Early the next morning, after Art had made a round of visits in the casualty tents, he arrived at an open space half a mile outside the camp, used for executing bandit captives. Besides the bandits who were killed on the battlefield or died from severe injuries without treatment, there were still forty-two captives left, most of them wounded. More than a dozen Soldiers from the newly formed Third Company stood behind the captives, holding heavy axes. Several Soldiers who had sustained minor injuries during the camp defense battle stood around, observing the execution with weapons in hand, also serving as outer perimeter guards.
Tuba had the captives, screened by Kazak, bound hand and foot and gagged, then divided them into three piles. The first pile consisted of five major and minor bandit leaders. The second pile had thirty vicious bandits who had committed many evil deeds and whose hands were stained with the blood of Soldiers. The third pile contained seven henchmen deemed redeemable and usable.
After a brief exchange with Tuba, Art, with his sword at his side, approached the execution site. Without further ado, he drew his Knight's sword and rested it on the ground, saying coldly, "I, Art Wood Wells, Court Guard Knight of Burgundy County and Southern Territory Security Patrol Officer, will carry out sanctions against you in the name of Marquis Ivrea Otto, defender of God's justice and human order. Your heads and blood will be offered as a sacrifice to the heroic souls who died for justice."
Then Art nodded slightly to Tuba, who was presiding over the execution.
"Begin the execution!" Tuba ordered the Third Company Soldiers standing behind him.
Bangda, the First Squad Leader of the Third Company, stepped forward and ordered the five Soldiers of his squad to walk one by one behind the five major and minor bandit leaders. The bandits, knowing their death was imminent, either closed their eyes in silence or tried to struggle.
"A few people, come up and hold them down for me!"
At Tuba's command, several more Soldiers came forward and firmly held down the struggling captives.
"Begin the execution!"
Five Soldiers, armed with heavy axes, walked to the side of the captives, raised their heavy axes, and swung them down fiercely at the captives' necks. In an instant, heads rolled and blood spurted. The bandits waiting for execution behind them were so terrified that they stared wide-eyed, losing control of their bowels and bladder, emitting an unbearable stench.
After killing the five leaders, the thirty captives in the second pile, who were limp on the ground, were beheaded in three batches. Outside the Giant Stone Town Garrison Camp, heads rolled, and the dark red blood on the ground formed a crimson stream.
The seven bandit captives in the third pile were on the verge of madness. They had witnessed their bandit brothers, who used to kill without blinking an eye, being dragged out and beheaded like wild dogs by these black-robed Soldiers, their grotesque heads rolling everywhere.
It would be their turn next.
One timid fellow among the third pile of captives couldn't bear such a terrifying scene and foamed at the mouth non-stop, actually dying of fright.
Art gave Tuba a look, and Tuba ordered Klaus's Second Squad to carry out the execution.
Klaus led his Soldiers to drag out the six people who had turned into a messy heap, along with a gradually stiffening corpse. The Soldiers, whose arms were tired from chopping, wiped the blood from their heavy axes again and replaced the chipped axe heads, preparing to chop off the heads of the last few Bastards.
The few henchmen kneeling on the ground no longer looked human. The Soldiers held them by their arms from behind, making them kneel properly for the execution.
Just as the raised heavy axe was about to fall before a head, Art stepped forward and waved his hand, stopping the executing Soldier.
"God admonishes us to show sufficient mercy to our enemies at appropriate times. I have killed enough people today. I hear that a few of you are minor henchmen who haven't committed many evil deeds. Perhaps I should give a chance at rebirth to the good fellows among you."
The six bandit henchmen, on the verge of collapse, were like those who grasp a vine just before falling off a cliff. They all whimpered and begged Art for their lives.
Art paced back and forth in front of the six kneeling henchmen, selecting three who appeared slightly more nimble and pleasing to the eye.
"Bring these three lucky ones, blessed by God, to my military tent."
"The rest, including that corpse, all beheaded!"
The three "lucky ones" who had been pulled back from the gates of hell couldn't help but collapse to the ground, weeping towards the sky.
Early the next morning after the battle, Civil Administrator Cooper, having learned of the fierce battle in Jushi Town, immediately instructed Medical Officer Thomas and Farnaz to quickly prepare herbs and tools to accompany Felix to Jushi Town to treat the wounded Soldiers. At the same time, he urgently assembled twenty peasant Soldiers from the Valley Guard, distributed weapons, and sent them to the military camp construction site on the edge of the northern dense forest to be on alert, ready to respond to any potential dangers.
For the next few days, Art remained busy treating the wounded and handling the aftermath.
Although Medical Officer Thomas and Farnaz did their utmost to provide treatment to the wounded Soldiers, three severely wounded Soldiers still passed away forever.
At the Giant Stone Town Garrison Camp, after a short rest, Odo was reporting to Art, "Sir, the seriously and lightly wounded who need continued treatment have all been transported back to the Valley by Old Butler and his men. The bodies of our fallen brothers have also been brought back to the Valley for burial. The caravan will return in a few days, and the supplies stockpiled in the camp can then be transported back by the caravan, so I suggest that Old Butler doesn't need to make another trip with his men."
"Hmm, has there been anything unusual in the surrounding area these past two days?"
"No, I have already arranged the outer sentry posts within two miles around Jushi Town, and I've also organized a small patrol team."
"That's good. We cannot afford to be careless in the slightest now. One of my miscalculations caused the deaths of so many brothers; these were our elites!" Art felt immense grief remembering the many Soldiers who died in the Jushi Town battle.
Odo's most painful period had passed. "Sir, Bass is unconscious and his life is unknown, and Keliduo has also died in battle. The First Company is left with only Squad Leader Colin and five Soldiers, including the baggage handlers. The First Company has been crippled. How should the remaining Soldiers be arranged?"
The First Company was the decisive supporting force throughout the camp defense battle. Without their garrison, it would have been impossible to defend a simple camp surrounded by fences against nearly a hundred fierce bandit Soldiers, which is why the most elite First Company suffered the greatest casualties.
"The remaining Soldiers of the First Company will temporarily be commanded by Colin and stay with you to assist you in training new recruits. Once they recover, we will use these few Soldiers as a base to expand and rebuild the First Company." Art could only temporarily entrust the remnants of the First Company directly to Odo's command.
While the two were talking in the military tent, Angus, who had been out, returned to the camp.
"Sir, the matter has been handled. Along both sides of the trade route west of Jushi Town, two wooden poles topped with bandit heads have been erected every mile. Over sixty heads are stuck along nearly thirty miles of road. I believe travelers passing through this trade route will never forget it. Additionally, Felix has already taken the bandit leader's head and seven or eight heads of bandit leaders to Tinietz County City to report the battle results."
"Sir, now we will be famous throughout Tinietz!" Angus's face was full of excitement, completely unconcerned by his arrow wound.
"Yes, with so many brothers dead, it's about time we made a name for ourselves."
"It's good that you're back. I need to tell you two something, and only the two of you need to know about it."
Angus and Odo stepped forward, moving closer to Art.
"Tomorrow, the Second Leader of that remnant bandit group will come with money to redeem that little Bastard. I think I've found the people to do our dirty work."
