Chapter 44: City Guard
A knock echoed through the afternoon air, sharp and insistent. The Inn’s manager stepped outside, his words ready to dismiss yet another unimportant customer.
"Sorry, the inn is filled," he began, his voice cutting through the cool air. But his words faltered when he saw who stood before him. It wasn’t the usual merchant or customer, but rather a row of armed City Guards, their faces stern and eyes unwavering.
"You are being evicted from this building," one of the guards said coldly. "Call your workers and get out."
The manager let out a forced laugh, his bravado not as convincing as it seemed. "Look, I know you have been doing some big things under the Baron, but this?" He waved his hand dismissively. "This inn is owned by Zorthar. If you don’t want your children and family to suffer, I suggest you think twice before pushing us."
His words only seemed to fuel the guards’ anger. Without hesitation, they grabbed him by the shoulders and threw him into the street. "Take them all out," the lead guard ordered, his sword already drawn and pointed at the manager’s chest. "No need to touch the guests."
The manager barely had time to comprehend before the guard declared, "For the crimes of berating the City Guard and the Baron, and for failing to follow the law... I hereby sentence you to death."
The words barely left the guard’s lips before the sword swung down with brutal force. The blade cleaved through the manager’s neck, severing his head from his body in a single and bloody arc. The head fell to the ground with a sickening thud, rolling to a stop as blood pooled beneath it.
The guards moved quickly, removing the workers from the inn and each one meeting the same fate as their manager. One by one, they were decapitated. It wasn’t just punishment but it was an example, an unflinching demonstration of the power now held by the City Guard under the Baron.
The people who witnessed it did not flinch in disgust. They watched in silence, many with a twisted sense of relief. For the first time, they were seeing justice being carried out, the kind they had been deprived of for so long.
"The law is absolute," the guard announced, his voice cold and unwavering, as he stood over the pile of decapitated bodies. More workers were forced into the street, their fates already sealed.