Chapter 9: The Hanged Woman ④
A few days later, in the evening.
In a certain village within Lord Humazov’s domain, about ten junior officers from the Army’s Second Division had gathered. Or rather, I pulled some strings behind the scenes to make them gather.
“Hurry up and walk!”
The one I’m escorting is a half-naked young woman. She’s in tattered undergarments, with various things visible, and on top of that, she’s bound tightly with ropes like a criminal from a period drama.
She looked just like a year-end gift ham, a truly wretched sight.
However, her face is covered with a burlap sack, so I can’t tell what she looks like.
Just then, Cavalry Second Lieutenant Makaran arrives.
“Lieutenant Fonkt-dono! Quite a feat, isn’t it!”
“Thank you, Second Lieutenant.”
While smiling brightly, I nudged the woman’s bare heel with my military boot.
“Keep walking without stopping.”
The woman trembles with a start. A good reaction.
Second Lieutenant Makaran seems a bit taken aback as he looks at me.
“Um, is this the ringleader, ‘Yuo Neville’?”
“That’s right, Second Lieutenant.”
I offer a wry smile.
“Are you aware of a custom in this land called the ‘Bride Dispute’?”
“No… I’ve never heard of it.”
“It seems to be a custom where farmers’ wives collectively make direct appeals to the lord’s wife, and this person is the ringleader.”
At this, Second Lieutenant Makaran made a sympathetic face.
“I see, so that’s why it’s a woman… But surely, you’re not actually going to execute her?”
“It’s an imperial edict, and that’s the duty of the Imperial Ceremonial Battalion, you see.”
I reply with a matter-of-fact expression.
“She was in this state when arrested, so as a small mercy, I covered her face. It’s already sunset, so let’s proceed with the execution.”
“There’s no chance of a mistaken arrest, right?”
Second Lieutenant Makaran looks uneasy. For an Imperial noble, he has quite decent sensibilities. I should treasure this person.
I nod and turn to look at the peasants trailing behind us.
“Is this person ‘Yuo Neville’, without a doubt?”
The peasants then reply, one after another.
“No mistake, sir.”
“She’s the one who started the ‘Bride Dispute’.”
“But please, spare her life.”
“That’s right, there’s no need to kill her…”
When I raise a hand with a smile to silence them, they fall completely quiet.
Then, I look at Second Lieutenant Makaran.
“As you can see. She herself has admitted it. Isn’t that right?”
The woman, with only her face hidden and everything else exposed, nods resignedly.
I let out an exaggerated sigh.
“Even I wouldn’t want to execute her if it could be helped. However, I am His Majesty the Emperor’s executioner. A mere executioner cannot overturn an imperial edict. Am I wrong, Second Lieutenant?”
“No, one must obey orders…”
Dejectedly, Second Lieutenant Makaran withdraws.
The other junior officers, non-commissioned officers, and escorting soldiers say nothing, but I can hear them whispering amongst themselves.
“Look, that’s how the killer battalion does things.”
“Getting paid to kill an unarmed woman, what a disgrace to the military.”
“Yeah, tell ’em, tell ’em.”
No, really, I feel the same way. Why did I get assigned to a unit like this?
But the imperial edict is absolute.
This applies to both soldiers and nobles. No one can defy the Emperor’s will. That’s why not a single person tries to interfere.
I announce to everyone present.
“‘Yuo Neville’, upon her arrest, requested treatment devoid of pain and humiliation. That falls within the scope of my authority. Therefore, her face will not be exposed, and she will be executed by merciful hanging.”
How about that? Humanitarian, wouldn’t you say?
I looked around at everyone, and as expected, they were completely put off. That’s a normal sensibility. I’m slightly relieved that the army officers are relatively decent.
“Well then, let’s carry this out quickly. Does anyone want to do it?”
Everyone is silent.
No, a hushed voice speaks.
“…You do it yourself.”
I was waiting for those words. My bad, it’s like I made them say it.
“No one? Then I shall do it.”
I drag the unresisting woman, who seems to have completely resigned herself, to a large nearby tree.
“I should at least cover her skin.”
As dusk approached, I quickly bound her with a thick rope and, as an afterthought, draped a prepared cloak over her shoulders.
“Next, hang the rope over a branch, like this.”
With a strong pull, the woman floated into the air in the twilight. Her toes left the ground.
“Oh, she’s struggling quite a bit.”
The moment she was suspended, the woman thrashed her legs and struggled in agony.
Glancing around, the soldiers’ gazes are fixed on her.
In this era, the execution of criminals also serves as a form of entertainment. Few would openly admit it, but apparently, many enjoy watching executions.
Because of her violent struggles, her body sways like a pendulum. But the rope doesn’t budge an inch.
