"How.... was it?"

Risa looked at Oscar with concern as he returned with a disturbed expression.

"Whoever is doing this....."

Oscar looked up, balling a fist.

"I'll make them pay."

"I see..... should we stop here and regroup?"

"No.... we continue. The person doing this..... they are a coward. They keep on attacking from the shadows, aiming for the spots which are less guarded. They do not wish to face either of us, therefore we must keep a close eye on everything."

Risa walked forward alongside Oscar, taking her steps with resolve.

"We can't let things continue like this. We came here for a purpose, and we will fulfill it.... but once it has been fulfilled..... let's put our efforts towards uncovering and defeating the villains of this world."

"I completely agree."

The two marched into the city, at the head of the Legion.

As they encroached the city, they took note that there were no men standing guard at the city walls.

"This is strange.... why are there no men stationed here?", Darius stated as he grazed his eyes over the walls.

"They were probably all sent to fight in the previous battle. Isn't that obvious?", Risa said in an irritated tone.

"But..... that's.... as a tactic, that is unthinkable. What if we had broken off a small force to make it's way to the Capital? This nation would have fallen then and there. Not that it made a difference, but a war without strategy is..."

"Kyle Ruthobold was not a man of military. He took control, and was under the impression that his strength would lead him to an undeniable victory, no matter the case. To put it simply..... tactics are something which I couldn't possibly imagine him using.", Oscar stated.

Turning back, Darius waved towards a messenger.

"Bring forth the battering ram. We will break through the gates with ease since there are no soldiers stationed here."

"Understood, Legion Commander!"

The man rushed off, but Darius could be seen putting his hand to his chin in confused thought.

"Even if he was nothing more than a young child, surely there were some members among the military who understood the flaws of his actions. Did nobody try to stop him from such a reckless advance? Putting all your cards on the table at once..... in the field of warfare, that is nothing short of madness."

"He WAS mad."

Oscar answered as Darius spoke quietly to himself.

"You did not see him for yourself, Darius, so you do not know nor understand. That boy was mad. Insane. He was nothing more than a spoiled kid who believed he could change everything with power and strength alone. He removed all nobles and high ranking knights from their positions, as far as I have heard. And after witnessing his demeanor during the short time I spent with him.... I am not surprised in the least."

Turning to Oscar as they waited for the battering ram to be brought through the ranks of soldiers, Darius questioned the man with curiosity.

"Indeterminant..... just who was Kyle Ruthobold?"

"He was a boy who believed that society was better without snobby nobles and high class monarchs. His motives.... perhaps were not all that bad in of themselves, but it was the way in which he pursued his own form of false justice that turned him wretched."

The battering ram was brought forth, and the men began to smash it against the gates of the wall.

"Perhaps the nobles of this Kingdom were indeed self centered, arrogant, and greedy. They put themselves before the peasants, and viewed those below them as worth less. And that is something which without a doubt should have been changed. Yet Kyle Ruthobold did so in a manner which was chaotic. It is not as if the King of this nation was going around and killing off his civilians. He was a fool, yes. But that alone is not enough to justify Kyle's actions."

Turning to the Legion Commander as the men finished destroying the gate, Oscar waved as they filed into the city.

"You understand yourself, Darius. The Emperor.... was a great man. I only met him once, and that was right before he was killed. Kyle was so obsessed with his ideas of removing all of those with positions of power from society that he killed even a leader who sincerely cared for his people. He was the perfect example of..... justice gone mad."

With a bitter smile, Oscar looked forward as they now walked through the streets of the city.

They were quiet.

Too quiet.

There were no people around at all, and it was like a ghost town.

Though it did not appear as if the town had been abandoned for long. Rather, everything looked in pristine condition, and the only abnormality was the absence of people.

"However.... I cannot say that I do not understand his madness, to an extent. With this unknown enemy who has killed and killed so many, I cannot say that I do not understand righteous anger. And if some politician were to go mad with power and begin to enact laws which would end up killing people, then even I would not be able to forgive them. It is merely that Kyle's anger was an extreme case, which he began to thrust on everyone in a position of power. That was his folly. He didn't have a line in which he wouldn't cross."

