District 42-Chapter 386: Ceremony

Some days went by after what they addressed as the Great Reconquest, the day when the Royal Family, supported by Aesirs and Ridires, got together and made a comeback from their recent defeat against the Frelsis.

Everyone was sure that this episode would be craved in history forever.

The Jarls cheered about the reconquest of the Castle. The same happened with Ridires and Aesirs.

The number of casualties was great but, differently from when they were the ones suffering a raid, now the deaths had a deeper meaning. They didn’t fight a pointless battle that just served them with the bitterness of a tough defeat.

That day, those warriors became stronger. Now they were complete Ridires and Aesirs. They knew the struggles and negative feelings that came with a defeat and also the sweet taste of a comeback. They now understood the feeling of losing something you love and care about, needing to struggle every day, hoping that you would be able to get it back again.

The Jarls also suffered from that loss, most of them lost their families and friends on the raid. Also, with their business destroyed, they wouldn’t have a stable profit every month to sustain their houses. Their struggle was yet to come, but they were glad that, at least, their home was now freed from the hands of their enemies.

The Castle got cleared from the Frelsis in just some hours after Casper talked with the King.

When those rebels heard that their leader was made prisoner and that Gungnir got retrieved back to the Royal Family, they lost their will to fight and began to give up one by one.

Even the Vanirs couldn’t help but get shocked by that information. They couldn’t even raise their arms to defend themselves anymore.

It wasn’t like they cared for Camilla as much they did about Javir, but she was the very core of their mission. If things went bad with her, then there was no hope anymore. Without Gungnir, they couldn’t do anything, their objectives and struggles were pointless at that point.

The order was given to the Ridires to just send everyone to the prison and maintain them inside there until the designated day when everyone would get executed in front of the commoners and all the people that lived in the Castle.

On the day of the execution/ceremony, the prisoners were taken to a public plaza that was big enough to settle most of them. Some needed to stay in the prison, but they would get executed as soon as their other comrades lose their lives.

Around that plaza, commoners were on top of buildings, Drakkars, or near the center of the plaza, seeing what was happening.

From far away, Jarls and Ridires were watching that show. They didn’t need to go out of the Castle to do so. Most of them stayed inside there, so it wouldn’t be too crowded in that place.

Aside from the Frelsis and commoners, the only ones that were out of the Castle and inside the plaza were the Royal Family members that did not get killed, all the eight Aesirs, some honored Ridires, the Council of Jarls, and, finally, the King, Queen, and Princess of District 42.

Each group was organized in a different spot around the crowd of Frelsis that were waiting silently for their execution.

The mood among the commoners was that of a funeral. The others, however, seemed to be partying. They took that execution just as lightly as any other event that they could participate in. They didn’t look like killing hundreds of people but celebrating a holiday or something like that.

Vick could sneak to the line that the Aesirs were making beside the Royal Family. The latter was chatting with the Council of Jarls, and her parents were tagging along, so she was a bit freer this time.

The Princess approached Canute.

"Hey, Can. Do you know where Casper is?"

Canute, for a moment, got amazed with the sea-blue dress adorned with silver jewels that she was wearing, also as her hair that couldn’t be more bright and good-looking as on that day. However, his expression changed once he remembered that she just asked him about Casper. He was thankful that he was now wearing a mask again, so she wouldn’t be able to see his face changing so drastically in such a short span.

"H-He is in that carriage. He will just show himself when the ceremony starts and he delivers Gungnir to the King before the execution." Canute pointed to a carriage carried by mechanic horses and decorated with shields and swords, guarded by two strong-looking Ridires (that were there just for show, since Casper could defend himself quite well).

Vick walked (yes, walked) toward the carriage.

She just made the guards move aside with a blizzard glance and entered the big carriage casually. No one, except Canute, noticed her moves. Some commoners did, but they little cared about it.

Once she entered there and saw Casper inside with a distant look and wearing formal clothes, she got glad.

"Casper!" She greeted him with a sweet voice and a smile, taking her mask off. Vick had a feeling that Casper liked when she wasn’t wearing a mask, so she always wore it off when in his presence.

"Vick! Are you walking!?" 𝗳𝚛𝗲𝕖𝚠𝚎𝚋𝗻𝗼𝕧𝗲𝐥.𝚌𝚘𝐦

She didn’t care about his exclamation and just passionately kissed him. Not just a quick kiss, but a long and intense one that lasted several minutes. They only separated to take their breath for a while.

"I thought I wouldn’t see you again, you know!? You got so busy that you didn’t come to see me after the Great Reconquest ended..."

Casper chuckled, taking her and making her sit on his lap.

"Yes... I am sorry for this. Your father never let me go of his side for some reason..."

She smiled cheerfully for him.

"He really likes you! Although I can’t forgive them for not helping me out when I was being beaten before. Anyway, I know they had their reasons, I just don’t understand..." She made a complicated expression.

Casper kissed her again as if trying to make her forget about those things.

"Anyhow, tell me, how are you able to walk now? That’s amazing!" He said, looking at her legs.

"Ah... this is..."