Dragon Genesis: I Can Create Dragons - Chapter 558: You must look into the eyes of the man you kill.

Chapter 558: You must look into the eyes of the man you kill.

“Any traitor found in the future will be executed.

No matter the reason.

No matter the fear.

No matter the excuse.

No matter what side he comes from.

And no matter if he begs later.

Betrayal will be met with execution.”

Morvain declared with a cold look on her face. Zakaar translated instantly, and the people reacted.

The Stonefangs liked it.

Their rule was clear.

Betrayal meant death. The more painful it was, the better.

As for the Velmourns…

They stiffened.

They too held a strong hatred for traitors, but execution…

While it didn’t feel too much, a few could not help but feel that they were being influenced by Stonefang culture, and that idea did not sit well with them, no matter how much they agreed with it.

Morvain stayed silent for the next few moments, letting the people absorb what she had just said.

It was a direct warning, and she wanted her people to know that.

Then, as her gaze slowly scanned the Velmourn crowd, reading and noting their expressions, she continued—

“If you have a problem with what the council decides, you step forward and you speak.

You do not whisper to the enemy, you come to us.

Do not trade blood for comfort.”

Then, her gaze turned even colder and—

“And even after the warning, you decide to do something… foolish.

Know that there will be consequences.

Dire consequences.

Do not think you will be able to hide it.

Do not think you will be able to get away.

We will know.

And no excuse will save you then.”

She spoke, her gaze looking so piercing that it felt like she could see through minds, and as those words spread through the space—

A heavy silence fell.

Many agreed, some gulped, feeling the tension in the air, while some stared at Fraza, waiting for him to meet his deserving end.

Morvain saw it. They saw the hurry, the anger, the… disgust, and she nodded.

“The Wall keeps us alive.”

She spoke one last time,

“And anyone who tries to break it will be buried under it.”

She then looked at the kneeling Fraza and—

“Today, we see it happen.”

Zakaar translated those words, the crowd took a long breath, as if preparing themselves.

Then Morvain stepped back.

The next step should have been the executioner stepping forward after Morvain’s gesture.

Everyone expected Gruumak.

The Stonefangs expected their chief to do it himself. It was only right. The traitor should be killed by the chief; that was the Law.

Gruumak was the same—he expected to be called, like it was decided.

Kael expected that too.

He had already heard it through Imperia. He had already watched the setup. He had already watched Gruumak’s men and Gruumak himself prepare.

But Morvain did not gesture toward Gruumak like everyone expected.

She turned.

And then she pointed at Kael.

“Lord Kael,”

She said, loud enough for all to hear.

“Step forward.”

Kael’s body froze for half a second.

It was small.

Most people would not notice it.

But Lavinia, whose eyes were on Kael all the time, noticed it.

Gruumak, on the other hand, frowned in confusion. He did not understand what was happening. He slowly turned his head toward Morvain with a question in his eyes and Morvain…

She looked back at him, then she gave him a short, meaningful nod.

Gruumak’s frown deepened. For a moment, he kept staring at Morvain, still confused, still not understanding what the Velmourn Matriarch wanted, but then, he sensed something and… then he looked at Kael.

And something clicked as he recalled the memory.

Kael’s hesitation when he fought them, how he… did not kill.

Gruumak remembered that well. He was among the first people who noticed that hesitation and commanded his people to push forward until Kael couldn’t take it anymore.

Flying man was strong.

But flying man had weakness too.

Flying man did not kill.

And flying man… he needed to kill.

Because everything happening, flying man needed to kill fast, because flying man strength was needed.

Kael needed to be prepared, physically and mentally, for what was about to come, and Gruumak realized it.

So even though he knew his people might not like it, that according to Stonefang Law he should be the one executing—

He nodded at Kael, letting him do it in his stead.

Kael’s frown deepened.

For a moment, he too was confused.

What were they planning?

What were they thinking?

But very quickly, he understood it as well.

He too could feel it—the deep unwillingness in his heart. Yes, he had learned to kill, he had killed his fair share of people at this point.

The number was already in two digits and would be reaching three digits soon, but…

Those killings were still done in a fit of anger.

When his emotions became… too overwhelming for him to control.

But today was different.

Today, they wanted him to kill with a straight, clear mind.

