Zach met eyes with Cyrus. They stood in front of one another. The grey eyes were glaring like fire, while the green eyes were calm as a sea of trees.

“What the fuck, Cyrus?” Zach grunted.

“Mind your words!” Ryden bellowed. Tugging the end of the rope due to Zach’s rudeness. He wished to see Zach stumble and fall flat on his face, but the outcome was the opposite. Unlike what he thought, Zach stood still, unconcerned by his strong tug. Ryden was still clueless about how the system worked.

“In a society, a leader needs to be decisive,” Cyrus said. “And justice is how peace is attained.”

“Even at the cost of your own blood?” Zach asked.

“Only if you did something equate to such terrible acts,” Cyrus said. “Fortunately, an arrow to the shoulder isn’t fatal.”

Zach wasn’t amused. Despite what he said, being inflicted with pain was not his idea of fun.

“But why the fuss, brother? Didn’t you willingly accept to take responsibility?” Cyrus said. “I thought you’d grown up.”

“Just get on with it,” Zach said. He had nothing to refute, but to accept. For the first time, he saw a little curve on Cyrus’ lips. Despite acting through the act of justice, this bastard was indeed enjoying this.

Cyrus placed his hand over Zach’s shoulder. Whispering to his ear. “If you’re worried about death, fret not, baby brother. Even if the arrow went through, we still have Tobias to heal your wound.” He tapped Zach’s shoulder and distanced himself. His hand beckoned for someone’s arrival, and Teena took center stage.

“As I said, an arrow for an arrow,” Cyrus said. “At the same spot with the same amount of pain . . . Archer, ready your bow.”

Teena raised her bow and drew her bowstring. She eyed Zach, who was standing a few feet away from her. The frown he had was gone, replaced by a serene expression as if not bothered by the world itself. But the lass’ heart started to waver. Her hands trembled, and her aim started to drift. She had never aimed at a human, much less shooting at one. Yet now she had to shoot the one who believed in her the most out of this crowd. Again, her eyes found Zach’s. There were no words between them and yet she could tell from his eyes that they were telling her to take the shot. But she couldn’t.

“Forgive me, my lord, but I couldn’t,” Teena said. She faced Cyrus with her head bowed, not daring to look Cyrus right in the eye.

Murmurs broke in the crowd. While one displeasure man egged the rest to hurl boos and jeers. But the rise of a single hand silenced the crowd.

“Do not blame the girl,” Cyrus said. “Like everyone else here, all of us had not hurt another person or taken life by our own hands. We enjoy an era of peace fostered by the Royal family of Valion, but our circumstances had changed. A war is coming and we better be prepared for it.”

Cyrus drew closer to Teena, reaching out with an open hand to her. “Let me,” he said. The lass hesitated a bit, but she gave in. Cyrus felt the bow in his hand and raised it up to the sky. “Befitting of a leader, I, Cyrus Gardwin will lead by example. I will be your justice.”

A deafening cheer echoed within the walls of the fort. Smiles were carved on each and every one’s faces in the crowd, except for a notable few. Cyrus managed to solder his standings in the eyes of the crowd, securing his hold over these people.

But Zach had a frown. This eldest brother of his was indeed scheming enough to use him, his younger brother, as a way to solidify his leadership. Despite not knowing whether Cyrus was being intentional or not, it still left Zach with a sour taste. He was just grateful that Cyrus was the firstborn and not younger. It would have been worse if a younger sibling had high ambition like this elder brother of his. Then it suddenly dawned on him. ‘Fuck.’

“Teena!” Zach shouted over the cheers. “Shoot me. It’s fine, just shoot me.” He insisted to be shot, leaving the crowd and Teena a bit dumbfounded.

This tale has been unlawfully obtained from Royal Road. If you discover it on Amazon, kindly report it.

“Don’t force those who don’t want to,” Cyrus said. He raised the bow and drew its string. “Endure, brother.”

The arrow left. Zach saw it coming, and he knew the worst had come. He watched and waited. Then he made his move. He leaned his body to the other side, and then the pain came. Zach let out a short yelp before he gnashed his teeth, enduring. He glared at Cyrus, cursing him on the inside. If it wasn’t for that quick lean he made, the arrow would have punctured something else.

‘Shit, it almost went through my heart,’ he thought. If it wasn’t for his enhanced speed, he wouldn’t have been able to adjust his position at the last minute. Zach knelt on one knee and stayed silent with the pain.

