The Lord of Servants 7

She stood face to face with her husband with visible rage. She pulled him by his collar, but her strength wasn’t sufficient to move her husband an inch.

“You damned bastard...!” she shouted as she clenched her fists. “How dare you to—!”

He pushed her back, releasing her hands from his collars. He pulled her by her dress collar and threw her away. Judecah fell, hitting the ground flat.

“You dare to say that to me?” the archduke said as he walked to her and stomped her right hand. “Say that again… I dare you—!”

“YOU DAMNED BASTARD!”

“Why you…”

The archduke lifted her up and threw her body to the floor again.

“He’s merciless… Even for his own wife,” Vixon thought. “No wonder why she’s like that...”

The servants did nothing as they couldn't help her, fearing the consequences. The servants trembled as they closed their eyes, unable to see the acts of violence. Vixon stood and rushed to the mansion.

“I… I hate a selfish, twisted coward like you!” Judecah shouted. “You only care about yourself... Abusing your authority for your personal gains... Manipulated and threatened the weak to your own advantage… Unlike Vixon, you're not a man—!”

“Wench!” he shouted as he was about to throw a punch directly at her face, but Vixon stood in front of him and received the blow instead on his chest. The blow was enough to move Vixon back a few steps.

“Enough…” Vixon said.

“An outsider like you… Stay away from this matter—!”

“And let you hurt her just like that—?!”

“You… I know you… You're that low-born dog who convinced the king! Just because you escaped death yesterday, don't think you've won yet! Baron Yuwain received no punishment nor penalty and will return to the south! I've cleared his name!”

"You… You dare to defy King's order?!" Judecah asked.

"I can manipulate everything to my heart’s content. Releasing Yuwain is more than easy for me!"

“You corrupt bastard…” Judecah said. “I’ll report you for abusing—!”

“Try!” the archduke dared. “I would like to see it happen! 3/4 of the nobles are on my side! What can you even do? You’re my wife! Meaning your authority comes from me!”

"I will convince the honest nobles then—!"

"I have the 1/4 on my palm! I have everything set to ruin their lives if they dare to get involved, including you, wench! After I get the throne, you are the first thing I will throw away!"

Judecah stayed silent with a bitter face and teary eyes.

“To think a corrupt bastard as you exist…” Vixon said in rage. “It sickens me! Don’t you realize how many of us, commons, die because of you—?!”

“That’s none of my concern—”

Vixon launched his fist to his face as soon as the archduke said that. The archduke caught Vixon’s hand casually and gripped it. Compared to Vixon, the archduke was stronger in power and size.

“Damn it…” Vixon thought as he tried to release his hand, but the archduke twisted his hand, dislocating Vixon’s right arm.

“Agh!” Vixon desperately tried to pull his right hand back, but the archduke won’t let go.

“You’re weak.”

In Vixon’s mind, Adar called him, offering his power.

“We will kill this man—!” Adar suggested.

“Adar… Now’s not the time…”

Adar went silent as they stopped communicating. The archduke punched Vixon on his stomach with his left hand, enough to send Vixon flying an inch. Vixon fell with his back, lying next to Judecah.

"Vi-Vixon-!" Judecah shouted hysterically as she moved next to Vixon, trying to help him.

The archduke approached Vixon, wanting to finish Vixon off, but Judecah knelt in front of him, crying and begging for his mercy.

“Please…” she begged. “Don't hurt him! I will do everything… So please…”

“J-Judecah…” Vixon said as he writhed in pain. “Don’t k-kneel in front of a bastard like him—!”

“It’s fine…” she replied. “It’s fine, Vixon…”

The archduke kicked Judecah’s face and left to the dining hall with the butlers. The other servants helped both Judecah and Vixon. They brought them to the infirmary close to the parlor.

The parlor was a rectangular compact room with two simple beds. The cabinets were full of medical equipment, medicines, and ointments. Judecah suffered the most from the violence, while Vixon only suffered from a dislocated arm. An old maid treated and handled Vixon’s dislocated arm.

