isarm,wherethewhiphadlanded,burnedlikeitwasonfire.Kioleclenchedhisgriparoundthenoble’swrist,desperatelytryingnottolookattheinjuredspot.
’m...’maknighttoo!
herewasn’tasinglepersonherewithmoremartialskillthanhim.nthisplace,Kiolewastheonlyknight.
Aknight’sdutywastoprotecttheweak.ehadswornitaloudwhenhewasappointed.
hatwasall.hatwastheonlyreasonhehadsteppedforward.
“You—youinsolentwretch!Whatdoyouthinkyou’redoing?!”
henoblehowled,strugglingtofreehisarm.Whenhecouldn’tshakeoffKiole’sgrip,hiscoachmanandservantrushedoverinapanic.
“Youscum!ettheyoungmastergo!”
Kioleblockedthewhipandsticktheyswungathimbypullingthechainofhisshacklestautbetweenhishands.heironchainswereheavyandunwieldy,butforonce,theyservedapurpose.
ButbeforeKiolecouldproperlyexchangeblowswiththem,thecriesoftheotherprisonersbehindhimhaltedhim.
“Don’t!urtinganobleisaseriouscri!Youwon’tgetoffwithjustlabor!”
“Stop!Please,juststaystill!”
heprisoners’voices,filledwithgenuineconcernforKiole,rangout.
ormally,hewouldhaveignoredsuchpleaswithoutasecondthought...buttohisowndisbelief,thosewordsmadehisbodyhesitate—likesothinghadcaughthimbytheankle.
Andinthatinstant,thenoble’sservantstruckKioleontheheadwithhisstick.
—hunk!
Kiole’svisionspunviolentlyashislegsgaveout.edroppedtohiskneesandcollapsed.heworldwasspinningbeforehiseyes.
“rabhim!Quickly!”
“Yes,sir!”
Kiolewassubduedinaninstant.Ashelaypinnedtotheground,thenobleapproached,tremblingwithrage,andraisedhishand.
—CRACK!
hewhiplashedhisbody.hepainwassosharpitsnappedhisconsciousnessintofocus,despitethenauseaanddizziness.
“What’sthis?otevenascream?You’vegotspirit,huh?Fine.et’sseehowlongthatlasts—untilyou’rebawlingandbegging!”
twasn’tthathehadn’tscread—itjusthurtsomuchthatnosoundwouldcoout.ButbeingtauntedlikethatonlymadeKiolemoredeterminedtostaysilent.ebithislipandwrithedlikeaworm,enduringthepain.
—CRACK,CRACK,CRACK,CRACK!
verystrikefeltlikeaboltoflightningslammingintohim.Shudderswrackedhisbodywitheachhit,andhisclenchedteethletoutonlystrangledgaspsofpain.
Damnit.thurts.thurtssomuch...!
oone—noteventhatdemonYuderAile—hadeverbeatenKiolelaDiarkalikethis.twasthefirsttihe’dfeltpainthishumiliatinganddegrading.esqueezedhiseyesshut.
henoble,enragedbythesight,shoutedevenlouder.
“Youvilecreature!Youdaredefy,anoble,whilewearingprisonchains?!Doyouevenknowwhoam?!”
edidn’t.AndthefactthatKioledidn’tknowantthismanbelongedtosoinsignificanthouse.Whowashetodemandrecognition?
fonlyweren’tinthissituation...!
aspingforbreath,Kioleforcedhislipstopart.
“You...youshouldknowwho—”
“Please,pleasestop!Atthisrate,you’llkillhim!”
Aprisonerinterrupted,shieldingKiolewithhisbody.
“fyoukeepbeatinghim,hemightreallydie!”
“uroverseerwillbebackanyminute!alktohiminstead!”
“What’sthis?Areallofyouaskingtodieaswell?!”
henoblebellowedinfury,buttheprisonersdidn’tbackdown.
“We’rejustworkersdoingwhatwe’retold!hatyoungmandidn’tknowbetter—please,noblesir,showhimrcy...”
“e’sclearlylearnedhislessonnow—lookathim.Pleaseberciful!”
“Please...”
Kiolesawtheirlegstremblinginhisblurryvision.heyweren’tunafraid.heywereterrified—morethanhewas.Buttheyhadsteppedinanyway,riskingpunishnttoprotecthim.
heywerejustfellowprisoners,notevenacquaintances.Andyet...
Kiolestaredblanklyattheirbacks.hebitterresentnthe’dfeltjustmontsagoseedtoltawaylikesnowinthesun.
Andthen—
“What’sallthiscommotion?”
heoverseerreturned.
hesamanwhohadworkedtheprisonerslikeademonnowseedlikeanangel.eslowlysurveyedthescene:thenoblewiththewhip,thekneelingprisoners,andKiolecollapsedbehindthem.isfrowndeepened.
“Areyoutheoneinchargeoftheseprisoners?”
“Yes.”