Darius nodded in agreement.

"I see..... that is an interesting take, Indeterminant. But.... I don't believe that you are wrong. I think you are right. Kyle was wrong to kill the Emperor, for certain. However, perhaps his own justified anger towards the nobles of this Kingdom was what led him to such madness...."

As the men walked through the quiet streets, they then heard the sounds of shouting and protest.

Screams of people.

Cries and wailing, and the shouts of a mob.

"How dare you!!!!"

"You idiots!!! How could you do such a thing!?!?"

"Do you think you can do anything just because you were born of Royal blood!?"

"Kyle Ruthobold will kill you for this!!!"

Looking at one another, Oscar and Risa understood quickly that something was happening.

"Risa. I am unsure what is going on, but this isn't something we can ignore."

"I agree. Let's go."

Turning back to the men of the Legion, Oscar stood forward and shouted out for all to hear.

"We head for the plaza where those screams are coming from! We need to find out what is going on here, and put a stop to it!"

----

Earlier that day in the Royal Palace of the Ruthobold Kingdom, seven women sat within the seats of nobles with two servants standing behind one of the women, who took the lead.

"So we should allocate more funding to this area to increase the amount of produce?"

"Yes Government involvement within economics is something which has always been highly disputed among the nobles, but I believe that a moderate amount of involvement would be best."

The servant who spoke was a woman who wore the outfit of a maid and had long black hair. She spoke properly and with a respectful tone to the woman before her.

This servant was Reagan, the former princess and ex-future Archduchess of the Ruthobold Kingdom before Kyle had slayed the King and taken the throne for himself.

The one she advised was Irene, the head of the brothel in which Kyle was raised.

"You're so reliable, Reagan. If it were just me and my girls I don't know what I would do. It truly is good to have a brain among us."

Stolen novel; please report.

"You praise me too much. I wish nothing more than to live a simple life."

The two got along well with one another, despite their varying positions within society.

"Lady Irene, are you not worried about those strange messages from earlier? If they are true...."

The one who spoke was a blonde haired male, dressed in the outfit of a butler.

This was Arctus, the third son of King Ruthobold.

"There's no way Kyle coulda died! It was probably just some weird trick from some magic user!"

The one who said this was Naomi, one of the seven prostitutes who took the position of noble within this uprooted system.

"I don't know about that, dear. I'm concerned for our little hero."

The woman who added onto this statement spoke in a mature tone while taking a puff from a pipe, blowing the smoke around the room.

This was Riley, another one of the seven prostitutes.

"I.... am concerned for him. He said he was going off to fight with the invaders, and now we receive this message.... it would be a stretch to say it is a mere coincidence.", Irene replied.

This reply caused unease among many of the people present.

"But he wouldn't do something so rash without knowing what he was doing! I think Naomi's right. Someone is probably messing with some strange magic to unnerve us. Their little gamble will only succeed if we fold."

Jordan, the gambler who often wasted away her own pay in a single night, made this statement.

"But what if....."

Another woman timidly joined in, yet she was quickly rebuked by Jordan, who slapped her back with a smile.

"It'll be fine!! There's no way Kyle would go all in like that, Katelyn! Don't you know him better than everyone? He's the kid who would spend his days cleaning the floors and listening to your music without even questioning the world around him. But now he's the freaking king!! He grew a whole lot ever since he became the hero, so worrying about him will only be making light of him!"

"Is.... is that so?"

"Yep!"

Even at the lighthearted words of the young woman, a heavy atmosphere still remained among the nine.

They were concerned. Each and every one of them.

"However..... if he were to actually die...."

"Olivia, don't say something like that! I'm sure he'll burst into that door in a few minutes and be like 'yo, did you guys miss me? I brought you back some souvenirs, so sit down and relax! I'll take things from here!'", Naomi exclaimed.

Yet she herself was unsure of these words.

It was then that the door opened.

Storming in were hundreds of Knights, and at their head was a good looking man with the face of a ruler.

It was Reginald Ruthobold, the first prince and the heir to the throne before Kyle overtook his position.

At his side was his brother, Sylvester Ruthobold. He was a seasoned warrior, and the head of the Royal Knights before he was demoted to the position of servant.

