Episode 631 Then Give Me Some Reward 3

"Hey! Do you know who I am?"

Some people lose all sense of self-control when their circumstances suddenly change. Whether it's due to their innate nature or the influence of their environment, they can't handle their newfound status.

Alfoy was precisely that kind of person. He was harassing the castle staff with reckless abandon.

"S-Sorry!"

"Do it properly! Properly! Ugh, do I have to explain every single thing to you? What do you even think of me?"

Alfoy would torment the staff relentlessly whenever they made a mistake—or even when they didn't, as long as they displeased him.

He had always been arrogant by nature, but his personality had been somewhat restrained due to his status as a slave.

Now that all restrictions had been lifted, and he had climbed his way through the ranks in Fenris, his true nature had fully resurfaced.

Even so, with so many people praising him, Alfoy saw no problem with his behavior.

"Hah... This is why ordinary humans are so useless…"

Clicking his tongue, Alfoy swaggered through the royal castle, his attitude insufferably haughty.

The nobles and officials who encountered him frowned but felt powerless to intervene, as his popularity made him untouchable.

But when someone behaves arrogantly for too long, rumors are bound to spread.

"No, I'm telling you, his personality is completely different from what I'd heard."

"I've never seen anyone so full of themselves."

"He acts like he's some high-ranking noble, but he's just a commoner."

No matter how great one's achievements, once flaws become known, detractors will emerge. Alfoy was giving people plenty of reasons to criticize him.

The negative rumors grew, amplified by none other than Claude.

Claude spared no effort to tarnish Alfoy's reputation. Combined with Alfoy's natural unpleasantness, the rumors spread like wildfire.

People no longer praised Alfoy. Instead, they began to avoid him.

Feeling the change in atmosphere, though unaware of the exact cause, Alfoy grew increasingly irritable.

"What's wrong with everyone lately? Why is nobody giving me the respect I deserve? I saved the world!"

He didn't think he had done anything wrong. To him, it was everyone else who was failing to show proper respect to the hero who had saved the world.

The more Alfoy lashed out, the more delighted Claude became.

Meeting secretly with Kaor, Claude smirked as he spoke.

"It looks like we're ready to move forward. His reputation is completely ruined. No one will support him now."

"Really? The time has finally come."

Kaor let out a sinister laugh.

He, too, had grown to detest Alfoy's arrogance. Alfoy had become so conceited that even Kaor couldn't stand him anymore, though his popularity had previously made him untouchable.

This shared disdain led Kaor and Claude, despite their differences, to form a temporary alliance. Neither of them could stomach seeing Alfoy succeed.

Meanwhile, Alfoy spent his days lounging in a luxurious room in the royal castle. His indulgent lifestyle had caused him to put on noticeable weight in just a few days.

"Ah, this is the life," he sighed contentedly.

Ghislain had intended for everyone to rest before his return, but Alfoy had taken it as a sign that he could live like this forever.

As Alfoy reclined in a grand chair, snacking on fruit, the door burst open, and knights entered the room.

"What is this? Do you know where you are? How dare you barge in here like this?"

Alfoy scowled at the intruders, who were former members of Kaor's Mad Dog unit.

The lead knight grinned as he addressed Alfoy.

"Well… You'll need to come with us for a bit."

"What? Where to?"

"The Chief Commandant wants to see you."

Alfoy scoffed at the mention of Claude. He had seen Claude a few times since returning but had ignored him completely.

"Who does that slave think he is, summoning me—the 'Man Who Defeated a God' and the 'Dragon Slayer'? If he wants to see me, he should come here himself. How dare a slave act so brazenly?"

The knights shrugged.

"Guess we'll have to use force, then."

"What? How dare you even think about—"

Before Alfoy could finish, the knights pounced, binding him and gagging him.

Struggling in their grasp, Alfoy heard one knight speak with mock solemnity.

"Alfoy, you are being detained on charges of rebellion. You can plead your case at the trial. This isn't what we wanted to do, but orders are orders."

The knight chuckled as he added, "The Chief Commandant insisted on your arrest."

Alfoy was dragged off, charged with leading a rebellion by inciting the mages.

"Mmmph! Mmmph!"

Desperately wriggling, Alfoy's mind raced.

'Rebellion? Sure, I incited a rebellion, but… didn't that blow over?'

After defeating the dragon, no one had brought it up again, so he had assumed he was forgiven.

More importantly, hadn't Ghislain freed him from his slave status?

Having received nothing but praise since then, Alfoy never imagined that the issue might still linger.

"Nngh! Nnngh! Wait! Listen to me!"

But the knights, clearly enjoying themselves, ignored his muffled protests and hauled him toward the largest courtroom in the capital.

When they arrived, they removed his gag.

"What is the meaning of this? Do you even know who I am?!"

Alfoy roared as he lifted his head, only to see Claude seated in the judge's chair with a composed expression.

"Claude! Do you think you'll get away with this?"

In Alfoy's mind, his fame was unparalleled. Everyone praised him as a hero.

"How dare a slave arrest a hero—the man who saved this world?!"

He sneered, his arrogance unabated.

"You! A slave can't do this! How dare you discuss the law from that seat!"

Claude chuckled, then spoke with a calm but authoritative tone.

"Alfoy, listen closely. As the Chief Judicial Officer of this domain, it is my duty to uphold the law. And that includes rendering judgment on your charges of rebellion."

"What? You?"

Alfoy froze momentarily, stunned as the realization hit him.

In his time under Ghislain, he had overlooked one crucial fact: Claude had been granted authority over all matters except military command. Ghislain had entrusted him with immense responsibilities, including the judicial system.

Even though Claude usually delegated legal matters to other officials, he was still the ultimate authority.

Now fully aware of the situation, Alfoy's face went pale.