"This will be painful," the maid said as she began relocating Vixon’s right arm, making loud crack noises. Vixon felt the pain but stayed stoic.

After five minutes of pain, Vixon's shoulder returned to normal, but there was still an inflammation on his shoulder. The old maid applied crushed green herbs on his shoulder and bandaged it.

"This will reduce the swelling," the old maid said before she left the parlor for them both to recover.

"Are you okay?" Judecah asked as she sat next to him closely.

“I am.” Vixon distanced himself from her.

"I'm sorry..."

"For?"

"It's my fault—"

"It’s not your fault."

Meanwhile, Lord Ludwig was having breakfast, but thoughts about Vixon's filled his mind, angering him. He thought of ways to dispose of Vixon without raising suspicions. But first, he had to know how much Vixon knew about him. He raised his right arm, calling a butler, and questioned him.

"What is that man's relationship with the archduchess?" the archduke asked.

"B-Beg pardon, milord. We also don't know their current relationship—"

"How come you don't know?!" Lord Ludwig was furious as he slammed the table.

"I-It's complicated, milord!" the butler was worried as his legs shook in fear.

“That man must be aiming to use her as a stepping stone,” the archduke thought. “By making her an ally, he will have easier access to the kingdom. Even the king somehow believed his words. If this keeps up, he will hinder our plans in the future!”

“When will he leave?” the archduke asked.

“It's today, Milord”

“I see…” He finished his breakfast and went upstairs to his chamber. He opened a cabinet and took a parchment, a quill, and ink. He wrote a letter and put it inside an envelope with a special seal. He went downstairs and gave the envelope to a maid.

"Give this letter to the carriage driver," he ordered.

"U-Understood, milord."

“And don’t you even dare to open it!”

“Y-Yes.”

Lord Ludwig then rested in the parlor, smoking his cigarette while looking at the garden. A half an hour later, outside the mansion, Judecah's requested carriage arrived. A butler soon informed them, and they went outside to the carriage.

“I’ll be leaving,” Vixon said as he entered the carriage.

"Don’t forget to come back.”

“I will.”

As they were talking, the maid gave the envelope to the carriage driver.

The carriage left the mansion, leaving Judecah standing still, watching the carriage departing. She sighed as she entered her chamber with a long face. She slammed the door shut and lied on the bed, crying as she lost something important from her. She stared at the half-ring she gave the other half to Vixon. Suddenly, someone knocked on the door.

"Must be that bastard!" Judecah thought as she stood, angry.

"Who's there?!" she asked aloud.

"It's I," a voice of the maid from earlier replied.

"A-Ah. Come in!"

The maid opened the door with a worried face.

"What is it?" Judecah asked.

She told her about her giving the envelope to the driver.

"W-What's the message?" Judecah asked.

"I'm sorry, Lady Ludwig. I don't know."

She looked at the open cabinet below the writing table. The royal envelope was recently opened. She knew that the letter was for another noble or anyone inside the castle.

"For whom is the letter?" Judecah thought, but she didn't have enough courage to ask her husband.

Meanwhile, the carriage stopped at the castle entrance. Vixon got down and walked along the street, searching for transportation to send him home. Vixon stopped at a bakery for a moment to buy lunch. He stopped at the spot where he met Judecah the first time. He looked at the pond, enjoying the calming view while eating his food.

“I will be home soon,” he thought, happy with a subtle smile. “I can't wait to meet and tell them.”

Adar contacted Vixon through his mind.

“Fool!” Adar said angrily. “Why didn't you use my power?!”

“I'm avoiding trouble for now. I want to go home.”

“Avoiding?! The reason for your misery stood before you and you let it slip?!”

“I’m planning nobles’ downfall, but that wasn’t the time yet.”

"You're too naïve!"

“You’re too hasty.”

"How will you take those corrupt bastards down then?"

"I have Judecah on my side, remember? We could trust and support each other. She will help me and in return, I'll save her from her cruel fate. She will help me gather critical evidence enough to convince the king about the nobles' misdeeds. That's why you forced her to me, don't you?"

“Keh! You better not regret the chance. Use her as much as you want and you can discard her later.”

