Aisha, arms crossed, couldn’t help but snort. “Yes, you’re very special indeed, Skadi.” She teased, tail flicking in amusement as no matter how reclusive she was and hated talking to others, she loved pissing of the slow mutt in her squad, she continued saying, “But not in the sense you’re hoping for.”

Skadi whirled on her, ears pricking up with renewed energy.

“Oh, shut it, cat!” She barked, her pride stung. “I was talking to the Captain, not you. Who asked you to butt in, anyway?” She jabbed a finger toward Aisha. “You’re always so full of yourself with that fancy magic and that scrawny cat body—thinking you’re better than everyone else!”

Aisha smirked in that maddening way she did. “Better than you? Well…” She said, drawing out the words in a haughty purr. “I don’t need to stomp rocks to prove my worth, if that’s what you’re getting at.”

“You—!” Skadi snarled, taking a step forward, her tail puffing out in anger. “At least I’m not so reclusive that I have absolutely no friends in the squad and eat lunch alone! You have issues, cat!”

“S-Shut up. I choose to eat my lunch alone.” Aisha shot back, as her cheeks tinted red at being called out for being a loner. “A-And says the mutt who was about to massacre a rock’s ‘extended family.'”

Unable to handle them anymore, Julie groaned, pinching the bridge of her nose.

“Aisha, Skadi—enough.”

But they kept going, ignoring her as if they were two children on the playground.

Their voices rose in an increasingly loud, heated tangle of complaints and insults: “Furball!” “Hairball!” “Stop copying me!” “Stop breathing my air!” and so on.

Julie looked up at the heavens, arms dropping to her sides in defeat. She had finally let go of both of their ears, but somehow, she felt more strained than when she was pulling on them.

“I can’t believe this is my left hand and my right hand.” She muttered under her breath, sounding more like a reluctant parent than a revered hero. “I must have been out of my mind when I decided to keep them both by my side.”

The quarrel between the “mutt” and the “cat” only escalated: “You can’t even read properly!” “At least I don’t drool on my pillow, fuzzbrain!” “You—! Take that back!” “Or what, you’ll bury me alive next?”

Julie groaned, stepping between them once more. “Okay, both of you—stop. Please. For my sanity.”

They halted, mid-insult, turning to look at her with dual expressions of a scolded dog and cat. Skadi’s ears drooped again; Aisha’s tail swished with a bit less protest.

“If you two want to tear each other to pieces, do it on the training ground.” Julie said wearily, though her eyes flickered with genuine affection beneath the frustration. “Not when we have…more pressing matters to attend to.”

At her words, a hush fell over the courtyard. Aisha and Skadi, mid-squabble, halted abruptly, a silent understanding passing between them.

The knights who had been standing around—some with amused grins, others awkwardly pretending not to watch—straightened their backs and reached for the discipline that had made them so esteemed in the first place. It was as though a door to a secret garden of silliness had just been slammed shut.

Lucious, noticing the shift in atmosphere, stepped in front of Cassius with a protective stance. There was a glint in his eyes, steeled resolve in the line of his jaw—he looked ready to defend his master against any threat, even one as imposing as the Sacred Guard.

But Cassius raised an arm, giving Lucious a calm, almost gentle look. “No, Lucious.” He said quietly. “Stand down. Don’t interfere—no matter what happens.”

Lucious’s brow knitted. “But Master—”

“It’s fine.” Cassius’s voice was firm, his golden eyes steady. “Trust me…nothing will happen.”

Lucious hesitated, but then exhaled, taking a single step back, though not without casting the knights and the two sub-captains a wary glance. He did not fully relax; the tautness in his body betrayed his readiness to jump in at the slightest provocation.

Realising why exactly she came here, Julie let out a long, burdened sigh, as though the weight of the world had settled on her shoulders.

Her expression was conflicted—something about this situation clearly went against her normal principles. Hesitation flickered in her emerald eyes.

But when her gaze swept the circle of knights, landing briefly on Aisha and Skadi, her indecision hardened into grim determination. Whatever she was about to do, she believed it was necessary to protect those under her care.

She stepped forward, her armor clinking softly. Every pair of eyes followed her, waiting. The gentle breeze carried the sound of rustling leaves, the only movement in an otherwise motionless scene.

And then, in a voice that commanded respect, she spoke: “I am Julie Nikolaevna Hellbane.” She declared, shoulders squared. “Captain of the Sacred Guard and direct protector of the Holyfield domain.”

Aisha and Skadi, flanking her on either side, inclined their heads—one short, grudging nod from Aisha, one proud, tail-flicking acknowledgment from Skadi. The rest of the knights stiffened in salute.

