Belial POV

I walked down the corridors leading to the castle dungeons with Liliana leading the way. Paimon, a duke-ranked former Dominion whom I summoned earlier, was wallking beside me. Heavy thoughts assaulted me. What did Liliana see in the dungeons? Why is she being ambiguous? Why am I feeling an ominous premonition?

I walked while having those thoughts on my head. As we near the dungeons, a scent of death can be smelled. The scent increases as we approach the dungeons. When we arrived at a narrow tunnel with a staircase going down, Liliana turned around and spoke to me.

"Milord, we have arrived. What is beyond here, only you must see. I will be right here with Lord Paimon."

Perplexed, I asked Liliana. "What is it that you saw down there, Liliana?"

"Something that will increase your resolve. A testament of humanity."

I looked at her eyes and deep within them, flames of anger and rage flickered, though small. I nodded towards Paimon and proceeded to go down the stairs. As I was nearing the door that leads to the dungeon cells, a foul stench of death and decay can be smelled. It is so foul that no sane man would dare open the door and examine what is beyond. Problem is I am no man, both figuratively and literally. I am a 12 year old kid whose race changed from a shitty human to a overpowered fallen angel.

I opened the door and I was assaulted by the scent of dried blood, rust, rotting matter and human waste excretions. I neared a cell and what I saw made me speechless. How could humans do this to their fellow kind? Beastmen fight to the death in duels and arguments but that is their way. It isn't as if they wanted that to happen. It is in their way. What defines them. But this? How could humans make such madness? Such inhumane acts towards their own kind without reason or logic?

What I saw was mangled remains of what was supposed to be humans. Judging from their still intact remains, they were still children or maybe teenagers. Hands, legs, heads, all sort of body parts gathered up in a pile. Some meat and guts are splattered on the walls along with blood splashes, some are fresh while some dried up and rotting.

I went inside the first cell and saw a pair of eyes looking at me. I quickly went inside but what I saw made me stop in my tracks. What was looking at me is a boy whose stomach is opened with his guts spilled in the floor. I quickly made my way towards the boy. He was still alive though not for long. Suddenly while I was checking him, his head turned to look for me, albeit slowly like a mechanical doll. He then spoke in a struggling manner.

"Are......you......an......angel......? kuhaa! kuh!" the boy coughed as he finished his sentence.

I looked at his eyes who still had a glimmer of hope. "I am not... I am just a broken soul like you... But to hear your last words, I will be an angel for you." I spoke as I held into the small child's cold hands.

"I........guess.......my.......wish........was.......heard........please.......mr........an...gel.......kuhu........save.......my.......ba...by......sis...ter.......she.......is.......locked........fur...ther.......in...side.......please.......save.......her......"

Tears formed and slid down the boy's face. I noticed the hand I am holding is now getting colder. I looked at his hand and saw that it has gone limp. I looked back at his face and saw his eyes closed with a small smile on his face.

Unforgivable!!! To such a child!!! How could someone do something to such an innocent child?! Even in death, human though he may be, he thought not of his survival but that of her sister! Enough! No more!!! Only humans could do this! Demons may do it due to their nature but it is their nature!!! But how were demons created?! From the vile acts of Man! From the unspeakable sins Man made! Unforgivable!!!

I envelop the boy's body with darkness and secured his body in my shadow dimension. They will not defile your body any further. You may be human but no child is sinful. I will eradicate mankind... I will eradicate the identity known as Man... And when I am done, I will dethrone God. When I dethroned God, your soul will be avenged, little boy. Yours and mine... I swore while I gritted my teeth to control my rage and wrath.

I walked out of the cell and peered at the other cells. Human remains scattered on the cell's floors. Same from where I saw the boy but there are slight differences on each cell. Some had carcasses and body parts that were burned and charred remains along with it. Some are frozen. I could even see one child's head frozen on ice. Her face was filled with terror and grief. But what remained of her was only her head. Some remains seem like electricity coursed through their veins as there are various body parts where the veins seem like it exploded and burned from the inside. At the last cell, I saw an room that seem like a medieval operating room. Saws, mallets, blades, pliers, all covered with blood and guts. Black matter can still be seen stuck in it.