"She's not a tool! She's human."

“Heh. Don’t tell me you are attached to that woman.”

As Adar and Vixon were talking, several horse-mounted royal knights stormed the street, hellbent on searching for a person. Vixon could see them from afar. Paranoid, Vixon moved away, leaving, but one guard arrived at the small bridge and saw Vixon.

"There he is!" the guard shouted as he pointed at Vixon, causing Vixon to move faster.

“What the?!” Vixon thought as he ran onto the street crossroads. “Why are they after me?!”

Vixon could not run fast and far because his body was still recovering from the previous injuries. The horse-mounted guards surrounded Vixon immediately, blocking every path.

"Surrender now!" one guard said.

"What is this all about?!" Vixon asked.

It became the main attention on the street as everyone gathered to see the commotion. Some nobles recognized Vixon’s face.

"Isn't that the common who convinced King Nezar?" a nobleman said among the crowd.

"He is!" a person confirmed.

"He's the same person that was with the archduchess yesterday!" a noblewoman said among the crowd.

A guard got down from his horse and opened a restraining order approved by the archduke.

"You are under arrest for assaulting the archduke and sleeping on his wife while he was away!" the guard said aloud.

Vixon's eyes opened wide, and his irises shrunk. His jaw dropped in confusion

"I... what?" he muttered.

“Don’t feign ignorance in front of us!” the guard scolded.

The crowd became noisy as they gossiped about Vixon, loud enough that Vixon could hear them.

"That common must be the problem! He seduced the archduchess!" a nobleman said.

“His act yesterday was a facade so he could sleep with the archduchess!” a noblewoman said.

Vixon clenched his fists and sealed his mouth shut, knowing that fighting against them would increase his punishment.

“Damn that archduke…!” Vixon thought as the guard approached closer, bringing ropes and chains to restrain Vixon.

“Don’t resist!” the guard said, and Vixon surrendered.

“Damn it… I can’t go home!” he thought as the guard chained Vixon’s arms. They touched the inflamed shoulder. “Ouch! My shoulder!”

Adar talked to Vixon through his mind.

"Just say it and I'll help you," Adar offered.

“We’re exposed in public. You’re going for suicide?”

"Don't blame me for what comes next."

"I will not."

The guards apprehended and brought him straight to the underground dungeon beneath the castle. On the way there, everyone on the street, from young to old, threw rocks at Vixon, but Vixon kept silent and accepted his fate.

“Die, adulterer!”

“Two-faced bastard! That’s why we can’t trust commons!”

“How dare you to taint Lady Ludwig, common dog! She’s a married woman!”

“Filth! Go back to the mud puddle you belong to!”

They reached the castle and brought Vixon to the dungeon. The dungeon was entirely made of rock and stone. Moss and dust covered the wall and ground surface. The dungeon smelled fishy and damp. Few candles lit the place dimly. It’s cold and quiet as the sounds only came from the cockroaches and mice there.

The dungeon had several cells that fitted only one prisoner each. The cell was so small that the prisoner could do nothing but sit. It was also dark inside the cell, devoid of any light source. The door was thick, constructed fully from metals.

It was almost impossible for anyone to escape from the dungeon. Guards heavily guarded the place. It was also deep beneath the castle, and there's only one stairway leading up.

The guards, accompanied by a warden, removed his bindings and put him inside the farthest cell.

“Don’t even think of escaping!” the warden threatened before slamming the door shut. The guards left the dungeon, but the warden stayed there. He’s waiting for someone.

A moment later, someone arrived, and they talked. Vixon barely heard what they were talking about. However, Vixon heard something about execution.

“Adar,” Vixon called through his mind. “Can you hear them?”

"I forgot to inform you, master. If you couldn't hear them, so do I. We're linked in senses.”

“I see… That’s too bad.”

“I can at least try to peek at their souls—”

“Do it!”

Adar peeked through their souls as they talked. After five minutes, the warden and the unknown man left the dungeon, going upstairs.

"So, Adar. What do you know?" Vixon asked.

“They’re planning to execute you.”

“For real? Damn it. They have set me up.”

