I'll also work hard to conquer the dungeon today.

Chapter 514, page 2.1-29: The Crown: The Treasure of a Lost Dynasty
Noyce stared at the ten people bound to the torches in the square, his expression a mixture of reluctance and hesitation. He was least adept at overseeing executions, especially when it required him to personally give the order to kill them.

"Lord Noyce?" the man beside him whispered a reminder.

He frowned, took a few steps forward, his long, dark purple hair tied in a ponytail that swayed gently in the breeze behind his head. He heard the constant insults and sobs around him, and his expression became complex as he lowered his gaze.

"What's wrong? Can't bring yourself to do it?" Bertias leaped through the crowd onto the altar in the square, his blue-gray eyes giving Noys a half-smile as he asked.

“That’s ten lives,” Noyce said in a low voice.

“But mistakes must be punished, and death is the best outcome for them. You probably don’t want them to suffer a fate worse than death, do you? I remember that initially, the king wanted to throw them into the snake pit, but I spoke up for burning them at the stake because I saw that you couldn’t bear it. Shouldn’t Noyce thank me?”

Bertias chuckled, but his blue-gray eyes looked at him coldly without the slightest hint of a smile, his indifference reaching its extreme.

"It seems you were the one who kidnapped them in the first place, weren't you?" Noyce said slowly, frowning and suppressing a sudden surge of anger.

"Because I saw them acting suspiciously, as if they were doing something shady. In order to protect the king's safety, it is only right that we arrest the thieves," Bertias said with an unchanged smile.

This statement was simply a fabricated excuse made on the spot. Bertias did this because he saw that they had contacted Noyce privately. Unfortunately, he couldn't tell Noyce about it; their relationship wasn't close enough for them to confide in each other.

Moreover, he now strongly suspects that Noyce is actually connected with that hidden force, otherwise why would he always be able to arrive just in time?

“So, did you see them actually do anything?” Noyce asked.

"It seems like they didn't, but I can imagine what they were going to do, so it doesn't matter. Even if they didn't do it then, they would have done it later. I just stopped them. It's not a big problem," Bertias shook his head and smiled.

Noyce: "..." What the hell is this imagination?

Bertias wasn't one to joke or make a fuss, but when he did, it meant the person in front of him was absolutely not trustworthy; he was subconsciously putting on an act for him.

“I almost forgot, the king asked me to give you a message: burn whoever you think deserves to die among these people.” Bertias suddenly exclaimed, “Ah!” as if realizing something.

“In my eyes, people who attempt crimes don’t deserve to die, and they all said they didn’t do anything,” Noyce said, shaking her head.

“Then, how about I make the decision for you?” Bertias took the torch from the soldier beside him, gave Noyce a cryptic smile, and then walked toward the ten men without hesitation.

"Wait!" Noyce's expression changed, and she shouted as she chased after him.

"Hmm? Changed your mind?" Bertias asked coldly, looking at Noys.

This statement has two meanings. First, it asks whether Noyce has changed his mind and told him what his purpose is. Second, it asks whether he has decided to take action himself.

Noyce, her face grim, didn't answer immediately, but simply held Beltias's hand holding the torch in silence. "I don't want to wait too long, and you don't want me to tell the King, do you?" Beltias said with a light laugh, her blue-gray eyes fixed on Noyce's figure, a hint of malice creeping into them.

“What a nasty fellow,” Noyce said coldly.

"You flatter me. So, are you willing to talk now?" Bertias chuckled softly and asked gently.

Noyce released Bertias's wrist, took a step back, and said, "They were the workers I summoned to investigate and monitor the temple because I suspect that the temple's holy son has connections with the Dark Side."

His blue-gray eyes swept over Noyce, then quietly settled on the torch in his hand.

The next second, he casually tossed the person onto the fire stand, and flames instantly ignited.

"What are you doing!" Noyce shouted angrily.

“I’m helping you silence witnesses. If the king or anyone else finds out, you’ll likely end up like them. The Holy Son of the Temple has power no less than the king’s. If he slanders you, no one can save you. So it’s better to get rid of these unnecessary messes now.”

Bertias placed a hand on Noyce's shoulder and whispered in his ear, his blue-gray eyes filled with a cold light, indifferent and ruthless.

"What exactly is human life in your eyes?!" Noyce couldn't understand Bertias's way of thinking. Why could he resolve things so easily?
"Human life? Human life is as worthless as a bug in my eyes. After all, I was as lowly as an ant in their eyes back then. Why should they be the only ones who can see me that way, but I'm not allowed to see them that way?" Bertias chuckled, his tone tinged with disgust.

“People are different. You can’t generalize an individual’s mistake to the entire race. That’s wrong,” Noyce said, frowning in disapproval.

"What a good kid with sound values, it's a pity I went astray from the start. Don't try to persuade me, I won't listen. How could someone like you, who has never experienced pain, understand the humiliation I suffered?"

He turned his head to look at the ever-growing flames, feeling a slight pain from the heat. Bertias brushed past Noyce's body, his blue-gray eyes only filled with darkness and uncertainty.

Noyce lowered his head and did not answer Bertias. His expression was tinged with sadness as he murmured, "Yes, I have suffered humiliation and all that, but I just don't want to implicate anyone because of it. The others are innocent."

He tugged at his cloak, trying to cover his scarred body. The injuries he suffered as a child had long since healed, but the scars all over his body remained, telling him how he had been tortured to the point of wishing he were dead.

Even so, he didn't want to resent anyone. Perhaps it was because human nature is inherently good, but he believed that one day those people would realize their mistakes and that his revenge would only be sending them to prison.

They should repent for their mistakes. He will not forgive them, but he will not hurt them either. Otherwise, what difference would there be between him and them?

He's just living his life in his own way, can you please not deny him?

(End of this chapter)