Lord: Starting from a Goblin Nest

”Wait a moment,” Ron said, stopping the Shapeshifter in his tracks. ”What’s the hurry? This business isn’t over yet—I haven’t dealt with him.”

”I don’t see what difference it makes,” the self-proclaimed Spy replied, turning back in confusion. ”He only stole from a merchant, and the stolen goods have already been recovered.”

”I heard you came from Fromm, but your manner of speaking seems more aligned with the City-State Alliance. I’d imagine you would follow similar laws.”

”Flogging, fines, hard labor, and then release—those are the harshest punishments for theft. But what’s the point? He’ll just return to our midst. When he changes his form and commits another crime, no one will be able to connect him to the Shapeshifter Hubert. Others will only blame the doppelganger race, not him as an individual. Because even we won’t be able to single him out again. Every crime he commits makes our entire race’s reputation a little worse.”

The Spy sighed. ”To avoid seeing the Shapeshifters here suffer the same fate as those elsewhere, it’s best I leave sooner rather than later.”

”I’ve been a Spy for three generations of Lords for over a hundred years. If you’re willing to listen, take a piece of advice: don’t try to cater to Quest’s way of thinking, no matter how much he’s helped you.”

”You can’t build a castle in the sky.”

”’Unless I’m a Mage,’ Ron shrugged. ’You know, uh, I’m sorry?’”

”You can just call me Fitz.”

”Thanks—you know, Fitz, I’m not a judge,” Ron said, sitting down and crossing his legs. ”I’m not a lawyer, a politician, or a merchant. Rather than judging criminals according to precedent or statute, I see them as lesions. I prefer to solve these matters with a short, sharp, and swift approach, as thoroughly as possible.”

Ron looked at Quest, then at the other Shapeshifters. ”You all think this Hubert is the one bad apple spoiling the bunch, right?”

”Rest assured, Lord,” Quest said, having already guessed what Ron was planning. ”I will screen them all again afterward to ensure no one else has infiltrated the group.”

”There won’t be anyone else!” the Half-Elf shrieked. ”It’s just as you say, Lord! If it weren’t for him, we would absolutely be a group of Lawful, upstanding citizens!”

”You should send him back to be dealt with by Rose City! That’s the only way to guarantee he won’t continue to plague your domain!”

”Send him back? No, no, no,” Ron shook his head. ”That would be a hassle. Rose City isn’t exactly close, and I’d have to spare men to escort him. Besides, what if he escapes along the way?”

”Klade?”

”I’m listening.” The earth goblin licked his lips and took Hubert from Quest’s grasp.

”Go find some people around the trading post. Try to gather at least one resident from each village and bring them here to watch. The story is this: the citizens of the Shapeshifter—no, let’s say the doppelganger race—have selflessly and collectively rooted out a black sheep who was tarnishing their reputation, making a huge contribution to the prosperity of Delusional Land.”

”However, since the territory is newly established, we’re short on time and manpower. For a heinous criminal like this, we’ll skip the detention period and carry out the sentence today.”

”Make sure the spectators spread the word when they go back. The focus should be on the actions of our new citizens, understand?”

”How should I kill him?” the earth goblin asked.

”Are you the warlord or am I?” Ron’s eyes widened. ”Of course you’re the one who comes up with the idea for something like this. Just make sure it’s memorable for everyone. That way, it’ll create a sharp contrast with our conscientious citizens.”

”Then I understand.” Klade shot Hubert a sinister grin and started dragging him outside. But Hubert, who had just been inexplicably sentenced to death, was no longer calm. He began to squeal like a stuck pig.

”Wait! You can’t just kill me like this! This is tyranny! You’re a tyrant!”

”Quest, you fools! Do you really think he won’t treat you the same way?! Have you forgotten our tradition?”

”Any creature that kills one of our kind, we’re supposed to band together and tear them to shreds!”

”Lord, don’t listen to his nonsense!” Quest panicked, waving his hands frantically at Ron. ”I know you’re not that kind of person!”

”But they don’t know that,” Victoria suddenly spoke up. ”Ron, you should probably pin a more serious crime on him. If you sentence him to death just for attempted theft, it might...”

This could set a precedent in their little territory. If they were to follow legal tradition, this was not a good thing.

”Who said it was for attempted theft?” Ron looked at the Priest in astonishment, then slapped his own forehead in mock regret. ”Klade, get back here! Did I forget to state the reason for his sentencing?”

”Hubert, you just confessed with your own mouth that you once murdered a silk merchant, and that the victim was a member of your own race, correct?”

”I can testify to that,” Fitz, Quest’s former colleague, said, catching on immediately. ”Such a beastly act is appalling! Even by the traditions of our race, it’s intolerable!”

”Yes, yes, that’s right! Absolutely intolerable!” Many of the Shapeshifters had survived by relying on their adaptability and flexible morals; how could they not understand what Ron was getting at now?

’A Human Lord who was cruel and merciless, who would kill one of their doppelgangers for a minor offense, was undoubtedly a terrifying tyrant. It would be difficult for them to accept living under such a person’s rule. But what if this Lord was executing a Shapeshifter who already had a long criminal record and had even murdered one of his own kind?’

’This was righteous retribution!’

’It was a well-known fact that most Shapeshifters couldn’t break into the upper classes and therefore had no right of judgment. Lynchings within their own race were also unacceptable to the wider community—but as a Lord, Ron had no such problems!’

”This is overstepping your jurisdiction!” Hubert was still struggling. ”Even if you’re charging me with murder, you have to send me back to Rose City! This isn’t according to regulations!”

The earth goblin went up and slapped him. ”Quiet down! We didn’t join the City-State Alliance as an Independent City-State, so what’s this nonsense about overstepping jurisdiction? You’re on our turf now, and you think you can use Rose City to pressure us?!”

”We have enough young people here to form the next Rose Council,” Aive said with a pout. ”If you insist on going through the process, it can be done right here just the same.”

”Besides, even if we followed procedure, Ron’s letter of appointment was granted by Mayor Viktor of Fromm. So if he were sent anywhere, it would be to Fromm. Rose City has no right to interfere directly in the internal affairs of its allies.”

”Forget about sending him to Fromm,” Ron said, pointing a finger at the framed letter of appointment hanging in a prominent spot in the hall—the basis of his legal claim to this place. ”See that? In Delusional Land, I can exercise the full authority of a Lord. I don’t need to report every little thing to Mayor Viktor.”

”Satisfied? Klade, drag him out.”