While the rest cheered as if they had seen their annual public execution. Then Cyrus silenced them again. He got closer to Zach and helped him to his feet.

“People make mistakes, and people change through their punishment,” Cyrus said. “My brother had received his due, and now he’s one of us! Do not cheer for his pain no more, but cheer for his willingness to accept punishment in order to be just!”

Cyrus raised Zach’s uninjured hand up to the sky as he bellowed out loud, “for honor and justice!”

“For honor and justice!” the crowd followed.

Zach was taken inside the fort. The inside looked like some sort of living quarters, judging by a few broken wooden frames. Zach was placed on the floor, and the cold seeped right through the fiber of his pants and straight to his skin.

“Forgive me,” Cyrus said. He too saw his arrow stray from its intended path.

“You should have worked on your archery more, I almost fucking die there,” Zach said.

“Father will be proud,” Cyrus said. “For once you acted like a real man, befitting of a Gardwin.”

Zach gave a silent glare. Shaking his head. “You really suck at consoling someone, you know that?”

“I understand your temper, brother. But please, I’m still your elder brother, so tone down your rudeness,” Cyrus said.

Cyrus had to use the age card, and Zach was not buying it. He pretended to be in severe pain, shouting as if a cannon went through his shoulder.

“What’s happening? What’s wrong?” Cyrus asked. Going into a bit of a panic. His panicking eyes glanced between the struggling Zach and Tobias.

“My lord, it’s best if you give some space to the patient,” Tobias said. The highbrow was quick on the uptake, fitting for someone of his title as no mediocre man or woman could gain the title of Highbrow in front of their names.

“Is it something severe?” Cyrus asked with concern.

“I’ll do my best, my lord, and you shall too. The people need you outside, rather than here,” Tobias said. Managing to convince the stubborn Cyrus.

“Watch over him,” Cyrus said. He then glanced at Zach. “Be well, brother.” Then he left.

“I assume it must be tiring living under such a brother,” Tobias said. Zach returned to his calm state as if nothing was wrong.

“Well if you can say it like that, then I guess you have your fair share of the experience,” Zach replied.

“Unfortunately not, my lord. I’m an only child,” Tobias said. His hand hovered above the shaft of the arrow.

“Then your wisdom is worth being jealous of,” Zach said.

“I’m thankful for the flattery, my lord, but words from books and lips could not rival against experience itself,” Tobias said. “Pardon me, my lord. This will hurt a bit.”

Tobias was readied to break the arrowhead that went through Zach’s body. “Do it,” Zach replied.

It snapped. The arrowhead fell on the floor, and Zach fought through the pain in silence with his eyes tearing up. It was fucking painful and his low tolerance wasn’t making it easier. You could call him a crybaby, but that fucking hurt.

“I will pull, and heal your wound at the same time. So please don’t be alarmed, my lord, especially when you see the light,” Tobias said.

True to his words, Tobias pulled the headless arrow while a white light covered the spot where he was wounded. The light was faint, pale yellow. It connected with Tobias’ glowing hand like it was an extension of Tobias himself. Zach watched in awe and curiosity. It was still painful, but it was lessening by the second.

“Do you know how it works?” Zach blurted it out. Hoping he found a clue to learn the healing skill as a Highbrow was his best bet.

Tobias looked a bit surprised at first but shifted back to his calm demeanor. “I can’t fully explain properly just yet, but I can tell you this. My knowledge of the human body really made it easier to heal, and I don’t know why I’m so assured about it,” Tobias said. As there was a hint of jolliness in that voice of his, talking about the unknown.

Slowly, the calm face of the healer turned to a smile. “It is done,” Tobias said.

“Thank you for that,” Zach said. Before he could get up, the healer called to him again.”

“My lord,” Tobias said.

“Yeah.”

“I’ve heard from Lord Cyrus that you knew a few things about these numbers that correlate with these attributes,” Tobias said.

“Go on,” Zach said. Knowing where this was going.

“If it’s not a problem, can we have a little discussion about this matter?” Tobias said.

The end of Zach’s lips started to curve. “You know free things are usually taken for granted,” Zach said.

The joy lessened on Tobias’ visage as he wore his usual calm mask. “A favor for a favor,” Tobias said. “Name your price, my lord, and if it’s within my capability, I’ll do my best.”

“It’s nothing much,” Zach said. “All I want from you is to explain to me how your healing works. Starting from how you use mana, and down to how the wounds are getting healed.”

For that price, Tobias broke into a big smile.