The men flooded into the room, surrounding the nine with haste.

"My..... just what could you be doing with so many men?", Irene asked while looking around with suspicion.

Standing forward, Reginald pointed out a finger towards the former prostitute.

"Kyle Ruthobold has died. The man who slaughtered our king, removed our nobles, and created chaos within this nation is now dead. As the former heir to the throne, I am taking back that which was rightfully mine in the first place."

At this statement many of the women looked around with timid and fearful expressions, as if their greatest fear had just been confirmed.

"I see. Then, you may have it. I am not cut out for ruling anyways."

Irene stood up with a smile, motioning for her girls to follow her.

"Good luck with this nation, Reginald Ruthobold."

"You seem to be mistaken here, whore. You raised the very boy who disrupted the very order of everything within this nation. Things will likely never return to the state they were before, and there will likely be many uprisings in the future which I will have to control myself. The amount of challenges provided to me as a ruler due to the very chaos which Kyle Ruthobold created are not small things which can be merely shoved under the rug."

"So you wish for me to pay for the damages? If you want a night in bed, then I suppose I could do that. Or perhaps even you wish for me to become your permanent concubine? Just like your father, aren't you boy?"

Reginald became indignant at the statement of the woman, who spoke without reservation even in front of the hundreds of men who had surrounded her.

"Why... you say the strangest things. Truly fit for a prostitute, trying to use your body to escape from this situation. I will not fall for such petty tricks. In order to reduce the number of rebellions in the future, it is necessary to perform a public execution."

With an arrogant smirk, Reginald held his hand out, displaying the guards around him.

"These men are all warriors who were stripped of their position by your bastard son. With the hero dead and the only Knights in the city his enemies, you have no way to resist. We will be putting you up for scheduled execution immediately. Each and every one of you."

Irene looked up with a sour expression, breathing in slowly before speaking.

"Will you allow me to be the only one of us who is sent to the execution block? Surely you only need one person-"

"Irene!!"

"You can't do that!!!"

"We..... will head to our deaths with you!!"

While Irene tried to persist in being taken as the only sacrifice, Naomi, Jordan, and Olivia shouted out in denial.

"No no, my girls. I am the owner of our brothel. And as the owner.... I am the one who takes responsibility when we go bankrupt."

Turning to Reginald, Irene spoke out with humbled tone.

"Please, Reginald Ruthobold. Allow me to offer myself."

"Do you not blame Kyle? Do you all not hate Kyle for bringing you to such a place and then putting you in such a position?"

Sylvester, who could not hold himself back, asked this with disgust in his tone.

"After all, it was that idiot who brought you all here. And you merely listened, trusting in him. Hahaha.... fools. Did you all really think he would bring about a righteous world? Or perhaps you trusted in him merely because he was powerful?"

"No, that is not quite right."

The one who replied was Riley.

Even in the face of execution, her tone remained condescending.

"We trusted him because..... he was our son. And what kind of mother would not throw their life aside for the sake of their son?"

"I don't want to hear anything from YOU."

Sylvester snapped back, but the woman merely laughed.

"How adorable. You look like the type of man who brags about his massive member, only for it to end up being inversely proportional to the claimed size. The type of client who even someone like myself would see as nothing more than a loser. Even out of pity, I don't think I would sleep with you."

"WHY YOU!!"

"Sylvester. Do not give into the provocations of these whores. You only prove them right."

Sylvester was about to rush over to slap the woman, but he was stopped by Reginald.

Looking back to Irene, Reginald spoke with firm tone.

"If not for your rude tone, perhaps I would have considered your request. But you whores are nothing more than the plight of society, after all. It is the existence of you scum that caused this mess, and I see no merit in adhering to your desires."

Turning around, Reginald laughed as some women looked around in fear, the guards closing in on them.

"You stepped over your bounds. No.... the peasants of this nation have stepped over their bounds. They believe that due to the existence of heroes, that a new age is coming? Hah! That is nothing more than an excuse. I will recuperate from this chaos quickly, and you seven will be killed in order to ensure that."

"Irene...."

"What.... do we do?"