“The person with the warden interests me.”

“Why?”

"The other one is a stone bearer like you."

“Y-You don’t say!” Vixon said aloud out of the blue. He closed his mouth and spoke telepathically again. “So, there are people like us too?”

“Yes. Since he distributed us to many who desire power.”

“He? The bishop?”

“Yes.”

“But, why?”

“Because they seek and desire power. You’re no exception.”

“Hmph… At least we know that one of the stone bearers is among them—”

“And now the stone bearer knows that you’re one too.”

“Wait… What—?!”

“A stone bearer couldn’t peek into one another’s soul. We sensed each other when I peeked into the owner. The other spirits also tried to peek into yours too. ”

"Do you know what kind of spirit his stone is?"

"I can only guess since every spirit is the same."

"What is your guess then?".

"Hm. It's a fellow spirit like me for sure."

“Hmm…”

"So, what's your plan, master? If you desire, I will give you the power to break this door and escape—"

"We wait."

“Wait you say?! You can’t be serious…!” Adar replied, irritated. “You've heard them, right?! They will execute you! We've to escape—!!”

“We wait, I say.”

“Argh! Why—?!”

"Calm yourself. Let's just wait for a miracle. Since this matter involves both that bastard and Judecah, they would be present during the trial. I know that Judecah would help us by testifying against those false claims."

A group of people entered the dungeon. It was the same warden and two royal guards. They opened Vixon’s cell, bringing chains and ropes.

"What is it—?" Vixon asked.

“Stand up! It’s your trial!” a guard replied.

“This early—?!”

“Don’t speak and stand up already!”

Adar forced his power to Vixon, amplifying Vixon’s strength rapidly.

"This is our chance—!" Adar said through his mind.

"Don't be stupid."

“Gah!” Adar removed his power from Vixon’s body, returning his strength to normal.

Vixon stood, and the guards chained his arms with no warning, compressing his inflamed shoulder.

"My injury, ouch!" Vixon thought as the warden and the guards brought Vixon upstairs. They brought Vixon to the court place, the grand main hall. More royal guards were present than yesterday. They put and forced Vixon to kneel in front of the seats, but the king, the prince, or the advisor were there.

A moment later, the three arrived, sitting in their respective seats. Nobles arrived to see the trial, but the archduke himself didn’t come, neither did Judecah.

“The trial begins!” the advisor announced.

“What in the world…?!” Vixon thought. “The archduke himself and Judecah aren’t here yet!” Vixon realized that it’s the archduke’s strategy by eliminating the key witness, Judecah, so she couldn’t testify against the charges on Vixon. “Well played, archduke…! Well played!”

A royal guard stood before the nobles, reading the charges against Vixon. The charges surprised and disappointed the king who granted the commons amnesties because of Vixon before while the prince paid no attention.

“I’m disappointed, young man. I’ve granted freedom for you and the others, and this is how you repay it?” the king said as he shook his head and closed his eyes for a moment.

Vixon said nothing as he looked away.

“Assaulting on nobles again,” the advisor said to Vixon. “Were you put into the trial yesterday because of it?”

"Yes," Vixon replied.

"Any defenses?" the advisor asked.

“No.”

“No?” the king said, surprised.

“Even If I have one, will it do anything good?” Vixon asked. “This trial is in their favor now because of what I’ve done yesterday. How do you remove an obstacle without suspicions? By eliminating it politically. In the end, I'm sure that they will grant me a death sentence.”

"Hmph?" the king’s eyes widened in surprise. The prince, who was looking away, focused his attention on the court in confusion.

“I’ll expose those corrupt bastards' misdeeds,” Vixon thought. “I expect your help, Adar.”

"We've yet to give you a punishment—" the advisor said.

"I know, but they have."

"They?" the king said, confused.

"Enough with your nonsense—!" the prince snapped as he stood, irritated.

“Algren,” the king said to his son. “Don't lose your composure now.”

“Tch!” The prince sat and looked away, but was still listening to the court.

“Now, explain about this ‘they’,” the king demanded.

