Chapter 96

Zhao Mai's gray horse shifted uneasily beneath him, only the druid's soft whispers could calm it down for a moment. Zhao Mai was looking down at the small village in the valley, which was nestled beside a stream. The clear stream water, which had once sustained all the villagers, was now stained red with the blood flowing from the bodies of the deceased.

As the group entered the forest, it started to rain, a light drizzle that didn't cause much trouble but wouldn't stop. The mist in the forest enveloped them like a thick white fog, and dark clouds above them once again obscured the stars. Without another wild northern wind, these clouds would not dissipate quickly.

The goblins cursed and grumbled all the way, seemingly aware of their fate and becoming increasingly agitated. When things turned bad, goblins would surrender to save their lives. But if surrendering couldn't save them, they would struggle to the death.

The burly man held a logging axe, ready at all times. If the goblins tried to break free from their shackles, he would rush forward and strike with his axe. His eyes revealed no mercy, which instilled great fear in the goblins, making them hesitant to move. This state continued until they reached the village in the forest, where the paladins also looked at the goblins with the same stern gaze.

"There are four households and twenty-three people in the village, but now only I remain," the burly man said to Zhao Mai, who was riding beside him. "They found this hidden and comfortable valley and built the village by the stream with their own hands. They took me in, giving me a new home here. We had no lord, and we didn't need to pay taxes; we managed everything ourselves. We were free and happy until these goblins appeared. I don't think they deserve any trial other than death. Kid, you can't find a balance in this matter."

Balance? There's always a way. Zhao Mai remained silent, rainwater sliding down his cheeks. Apart from the sound of raindrops hitting the metal barrels of the giant-toothed beasts, he seemed to hear nothing. The sight of the village shocked him. The dead villagers were unarmed, killed suddenly and unexpectedly, their faces frozen in terror and sorrow. The raindrops on their faces made it seem as if they were crying.

A massacre and a battlefield are entirely different. The latter might still have a sense of tragedy, but the former only has sorrow, or perhaps anger, never grandeur. Hailur raised the holy symbol of the goddess Iomedae and entered the town, offering the final prayers for the dead. She would not allow spirits, ghosts, or phantoms to harm these bodies. She prayed aloud, hoping the souls of the dead would find peace under the protection of the good gods.

"I don't want to waste time. Do what you have to do," the burly man said, looking at Hailur. He knew she was the leader of these paladins and that paladins were people who adhered to rules and would not change. "You girls, seeing this scene, who could still talk about letting the goblins live or vouch for them? Ha, talking too much doesn't do any good, now you understand, right?"

Hailur bit her lip, tightly gripping the holy symbol. The metal edges pressed into her skin, and the power of the goddess supported her. However, what she learned in the goddess's temple was more about combat techniques and strategies for eliminating enemies; she was not proficient in ceremonial rules. The goddess punished evil but did not interfere with the lord's legal authority or the village elders' governance. Except for crimes of blasphemy, the temple did not conduct trials independently. In theory, the three goblins should be handed over to the village's self-governing body, whether the mayor or the council of elders. But now, only one person remained in the village, a man filled with anger and hatred. From his actions of chopping up the goblin corpses, the fate of these "criminals" was clear: death.

This did not align with the goddess's desire to reform evil as much as possible.

She was in a dilemma and had not yet handed the goblins over to the burly man. Hailur looked at her sisters, who had rarely seen such a terrifying scene of a village massacre and were now biting their lips, unable to speak. No one could tell her what to do until her gaze fell on Zhao Mai.

This druid, though young, had extensive knowledge and exceptional thinking, always able to solve dilemmas with unexpected yet reasonable methods. Hailur thought for a moment; since she had doubts, why not seek his wisdom?

"Mike, Mike?" Hailur walked to Zhao Mai's horse and tugged at the reins. "What do you think about organizing a trial?"

"Sure, I have no other requirements. Don't drag it out; these goblins must die," the burly man said, crossing his arms and glaring at Zhao Mai.

It's not unsolvable, Zhao Mai thought. He took a moment to think while dismounting, then said, "Since that's the case, listen to my arrangement. I will give you a fair trial."

The trial was actually quite simple, as there was both eyewitness and physical evidence. The eyewitness was the burly man, a man named Butcher Snivver, who identified the goblins and correctly matched the weapons they used in battle. The physical evidence was in the goblins' loot, including earrings and gold teeth, which could be matched to the bodies.

"Goblins, do you have any defense against the charges? If you believe you did not commit these acts, please provide evidence."

The goblins looked at each other, confused by the druid's changing roles. One moment he said they killed everyone in the village, the next he asked them to prove they didn't. This confusion even overshadowed their fear of death. The three goblins stood there, mumbling incoherently, unable to form a complete sentence.

"I understand, they cannot provide any evidence," Zhao Mai said, turning to the paladins. "As representatives of justice and objectivity, can you now draw a conclusion based on what I've said? Did these goblins commit robbery, murder, and massacre?"

"Uh, of course, we agree with that," Hailur said, a bit dazed. Zhao Mai had assigned roles to each of them—prosecutor, defense, jury, and judge. Such a setup was unheard of even in the most law-abiding Abadar temple, but it seemed reasonable upon closer inspection. At least this cold, strict procedure allowed everyone to calmly analyze the situation.

"I just want to know the final result," Butcher Snivver said, finding a cleaver from his house and eyeing the goblins hungrily.

"According to the village's laws and customs, the sentence will be death. However, since the goblins surrendered in battle and were brought back to the village as captives, they should receive a reduced sentence. Therefore, the final sentence is hanging. Butcher, you can start building the scaffold and preparing the ropes."

"Are you kidding?!" the burly man and the paladins said in unison. "Why hanging? / Why not hard labor?" They suddenly glared at each other, and the atmosphere became tense again.

"Both of you, enough!" Zhao Mai roared, pushing them apart. Of course, he didn't have the strength to move Butcher, and he couldn't place his hand on Hailur's chest—her iron gauntlet slapped it away. Zhao Mai, rubbing his red and swollen hand, said, "The trial process has taken into account the interests of all parties, and the judgment is sound and should be respected and enforced. Hailur, ask your goddess and your heart, is there anything to question in the trial process?"

The paladin shook her head; the procedure was thorough, and she had nothing to say against it.

"Butcher, you demanded that the three goblins pay with their lives, and now your goal has been achieved. But you want more, wanting to vent your anger with more brutal means. This is a form of private violence, which is already an evil act. These goblins are captives of the paladins, and you should respect that. We eliminated the goblins and are on the same side as you, right?"

"Um... okay, I'll go find the ropes." Butcher looked at the six paladins, still somewhat不服气 (unconvinced), but after slapping his own face, he said, "I can't find fault with you, so I'll back down. But this really wastes time!"

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