NOVEL SIMPLE Neither Judge Nor Jury, Just An Executioner – Chapter 266
Ace and Jim are sitting in a private room, deep within the dungeon sphere complex. On a table in front of them, are a bunch of system screens laid out like so many pieces of paper. Nine of them are grayed out while the other 39 have red marks on them. Though those marks don’t quite match the rest of the panel. Sort of like someone had used a similar font, but it wasn’t quite the same.
Ace sighs, “So how much wiggle room do we have?”
Both of them knew that when dealing with the Adventurer’s Guild, they don’t have a lot of say. They’re only a couple of low-level newbs on a newly initiated planet. The Guild spanned farther than they could comprehend. So when Jim shakes his head, Ace knew it wasn’t good.
Jim, “We can save the healer.”
Ace’s face falls, “And?”
Jim, “The only reason we get to keep the healer is because we’re critically low on them. If we had a sufficient number of them around, even the healer wouldn’t be safe. At least we don’t have to carry out the punishment. That is about the only upside. We’ll be having a guild official coming in to pass judgment. I don’t know why they’re placing so much importance on this incident, but I feel we’re about to have our eyes opened.”
Ace looks down at the tap and picks up the healers status panel, sans paths, of course. Not even the guild gets access to that info. Overall, the healer is weak, even more so than you would expect a non-combatant of a similar level to be.
Ace looks back up, “They’re killing the chicken to scare the monkeys. This is the first major infraction the world has had. Maybe if we only had system based access to the Guild, they wouldn’t be doing this. But no, we have an official Guild presence in an official town. So, how do we get this nonsense rolling?”
The answer was not all that much. Sure, they had to build a fancy platform able to hold all 39 of the surviving rule breakers. Now, pre-system, this would have been a big ask. There weren’t any fancy magical runes to worry about, but each of the rule breakers needed a lot of space. That meant it was really just a matter of some magic.
Though they did end up building it outside of the main town gate. Well, Jim convinced Ace to build it there. Ace was certain they would be taking it apart afterwards and Jim wasn’t exactly so certain things would work out that easily.
With that set up, it was just a matter of getting all the rule breakers up on stage before noon. This would have been a bit harder, what with everyone basically having super powers. Good thing the town has a few wood mages to keep them in place. In particular, Ace has taken up the task of holding the five strongest in place. An impossible task if not for the Barrais work with the paralysis spores.
So there everyone was, waiting for noon. Well, not everyone. The dungeon farmers kept farming and guards kept guarding. But if you didn’t have anything better to do, you were at the town gate when it began. Not that anyone actually was allowed to miss the event.
And in this case, “anyone” meant any sapient being on the entire planet including a few lucky monsters. At first it was a slight pressure on your ears, like when a plane takes off. Then, if you were flying or moving around in general you got a sense that you should probably find a place to take a break.
It was at that point a lady stepped out from behind nothing and onto the stage. The world trembled as her presence made itself known. Ace stepped back as he felt all of his magic get forced back into his body and his muscles go stiff.
Though unlike how some stories liked to explain the experience of meeting a being so above you, there was no desire to kneel. Just the knowledge that their existence meant nothing in front of this being. Kneel, bow, beg, or defy; it mattered not.
All around the world, black system screens popped up in front of every sapient and revealed the scene. The lady smiled, revealing shark-like teeth that were as black as the void of space. “Good job setting this up so quickly! Though it isn’t really worthy of such a momentous occasion.”
The stage warps as the wood used to build it takes on the look of charcoal. One carving after the next begins to glow and rearrange themselves into actual magic runes. All the while the stage extends outwards to make enough room that 60 people could fit.
Then, on each spot where a person would be, a rough bone structure forms. In the places where the 39 are already standing, the wood being used to keep them in place flows off of them like water. Though despite their efforts beforehand, not a one attempts to escape while the bone takes the woods place.
Once all 60 are in place, the bones glow and reveal even more runes. All the while the 39 rule breakers feel their powers drain away. Mana pools bottom out, Qi disperses, and most devastating is the fact that even stamina depletes fully. At this point, there is no escape as even if they could get out of the bone stockades. They simply had no power left to run.
The lady waits another minute before nodding, “Looks like we can get this event started.”
She turns towards the projection, as if looking straight at the viewer, “And to start, I’ll preface this by noting that me, or someone like me showing up is not how this normally works.
“We are not inquisitors or judges. The Adventurers Guild leaves that up to the locals and even punishment for the most part. I am the executioner for the crimes, which there is no doubt about and either breaks some core tenant or a contract with the Guild itself.