In that short moment, Kael understood that this was no longer about Fraza.

This was about him.

About what kind of leader he was going to become.

There was still some hesitation in his steps, but that was when Lavinia stepped closer and gently pressed her hand against Kael’s back.

She did not say anything; she just… nodded.

Go.

It was a quiet command, and Kael…

He swallowed.

He forced his heart to slow down.

Then he stepped forward.

Snow crunched under his boots as he walked toward the platform. The yard followed him with thousands of eyes. Velmourn gazes did not change; in fact, many wanted their god to be the executioner.

Stonefangs, on the other hand, looked at him with complicated looks. They were dissatisfied, but their chief had ordered it.

So they did not know how to react.

Not to mention, Kael himself was someone almost all Stonefangs loved—the man who gave them food.

Kael, on the other hand, slowly climbed onto the platform. For some reason, he felt like the wind here was stronger and colder than below.

Fraza was still kneeling with his head pressed down.

Kael took out his sword from his Sanctuary.

For a moment, he stared at the back of Fraza’s head.

Then Fraza turned his eye sideways again, forcing himself to look up as much as the block allowed.

Kael saw the anger in that eye.

The hate.

The refusal.

And Kael’s throat tightened.

He looked away without thinking.

But that very instant—

“Look at him.”

Morvain commanded in her cold voice.

Kael’s head turned toward her with a frown, but Morvain’s cold expression did not change.

“You must look into the eyes of the man you kill.”

She spoke in a steady voice.

“That is the price.”

Kael’s gaze hardened. Not only him—the entire space grew silent, even the Stonefangs, who heard Zakaar’s translation, reacted the same way.

Morvain took one step closer, her cloak brushing snow as she looked into Kael’s eyes.

“If you cannot carry that weight, then you have no right to swing the blade.

If you want to lead people through blood and war, then you do not look away.

You remember the face.

You remember the eyes.

You carry the burden for the rest of your life.”

Morvain’s voice lowered, but somehow… it struck even harder now.

“And that burden will remind you, every day… what you are doing.

And why you are doing it.”

Kael’s grip tightened around his sword. For a moment, he glanced at Lavinia—the Mage nodded at him, agreeing with everything Morvain said.

Kael’s jaw clenched.

Then, slowly—

He forced himself to turn back.

He forced himself to look.

His eyes met Fraza’s.

And Fraza stared back, his hatred, his anger, and his… fear, all becoming even stronger.

Kael held that gaze, forcing himself not to flinch for even a moment.

And then,

He raised his hand.

The sword rose high with it, catching the pale winter light. Kael’s arm did not shake, but every muscle felt heavy, as if the blade carried more weight than just steel.

He kept his eyes on Fraza’s, like he was told to.

Fraza’s single visible eye burned with even stronger hate and fear, and Kael… he remembered that gaze, burning it into his mind.

Then,

His sword came down.

And—

Slash

It cut clean.

One sharp motion.

Fraza’s head parted from his body and dropped forward, his body held only by the chains around his neck.

Hot and bright blood poured fast, spilling over the wooden block and dripping onto the snow below.

For a long moment, nothing moved.

The whole space stood silent.

Thousands of eyes watched the blood, the flinching headless body that had finally stopped moving.

The Stonefangs stood stiff and proud.

The Velmourns stared with more complicated looks on their faces.

No one cheered.

No one spoke.

Even the wind seemed to pause.

Kael stood still. The sword hung at his side. Blood ran down the blade and fell on the snow. He felt the cold, heavy weight Morvain had spoken of settle on his chest.

He felt the eyes in Fraza’s severed head still staring at him, accusing him of ending his life, ending… another life.

His heartbeat slowed down and felt louder and louder in his ears.

Long seconds passed in that silence.

But then—

That silence shifted as Kael, who was standing still all this while with a dull, solemn expression on his face, suddenly moved.

His eyes widened.

The calm broke and the shock flooded in, then the shock was replaced by pure horror.

“WE ARE BEING ATTACKED!”

He screamed loudly, his voice making the entire space flinch, and before the confused people could understand what just happened—

“COME TO STONEFANG QUARTERS!

BRING THE HEALERS!”

The moment he said those words—

Kael pushed off the platform and… he flew away.

Towards the Stonefang Quarter.