The laughter made him angry, but he was outnumbered, and these nobles were already trained summoners so fighting them would be a stupid choice.
Among them, one man drew more attention than the rest.
Lorcan, from the House of Sprien. He wore a flashy silver suit that caught the moonlight.
"What did I do wrong?" Kash voice barely escaped from his mouth, as he pushed himself up, struggling to regain his footing.
The nobles laughed louder.
"You've always been weak. Maybe you should stay down where you belong." Lorcan sneered.
"This isn't a laughing matter. What you're doing is a crime."
Kash may have lost his nobility, but his status remained that of a citizen. He wasn't a peasant or a slave, so he has human rights.
"A crime, you say?" Lorcan scoffed. "That's funny, coming from you."
"Leave me alone!" He ignored them and walked back to the mansion.
A hand caught his shoulder, and before he could pull away, a punch hit him directly in the face.
THUD!
Kash landed hard on his backside and stayed down.
His hands pressed against the stone floor, but he didn't move right away because he was too focused on stopping the blood from oozing out of his broken nose.
DRIP!
It tainted the cold stone floor, and the pain was starting to get to him. He didn't understand why he was being targeted by them.
Lorcan stood over him with a cruel smile plastered on his face, while the others stayed silent, enjoying his misfortunes.
"Where do you think you're running to?" Lorcan sneered.
Kash raised his hand to wipe the blood from his lips.
It hurt, but he didn't stop, convincing himself they were just bullying him out of boredom.
He pushed himself up and tried to walk past them, but another one yanked him back by the hair.
"What—"
A cold sting hit his stomach before he could finish his sentence.
He gasped for air and stumbled back, dropping to one knee as he clutched his abdomen to stop the bleeding.
"Are you insane! Why did you stab me?" he groaned. This was no longer mere torment... it was outright murder.
"Halfwit, you still don't know what's happening here right now, do you?" Lorcan sneered, and stepped closer.
He pressed the blade of the knife gently against the poor young man's cheek.
"Kash Dragmir," Lorcan smiled cruelly "You are under arrest for treason against the Empire, along with every member of your family. We have orders directly from the royal family to capture you."
"That can't be!" His heart skipped a beat.
How could their weak, poor family ever be involved in conspiring against the royalties?
"You're lying" Kash roared in anger.
Annoyed, Lorcan slapped him hard, sending him crashing back to the ground.
More nobles emerged from the mansion after hearing the commotion.
They stayed on the balcony, keeping their distance.
"Please, help me! These criminals are trying to kill me!"
Kash gasped, his breath shallow, struggling to stay upright. The wound wasn't fatal, but the pain was there.
With so many witnesses present, he was certain Lorcan and his group would keep their distance.
But he was wrong. The nobles acted like they did not care.
"Why are you just standing there?" he screamed in desperation.
"Can't you see my wound? I need help!"
All he received were cold glares and disgusted sneers. He couldn't make sense of what was happening.
"Guards!" Duke Edward Crimsoner stepped forward,
This time, Kash sighed in relief, thinking the Duke was finally going to help him.
But as the guards moved in, his heart sank. Instead of offering aid, they grabbed his arms.
"Wait, you're making a huge mistake!"
He struggled, trying to pull away, to fight back, but they shoved their hands into his stab wound, making him feel more pain.
"Argggg!"
"I didn't do anything wrong! I'm innocent!"
His eyes searched their faces, hoping for some sign of understanding.
There was none.
(Don't mention my name. )
'What are you talking about ?' he asked inwardly.
(I told you, this world is controlled by the gods and goddesses.)
'What does this have to do with anything?' he whispered, his voice breaking with a tangle of emotions.
(I do not hold all the answers... but for now, keep your mouth to yourself if you want to survive,)
"Curse it," he said through clenched teeth.
He was scared and frustrated, worried about what might happen to his family.
Still, he decided to do what she suggested for now.
He was dragged from the mansion, and the crowd mocked his downfall.
"Kash Dragmir, the audacity of your family never ceases to amaze me," Emelda, the Duke's second wife spoke up.
"Even after all the royal family has done to support your crumbling house, you repay it with betrayal. How disgraceful."
Kash looked up and met her eyes.
"Insult me all you want…"he trailed off, unable to control his emotions.
"But keep my family's name out of your filthy mouth, or I swear, I'll make you regret it."
Emelda's eyes narrowed, yet her smile of superiority didn't falter.
"You think a criminal like you can threaten me?" Her voice dripped with malice. "Given the depth of your sins, you and your entire family will be lucky if you all don't get the death sentence."
"You…." He tried to break free, but the guards held him in place.
Emelda watched him struggle, and smiled.
"Take this trash out of my house," she ordered.
The guards immediately obeyed, hauling him away.
Even from the distance, he could hear the cruel words being thrown at him and his family.
Each insult cut deeper, fueling a growing resentment.
He always told himself he could endure any harsh words, but this was different.
His family was on the line, and even the meekest sheep would become a fierce wolf when its pack was threatened.
Outside, three carriages were already waiting for him, each bearing the insignia of the Empire's City Guard.
He was shoved into one of them a metal cage.
Iron bars lined the walls, designed specifically for parading criminals like they were animals.
His nose wrinkled involuntarily as the foul scent of urine hit him. They didn't even bother to clean it, or at the very least, pour some water on it.
But the smell and the dirt weren't his priority right now. His thoughts were consumed with the well-being of his loved ones.
If Lorcan was able to stab him without repercussion, it meant the royal order was among the harshest, stripping him and his family of their basic human rights.
Not even bandits, murderers, or offenders were given such treatment.
'I need to get out of here. I need to see my family,' he gripped the bars as if sheer force could bend them.
It was a wasted effort.
(You won't be able to destroy that with your current strength)
"Silence!" he snapped.
"All of this began the moment you came to my life. Tell me—what in the gods' name is going on here?"