My Glitched World Throne System Came Ten Years Too Early!
Chapter 23: Choices

Chapter 23: 23: Choices

Hundreds of eyes fixed themselves on Roderic.

Not a single person spoke, yet their expressions spoke for themselves.

They stared at the podium as if they could devour both boys alive.

’’T-This is not fair!’’ Darrel suddenly shouted, tears leaking down his face. ’’We made sure we never crossed any lines!’’

That only seemed to infuriate the crowd even more.

Roderic frowned slightly.

Without hesitation, he kicked the fat boy in the face.

’’I told you to stay silent,’’ he said, shaking his head.

The fat boy sniveled, the boot print on his face burning.

Cheers and whistles of support immediately rang out from the crowd.

Roderic looked away from Darrel.

He cleared his throat, silencing the cheers right away.

’’I’m not going to pretend like I know your anger,’’ he said calmly. ’’What I do understand is that many of you want to execute them.’’

Dozens nodded instantly.

Some even shouted out their agreement.

Roderic raised his hand once more, calming them down.

’’Now let me ask you something,’’ he started, his voice cold. ’’If I execute them today...’’

He glanced down at an older gentleman who’d been shouting loudly earlier.

’’Will your shop rebuild itself?’’

The old man’s mouth opened.

Only for him to slowly lower his head in anger.

’’No!’’ he shouted.

Roderic nodded before turning to a middle-aged woman standing beside her young adult daughter.

’’Will your daughter forget the harassment?’’

The woman instinctively pulled her daughter closer.

After several seconds, she slowly shook her head.

’’No, Young Master.’’

Roderic continued looking around the square.

’’If they die today... will every stolen coin suddenly return to its owner?’’

The entire crowd went silent.

Their eyes began narrowing as they exchanged glances with each other.

’Is he trying to spare them too?’ was a thought that started running rampant through their minds.

Roderic didn’t hesitate.

’’Death is justice,’’ he said. ’’But justice won’t repair anything that’s broken.’’

The crowd gradually lowered their heads.

None of them could deny his words.

Even so, they still wanted Rick and Darrel dead.

Roderic nodded slowly, as this was something he’d been prepared to see.

’’But who am I?’’ he said, raising his shoulders. ’’I can’t judge the way you feel. And therefore, I won’t.’’

Those who’d lowered their heads immediately glanced up, confusion flickering across their faces.

Roderic had long turned towards the guards standing beside the podium.

’’Bring them,’’ he said, gesturing at the buckets.

The guards, who’d been listening intently to his speech, snapped out of their thoughts.

’’Yes, Young Master!’’

Four guards stepped forward. Each pair picked up one of the heavy, broad wooden buckets before placing them in front of the podium.

The confusion inside the crowd only grew.

Whispers rang out left and right. People pointed and exchanged strange glances with each other.

’’Stones and... tomatoes?’’

’’What is this now?’’

’’Why can’t he just cut off their heads?’’

Even the two fathers, who’d sat on the side with extremely conflicted and distraught faces, looked up with confused frowns.

They’d expected punishments. Many of which resulted in the deaths of their sons.

But this... certainly not!

Roderic allowed everyone to process what he’d done.

At the same time, he made sure he chose his next words extra carefully.

As the whispers died down once more, he spoke up again.

’’Today,’’ he started, his voice firm. ’’I will allow every victim to decide their fate.’’

Complete silence filled the central square.

Even Darrel looked up with his eye swollen shut. Only Rick continued staring off in a daze.

’’Inside the left bucket are rotten tomatoes,’’ Roderic continued. ’’Inside the right are stones.’’

He looked across the crowd.

’’Every person is allowed to step forward and pick up as many as they want and throw them as hard as they want.’’

Eyes began widening left and right.

Roderic only paused for a moment before continuing.

’’But get this... you will not be able to get any compensation from the families of those you’ve killed.’’

’’Their deaths will be your justice. Nothing more.’’

For several seconds, nobody uttered a single word.

The square had fallen so silent that the distant chirping of birds could be heard.

Slowly, eyes began to dart between the two buckets and the two perpetrators.

Only then did the meaning of Roderic’s words begin to settle in among those in the crowd.

’’We... get to do this ourselves?’’ the daughter of the middle-aged woman asked.

’’Yes,’’ Roderic nodded. ’’What you throw, who you throw, how many you throw, and even when you stop throwing...’’

’’All of it is your choice.’’

He took a step back with a small smile on his face.

"You can stone them to death for all I care. That choice belongs to you."

Just then, the older gentleman from earlier raised his hand.

’’Young Master!’’ he shouted hoarsely. ’’What is this compensation you speak of?’’

Roderic’s smile only widened.

He pointed at the two middle-aged men held up by Captain Harris without hesitation.

"If they live, you’ll be fairly compensated by their families for every loss you’ve suffered."

A loud gasp spread through the crowd.

Even the two fathers couldn’t help but look toward Roderic in shock.

’’Y-Young Master!’’ one of them blurted out. ’’We can’t—’’

Before he could finish speaking, Captain Harris struck him with his elbow and shook his head.

Just then, Roderic gestured towards the two tied-up young men.

’’Make your choices,’’ he said. ’’You have half an hour to punish them.’’

With that, he turned around and began walking towards the side of the podium.

A heavy silence lingered behind him for several seconds.

Finally, the crowd began discussing amongst themselves.

THUD!

’’ARGH!’’

Darrel’s scream echoed out loudly before Roderic had even left the podium.

Blood began dripping down his face as a large gash opened up on his forehead.

’’Fuck you, bastard!’’ a man’s hoarse voice rang out. ’’Because of you, I lost everything!’’

Roderic couldn’t help but glance behind him for a moment.

’Mhm?’ he thought, raising an eyebrow. ’He looks kind of familiar...’

The man looked like a meager beggar, his arms trembling as he held several stones. Despite that, Roderic could see a firm glint in his eyes.

’Interesting,’ he thought, smiling. ’Now I really wonder if they’ll survive.’

But right now, he had to strike the iron while it was hot.

His gaze flickered to the front.

The two middle-aged men were still being held up by Captain Harris, their eyes bulging out of their heads and their lips tightly clenched as they stared at their sons.