'That bastard… He's doing this to ruin me.'

Having known Claude for years, Alfoy understood his nature all too well. It was obvious that Claude couldn't stand seeing him freed from his slave status.

After all, Alfoy would have done the same if the roles were reversed.

"Damn it! He's using the rebellion as an excuse!"

The courtroom was sparsely populated, with only a few officials, knights, and Kaor present.

If Vanessa or anyone else had been around, things might not have escalated this far. But Claude had planned everything meticulously.

Alfoy's mind worked furiously. He couldn't let things end this way.

"Wait! That wasn't a rebellion! That was your idea, remember? It was a ploy to bait the mages!"

"I told you to bait them, not actually lead a rebellion."

"Y-You bastard…"

Alfoy had indeed led the mages to attack Vanessa and the knights. There was no excuse for what he had done.

Currently, the success of the dragon hunt had overshadowed the incident, but those who knew the truth called him a scoundrel behind his back.

Alfoy shouted again, "The lord forgave me! That's why I was allowed to participate in the dragon hunt and freed from slavery!"

"What are you talking about? The lord clearly said you'd be punished later. I've already gathered testimonies from those who heard her say it."

Alfoy's face went blank. Wasn't the whole thing just swept under the rug?

Now that he thought about it...

"—Let him go for now. We need every 5th-circle mage we can get. That's just the kind of person he is. We'll deal with the punishment after the fight against the dragon."

"Ahhh!" Alfoy gasped.

The matter had never been formally concluded. Everyone had assumed it was over and moved on because the atmosphere at the time had been celebratory.

But now, Claude was clinging to that statement, using it to press Alfoy into a corner.

"W-wait! Let's reconsider this when the lord returns! Let's retry the trial then!" Alfoy pleaded.

Claude put on a mockingly sorrowful expression. "Sorry, bro. The kingdom is incredibly busy with postwar affairs right now. That's why the trial isn't happening in our territory but in the capital. So stop struggling and let's wrap this up quickly."

"Wrap what up?!" Alfoy exclaimed.

Claude crossed his arms and closed his eyes, as if pondering the appropriate punishment.

After a moment, he opened his eyes, his expression severe. "I sentence Alfoy, the ringleader of the rebellion, to death."

"You crazy bastard!" Alfoy screamed.

"Execute the sentence immediately," Claude commanded.

"Do you have any idea how popular I am right now? If you kill me, the people won't stand for it!" Alfoy argued.

"Don't worry about that," Claude replied with a smirk. "More people will celebrate than mourn. I knew you'd eventually show your true colors."

Claude grinned as he spoke. Thanks to his efforts, Alfoy's reputation had already been dragged down to the level of his days as a slave in Fenris.

Alfoy was shocked. Lately, he had noticed people's indifference toward him, but now he understood the reason. That damn Claude must have been scheming behind his back, envious of his popularity!

Alfoy was oblivious to the fact that he himself was mostly to blame. Claude had merely exaggerated the existing flaws.

"Y-you're joking, right? We used to joke around all the time!" Alfoy stammered.

"Do you think rebellion is a joke? Did you really think you'd get away with starting an uprising?" Claude's voice was firm.

He wasn't wrong. In any other territory, Alfoy would have been summarily executed on the spot.

Even Alfoy couldn't argue with that. However, this trial wasn't exactly normal.

"But isn't this moving way too fast?" Alfoy protested.

"I told you, we're busy. Now, take him to the gallows!" Claude ordered.

"Ahhh!" Alfoy screamed as he was dragged away. Watching him struggle, Claude sighed.

"Such a shame. He was a good friend," Claude said, his tone dripping with mockery.

Wendy stared at Claude with an exasperated expression. His intentions were as transparent as glass.

However, even she couldn't interfere when Claude wielded his authority like this. His power was simply too overwhelming.

They headed straight for the execution grounds. Given how hastily the process was moving, it was no surprise that no bystanders were present.

On the scaffold, with a noose around his neck, Alfoy screamed, "You madman! Do you really think you'll get away with this? Wait until the lord returns and stop this trial!"

Claude shrugged. "Hmm, it's not exactly comfortable for me to send a loyal servant like you to your end."

"Then let me go!" Alfoy pleaded.

"But rebellion is something only the lord can pardon. I'm just enforcing the law here. Of course, there is one way to avoid this…" Claude trailed off.

"What is it? What's the way?" Alfoy asked desperately.

Claude pulled out a document from his coat and held it out for Alfoy to see.

"Sign this. It's the only way to commute your sentence. Legally speaking, there's a loophole to reduce your punishment."

"What's that?" Alfoy asked cautiously.

"I'll commute your sentence to lifelong servitude as a slave of the kingdom. Considering your contributions, I think this is a fair compromise. I mean, it's not every day someone guilty of treason gets their life spared."

"Go to hell, you crazy bastard! Cut this crap!" Alfoy shouted.

He didn't believe the execution would proceed. No matter how much authority Claude had, killing him outright didn't make sense.

Surely, it was all a bluff. After all, Kaor and the knights were just laughing in the background, weren't they?

But then...

"This bastard's eyes... He's lost it," Alfoy realized.

Claude's gaze was disturbingly unhinged. He genuinely seemed prepared to go through with the execution and claim it was all in the name of the law.

The lord would surely be furious, but she wouldn't kill Claude over this.

"And then I'd be forgotten," Alfoy thought, a chill running down his spine.

The man standing before him was all too familiar—someone petty and vengeful, much like himself. Claude was clearly driven to madness by his jealousy.

In their positions reversed, Alfoy would've done the same.

"Let's just get this over with, bro. Come on, please," Claude said, his eyes gleaming with deranged intensity.

Terrified, Alfoy nodded involuntarily.