Julie’s next words came crisp and resolute, as though reciting a formal rite: “I stand here today on behalf of the Holyfield family’s laws—laws that apply to every citizen of these lands, including those of noble birth to root out a offender among us.”

Her gaze locked on Cassius, who watched her with steady eyes.

“Cassius Vindictus Holyfield.” She intoned. “You are the third son of the Holyfield family and you may think that you are safe from your actions because of that. But your alleged crimes—abusing your power to force yourself upon your own maids—have reached our ears.”

Lucious’s face turned pale, hearing exactly what he didn’t want to hear.

“The Holyfield domain’s laws are strict and unyielding: anyone found guilty of such heinous acts faces the gravest of punishments.” Julie continued and swallowed, forging ahead despite the guilt that flickered in her eyes. “The verdict for these crimes is execution—carried out by the designated protectors of Holyfield, in accordance with the family’s ancient rules that no one stands above justice. And so—”

In a single fluid motion, Julie reached behind her back, drawing her sword with an audible ring of steel. Its polished blade caught the sunlight, flashing brilliant sparks of white. She then pointed it at Cassius with a firm, unwavering grip.

The knights in the circle tensed. A few parted slightly, allowing Julie a clear line of sight. Aisha’s amber eyes flicked between Cassius and her captain, arms folded, face unreadable. Skadi clenched her fists, her tail swishing, clearly discomforted by the gravity of the moment.

Lucious shifted, face blanching, but he bit his tongue and stood fast behind Cassius, remembering his master’s command. His heart pounded against his ribcage—this was a truly dangerous dance.

For a moment, no one spoke. Cassius gazed at Julie over the tip of her sword, an inscrutable expression in his crimson eyes. The wind whipped at the corners of their clothes, as if nature itself felt the crackling tension.

Finally, Julie broke the silence. “Cassius Vindictus Holyfield.” She repeated solemnly. “By the power vested in me as captain of the Sacred Guard, I declare you guilty for the crimes of molesting your maids which is punishable by death and hence will be bringing back your head with me to present to the lives you have ruined.”

While Lucious’s grey eyes went wide hearing such a conclusion, Cassius in fact had already anticipated this.

While he hadn’t known who exactly would be sent after him, he had known someone would be. And it seemed that ‘someone’ was Julie, flanked by her usual entourage of walking weapons.

He was about to open his mouth, a carefully crafted response already forming in his mind, a mental calculation of how to turn this situation to his advantage…’That bastard has essentially signed his own death warrant now that everything is confirmed.’ He thought grimly and about how he was going to deal with him later and show him what true despair looked like.

But then, just as he was about to speak, Julie did something completely unexpected. Something that made every head in the courtyard snap towards her in stunned silence…Something that even took Cassius by surprise.

“B-But what I had just said now…That’s what’s what I was told to say…” She said, her voice suddenly devoid of its previous steel. “…and what I was told to do…” She paused, her gaze meeting Cassius’s. “But in fact…that’s not the truth.”

A collective gasp rippled through the knights. Lucious, who had been bracing for a fight, looked utterly bewildered, his mouth hanging open slightly. ‘What in the world is going on?’ He thought, his mind reeling.

Cassius, however, remained remarkably calm. He simply observed Julie, his expression unchanged, though a flicker of curiosity danced in his eyes.

Julie’s gaze remained locked on Cassius. Her expression was now one of profound sorrow.

“I’m already about to commit a sin.” She said, her voice thick with emotion. “A sin that will haunt me for the rest of my life.” She paused, taking a shaky breath. “I…I don’t want to compound that sin by lying to the man whose life I’m about to wrongly take.”

And then, to the silent shock of everyone present, including Lucious, Julie lowered her sword. The clang of steel against the cobblestones echoed through the courtyard, a sound that seemed to shatter the carefully constructed tension. The blade lay there, gleaming in the sunlight, a stark contrast to the turmoil in Julie’s eyes.

Aisha, who had been observing the scene with her usual quiet intensity, finally spoke. “Captain…” She said, her voice grim. “You don’t need to explain or feel guilty about what you’re going to do. It’s not your fault.”

“…We understand and I’ll just say that no matter how you explain it to him, he will never understand and will just hate you no matter what so it’s useless to do so and better to finish what needs to be done without any unnecessary words.”

“Understand? Understand what exactly, Aisha?” Julie looked at her, with a wry smile on her face.

