CHAPTER 135: JUDGEMENT (4)

Leon moved to the last man who had come out himself. After the questioning, he found that the man’s answer matched with him taking 20 gold coins. Regardless of the amount of treasure, he was sentenced to two meal skips like the others, as his reason was that the gold coin gave him a sense of security.

He asked for forgiveness and said he now knew there was nothing to worry about in this world, and he would work hard and never do something like this again.

Now that the easy ones were over, Leon’s sharp gaze scanned through the group of people. He knew there were still two people who had yet to come out, even now.

The time for going easy on them was over. If he didn’t find their reasons satisfactory enough, and detected any lies, he would make sure they remembered their punishment—and in the worst-case scenario, he would put the Slave Mark on them just like James.

"There are two people who haven’t come out themselves. If you come out now without me directly dragging you out, you will only get three days of no food. Otherwise, the punishment will be even harsher."

Leon’s sharp gaze scanned the crowd—silent, save for the occasional rustle of grass beneath shifting feet and the distant creak of wooden carts from the edge of camp.

People gasped at the punishment and how difficult it was. Even when they had lived in slums, the most they would go hungry was two days. Three days of no food meant hunger would hit too hard—it was unbearable.

Like the torture of the six days that started in the cage they were once trapped in.

It was still not as torturous as that one, but none of them wanted to be hungry for three days. They feared it.

The ground beneath the woman’s knees was rough, the dry blades of grass scratching her skin. A faint earthy scent rose from the freshly turned soil.

Suddenly, she came running out of the group, stopping a meter away from Leon.

She collapsed onto her knees with a dull thud, her palms slapping the earth as tears streaked down her dust-smeared face. Her voice cracked, raw from panic, as she pleaded with desperation that reeked more of fear than remorse.

"Please, merciful God... I know I don’t deserve forgiveness, but I was so scared—I couldn’t even move when you gave me the chance! My legs wouldn’t listen, my heart wouldn’t stop racing... I—I couldn’t do it!"

"Please, don’t let me starve for three days... I’ll faint—I’ll die, I swear! I don’t want to feel hungry again!"

"Please, don’t let me starve..." She clutched her stomach as if feeling the hunger already gnawing at her bones.

Leon looked at the woman with brown hair and black eyes. Her features were average, and she had a short appearance.

Despite seeing her cry and beg, his eyes were still sharp as ever. There was no trace of sympathy in them.

If she were that scared of punishment, she would’ve come out when I rewarded Rudy instead of punishing him. But she didn’t.

Does she really think putting on this act of pity will get her out of even this light punishment?

You think you’re clever, don’t you? Hehe... keep digging, maybe you’ll hit your own grave.

"First, show me what you’ve stolen."

For a moment, the woman froze on the spot—even forgot about crying.

She didn’t answer and started crying with more intensity than before, even banging her hand on the ground.

Most of the people from the slums—and even children—didn’t buy her act. There was visible disgust on their faces, as they knew what that woman actually was.

Yet no one dared to intervene, just because it felt blasphemous to interrupt their God or doubt His decision.

They believed He would do the right thing.

Leon had already won their hearts now—not in the way he wanted, but the effect was even stronger.

His voice, colder than steel dipped in frost, cut through the silence. A chill swept through the crowd, some instinctively pulling their thin rags tighter, though no wind stirred the camp.

James shuddered in his place, two steps behind his master. He knew this was going to get serious now. His master was about to prove that the God they worshipped could be just as terrifying as the devil hidden within.

They had seen only the god, not the devil—and for some reason, James was feeling excited to witness what would happen to this woman. Would she be turned into an ice statue like his colleague Mira, or something else?

A wide smile spread across his face, his eyes slanted as he laughed evilly under his breath, in a very low voice, as he didn’t want his master to hear it.

Kek kek kek

But Leon easily noticed it, though he didn’t pay any attention to James’s evil background laugh.

However, the children and adults alike who caught a glimpse of James’s face were struck by a single, tragic thought.

Did beauty personally walk past him and slap him on the way out? Why is this man so ugly?

There was also a question—where did this other beggar come from? He was definitely not from their group, as he had come with the God. But they were sure he was a beggar just like them.

Reasons?

Just look at him.

James, unaware of catching strays from every beggar present, was anticipating his master’s move while laughing.

"If you don’t show me, I will just double the punishment."

Fuck—six days? I can literally die! Shit, I have to comply for now...

She had assumed that no matter what, He was a kind God. He would go easy on her at the last minute. Surely, He wouldn’t give a harsh punishment to a helpless woman like herself.

"I’ll show it! I swear, I didn’t throw it away or anything—I just buried it... under the grass. Please don’t be angry!"

Leon already knew.

"Lead me to it."

Stingy fucker. Can’t he just leave it? Damn it, he’s a God...

If Leon had been aware of her inner thoughts, he would’ve already frozen her by mistake.

After arriving at the place, Leon could see the signs of digging in the patch of grass. He didn’t wait for the woman to dig, as she was already being too annoying.

Using his mana, he dug up the ground and floated the pouch full of coins into the air with a tingling sound.

People were shocked and angry, as this woman really had no shame. There had to be a limit. Their God was someone who showed kindness even to dirty people like them, even saved them, and promised to never let them feel hunger again—if they behaved well.

This was a dream come true—yet some disgusting people still showed their true colors and didn’t keep their hollow nature in check.

They were seething with anger, as this made them look bad, too.

"I am sorry, God! I had lost my mind seeing so much treasure and got a little greedy!" Once again, tears fell from her eyes—not as dramatic as before, as she felt He got suspicious when she did that earlier.

Leon ignored her words.

The pouch with golden, intricately designed embroidery floated and stopped right above the pile of treasure.

Then he opened it using his master control of mana and made the coins inside fall on the mountain of treasure.

The coins were not golden or silver in color, but a distinct bluish-silver.

At first, the beggars took them for silver coins—only when James blurted out in surprise, even he was shocked this time.

"P-Platinum Coins!"

The beggars heard it clearly. Even though they had never seen them before, they knew how valuable they were. One coin was enough to make someone live a life of comfort. To normal folk, this was legendary, dream-like money.

Every justification of hers from before, and every act they were aware of, was thrown completely out the window—dragged by the collar.

Their anger couldn’t be contained anymore. This was too much—as chants started from one.

"Kill her, God!" He cried, rage simmering beneath every stomped word.

It was joined by everyone—excluding only one man in the crowd.

Thump. Thump. Thump.

The chants rose in sync with stomping feet, harsh and rhythmic like war drums pounding through a battlefield. "Kill her, God!" they cried, each repetition louder, angrier, as if the earth itself demanded justice.

It echoed like drums of retribution.