I looked at the operating table and saw a limbless body in it. I saw the hands and feet of the body in a bucket near the table. When I stepped forward to take a look, I saw the body's abdomen opened and its guts spilling. Judging from the small budding of the chest and the slit on the part where the reproductive organ should be, I deduced that she is a female. A girl at that. At least 10 to 12 years old. So young. I observed the body for a while when I noticed that the organs were moving like it was breathing, I hurriedly look at the body's face and saw that her eyes are still closed though it was twitching. She slowly opened her eyes and spoke.

"Please...........kill.............me............please.........end............me..........please...........save............my.............sib........lings..........in.......si-"

She stopped speaking as she drew her last breath. Children... Mere children... Why? I too suffered from such a fate for 12 times... TWELVE TIMES! Why?! Why does God give those without sin such a hateful fate?! Why does God leave those corrupt and vile alone while the innocent suffers?! Why does God leave this unattended?! They are children! They are Ignorant to the world! Why torment them?! Why enslave them?! Why make them suffer?! Did they do anything that is unforgivable?! THE ONLY SIN THEY MADE WAS BEING BORN IN THIS WORLD! AND EVEN THAT WASN'T THEIR FAULT! I was seething in anger yet unable to release it. I might kill everyone within the dungeon due to the heavy pressure that I release whenever I am angry. I silently gathered the limbs of the dead girl and put it beside her. When I finished, I then released the body of the boy I stored earlier and gently put it in the table. Finally, I casted a spell upon the two corpses.

"UMBRA CONSARCIO"

Dark tendrils from the shadows emerged and slowly stiched together the open stomach of both corpses. In the girl's corpse however, her limbs were also stitched together so she had a whole bosy once again. The boy, on the other hand, didn't have his feet as it was no where to be found. It was already a miracle that he stayed alive for too long. He had a willpower that no normal child could and should have. After seeing that they are now not that unsightly, I casted yet another spell of the darkness branch.

"UMBRA REPARATIO"

Cuts and bruises were all cleared from both corpses. The areas where they were cut opened are now sealed. They look like they are still alive but alas, they are now dead. I then enveloped everything in darkness; from the cell i am in extending up to the first cell I went into. I then willed the shadows to swallow everything from bloodstains to the scattered guts up to the bodies strewn around. Soon, everything returned to normal. The cells are spotless, devoid of the things that were remnants of the terrible history of this dungeon. After that, I stored the bodies of the two children back again in my shadow world. It was then that I saw two pale blue wisps just the size of my small fist, floating around me.

"Help...those...inside..."

"Save...them..."

I heard voices coming from the wisps. Soon, pale blue orbs emerged from the cells, both in where I am now and in the other cells. Soon, I was surrounded with wisps. Hundreds, if not thousands, spun around my body as they floated around me.

"Save...my...bro...ther...in...side..."

"Please...save...my...sis...ter..."

"Save...them..."

"Save...the...chil...dren...in...side..."

"Help...them..."

"Res...cue...them..."

I, who was listening to the oices of the lost souls, began to walk towards the last room in the dungeon. Unlike the cells I have passed by earlier, this one has big metal doors instead of just metal bars. Seeing that it is locked, I willed the shadows to detect if there are traps installed in the door or any trigger mechanism. When I confirmed that there was none, I ripped the door off using both my hands.

When I saw what was inside, I was dumbfounded. It was so dark that no normal human could see in such darkness. I walked towards the middle when I heard a sobbing sound. Soon, sobbing from different kinds of voices filled the dark room. The voices are trying to muffle and control their voices but even still, I can hear them clearly. I flickered my hand and a floating ball of fire was produced. Just when I finished this simple spell, crying and bawling can be heard. They must have thought I am going to attack them.

I directed the flame towards the visible sconce with an unlit torch. When the fire made contact with the torch, it was set aflame and the room brightened. That is when I saw the source of the crying. Children huddling together in the far side of the room. There are at least 50 of them gathered together. From what I can see, they are still little children. I walked towards them slowly as to not intimidate them. When I was at least 10 feet away from them, I began to talk.

"It's okay now. Don't worry. Come. I will take you out."

A small girl, seemingly the leader, walked out in the group and shakingly spread her hands while trying to make it seem as if she's trying to block my sight from the children at her back. "Yo-you're a liar! Yo-you will just te-take us a-away!" Her voice was shaking but she stoof her ground. Anger and hate can be felt from her words.

Seeing this kind of hostility, I then stood up and casted a spell.

