Helmut: The Forsaken Child - H.F.C Chapter 353 (Part 2):

“Well, at least you nobles might not end up on the chopping block. Maybe you’ll manage to get out somehow. But what about us?”

“Since our lives are ruined anyway, it’s so frustrating and infuriating that I feel like letting off some steam.”

Their hands were shackled, limiting their Vis. In this situation, numbers were absolutely on their side.

After all, Sabbat and Jerome weren’t necessarily stronger than these men.

One by one, they stood up. At this rate, something truly terrible could happen.

Jerome banged on the bars and desperately shouted.

“Jailer, there’s a riot here! We’re nobles! Are you going to let us die?”

The loud banging echoed through the prison. Soon, the jailer appeared. This time, he wasn’t alone.

A high-ranking imperial knight and several soldiers were with him. The knight glanced around the cell and gave an order.

“Begin the investigation. Bring them out one by one!”

They had no idea how much time had passed since they were imprisoned. They hadn’t eaten, drunk, or even slept properly.

Sabbat Rugal finally found himself sitting in the interrogation room. He was separated from Jerome and alone.

He shouldn’t have been in this position in the first place. Not in a prison cell. No, even being here made no sense.

After hours of waiting, an imperial knight entered and sat across from him.

The knight crossed his legs and observed him with sharp eyes.

Sabbat Rugal strongly protested to the imperial knight.

“This is a mistake. I am Sabbat Rugal, a descendant of a prestigious sword family! You can’t treat me like this!”

Sabbat Rugal was utterly confident, even though he sensed something was wrong.

To him, Asuka was just an arrogant commoner who had to pay the price for Helmut’s actions.

He had completely dismissed the possibility that Asuka might not be a commoner after all.

The imperial knight responded indifferently.

“I’m also from a prestigious sword family, but that’s not important here. Do you know what crime you’ve committed?”

“Wh-what crime have I committed?”

“Conspiracy and attempted assassination of a member of the imperial family.”

Sabbat Rugal’s eyes shook. He stammered.

“Th-that’s absurd. How could I have committed such a crime? That’s ridiculous!”

“It hasn’t been officially announced yet, but the person you targeted is a member of the imperial family. Ignorance is no excuse. Even if you didn’t know, we can’t just let it go. And we have no way of knowing for sure if you truly didn’t know.”

The imperial knight’s gaze was sharp. Sabbat Rugal’s lips trembled. This was a reality he couldn’t accept.

Conspiracy and attempted assassination of a member of the imperial family. Even for a noble, it was a crime worthy of the death penalty.

No, it wasn’t just that. His family could also be held accountable.

It was a serious enough crime that the Rugal Marquisate could lose its title. Asuka wasn’t just any imperial family member; he was the sole heir of Grand Duke Farnese.

Coincidentally, the Rugal Marquisate wasn’t on good terms with the current emperor.

During the succession war, the marquis had, albeit not actively, supported the emperor’s opponents.

Because the Rugal family was a powerful and prestigious sword family that had produced many excellent knights, the emperor hadn’t made a big deal out of it, but…

“This can’t be……”

Sabbat Rugal muttered with a pale face. The knight unfolded a piece of paper and showed it to him.

“Moreover, according to Jerome Gott, you were the one who led this whole thing, and he only joined because of your insistence. There’s evidence.”

“T-That traitorous bastard! He joined in just as eagerly!”

An enraged Sabbat Rugal banged the table with his shackled hands.

No wonder he had been brought in later; it seemed Jerome had been interrogated first.

From Jerome Gott’s perspective, pinning it on Sabbat made sense. After all, Sabbat was the one who hired the skilled men to ‘punish’ Asuka.

Sabbat Rugal clung to his last hope.

“O-our family……”

“The Rugal Marquisate has already been informed. The marquis is so anxious that he’s requested an audience with His Majesty the Emperor. They’re just waiting for a lenient punishment.”

The imperial knight smirked. It wasn’t a friendly smile but a mocking one.

“I’m curious how you’ll live after being disowned and becoming a commoner. Though that’s probably the most lenient punishment you can expect.”

With those leisurely added words, the knight stood up.

Sabbat Rugal couldn’t hold him back. He just sat there, stunned, staring blankly into space.

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