Year 387 of the Old Kingdom Era. Year 1 of the New Empire Era, July 3rd.
A public execution was about to begin in the ancient city of Rahator, a city with a long history, one of the most prominent on the continent of Barnat.
Once the capital of a declining kingdom, it had now become the capital of the newly established Empire.
“From now on!! I will execute the death sentences of the deposed King Carl VII, the deposed Queen Jalomier, and 97 other traitors!!”
The executioner, standing on the scaffold, shouted with all his might. The moment that the citizens had eagerly awaited had finally arrived.
“Their crimes include disturbing the lives of the people! Disregarding the national opinion and committing tyranny! Embezzling taxes and wasting them on luxury! Collaborating with enemy nations and countless other offenses that I can’t even begin to list!!”
The executioner paused for a moment to catch his breath, then pointed at the criminals with the death warrants and declared:
“I shall behead them here, and cleanse them of their crimes!!”
“Finally! Finally, I get to see those bastards die!!!”
“Ugh, I wish my late grandmother could be here to see this…”
The reactions were all over the place. Some fainted in joy, some shed tears in emotional relief, while others sniffled quietly in a state of numbness.
Each person cheered in their own way.
Perhaps some were wondering: Why is it that people take such joy in the death of others? Isn’t there a certain respect that should be shown, even to those who are about to die?
If you were to ask the citizens, they would likely answer something like this:
“You try living under their oppression for your entire life, and then talk to me about respect!”
The anger and hatred of the citizens, who had been exploited for hundreds of years, had long since reached its limit. The only way to silence it now was with blood.
“Shut up! Shut your filthy mouths, you vermin!!”
“Repugnant traitors! When the army arrives, you will all be executed by firing squad!!”
“How dare you, commoners, lay a hand on me, a noble?! Get out of here at once!!”
However, the audacity of humans never ceased to amaze.
Amidst the cheers of the thousands in the crowd chanting for death, the criminals could not regain their senses and continued to hurl insults.
It wasn’t too late to stop this farce and free them immediately, they cried.
One of them, with his courage bolstered, even shouted toward Emperor Carolus, who was watching from a distant palace balcony.
“Carolus!! You damn betrayer!! How could you, a general raised by His Majesty’s grace, betray him?! Do you have no heart?!”
Emperor Carolus I, the one addressed, simply ignored the shout and thought to himself:
“So what? And who wants to overthrow the country anyway?”
If they didn’t like it, they should have created a nation where they wouldn’t need a coup in the first place.