The officials looked at each other. They knew to be let go with just a demotion was a very light punishment. They were planning a revolt, after all. Although no war broke out and no loss of life, it was still an intended revolt.
"As for the two of you!" Jack's voice turned stern. He was pointing at Warren and Walter who were trying to sneak away. After seeing that everyone had given up, the two knew staying around was a bad idea.
The nearby guards immediately grabbed the two and brought them to Jack.
"What… What are you going to do?!" Warren asked. He tried to sound defiance but the fear in his voice was unmistakable. Walter also stared at Jack with frightened eyes. Never in his wildest imagination that the outworlder he looked down on in the past was now the king who could decide their fates.
Jack made a motion to ask the soldiers holding the two to move away. He then said to the two, "I'm a merciful king. I proved that by letting the two of you go when I became the king. I proved it again by letting go of these people who had intended a rebellion with just a simple demotion."
"You… You are indeed a merciful king, Your Majesty," Warren saw a way out once he heard Jack's words. He would play along. Whatever punishment Jack gave, he would play along. He would keep his resentment hidden. As long as he was alive, he could coax another rebellion again in the future.
"However," Jack continued. "I only hand out mercy once!"
Finishing his words, Jack's Storm Breaker reappeared in his hand. He slashed with mana manipulation-fueled Brave Slash. The slash hit both Warren and Walter who were standing together.
Warren was only a level 30 elite. Walter was even weaker. None of them could survive the slash. The two's bodies slumped to the ground. Their eyes were wide. They thought they still had a chance in that last brief second of their lives.
Jack sheathed his sword and looked at the officials who had attempted the rebellion. All of them lowered their heads. This was a warning to them. The mercy Jack had generously shown them won't happen twice.
Jack then turned to his army, "Armstrong, take the record of all these people. Then go into the city and take command. We will reshuffle all the personnel."
Although he had issued that all lower rank troops are forgiven, he couldn't let them stay together. The same rebellious idea might return to their minds and if the people around them were same-minded, they might try to act out the idea again. Isolating them would discourage them from such action. Of course, he would also put them under watch.
He let Armstrong and Isabelle worked out the details. The officials who were in charge of Themelot would also be reshuffled. He would appoint a new governor later after asking for a suitable candidate from Thaergood.
While the army went to work, Jack called Jeanny and they came to Arther, who was still kneeling on the ground. Broidrireg continued to hover up there. His presence made sure the rebels down there didn't change their minds.
"I'll accept any punishment, Your Majesty," Arther uttered when he saw Jack come before him.
Jack nodded and said loudly, "Good! Then hear your punishment, Arther Pendrake. Your punishment is to give your lives and serve Themisphere as its Lord Marshall. You will be its protector for life! You will only earn your freedom when you die. If you find me becoming a king that treats natives unfairly, I permit you to protect this kingdom from me. Do you accept this punishment?"
Arther couldn't believe his ears. He was ready to be publicly executed for the crime of spearheading an attempted rebellion, much less being offered his old position. But what touched him the most, was Jack's promise that Jack won't become the king that he feared Jack would be. One that put outworlders as a priority and treated the natives as slaves, and that he was given the blessing to act if Jack ever broke that promise.
"I… I accept this punishment," Arther answered.
"Very good!" Jack put a hand on Arther's shoulder. "Rise, lord marshall."
Jack then turned to Jeanny, who took out a bottle from her inventory. She offered that bottle to Arther.
"Reconstruct potion!" Arther exclaimed after seeing the bottle.
"You will better serve Themisphere with both arms," Jack said.
Arther accepted the potion with gratitude.
The reconstruct potion was something one of their members got from a quest. That member didn't know what to do with it since the potion was practically useless for a player, so he donated it to the guild. Jeanny had one copied and kept it with her just in case. Jack knew about this potion so he asked for it.
With Arther back to being a kingdom official, his previous followers were even more eager to rejoin the team despite the demotion. They were, after all, following Arther's lead. If Arther was willing to bow his head to the new outworlder king, then why did they choose otherwise?
Arther even went into the city and helped to make sure everyone followed Armstrong's instructions. With his help, everything went along smoothly.
Jack heard the system notification congratulating him for completing the kingdom faction quest, Deal with the Rebellion. He received exp points, coins, mana cores, and merit points.
The rewards weren't much except for the merit points. Considering this was a kingdom faction quest, he didn't find it strange that merit points were put as a priority.
He received 200,000 merit points, which pushed his sovereign level to level 9, receiving 10 ruling powers.
"I have to say. I don't usually enjoy it when someone proves me wrong, but I guess I can take this one," John said to Jack.
"You should get used to it," Jack chuckled.
"Nah, I won't," John replied.
"I'm glad there is no bloodshed," Jeanny said.
"Me too," Jack agreed.
Jeanny then noticed the two bodies on the ground and added, "Well, except those two."
Warren and Walter didn't drop many valuables since they were low levels. Jack let Jeanny take all their loot for the guild.
Jack instructed some soldiers to bring the bodies to be given a proper burial. Although the two were assholes, they used to be part of the kingdom.
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