"UMBRA INTEGRATIO"

A dark light enveloped the children who were now yelling and shouting for help, clearly shaken by being surrounded by a spell. A few moments later, they found that their wounds and bruises are 'healing' though it isn't really 'healing'. It is called 'restoring'. I am just 'restoring' their bodies, not 'healing' it.

"I will leave the doors open then. If you want to get out, I will let healers wait for you at the entrance." I then turned around and started to walk away.

"Wa-wait!" the leader-like girl shouted at my back.

I then turned around and spoke. "What is it?"

"Wa-why are you do-doing this? I-Is this an-another part o-of the games?" she asked nervously.

Games? Don't tell me... "I am not here to play games."

"Thi-this really isn't a-a game?" she said, trying to confirm.

"No. Whatever you are talking about, I know nothing of it. If that is all, I will now go. I have already fulfilled the wishes of a dying boy and girl." I replied.

"A-a boy a-and a girl?" She asked as tears started to form from her eyes. "A-are they... blonde-haired la-like me?

"Yes, they were... Are you the 'baby sister' they are talking about?"

The little blonde girl began to cry and bawl. "Si-sister... Bro-brother... uuuuuu"

"So they were talking about the same person. Their last words were 'Save my baby sister'. I didn't promise them anything to them. But to honor the wishes of such innocent souls, I will save you from your fate."

"Sa-save? Without my sister and brother, how can I be saved?!" She yelled

I slapped the little girl's face. "You're a disgrace! A coward! A loser!" Distancing myself from her, I spoke again. "Your siblings were on their last breath when they met me. But what did they do?! They asked me to help their baby sister! To help you! While you are wallowing on your own weakness and loneliness, they are holding on to what little life they are left! For what?! FOR SOMEONE TO HELP YOU! DO YOU KNOW WHAT WAS THE CONDITION YOUR SIBLINGS WERE IN WHEN I FOUND THEM?! THEY COULD HAVE TOLD ME TO HELP THEM BY HEALING THEM BUT THEY DIDN'T! THEY ASKED ME TO HELP YOU! AND NOW YOU ARE SAYING THAT YOU WANT TO DIE?! DID YOU EVEN THINK WHAT YOUR SIBLINGS HAVE TO GO THROUGH SO THAT THEY COULD HAVE A SLIGHT CHANCE TO FIND HELP FOR YOU?! YOU ARE THROWING THEIR ALMOST FUTILE EFFORT BY KILLING YOURSELF! THEY WANTED YOU TO SURVIVE SO SURVIVE! LIVE THEIR PART! HONOR THEM BY LIVING! DON'T BE SELFISH AND SELF-CENTERED, BRAT! YOU OWE YOUR SIBLINGS YOUR LIFE! THEY GAMBLED FOR YOUR SAFETY BUT THAT IS SO THAT YOU CAN SURVIVE EVEN IF THEY CANNOT!"

The little girl is now crying her hearts out now while the others are trying to console her. The little girl bawled and said. "Sis... Bro... I-I'm sooooorry.... Uwaaa!"

Seeing that she isn't hell-bent in dying anymore, I spoke again. "If you have found your resolve, survive. Get out of here. You carry your siblings' lives now. Live their part."

I then turned around once again and walked out of the room. Soon, sobbing and crying can be heard coming from the room. However, it isn't cries of fear and panic. Those were cries of longing, relief and loneliness. I, too, learnt it the hard way. I walked out of the dungeon and saw Liliana and Paimon waiting for me at the entrance. After seeing me, they immdeiately ran towards me.

"So, did that strengthen your resolve, milord?" Liliana teasingly asked.

"I have made my resolve long before I even met you, Liliana. This was an unneeded situation you made me deal." I asked her with a cold attitude.

"M-milord. I just wanted you to see for yourself what humans do in this world since you-"

"You think of me as gullible and stupid, Liliana? Or should I say Lilith? I maybe an incarnation but I spend 12 lifetimes facing human cruelty and savagery. 12 fucking lifetimes. You think I would be foolish enough to believe that this world is devoid of such things? You underestimate me, Lilith." I released all of the killing intent and bloodlust I could muster and directed them all towards Liliana.

"Lo-Lord...A-a...I...I...plea..se...me...r...cy...." pleaded Liliana as she was holding her neck, gasping for air.

