Steel, Explosives, and Spellcasters

The square was silent, many among them victims of the riots.

On the day Tang Juan led his troops to attack the city, refugees outside the city joined with the ruffians inside to create chaos, plundering many shops, setting ablaze houses, and even Revodan Cathedral was first looted and then set on fire.

This was why Colonel Moritz insisted on staying in Revodan to quell the violence.

Winters continued to proclaim to those on the square, "According to the military law of the Republic of Palatu, the military commander has full jurisdiction and authority to judge and decide.

As the highest military commander of this county, I—Winters Montaigne, Captain of the Republic of Palatu Army, member of the Military Decision Council, make the following judgment."

"Those who have injured or stolen, flogging and labor to atone for their crimes! Murderers, hang!" Winters swept over the square, "Execute them immediately! Gendarmerie! Take them to the gallows!"

Cries of alarm rose from the square; the people of Revodan were mentally prepared, but they had not expected such violent measures.

By the City Hall, adjacent to the square, Catherine also gasped softly and instinctively looked towards her sister.

Anna bit her rosy lips, her expression grave.

"Justice and judgment." Catherine grasped her sister's hand and whispered, "It doesn't count as murder."

Scarlett nodded her head repeatedly by their side.

"I know, how could I not know?" Anna also held her sister's hand tightly, sadly saying, "I just pity him… his nature is not like this."

Sentenced to death in a single utterance, some prisoners fainted on the spot, while others lost control of their bladder and bowels and knelt to beg for mercy.

And there were prisoners who protested loudly, "Sir! I'm not a soldier! Really not!"

"We're not soldiers! We shouldn't be subject to military law!" Immediately, prisoners with quicker wits followed in pleading, "Sir! Let Revodan Court judge us! Please!"

Winters strode over to the prisoners and used an amplification spell to enhance the vibration of the air nearby, thereby magnifying the prisoners' voices.

"You are not a soldier?" Winters asked.

"Not, sir, really not," the prisoner begged with tears and snot.

"Then why is a red ribbon tied around your shoulder?"

The prisoner, caught red-handed for arson, robbery, and rape, bobbed his adam's apple but didn't dare to answer.

Without Winters's signal, Heinrich elbowed the prisoner's chin with force.

The prisoner's molars were loosened by the blow, and blood and saliva sprayed from his mouth as he confessed through a flood of snot and tears, "That day… seeing your army all wearing red ribbons… so I also tied one on…"

The prisoner's words were clearly heard by everyone in the square.

There was a wooden plaque hanging on the prisoner, inscribed with his crimes, so Winters could tell at a glance what sort of scum he was dealing with.

"You're not a soldier?" Winters asked.

"Not! Begging your mercy!"

"I can hand you over to Revodan Court, but you answer whatever I ask you."

The prisoner nodded desperately.

"Robbery." Winters asked with a stern face, "Do you admit your guilt?"

The prisoner said nothing.

Heinrich immediately dragged the prisoner towards the noose.

"I admit!" the prisoner shouted, "I admit!"

"Arson, do you admit your guilt?"

The prisoner's defenses completely collapsed, "Guilty!"

"Rape."

"Guilty! It was all me!" the prisoner cried out sobbing.

The people in the square were utterly furious; arson and rape were top-tier serious crimes, and death was not as quick as hanging.

Yet seeing the profoundly evil criminals temporarily cling to life, the citizens felt a choke in their hearts.

Winters didn't waste words; he directly ordered all the prisoners, "Those among you who are not soldiers and who admit their guilt, step forward! If you're not a soldier, you will be handed over to Revodan Court for judgment."

The prisoners stepped forward in unison, some even taking two or three steps.

"Good! You will be handed over to Revodan Court for trial!"

The prisoners breathed a sigh of relief en masse, some in a mix of grief and joy collapsed to the ground, their bodies limp.

"Gendarmerie!" Winters commanded, "Please bring up the judges from Revodan."

Iron Peak County, located on the border of the Republic of Palatu, commonly used customary law. Few written laws existed, most of which related to taxation.

Therefore, Revodan's judges were elected by the citizens with municipal rights, with elections every four years, three judges chosen at a time.

The minor criminal and civil cases outside Revodan were adjudicated by the town mayors and Garrison Officers.

An emaciated elderly man over sixty trembled as he walked onto the execution platform.

The old man was dressed meticulously, which showed that he was well-to-do—otherwise, he would not have been elected as a judge.

"Mr. Haifitz," Winters asked directly, "are you one of the three current judges of Revodan?"

"Yes," the old man answered with a stiff upper lip.

"Their cases are for you to adjudicate."

"Yes," Judge Haifitz was also somewhat troubled, "Revodan Court is very small; afraid it will take… take a long time to try."

"No trouble is needed." Winters narrowed his eyes, "Impersonating a soldier to commit a crime, how should one be judged according to customary law?"

Judge Haifitz was taken aback, he hesitantly replied, "Should be judged by the garrison of the county."

"Loudly, please."

The old judge cleared his throat, "Impersonating a soldier to commit a crime! To be judged by the garrison of the county!"

The old judge's voice reached every corner of the square.

The criminals on the platform thought they had been saved, but in the blink of an eye, they plummeted back into the abyss.

"According to military law," Winters scanned the criminals coldly, "those who have committed assault to be flogged and put to labor! Those who have committed murder and arson, to be beheaded! Execute them now!"

The square was first quiet, then suddenly erupted into cheers.

Several tree stumps were brought onto the gallows, instantly transformed into an execution block for beheading.