The next banners rose—the golden deer emblem and the blue wave emblem.
“Second place goes to Sir Kilieon, personal knight to Princess Golden Deer. Third place to Sir Bellinger, personal knight to Princess Blue Wave. Please give them a big round of applause.”
Nanaen with Kilieon, who had been pushed down from the first place by Sasha, and Vivian with Bellinger, who had risked the danger of being crushed by a statue, were within the ranks promised rewards.
Below them, a beautifully crafted amethyst emblem and amber with a butterfly trapped in emblem followed in line.
“Fourth place goes to Sir Noah, personal knight to Princess Amethyst. Fifth place goes to Sir Ciel, personal knight to Princess Amber.”
Orlette and Noah seemed to have expected this outcome from the start, their expressions relaxed. Meanwhile, Shumel, who had narrowly escaped the lower ranks due to the last incident, clung to Ciel in delight.
Lilliana, who had yet to hear her name called, gripped her folding fan so tightly it seemed as though she might break it. “I-I… even got pushed down by Shumel?” The more pressing issue was that she had now fallen into the ranks that would face punishment.
“Sixth place goes to Sir Yulis, personal knight to Princess Safflower. Seventh place goes to Sir Heinz, personal knight to Princess New Moon.”
An orange safflower emblem and a black banner with a crescent moon silhouette were unfurled.
“And lastly…”
Sehera’s face turned pale as she trembled uncontrollably from head to toe. Her emblem, a deep green tree representing early summer, wasn’t even hoisted but instead lay discarded on the floor.
“Eight place goes to Sir Jerom, personal knight to Princess Early Summer.”
As Sehera staggered, a nearby noble supported her. Meanwhile, Jerom, her personal knight, was frozen in shock that he couldn’t even tend to his master.
When the results were announced, the mad emperor slightly lifted his upper body, which had been leaning deeply into this chair. That simple movement alone spread an overwhelming presence across the banquet hall as if a giant had risen.
“How delightful, Sasha.”
Mad Emperor Axellion bared his teeth in a smile at his daughter, who had delivered the promised outcome. It was a refined appearance, yet his smile evoked the image of a savage beast.
“The knights ranked first through third shall be granted access to the imperial treasury. Visit within a week and choose one treasure each.”
“We are deeply honored.”
The three knights knelt on one knee while the three princesses lifted the hems of their dresses in a gesture of respect.
“Congratulations!”
“Congratulations!”
The entire banquet hall erupted into applause and cheers. But it didn’t last long. The bigger and louder the celebration, the more desolate everything feels once it’s over. That was the case now. In the banquet hall, where applause and congratulations had ceased, an unnatural silence settled over the gathering of hundreds. The air grew heavy with sudden solemnity, and the nobles barely dared to breathe.
The mad emperor spoke. “Sir Yulis, Sir Heinz, Sir Jerom. You must face punishment.”
The called knights knelt as if they had been sentenced for a grave crime. Even the princesses standing behind them bowed deeply, their hands trembling as they clutched the hems of their dresses.
There wasn’t a single noble at the banquet who was unaware of the mad emperor’s cruel tendencies. Most were tense with fear, but a few broken souls gleamed with anticipation.
“They’re my daughters’ playthings, so the punishment wouldn’t damage them too harshly. I’ve devised a punishment that avoids inflicting injuries as much as possible.”
Of course, the empire had countless methods to torture someone to the brink of death while leaving their exterior intact.
“I sentence Yulis and Heinz to the ‘Embossed Pillar Ornament’ punishment for five days.”
Gasps of shock echoed throughout the hall. The reaction alone was enough to hint at the punishment’s brutality.
Sasha explained to Regen. “It’s a punishment where they’re tied to a pillar and left there. They can’t eat or drink anything, so it becomes life-threatening after three days.”
The name ‘Embossed Pillar Ornament’ was self-explanatory. The sight of prisoners weakened by hunger and thirst slumped against the marble pillars resembled statues carved into the pillars.
