I built a manor in the Middle Ages

Chapter 249 The Gallows and the Execution Platform

Sometimes, it is not necessary to use torture to find out if someone is guilty.

Thorstein and Luke were brought back to the church, where, amidst the chanting of prayers, Luke finally confessed everything hastily and quickly.

"Damn Celtic tradition!"

Peter came out of the church and couldn't help but spit.

"But Luke seems to be Burgundian, how could he have Celtic traditions?"

"Perhaps he learned about this primitive and sordid ritual from somewhere; in any case, he was a pitiful and pathetic man."

Luc shrugged and answered Peter's question.

The reason for this brutal dismemberment case was that Luke, who had just migrated to the South Bank, had heard about a ritual: as long as people were killed and arranged in a special pattern, a bountiful harvest would be guaranteed for that land.

"This is outrageous! Isn't our land already fertile enough? Why would this guy do this?"

Ryan brandished his longsword, both angry and annoyed with Luke.

No wonder he kept inciting them; it turns out this guy was the real murderer!
"So he's pitiful, not believing that we are protected by God, but instead using this ritual that Satan prefers."

Lu Ke looked up at the first hint of dawn on the horizon; the case had dragged on all night.

Whether it's an ancient Celtic custom or a genuine temptation by Satan, this sacrificial practice is certainly opposed by the church today.

In addition to the murder, which violated Lucretius's Cross Act in the Wheat Field, Luke was doomed.

"Master, what should we do with Luke?" Ryan asked, turning his head. Whether to kill him or not, he still believed that he should follow Luke's orders.

"Kill, but not now."

Luke pointed a finger at the marketplace and said, "I've wanted to build an execution platform for a long time, but I've never had the chance. Now that Luke has delivered it to our doorstep, let's take this opportunity to build a gallows and a beheading platform in the marketplace!"

A manor without a place for punishment is incomplete.

A few wooden cages can only be used to carry out a limited number of punishments; only the execution platform is the most intimidating place for the masses.

The area in front of the castle gate and the entrance to the market are good places to build execution platforms.

“Since Thorstein is being punished with confinement, you and little Maiman should build the execution platform first. The execution platform doesn’t need a deep foundation. Just like our earliest wooden house, build a wooden platform first.”

"Okay sir."

Ryan looked at the location Luke pointed to; the execution platform was a little far from the water source, more at the entrance to the south bank trade route.

"Are the goat hairs going to be shed too? Perfect, let's make two more pulleys from the ropes weaving from the goat hairs."

The pulleys weren't for the gallows, though they would have made killing more efficient. But Luc wasn't a bloodthirsty man; killing was more about establishing his authority. A simple, slow gallows would make the dead suffer more, and then the bodies would be left to dry—that was what Luc needed.

The pulley was built because Thor took the bear-tendon pulley with him.

Bears have always been a valuable resource.

As can be seen from the bearskin that Berry gave to the Duke, Luc had always wanted to hunt another black bear, but because George was guarding the Treff Bridge, and Luc, whose tracking skills were limited, did not know where to hunt.

After all, there aren't many bears.

After returning to Knightsburg for a nap, Luke went to inspect the arrow tower in the southeast corner after waking up.

The arrow tower was about ten feet high. Like the watchtower, it was simply a row of planks nailed to a few wooden stakes, with a pointed roof on top. Climbing up the ladder, Luke peered out and found that the place was right in the blind spot to the southeast, blocking a very important position.

"Ward Village used to be located on this southeastern path, didn't it?"

“Sir, I’ve never been to Ward Village,” Ryan said from the side.

"Oh, really."

The first time Ryan saw Old Ek after he bought him was when he was lying in the stream covered in wounds, and then he went to attack the boar cave.

"If nothing unexpected happens, there should still be a few ruins of dilapidated houses in Ward Village, and maybe even some remaining supplies."

Luc couldn't help but chuckle, "It's funny, when we needed these supplies the most we didn't have the ability to transport them, and now that we do, we don't even want them."

"Sir, are you planning to establish a base in Old Ward Village?"

Ryan blinked. He was one of the people who knew Luke best and knew that his master wouldn't bring up Ward Village for no reason.

"I do have that idea."

Luke didn't mince words and nodded: "You should have seen the map. North of Ward Village is Cooper Castle, which can complement the Tref Bridge to some extent. Let's wait until we have more manpower, and then we'll build a checkpoint there."

"By the way, how's the wild boar cave?"

"Don't worry, sir. I've been sending people to patrol the Wild Boar Cave every few days, and it hasn't been invaded by any other animals."

“Well done. Since this valley is my fief, the Wild Boar Cave naturally belongs to us as well.”

Every lord considered his fiefdom his own private domain, and Luc was no exception. As the two were talking, they saw Little Maiman carrying wooden stakes out of the sawmill next to the watermill.

