenly felt like a bucket of cold water had been dumped over his head.
‘That bastard… He’s really trying to ruin me…’
They had spent years together. He knew exactly what was going on in Claude’s head.
Claude must have been seething with resentment. Seeing only Alfoi get freed from slavery must have twisted him up inside.
And Alfoi understood all too well because if their roles had been reversed, he definitely would have found a way to screw Claude over.
‘To think he’d go after me with treason…!’
The only people present were Claude, a few officials, Kaor, and the knights.
If Vanessa had been here, he wouldn’t have been caught so easily.
This had been the plan from the start. They had deliberately made sure there was no one around to help him.
Alfoi's mind raced furiously. He had been caught off guard. He couldn’t let himself get dragged along by Claude’s schemes.
“W-Wait! That wasn’t treason! That was your plan! You were the one who taught me that strategy! It was just to lure in the mages!”
Claude tilted his head.
“I told you to bait them, not actually start a rebellion.”
“Y-You… damn it…”
Alfoi had in fact led the mages to attack Vanessa and the knights. He had no excuse.
Right now, the dragon hunt overshadowed that incident, but those who knew the truth still called him trash behind his back.
Alfoi shouted again.
“T-The Lord let it go! That’s why I got to join the dragon hunt and why I was freed from slavery!”
Claude shrugged.
“What are you talking about? I clearly recall the Lord saying punishment would come later. I’ve already gathered testimonies from those who heard it.”
Alfoi’s face went blank.
It… hadn’t just been swept under the rug?
Now that he thought about it…
— Let him go for now. We need every 5th-Circle Mage we can get. He’s always been like this anyway. We’ll deal with him after the dragon fight is over.
“Ghhhaaaack…!”
They had never actually closed that matter.
People had just assumed it was over because of how celebratory the atmosphere had been.
But now, Claude was clinging to that statement and relentlessly cornering him.
“W-Wait! Let’s hold the trial again once the Lord returns! We should retry the case then!”
Claude sighed and gave him a pitying look.
“Sorry, bro. The whole kingdom is busy with post-war cleanup. That’s why this trial isn’t even being held in our territory, but here in the capital. So don’t struggle needlessly, let's just get this over with.”
“G-Get what over with?!”
Claude folded his arms and closed his eyes, as if contemplating what punishment would be most appropriate.
Then, after a brief moment, he opened them with a solemn expression.
“I hereby sentence Alfoi, leader of the rebellion, to execution.”
“YOU CRAZY BASTARD!!”
“Proceed with the execution immediately.”
“Hey! Do you have any idea how popular I am right now?! You think people will just sit back if you kill me?!”
Claude smirked.
“Don’t worry. More people will be pleased than outraged. I figured you'd reveal your true colors eventually.”
He grinned wickedly.
Thanks to his efforts, Alfoi’s reputation had already been reduced to what it had been back in his Fenris slave days.
Alfoi was in shock.
So that’s why people had been acting indifferent toward him lately!
That bastard had been working behind the scenes, sabotaging his reputation out of sheer jealousy of his popularity!
He failed to realize that he was the one most responsible for his own downfall.
Claude had merely nudged things along a little.
Alfoi stammered as he asked,
“Y-You’re joking, right? This is just a joke…? We always used to mess around like this.”
Claude's expression remained cold.
“Treason seems like a joke to you? You really thought you could start a rebellion and just walk away from it?”
There was no fault in that logic.
If this had happened in any other territory, Alfoi would have been executed on the spot.
He had no argument against that. But this trial was hardly fair either.
“I-It's all happening way too fast, isn’t it?”
Claude sighed impatiently.
“The kingdom is busy, remember? Take him to the execution ground now!”
“AAAAAAARGH!”
Alfoi thrashed, but he was dragged away by force.
Claude watched him go, letting out a theatrical sigh.
“What a shame. He was a good friend.”
“……”
Wendy stared at Claude with a disapproving expression. His intentions were as clear as day.
But there was nothing she could do when he wielded his authority like this.
Claude had too much power.
They moved directly to the execution site. Since this was being done in such a rush, there was, of course, no audience.
Alfoi screamed as the noose was slipped around his neck.
“HEY, YOU PSYCHO! You think you’ll get away with this?! Stop the trial until the Lord returns!”
Claude sighed.
“Hm… I don’t feel great about sending a war hero to his death, either.”
“THEN LET ME GO!”
“But treason can only be pardoned by the Lord. I’m just carrying out the law, you see. Of course… there is a way out.”
“What?! What is it?!”
Alfoi shouted desperately.
Claude slowly pulled a document from his coat and held it out for him to see.
“Sign this. If you do, I’ll reduce your sentence. Based on legal interpretation, there’s one way to avoid execution.”
“What?! What is it?!”
“I’ll commute your sentence to permanent slavery under the kingdom. Given your merits, I’d say this is a fair deal. You’re being forgiven for treason, after all.”
“SCREW YOU, YOU CRAZY BASTARD! CUT THE CRAP!”
Alfoi still didn’t believe the execution would go through.
No matter how much power Claude had, it didn’t make sense for him to actually have him killed.
He truly believed that.
Even Kaor and the knights were still grinning, weren’t they?
But then…
‘T-This bastard… He’s really lost his damn mind.’
Claude’s eyes were unhinged.
He looked fully prepared to go through with it and to justify it afterward as “just following the law.”
The Lord would be furious. But he wouldn’t kill Claude for this.
‘…And then I’ll just be forgotten.’
A chill ran down Alfoi’s spine.
He understood Claude’s nature too well. The man had completely lost his mind over his own jealousy.
And if their positions were reversed?
He knew he’d do the same.
He had gotten careless and now he was paying for it.
Claude’s eyes widened even further as he spoke.
“Let’s just get this over with, bro. Hm? Please?”
That insane gaze bore into him.
Overwhelmed, Alfoi found himself nodding before he even realized it.