"My lord, Julia has returned."

Furinnjira reminded.

Her tone wasn't good, recently Losa had stood her up several times, and today it seemed the same would happen.

Losa showed a hint of apology on his face, "Let her come see me."

Julia had obviously gone through careful grooming before coming, wearing a courtly dress with a neckline exposing a large expanse of white skin.

She squeezed out a flattering smile on her face, "My lord, to complete the task you entrusted to me, I didn't dare slack in the slightest on the way back."

Losa nodded perfunctorily, "You've worked hard."

Julia complimented, "It's what I should do, my lord. On my way back, I heard you personally killed an adult Earth Dragon? Truly cause for celebration!"

Losa frowned, "Talk about business."

Julia's smile froze, "My lord, that old woman Stephanie has already fallen from the balcony's aged railing onto the fountain, and she's dead."

Losa said gravely, "How did Reynard react?"

"He didn't have any special reaction."

Losa couldn't help but laugh, "Ha, who said Reynard is a reckless fool?"

Furinnjira chimed in, "It seems to be your father, Count Werner."

...

The next morning.

A large contingent of the City Guard Army escorted wagons filled with spoils into Hebron.

Hussein's face was ashen, detained alone in a prison car.

Jeanne, riding her warhorse with an unperturbed expression, passed by him.

This battle, for her, was more like an outing in the countryside, as the intensity and the strength of her opponents were unimpressive.

Hussein grabbed the bars of the prison car, "Knight Jeanne, please listen to me!"

"I have a secret treasure trove, as long as your lord spares my family's lives, I am willing to disclose it to your lord."

Jeanne raised a finger, pointed at her own ear, "I can't understand what you're saying, nor am I interested. If you want to plea, you'll soon meet the Count."

Stalwart Guards lined up in two rows at the castle gate.

They wore at least two layers of chain armor, capped with spine-shaped helmets, carrying round shields, and wielding formidable two-handed axes.

As the iron gate slowly rose with the winch.

"Hoo—"

The guards all raised their war axes, letting out a battle roar.

"Barbaric, they're nothing but savages!"

Hussein felt his heart pounding, this New Earl's army seemed far more formidable than Reynard's forces.

These were not elite troops his bandits could even remotely compare with!

He was shoved into the Lord's Hall.

He looked up, not yet seeing clearly the young Earl seated on the gilded throne, when he noticed the Black-Scaled Dragon Head under the enormous Double-headed Eagle Banner.

A pair of massive golden dragon eyes, seemingly still glimpsing its past grandeur.

Dragon Slayer...

It turns out, it wasn't just a self-aggrandizing legend.

He really is a Dragon Slayer!

Hussein said, somewhat trembling, "Count, I really don't understand what I did wrong. If someone paid for you to deal with me, I'll pay double whatever they offer!"

"You have violated the law, Hussein."

Losa said expressionlessly.

Though just a young man, due to his Dragon Bloodline and high position, he exuded the majesty of a monarch.

"As the lord of the entire Transjordan, no one can buy me, I'm only here to uphold the sanctity of law."

Hussein clearly didn't believe.

He intensified his tone, "Count, don't think I keep all my wealth at home, I have three treasure sites. If you let me go, those treasures are all yours."

Losa emphasized again, "I've already said, no one can buy me, Hussein."

"Face the public trial, according to the Ancient Empire's customs, when everyone gives you a thumbs-up, you may live; when they give you a thumbs-down, you will die."

"What's the point of this charade?"

Hussein shouted angrily, "Count, you don't even know how much gold and silver my three treasure sites hold, that's the wealth accumulated by generations of my family."

He knew that with what he had done, no one would think he deserved to live, how was this different from sentencing him to death?

"I'll say it one last time, no one can buy me."

Losa smiled and said, "To give my subjects more involvement, that's your last value. Or, you could consider using your exceptional rhetoric to win a slight chance at immunity."

He gestured, "Take him away."

Losa glanced at Furinjira, who immediately understood, patting her non-existent chest to indicate "Leave it to me"—poor Hussein, about to be squeezed dry of his last drop.

Hussein's furious roaring gradually faded away.

"Next, bring Adnan up."

Last night, Ulm led his troops to assault Adnan's residence; the combat process was unimpressive as the other side was completely unprepared.

The advantage of a night attack was vividly manifested.

This middle-aged man, full-bearded, seemed to age ten years overnight, "My lord, I don't understand why you suddenly take action against me? Is there something I've done to disrespect you?"

"Aziz, you should know this name."

Adnan's face changed dramatically: "Sir, just for such a small matter?"

"A small matter?"