Eventually, her futile struggles suddenly weaken, and strength drains from her entire body with a ‘whoosh’.
Before long, the woman’s bare feet become wet, and a clear liquid begins to drip, drop by drop. Steam rises from the evening-chilled ground.
For those accustomed to watching hangings, this is likely the standard outcome. I myself have witnessed such scenes many times.
I try my best to remain calm and adopt a ‘well, well’ tone of voice.
“Is it over? To ensure she’s truly dead, we’ll leave her hanging here until morning. Any officer who wishes to participate in guard duty may remain.”
But the soldiers merely direct cold gazes at me.
“Let’s go. Can’t stand being around this.”
“Yeah, now we can finally return to the Imperial Capital.”
“That bastard from the killer battalion…”
“Don’t mind him, I feel like puking.”
“More importantly, if we don’t head back soon, we’ll be sleeping outdoors.”
But amidst those cold stares, only Second Lieutenant Makaran approached me.
“Lieutenant Fonkt-dono. As part of my duty, I would like to personally confirm the criminal’s death.”
I nodded, but as he drew near, I whispered to him in a serious tone.
“Look at the eyes of those peasants. If you do anything strange to the body, the rebellion might reignite.”
With a startled expression, Second Lieutenant Makaran looked around. The crowd was silent, but no one was smiling. Naturally.
At that, I quickly offered a smile.
“I will take on the role of the hated one here. Second Lieutenant, please prioritize your own safety.”
“I-I understand. Please, stay safe.”
Second Lieutenant Makaran saluted and retreated, mindful of the peasants’ gazes.
The officers departed as if fleeing the dusk, leaving only the peasants behind.
“Everyone has disappeared beyond the hill. There’s no one left.”
The moment the peasant on watch reported this, I sprinted towards the tree with all my might. I called out to the swaying body.
“Hey, are you alright!? Answer me!”
No reply. Could it be…?
Just as I thought that, I heard a muffled voice.
“Kri…mine…fu…” (muffled)
“I knew it! I’ll get you down right away!”
Drawing my saber, I cut the rope with a single, full-strength slash and caught the body as it fell softly. I ended up holding her princess-style.
Immediately, the peasant women gathered around.
“We’ve prepared a change of clothes and hot water in that barn over there!”
“Thank you, young lady soldier!”
“Oh, to think she ended up in such a pitiful state…”
“Hey, you men, stay away!”
When I removed the burlap sack, there was the face of my cute colleague with a black bob cut.
Ah, it’s Lieutenant Krimine. Thank goodness. She’s alive.
Well, of course she’s not dead.
The rope around her neck isn’t connected to the hanging rope. What I hid with the cloak wasn’t her skin, but the knot of the rope.
The rope that lifted her is tied to the ropes binding her shoulders and chest. It distributes the load like a harness, so while it must be painful, she wouldn’t suffocate.
However, if left like that for too long, there’s a risk of crush syndrome, so I needed to quickly drive away the observing officers.
That’s why I put on such an act.
Normally, I should have played the role of the condemned prisoner, but if I weren’t present, it would surely arouse suspicion. Besides, ‘Yuo’ is a female name.
Lord Humazov was supposed to arrange an actor for the role of the condemned. However, finding someone who could keep a secret would take time.
When Lieutenant Krimine heard the circumstances, she was eager, saying, “I’ll do it. I’ll definitely do it. Who else would you have do it if not me?” So, I hesitantly asked her.
But I’ll never make her do something like this again. I’m truly glad she’s safe…
“Are you injured, Lieutenant Krimine!?”
“I wonder.”
Why are you being so suggestive there? Are you perhaps angry?
As she was being carried princess-style, she said this to me.
“To ensure perfection, I even wet myself, so it was very embarrassing.”
“I’m sorry!? Or rather, I never told you to go that far!? I really thought you had died!”
Honestly, I was scared out of my wits too; that really frightened me.
Then, Lieutenant Krimine smiles.
“So you were worried about me?”
“Of course, I was, you idiot!”
Why do you need to confirm something like that?
No, more importantly, I need to praise my valuable subordinate. She accomplished a difficult mission, after all.
“Anyway, thank you, Lieutenant Krimine. If this mission succeeds without a hitch, it will be solely thanks to you. You truly did an outstanding job. I respect you.”
Lieutenant Krimine, being carried along in a state resembling a year-end gift ham, muttered,
“No, it was nothing… or rather, it was quite fun, so I’d like to do it again.”
Why? I’ve been asking “why” a lot just now. Am I, perhaps, confused?
But even so, as her superior officer, I gravely shook my head.
“No. I don’t want others to see you in such a state.”
“Ufufu.”
Despite her offer being rejected, the Lieutenant, for some reason, looked very happy.
No, really, why?