CHAPTER 87: CHAPTER 87: NONE OF YOU ARE FIT

The carriage rolled to a stop at the Aldorian gates, but instead of a quiet welcome, Min-jae and Meical were met with a swarm of people.

Dozens of guards stood at the front, weapons drawn, armor strapped on.

Behind them gathered angry villagers, their voices low and restless. The atmosphere crackled with hostility.

Sebastian narrowed his eyes. "My Lord... this formation is not standard protocol."

Meical stepped out first, his expression instantly turning cold. He helped Min-jae down, then faced the guards.

One guard captain stepped forward, back straight, voice loud enough for all to hear.

"Kaizar Amagi.." he declared, "you are under arrest for the alleged murder of your sister, Kayla Amagi."

Min-jae froze. What happened while he was gone.

The guard continued stiffly, "You are also charged with abandoning your post, violating noble conduct, and bringing shame to the kingdom."

Meical finally spoke, voice icy and heavy with authority.

"Those are serious allegations. Who issued this order?"

The guards exchanged uncertain glances. None of them spoke.

Of course they didn’t know.

Rumors had fed rumors, commands had become twisted through whispers, and Seraphine had kept her hands pristine behind the curtains.

Meical stepped forward, jaw clenched. "You are soldiers of the south. You fall directly under me. For you to stand here and attempt to arrest my spouse without presenting the source of the order..."

His voice dropped lower, sharper.

"...you have finalized your betrayal."

Several of the guards flinched.

Sebastian stepped closer beside him, shaking his head in disappointment.

"You think you can take matters into your own hands?" Meical said, voice rising. "You arrive here with no decree, no royal seal, and no commanding officer. Only rumors."

He pointed directly at the captain.

"If you dare to accuse the southern governor’s spouse of a crime without proof, then all of you are under arrest for defamation."

The murmur from the villagers swelled. Someone shouted from behind,

"Why defend a whore?! Everyone knows your wife sleeps around!"

"That man is a slut!"

"He was with the king too!"

"Shameful!"

The crowd stirred, emboldened by their own ugliness.

Min-jae’s fists clenched, but Meical raised a hand, he was starting to get annoyed.

"Bring proof.." he said.

The entire crowd quieted.

Meical took one step forward, voice cutting clean through the chaos.

"Bring me the names of the men he allegedly slept with. Bring me witnesses. Bring me evidence. Bring me anything."

Silence.

No one spoke.

Not a single face dared to move.

They had no proof, didn’t see it with their own two eyes.

"Because if you stand here.m" Meical said, "accusing my spouse publicly without a single shred of proof... then every one of you will face punishment."

His gaze swept across the guards, the villagers, every trembling person in his path.

"And I will not show mercy."

Min-jae was already inside the carriage. Meical placed one foot on the step, hand on the door, about to climb in when a voice from the crowd rose above the rest.

"You’re the worst governor the south has ever had! When Eldridge ruled, commoners lived like kings! But now look at us! And still you defend a murderer as your spouse? You have no shame, Step down and let someone better rule!"

Meical froze.

Slowly, he lowered his foot from the carriage step and turned around. The guards straightened immediately. The villagers shrank back a little, but the damage was done.

He walked toward them with controlled steps, the kind that carried far more weight than shouting ever could.

"You want to live like kings when you’re poor?" Meical asked, voice low, steady, and dangerous. "You truly believe Eldridge’s methods were the best?"

No one answered. They only stared.

"I made it so not one person in the south sleeps on the streets.." he said. "So even the poorest can afford a house. I ensured food prices stayed low enough for everyone to eat and for those who still couldn’t afford it, I created services that feed the less privileged."

Silence stretched across the road.

"I sit in the council hall for hours.." he continued, "listening to every complaint you bring, adjusting policies, fixing problems, because I actually care about your lives."

His gaze swept over the crowd, sharp and cold.

"And yet you call me the worst governor to ever rule? How ungrateful."

