Chapter 402: Restrained Desires (1/2)
The woman seemed more terrified by the lord of the city bowing to her in apology, and she began stuttering with a blush, unable to form coherent words. Arthur was confused, as he never had someone falter just from talking to him.
”Th...no- it's o-okay...” the woman was young, only a bit older than Arthur, and she had freckles beneath her green eyes. He could tell that her innocent appearance allured the knights, but their punishment was inevitable.
”Can I know what house you are living in?”
They have numbered the houses the people occupied to facilitate their management, and it was pretty handy. After obtaining the number of the house, Arthur nodded and offered his hand, which the girl grabbed.
”You might feel a bit dizzy, but this is the safest way to go back,” the girl disappeared after hearing Arthur's words, and he went back to the Knight of Courage.
As he told the Titled Knight about the behavior of the knights, who have been teleported here earlier by him, she was fuming with rage. But, unlike him, Courage unsheathed her sword as the knights held the two culprits to be executed.
”Wait,” Arthur raised his hand. As much as he would like to get rid of such trash, he knew that men evolved in this way: a mindless pursuit to reproduce, at least when hormones pump through their veins.
”Don't try to appeal for them, Seika. My men knew of the iron rule: whoever acts like a bandit dies,” the rest of the knights had a look of resolution, and the two pinned down didn't try to defend themselves.
”They should be punished or imprisoned, or whatever. However, I think it's unfair to execute them just yet. You aren't just a knights' captain anymore; you are also an official of the city. So there's a problem and executing some of the culprits is nothing but a temporary solution.”
”What do you suggest, Seika?”
”A brothel,” the words made the knights' eyes light up with the restrained desires of men. Arthur would have loved to have soldiers who could restrain themselves or simply solve it on their own, but he knew that they weren't living in an ideal world.
”I refuse,” the Knight of Courage seemed disgusted that such a thing would be built by the government. Arthur almost laughed when the knights lowered their heads in disappointment. They were acting like puppies.
”Don't be quick to dismiss it,” Arthur sighed. He raised his hand defensively when the Knight glared at him. ”It's not for me, but for your men, as I'm sure they have suffered enough.”
”And from where would you bring the... workers?” Courage glanced at her men with disgust, and it sent shivers down their spine.
”Aquamia,” Arthur smiled as he tried to convince her. ”I'll choose them myself, making sure they don't have any STDs.”
”What are STDs...?” everyone was confused, and Arthur realized that he misspoke, as he used an abbreviation from Earth.
”I mean workers without any illnesses,” Arthur corrected, and the knights seemed touched that he cared about their health. ”I'll make sure they aren't forced to it by people or the circumstances.”
”So, you think that people just do it for fun?” The Knight of Courage looked at him questioningly, and Arthur realized that he didn't know enough about the subject to answer that.
”I don't know, but I'll try to bring those that fit what I promised,” to his words, Courage nodded helplessly. However, she walked out right after and gave the knights and Arthur one last glance.
”Disgusting animals,” she spat and left.
”Why am I included?” Arthur sighed and turned toward the knights. ”I'm warning you here and relay my message to your brothers. After this, if I find anyone doing the same as these two, I'll gut them myself.”
His words weren't rageful but casual, and that made them scarier for the knights. Arthur walked toward the knights and crouched in front of them, a smile hanging on his lips.
”Don't think that you got out of this,” unknowing to him, his smile resembled a devil to the knights. ”I'll make sure that the people never forget your faces as the two who became a dire lesson for others.”
Arthur would also strip them of their knighthood as the city's lord and assign them to work in the mines with ogres or the like. He imagined them trying to pick up female ogres, only to be used as a toothpick.
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