At first, when Franz heard that Frey-Herosé had tried to burn himself to death but survived, he wondered how he could avenge the desecration of his ancestral home—and whether he could even do so.
But when he saw Frey-Herosé, Franz was stunned. His clothes were completely unscathed. The man didn't even have a burn, let alone a serious one.
It turned out he'd escaped because it was too hot inside, only to be caught by the crowd outside, who'd been watching the spectacle. The two bruises on his face had probably been inflicted then.
Colonel Monta, who had accompanied him, thought they should use torture. Burning down a man's ancestral home was a grave crime in any region and any culture—a serious provocation and humiliation.
"We should impale him in front of Eagle Castle and let the eagles from the Alps deal with him. That would also serve as a warning to our potential enemies, showing them that challenging the Empire and the family comes at a price."
Colonel Monta had only fought one battle on this campaign: killing an assassin armed with nothing but a dagger.
Now he was eager to distinguish himself. Burning down an ancestral home would be an unforgivable offense for any ordinary noble, and Colonel Monta thought Franz must feel the same way and want to strike back at the enemy in the cruelest manner possible.
But Colonel Bordeaux, his aide-de-camp, thought that Franz wouldn't normally act so rashly.
"As the leader of the rebels, Frey-Herosé is surely as guilty as the Swiss local officials we encountered before. Perhaps, as we usually do, we could leave the decision to the people and put him on trial before his death, just as we did in Poland.
"But for safety's sake, people like him, guilty of every