"What's today's date?"
Kaya tiringly stared at me as if I was asking something wrong.
As we walked through one of the mansion's hallways still in ruins, I inwardly murmured, 'Well, it's understandable.'
Occasionally, I kept probing her regarding the day's time and date.
"First of July…" She succinctly replied.
"How about the year?" I asked, prompting her to suspiciously glare at me with a frown on her face.
It's the kind of look that query, 'Did he truly hit his head too hard?'
"…?"
"What? I don't have time to bother with this because of administrative tasks. That's why I'm asking."
"Sigh. It's the first of July, Year two-thousand five-hundred second (2502) of the Divinity Calendar."
Hearing her, I thought of the original story, Hero's Apocalypse. One of the significant pieces of information a transmigrator must generally have, especially if it's within the familiar world, was the timeline of events.
Even though similar names of months and days as those on Earth existed in this fantastical world, their underlying meaning was fundamentally different.
'But July 01, huh…? It's been more than a month since I transmigrated to this world.'
One week in the Red Light District on the other side of the world to recover my body that was pierced through by a spear of light, by the courtesy of the Imperial Princess' royal knight.
One week of being holed up in the Hero Academy, until I had that conversation with Maya regarding the Imperial Princess, whom she casually called the Imperial Bitch, and about her comprehensible agenda.
One week of being escorted to this territory by the Golden Crown Merchant Guild, which was more than enough time to learn what befell and caused this sadistic ruination.
Then… after another week, the slaves promised by Ravelle Au Regina finally arrived, along with the necessary goods I pre-ordered for the sake of the upcoming expedition that would tremendously elevate the territory and its people moving forward.
'One month huh… I guess it's time for that 'case' to happen in the academy? Good luck, Your Highness!" I inwardly and remotely cheered the seemingly pitiful princess of the Hero Academy.
"Brother…"
'I wonder what Maya would do… since even with their strained relationship, she needed the Imperial Princess.'
"Brother!"
It was then that Kaya's voice snapped me out of my thoughts.
"Why are you screaming, seriously?" I snorted.
Here, we exited the mansion's gate and faced the nearby hundreds of opaque tents—a sign of life in this forsaken land.
"Bring them here," I instructed the fifty soldiers under my command, prompting these swords and shields of the present Eshu County to round up the fifty slaves that arrived last night.
Fifty men and women knelt on the ground, their hands and feet were tied with black chains, but just enough for them to use the former to help themselves in satisfying their hunger.
"Report." With a word of mine, one of the five squad leaders, a female soldier with a petite yet healthy-looking fair-skinned body, with bob-cut obsidian hair and amethyst eyes, immediately stepped forward.
"We have given them food as you've instructed, and collected their demographical information, including the detailed reason for the slave brand engraved by the Church of Luminary on their arms."
As she expressed such information, Yusbel handed me a pile of documents, crudely done, but enough to take care of the situation.
It's the list of these slaves' personal information and their recorded transgressions according to the Church of Luminary.
Seeing her brother scanning the papers so thoroughly, Kaya couldn't help but feel a subtle inexplicable chill.
'What was that…?' She mused before doing her job of scanning these people in collars with her [Discerning Eye].
It was then that her brother called a few names, prompting the identities behind those who were mentioned to be brought forward.
Three men and two women knelt in front of me, either of which were in their late twenties or early thirties.
My eyes scrutinized them as if I was looking into their souls.
"M-My lord, what do you want us to do?"
"Order us, and we'll get it done!"
"Yes, yes! The food I had last night was the most generous thing I've received since I became a slave…!"
The power of food in this world, especially for those who were accompanied by hunger every single day, was nigh omnipotent.
Slaves were bound by contracts, and breaking them by any means would result in their deaths through the enchanted collars attached to their necks.
Seeing them in utmost ecstasy-like demeanor, even though I already read what was written, I still asked with a serious expression, "You… Tell me what you've done."
The ordinary folks eventually gathered at this spectacle.
Their thoughts, perhaps, 'Is being a slave worse than being left alone here to die…?'
'What's the lord planning right now?'
'Why did he buy this many slaves? Maybe he should have just used the money for food…'
For some reason, while they didn't know that these slaves were acquired without spending gold, they subconsciously avoided being vocal with their thoughts. Was it due to the sudden shift in the atmosphere?
The man, who was questioned, opened his mouth to speak, albeit reluctantly,
"I-I… molested c-childr-"
He stopped midway…
Not because his tongue was cut.
But because his vision flipped, realizing that his head was cut off.
Slash!
Spurt!
The sword on Yusbel's waist was swiftly drawn and snatched as she remained standing on Lugh's side.
"Disgusting motherfucker."
I couldn't tell whether it was a blessing or curse to have the [Eye That Witnesses Heaven and Hell]. Because the [Observation] it always showed was randomized, whether it's one's current emotional state or what they're roughly thinking, it's something I could not control.
Maybe this [Talent] was true to its name… having witnessed the so-called 'Hell.'
Looking at the decapitated body, I disregard the information I previously laid my eyes on.
Observation: [This person had raped and killed seven children.]
Everybody seemed to have their tongues retreated; they could not speak.
Gasps of horror filled the atmosphere.
With this ambiance, I gave a stern warning.
"I will only repeat this once—any rapist will be immediately executed!"
My gaze eventually landed on one of the two female slaves I called to be brought forward, whose previous expectant expression was now darkened.
"Y-Young lord… S-spare me! Please! I'll do anything!"
The others also began to beg earnestly.
"What did you do?" Ignoring their worthless cries, I frankly asked, my voice remained cold.
"Y-Young lord, please!"
"I asked about what you did!" My voice echoed; it was coated with mana as it reached the farthest audience.
Even though I was already aware, I wanted my people to hear.
So that they would witness the grave consequences of these kinds of transgressions that did not deserve an ounce of mercy.
"I-I… also molested-"
Slash!
Spurt!
Based on the documented information, this woman was a fallen noble. Her hobby was… something that made me want for the True Hero to destroy the world, just like how it was in the original story.
Observation: [This person molested unsanctioned male slaves, most of which were children under twelve years of age.]
'Man or woman… humanity's depravity has no gender.'
Because of today's event—July 01, Year 2502 of the Divinity Calendar—the Eshu County's Seven Commandments were solidified into people's hearts.
Albeit founded through inexplicable fear and tainted blood, those who received the lord's generosity and had lived hopeless lives deeply supported it.
It was the flickering flame of gradual reformation.
*
A few days after the execution of five slaves far from the peaceful capital city of the Holy Empire of Divinia.
In one of the luxurious training halls of Hero Academy.
"Wh-what the hell is she doing?! "
"H-Hey… Stop the Imperial Princess!"
"S-she's killing him!"
The students urgently tried to prevent the Imperial Princess from murdering… one of their professors.