A hand touched my shoulder and found that it was Paimon. "That should be enough, milord. You are forgetting that you have a passive skill called 'Dominion'. You can kill anyone you can overpower just by making them feel the brunt of your killing intent. Besides, we just want to see how much resolve you have in you because if you only had a small resolve..." She then held both of my shoulders and made me face her. "it will end in your death."

Understanding what Paimon is trying to imply, I dispersed my intent, making Liliana breath again. "My apologies."

Still trying to stabilize her breath, Liliana answered back. "Haa... Apology accepted, milord. I, too, did it too far... but... you really are an embodiment of Pride, Wrath, Vanity and Envy. Well... the former Belial was like that... Yours, Milord, is somewhat more scarier. It seems like there is something else in there. I just can't-"

Paimon interrupted her by saying "No, Lord Belial cannot be measured by our standards, even me. Lord Belial is older than sin while I was born just during the Great War. He is even older than Mistress Lu... Mistress Helel herself. Lord Belial embodies Pride and Envy more than Mistress Helel or Lord Leviathan. It is safe to say that when Milordfully awakens, even I cannot stand beside you anymore. Only he has the potential to-"

"Enough!" I yelled. "What I am, I am. Who I am, I am. Belial is Belial. I am me. I am Belial but he is not me." I stated, clearly sending the message that I had enough of this conversation.

They both kneeled and spoke. ""Forgive us for our transgressions, milord.""

I looked at them for a while. "Rise." When I saw them standing up, I looked at Paimon and stated "Paimon, call the guards to summon the healers and make them wait at the dungeon entrance. Then summon a legion of 60000 soldiers. I will need them later."

"At once, milord." Paimon then disappeared like a puff of smoke.

I then turned to Liliana. "Liliana, summon some succubi and incubi. I want them to infiltrate the official's and noble's households that are included in my fief. Take out any information you can get from them plus... also take the documents and parchments of their deals and conduct should they be guilty of anything."

"It will be done, milord." Liliana was then engulfed with her own shadow and disappeared from my sight.

Now then, let's get started. I then walked towards the office, finalizing the plans I had in my mind.

3 days later

Count Capet POV

It was three days ago that my daughter, Margaret , returned home from Agmanac. She arrived with a tattered dress and a haggard look. My wife, Catherine, almost fainted when she saw our daughter. Margaret then recounted what happaned to her. She was rescued by the young prince during his takeover, when she was held hostage by LeFlamma's son. She then told me of what happened here. She told me that the young prince used some sort of magic that killed LeFlamma's son even while holding her. She said 'Shadows converged together and formed spike from every angle and struck the fat pig to death!' she said. She also told me that LeFlamma's son was holding her hostage at the time it happened. How could he used such a spell with such precision? And at such a young age!After being rescued, she was sent away by the prince and arrived home safety. Knowing that the prince will summon all the officials, nobles and bureaucrats, I hurriedly rode here as fast as I could using my fastest charges, carrying with me my wife and Margaret. I didn't even have the time to ready gifts as I grabbed what I thought was valuable in the family vault.

When I arrived, what I first saw was the black armored guards that are stationed in the city entrance. Strange. Where are the usual guards? When I asked one of them, they said they are soldiers of the prince. So the prince himself created his own army. And it looks like the takeover included the guards, the patrols and most probably, the castle guards. I was then stoppedby the guards before we could get through the arch.

"Identifications please." Asked the guard who went forward.

Dangerous. I thought to myself. I then took out my badge and seal and showed it to the guard. "I am Count Silvestre Capet, ruler of the county of Rhine under the Principality of Agmanac, vassal state to the Kingdom of Valois. I am with my wife, Countess Catherine and my daughter Margaret."

The guards look at us with a sharp stare then said. "Identification confirmed. You are ordered by His Highness, Prince Beale, to go to the castle and wait in a guestroom assigned to you unless called upon." He then left and the remaining guards that blocked our way soon moved away as well.

On the carriage, Catherine spoke. "What audacity. They are speaking to a count! A noble and yet they act high and mighty?! They are just guards-"

I interrupted her quickly and said "-that are more deadly than the first army of the capital. I can sense their aura, Cath. And mind you, should you have done something unnecessary to that guard, even I can't help you if they decide to strike you down."

"What?! They will dare strike me, a countess, down?" she exclaimed.

