[Ding——!]
[Execution successful. The three-cylinder horizontal compound condensing steam engine will arrive at Starfall Bay Train Station tomorrow morning.]
Seeing the notification, Raphael beamed.
“Now, time to deal with these mercenaries.”
Adhering to the principle of seeking truth from facts, Raphael ordered all mercenaries to write a confession letter detailing their crimes.
Depending on the severity of their crimes, he would decide whether to let them go.
“Such a good deal… I’ll just make something up. How could he possibly check each one?”
“If he really can check, I’ll give him my life.”
“Hehe, I’ll write ‘stole underwear’… No, that’s too fake.”
Then, the words “stole underwear” on the paper were crossed out and became “stole an old lady’s underwear.”
Those who couldn’t write dictated to the guards, who wrote for them.
The crimes were truly a motley assortment.
Stuff like stealing offerings from a cemetery, throwing stones at little birds, tying knots on a roommate’s little bird while he slept…
The guards were simultaneously exasperated and amused.
One particularly outrageous guy, to distance himself from his deceased boss, directly confessed: “I was just taught by Lanse.”
“That’s not a crime! … No, it is… No, no, not… Wait, this…”
Lanse was already dead, so there was no way to verify the truth.
Helpless, the guard had to write it down…
‘I’m just a poor, helpless little guard. What did I do wrong?’
Of course, the outrageous crimes didn’t stop there.
But most were tied to unsavory matters below the belt.
In the end, all 79 confession letters were stamped with fingerprints and seals. Attributes transformed:
[Individual Name: Qiao Ji’er]
[Sin Level: 79]
[Execution Reward: Forging Table (Low-Grade) *1]
[Individual Name: Mo Nai Zi]
[Sin Level: 71]
[Execution Reward: Integrated Furnace *1]
[Individual Name: Suen Xiao Chuan]
[Sin Level: 114514 (strikethrough)]
[Execution Reward: Tanjiro Koji Horror Anthology]
…
Glancing roughly over the list, there were 20 people with a Sin Level above 50.
Among them, two had reached a Sin Level of 70, and their rewards were quite decent.
But what was up with that person with a Sin Level of 114514?
“Well, the reward is okay. I used to like reading these kinds of scary little stories—Itō… Huh?” Raphael paused.
“What the hell is the Tanjiro Koji Horror Anthology!”
Seeing this, Raphael couldn’t help but recall a poem:
*Cloaked in shades of time we part,
In memories old, a breaking heart.*
This poem told a tragic love story between a person named “One” and a person named “Zero.”
Domestic trivialities, profound yet simple—no need for further elaboration, no need!
As for prisoners with Sin Levels between 50 and 70, their rewards were as varied as their excuses.
Things like Blue Dragon design drawings, band-aid-style men’s underwear, chastity locks, and so on.
But there were still some useful items.
Looking through the lot, the useful things included: Silver-plated soft armor, pure silver dagger, new uniform design pattern collection, advanced loom design drawings, and Advanced Health Potion *3.
The rest were just novelty items, not worth mentioning.
Regardless, all prisoners with a Sin Level above 50 had only one path: death.
50 was the line Raphael drew for the prisoners.
Those below 50 could be observed; those above 50 were to be executed immediately.
“Kids with Sin Levels over 50 can go write a novel titled ‘My Prison Execution Threshold.'”
As he spoke, Raphael let out a sinister “hee-hee-hee” laugh.
Don’t misunderstand—this wasn’t some villainous act.
Those with Sin Levels above 90 were war maniacs like Wells, who had directly or indirectly killed countless people.
Those between 80 and 90 were the kind of变态 murderers.
Neil, as the gatekeeper at 80 Sin Level, though his methods and actions hadn’t reached Lanse’s level, still qualified as a deviant.
Going further down, between 70 and 80, they might be accomplices or have killed fewer people, but they were still deviants at heart—Lanse’s two underlings were examples.
As for 60 to 70, it might not sound as severe, but they were still likely people who treated lives like grass.
The difference was that their motive for killing might be money or some other purpose, but ultimately not for entertainment like Lanse.
As for 50 to 60, this range was still unforgivable in Raphael’s mind. They must have blood on their hands.
And their killings were due to malicious plunder, not self-defense.
Given the mess these bandits had made along the shores of the Great Inland Lake, they should be grateful Raphael wasn’t wiping them all out.
Soon, an idea struck Raphael.
“I’ve read all your confession letters. Now, those whose names I call, gather at the main hall entrance.”
Raphael’s words startled the mercenaries.
“Qiao Ji’er, Mo Nai Zi, Suen Xiao Chuan…”
The mercenaries looked at each other in disbelief.
Good grief—all the core members of the mercenary group were called out, a total of 20 people.
Could this be a death sentence?
For a moment, the crowd grew restless and uneasy.
Especially those mercenaries who had been involved in the half-breed matter—their legs were already trembling.
However, Raphael’s next words immediately turned their sorrow into joy:
“Everyone, don’t panic. These people are the ones I selected as good families. I will recommend you to become members of the Imperial Legion.”
“Really. I’m sure you know my name—Raphael Lancaster. I swear by the honor of the House of Lancaster—this is true.”
“If I break this oath, may my House of Lancaster be destroyed!”
Raphael spoke with conviction, adding a hint of pressure to his voice, making the mercenaries’ scalps tingle.
“Oh my god, it’s a noble lord’s solemn oath!”
“Damn, that’s serious. No noble lord would joke about his own fate!”
“Real or fake?”
“Are you stupid? How could it be fake? Call a Border Collie over, put the collar around your neck, and let it lead you.”
…
Raphael wasn’t lying—that statement wasn’t hypothetical but declarative.
The destruction of the House of Lancaster was a plot point in the game, a key event accompanying the Empire’s fall.
It was fate—in other words, since the House of Lancaster was doomed to fall, then Raphael could break his oath!
“Hehe. (ಡωಡ) I’m such a genius!”
Thus, the 20 prisoners danced their way to the main entrance.
The Imperial Legion…
After the military reform, the army switched from a conscription system to a professional legion system. Soldier benefits increased significantly, but quotas and entry conditions became much stricter.
If they could become military men, a good life awaited them!
Too bad their boss, Lanse, a former second lieutenant, had retired two years before the military reform and died on this very day when they were about to join the army.
Truly a pity…
‘To hell with pity! I’m off to enjoy life—you hang on that rope a little longer!’
“Thank goodness I wrote about stealing an old lady’s panties. Otherwise, I wouldn’t have had this luck!”
“Yeah, we’ll win. We’ll all win!”
…