A Persuasive Argument

Greenfields County, Souville province

Algrim

19.13.1623 S.T.

...

‘The dungeon cell truly is an unpleasant place to be in.' Levi thought idly, his nose scrunched up slightly in disgust. The air was stale and just downright disgusting. And while the torches did provide a bit of light, they did a very poor job at illuminating the chamber, eerie, drawn-out shadows lingering in every corner.

Levi sighed as he poured yet another bowl of water over earl Gilbert’s face, soaking the thick woollen shawl wrapped securely around the fellow’s mouth and nostrils. ‘Well at least it wasn’t all bad,’ Levi thought, finding his captured counterpart’s expression somewhat amusing.

The earl felt the undiluted fear and terror in Gilbert’s bloodshot eyes as he struggled and squirmed fruitlessly under the restraint binding him to the table was a particularly priceless scene. More so, when one considered that just a few days ago this same man celebrated his inevitable victory…

In advance!

“You are a fucking meme, aren’t you Gilbert,” Levi suddenly chuckled out loud, unable to contain his amusement any longer with the knight aiding him in the procedure turning to stare strangely at him.

The earl just shook his head dismissively as he caressed the still squirming Gilbert’s forehead with an emotion seeming to border on fondness.

“Halt,” Levi called as he seized water-boarding his victim. The knight holding the soaked shawl in place stood up, releasing his grip as the still bound Gilbert began coughing, choking on the sudden influx of oxygen.

Levi carelessly tossed the bowl aside. Stretching tiredly, he walked over to the other side of the cell before slumping into a wooden chair. There he silently for a moment as he stared up at the ceiling.

“This is tiring,” Levi commented without looking at anything in particular as he massaged the subtly aching shoulder, “isn’t it, Gilbert?”

“G-go and d-die, y-y-you base scum,” the captive earl spat. It was faint, but even from where Levi sat he could sense the raw dread radiating off the other man, his every word slick with terror. Gilbert would break sooner or later, this was a foregone conclusion. The question was when.

Levi could feel his patience waning. It took a lot to wane his patience.

The earl sighed, the sound of heavy exhalation rebounding in the otherwise silent cell, aside from Gilbert’s straining breathing.

"Margrave Josh, your father, has begun planning his return to Redwater," Levi said softly, the dim torch casting a gloomy light on his face. “He would arrive at Maidenpool, shortly before the first snow and stay there till the Strega unfreezes early next spring.”

“Don’t look surprised that I know,” Levi said as he looked away from the ceiling to stare at Gilbert’s bound form. “Several of your knights surrendered this information in exchange for leniency on my part. Not everyone is as stubborn as you are.”

“Now Gilbert, you see”—Levi licking his lower lip as he pauses for effect—“your value continues to diminish the longer you refuse to cooperate. You do not want to know what would happen to you if I no longer find you useful”

Gilbert froze.

“Trust me, you do not want that,” Levi repeated.

“...Go, go to hell,” Gibert spat again in a slightly shaky voice. "There is no way on Anno I would betray my father."

Levi paused, his expression impassive. Then he smiled. It was a very friendly smile.

“Sir Turiel,” Levi said to the knight by the side as he stood up to leave.

“Yes, my Liege.”

“Bring our guest here along and follow me.

"There is something he still fails to understand."

…

Outside the dungeon, in an open field.

Levi stood in front of an open grave, staring contemplatively into the pit

“Is it deep enough?” he asked idly.

“I don’t know my liege,” the knight accompanying him replied before adding with a bit of uncertainty, “it should be?”

Levi chewed the inside of his lips before shrugging noncommittally.

“It looks quite shallow, even though it isn’t,” Levi said to a confused Gilbert as he peeked into the grave. “Two metres deep, half a metre wide and two metres long. It took an hour to complete. The serfs are a hard-working bunch, are they ?”

“...”

Gilbert continued to stare apprehensively at him.

Levi leaned away from the grave before walking behind Gilbert. The bound man’s gaze was unable to follow the earl's movement due to his restraints, but he soon felt a foot press into the small of his back.

Heaving, Levi leaned forward, pushing his bound captive into the hole. With a dull thud and a pained grunt, the Hera hit the floor.