"Yes, they will. Without a doubt. Those guards were like veterans of many wars and survived. They had this eerie aura in them as if their own body is blanketed with bloodlust, parading it for all to see. Please my dear Cath, don't do anything that will cost you your head." I stated with a pleading look.

Catherine took a while to digest what I just said. After a long silence, she spoke. "Forgive me, husband. I am not used to such treatment. But we are nobles. At least they should give us that privelege."

I shook my head towards Catherine's comment. "The Prince... he killed LeFlamma and turned the whole LeFlamma family as criminal slaves. And that happened swiftly. I heard the young prince ordered a thousand of those black guards to capture the entirety of the LeFlamma household and brought them to the castle to be imprisoned. And we are going to be next if we show any form of resistance to the instructions the prince gave to the guards. I believe it is his instructions that the guards will treat us or any other noble in a cold and straight manner. That is even more scarier. Such a thing means that the guards are loyal to the prince completely. No buying yourself out in case something bad happens."

"But... husband... isn't the prince just... 12 years old this year?" she asked.

"Yes, he is. Yet he already shows that he has the capability and the power to make his enemies cower in fear. I was there when he condemned that lead Duke LeCrusset and his faction to be arrested. Right now they are still in the middle of investigating the whole plot but solid evidence has already been gathered along with sufficient documents with the signs and seals of the suspected nobles. Guess who did all that?"

Baffled by such revelation, Catherine spoke. "Such a thing. Who could have-"

"It was the Prince himself. Not only did he remove the adopted First Prince from the inheritance and revoked his status, he also included the faction supporting that prince from behind. I don't know how the prince did it but there's undisputed evidence supporting his accusation. And the arrest happened in an assembly, meaning everyone whether pro, neutral or anti, witness such an event." I stated with a stern voice.

"Husband..." she paused for a while then continued. "The prince... If he finds something about us, what will happen to-"

I hurriedly cut her statement. "Let's just hope he doesn't find any. Honestly speaking, I am not that clean myself but I did that not for myself or the family. I did it for the fief. I did embezzle some money from the taxes and did other unspeakable things. But of course, making use of your status as a noble to overlook laws is a bad thing. That is why..."

"Husband! Why?! Why did you not tell me?! We could have-"

"I don't want you and my family to be dragged into it! I did it for the survival of the Capet House! I was right though... I somewhat felt something like this will happen... I'm glad I was prepared." I stated.

"You cannot do this to me! You cannot-" Tears flowing from Catherine's eyes

"Enough! If the time comes, I will surrender myself and only myself to the Prince. I will try to return everything I embezzled and atone to all the bad things I did but I will ask him to spare my family. You have no involvement of any of my crimes."

Catherine and Margaret were both crying hearing what I planned to do. Our carriage arrived at the grand entrance of the castle. I went down the carriage then looked at the castle. This might be the last time I could view this castle as a noble. I just wish my family to be safe. Lord, please save them from harm. Let all the retribution fall unto me and me alone. I then returned my attention towards the entrance, straightened my back then started to walk.

Belial POV

Yesterday, Liliana brought a heap of books and parchments along with some 'special' materials. All of it indicated crimes from petty to heinous. Deceit, Lies, Betrayals, Enslaving, Cover ups, Embezzlements, False and unfulfilled promises, Robbery, Rape, Kidnapping and murder of different sorts. I never knew Valois was this rotten and corrupt. And this is happening under the very noses of the Royal Family. Humans are really sinful creatures. The people who made them nobles are now stabbed at the back. The people who made them rich are being enslaved and oppressed. But this doesn't only the rich and powerful.

I looked behind me and looked at the sleeping children lying in the canopied bed. These are the children who had been sold by their families to slavery while others were thrown aside by their own families. I eyed the blonde girl who was acting as the leader of this group before in the dungeons where found them. Even the poor sold or threw away their own children to ease their life... If they can't afford to feed their children, why make them in the first place? You give in to your savage and bestial lust and desire but when it results to a new life, you turn your tails? Absolutely shameless. I knew it. Humans, whether rich or poor, cannot be absolved from their sin.

I looked at the window and saw the sun high above the sky. I guess it is time to deal with the mongrels below. I stood up from my chair. Turning around, I saw Paimon and Liliana by the door. I gestured them to come to me.

"Gather some servants. I need them to carry all of these. I already have duplicates for this so this are safe to carry."