Thanks to the timber prepared during shipbuilding, the execution platform was built quickly. The foundation was dug less than half an inch deep, and the supports for the pine platform were tamped down with gravel. Because of the execution platform, the gaps between the platforms were made closer together to prevent blood from accumulating.

Luc and Ryan arrived at the scene and watched with great interest as young Myman worked. The already skilled young Myman was quick and efficient, and after taking on apprentices, he had even begun to exude a certain authority. He instructed his apprentices to reinforce the planks by crossing them, while simultaneously chiseling nails into the edges.

Luke smiled smugly. Having a blacksmith made all the difference. Although the supply of weapons was tight, at least he had a free supply of nails.

Having completed the pine platform, Little Maiman began to build the gallows.

When building the platform, Little Maiman deliberately left a gap in the very center. At this moment, he easily inserted a sharpened oak into the gap as a pillar using a pulley, then reinforced it with lime and yellow mud, waited for it to solidify, tested its stability, and seeing that there were no problems, continued to build the crossbeams using pulleys and nails.

“Pulleys are really important,” Luke murmured, stroking his soap-washed beard.

It seems I'll have to go hunting again if I get the chance.

The gallows' crossbeams did not form a cross with the uprights, but were fixed at the very top of the vertical column, resembling an inverted L.

A short piece of wood was fixed between the two by Little Maiman, forming a stable triangle.

These were all techniques he learned from Luc and Lane, so Little Myman had always been Luc's personal carpenter. Like Paul and the other saltworkers, he had signed a contract with himself.

After two days of work, when Little Myman finally tied the rope above and secured it with a knot, a wild gallows stood on the south bank.

Perhaps everyone harbors the most primal animalistic instincts within them. When Luc saw the gallows, which represent death and punishment, he was surprised to find that he felt more of an appreciation for them.

Next came the execution platform.

The construction of a decapitation platform is relatively simple.

It's not the kind of executioner's block that uses a sharp steel blade as a platform; it's the most primitive method: a round hole the size of a neck is carved out between two wooden planks.

Looking at the slightly low execution platform erected on the platform, Luc could already imagine the scene of prisoners kneeling on the ground and sticking their heads in it.

After securing it with nails again, young Maiman checked the details one last time. That afternoon, he reported on the progress with his apprentice and two serf helpers.

"Master, shall we bring Luke up now?" Ryan asked, rubbing his hands together eagerly.

"No, I have something else to do."

Luke looked at Ryan meaningfully and said, "Don't you want to know where Luke obtained his Satanic ritual from?"

“Sir, what do you mean?” Ryan squinted.

"Go interrogate him again and get a statement." Luke said no more, and Ryan, understanding, quietly took his leave.

A day later, Luke was taken to the execution ground. People from both the north and south banks gathered around the execution platform, listening to Luke and Lynn read out his crimes.

Beside Luke was Thorstein, who had been temporarily released. He was glaring fiercely at Luke, who had already wet his pants.

"Oh, poor Luke~"

Those who knew Luke looked at him with pity, while Cathy, who had heard him speak, glared at him angrily: "Bah! If you pity him, go to hell in his place and pay for my husband's life!"

"I was just saying," the other person muttered.

At Luke's command, Thorstein, who had been unable to contain himself any longer, kicked over the stool, and amidst the gasps of the crowd, Luke, who was suspended in mid-air, began to struggle frantically.

Soon after, his face became swollen and purple due to lack of oxygen, his tongue stretched out, his eyeballs bulged out and were full of bloodshot veins, his limbs convulsed violently, and all the muscles in his body seemed to be trembling.

A foul odor slowly emanated from his groin—he had lost control of his bladder and bowels.

Finally, Luke slowly fell silent and died tragically in mid-air.

The crowd that had initially been watching the spectacle had fallen silent. Raoul's lips were dry, and he subconsciously touched his neck. If Thorstein had been found guilty that night, he would probably be the one hanging now.
Hoffman took a deep breath. Sure enough, even the kindest lord is still a lord. It seems he was right. Luc wanted him to move his wife and children to Knight's Castle as a way of keeping an eye on him.

Only Cathy wept slightly and bowed gratefully to Luc.

Just then, a procession for the second market appeared ahead.

Old Pons watched this scene from afar, smacked his lips, and said, "Hey, it seems our Knight Luke is punishing his disrespectful subjects."

"I don't know who made my devout friend angry."

"By the way, Huss, you said you once harassed Knightsburg. How about it, do you regret it now that you've seen this?"

"At the time, I was only serving my lord, and I didn't think Sir Luke would blame me."

A bearded archer, following in old Pons's group, remained silent for a moment before speaking firmly.

"Haha, you guy!"

Old Pons laughed twice. "Don't worry, I have a feeling Luc will take you in. Besides, didn't you bring good news?"

As a friend of Luc, old Pons always believed that a knight recognized by the Church of Cluny must be, like himself, the most devout nobleman.

Naturally, they were very disgusted by Berry's invasion of Knightsburg.

Now, he has brought Luc some good news.

Berry is dead.

(End of this chapter)