Chapter 4 Execution Begins
"Sigh..."
With Gale Bartley stepping back, I hoisted the magic scythe, Igurima, onto my shoulder.
Then I turned towards the kid.
"..."
Looking at it, their hands looked painfully rubbed raw.
They must have been receiving discipline from Gale every day. There were also marks resembling bruises in various parts of their body.
Suppressing the prickling sensation in my heart, I helped the kid up and directed them towards Maia, who was standing behind me.
"It must've been tough having crappy parents. Go over to that lady over there."
"Y-yeah."
Maia and Lilyna gathered the other kids, leaving only Gale in front of me.
"You, the Black-Robed Executor, huh? I heard about you. I don't know what kind of job abilities you have, but seems like you're sneaking around acting like a righteous hero."
"I'm not trying to be some righteous hero or anything. People around me just say that. I just hate unreasonable things."
Gale glared at me, but his legs seemed to be trembling slightly.
"Anyway, what about you? You were seriously going to hit that kid earlier?"
"So what? The kid belongs to their parents. It's none of your business how I discipline them."
"The kid could've died."
"So what?"
"..."
Gale showed no remorse and shrugged his shoulders.
It might be pointless to expect common sense from someone who's lost their ethics, but I asked just in case.
"Aren't you going to change your attitude towards your kid?"
"I see. You're not happy with my actions, huh? Should I turn myself in to the capital's vigilante group? Although, as a senior citizen of the kingdom, it's highly unlikely that I'll ever be punished!"
"...I see. So that's your thinking."
====================
Target: Gale Bartley
Execution Coefficient: 7,530 points
====================
I checked the Execution Coefficient, but it hasn't gone down.
Gale showed no sign of remorse and had no intention of changing.
No, the number is actually higher than when I saw it before departure.
If I leave Gale alone like this, Lilyna's siblings won't be spared.
So, there's only one thing to do.
"You hypocrite... I'll make you regret intruding into the Bartley family on your own!"
Gale rushes towards me with a sword in hand.
He may be trash, but it's easier for me when he moves like this.
"Take this! Gale Style Sword Technique, Wind God Blade!"
As he chants, a green aura envelops Gail.
"..."
"Fuhaha! This is my Job Ability to control the blessings of the spirits! Were you surprised by how fast I move?"
No, that's not it.
It's way too slow.
Sure, the job of a [Paladin], who fights with the power of spirit blessings, is powerful.
It's true that Gale is currently receiving the blessing of the wind spirit.
However, no matter how powerful a job ability is, it can't be fully utilized without the strength of the person wielding it.
At that moment, the feeling in my chest towards Gale wasn't mockery.
It was anger at the thought that children were suffering because of someone like him.
"Take this!!"
Gale must have thought he had me.
He wore a triumphant smile, but his sword sliced through empty air.
"Huh? What?"
"Over here, over here."
"...No way!? How long have you been there..."
"I've been here the whole time, before your 'Take this!!'"
"It was quite amusing to see you boast despite Adel-sama having already dodged."
"Incredible. Adel-san's movements, I could barely keep up with them. So fast..."
"Oh, Lilyna-san. Adel-sama wasn't even trying. He just walked a bit."
"Huh...?"
Maia and Lilyna, who were watching us from a distance, had this exchange.
Gale, who must have heard their conversation, was left frozen, his mouth hanging open.
"Walked? Just walked? That's... that's impossible!"
"Now do you get it? That 'amazing sword technique' you came up with isn't even worth talking about."
"I-I refuse to accept that! I'm a High-Ranking Royal Citizen who was given the prestigious job of Paladin! It was with this power that I built my status!"
"..."
"That's right. That movement you just saw was a fluke! In this world, job power is everything. The job I was granted by the royal family can't be outdone!"
I sighed as I listened to him, then I asked Gale a question.
"Your job's power is everything, right? So there's no problem with me using the power of the job, right?"
"Hahaha! Go ahead and try! There won't be any mistakes this time!"
"Okay."
Whether or not he lacked composure, Gale rushed at me again without any grace.
I lowered Igarima, which I had been supporting on my shoulder, preparing myself.
A jet-black large scythe.
The weapon that exerted power according to commands was enveloped in dark particles.
"(Reap, Igarima)――"
I commanded the jet-black large scythe and swung it down towards Gale, who was charging at me.
――Slish.
A sound like crushing metal resonated.
After I had finished swinging the scythe, Gale touched various parts of his body as if confirming his safety.
"Haha. You surprised me. I thought it was a direct hit, but nothing happened...! That scythe seems to be just for show."
"Is that really the case?"
"I will cut off your head this time for sure! Here I come, Wind God Blade――!"
Gale tried to activate his job ability again, but then he seemed to notice something was wrong.
"Wind God Blade! Wind God Blade!!! Why...?! Why isn't my job ability activating!?"
Yeah. It wasn't Gale's body that my Igurima blade had cut into.
It was the supernatural power bestowed upon Gale by the God.
In other words, I had severed the source of his job ability.
"Just as you wished, I used my power too. The job ability you were so proud of will never activate again."
"T-That's impossible!"
Gale tried to use his job ability multiple times after that, but his voice echoed emptily.
"M-My... the job ability that was supposed to be recognized by the god...? That's... that's ridiculoussss!"
――Thud.
Gale knelt on the ground, wearing an expression of disbelief.
It seemed like he was muttering something incoherent, but his words couldn't be heard.
He seemed dazed, having lost the power he relied on.
I called out to the target of execution like this.
"Execution complete――"
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