Book 6, The Road to Revenge – Chapter 22, The Enormous Fine


    “This Kanter Debs should be that third brother of the Debs n.” ydeughed softly towards Linley, and Linley nodded. Linley and yde merely watched these proceedings, while the Debs n’s members all felt terror.


    All of those viewers from the Debs n were now so nervous that they were trembling.


    “tter!”


    The sound of shackles rattling could be heard, as under the escort of two soldiers, a thin, ashen-faced, golden-haired middle-aged man entered the court. The gazes of everyone in the court were drawn towards him, including Bernard, Kn, and Nimitz.


    Seeing that golden-haired man appear, Bernard let out a long sigh, then shut his eyes.


    “It really is the third brother of the Debs n, Kanter!” From the watcher’s gallery, the sound of discussion could be heard. Many of the nobles present recognized and knew Kanter Debs, due to his position within the Debs n.


    By now, the Debs n had no further hope of trying to dissemble.


    Seated up in the magistrate’s chair, Merritt looked towards yde, who nodded.


    “Bernard.” Merritt looked at Bernard. “As things stand, do you still have something to say for yourself?”


    But Bernard didn’t look at Merritt. He turned his head to look at his third brother, Kanter, fixing Kanter with his gaze. Kanter, too, was staring at his elder brother Bernard. The gazes of these two brothers met.


    “Third bro, why did you do this?” There was disbelief in Bernard’s eyes, as pain and rage caused his entire body to shake.


    “I’m sorry.” Kanter said softly.


    Bernardughed bitterly, then shook his head. In a solemn voice, he said, “It isn’t me you should be sorry to. It’s the entire Debs n. How many years has the Debs n existed? It was only thanks to countless generations of hard work and effort by our ancestors that we enjoy our current level of sess. But you....you...” Bernard was in so much pain that he couldn’t speak.


    “Thud!”


    Kanter fell to his knees within the court, and two streams of tears began to flow.


    “Big brother, I deserve to die!”


    He pped his face severely with his shackled hands. Crying miserably, he said, “Big brother, I’m sorry. This is all my fault. I was greedy and wasn’t satisfied with that little bit of authority and wealth I had within the Debs n. That’s why I used the n’s gold to engage in this smuggling operation. This is all my fault. Big brother! This is all my fault!”


    This scene startled everyone present.


    Linley and yde both raised an eyebrow, while the sentencing magistrate, Merritt, frowned.


    “Since things have already developed to this extent...” Bernard raised his head, forcing his tears to stop. He seemed very deste. “Third bro, it’s no matter a question of whose fault it is. Your actions have caused our entire n to be in danger of annihtion. I, Bernard Debs, as this generation’s leader of the Debs n, will not be able to face our ancestors, even in death.”


    As he spoke, Bernard’s tears once more began to fall.


    Bernard suddenly turned to look at yde, kneeling in his direction. Crying miserably, he said, “Your Majesty. It is the greatest misfortune possible for our Debs n to have given birth to this miserable, petty traitor to the kingdom. As the leader of the Debs n, I, Bernard Debs, cannot escape responsibility. I, Bernard, am willing to use my death in order to beg you, your Majesty, to spare the Debs n. After all, the vast majority of people within our n are innocent!”


    yde looked at Bernard.


    And then he looked at Merritt, nodding once.


    Merritt understood yde’s intentions. Immediately, he called out, “Fifteen minute recess! Fifteen minutester, we will announce the final sentence!”


    ......


    All of the nobles present had to leave the court, and could onlye back fifteen minutester. The direction this case was heading towards had be very clear. As for how the Debs n would be punished for its crime of smuggling, that was totally up to his Majesty.


    Such arge-scale smuggling operation could definitely impact the entire n. Even if the n was exterminated, it would be understandable.


    But of course, yde could also be more benevolent and merely punish the Debs n but allow it to survive.


    The result would be entirely up to yde.


    ....


    Outside the court, Duke Bonalt was chatting with Linley.


    “Linley, did you see that? These main branch descendants of the Debs n are really quite good. That Kanter had been captured quite a few days ago. But, instead ofmitting suicide, he waited until today to put on that show just now.” Duke Bonaltughed.


    Linley nodded in praise as well.


    “If Kanter had killed himself, then the Debs n would be in an even worse, more passive situation.” Linleyughed as well.


    If Kanter hadmitted suicide, then his corpse would have been used as evidence proving the guilt of the Debs n in engaging in smuggling. The Debs n would have had no way to argue against it. But now, Kanter himself was acknowledging that he had acted alone, giving the Debs n a chance at life.


    But of course, whether or not the Debs n would live was entirely up to his Majesty.


    “Kill’em, kill’em all.” Bebe, on Linley’s shoulders, bared his fangs while mentally speaking to Linley. “This Debs n is too good at ying games. I, Bebe, can’t stomach them.”


    Hearing this, Linley couldn’t help butugh.


    “Squeaaaaak.”


    The door to the court opened. Fifteen minutes had passed. All of the nobles outside made their way back into the court, all of them quietly assuming their previous positions. Just then, the only people present in the court had been Merritt, King yde, and a few other people.


    “Linley, take a guess. How do you think I will sentence him?” yde smiled towards Linley.


    “No clue.” Linley replied sinctly.


    yde grinned secretively.


    “All rise!”


    Saying these words, Merritt rose solemnly, and all of the nobles in the court followed his lead. His head raised high, Merritt said in a solemn, clear voice, “This is the sentence of this court: Kanter Debs, a member of the Debs n, did grantly engage in therge-scale smuggling of a huge quantity of water jade, and is therefore sentenced to execution by hanging, with the sentence to be carried out on October 11th.”