“These idiots”, and she gestures at the 39. “Managed to check all three boxes with their crime and so the Guild couldn’t not send someone over.”
She holds up a finger, “One, the system for this universe judged them already and so there is no doubt.”
Another finger goes up, “Two, management of dungeons has been a core part of the Guild’s existence since before this universe even existed and then some.”
A third finger, “And third, through the system, we managed to get a contract with this dungeon. Rare for one this young as they generally can’t figure out what it is enough to agree.”
Unnoticed by anyone else, when she says the last part, her eyes glance to the side for just a moment. There is no doubt for Doyle and Ally why this happens. The shark toothed lady took that moment to stare straight at them through the system window they were using in case the black system screens altered things.
The lady smiles again as she focuses fully on the regular audience. “Now, normally I would just show up, declare the judgment, execute the punishment, and move on. No world spanning audience and certainly none of this talking.
“However, part of our charter with the system of this universe is we treat newly integrated worlds gently and explain some things the first time if they haven’t connected up with the rest of the dimension. Lucky you!
“Anyway, let me explain why their crimes are so heavy and why so will their punishment despite any claims of ignorance. They tried to pull a raid on a dungeon that has not agreed to being raised since signing the contract with the guild. What happened before then doesn’t matter.
“That isn’t fair! This is especially true when you consider the fact that those who haven’t joined the guild aren’t held to quite of high of a standard. It is worth it though.
“As long as the contract is maintained, then no matter how much of a death trap a dungeon might be for others, things will be like any other dungeon for us. Not only that, but drop rates are better. However, the reverse could be true, not only for guild members, but for everyone.
She stomps her foot and the world trembles, “So we maintain the contract! We keep our word! We make sure new dungeons don’t turn into death pits.
“I know, your world pre-system was more a place of laws than of wild beasts prowling the night. This always leads to a certain mindset. You develop sayings like ‘better to ask forgiveness than permission’ and the idea that something isn’t a crime if you aren’t caught.
“You no longer have that luxury. There are now rules in place that are directly deadly if not followed. Ideas from your past such as not just letting a wounded animal your hunting escape have a deeper meaning now.
“Every being can become an existential threat to a place. The deer you shoot and let run away without following might come back a year later with a herd ten times the size of your settlement and wipe you out. It might also just come back alone a magnitude stronger than anyone in your town, and do it personally.
“That is a bit extreme, of course, but it should get the point across. Rules and laws have meaning now in a way you all honestly aren’t ready for. Maybe this will be enough of a warning to prevent some of you from signing contracts you really shouldn’t.
“Remember, magic is a thing for you now and it can extend to contracts. The Guild doesn’t depend on magic, but many organizations and beings do. What you sign now might end up haunting you for centuries.
“Anyway, that should be enough general info. Now it is time for the judgment! And first on the chopping block, though only for a moment, is the group’s healer.
“A person with more luck than brains, they manage to escape death in exchange for working and teaching. There are simply not enough healers and so the Guild is suspending their death. Any more infractions, though, or an attempt to escape will have it reinstated.”
The bone structure, both holding the healer in place and draining them of their resources, falls away. After which, they are swept off the stage by a magical force, leaving 38 people.
The shark toothed lady nods, “And that was the easy part. You all are screwed, though. Mages and fighters? This is a dungeon town, there is no shortage of people willing to swing a sword or fling a spell.
“Even the logistics people are well taken care of at this point. Though knowing this world’s past, that makes sense. There was a lot of logistics that needed to be done before the system came.
“So without any wiggle room, I must declare that you have all been sentenced to death.” And she claps her hands, causing the bones holding everyone in place to glow with a greater intensity.
The 38 people all start to clamor and complain. All of it is the normal sorts of stuff. “I didn’t do it.”, “I have a family.”, and of course, “I don’t deserve this.”
As if such things can sway the ladies’ judgment. She wasn’t sent here to play around. She wasn’t even technically sent to explain stuff, though since the system had a contract for it with them, she did. No, she was here to declare what had already been decided.
Though those pleas and angry denials don’t last long. Whereas before, the vines had only been absorbing their resources in moderation; it was now madly sucking even after the people were empty. Those 38 should consider themselves lucky, though.
The lady wasn’t here to torture them and so she wasn’t going to use some painful or violent method of sending them off. Instead, one by one, the people feel unconscious as they lack the vitality to stay awake. After which, it was just a short step from a nap to their final sleep.
The shark toothed lady nods, “And so the punishment has been administered! May this be a lesson to you all.” Then the black system screens displaying this to the entire world wink out of existence.