Aisha’s amber eyes were filled with a chilling coldness. “We understand that you were given an impossible order. An order that no one should ever have to bear.” She paused, her gaze flickering towards Cassius. “It’s not your fault, Captain. This…This is simply his fate. The price of being born into such a family.”

Lucious frowned, confused.

‘What does she mean ‘his fate’? What does his master’s family have to do with anything?’

Julie, however, seemed to understand. She gave Aisha a wry smile.

“You’re right, Aisha. We were forced into this. They gave us no choice.” But then her expression hardened. “But it was still my decision to carry out those orders. My decision not to defy them.”

“…And so, it’s my responsibility to bear the burden of the sin that comes with it and explain to him what led to this outcome, no matter if he understands or not.” She said with a weary look in her eyes, hating how things had come to this point.

Aisha let out a sigh, her eyes softening slightly.

She understood the impossible position her captain was in, the terrible weight she was carrying. And then, her gaze hardened again, her eyes filled with a burning hatred as she thought of the person who was the cause of all this. ‘You will pay for this.’ She vowed silently. ‘You will pay dearly.’

Julie then looked towards Cassius, her expression turning serious. “Continuing with where I left off and where it all started, saying that when the rumors of what you had allegedly done to your maids first surfaced…” She began, her voice low but firm. “…the entire Sacred Guard…Well, let’s just say they were eager to…express their displeasure.”

A small, almost imperceptible smile played on her lips.

“The fact that several innocent women were wronged…It ignited a firestorm. The Sacred Guard, as you know, is comprised largely of women. Such crimes…they are taken very personally.”

She paused, her gaze sweeping across the assembled knights. A few shifted uncomfortably, their eyes briefly meeting Cassius’s before darting away. A flush of guilt crept up their necks. They had been so quick to judge, so ready to condemn.

“There were…heated discussions.” Julie continued, her smile widening slightly. “Several members actually volunteered to…escort you to the nearest cliff. No trial, no questions asked. They were ready to… administer justice…swiftly even if it ended up with their own excecution.”

The knights shuffled even more, some exchanging embarrassed glances. They had been so caught up in the fervor of the moment, so convinced of Cassius’s guilt, that they hadn’t stopped to consider all the facts. The whispers and rumors had been enough to condemn him in their eyes.

Julie’s gaze returned to Cassius. “They didn’t care that you were a noble. They didn’t care about your family name. All they cared about was that several women had been hurt, and they were ready to…rectify the situation.”

She chuckled softly. “It was…quite the scene. I had to physically restrain a few of them. Skadi was particularly enthusiastic.” She added, glancing at the wolf beastkin, who bowed down embarrassedz a sheepish grin on her face.

“But…” Julie continued, her voice regaining its seriousness. “There was one voice of reason amidst the chaos. One person who refused to let emotion cloud their judgment. One person who insisted on knowing all the facts before taking any action.”

She turned to Aisha, her eyes filled with respect.

“Aisha…” she said. “You were the only one who said, ‘We cannot act on rumors. We must have proof. We must know the truth.”

Aisha, typically quick with a retort, remained silent, her gaze fixed on the ground. She didn’t preen under the praise; she knew the gravity of the situation. She knew the forces at play.

Julie nodded towards her Right Hand. “Aisha insisted that we investigate thoroughly, that we follow protocol, that we uphold the principles of justice, even when it’s…difficult.”

She paused, her expression becoming somber.

“She reminded us that we are the Sacred Guard, not a mob. That we are guardians of justice, not instruments of vengeance.”

“Justice is not blind, Captain.” Aisha finally spoke, her voice quiet but firm. “It must be tempered with reason and truth.”

“…We cannot condemn a man based on whispers and hearsay or else we wouldn’t be any different to the bandits who makes decisions on a whim.”

Cassius’s gaze shifted to Aisha, a flicker of genuine respect in his eyes. He had thought that she was a rather peculiar and seemed to be someone who looked down upon everyone.

But he had to admit, she had handled this situation with remarkable composure and sound judgment.

Beneath all the bravado, he thought, there’s a sharp mind and a strong sense of justice.

His eyes then drifted to Skadi, who was pointedly looking away, her tail twitching nervously. She avoided his gaze, a guilty flush creeping up her neck. It was as if she was silently pleading, ‘Don’t blame Skadi! Skadi is not as smart as Aisha!’

He chuckled inwardly. He could just imagine the scene in the Sacred Guard headquarters, with Skadi advocating for immediate…justice, while Aisha calmly argued for a more measured approach.

…And Julie in between all of them, trying to mediate the situation that was escalating beyond relief.

Source: Webnovel.com, updated by NovelKeep