Chapter 83…………………………………………………
“The Sealing Orb is a magical tool personally crafted by your sister for those suffering at the hands of monsters. There can be no mercy for the criminal who dares to use such an orb for wrongdoing.”
No one objected to Theodore’s declaration of harsh punishment, and for good reason.
The Sealing Orb that confines monsters—
If the orb were broken, the trapped monsters would burst out in a ravenous, feral state. Anyone who understood it knew that if unleashed, there would be no more effective weapon.
Yet, despite its potential, the Pegasus family had never once used the Sealing Orb as a weapon.
This was out of respect for the Grand Magician who created the orb to save people while upholding the family’s core value of protection.
Thus, the Council faced the harshest punishment for sullying that purpose and using the orb as a tool of attack.
“The criminals abused the Sealing Orb, endangered the family’s heir and children, attempted to assassinate the acting head of the family, and murdered witnesses to cover up their crimes.”
The sight of the shabby, handcuffed Council members dragged from the underground prison provoked not a trace of sympathy from anyone.
Before delivering the verdict, Theodore recited the countless crimes of the criminals, leaving everyone in shock at the sheer number of offenses.
“Therefore, the criminals shall receive the maximum sentence.”
“No! This can’t be!”
“How could this happen? We devoted ourselves to the family!”
“I—I should be spared!”
The Council members knew the verdict wouldn’t favor them, but the maximum sentence exceeded even their grim expectations.
“It was all for the family, for your sake! How can you abandon us?”
“I didn’t participate that much! Please, show mercy! I’ve already revealed all the information!”
“What? You traitor! No wonder they knew everything!”
The shouts, pleas, and quarrels of the unrepentant criminals echoed disgracefully.
Theodore, ignoring the meaningless cries, ordered the execution in a calm, authoritative voice.
“Burn the names of the criminals from the family registry.”
“No!”
The only thing the Council had valued above all was the name of Pegasus itself.
As the names were blackened from the registry, each elder screamed as if their flesh were being seared.
“Ahhhhh!”
The punishment worsened for those who cried in agony as their names vanished.
“Next, to prevent further crimes, destroy the criminals’ cores.”
The Core Destruction—the harshest punishment known since ancient times—left all color drained from the faces of the Council members who would experience it firsthand.
“No, no! Don’t do this! Stop!”
“Ugh! I don’t want this! Let go!”
Some panicked and attempted futile escapes, even while restrained.
But without exception, all were seized by the executioners who had been waiting.
Their desperate screams filled the air as they were dragged to their punishment.
Although destroying the core doesn’t immediately kill, the victim can never return to their previous state of health.
Moreover, without a core, one cannot use abilities or mana.
“Ugh… ugh… aaah!”
The elders lost the bloodline pride they once boasted of, and the wind abilities they possessed were gone forever.
Theodore’s voice then delivered the final punishment to those who had nearly lost all will to live:
“To compensate for the damages caused by the criminals’ actions, all of their property is confiscated.”
Until now, the elders had taken the privileges of family wealth and magical power for granted.
They couldn’t yet comprehend the meaning of having no safety net, no abilities, and no wealth—but for the rest of their lives, they would painfully understand it.
“This concludes the family trial.”
The Council members who tried to harm Acting Head Theodore and manipulate heir Lin were utterly defeated.
Listening to the trial results of those who caused the monster incident during the hunting festival, Lin cheerfully devoured all the cakes, pies, and puddings at tea time before returning to her room, patting her full stomach.
Following the doctor’s advice to rest for the day, she headed to her bedroom, only to find an unexpected figure at her door.
“Huh? Kaidan?”
“Lin.”
The boy, looking somewhat haggard, turned to Lin.
“How are you feeling?”
“I’m perfectly fine!”
Despite Lin’s lively reply, Kaidan studied her carefully, letting out a small sigh of relief.
A shadow of worry still lingered beneath Kaidan’s eyes.
“Are you alright, Kaidan? You’ve got dark circles under your eyes.”
“It’s nothing.”
Lin asked with concern, but Kaidan shook his head, clearly unwilling to talk about it further.
Not wanting to press him, Lin switched the topic after a moment of thought.
“By the way, Kaidan, I heard you saved the wizard’s attendant. Thanks to the witness, we caught the culprit quickly, right?”
“That’s nothing. What’s more important is…”
Lin expressed her gratitude, saying Kaidan’s help allowed them to swiftly capture the person who tried to harm her uncle.
But Kaidan’s expression darkened even more.
“If I had been faster, the acting head wouldn’t have been in danger. I was too late… I’m sorry.”
Lin, puzzled, replied:
“That wasn’t something we could control. Why are you apologizing?”
Kaidan hesitated, then closed his lips, leaving the apology unspoken.
His face still carried a heavy sense of responsibility.
Lin tilted her head, thinking: “Come to think of it… how did Kaidan know the monster would appear?”
She remembered Kaidan appearing suddenly in the forest during the hunting festival to warn of danger.
“I’ll be going now. Rest well. You haven’t been up long.”
“Ah, right. You too, Kaidan! Rest well!”
Lin’s hurried words brought a faint smile to Kaidan’s lips.
“Kaidan looks really exhausted.”
Watching him walk away, many questions came to Lin’s mind, but she swallowed them all.
Her savior, Kaidan, didn’t look well enough for her to satisfy her curiosity.
Walking the long corridor of Pegasus Castle, Kaidan muttered to himself.
“Not yet.”
Lin had been weak before, and now she was trying to act strong.
She had gotten up after only a few days, pretending to be fine, but Kaidan saw through it.
Her stature looked smaller, her thin limbs even more frail.
Looking at Lin with the same concern a grandmother has for a hungry grandchild, Kaidan shook his head.
“She just woke up. I shouldn’t trouble her.”
Frowning, Kaidan continued thinking to himself:
“That power Lin used… it’s concerning…”
The power that eradicated the forest monster in an instant was impressive, but she wasn’t his enemy.
His immediate concern was another question:
“Why did things happen differently from what I remembered?”
The discrepancy with his memory was serious—enough to question its reliability.
There was only one difference: the timeline.
Everything else was likely just the result of the changed timeline and his own involvement.
