Chapter 14: Acquiring More Governance Points

Gwynnis, upon his return to the castle, noticed the guards preparing to execute the prisoners by hanging. It dawned on him then – maybe these governance points were intrinsically connected to the very act of ruling? He decided to put this theory to the test.

He quickly intervened, halting the execution and ordering the prisoners to be locked up in the dungeon, with a plan to carry out their public execution at a later date.

Accompanying the guards, Gwynnis led the way to the dungeon. He had earlier taken all the keys to the dungeon to prevent any inside help that might lead to the escape of the former baroness and her children, making his presence necessary for the dungeon doors to be opened.

The dungeon, situated below the castle, was relatively small, matching the castle's modest size. It comprised four cramped cells, each barely three to four square meters, separated by iron bars.

Sophia and her children, Gideon and Yuliana, were among those imprisoned. The two women shared a cell, while Gideon was kept in solitary confinement.

Lacking sunlight, the dungeon was a breeding ground for darkness, dampness, and various vermin. A mere few days in these conditions had stripped the once dignified Sophia of her grace. Her hair was disheveled, her look vacant, and her skin had lost its smoothness.

Sophia's demeanor shifted upon seeing Gwynnis. She began hurling curses at him, a drastic change from her former poised self.

The stench in the dungeon was so overpowering that Gwynnis struggled to keep his eyes open. He ignored Sophia, who was furiously spitting and cursing at him through the bars.

Gideon, in contrast, remained more composed. Sitting on the ground, he looked up at Gwynnis with a sneer, his eyes threatening what he might do if released.

Yuliana, slumped against the wall, gazed at Gwynnis with a mix of resentment and despair. "Why am I involved? I had nothing to do with your affairs..." she whispered, her head buried in her knees.

Gwynnis ordered, "One meal a day for them. And as for Sophia, she's got too much energy today. Just give her water." He was unaffected by Sophia's hateful stare and left the dungeon.

Outside, Gwynnis instructed Baldwin to spread the word. He revealed that several murderers had been caught near a border inn and invited villagers with missing family members to identify the remains. The unclaimed remains were to be reburied after prayers by the chapel's priest.

The guards soon reported back. Several villagers found their missing loved ones among the anonymous graves. While some bodies were too decomposed to be identified, others were recognized through their clothing or unique physical features.

Additionally, villagers who searched the inn found items belonging to their missing relatives. However, many still faced the agony of being unable to identify or find their missing loved ones, leading to profound sorrow and tears.

Baldwin mentioned that the territory had indeed experienced a number of disappearances over the past few years. Some villagers disappeared after saving enough money to shop in the city. Initially, the Baron had thought they might have either fled the land or been attacked by bandits.

In the beginning, Baron Targas thought someone had secretly fled his domain or encountered robbers elsewhere. He had sent people to search along the roads and even inquired with neighboring lords he was on good terms with, but to no avail. Little did he know, he would find them here.

The next day.

The time for the public execution had arrived. Many villagers had gathered early in the morning on the open ground below the castle hill, discussing the incident among themselves. Some wept for their lost loved ones, while others reminisced about long-forgotten memories, reigniting emotions that had slowly faded, their eyes reddening with tears. Some, filled with righteous indignation, wished they could execute the murderers themselves.

When the guards escorted the three killers to the scaffold, the crowd erupted. They hurled insults and objects like stones and mud at the shameless criminals. Even those who were initially indifferent got caught up in the fervor of the moment.

In the midst of the excited uproar, the guards had to draw their weapons to maintain order. Once everything was ready, Gwynnis stepped forward. He loudly read out the crimes and evidence against the three men, and on behalf of Baron Targas, pronounced them to be hanged.

As the sentence was delivered, the crowd burst into cheers, shouting slogans like "Justice!" "Fairness!" "Death penalty!" The response was overwhelming.

Then, amid the cheers, the deathly pale convicts were led to the gallows. Finally, the guards kicked the stools from under their feet. The three men dangled in the air, writhing in agony.

Gwynnis couldn't hear their painful groans over the cheers of the crowd.

"Upholding justice as a lord increases prestige," he thought.

"100 governance points earned."

Hearing the system notification, Gwynnis finally smiled, happier than anyone else in the crowd. Seizing a moment when no one was looking, he opened the system panel to the second page. Indeed, there at the bottom of the page was "100 governance points." What surprised him more was the appearance of many more options on what had been an empty page.

Of course, many options were greyed out, requiring 1000 points or more. But Gwynnis found an inconspicuous option for a marketplace in one corner.

Click, open.

A new interface appeared. It seemed to be a marketplace where one could buy things with governance points, and many items were quite affordable, each with unique functions.

For example, the "Advanced Logging Axe," sturdy and sharp, speeding up logging by 50% for 200 points. The "Superior Fishing Net," durable and seemingly magical, attracting nearby fish into its embrace, making it easier to catch bigger fish and let the smaller ones escape, also for 200 points.

And the most intriguing to Gwynnis was an unassuming, bulging little bag in a corner.

"Level 1 Rye Seeds," blessed by the gods, able to grow in any soil, and yielding 50% more than regular rye, priced at 200 points.

Yes!

Gwynnis clenched his fist, joining the cheers of the crowd around him.