Chapter 310
Rise and fall, prosperity and decline; the prosperous must decline; impermanence.
In all principles, there is a time of flourishing, and what happens after that passes depends on the virtue of the individual.
I won't say that those who live earnestly are always rewarded.
However, if one lives earnestly and extends a hand to help others, the possibility arises that a hand will be extended back to them, that they will be helped.
But do you think such a possibility exists for those who do not extend a hand, who trample others underfoot, crush them, and mock those who beg for help?
First, let me talk about the events unfolding in the city.
Lotus, who had arrived on site as an inspection team, was invited to a welcoming banquet by the local nobles but ignored it completely and began work immediately.
Documents bearing the King's seal symbolize absolute authority on this continent.
Lotus, acting as the King's proxy, advanced with a smile, apprehending resisting nobles one after another.
"Illegal slaves, illegal drugs, land grabs, complicity in murder, support for bandits... You truly manage to do all this with a straight face. In a way, I'm amazed."
Suppressing the urge to sigh at the scene, which resembled a marketplace of crimes being uncovered one after another.
"The entire clan deserves the death penalty. Take them away."
She passed judgment coldly.
"Release me! Do you know who I am?! Do you think Duke Boldorinde will stand for this!? Mmmph!?"
He tried to protest the verdict, but Lotus signaled with his eyes to silence him. A gag was forced into his mouth, and his shouts became nothing but muffled noises.
Satisfied with the quiet, Lotus stepped forward and looked down at the man who, in his eyes, was no longer a noble.
"You speak nonsense. I am authorized by joint mandate of His Majesty the King, Duke Edelgard, and Duke Marduk to inspect this territory. I don't believe you are unaware of what this means."
Lotus judged it a waste of more time to spend on this man, who was being held by soldiers and still believed he could somehow wriggle out of this.
"Pray confess your sins to God until your execution."
The place he would be staying was not a warm room provided by power.It was a cold prison cell, built with tax money, for criminals to inhabit.Lotus watched the former Viscount being led away with cold eyes, then turned gaze to her subordinates who were currently searching the mansion.
"What about those who worked in the mansion?""We have gathered them in one room under guard.""Good. We will interrogate and judge them later. It's impossible they worked here and knew nothing."
This was the fourth noble house to be dissolved since entering Hokushi.And the reality was that they were all utterly corrupt.
Thinking that these people were fellow nobles was enough to give her a headache, Lotus thought inwardly, but his expression remained unchanged as she gave calm instructions.
She had heard the information from Liberta beforehand, and while Lotus thought it was truly awful, he showed no leniency.
"We must secure the other houses before they destroy the evidence."
The military force she brought, being soldiers trained by Liberta, quickly suppressed any resistance.Given their overwhelming quality and quantity, it was no exaggeration to say the work was proceeding smoothly, in a way.
Armed clashes were ended swiftly, hidden safes were unlocked by scout soldiers, and document scrutiny was completed rapidly by the civil officials she brought.
Just a quick glance at the official ledgers was enough for them to grasp the content and point out discrepancies. The efficiency of their clerical work had improved so much compared to before Liberta's guidance that the difference was like night and day.
The fact that they had managed to inspect and secure four noble houses within just a few hours of arriving in Hokushi was due to this reason.
". Lotus.""Is something the matter?""Yes! A letter like this was thrown in a short while ago.""Hmm."
However, it wasn't as if everything was going exactly according to plan.Just because they were moving swiftly didn't mean they could subdue everything at once.They were simply acting according to the preliminary information, prioritizing which locations to secure first.
Naturally, this gave the other side time to destroy evidence, but...
"Change of plans. Send Squad Three to the Jaze Merchant Guild.""Yes, ma'am!"
There was a cooperating organization monitoring their movements, so Lotus altered the schedule based on the incoming information.
". Lotus! We've discovered a basement!!""As per the preliminary information? Check for traps, then begin rescue operations.""Understood!!""I will move to the next inspection. You take command here."
Tucking the letter into her bosom, she headed for the next site with her guards.
"I must thank Liberta-san."
The cooperators were the entertainers who had infiltrated beforehand.The surface suppression was handled by Lotus and his inspection team.
Judess and his team were handling those who tried to slip into the shadows, kicking them out into the open.
"Now, next is this merchant guild."
Movement was swift. Using horses instead of carriages meant they reached their destination in no time.
"Hurry up!! Move all the cargo!!""Oh my? Are you relocating somewhere?"
For the evildoers, this inspection was a bolt from the blue.A waking nightmare.Shouts could be heard from their destination, and upon arriving on horseback, they found several overloaded wagons lined up.
"Eek!? I-It's none of your business!! I just felt like going on a trip on a whim!!""Is that so? In that case, that trip is cancelled."