    “The total value of this smuggling operation was in excess of forty million gold coins. We sentence the Debs n to receive a punitive fine of double that amount, eighty million gold coins. Bernard Debs is to be released. Court adjourned!” After hearing these words from Merritt, Bernard, Kn, and Nimitz all let out a sigh of relief, but in their hearts, they felt very helpless.


    Eighty million gold coins!


    What a terrifying sum!


    The entire worth of the Debs n was only around a hundred million gold coins, and that was including all of their illiquid assets. For them to be able to pay such a huge fine would certainly require them to sell off many of their illiquid assets. Such arge-scale auction, in term, would definitely result in a great deal of lowballing and haggling from the buyers.


    Although their illiquid assets were worth eighty million gold coins, the chances of them actually receiving eighty million gold coins was really too low.


    “Linley, what do you think?” yde looked at Linley.


    Linleyughed and nodded. “Admirably done, admirably done.”


    The fine which yde had levied against the Debs n was carefully calibrated, precisely because the valuation of the Debs n’s illiquid assets worth around eighty million or so. If yde really were to sentence the Debs n to extermination, then without a doubt, he wouldn’t have been able to get his hands on a single coin of their liquid assets.


    But if the penalty fine was too high, perhaps the Debs n would even risk extinction rather than pay the fine.


    The fine of eighty million gold coins was neither too high nor too little. It was just right.


    “Father.” Kn and the others instantly went to help Bernard to his feet.


    But Bernard only stared at his third brother, Kanter. A gloomy, calm look was on Kanter’s face. He only nodded towards Bernard. After he had been exposed in leading the smuggling operation, Kanter knew that he would die, without a question. But now that he was dying on behalf of the n, the n would most likely treat his son and his wife well.


    Bernard nodded towards Kanter as well.


    Two brothers. From a single exchange of nces, they knew what the other was thinking.


    “Let us...go back.” Bernard said with a sigh.


    After experiencing this tribtion, the Debs n had suffered a major blow to its vitality. At absolute best, they would have a tenth of the economic power they previously had. From this day forward...the Debs n had toppled from its previous position of power at the highest levels in the Kingdom of Fei. They could only be considered a fairly wealthy n, now.”


    .....


    Within Linley’s manor, in the Hot Springs Garden.


    Linley was seated on a chair, quietly staring nkly.


    “Linley, what are you pondering?” Doehring Cowart came out of the Coiling Dragon ring.


    Linley nced at Doehring Cowart. Sighing, he said, “Today, when I saw the Debs n be sentenced, I suddenly thought of my own n. My n was once a n which dominated the entire Yn continent, but now, after all these generations, who is left? My father died, and my mother’s whereabouts are unknown. Little Wharton is now in the O’Brien Empire. In the entire Holy Union, I am alone with no kin.”


    Linley was gripped by a powerful, lonely mncholy.


    His parents were gone, and he was engaged in a mission of revenge that couldn’t be revealed!


    On this road to revenge, Linley’s heart was tightly spun up, and he didn’t dare to cken off in the slightest.


    Looking at Linley, Doehring Cowart felt surge of pity. Although superficially Linley seemed very mature, and didn’t have any problems at all dealing with those important nobles...Linley was still only seventeen years old this year. He had just graduated from the magus academy not too long ago.


    “Linley, rx. Don’t give yourself too much pressure. You have plenty of time.” Doehring Cowart encouraged him.


    Linley looked at Doehring Cowart. On this lonely road he had been travelling, it was good that he had Grandpa Doehring with him, along with that mischievous rascal, Bebe.


    “Thank you, Grandpa Doehring.” Linley said gratefully.


    Doehring Cowart began to chuckle.


    “I really want to know what happened to my mother as soon as possible. I want to kill yde as soon as possible.” Even if they ignored the fact that yde had abducted his mother, the fact that he had caused his mother to be separated from their family for over ten years, resulting in the death of Linley’s father, meant that without a doubt, yde had to die.


    “Who knows when that ‘King of Killers’, Cesar, will bring that poison recipe.” Linley was beginning to grow impatient.


    .....


    Each day, Linley had been urgently awaiting the return of Cesar, the ‘King of Killers’. But each day passed with no news of Cesar. Time passed, and in the blink of an eye, it was now October. During this past month, the Kingdom of Fei had been fairly tranquil. The only major affair was therge-scale auction carried out by the Debs n.


    Many ns seized the opportunity to try to haggle with or lowball the Debs n. However, the value of the Debs n’s illiquid assets really were very high, so there were quite a few bidders from other ns as well. Thus, the price at auction wasn’t too low, in the end. The assets, previously valued at around eighty million gold coins, ended up selling for around seventy million gold in total.


    After paying the fine of eighty million gold coins, the Debs n could finally be considered as having escaped from danger.


    But after this affair, the worth of the Debs n had essentially shrunk by 90%.


    .....


    October 10th was the day before Kanter’s execution. This day, Linley remained in the Hot Springs Garden, training as he always did.


    “Lord Linley, Lord Cesar hase!” A female attendant called out in a high-pitched voice from outside!


    Linley had instructed that he must be immediately alerted if Cesar came.


    “Cesar came?” Linley quickly threw on some clothes and immediately rushed out of the Hot Springs Garden. Given Linley’s current speed, in ten seconds, he arrived outside the main hall. Right now, Cesar, still dressed in those long, loose robes, was seatedzily with one leg crossed. He was drinking a cup of tea.


    “Mr. Cesar.” Linley called out from afar. Three stepster, Linley entered the main hall.


    Seeing Linley, Cesar’s eyes lit up, and he immediately rose to his feet. “Master Linley, my truest apologies for onlying today.” As he spoke, Cesar withdrew an envelope from his clothes. “Linley, this is the recipe I mentioned. It’s all yours.”