Sometimes when hell broke loose, the best course of action was simple: keep the weak away from it. But fate had never been that kind to Leomaris. It wanted him to witness the horrors play out.
Leomaris regained consciousness after what felt like forever. Darkness behind his eyes, something tight across his mouth, his whole body bound in a straitjacket. He struggled. He was pinned down before he got anywhere.
Even restrained, he knew where he was. Judging by the sounds and the formal way they spoke, it was the High Court. That meant the Xanthus family would arrive soon. They would free him of these accusations.
"Is the Villain of Trinity awake?"
"Yes, My Lord. He is attempting to flee."
"Have the Xanthus family arrived?"
"Yes, My Lord."
Something in Leo's chest finally settled. He stopped struggling and let the tension go. His family was here. He would be discharged.
"Leomaris Runerth, known as the Villain of Trinity and leader of the Rebellion Army, stands charged with the murder of the royalfamily and is hereby sentenced to immediate execution."
'Huh?'
Leo's heart tightened.
'What the heck are they saying?'
The Rebellion Army had existed for centuries, built on the backs of soldiers and knights wronged by the government. How could a twenty-year-old be their leader? He didn't even know anyone in the Rebellion Army.
'But wait… why are they calling me Leomaris Runerth, not Xanthus?'
"This villain's malevolent acts were rooted in his life as an orphan. It is almost naive to think a child of his age would believe his parents' lack of empathy had anything to do with the royal family."
His heart wouldn't stop hammering. He had his doubts, but he was still waiting. Waiting for the Xanthus family to rescue him. This was just a huge misunderstanding.
"Messages have been sent to his army under the alias 'Uncle', outlining his plans in detail. There are also drawings from his childhood, portraying himself as the hero who killed the royal family."
At those words, his soul nearly left his body. He knew exactly where this was going, and it made no sense. His mother had given him those messages. He'd sent them because Rosay always seemed too busy to do them himself. Who would use a child's drawing against him in court? Those were just fantasies. How could things be so distorted?
"Images show him speaking with his allies, and two of them have also been captured. Is that correct, Rosay Xanthus?"
'Huh? Mother presented them?'
"That's right, my lord… to think the child I cared for would become the Villain of Trinity."
SOB.
"I'm sorry… if I had known this would happen, I would have reported him immediately. Now my brother and his wife are dead, all because of a child I adopted."
She burst in loud cries.
"Are you happy now, Leo? They're all gone… How could you do this to me? I cared for you. Was that the reason you made sure I adopted you… just to make my life miserable?"
Within that short period, much had been said, but none of it reached Leomaris the way this did. He didn't want to believe this was his mother's voice. But there was no denying it. That was definitely her.
'Why… so all this time she didn't care for me? Was I just a puppet to her?'
He wanted to kill Rosay, at least then, they'd be charging him for something he actually did. But he was too broken to even stand. Only his mind did the talking.
He cursed and cursed, and somewhere in that rage, something hardened. He wouldn't let death be the end of him. He would make the Xanthus family pay for what they did. No matter what.
The court session went on. Leomaris didn't. He hardly caught another word, and even if he'd wanted to, he was too broken.
The next thing he knew, he was being tossed into a room — a cave, maybe. There was othing but darkness. Three days passed without food or water. When the sun finally touched him again, it was the day of his execution.
Even before thousands of people, Leo heard nothing but the violent rhythm of his rage. There was no escape but it didn't matter. Even without any military training and not even the slightest combat skill, he didn't want this to be his end.
His head was locked in place. The straitjacket made even the slightest movement a struggle. But sheer determination drove him through it, he broke free, dislocating his joints in the process.
The crowd panicked, some scattering, but their voices barely registered. Leo knew he could be struck down at any moment. He didn't care, he wasn't going down alone.
He ripped the restraints from his eyes. Rosay Xanthus and her husband stood on the platform. He forced himself through the knights and charged, but before he could get any closer, he found himself looking at the sun from the wrong direction.
His head was cut clean in one swing. He couldn't even curse at her. Rosay did nothing but smile teasingly before everything went dark.
[ Welcome to Tricks and Task, Trickster. Prepare for your First Task... ]