Season 4: Chapter 165. The Traitor’s Trial (2)
Countless lives existed in Survival Craft beyond the war between the Knights and the Union.
“No, I’m telling you, this is my spot!”
“That roulette spin was rigged! No way that was fair!”
Some gamblers had forgotten real work, earning their keep by betting and bluffing.
“Got a big one!”
Others spent their time peacefully, fishing from the start and streaming their quiet catches.
“Wow, we can raise pigs now?”
Some devoted themselves to livestock and crops, simply developing the village.
“Today, we’re hunting wild boar~”
“There’s supposed to be a dungeon out there. Let’s see if it’s real.”
Then, there were adventurers who grew stronger by hunting the open-world monsters planted by the devs. Thanks to people like that, Cheese Village evolved with each passing day, and their civilization inched forward. And yet, in all this time, there had never been a case quite like this one.
[Zelo has logged in.]
“Again? Still in jail?”
He was the only player who had logged out from prison and logged right back into it.
— This game is insane lol
— Let’s go play LIL, man
— He’s back in jail again LMAO
— Bruh lol
— Hahaha I can’t
Honestly, Zelo thought they’d let him out after a day.
“Come on, let’s be reasonable! Everyone’s had a good night’s sleep, right? Hearts are cool now? So let me out too!”
— “If your heart’s healed, set me free” -Zelo 2025
— Preach lol
— If wounds disappear, so should sins, amen
“That’s not possible.” The guard only repeated one thing.
Zelo had to wait for the trial.
“The Lord himself must preside over it,” the knight standing guard said robotically.
“Wow... these people are serious?”
— Is he an NPC?
— Who even is that? lol
— Now it’s getting creepy...
“I can’t just sit here forever! My stream is dying! You gonna take responsibility for that?!”
— lol he’s really desperate now
— This man is hitting every stage of grief live
— LMAO
Maybe that last outburst did something.
“Oh?”
[Almond has logged in.]
Finally, Almond returned.
— Oh shit!
— Lord of the Underworld returns lol
— The man who will take responsibility for your stream is here!
It didn’t take long for the prison door to creak open.
Creeeak... Thud!
“Prisoner Zelo! Step out!”
Even while trembling, Zelo barked back, “I’m not a prisoner! The trial hasn’t even happened yet! Ever heard of due process in this place?!”
The Knights hesitated, then corrected themselves.
“Traitor to the nation, Zelo, step out!”
“...”
— LOL that’s even worse
— Bruh
— To be fair, he is a traitor
“Anyway, move! The Lord approaches.”
Clang.
The cell door opened, and two knights dragged him out by the arms.
***
Moments later, they escorted Zelo through the Knights’ stronghold toward a grand, towering structure made of stone and iron. The designer had an eye for intimidation, but something else drew his gaze even more.
“The Lord is on his way! Spread the word! Hurry!” Lemon Servant suddenly shouted, and chaos erupted.
“The Lord?!”
“Dammit! Everyone, formal uniforms!”
Clatter!
The Knights rushed to don their full obsidian armor. Potato Servant sprinted to the Lord’s desk and placed a freshly harvested bowl of nuts on it.
Thunk.
Still, Potato Servant wasn’t satisfied. “Who forgot the milk?!”
“T-They’re milking the cow now!”
“Keep the cow nearby! You wanna lose your head? Where’s the bard?”
“Th-The bard...”
The bard hadn’t logged in yet.
“Then you! Bang the drum!”
“Me? I, I’m a blacksmith!”
“Just hit it like you hit your anvil! Are you defying orders?!”
“N-No, sir! I’ll hit it!”
Clack.
LackLackey found a drum shoved into his hands. He held the sticks awkwardly, gulping loud enough for Zelo to hear. Behind him, the Peasants and Lackeys scrambled to push all the crates into a corner.
Thudthudthud!
The knights ran around in a frenzy, dust rising everywhere.
Zelo stood awkwardly off to the side, baffled. “Is this... some kind of prank?”
— lol fr
— What the hell is happening?
— Almond’s aura is insane
— Is this what alpha male energy looks like?
— The devil wears obsidian...
— He’s coming...!
At that very moment, the freshly logged-in Almond casually checked his donations at the Radish House.
“Ah, RubySword, thank you again for the support. I’ll do my best as the Lord today too~”
Without much thought, he left the shop and headed toward the Knights’ fortress with light, bouncy steps.
“Thank you for the donation! Yes, even the Lord is clocking in again today~”
Maybe it was the effect of episode two. His viewer donations had spiked from the start of every stream lately. This put him in a great mood. His avatar beamed brightly as he walked.
Pop-pop-pop.
He made his way toward the fortress.
“Attention!”
The fortress was still in chaos.
“Form the lines! Do they look straight to you?!”
“S-Sorry, sir!”
Potato Servant shoved his face inches away from a knight’s, whose posture was off.
“If the Lord sees this... you’re done. Got it? Done.”
“S-Sorry...”
“Shut it! Don’t apologize. Fix it! From the start!”
— LOL possessed actor
— Potato Servant aiming for an Oscar
— These guys are unhinged
— This is the Alpha Castle system in action, huh?
This was too much.
Zelo stared, completely dumbfounded. “Uhm... Do we really need to go this far...?”
Thud.
“Silence, prisoner.”
From the entrance, a figure strode in. The avatar with golden hair flowing behind him was Radish Servant.
“Loyalty!” The hall erupted with a thunderous salute.
