When the plot-skips players into the game world

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The precise location of Judiciary Square is at the southeastern corner of the White Queen District, at the intersection with the Lohar District, connected by "Prince Lohar Main Road" linking these two areas.

Because a very long time ago, it used to be the site of the Avalon Kingdom Judicature Hall.

Even though the Judicature Hall was later disbanded, its functions merged into the Court, and the Minister of Justice became the administrator of the Court… the residents still referred to this place as Judiciary Square.

Aiwass didn't walk to Judiciary Square. Instead, he took a carriage ride there with "Annie Alexander" and his son.

"Let me test you, Annie."

Sitting in the carriage, Aiwass interlocked his fingers, taking Lulu's hand by his side.

In an effort to entertain her and likewise, to alleviate her stress, Aiwass asked casually, "Do you know which district Judiciary Square belongs to?"

"…It's the Lohar District, isn't it?"

Lulu was momentarily stunned before realizing that "Annie" was how she was being addressed.

Without hesitation, she replied, "After all, it is on the east side of Prince Lohar Main Road."

"But actually, in the eyes of the Lohar District's residents, Judiciary Square has never been part of Lohar District."

"…Eh?"

Lulu was puzzled, "Why?"

"Because it is entirely paved with marble, creating a vast flat surface, and there are many pure white buildings serving as official symbols, which don't match the 'Port District' style of Lohar District. Instead, it resembles the street and building style of the White Queen District."

The biggest difference between the Red and White Queen Districts is the color of the roads and buildings. Most buildings in the White Queen District are based on white, and the roads are also white or gray-white; the Red Queen District tends to favor brown, dark brown, and reddish-brown.

"That makes sense," Lulu agreed thoughtfully, nodding her head.

"However, from another perspective, the residents of the White Queen District also do not acknowledge Judiciary Square as part of their district."

The corners of Aiwass' mouth lifted slightly, revealing a mischievous smile, "Because it's too dirty—both the environment and the atmosphere are filthy and stink, and the public order is extremely chaotic.

"Since the reign of the previous king, Tudor III, people have preferred to call it Execution Square—"

…Why?

Lulu had just begun to wonder this.

But in the next moment, her pupils began to tremble violently!

No sooner had Mr. Fox finished speaking than she saw the marble square filled with rows and rows of densely packed gallows.

Two rows of bodies hung silently upon them.

Exactly forty in total.

About six or seven of the bodies already showed clear signs of decay, with mosquitoes and flies buzzing around them. The rest of the hanged bodies were relatively fresh, no more than two days deceased.

Most of the clothing on the corpses was in tatters, and many of the faces and bodies were marked with visible bloodstains and mutilations. Some of the bodies had their abdomens hollowed out, others were missing limbs. It was unclear whether these were inflicted before death or after.

Although hanging was considered more civilized than beheading, there was an elusive, lingering scent of blood on the square that seeped into the carriage.

Lulu instinctively wanted to pull her hand away from Aiwass' grip to cover her mouth, worried that she might not be able to resist the urge to vomit and thus appear rude.

—But Aiwass held her hand tightly, and she couldn't break free.

Instead, he gripped Lulu's hand even tighter, causing her slight pain.

Yet it was precisely because of this that Lulu was distracted from the intense discomfort in her heart and managed to disperse it slightly.

"Are you alright, Annie?"

Aiwass asked with "some concern," "Haven't you been to Judiciary Square before?"

"…This is the first time I've seen so many corpses."

She murmured softly, "I've seen my fair share of death. I've become accustomed to encountering death…"

But this was the first time she had witnessed such "cruel death".

She thought she would vomit, but in the end, she did not. Now, Lulu only felt a wordless visual shock.

"The executions take place every Sunday. We didn't catch it on execution day... On Sundays, quite a few people who have the day off come to watch the executions. That's also the busiest day for pickpockets."

As Aiwass spoke, the carriage passed by a body that was hung up high.

