Noon, the execution ground.
Kallen knelt beneath the gallows, surrounded by several Men in Black. Undoubtedly, according to the verdict of the Schicksal upper echelons, she would be executed by hanging here.
As Schicksal's strongest Valkyrie, Kallen Kaslana was active throughout Europe, constantly sealing Honkai beasts and protecting the people. She had a very high reputation among the populace.
If Schicksal secretly executed her, the reputation of the Schicksal organization, which had always presented itself as a savior, would plummet. It might even cause the Valkyrie forces and civilians to take some kind of radical action in response.
As the strongest Valkyrie, she did not want to eliminate the Pseudo-Herrscher, but instead claimed that they were innocent. At the same time, she expressed strong doubts about Schicksal's previous Eastern Expedition and the issuance of indulgence tickets. She could no longer be allowed to live, even if executing her required taking on corresponding risks.
If it was just the desire to protect the Pseudo-Herrscher, Kallen did not deserve to die. But as Schicksal's last trump card, Kallen failed to defeat the immortals of the [Ming] Empire, directly leading to the failure of the Eastern Expedition. Schicksal had already been the most benevolent by not punishing her. She even dared to question the issuance of indulgence tickets.
Inexplicable!
If the Eastern Expedition had been successful, there would have been no need to issue indulgence tickets to compensate for the losses of the war. The suffering of the people was ultimately due to Kallen's defeat in that battle, the Schicksal upper echelons believed.
At least, that's how it appeared on the surface.
Otherwise, could it be that the high-ranking officials who decided to launch the Eastern Expedition and issue the indulgence tickets would admit their guilt? Then who would be the Archbishop of Schicksal?
The Apokalips family, who had gradually developed Schicksal to its current state and made outstanding contributions to humanity's fight against the Honkai, could not be allowed to fall from their throne of power because of this trivial matter.
Their efforts over countless years were just about to bear fruit, how could they hand it over to others.
If Kallen was not decisively executed, once all kinds of things were exposed, as long as she, the strongest Valkyrie, with remarkable battle achievements, made a slight effort to guide, gather the power of the Valkyrie forces and the approval of the civilians, she would easily take the position of Archbishop of Schicksal.
Things must never be allowed to develop to that point, so Kallen must die.
The Schicksal upper echelons hoped to use Kallen's execution in a righteous way to make the people believe that the former Valkyrie had become a traitor to Schicksal and even to all of humanity.
In this city shrouded in the Black Death, the residents had long lived in fear, locking themselves in their homes, and avoiding contact with others unless necessary. The homeless paupers were lying in the dark corners of the streets, hungry, waiting for the day they died of starvation, or contracted the Black Death before they starved to death.
Schicksal, who had always played the role of savior, had failed to save everyone this time, at least not yet.
Once, this was a city full of death, despair, and numbness, even though it was Schicksal's headquarters.
But that was once.
Schicksal had not yet been able to save everyone, but Kallen Kaslana was indeed protecting everyone. They did not want to stand by and watch Kallen be executed.
Those who had long not stepped out of their homes because of the Black Death wrapped themselves in thick clothes, put on hats, passed through the streets, came to the execution ground, and stood together with those paupers,
who had been rejected and even hated by them and had a high probability of being infected with the Black Death. They looked at the Men in Black on the high platform who represented Schicksal, and at Kallen Kaslana, who had fallen from the strongest Valkyrie to a traitor.
After a brief silence—
"Two years ago, it was Lady Kallen who saved our village from the monsters."
"If it hadn't been for Lady Kallen's consistent activity, my wife, children, and I would have already died in the Honkai beast attack."
"Lady Kallen can't be a traitor, something must be wrong!"
Finally, a cry erupted from the crowd. They were pleading for Kallen, and past events were brought up again. All that was Kallen's past. After each and every one of those who had been directly or indirectly helped told of her achievements, everyone gradually realized—
That the strongest Valkyrie was not as aloof as the other big figures of Schicksal. She had always stood by their side, protecting everyone.
The emotions of the people became more and more agitated, and some even tried to charge towards the high platform where the execution was about to take place.
"Don't question the judgment of the Archbishop and the Council! If I hear your questions again, I will arrest you all for heresy!"
One of the Men in Black roared in annoyance, and the people under the high platform gradually quieted down.
Schicksal, who ruled the European continent and had a long and glorious history, was previously a savior. The people believed that Schicksal could protect everyone from the Honkai, and Schicksal had indeed done so before.
But if you stood on the opposite side of Schicksal, and directly faced this behemoth, you would feel the oppressive majesty that made it hard to breathe.
The citizens were afraid. They did not believe that they, alone and weak, could fight against Schicksal, nor did they believe that they, without Schicksal's protection, could continue to live in the face of the Honkai.
But if it was her, the strongest Valkyrie Kallen Kaslana, as long as she was willing to stand up and call out, everything would be different again.
A pair of eyes that had just become uneasy because of the Men in Black's roar began to look at that girl on the high platform with expectation. As long as she stood up, and slightly expressed her wishes, told everyone that Kallen Kaslana was not a traitor, and that Schicksal was betraying humanity, the people would dare to charge the execution ground.
But Kallen did not stand up. The white-haired girl knelt on the high platform, her head lowered, saying nothing.
Could it be that she had really, as the Schicksal organization said, betrayed Schicksal and also betrayed humanity?
The gathered crowd began to become uneasy, incredulous, and fell into complete silence.
Next to the execution ground, on the external corridor of a two-story building, Hua Yi silently watched the scene before him. Even though he knew that this was a pre-set scene that had been repeated hundreds or thousands of times in the virtual reality, his eyes had a moment of daze.
"Kiana, are you seeing this? This is your ancestor, and the people your ancestor wanted to protect. They are all so lovely, aren't they?"
Kiana, who had also been staring blankly at everything before her, heard Hua Yi's words and turned her head in confusion.
"Ancestor?"
"Kallen's full name is Kallen Kaslana. She was Schicksal's strongest Valkyrie five hundred years ago, and also the most outstanding warrior of the Kaslana family."
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