This was the Knights’ second-in-command. The sheer force of his presence left Zelo speechless.
Radish Servant snickered into his viewer chat, “Wow, he’s really scared, isn’t he?”
— For real lol
— Poor Zelo
— Zelo is terrified!
— It’s like the best prank ever lol
It went exactly as planned. Radish Servant had orchestrated this entire ordeal with a full production to break in the new knights, draw big stream numbers, and... Most of all, crush the confidence of the biggest streamers about to face trial: Zelo. It was working perfectly.
“Guys... I don’t think this is a joke anymore...” Zelo couldn’t laugh it off.
He was genuinely trembling now. If Radish Servant and Potato Servant’s presence alone was this intense, what would happen when Almond appeared?
— I think this is real
— They’ve lost it
— Discipline level: insane
“Anyway, welcome to Ah-Sung, prisoner.”
“Uh... what?”
— Ah-Sung? Lmao
— So it really is Ah-Sung!
— This is ridiculous
— The Great Ah-Sung!
— They really named it that lol
“Lord Almond’s Castle. In short, Ah-Sung.”
“Ah, right... the Lord’s... castle... You sure shortened everything, huh?”
— Almond’s Castle lol
— Gen Z shortens everything
— Technically correct though
— Ah-Sung of Almonds!
Then, it happened.
Thoom, thoom...!
Drums began to rumble through the hall. Zelo flinched upright like a soldier caught off guard.
— What’s with his posture? lol
— Why’s he bracing up?!
— Honestly, I’d be nervous too
Thoom...! Thoom...!
The sound grew nearer. Radish Servant took his seat at the head of the table and nodded. Two knights by the gate heaved open the massive doors.
Creeeeak.
“Lord Almond approaches!”
LackLackey, the makeshift bard, swung his sticks like a blacksmith hammering steel.
BANG! BOOM!
The doors flew open, light cut through the hall, and a giant-headed shadow stepped in.
“...”
He took his time, surveying the scene with calm indifference.
Gulp.
Zelo swallowed hard, shrinking to the corner.
‘S-So that’s the Lord...’
The ruler of an entire order... Before him, a mere miner, traitor, and branded national criminal like Zelo felt smaller than dust.
— Epic
— LMAO this dramatic entrance with a chibi avatar kills me
— His face is so cute tho
— Marching in all smiles while everyone is terrified lol
Almond’s round face and triangular mouth, smiling innocently, didn’t help. To the terrified Zelo, it only made things worse.
***
Meanwhile, Almond himself had no idea about any of this ceremony. Sweet Radish guessed this would be the real test. How would Almond react to the trial?
‘Should I have told him beforehand?’
It was too late. Almond entered the fortress. The whole show would collapse if he reacted with confusion and asked, “What’s all this?”
“?”
Almond only tilted his head once. Then, he calmly walked straight to his desk. He didn’t look surprised at all.
“Finally, things are running properly.” That was all he said.
Radish Servant and Potato Servant both froze in mid-motion.
— Wait, what?
— Huh?
— Wasn’t this supposed to be a prank??
— Unshakable composure: the Almond way
— Naturally. This is Ah-Sung’s dignity.
Almond simply went to his office as if nothing unusual had happened.
LackLackey hurried over to assist, slipping into the role of an aide. “My Lord, this is the ledger of recent production while you were away. We’ve also taken in a new prisoner... Livestock farming is booming lately. We might need new knights to manage the animals...”
Almond nodded as he walked, listening absently, until something caught his eye. “Oh?”
He spotted Zelo standing awkwardly in the corner.
“Ah... h-hello, Almond? Do you, uh, remember when we met before?” Even while shrinking away, Zelo tried to remind him of their brief meeting.
“What are you doing here?”
“...?”
Almond didn’t even realize he was the prisoner.
Zelo’s jaw hit the floor, and his chat exploded.
— Bro YOU put him there
— He’s doing this on purpose
— Wait what
— Guess the higher-ups never read the report lol
— Classic corporation energy
— LMAO his subordinates jailed Zelo without permission
[LMAO has donated 50,000 won.]
[Zelo’s presence is only worth up to the Lackeys.]
***
After being briefed on the situation, Almond finally understood and decided to proceed with Zelo’s trial. The courtroom had already been prepared. Jurors from Cheese Village sat inside, and three judges oversaw the trial: Almond, Radish Servant, and Potato Servant.
“To ensure fairness, the three of us, each holding different perspectives, will deliver the verdict together.” Sitting dead center, Almond announced this with complete sincerity.
— He actually said that with a straight face lol
— Unbelievable
— He’s the definition of confidence
— Please survive this, Zelo
The crowd murmured, both in chat and on-site. With the Knights’ authoritarian rule solidifying, even those outside the Farmer faction had grown wary of their power.
“How is that different perspectives?”
“Is that considered diverse in Ah-Sung?”
“Wow... this regime is wild.”
“Average typical dictator.”
Bang, bang.
Almond struck the gavel. “Quiet. Since Zelo has expressed concern that his stream might die if this drags on, we’ll expedite the trial and move straight to execution.”
“Excuse me?”
— HAHAHAHAHAHA
— “We’ll kill you quickly so your stream lives.”
— Merciful dictator
— They even wrote it in the official statement lol
— Killing the man, saving the content, what a leader
Zelo could only stare, dumbfounded.
‘If the execution is already decided... What’s the point of the trial?’