Chapter 97: Beheading
Over the next few days, Daniels and the others confessed to all their crimes.
During this time, Duane also arranged for their crimes to be made public, ensuring everyone on the island learned of their devilish deeds.
In truth, he hardly needed to publicize it. The farmers and Militia members who had accompanied the expedition had already spread word of everything they had witnessed.
Julian simply lent this information more authority, while also using the opportunity to sanctify Duane’s actions a little.
After all, vanquishing Demons and rescuing hostages were things that sounded inherently noble.
On the morning of June third, at the same three-way crossroads where the duel had taken place, a sea of people had gathered.
For this was the day the key members of the Holy Hand Association and the Broken Wave Gang were to be executed.
Bard, Daniels, Kalina, and the others were lined up in a row, all kneeling on the ground.
After eight days of interrogation and imprisonment, even Bard, an Earth Tier Warrior with a formidable physique, had not a shred of strength left to resist.
Duane stood atop a makeshift platform, ensuring he could be seen by all.
To be honest, this was his first formal appearance in the public eye.
"I apologize, my people. I never expected our first formal meeting to be on an occasion like this, but today is truly a day that everyone on Black Forest Island should remember."
Duane paused. Everyone was hanging on his every word.
"For we have eradicated the two factions on Black Forest Island who stopped at no evil, rescued over a hundred victims trapped in their cages, and now, right here, we will send these Demons to hell!"
His final words were met with a roar of cheers from the crowd.
Some who had been abused and maimed covered their faces and wept.
Others, with a strong sense of justice, cheered for their Lord.
And many more danced with joy at the sight of these tyrants about to meet their end.
But Duane was not finished speaking.
He pulled a sheet of paper from his clothes and began to read out the charges against Daniels and the others, one by one, to the public.
He wanted his people to know exactly what crimes these individuals had committed.
It was also a message to certain individuals, making it clear what was permissible on Black Forest Island, what required careful consideration, and what was absolutely forbidden.
Perhaps not everyone was capable of the atrocities Daniels committed, but the sort of betrayal a common man like Monbodt was capable of? That was something many could do.
Executing them was a clear message to all: this was the fate of a traitor.
Duane read for over ten minutes before finally letting out a long sigh.
"Even if I were to exhaust all my Ink, I could not record all the evils of these people. Now, let us send them to hell to properly repent!"
He drew his Longsword. The clear ring of the blade leaving its scabbard made everyone’s spirit jolt.
"Execute them!"
In an instant, the crowd held its breath, while those condemned to beheading began to wail and beg for their lives.
The one wailing the loudest was Kalina, the so-called "most beautiful flower of Black Forest Island."
She had thrived here for thirty years, thinking she would always live a comfortable life, like a fish in water. She never imagined such an end.
During her imprisonment, no matter how much she pleaded—even when she tried to use her body to tempt the guards—no one responded, let alone granted her an audience with Duane.
With a cold expression, Kaelon drew his Longsword. His target was Daniels.
"Atone for your crimes!"
He raised his Longsword and, channeling all his fury and hatred, brought it down in a clean, decisive arc.
In an instant, blood sprayed, and Daniels’s head rolled onto the ground.
At the same time, Benur, Raymond, and the others raised their Longswords, executing Kalina, Bard, and the rest.
The metallic scent of blood drifted out, filling the entire crossroads.
The cheering crowd suddenly fell silent.
This scene would undoubtedly leave an indelible impression on everyone’s mind.
Even in their old age, they would likely remember this day—the day the Baron executed over thirty people here at once.
Then, the crowd once again erupted in cheers.
Duane couldn’t tell if they were cheering out of satisfaction at seeing the wicked vanquished or if they were moved by his actions.
He didn’t overthink it; he only knew that he had achieved his goal for the day.
Some people fear might, not authority.
He was the master of Black Forest Island; his authority was a given.
From exterminating the Holy Hand Association and the Broken Wave Gang to today’s public execution, he had now firmly established his "might."
From now on, whether it be his people, his officials, or his own Guards, none would ever mistake him for a merely kind and soft-hearted Lord.
"From this day forward, this place shall be called ’Judgment Crossroad.’ Let it serve as a reminder of what happened here today."
Duane instructed Julian, who was at his side, "I’ll leave the rest to you."
"Rest assured, my Lord. We will handle the aftermath properly."
And with that, the three-way power struggle on Black Forest Island officially became a thing of the past.
For the time being, Duane had no plans to expand toward Thorn Valley or the Hot Spring Mountain Range, so a period of relative leisure began.
Of course, that didn’t mean he was idle.
First, having obtained Vigorous Grass, he began trying to make "Delicious Fish Soup."
This Extraordinary Recipe involved two other ingredients: fish fillets and honey.
Honey was easy to obtain, as there were beekeepers on the island.
As for fish fillets, they were even easier to come by. Wild ponds were everywhere, and Duane could go fishing anytime he pleased.
Following the instructions he had acquired, Duane first crafted a stone mortar. He placed the Vigorous Grass inside and began to grind it, extracting its juice.
He then used this juice to marinate the fish fillets before simmering them in a pot of boiling water to make the soup.
In just ten minutes, the dish was ready.
Duane took a sip with a spoon.
The taste, to be frank, was strange. It was fishy, bitter, and astringent, with just a faint hint of sweetness.
All in all, it was not very pleasant to drink.
However, after he ate it, a warmth spread through his stomach, and it did seem to restore a bit of his stamina.
After he finished the bowl, just as when he had first drunk the Fire Source Beast Bone Soup, the familiar text prompt appeared.
[Consumed Delicious Fish Soup. Attribute points +0.1]
From that day on, Duane made himself a serving of the fish soup with every meal. Unfortunately, this only lasted for three meals before he stopped gaining attribute points from it.
He recalled that the Fire Source Beast Bone Soup had given him points five times in a row!
However, when Duane tried making the soup with meat from a Frog Fish Monster, he was able to gain attribute points again.
This told him two things.
First, meat from a Frog Fish Monster counted as fish, ’since it could be used as a substitute for the fillets, and the resulting soup had the same effect.’
Second, using higher Grade fish fillets to make the Delicious Fish Soup produced better results.
This time, Duane ate it for six consecutive meals, gaining attribute points from the first five.
In total, the Delicious Fish Soup had earned him 0.8 attribute points over five days.
Furthermore, he had also cooked large batches of Delicious Fish Soup for his Guards to consume during their training, which rapidly raised his Skill Level in the Skill to (Skilled 125/300).
Thus, from the Delicious Fish Soup alone, Duane had obtained a total of 1.1 attribute points.
After spending them all, his Strength Attribute rose to 14.4.
This made him feel that he was now in the late stages of a Middle Level Warrior.
Based on his experience with his last two breakthroughs from allocating points, Duane guessed that the Strength limit for a Middle Level Warrior was likely 15 points.
The day of his next breakthrough was drawing near.
But there was one thing he had to do before that breakthrough.
He needed to learn a Breathing Skill suitable for a Middle Level Warrior.
He currently had two Breathing Skills on hand: the Shadow Leopard Breathing Skill and the Grizzly Bear Breathing Skill.
But besides those, he had a third option: the Cyan Snake Breathing Skill that Raymond knew.
The Royal Family had a rule that, without special permission, no one was allowed to teach the Cyan Snake Breathing Skill to outsiders.
’But here on the isolated Black Forest Island, what could they do if I decided to learn it anyway?’
Still, deciding which one to learn was proving to be a difficult choice.