After safely seeing Shane out of the viscount's domain, Hant escorted the captured Big Beard and the others back to Nafu City.
Claire was somewhat surprised to learn that Hant had captured them alive. Why had delivering someone turned into a dungeon raid? Since they had been captured, she posted another notice at the city gate, explaining the situation to the people of the viscount's domain and inviting them to watch the execution by firing squad at noon the next day.
As soon as the notice went up, the people of the viscount's domain erupted once more. Many villages outside Nafu City had suffered raids from these bandits. They did not merely steal money; they also abducted women.
Before Claire arrived, Dean, the Knight Captain responsible for the domain's security, had simply ignored such matters. As long as the bandits did not attack Nafu City, they were none of his concern. Going out to suppress them might even get him injured. Thus, the bandits grew increasingly brazen. Even nobles transporting goods had to hire their own guards.
This was wonderful news, and it quickly spread throughout the viscount's domain. Everyone eagerly awaited the execution by firing squad the next day at noon. They hated these bandits to the bone and felt not the slightest sympathy for them. If they could, some would even have gladly wielded great blades as executioners.
Noon the next day soon arrived. As scheduled, Claire had the captured bandits escorted onto a newly built wooden platform. This was not something suitable to carry out in the school plaza.
After stepping onto the platform, Claire glanced at the crowd below. Few children had come. On one hand, most of them boarded at the school, and even though school had let out, their parents did not want them