The night had arrived, and Ryan and his group were invited to the public execution of the captured demon.
Now they were gathered together with the rest of the people in the middle of the plaza.
Two of the holy knights were recognized by Ryan.
Now, both of them were wearing their official uniforms.
But Karol was standing there completely stunned, staring at the demon inside the cage.
She was still holding onto Ryan’s trench coat with a very firm grip.
Mirian noticed this and imdiately asked a question.
"Why are you two so tense? Is there perhaps sothing wrong with that demon?"
Ryan did not turn his gaze away from the cage, and he did not respond either.
Helen began to look at them with a sense of intrigue.
"What is happening, Ryan?"
’But what is she doing here? I do not understand...’
Karol grabbed Ryan’s arm and pulled him toward her.
"Ryan, what are we going to do? Perhaps we should..."
"Shut up." Ryan cut her words short.
And right at that mont, another holy knight arrived on foot, and he positioned himself right in front of the cage with the demon.
A tall man, wearing the sa uniform but one that was a little bit different. On his left shoulder, it was covered in a golden color.
A massive staff was held in his hand.
And a jewel was on every single one of his fingers.
’Relics?’
"Inspect."
His attributes were still of an A-rank.
However, unlike the other two knights.
This one had statistics that were much stronger.
Mainly, he was focused on magical power.
Helen and Mirian began to look at one another, not understanding the montary and unexpected behavior coming from Ryan.
But then they focused their attention on the knight with the staff when he began to speak.
"On this day, many lives were lost during the exploration of the dungeon; among this crowd, we likely have the relatives of the victims."
He made a pause, and he began to look at the people within the plaza.
Then he continued speaking.
"It is unforgivable that the demons, such despicable beings, dare to continue standing in the way of the deity."
Murmurs began to resonate among the crowd.
But the man struck the tip of his staff against the ground.
The sound made everyone once again focus their attention on him.
"A long ti ago, when humanity could not fight nor defend itself, we were blessed with power systems so that we could oppose the demons. So adventurers have lost their sense of duty, and they only dedicate themselves to earning a living."
Ryan continued to watch with close attention; the demon in the cage had its eyes closed and was probably unconscious.
The holy knight continued to speak.
"Despite the fact that they gave us a system, they also built the dungeons so that we could strengthen ourselves and fight against the demons, but instead, it has turned into a competition for who can get more treasures. There are very few people fighting on the front lines, and because of that, the demons continue to kill your family mbers..."
"He is right..."
"The demons should be the priority to eliminate."
The murmurs were becoming noticeable among all the people in the plaza.
The knight with the staff snapped his fingers in the direction of the cage.
And then, it opened.
Three sides of the cage fell down to the ground.
Only the top part remained, which held the hands of the demon with chains.
And the back part, which served as a support.
"But that is why we are here today. This execution and the loss of your loved ones will serve to remind us of the main purpose for which we are fighting."
He extended both of his hands and lifted his staff.
"I, Gregory, fire mage and captain of the ninth division of holy knights, sentence this demon to death."
For a mont, Ryan looked at Karol. She was biting her lip with force, and her fist was clenched, which caused her shoulders to tremble.
Then he directed his gaze toward Gregory.
’I did not think I would find her again, and even less so in a place like this... what should I do? Helping her publicly will not only bring problems to . I will put the entire group in the crosshairs...’
The mage struck the face of the girl.
Ryan took a step forward but was stopped by Karol; she held him back and made a gesture with her head.
"I... I want to do sothing, but we cannot, Ryan. Do you understand?"
"She is opening her eyes!" soone from the people in the plaza shouted.
’Beatrice... I cannot explain to myself how they captured you, nor what you were doing in this dungeon.’
The look that the demon in the cage had was that of soone who was resigned to die.
She was lacking any kind of expression.
But then, she received another blow from the staff of the holy knight.
"So you have awakened." He approached Beatrice and took her chin with his hand, forcing her to lift her head.
"I want you to see the faces of all the people to whom you have caused harm..."
Beatrice’s expressionless gaze settled upon the people in the plaza.
The holy knight made her turn her head, pushing her while he held her with his hand, scanning the entire place.
But suddenly, the expressionless look that she had changed all of a sudden; a slight glint appeared in her eyes.
"..."
For a mont, her eyes and Ryan’s eyes crossed.
And her gaze showed a weak smile.
’What is this sensation...?’
Ryan’s body tensed up, and he could not turn his gaze away.
It seed that with that smile, Beatrice had said goodbye to him.
Or at least, she made it appear as if she were happy to find a familiar face before she died.
"Why are you smiling, you damn piece of scum?"
The mage comnted after hitting her once more.
Then he stepped away.
"Now everyone will witness the punishnt that will be bestowed upon this demon."
The mage pointed his staff at her, and from the tip of the staff, a massive fireball began to grow.
Karol gripped Ryan’s hand with strength and looked away.
’Damn it, what should I do...’
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