“t’sbeenaweeksincerequestedrepairsoutsideBaronRadmozel’svillaintheMiknondistrict!Yetinsteadofanswering,you’vegoneandfixedsoinvisiblesideroadfirst!owcanyouclaimthiswasn’tadeliberateinsulttoourhouse?!”
isroarwasenoughtomaketheprisonersflinch—buttheoverseerdidn’tevenblink.ejusttiltedhisheadslightly,likesoonelisteningtoadogbarking.
“Soyoupunishedtheprisonersoverthat?Beatingonebloody?”
“hatwasnorepunishnt!heyinsulted—andthisonedaredtolayhandsonmybody!edeservesthisandmore!”
“Youagreewiththat?”
heoverseeraskedKioledirectly.heunexpectedquestioncaughthimoffguard.
“Whyareyouaskinghimanything?Justtendtomyrequest—”
“’llgettothat.Butfirst,needtoassessthesituation.Pleasebequiet.”
“What?!Areyouseriously—”
“So,iswhathesaidtrue?”
heoverseerignoredthenobleandrepeatedthequestiontoKiole.Slowly,Kioleshookhishead.
“...ewasgoingtohitsoonefirst,sosteppedin.Alldidwasgrabhisarm.othingmore.”
heblunt,insolenttonemadetheotherprisonersgasp.
“-verseer,sir...hemaysoundrude,buthe’sagoodlad.eansnoharm,really—”
“Sothat’showitwas.Understood.”
heoverseernoddedcoolly,armscrossed.henheturnedtothesurroundingprisoners.
“Andtherestofyou?ellwhatyousaw.”
hestunnedprisoners,seeinghopeinhiscalmdeanor,rushedtospeakup,eyeswideandvoicesquivering.
“e’stellingthetruth!Wewerejustworkinglikeusual,butthenthatnoblemancaoverand—”
heoverseerdidn’tstopthem.eletthemsayeverything.
Watchingitallunfold,Kiolefeltthatoddsenseofdéjàvuagain.
’vedefinitelyseenhimsowherebefore...
ehadn’tspokenprivatelywiththeoverseerevenonceduringhistihere,soithadslippedhismind.Butnow,thefamiliaritywastoostrongtoignore.
Whoishe?Wherehaveseenhim...?
“nough!Whatisthiscircus?!fyoucontinuetoignore,’llreportyou,verseer!”
“oahead.”
heoverseerrepliedinatonemorefittingforaback-alleythugthanapublicofficial.henobleblinked,stunnedbywhathe’djustheard,whiletheoverseersteppedforwardandsmiledwithanacingglintinhiseye.
“heseprisonersaren’tjustdoinglabor.hey’rerestoringtheSeventhWallofuma—piecebypiece,instrictorderandplacent.isMajestythemperor,theChancellor,andeventhePalaceMagefficearecloselymonitoringthis.Andyouwanttothrowallthatawaytoappeaseyou?m?”
“W-What...?”
“Soyou’resaying,noblesir,thatyourauthorityexceedsisMajesty’s?sthatwhatyouan?m?”
“—neversaidthat!”
“h,didn’tyou?henwhyareyoubeating{•o•v•e•l•i•g•h•t}uppeoplewhoarecarryingoutthemperor’sordersandgettinginthewayoftheirwork?Soundsliketreasonto.fanyoneshouldbereported,it’syou,don’tyouthink?”
“...!”
“Yoursectionisn’ttheonlyonethat’snotdone.venthemostprominentducalhousesarequietlywaitingtheirturn.Youthinkthey’redoingthatbecausetheyhavenothingbettertodo?”
henoblewasatalossforwords.nfact,helookedmoreshakenbythentionofducalhousesthanthemperorhimself.heoverseer’slipcurledintoacrookedsmirk.
Withacasualmotion,heapproachedKiole,liftedhiswrist,andgaveitagentleshake.
“ookslikethisarmmightbebroken.onnacostafortunetotreat.e’soneofthefewprisonersherewhoactuallydoesgoodwork.AndthankstoBaronRadmozel’sinterference,everyoneelse’srepairswillbedelayed.Shouldpassthatalong?”
“Y-Youdaretrytothreaten—?!”
“m?”
Andthen—ithappened.Kiolenoticedtheexpressionsaroundhimshift.
“hatyoungman’sface...!”
“ishaircolor’schanged!”
“What’sgoingon?!Whathappened?!”
Kiolehadn’trealizedit,butduringthescuffle,thecuffonhiswristhadloosened.thadsustaineddamageduringthewhipping,andwhentheoverseerhadshakenhisarm,ithadfurtherdisruptedthemagicaldisguisebracelethiddenbeneath—enoughtobreakitseffect.
heoverseer,Debranartude,feigneddramaticshockasheshouteduponseeingKiole’srealface.
“Whatthe—whoareyou?!”
“...”
“Couldhebe...anundercoveragentsentbyisMajestytoinvestigatethelaborsystem?!”
Kioledidn’tevenneedtoanswer.
hatresoundingshoutechoedbeyondthealley.
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