Chapter 88

"Thieves! All of you! Trying to steal everything away from me! Everything I've painstakingly endeavoured to raise and protect! But I won't let you! I'll have you rue the day you even dared such a thought! I'll punish all you thieves! With my own two hands!"

- Ketil

Punishment (罰, Batsu) is the 88th chapter of the Vinland Saga series.

Overview
Pater leads Leif and Bug-Eyes to Snake, who refuses to let Thorfinn go until Ketil tells him about the deal. He also refuses to let Leif see Thorfinn at all, as visits to slaves undergoing punishment are forbidden. He agrees to go see Ketil with Leif. Pater asks Leif if he could buy Einar and Arnheid. Wild Dog guards Arnheid, bound in the barn. He tells her how the guests would punish her if it were up to them; Ketil walks in as Wild Dog unbuckles his belt. Ketil sends him away and begins to beat Arnheid with a stick. She tells him she's pregnant, but he refuses to believe the child is his and beats her further. Snake arrives and holds the stick back, telling Ketil he'll kill Arnheid if he keeps going. Ketil walks away. Leif asks him if he can buy Arnheid and Einar; Ketil agrees he can take Thorfinn and Einar, but states that Arnheid is his and that he will not sell her. He goes to his chest and pulls out his sword, saying he'll punish thieves himself, even if one of them is the king.

Summary
Leif, Bug-Eyes and Pater speak to Snake, flanked by Fox. Snake tells Leif that he never heard about Ketil's deal and can't let him see Thorfinn. Leif insists he's telling the truth and that Ketil promised he'd let Thorfinn free. He asks to at least see his face to confirm if he's the Thorfinn he's been looking for. Snake tells him he can do so after he's confirmed with Ketil, as visits to slaves undergoing punishment are forbidden. He notes they've just dealt with a bad situation because that rule wasn't followed. Frustrated that Snake won't budge, he asks him to at least come with him to see Ketil. He apologizes to Pater for having him guide him around the farm at such a busy time. Pater assures him he doesn't mind but wants to ask him a favour as an outsider. He asks Leif if he has enough money to buy additional slaves. Leif confirms he does, especially since Ketil agreed to give him Thorfinn for free. Pater assures Leif that Ketil keeps his promises and that getting Thorfinn and Einar free will be no problem, but that freeing Arnheid will be difficult. Leif wonders who Einar and Arnheid are. Pater acknowledges it's a big request, but asks Leif if he could buy two other slaves. Wild Dog guards the bound Arnheid in the barn. He tells Arnheid that she probably already knows she'll get off with two or three slaps to the rear, since Ketil's too soft on her. He asks Arnheid if she knows how the guests would punish her if it were up to them. She doesn't reply; he approaches her and tells her they'd strip her and take turns raping her while strangling her, dump buckets of cold water on her if she passed out, and do it as many times as the number of their friends who were killed as retribution for their taken lives. He starts lifting her dress and tells her that it's what they'd do to her if she wasn't Ketil's favourite, as the spirits of their fallen comrades wouldn't be able to rest in peace otherwise. He starts unbuckling his belt and asks her if she feels even a bit remorseful; that if she does, he'll take care of that as long as she keeps quiet. Ketil arrives with a stick in hand and asks Wild Dog what he's doing. Ketil tells him to get lost, as he has business with Arnheid. Wild Dog tries to explain what he was up to, but Ketil interrupts him and tells him to leave. Ketil rhetorically asks Arnheid if she tried to run away from him and asks her whose slave she is and who she belongs to. Arnheid quietly replies that she belongs to Ketil. Ketil harshly hits Arnheid with the stick and asks her why she tried to escape if she understood that. He tells her he won't forgive anyone who tries to steal what's rightfully his, even if that someone is her, and digs the stick into her side. Arnheid folds him on herself, tells him she's with child and begs for his forgiveness. Ketil asks her whose child it is. She swears it's Ketil's, who cannot believe her as the person he trusted the most betrayed him. He kicks Arnheid and hits her with the stick over and over again, yelling that all of them are liars and thieves trying to steal everything he painstakingly tried to raise and protect. He keeps hitting her and yells he'll punish all of them with his own hands. As he raises the stick again, Snake grabs onto the other end, stopping him. Pater rushes for Arnheid. Snake tells Ketil that Arnheid's crime deserved a heavy beating, but that any more would kill her. He tells Ketil that since Arnheid is his slave, he has the right to kill her, but asks if he's fine with that outcome; if he is, he'll let go of the stick. Ketil huffs and leaves the stick to Snake; he tells Pater to tend to Arnheid's wounds and walks away. As he leaves, Leif asks if he would sell that slave to him if he doesn't want her. He says he heard Thorfinn has two slave friends on the farm and that he'd like to buy them if possible. Ketil asks him who said he doesn't want Arnheid; that she's his alone and that he will not sell her. He tells Leif that Thorfinn and Einar have done their work and that Leif can take them wherever he wishes. Ketil walks past Thorgil, who asks him where he's been and points out they have a lot of preparations to do. Ketil heads to his chest to get his Ulfberht sword, saying he will not forgive the thieves and will punish them himself, even if one of them is the king.

Characters In Order of Appearance

 * Arnheid
 * Snake
 * Bug-Eyes
 * Leif Ericson
 * Pater
 * Fox
 * Wild Dog
 * Ketil
 * Einar
 * Thorfinn
 * Thorgil