“You see, Gilbert,” Levi began as he strolled towards the pile of loose earth on the other side of the pit, nudging a few pieces of dirt in with his toe. "I didn’t care for the stunt you pulled by sending me that letter the other day."

“It was amusing while it lasted. It gave me something challenging to do when I arrived, as well as provided a sufficiently fulfilling reward afterwards.

“I commend you for being the first exhilarating source of entertainment I encountered in quite a long time. Ever since I got stuck in that darb, sterile room, with only humourless caretakers as a company I have wished for such excitement in my life, even if a tad twisted. It was fun. Although your stubbornness since your capture has been annoying, I tolerated it. Initially, because I was in a good mood and later because Lancelot kept insisting you were useful for some reason.

“...But now? Not so much.”

Levi squatted at the edge of the hole, watching unamused as Gilbert struggled to escape his binds. As he stared into his captive’s eyes, Levi saw an emotion he had gotten used to seeing over the past few days.

Fear.

'Aunt Mary always did say he was a child hard to keep pleased,' Levi soliloquised inwardly with a faint sigh. While the response had been a bit of a novelty when he first began to experience it en masse, now his feelings towards it had grown somewhat stale.

Now Gilbert’s fearful expression only felt boring. Cliche even, like a movie trope seen ten too many times.

“You see I am a very simple person,” Levi said with yet another sigh, feeling something akin to a pang of regret as he rose to his feet, “it is either I like you… Or I don’t. I don’t like you, Gilbert. And at this point, even your staunchest supporters are finding it hard to justify your worth and convince me to keep you alive.

“You might be of noble blood or whatnot, but you should know by now that means nothing in my eyes. To me, you are simply a waste of space, time and resources. A problem. A pest...:”

Gilbert listened with an increasingly alarmed expression.

“Which is why I have taken it upon my esteemed self to make sure you are relieved of your life,” Levi finished before suddenly adding as he flashed a comforting smile. ”You need not look so worried. At the very least you can now die knowing you were not the complete waste you thought you were. You didn’t betray your father which is good. Besides, I can always use you to set a bad example for others.”

“Bury him,” Levi said to the knight, his tone even. Expressionless.

“But my liege―”

“Alive.”

"..."

“...Understood, my lord.”

As the dirt poured in one scoop at a time, Levi watched as Gilbert squirmed harder, something more primal than fear suffusing his gaze. The captive earl looked greatly alarmed upon meeting Levi’s bland stare, his whimpering growing louder as each second went by, his threshing and writhing throwing the dirt off his body, but Levi was certain the man knew was only delaying the inevitable.

“...Pl-please, please stop! Don’t kill me!” Gilbert finally said, somehow managing to shake his gag off.

Levi stared down at Gilbert, unsurprised. He remained silent.

"Please! I don't want to die! Not like this, no!"

"..."

"I beg of you! Mercy!"

“Now give me one reason why I would do that?” Levi finally asked still without telling the knight to stop.

Gilbert sobbed a reply. “Please don’t kill me. I don’t want to die.”

Levi raised a brow.

“Is that all?” he asked before turning to the knight filling the grave by his side. "Can you work faster please?"

“I-I will do it. Anything! I will do anything! Please, just don’t kill me," Gilbert sobbed, threshing even more violently. "I don’t want to die!”

“Really?” the young lord perked up, nodding before frowning doubtfully. “If so, then why did you make me go through this stress before you agreed? Was this some elaborate scheme to get back at me? That's enough reason for me to have you buried here you know?” Levi blandly said.

Gilbert paled. “No. No, I swear. I did not. I will do anything. Please!”

“Hmm... Ok, fine, but you are staying here till morning. That will be your punishment.”

“Thank you,” Gilbert sobbed, collapsing back into the dirt upon seeing Levi gesture for the knight to drop the shovel, “thank you.”

"Find some men to watch over him would you," Levi said to the knight.

"Yes, my liege."

Levi walked away from the pit, yawning quite heavily. Never knew torture could be quite exhausting.

“Had fun, my Lord?” A voice spoke suddenly.

The earl looked around an aged tree on his path to see Lancelot staring back. Poker-faced as he leaned against the tree's trunk, It was hard to tell what was going on in the viscount’s mind.