""You will be done, milord."" they both bowed and replied.

After a while, maids came and took the books and parchments I indicated. These maids are actually succubi which I asked Liliana to summon. They replaced all the former maids of the castle and assumed their responsibilities. The former maids were made to return to their families with severance fees, except those who were proven to be spies and mules of nobles and bureaucrats. I put those in isolation rooms where I try to squeeze out any information they are have, both currently and from before.

As I was walking towards the audience room, I glanced at the silent corridors of the palace. Such placid and serene environment. Sadly, things will get a little rowdy later that will destroy such a calm atmosphere. I then arrived at the entrance and gestured the guard to announce my arrival.

The guard then went inside first and exclaimed. "Announcing the arrival of His Highness, Prince Beale Maxime Thierry de Agmanac! Prince of the Kingdom of Valois and Ruler of Agmanac! Salute!"

Soon the doors opened and I made my entrance. I walked with Liliana and Paimon who were both in there armors. Paimon wore a silver white armor with gold ornaments and platings. In the middle of her chest plate is a golden dragon with seven heads, a design the same to mine. Liliana also wore her usual black armor with red ornaments and sidings with the same dragon on her chest plate.

I watched the nobles kneel as I passed by them. I looked forward towards my seat, the throne. Beside it is Malek who is wearing his black armor with red ornaments and the golden seven-headed dragon on the center of the chest plate. He bowed when he saw me and I acknowledge him with a nod. I arrived in the throne then sat in it. The nobles and bureaucrats, as if seeing me seat, began to stand.

I spoke with a chilling voice. "Did I say you are now allowed to stand?"

Instantly, the room is filled with an intense silence. After a while, murmurs can be heard. A fat bureaucrat then stood and began to speak.

"Your Highness, you cannot do this. You are still young. Don't-"

I interrupted his speech with a yell. "DID I TELL YOU TO SPEAK?!" I then released my killing intent directed to the fat bureaucrat. "DON'T DARE LECTURE ME, BUREAUCRAT. I AM AGMANAC'S RULER AND A DIRECT MEMBER OF THE ROYAL FAMILY. YOU ARE NOT ALLOWED TO TALK UNLESS SPOKEN TO. I MAY BE YOUNG BUT I AM EXERCISING MY RIGHT AS A PRINCE AND AS A ROYAL. ARE YOU MY LORD FATHER?! ARE YOU ROYALTY?! HOW DARE YOU BERATE ME!"

"N-no, I-I am n-not. I-it is just-" He tried to reason his way out.

"SILENCE!!!" My voice echoed throughout the room. "ONE MORE WORD AND I WILL HAVE YOUR HEAD!" I threatened.

Another person, this time a noble, stood upand yelled. "YOUR HIGHNESS, WE DIDN'T APPROVE OF SUCH TYRANNY! WE CAME TO PAY OUR RESPECTS TO YOU! NOT TO BE BULLIED AND SHAMED! WE ARE NOBLES! WE TOO HAVE A RIGHT TO-"

"You are Baron Damas right?" I asked.

"YES, I AM! AND I DEMAND-"

"How come you are living a lavish life when you are only a rural baron? Gold necklace with a thumb-size diamond as a pendant. Gold rings with emerald and sapphire stones embedded in it. Gold-laced clothes worthy of being royalty. Even my clothes pale in comparison to yours." I stated.

Hearing that, Baron Damas gulped and said "It is... I inherited them from my parents. They are family heirlooms." He stated, albeit sweating.

"Ohhh..." I acted shocked then looked at my back and gestured the maids who brought the earlier documents and parchments through another route. When the maids neared, I took a book from the pile and said "But it is stated here, Baron Damas, that you bought those accessories 2 months ago. At a jeweler, in the capital. Plus you also bought 10 elven slaves and a lavish carriage with gold platings. It costed you 47000 gold coins. 20000 gold coins for the slaves, 700 for the carriage and 20000 for the accessories including those that your wife is currently using."

Shocked by my statements, Baron Damas yelled. "YO-YOUR HIGHNESS, THA-THAT... THEY WERE-"

"I am not finished, Baron. I also acquired your monthly report regarding the state of your fief. You only produced 7600 gold coins for the past month. The month before that was 7300 and so on. Might I ask, how did a territory that had 10000 residents produce so little tax yet you can spend almost 50000 gold in a single shopping spree?"