The smile Lotus showed the villains on this day would surely be something they could never forget for the rest of their lives.
"Because your destination is prison."
And so, while Lotus was busy judging the misdeeds of nobles and merchants one after another, villains who operated individually, not as part of an organization, attempted to escape with all their wealth just as Lotus and his team entered Hokushi and began their operations.
Even with Lotus's capable unit, it was impossible to capture all the villains.Moreover, Lotus's primary targets were nobles and merchants.
Dealing with individuals operating alone was difficult; that required a different organization.
No fool would take the main roads.No fool would act conspicuously in a group.
Each was fleeing via their own unique routes, attempting to rebuild using the trade networks they had established.
However, as the saying goes, evil never prospers.
"Apprehend the villains!""Ooh!!!"
A group supposedly training in the forest bared their fangs at the villains attempting to flee into their trap.
"Th-the Temple Knight Order!? Why are you here!?""What, we just felt like training in the forest. You villains just happened to come our way.""D-do you have any proof I'm a villain!? I'm an adventurer belonging to the Adventurer's Guild!! This unjust detention will be reported to the Guild!""If only you were a legitimate adventurer."
Flustered by the sudden attack, the man tried to lie his way out. He was forced onto his back, and his chest was searched.
"Would a legitimate adventurer have a dangerous tattoo like this?"
There, depicted, was a tattoo of a chimera.It was proof of being a follower of the Evil God Cult.
"Damn heretics!! Our god will resurrect and destroy you all!!"
The moment this was discovered, the captured man transformed, thrashing wildly, but there was no escape from the sturdy knights holding him down.
"That's precisely why we're here. We have mountains of questions for you. You'll tell us everything you need to tell.""Never! God is watching over me!! I have nothing to say to you heretics!! Torture is useless!!"
This was the fifth one.They were catching fleeing individuals left and right, having captured about thirty people in total. The fact that this many Cult followers were among them was rather frightening.
"Is that so? Unfortunately, we don't engage in such barbaric practices. We'll have you talk peacefully. Take him away.""Yes, sir!"
André, who was commanding this expedition, sighed as he watched the screaming man being taken away.
"I obeyed because my senior asked, but I never thought we'd catch this many big fish."
The number of criminals was increasing in real-time.It wasn't certain if they were catching *all* the criminals scattered across the vast land, but...
"However, this ghillie suit, was it? It's perfect equipment for hiding in the forest."
At the very least, it was difficult to escape the Temple Knights' surveillance network spread throughout the extensive forests.
The previous man had the bad luck of stumbling into the thickest part of the encirclement.
Instead of their usual cloaks, they wore items woven from vines and leaves for forest camouflage.Their armor was also changed to inconspicuous leather armor. If they lay prone on the ground with that cloak, one couldn't tell anyone was there.
"Captain.""What is it?""The third man talked. It seems there's a hidden village in the eastern mountains.""Oho, I see. It seems our sermons had an effect. That's good news."
Criminals, completely unaware that a group equipped like this was lying in wait along their escape routes, walked right into the trap.
What awaited them after capture was a sermon from the Temple Knights.
"Honestly, I wouldn't want to be subjected to that myself either.""Me neither. I've undergone it a few times during training. After experiencing that, you're aware your head feels messed up... it's quite something."
The conventional method for obtaining information in this world was torture.Break the opponent's spirit through pain and make them talk.
In a sense, it was a commonly practiced method, and if the target was a Cult follower or a criminal, it could be applied without mercy.
However, this organization was the Temple Knight Order.Being knights who serve God, such acts were shunned.
So, how did they obtain the information?
"A smile can be a weapon sometimes, huh?""Yeah, really."
André and his subordinate deeply agreed about how tough it had been, recalling what they experienced during training.
It could be considered a form of torture, but what they did was simple and clear: endless sermons.
Imparting the teachings of God.
For the Evil God Cult followers, this was the most unbearable pain, preceded by a physiological aversion.One might think that forcing them to listen to such sermons endlessly would be fine for regular criminals but painful for Cult followers, however...
"Well, we brought old lady Cattleya this time.""Do you know her record?""I think it was five days?""No, she broke that record last month. Six days."
Just to be sure, they had brought a veteran in the field of patiently preaching God's teachings.In a cleared area prepared by the knights stood a simple chapel.
Right now, in that place, a battle-hardened veteran was fervently preaching the teachings of God, holding a scripture, forcing them to listen to its contents endlessly.
There was indeed no pain.And absolutely no violence.
But being taught the same thing over and over again felt like a form of brainwashing, even as he thought this.
André gazed into the distance, thinking that even criminals would repent after this.