The heads lay on the ground, arranged in a very long, unbroken line stretching from the doors of the Vice Captain's main hall all the way to the edge of the city. Behind each head rested a still-pumping heart.
They were told to wait patiently for their punishment. Everyone, they were promised, would receive a fair trial, and the judge would be the Vice Captain himself.
But the Vice Captain had endured a long, exhausting day.
So, he left them there and went to sleep.
For the next eight to twelve hours, they remained exactly where they were, alive, aware, and waiting, with no verdict delivered.
Beside every head stood a knight.
Some prisoners resisted. Some tried to move. A few even attempted to use magic. Each time, the knight guarding them split their head in half without hesitation. Mi would then step forward and use his ability to regenerate it.
And the cycle of pain began again.
This continued until the next day, when they were told, once more, that they would receive a fair trial.
The Vice Captain rubbed his temples, exhaustion weighing heavily on him. Turning to the Slender Man, he said quietly, "You pushed us into an extremely difficult position. And that was only the first day. If this continues, we won't be able to rest at all."
The Slender Man replied, "I didn't know. And as I told you, I will punish whoever is responsible."
The Vice Captain shook his head. "I don't think this is simply the Beast Kingdom. Someone higher is pulling the strings. We just don't know who yet."
As they discussed possible culprits, the troll spoke up. "What will you do about the one who stole your money? You should be careful. He's backed by a powerful duke, and that duke is supported by the Third Prince."
The Vice Captain answered calmly, "That duke is infamous for his greed. He kills for amusement and steals whatever he desires. I doubt he would allow a gold mine like this to belong to a mere merchant. I don't think he knows the truth."
He continued, "Which makes dealing with that person easy. We'll hunt him down once he comes here. He can't hire someone strong enough without attracting the duke's attention."
One of the knights spoke. "If only he comes, then the duke doesn't know this place exists. We don't need to worry about him."
"Then what about the serial killer?" Teddy asked. "We have nothing else to do. We should drag him here and punish him with the rest of them. Isn't that right, Vice-Captain?"
The Vice Captain replied flatly, "You don't need to worry about him. He's already dead."
everyone stiffened. "What?"
"It was my uncle," the Vice Captain said. "I knew from the beginning. I know when that person lies to me, this city isn't just a city, it became a prison years ago after a certain incident. The citizens were relocated. My uncle saw an opportunity with the goblins but unfortunately."
He went on, "He couldn't offend the other faction directly, so he worked with a third party to get rid of me. If that failed, he would eliminate the goblins and frame me, giving the Third Prince justification to strike."
Mi frowned. "I don't think that idiot looking dude was capable of planning something like that on his own. He was ordered. Right, vice-Captain?"
The vice-Captain nodded. "It's another power struggle. Likely the work of another prince or princess, we don't yet know which. The culprit orchestrated this to either remove me or ignite conflict between the Crown Prince's faction and the Third Prince's."
He added, "Even if the duke didn't know this place existed, he knows the earl has been supplying him with large quantities of spirit stones. When those stop flowing, someone will be blamed."
The Vice Captain continued, "My uncle likely worked with the tree spirit, feeding it prisoners so it could grow stronger and interfere with me. That created the opening for the assassin. In the end, my uncle, the tree spirit, and the attacking unit were all pawns in a larger struggle for the throne."
The Slender Man sighed. "It's going to be a long day. There are five thousand prisoners to put on trial."
"That sounds boring," the Vice Captain said. "It would take too long. Bring me the leader. His trial will decide the fate of the rest."
At his words, Blondie left into the night. When he returned, he carried the lizardman's head, and its heart. He tossed them into the center of the room, wiped the blood from his hands, and stepped back to the Vice Captain's side.
The Vice Captain looked down at the lizardman and spoke.
"I'll begin. Who sent you? And why was your leader an elf?"
The lizardman screamed in rage.
"Vice-Captain of the Twelfth Unit! You cowardly murderer! Why did you destroy, why did you destroy the Kingdom of Coexisting?"