Baron Damas was now pale as snow with a mouth opening and closing like that od a carp. "I-I CAN E-EXPLAIN THA-THAT, YOUR-"

"I also received a report from my scouts that your fief is now under poverty with taxes being paid is a whopping 80% of the farmer's yield, the hunter's catch and the herder's farm animals. People are suffering while you had the ability to buy such expensive things. How is that possible, Baron Damas?"

Baron Damas was now swaying, almost at the point of fainting.I then gestured a guard to catch him. When I saw that he is in the arms of the guards, I spoke. "Baron Damas, with conclussive evidence gathred against you, in my capacity as ruler of Agmanac, I will hereby give you your verdict. For the crime of embezzling of public funds, for being a person who tarnished a noble title, for stealing on the money of the people, for lying to me, a Royal Prince, to save yourself, I strip you of your noble rank. Your titles and authority are all revoked. All your lands and properties will be confiscated and finally, you and your family will be reduced to crime slaves. You will be working until you have paid the debt that you owed. But I will say this before hand. Your children, the young ones if you had any, will be taken here in the castle where they will work. Any children above 14 years will be sent with you to work whenever you are needed. That is your verdict."

Panic and fear ran through Baron Damas as he yelled. "YOUR HIGHNESS!!! YOU CAN'T DO THIS TO ME!!! I WANT TO MAKE AN APPEAL TO THE JUDICIAL COURT OF THE CAPITAL!!! I AM INNOCENT!!! I AM A NOBLE!!! I-"

"If you carry this to the judiciary and you are found guilty, in which case you will be, you and your family will be put to death for lying to me and deliberately calling me a liar in front of the chief jury, the king. I already secured all evidence against you, including your deals with the Hassanssins, a group of merciless assassins. I didn't even include your murder cases but if you are so adamant about it, I can also enumerate all of those so that I could sentence you and your family to death. Will that be fine?"

Baron Damas was clearly in distraught. "I...I...ah..."

"Take him away." Turning my head to Malek who is just beside me, I spoke. "Malek, heed my order. Assign a knight with a company of a thousand cavalryman. Have them arrest the Damas family and ransack their entire estate. Tell them to leave nothing behind." I ordered.

"At once, Your Highness." Malek bowed and proceeded to call a knight. After a while, he returned and said "It is done, my Prince. They will arrive their as soon as possible."

"Excellent." I then look back at the standing fat bureaucrat and the kneeling nobles who are now either sweating or crying. I smirked at the bureaucrat and looked away. I focused my attention to the kneeling nobles and said "When I say your name, stand up and separate yourselves from the group. Count Gontaut, Viscount Gourgue, Viscount Baux, Baron Melun, Baron Forbin and Baron Uzes."

Shaking their knees, they walked towards the vacant spot of the room. I then spoke. "I know you know why I separated you people from the crowd. You have been found guilty of crimes I don't want to speak of unless you want me to enumerate them. So... What do you plead? If you plead not guilty, I will commence with the hearing of your case. Everyone here will know of what horrible things you have done and your families will be implicated as well. In that case, and if I found you guilty, I will behead you and your family will become crime slaves for lying in an official hearing and lying to a member of the Royal Family. If you plead guilty, I will only behead you and those of your family members involved but the rest of your family will be turned to commoners. Whatever your decision is, I will revoke all your titles and authority then I will take all your assets and properties as it will be returned to the crown. Also, all children under 14 years old will be exempted from any punishment. They will only be brought here in the castle to become servants. Now..." I looked at them squarely. "What do you plead?"

The nobles that I called upon were now pale as a sheet of paper. Their eyes are swimming and their knees are shaking. A moment later, Count Gontaut spoke first.

"I trust that Your Highness will abide by his words." He stated.

"I will. I have my own code. I will abide to my words as a Prince and as your Liege Lord."

"Okay. I plead guilty on my crimes against the Crown and the people. I failed my predecesors and our name has been tarnished by shame. But, I will uphold whatever noble honor I have left. Just please.. Spare my family..."

"As long as they don't resist arrest, I will leave them be." I assured him.

"Thank you, Prince Beale. Thank you..." He said while crying.

"I, too, plead guilty."

"Me as well."

"I plead guilty."

"I, by my honor, plead guilty."

