Twenty-three men were lined up in front of the soldiers. The nooses tied around their necks suggested an inevitable outcome.

Traitors. That's what these men are. Bloody, cowardly traitors who were too blind to see who the real enemies are. Foolish men who betrayed the King.

Timothy walked slowly across the platform and checked their faces one by one. He wanted to see the faces of the men who betrayed him.

With the help of Elisar, Jop and some loyal men, Timothy spent the entire day purging his own camp of traitors. It was hard and it was tiring, but the process was generally successful. In the end, twenty-three men were found to be guilty of spreading the rumor around.

What really surprised Timothy though was the presence of some Wismarines in his camp. Apparently, foreign spies had already infiltrated the camp. This could have been disastrous. The spies could have notified Ivan of Timothy's every move. If Lucia was with him, she would have already noticed the spies before they even had the chance to spread the rumor. But Timothy was alone this time and he can't expect the help of Lucia.

Timothy examined the traitors and was pleased when he saw that none of them were his original soldiers from Knightsend. In fact, the purge was successful mainly because of reports from the men of Knightsend. If even one of them were from Knightsend, then he will be really disappointed. Thankfully, his original soldiers knew better than to betray him.

"Bastard!" One of the traitors called Timothy from behind. Timothy turned around and saw that the man was a Centurion form Munico.

"Shameless bastard! You don't have the right to command us commoner. You even contracted a Tulosan to train us. You call us traitors but you are the traitor. Shameless! Shameless beyond belief. That crown on top of your head makes me sick!" The man continued.

Timothy started walking towards the man. His pace was slow and the tapping of his boots against the wooden platform was audible. He was like an inevitable force, approaching like an imminent doom. When he reached the traitor, Timothy looked at the man's face.

The man swallowed but maintained his tough stance. "Fight me bastard. We are both commoners so why should I be executed for your sake? Fight me man to man. Draw your sword and let's see what bastards are made of."

Timothy wetted his dry lips. "That is not a bad idea. Release him and give him a sword."

Timothy's order drew grunts from the men below. Some of them tried to step forward and protest but Timothy's glare stopped them. Timothy was relieved to see that many of the soldiers below were loyal enough to care for the life of their King.

The soldier in charge of the execution hesitated. But pressure from Timothy's order prompted him to release the traitor and give his own sword.

"What is your name traitor?" Timothy asked as he drew his sword from its scabbard. The sound of friction between the wooden scabbard and the steel sword added uncertainty to the already tensed atmosphere.

"Howland. I am Howland and I will spill your filthy bastard blood right here. With the Omniscient as my witness, I will end this war with one swing of my sword." He replied.

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"Then do your best Howland. Kill your King"

"You are no King of mine" With these words, Howland sprinted towards Timothy. He held his sword high and bent his body a little. His form was good and his charge was powerful. He was truly an experience soldier.

Meanwhile, Timothy did not even raise his sword. He just stood like there wasn't a veteran soldier charging towards him. Some of the men watching from below had already disobeyed Timothy's order to stand down. Nearly a hundred of them rushed towards the platform to defend their King.

But before any of them even reached the platform, a huge man appeared out of nowhere and grabbed Howland by the neck. His hand was big enough to wrap around the traitors neck.

Abraham lifted the traitor with one hand and used his other hand to grab the sword away. Howland's face showed a purple shade. He was struggling for air. Abraham then slammed him into the floor of the platform. The cracking of wood was heard, displaying the extent of Abraham's strength.

The men below were shocked by the events. They stood with their mouths agape. Those who were on the process of helping Timothy stopped in their tracks.

Timothy did not waste the moment. The atmosphere was just right.

"If you thought that I was foolish enough to risk my life just because he insulted me, then you don't know me at all. Why would I put myself in danger when I can end his life without even raising my sword?" He said as he walked towards Howland's body. The traitor was still alive. He then handed Abraham his sword.

Timothy faced the soldiers. Pain and anger were both mixed in his eyes.

"I saved you" he started. "When the Tulosans were swarming in the Western Region like locusts, who repelled them? When the Calgarians suddenly attacked Greenwater, who marched day and night just to save the city?"

He then pointed at the Wismarine spies. "When the Wismarines colluded with my father and destroyed Castonian reputation, when they destroyed our honor, who raised his flag in rebellion to make a new Castonia?"

"I did! I did it all of these things for you, for your fathers, for your mothers, for your brothers and sisters, for your sons and daughters! I should be living a peaceful life now if I had just ran away."

"But I am here" his voice had a hint of sadness. "I am here fighting with you, bleeding with you. I am here because you need me. And now you are discussing my legitimacy as if I am just some scandalous noble?! How dare you do that to me? I have shown you nothing but love yet you repay me with this."

He paused and then said a single powerful line. His voice wasn't too loud but the way he said it flooded the air with emotions.

"You disgust me"

None of the soldiers uttered a word. Even the sound of their breathing was muffled. The camp became a graveyard of sound.

"No!" A soldier reached his arm towards Timothy. His knees fell on the ground.

"Forgive us King Timothy!" another soldier fell to the ground.

"We are in the wrong! It won't happen again!"

"Punish us! Punish all of us!"

"Don't abandon us Your Majesty!"

"We need you!"

The camp was filled with the pleas of the soldiers. Some of them were crawling in the ground towards Timothy.

Timothy's face showed the same serious expression but he decided to give them one more chance. "If this happens again, if you ever betray my trust again, I will abandon you. I will leave you to the Wismarines, the Tulosans and the Calgarians. Let's see if your murmurs will still be worth it. Let's see if questioning my legitimacy will still mean anything by then."

"But for now I will forgive you. I will forgive your transgressions against me. In exchange you must fight for me tonight. We will attack their camp and wreak havoc into their ranks. With every swing of your sword, with every thrust of your spear, you will remember that I forgave you despite your betrayal. Do you understand!"

Like a mechanical beast, the soldiers saluted in unison. Timothy knew that their loyalty was stronger than before for they have realized the cost of another betrayal.

After hanging the traitors, Timothy's army made its move. More than two thousand men approached Ivan's camp with most of them on horseback. Since the spies and the traitors had already been purged from the group, Timothy was confident that his sudden attack will surprise Ivan this time.

It had been a busy day and an emotional day. But this night will bring more surprises. They will hit them fast and they will hit them hard. Ivan will soon fear Timothy. He will realize that the one he was mocking will be the one who will bring his doom.

Bastard. They called him that. Well the one they were calling a bastard is coming and he brings death.