“Both knights have fine appearances, so they’ll make excellent ornaments. The entrance to the Grand Hall, on either side, would be a fitting location for many to admire them.” By choosing the most frequented area, the mad emperor ensured an added layer of humiliation to the punishment.
The prisoners were not allowed even a crumb of bread or a sip of water. If anyone was caught showing them sympathy, they would be tied up alongside them. Passing nobles would do their utmost to feign ignorance of the prisoners’ suffering.
Regen whispered softly. “Sir Yulis and Sir Heinz are both trained knights, so they should be able to endure for five days.”
“I hope so.”
Even the punishment given to the knights ranked 6th and 7th was a life-threatening ordeal. Then, just how severe would the punishment be for the one ranked 8th?
The mad emperor’s eyes gleamed sharply. “Jerom, knight of Princess Sehera. I sentence you to the punishment of ‘Altruistic Banquet Hall’ for one month.”
This time, there was no sound of gasps. The reactions of the nobles were ambiguous overall.
W-What is that? A good punishment?
While Jerom stood there, unable to grasp the situation and visibly confused, someone appeared from behind and struck the back of his neck with a precise chop. As the large man collapsed helplessly to the ground, Dominic, who had been standing behind him, came into view.
“I knocked him out in accordance with the rules. It’s more entertaining if the convict enters the banquet hall without knowing anything.”
“W-What kind of punishment is that?” Sehera couldn’t hide her unease and asked in a pleading tone. It seemed to be a punishment that very few people were familiar with.
Marquis Osbond, who was clearly the mastermind behind this punishment, stepped forward, his glasses glinting. A large blueprint was unfurled. It was a cross-sectional diagram of a ten-story underground facility.
“We’ve created banquet halls on each floor of this ten-story underground space. Each person gets their own room, so there’s plenty of space, no restraints, and all the necessary furniture and items are provided. You could even consider it equivalent to a VIP room. However,” He pointed to a central hole that ran through all the floors. “There’s just one thing—there are no tables. Once a day, a lavish banquet is lowered via a pulley system, complete with a table. The amount is enough to satisfy three grown men, including rich meats, fresh salads, and even sweet desserts. The guest on the first underground floor eats first, then the guest on the second floor eats whatever is left, and so on. If there’s any food left, the guest on the third floor eats, and if not, they go hungry. This process continues until the banquet reaches the tenth floor, where a total of ten people must resolve their meals.”
Marquis Osbond looked at Sehera as if to reassure her. “Sir Jerom will be placed on the first floor.”
“T-Thank goodne—”
“But if someone starves to death on the lower floors, his assigned floor will change.”
“…!”
The more people who die of starvation, the lower the floor you are moved to.
“Sir Jerom.” Regen, after pausing for a moment, spoke in a voice only Sasha could hear. “He’s not exactly an altruistic man.”
This was a fact that even Jerom’s master was well aware of. Sehera’s face, as she watched Jerom being dragged away like a sack of grain, looked as though she were staring at a corpse that had already died.
“May the divine blessing accompany every step of the Great Emperor! Pay your respects and bid farewell to His Majesty, the glorious Emperor of the Magnarod Empire.”
The mad emperor, who had been standing on the landing of the central staircase, exited through the second-floor entrance. Dominic, who had been about to follow the mad emperor, briefly shifted his step. As the nobles scattered to the sides to clear a path, only one person remained in the direct line. It was Sasha. Regen stepped in front of her, blocking her path and causing Dominic’s face to twist in irritation.
“Look at this dog, trying to protect its master. It’s so noble that it makes me hate it even more.”
“…”
“Move. Unless you intend to keep your master standing here for long.”
Sasha softly called Regen’s name, signaling that it was fine. Reluctantly, he stepped half a step to the side.
Sasha’s expression was peculiar as she looked at the handkerchief extended in front of her. That, too, displeased Dominic.
“Did you let wine spill on you for that dog?” Dominic’s next words were spoken in a slightly subdued tone. “Would you have done the same if I were your knight?”