"Then, so be it. Guards, take them to the dungeons." I then looked at the kneeling group of nobles and bureaucrats. "The bureaucrats are hereby abolished and all their authority will be revoked. All their properties and assets will be confiscated and their families reduced to commoners. All of you will be put to the axe. I-"

The fat bureaucrat earlier roared towards me, along with other bureaucrats who heard such order. "YOU ARE INSANE, BOY! THIS ISN'T A GATHERING OR A TRIAL! YOU ARE DRUNK OF POWER! YOU ARE UNDERMINING-"

"Embezzling of public funds, accepting bribes, falsely convicting innocent people, using the law to their favor, linving a lavish life not suitable for a bureaucrat, assassination orders against rivals, plotting to overthrow the monarchy. This are your crimes." Waving a stack of files and documents, I continued. "This are all your dealings that we took not from the records of the castle but fromyour own houses. I also took some of them from your agents while others are taken from your contacts themselves. We already are in custody of such individuals. So, any questions?"

"I-I WANT TO FILE A COMPLAINT TO THE KING! THIS IS OUTRAGEOUS! I AM INNOCENT TO ANY OF THE CHARGES YOU ARE CHARGING US! I-"

"I see. You say that you are innocent? Then how come you spent 30000 gold coins in the past week after buying slaves and recruiting a mercenary unit? How did you gather such an amount of money when a bureaucrat only gets 1000 gold coins as wage a month. Hmmm?"

The fat bureaucrat was shocked by my statements and yelled. "YOU SLANDER ME! I NEVER DID-"

"Then how come you are carrying with you 10 of the mercenaries you hired when you came here? They are the Red Scorpions right? Nasty bunch. They are a costly group of 500 men. They can be hired for 20000 gold coins right? For what purpose did you hire them?

The fat bureaucrat is now shaking in fear. He stepped backwards only to stumble. "N-NO... THIS... I-"

"Not just you but all the bureaucrats who came here today brought with them mercenaries that are really costly to hire. How come you all had such funds to hire such groups when you people have only a thousand gold coins as salary every month? Will you say you saved them for 30 years? How about your daily expenses? Your families? Where do you take the money you will use on those necessities?" Hearing no reply from the bureaucrats, I roared. "YOU DARE TRY TO PLOT AGAINST THE VERY HAND THAT FED YOU! THE VERY HAND THAT HELPED YOU RISE UP FROM YOUR WAY OF LIFE! THE VERY HAND THAT MADE YOU WHO YOU ARE! AND FOR WHAT?! GREED, LUST FOR POWER AND ENVY! YOU ALREADY HAVE ENOUGH BUT YOU STILL WANT MORE! YOU PLOT AND DECEIVE JUST SO YOU COULD HAVE MORE! WELL, TOO BAD! I KNEW IT BEFORE YOU COULD EVEN FINISH YOUR PLANS. I HAVE ALREADY ROUNDED UP ALL 5000 MERCENARIES YOU HAVE HIRED! AND I ALREADY HAVE SUBSTANCIAL EVIDENCE TO KILL YOU TEN TIMES OVER!" I then roared again towards the guards. "GUARDS, TAKE THEM TO THE DUNGEONS. THEY ARE TO BE EXECUTED LATER AND I WILL PERSONALLY ATTEND SUCH CEREMONY." I look back at the remaining kneeling nobles. "THE REST OF YOU! I ALREADY KNEW ALL THE DIRT AND CRIMES YOU HAVE COMMITTED. BUT REJOICE, I CANNOT KILL ALL OF YOU UNLESS I WISH TO DE-STABILIZE MY PRINCIPALITY. BUT KNOW THIS! SHOULD I RECEIVE ANY INFORMATION REGARDING YOU INCREASING YOUR CRIMES, EVEN EMBEZZLING A SINGLE GOLD COIN, I WILL HAVE YOUR HEADS ON A PIKE! DO I MAKE MYSELF CLEAR?!"

""""""YES, YOUR HIGHNESS!""""""

"Good. Now, BEGONE FROM MY SIGHT!" Standing up, I walked towards the entrance. "I have to attend the executions. Feel free to stay, should you wish to see the sight of heads flying and rolling." I then walked and exited the room. But not before leaving behind a few parting words.

"Let's just hope that the next time we meet, it won't be your head flying from the headsman's axe."