The villagers flinched.

"If it’s Eldridge’s style of living you want.." Meical said, voice dropping even lower, "then I’ll show you the Eldridge style of living."

He paused, letting the weight of the words fall heavy on them.

"I hope you don’t regret that decision."

Turning to Sebastian, he muttered "Take care of this mess.." and got into the carriage.

Meical sat inside the carriage, jaw tight, fists gripping the edge of the seat. These ungrateful ingrates, did they truly believe their lives had improved on their own?

Everything they had, every comfort they enjoyed, came from the policies he had fought for. Without his interventions, half of them wouldn’t even have a roof over their heads.

Did they think Radomir cared about them? Radomir only cared about his crown, his luxuries, and looking powerful in front of nobles. Certainly not about commoners scraping by.

And yet... they still dared.

Standing outside, shouting insults, calling him the worst governor, claiming he defended a murderer, comparing his rule to Eldridge’s golden age.

Meical’s fists unclenched slightly, but the tension in his shoulders remained.

And how dare they speak this way, in his presence, after everything he had done for them

Min-jae, sitting beside him, remained calm.

He wasn’t the least bit bothered. He already knew whose doing this was: Seraphine.

And he couldn’t help but admit, silently, the author of this world really had written the most hateful villain possible.

He placed a steadying hand lightly on Meical’s arm, letting the gesture carry reassurance rather than intervention.

This was his goal from the beginning. Being in this novel, getting justice for Kayla had been his biggest wish. And now that Seraphine had dragged it into the open herself...

It was time to end her once and for all.

He had read the story. He knew how Kayla died and where the evidence was. Now he finally had the chance to use it.

Sebastian stood before the group of guards, arms folded, his gaze sharp and unyielding. The tension in the air was thick, every man aware he was their superior and that he would not let this slide.

"Step forward. Each of you. Now."

The guards shifted nervously, exchanging uneasy glances. Some tried to form excuses, stammering over their words, but Sebastian silenced them with a single sharp glance.

"I will ask once more.." he said, voice low but firm. "Who authorized this so-called arrest? Who gave you the right to confront Kaizar Amagi and the governor based on rumors, without evidence, without summons, without orders from me, your superior, or anyone higher?"

The youngest among them swallowed, voice trembling. "We... we only followed... orders we thought necessary, sir... the allegations were... concerning—"

"Concerning?" Sebastian’s eyes narrowed.

"Do you understand what you have done? You confronted the governor and his spouse based on unverified gossip. You assumed power that was not yours. You defamed them, you spread fear, and you endangered the stability of the region. Your actions are not merely negligent, they are punishable by law."

Several guards muttered protests under their breath, but Sebastian’s gaze pinned them in place. He did not allow any interruption.

"Furthermore.." he continued, pacing slowly in front of them, "you failed in every duty expected of you. You failed to curb the rumor before it escalated. You failed to protect your own people from deception. You violated the oaths you swore when you became guardians of this territory. Every one of you is guilty of incompetence and disobedience."

He stopped and let the weight of his words settle over them. "Effective immediately, all of you are removed from your posts. You are no longer allowed to wear the uniform of this estate or claim the authority entrusted to you. You will be fined, and the fines for law enforcers will be doubled. Any attempt to dispute these penalties will result in additional charges and immediate confiscation of property."

A murmur of disbelief ran through the group. One older guard tried to interject, "Sir, we meant—"

Sebastian cut him off sharply. "Meaning matters not. Your intent does not absolve you of responsibility. Your positions are revoked. Those of you who attempted to arrest my master’s spouse will report every name of those involved in the spreading of this rumor. I want full accountability. If anyone hides facts or lies, you will all face harsher consequences."

He paused, letting his words sink in, letting each man and woman feel the gravity of their actions. "You believed your own assumptions superior to the law. You assumed the right to judge, to act, to punish. You overstepped. You endangered lives, and you disgraced yourselves. None of you are fit to serve here anymore."