Katelyn and Jordan looked up to their leader with fear, yet the woman merely closed her eyes as the guards cuffed the women.

"Come with us to the execution block. Don't make any strange moves, or we will kill you on sight."

The seven were led forward, with distaste in their expressions.

"What do we do? There is nothing more we can do. But that is fine. We did not do this because of something as silly as a desire for power. We did this because of our trust.... in our son."

Looking back to Reagan and Arctus, Irene smiled.

"Take good care of this nation while we are gone. Ensure that your brothers do not make it a living hell for the people on the bottom."

----

"Kyle Ruthobold..... a man who took the title of hero, and claimed to be a savior for the peasantry. A man who used deceit and lies to rise to the position of King. A man who slaughtered any in his path, and took over as a tyrant..... using that very notion to claim that he was a man of the people. A man who was nothing more than the product of a brothel, knowing nothing about this world before he came into nobility through his position as a hero. And a man, who has now died as a result of his ignorance of this world and it's workings."

Reginald stood now in front of thousands of gathered people here in the Capital.

Standing on top of an execution stand, with hundreds of guards around him, the people watched with anxiety as he spoke.

'Oi..... is that true?'

'Is the hero.... actually dead?'

"Without proper procedure, nothing can go well. Without proper means, preparation, and thought, there can be no success. Any who succeed using mere power and immediate methods will only appear to temporarily succeed. That is right. His success was only temporary. Nothing more, and nothing less. He angered many, hurt many, and yet also pleased many with his thoughtless actions. And you masses are among those who he pleased. It is something which you may not realize, but the amount of chaos and discrepancy in these lands will soon begin to show itself. However.... I am here to reduce these effects."

Placing his foot forward, the man beamed with a smile.

"I, Reginald Ruthobold, will protect this nation. I will protect it from the horrors which were supposed to envelop it due to the reckless actions of Kyle Ruthobold. The Empire has already invaded our lands due to his actions, and they are likely marching through our cities as we speak. And where is our hero in all this? He is dead. He has been killed, due to his own incompetence in royal matters. He angered too many opponents, and ignored every aspect of diplomacy. And for what? For his own beliefs? For his own justice!? OUR PEOPLE ARE BEING KILLED BECAUSE OF HIS JUSTICE!!!"

Reginald burst out in anger, revealing the cause of the invaders.

"And that is what he called justice? No, that is not justice. That is nothing short of madness."

Holding a hand out, Reginald notioned to the men behind him.

Brought forth, seven women were laid with their heads on seven execution blocks, which had been prepared beforehand.

Each had their own respective executioner, who held polearms in their hands.

"This is what becomes of a nation when someone who believes they are a hero steps in, ignoring all else and claiming that they will fight for what is right. It takes more than that to run a nation. Not anybody can just step up and rule. Leading a nation is something which one must be born into. One cannot simply pick up a nation and become a great ruler. At best, someone who has not been raised to rule from birth..... can merely become a dictator."

The women were forced to the execution blocks, their heads held down.

"And that is exactly what Kyle Ruthobold became."

Some of the women cried tears out of fear, and others smiled as if mocking the very people who were about to kill them, yet none let out any words, for their mouths had been taped shut.

"These women are the ones who Kyle Ruthobold placed on the seats of nobles. Mere whores, who have no idea what they were doing. It was only through the efforts of my younger siblings that they were able to keep this nation afloat, but as soon as those of noble and royal blood disappeared..... so too would this nation. I am sure many of you doubt whether Kyle Ruthobold is truly dead..... but the very fact that these women.... that these traitors to our traditions are here in such a position..... is proof enough."

Holding up his hand and bringing it down, the executioners raised their axes.

"Kyle Ruthobold, without a doubt is dead. For if he were not, this execution would never happen."

The axes were brought down, and seven heads rolled at once.

At this, screams were heard from the crowd.

People squirmed and screeched in terror, and many shouted out in agony.

The women who were like mothers to the hero had been slain.

Without a doubt, the fact that such an event was allowed to occur was proof enough to the people.

Kyle Ruthobold, was dead.

And with it, the hopes and dreams of the peasants of the Kingdom for equality, died with it.