Translator: Cinder Translations
...
At Alden Town, in the Lord's Mansion,
Earl Paul Grayman sat behind his desk, intently looking at a booklet in front of him.
The booklet was quite thick, placed firmly in front of him.
In reality, this was a list of execution orders.
The rebellion in Babol Village had been thoroughly investigated and judged, and a preliminary conclusion had been reached.
The Lord's Court had issued sentences for each individual's crimes or potential offenses.
The list in front of Paul was that of those sentenced to death.
It included detailed descriptions of each individual: their name, gender, age, appearance, and their role in the rebellion.
Chief Judge Thomas, observing the slight furrow in the Earl's brow, couldn't help but feel concerned.
"My Lord, it seems you are not satisfied with this list?"
Paul sighed.
"My fair Chief Judge, I feel this list is a bit too long."
Thomas disagreed with the Earl's view. "This has already been appropriately shortened according to your instructions, and we haven't even included the collateral relatives of the traitors."
Paul shook his head in frustration.
"But I don't understand. Even if they are the direct relatives of the traitors, is it really necessary to execute those underage children?"
Thomas was about to refute the Earl's viewpoint, but another voice interrupted him.
"Of course, it's necessary!"
Paul's mother, Marianna Grayman, walked over to him with a serious expression.
"If you let them grow up, they will inherit the hatred of the previous generation, and there's a high chance they will become a poisoned dagger aimed at you from the darkness."
Marianna had come to bid farewell to Paul but was interrupted by Chief Judge Thomas, and feeling that she didn't want to disturb her son, she had waited nearby.
She overheard a terrifying piece of news—the rebellion had recently threatened her eldest son's life.
Impatient, Marianna asked for details about the rebellion.
"Damn Ferguson, that scoundrel! He was such a hypocritical man. Your father and I used to think he was an upright knight."
Marianna cursed the former knight of the Grayman family with anger.
"Perhaps he thought he was carrying out the 'righteousness' of his time," Paul said to Marianna.
However, once the rebellion had been suppressed, Marianna's mood gradually eased, only for her to be disturbed by what she considered to be unnecessary "mercy" from her son.
Marianna took the list in front of Paul and quickly flipped through it.
"She's fast at scanning!"
Paul was secretly amazed at how quickly his mother flipped through the booklet.
As he watched, he noticed that Marianna's eyes moved rapidly, and the booklet spun like a revolving lantern.
If anyone else were to do this, one would suspect they weren't actually reading.
But Marianna was a witch.
"Hmph!"
After finishing, Marianna slammed the booklet onto the table.
She looked at the Chief Judge with a scrutinizing gaze.
"Thomas, are you really covering for the traitors?"
The Chief Judge, not familiar with Marianna, had only heard of her after she left the Northwest Bay many years ago, when old Grayman appointed him as the Chief Judge of the Lord's Court. Before this, he hadn't visited the Lord's Mansion regularly.
However, he had some impression of Marianna, knowing that she was a woman with great ability.
Faced with Marianna's stern gaze, the Chief Judge helplessly shrugged and shot a pleading look at Paul.
"Ahem, the Lord's Court has acted according to my instructions!"
Paul came to the Chief Judge's defense, drawing Marianna's fire toward himself.
"I know!"
Marianna glared at her eldest son, her tone unintentionally rising.
"You are being lenient with potential enemies. If it were any other Lord, this list would have been three or four times longer."
Paul countered, "For those who planned, participated, and have blood on their hands, I will execute them without mercy. But for their unaware relatives, especially the children, I see no reason to harm them!"
"No reason? Do you think this is a game of house play? This is a life-or-death struggle."
Marianna's tone was stern, resembling that of parents scolding children for failing their lessons.
"I, your mother, experienced a terrible rebellion in Gabella, full of conspiracy and bloodshed!"
The rebellion Marianna referred to was the coup in the Gabella Court, and in fact, she was not only a witness but one of the conspirators behind it.
Naturally, Marianna was well aware of the consequences they would face if they failed—the Second Prince Antonio's faction would be completely eradicated. The Arcane Order would be exposed, and its members hunted down.
The Scholar Tower would be purged, despite the fact that its leader, Aldridge, was the Emperor's mentor.
Antonio's friends and subordinates in the army, like Siegfried and others, would be executed or forced to commit suicide, even if they came from prestigious imperial families and had outstanding military achievements.
The Emperor of the Empire, Bartley Griffin, though known for his generosity and enlightenment, would not extend that generosity to those challenging his power.
Fortunately, Marianna's side had been victorious.
"Paul, those innocent children you speak of are venomous eggs laid by snakes. When they grow up, they will hide their identities, scheming to get close to you, using sweet words to gain your trust, only to enact a revenge plot when you least expect it. Therefore, we must nip the danger in the bud."
"So..." Paul stretched out his hand to his mother, signaling her to stop. "I plan to establish a lifelong archival system!"
"A lifelong archival system?"
Thomas and Marianna were both surprised, having never heard of such a thing.
Paul explained to them, "It's a system where an individual's records are kept throughout their life. From birth, every major event in their life will be documented, such as significant mistakes or achievements. Even if they move from one place to another, their files will be transferred and managed by the local government."
"For those who wish to get close to me or those I plan to assign important duties, political scrutiny will be carried out based on these records. If the individual or their immediate family for three generations have no criminal record, they will pass the scrutiny."
"See? This would exclude dangerous elements as much as possible."
It seemed like a solution, but both Marianna and Thomas found it a bit too idealistic.
(End of the Chapter)
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