Shattered Innocence: Transmigrated Into a Novel as an Extra - Chapter 601

Chapter 601: Pink Knight (2)
“BARON GODFREY!” she called again, her tone cutting through the uneasy silence that followed. “You stand accused of heinous crimes! By decree of Marquis Vendor, you are under arrest!”

The murmuring among the enemy soldiers grew louder. Some glanced at one another. Others hesitated, their grips loosening on their weapons.

Valeria continued, her voice unwavering. “The charges against you are numerous. Child trafficking. The enslavement of common folk. Murder, extortion, and betrayal of the Crown! Your crimes are well-documented, and your fate is sealed!”

A few of the soldiers on the walls visibly flinched. Even those who had been prepared to fight now looked uncertain.

Valeria’s eyes narrowed. “*There is no honor in protecting a man like this!**” she declared, raising her chin. “Lay down your arms, and you will be spared! Resist… and I will see to it that every last one of you falls for a cause that is already lost!”

The tension was thick, a suffocating weight in the air.

For the past year, this had been her reality. Riding out with a decree in one hand and a sword in the other. Standing before lords and barons who had grown fat off the suffering of others. Watching their soldiers hesitate, torn between loyalty and self-preservation.

It had all begun the moment he spoke.

Lucavion.

When he had revealed the corruption of the Cloud Heavens Sect, when he had dragged their filth into the light, the empire itself had begun to shift. The balance of power—once unshakable—now trembled like a dying beast. The Cloud Heavens Sect had ruled in shadow, their influence woven deep into the nobility, the merchant guilds, even the Imperial Court. Their existence had been undeniable.

But Lucavion had broken them.

And in the aftermath, Marquis Vendor had moved swiftly, swallowing up their lands, their wealth, their very foundation before anyone else could stake their claim. He had been prepared for this. Waiting. A man like Vendor did not let opportunity slip through his fingers.

She knew this because she had sat across from him when the deal was made.

She had been at that very table.

As the heir to House Olarion, her authority was still limited. She was not yet the head of her family, not yet in full control of its resources. But her father—her entire house—would never ignore an opportunity to reclaim what they had lost.

Once, the Olarion name had been glorious. A family spoken of with respect, their honor unquestioned. That era had long passed. Their standing had eroded, their influence fading like sand through an open hand.

Now?

They would take any chance to rebuild.

And Marquis Vendor needed a sword.

The deal had been simple.

House Olarion would pledge its military strength to the Marquis’ campaign, lending its knights, its armies—its heir. In return, the Olarion family would be given dominion over the lands reclaimed from the Cloud Heavens Sect, the wealth of the fallen lords, and—most importantly—a path back to prominence.

And so, House Olarion had become his sword.

And she had become the blade that cut down his enemies.

Valeria exhaled, looking up at the fortress before her. She had done this before. Again and again. How many lords had she unseated? How many castles had she stood before, just like this, demanding surrender in the name of justice?

She had lost count.

The soldiers above still wavered. Some exchanged uncertain glances, others clenched their weapons tightly, unwilling to make the first move.

She knew what they were thinking.

Baron Godfrey had been their liege. He had given them land, coin, purpose. And yet, how many of them truly knew the depths of his crimes?

She let the silence hang, let the weight of her words press down upon them.

Then, she spoke again.

“Your Baron will not save you!” she called. “Do you think he fights for you? That he bleeds for you? No! He is a man who preys on the weak, who sells children like cattle, who would throw you all away if it meant saving his own miserable life!”

A pause.

Then, she thrust her sword forward, pointing directly at the fortress.

“If you stand with him, you stand for filth!” she declared, her voice cold, merciless. “Make your choice now. Die for a man unworthy of your loyalty… or step aside and live.”

The wind howled against the stone.

And then—

A voice from the walls.

“…Lower the gate.”

A knight. Not a commander, not an officer. Just a soldier who had seen enough.

Another voice followed. “Lower the gate!”

The first clank of the chains echoed.

And just like that—

The castle began to fall.

The heavy iron gate groaned as it lowered, chains rattling, the sound of surrender echoing through the fortress. Valeria wasted no time.

“Move in,” she ordered, dismounting from her warhorse. Her boots struck the ground with purpose, and her knights followed, their blades drawn, their presence an unshakable force pressing into the heart of the castle.

They had appeared here without notice, without warning.

Their march through the Forest of Duskvale had ensured that. The dense, tangled expanse of ancient trees had concealed their movements, allowing them to cross into enemy territory unseen. No messengers had escaped, no scouts had returned to raise the alarm.

By the time the fortress realized what had happened, it had already been too late.

And now, Baron Godfrey stood cornered.

Valeria moved through the dimly lit corridors, past cowering servants and trembling guards who dared not lift their weapons. The air smelled of cold stone and burning torches, but beneath it, there was something else—something rotted.

They reached the Baron’s chambers.

The doors had been left open in haste, and inside, the once-powerful lord stood rigid. He was still dressed in his noble garments, but his coat was unbuttoned, his hair unkempt. A clear sign that he had not been prepared for this. His breath came fast, his knuckles white where they gripped the edge of a desk littered with half-written letters and overturned goblets.

Valeria stepped inside, her knights flanking her. The room was grand—too grand for a man who had stolen everything he had. The chandelier above them swayed slightly from the disturbance, casting flickering light against the dark wood paneling.

And the Baron?

He was staring at her as though he had seen a ghost.

“Y-you…” his voice caught in his throat before he straightened, forcing a sneer onto his face. “What is the meaning of this, Captain Valeria? How dare you barge into my home like some thug?”

Valeria let the words hang in the air for a moment.

Then she stepped closer.

“You have no home,” she said, voice flat. “Not anymore.”

The Baron stiffened. “I am a lord of the empire. You think you can simply walk in here and—”

“The Marquis Vendor says otherwise,” she cut in, cold and unwavering.

Silence.

A muscle in his jaw twitched.

“You are accused of child trafficking, slavery, extortion, and treason against the empire,” she continued, her tone measured. “By decree of the Eastern Plains, you are under arrest.”

His sneer wavered. “Lies. All of it! Lies spread by those who envy me! Do you have proof? Where is your proof?”

Valeria tilted her head slightly.

Proof?

She had walked through it.

She had seen the hidden chambers beneath his holdings. She had seen the ledgers detailing his sales—children, stolen from villages, priced like livestock. She had seen the broken bodies left in the wake of his greed.

Proof?

She could smell it in the very walls of this fortress.

She took another step toward him.

“The only reason you’re still standing,” she said, “is because I gave your men the choice to surrender.”

The Baron’s face paled.

Valeria watched him carefully. He was no warrior. He had ruled through power, through wealth, through the fear of those who could not stand against him.

But now—

Now, there was nothing left to shield him.

“You can come quietly,” she said, lifting her sword slightly, just enough to catch the light. “Or we can drag you through your own halls in chains. Either way, you will leave this place.”

For the first time, true fear flickered behind his eyes.

His hands clenched at his sides. His gaze darted toward the desk, then toward the wall where an ornamental dagger rested on a display.

Valeria’s voice dropped.

“Try it,” she said.

The room held still.

The Baron did not move.

And then—

His knees buckled.

He collapsed onto the floor, breathing hard, his eyes refusing to meet hers.

Valeria let out a slow exhale.

She turned slightly, looking toward her knights. “Take him.”