Aziz, listening outside the door, roared angrily: "You raped my wife, forced her to commit suicide by jumping into a well, and you actually consider this a small matter?"

Losa pointed at Aziz and said, "He is a free man, correct?"

Aziz's expression slightly changed.

"Yes, that's correct, but..."

"There's no but. Since he's not a peasant slave, Aziz is merely in an employment relationship with you. You have violated the law, Mr. Adnan, and although it pains me, I must declare you guilty."

Adnan's expression turned sullen as he lowered his head and coldly said, "Sir, I presented you with horses, gold, and silver, yet you treat us so harshly; have you not considered the consequences?"

"Ha—"

A contemptuous laugh completely infuriated Adnan. He raised his head and said, "You may imprison me for such an insignificant reason, but you've broken the rules, and you'll regret it sooner or later!"

Losa picked up a piece of papyrus in his hand: "This lists the crimes you and your family have committed. You may think they are insignificant, but in my view, they are enough to sentence you to death ten times over."

"Adnan, I grant you the same treatment as Hussein. You will both face a public trial, where the Patrol Officer will announce your crimes to all citizens of Hebron. If they believe you shouldn't die, then you shall live."

Adnan's tone immediately rose: "Count Sir, are you really going to kill me?"

He could hardly believe it.

Without even thinking, he knew what kind of treatment he'd receive if handed over to those commoners for judgment.

He had expected Losa to extort him or imprison him, but never imagined he would be executed.

Losa shook his head and said, "It's not me who wants you dead; it's the law that demands it."

Adnan roared, "You're mad, Losa, you're absolutely mad! In your eyes, do those ragged commoners hold more importance than us 'chiefs' who have stores of food, armaments, and treasures?"

Losa waved his hand, signaling the guards to take him away.

He sighed lightly, leaned back on the lord's throne, and stretched: "You ate too much, even more than I could tolerate, let alone the common people."

...

Outside, the noise of the crowd was already deafening.

Since yesterday, when Losa ordered the City Guard Army to announce the public trial, the eagerly waiting people had gathered in the streets and alleys of the city early in the morning.

As Ulm recounted the crimes of these people, those present were enraged, hurling curses of various kinds.

The pilgrims who traveled to Hebron were mostly poor folks who easily empathized upon hearing of the crimes committed by the local tyrants.

The Fire Worship had tamed them to willingly live like "oxen and horses."

But they didn't truly lack the understanding to rebel.

Yet even the farming tools they used had to be rented from the local tyrants.

A group of unarmed people, who struggled daily just to think about their next meal, had long become numb, with no room left to consider how to resist.

Ulm was so nervous his palms were shaking; he had never been the focus of so many people before.

Below, the crowd was dense and packed.

The subjects who came to watch the public trial gathered in such numbers that the narrow area was shoulder to shoulder with no room to move, leaving Ulm worried they'd rush forward, break through the guards' barriers, and trample him to death.

He read aloud from the papyrus, word for word: "Adnan, three days ago, in his residence, violated the Fire Worship's commandments by getting drunk and raping the wife of the free man Aziz.

Aziz sought justice for himself after his wife's suicide but instead was savagely beaten. The following twelve people can testify to this event."

"Moreover, his family committed the following disgraceful acts..."

Senmut loudly translated this aside.

"Hussein secretly funded three bandit corps that plundered villages and passing caravans multiple times. The casualties were countless, and the looted wealth unquantifiable. The following twelve witnesses can confirm this..."

Before he finished speaking, the crowd below began angrily throwing stones, rotten vegetable leaves, and the like at Adnan and Hussein, who were imprisoned in a cage.

The guards were powerless to stop it and could only try their best to maintain order.

"If you believe these men's crimes do not warrant death, hold your thumbs up, but if you believe death should be their sentence, turn your thumbs down,"

Ulm shouted.

The crowd echoed this call.

Moments later.

Regardless of whether they were Christians, Jewish, or Saracens, almost without exception, they all turned their thumbs down.

Various languages converged into one word.

"Death penalty!"

"Death penalty!"

"Death penalty!"

Ulm proclaimed loudly, "The Count Sir is willing to adopt his citizens' opinion and hereby sentences Hussein and Adnan to death!"

As the executioner removed the wooden boards beneath their feet, they suddenly fell through, with their bodies hanging in midair, their necks snapped by the weight of their own falling bodies.

In an instant, they were dead.

"Long live!"

"Heavenly Father (Holy Flame) bless the Count Sir."

"Long live the Count Sir!"

"May the just Sir live long!"

The voices of the people roared like ocean waves.

Losa stood atop the tower of the castle, listening to the shouts echoing through the city, and softly said, "This is what is called the power of the 'commoners'."

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