Verdict

Sorin panted on the floor before raising himself upwards onto his feet, leaving Ino. She was still tired and out of energy to move. He turned to the collapsed building, gritting his teeth as he felt a faint energy still residing within.

There's no way anyone could have survived that. I can't believe those mages wanted to fight us. That was the craziest gamble ever; they didn't expect me to cut it. It's over soon.

He kept waiting until what used to be a wall crumbled beneath him with a loud thud onto the concrete paving. A single light grey uniform stood out. Covered in blood and half torn to bits. Boyle was alive.

“He survived!” A person shouted in the background of everyone; the one person that couldn't be left alive still was. That one who could stop them. Sorin, however, did not move a single bit.

His magic signature is too weak to take on Keldric; no shame in being weaker…

Sorin looked at his empty hands.

He doesn't even have a staff; he can't cast anything, and he's already on the brink of death. I will have no choice; I'm going to heal him and hope he doesn't just start punching me. I won't let a single life more than needed fall in this field of already dead bodies. I will heal Ino later, but she isn't near death.

Each step towards Boyle was light. Sorin tried his best to give no intention of harm behind his body language; he knew that Boyle wasn't just a brute, he would be able to read him. “May I heal you?” Those were his only words as he went up to Boyle near the collapsed building.

“I have killed many; I nearly killed you both too. Just give me my final death.” Boyle limped over towards his front as he stood facing Sorin. He didn't even raise his staff. He could only stay silent. “I have no purpose left; the order I protected is gone now.”

Sorin shook his head. “I'm going to let you get a taste of your order. I think you deserve that much; you are not an evil person, just someone who served bad people. I will grant you a trial, and you will be judged. Wouldn't that fit your death wish nicely?”

The truth is I don't want to kill Boyle. Giving this to the people will be the best option; otherwise, they will be outraged. I can't risk having a fragmented city right now when we have to rebuild fast.

“The people you managed, they will judge you, and I doubt they will grant you mercy but as a hero to all. I'm going to try my best to protect your life, and maybe if you wish, you could join and protect this new era.”

Having him on my team would be great. I'm not sure how loyal he is to the council, or whether it was his own ideals that made him do what he did; I can't sense any malicious intent on his face right now. It's covered in blood.

Boyle sat himself down on the concrete pavement; Sorin knelt beside him. He was tall. Nearly a full half of Sorin's height. He was for sure intimidating both physically and magically. But he didn't resist Sorin's healing; he left him to do his work as he saw another familiar commoner come to him.

“You're the guy on the carriage" Boyle said, staring up at Ixul. His bald head covered in fighting treasure did not reflect off the sun as it should, though.

Ixul sighed out towards Sorin, seeing him heal Boyle. “You're healing a killer. You should just kill him.”

“I'm giving him a trial; you all will end up wanting to kill him anyway. I'm not an executioner.” Sorin didn't even turn towards Ixul, but there was evident grief about this situation. “I will announce this public trial in a second.”

After a couple of minutes passed, Sorin finally finished healing Boyle, after standing up. He didn't limp once, then Sorin tended to his own wounds; they weren't life-threatening at all. Just minor scratches that would ruin his public appearance.

He gestured for Boyle to follow, which he did, still in his elegant manner. He wouldn't ever crack, it seems, even at the potential cost of his life ending. Walking together towards the crowd, they all stood confused as to why the hero was healing him, but they let him talk after all he'd done for them.

“Everyone! Boyle has surrendered. I wish to spare his life. And I want everyone here to hold a public trial so you all can have your first choice.” He then stopped for a moment before continuing, “He has no evil intention behind keeping order, and he only was acting on the council's order. No harm will come from him under my supervision. I promise you all that.”

Sorin waited for a reaction; Ixul, already opposed to this, spoke out next to them, “Everyone think! This man has arrested our loved ones, he has killed people, and he is still doing it even if it's wrong!” The crowd was now confused between the two options, and Sorin knew emotionally they were all against this idea.

“I will personally take responsibility for any action he will do. I will step down if needed. I want to spare his life.” Some people seemed conflicted about this, particularly a dark-haired woman around Ixul’s age whom he remembered from the refinery, who spoke up against him at the start.

“He tried to stop our food distribution and punish us for feeding the starved! Some even say he killed a family. Others say that he burned another two buildings later! He's too dangerous.” People began nodding with the woman; everyone heard the rumours even if nobody could verify them.

Boyle himself stepped up, his expression stern and stoic in the face of the masses. “I have burned a family, I have burned two buildings too. I admit to all of that. Please make a punishment fit for me.” He then looked over towards Sorin; he knew what he had done.

“Kill him!” they all shouted every couple of seconds. They roared. “Murderer!” Sorin knew it was beyond hope, so he dug his own grave.

I'm really about to condemn a man for actions that weren't his orders. I'm about to kill someone who really was just following orders. I can't do this personally; I might be a coward, but if Ixul wishes for this, I will let him do it.

Stepping in front of the crowd again, Sorin announces the verdict: “Boyle will be executed right now, in public, as an end to our revolution into the new era. Ixul is tasked with carrying out this procedure as the main advocate for this.”

I can finally rest with the killing; this is the last one.