"Beg pardon, Your Majesty. I beg your pardon. How could I talk while there are daggers on me and my family’s neck? Dare I say anything pertaining to that, surely the daggers will pierce our throat."

“You're saying that this ‘they’ are here?”

“I can’t say that. I beg your pardon.”

The nobles were staring at each other, in both fear and confusion, while the guards had no slightest idea about the current situation.

“So, I suppose you know about this ‘they’ you're talking about?” the king asked.

"Because I know them and their plan, they put me here along with the charges."

“Who? The archduke?”

“I don’t know if he’s involved. Now, winning or losing this trial will both end in my death. This might be my last.”

“Don’t tell me… This ‘they’ must be none but those with authorities and high-positions…!” the king clenched his fists. “I’ve been blinded all of this time while my people suffer?!”

“Open your eyes, my King!” Vixon thought.

“Bring all the reports to me!” the king ordered his guards and the nobles as he stood. “I have to look and read them with my own eyes!”

The corrupt nobles trembled as soon as the king ordered that. Vixon just averted his demise and almost exposed the white-collar criminals.

“Thanks, Adar,” Vixon thought.

In the confusion's midst, someone entered the court late. To Vixon’s dread, it was the bastard of a man himself, Archduke Ludwig. The guards lined up, making a way for him. He arrived with some guards, bringing apprehended four noblemen with him.

“Archduke Ludwig, what is the meaning of this?” The king asked. “Why is Baron Dux, Baron Lewis, Viscount Winston, and Lord Harth apprehended? Aren’t they all your loyal subordinates?”

“These are the ‘they’ that the young man was talking about,” the archduke answered. “I have the proof with me,” the archduke announced as he took an envelope from his pocket and let the king read it.

As soon as the king read it, his eyes opened wide in rage. He clenched his fists, almost tearing the letter.

“How dare you four do this?!” he shouted furiously. “You’ve been doing these when I looked away?! You even used Baron Yuwain for your personal gains, forcing him to take all the blame?!”

The four convicted trembled in fear as they had nothing to say. The furious king pointed forward, ordering execution for the four of them. After the intrusions, the trial returned.

“So about the charges—” the advisor said.

“Pardon me, everyone,” the archduke said. His mannerisms and face were polite and charismatic, truly a double-faced devil. “As an important figure in this trial, I would like to give some explanations.”

"Very well," the king accepted, and the archduke stood before the three.

“Damn it!” Vixon thought. “The opportunity to expose them all turned sour! I don’t know that he had prepared this!”

"Everything about this case was all but misunderstandings," the archduke said.

"Please do explain, Archduke Ludwig," the king said.

“It was all a set-up by those four, Your Majesty. They wanted to execute this innocent man through me to taint my name. Thankfully, I noticed this shortly and caught them all.”

“This bastard…!” Vixon muttered quietly as he clenched his fists. “What’s he planning?!”

“After he was set free yesterday, they approached and threatened him into working in my mansion. My wife accepted him because she witnessed his virtues. At the time, I was away, so I didn’t know it. That’s when they fooled me, saying that this man slept with my wife. Out of rage, I attacked him, and of course, he retaliated in self-defense.”

“This cursed bastard speaks with a silver tongue in front of them!” Vixon thought. “By appearing as the savior, the king would have less to no suspicion on him. Just as Judecah said, he’s a manipulator!”

"So, this is but a misunderstanding?" the king said as he shook his head.

“It is, your highness. As an apology for this man, I would like to recommend him to be a soldier. Even though he's a common-born, he's a pious and fearless man with a strong sense of justice. He even dares to speak about the misdeeds and stands for the commons without fearing for his life. That's why I would like to enlist him as a soldier.”

"We're in short of men for war. I see nothing wrong by recommending him as a soldier," the advisor agreed.

“Very well then. I accept your recommendation, Archduke Ludwig.”

The court reached the conclusion for the trial: The four “corrupt” nobles were executed and Vixon would be a soldier in the Western Axyvur. Outside the castle, a transport wagon arrived to pick Vixon up.

“Not even a chance to meet my parents…” Vixon thought, sad as he entered the wagon.