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Lulu looked at his face in shock and fear, the visage half-covered in blood, missing an eye, ghastly to behold.

Leaning close to her ear, Aiwass wickedly pointed to the body and murmured softly, "You see, this corpse is still quite fresh, only dead for two days. If it were longer, there would be maggots in his eye sockets... His eyeball was probably stolen and sold on the black market. Some rituals of the Demon Scholar require a man's left eye—look at the tear in his trousers, what was inside there has likely been stolen as well."

"It seems that thirty-three people were executed this week. Because seven of the bodies were left over from last week."

"...Is that a lot or a little?"

"For this era, it's quite normal."

Aiwass only answered half-heartedly.

Fourteen years later, the execution rate on Glass Island had significantly decreased.

But that wasn't because the public order had improved... but because of a mine collapse seven or eight years later, which required more laborers.

"Fifty years ago... Oh, more than thirty years ago, that was the peak period for executions. Petty crimes like theft would result in capital punishment, and death was not the end, nor the harshest penalty—there were many cruel torments while alive, and some even after death.

"Queen Sofia abolished thirteen kinds of cruel executions including beheading, retaining only hanging. And she significantly reduced the severity of punishment for other crimes... Many offenses that used to warrant death are now only punishable by exile, imprisonment, labor. During times of war, there were even opportunities for redemption through meritorious service..."

As Aiwass spoke, the carriage suddenly stopped.

"Sir."

The coarse-voiced coachman asked, "How do I get to that bar you spoke of?"

"Oh, we're almost there," Aiwass replied amicably with a gentle voice, "You can just let us off here."

"Then you should be careful of the Strangler Party."

The coachman kindly reminded them, "Also, the fare only comes to five copper coins—that's half a copper coin off for you."

The copper hourglass of Avalon did not have "1" as its smallest denomination. Below that were the half copper coin and the quarter copper coin, their sizes being two-thirds and half that of a copper coin, respectively.

These were considered somewhat uncommon subsidiary coinage. The quarter copper coin had been discontinued twenty years prior. The half copper coin had also stopped being issued five years ago and only the existing supply circulated in the market.

However, fourteen years earlier, the half copper coin was still a relatively common unit.

Hearing this, Aiwass turned to look at Lulu.

Lulu hesitated for a moment before realizing the money might be in her possession. After rummaging for a bit, she pulled out a Red Coin and stepped forward to hand it to the coachman with both hands, courteously.

This Red Coin was worth ten copper coins, double the price.

"No need for change, sir."

She said earnestly, "Thank you for your hard work."

"You are both beautiful and generous, madam."

The coachman praised her and happily accepted the money before leaving.

After he left, Aiwass approached with a smile.

"You should remember that everything here is false, right?" he said softly.

"I remember," Lulu nodded, her expression complex, "I just feel... even if they are false, the emotions I'm experiencing right now are real. I don't know what I can do... so I just gave him some money."

"That sounds a bit like the Path of Devotion, my dear Annie," Aiwass said, neither light nor serious.

"I don't care," she replied without hesitation, "Like the other children born on Glass Island, I was taught from a young age to follow the Path of Authority, but I still chose the Path of Beauty. Because I want to do what I feel I should do... the things I believe I ought to do.

"I just like the principles of this path, the allure of its mystical skills. Not for the extraordinary abilities it gives me, nor do I plan to bind my personality and life to it."

Lulu, who always seemed indecisive and lacking confidence, became quite passionate when discussing this topic, suddenly spouting a lot that Aiwass hadn't mentioned.

"...That's not easy at all."

Just then, a cold and youthful voice, deliberately kept low, suddenly came from behind them.

A young Newsboy, who had been staring at them intently without moving since they got off the carriage, now stepped forward and said mockingly in a quiet tone, "You are walking a path that is naively charming and extremely dangerous.

"The Transcendent Path is destined to forsake humanity... Madam Lulu."