Excessive ferocity due to caution

A group of people stepped forward, intending to capture Zhao Yi.

Surprisingly, Zhao Yi offered no resistance.

He came here to experience what the witch had gone through, to see with his own eyes what the witch had suffered.

Zhao Yi was tightly bound with ropes, and both of them were taken to the square and nailed to crosses.

Below the cross, there was a large pile of dry firewood.

The square was divided into two groups of people.

A group of them were spontaneously organized by the local militia. They didn't have much fighting power; they mainly wanted to ride the coattails of the witch craze and gain some influence, hoping to get a piece of the action if they could.

The other group consisted of about a hundred organized and disciplined Silver Knights from the church.

These people were escorting a very stylishly dressed man.

He's not ugly at all; in fact, you could say he's quite handsome.

At this moment, he sat in the judge's seat, appearing somewhat uneasy.

To Zhao Yi's surprise, the witch who had been muttering to herself in the cellar that her husband would help her clear her name appeared unusually calm when she was tied to the rack.

The priestess silently watched the man sitting on the judge's bench, without saying a word.

Her eyes were no longer as cloudy as they had been in the cellar.

Upon noticing this detail, Zhao Yi immediately knew that the man in the judge's seat was the witch's husband.

"Khaki, who is this man?"

His gaze shifted to Zhao Yi, and the guest asked the question.

The militia leader who captured Zhao Yi hurriedly stepped forward, a smile plastered on his face, and said:

"He's an accomplice of the witch!"

"Several of our brothers guarding the cellar were killed by this man; he wanted to rescue the witch!"

"Luckily, the younger one noticed quickly and caught him in time!"

Krebin frowned and stared at Zhao Yi, asking:

"Are you an accomplice of the witch?"

At this moment, the witch who was tied to the stake spoke:

"He's not a bad person, and I don't know him."

Zhao Yi glanced at the witch with some surprise.

The woman can no longer hear.

But she could still roughly guess what the people outside were saying.

The priestess clearly knew these people very well.

Therefore, she most likely knew that the person who betrayed her was actually her husband.

She didn't want to plead in front of Clayton because she wanted to preserve her last bit of dignity.

Just like when she was deeply in love, she set aside her unparalleled pride and, in a moment of infatuation, said those words to her husband:

"If Mesa refuses to surrender... then let her perish."

She desecrated her own dignity and gave everything to this man.

If she regrets it now, the shrine maiden will despise herself.

So when her husband betrayed her, she neither cursed nor begged, but chose to remain silent.

Seeing Mesa speak up for Zhao Yi, Claybin, who had been somewhat uneasy, was completely filled with jealousy.

That damn bitch, she actually spoke up for other men?

"This man who risked his life to save you, is he your lover?"

"The bloodline of the priestesses is indeed utterly filthy; every pore of yours reeks of stench!"

"Clapham said coldly to Mesa."

Even though Mesa couldn't hear at all.

Because she couldn't hear, she didn't answer, nor did she defend herself.

But Zhao Yi spoke up.

Despite having a nail piercing his chest, he showed no sign of pain, only smiling at Clapham:

"You must be Lord Clapin?"

"Before I am burned at the stake, I have a few questions for you."

"I hope you can answer me."

Clapham's eyes flickered; though he was extremely displeased, he still agreed.

He told himself that he was no longer the farmer he used to be; he was now a high-ranking marquis, and he had to be elegant and dignified.

Klein deliberately adjusted his clothes and said calmly:

"Ask away."

"Although you are an accomplice of the witches, seeing that you are about to be burned at the stake, I, the Marquis, will mercifully answer your question."

Zhao Yidao:

"Has Mesa ever used witchcraft to harm anyone?"

Klein's eyes darted away:

"She has the blood of the Witch King flowing through her veins, so naturally she's a bad person."

Zhao Yi asked again:

"Has Mesa ever used witchcraft to save someone?"

Kleiner frowned, his tone somewhat stiff:

"Witches only harm people, how could they save them?"

Zhao Yi laughed.

In Ke Laibin's eyes, Zhao Yi's smile was even more dazzling than the torches beside him.

"One last question, Lord Clapin...did you ever love Mesa?"

This time, Krebin replied decisively and resolutely:

"No!"

"No normal person would love a dirty and evil witch."

"And what about me?"

Zhao Yidao:

"I initially thought you decided to abandon your wife for the sake of the estate and the title..."

Upon hearing this, Kleibin glanced somewhat flusteredly at the White Knights beside him, then said coldly, his anger barely contained:

"For the manor and the title?"

"How ridiculous!"

"Sure enough, those who associate with witches are all blinded by fame and fortune!"

"Indeed, people like you are probably only interested in manors and titles!"

"But what I saw... was holy light and justice!"

Zhao Yi stared at Ke Laibin and said:

"You know she's a good person."

He paused, then glanced at the militiamen again:

"You all know that too."

Many of the militia members who had spontaneously formed nearby lowered their heads or looked into the distance.

Many of them had actually received kindness from Mesa.

Because of local poverty, when they got sick they didn't have the money to see the doctor the church sent to town, so they usually went to Mesa for treatment.

Although Mesa used some strange medicines and spells, she ultimately cured their illnesses, so none of them reported her to the church's office.

It's certainly not because they are grateful.

It's not because they genuinely don't have the money to see a doctor.

Now that Mesa's true identity as a witch has been revealed, they no longer remember her kindness and only think about how to get a share of her benefits.

If you perform well, you can get a job at Lord Clapham's manor. Why worry about not having money for medical treatment in the future?

"You're seriously ill for mistaking a witch for a good person."

At this moment, the leader of the Silver Knights spoke.

He was completely encased in silver armor, exuding an aura of justice.

"A person as depraved as you can only be redeemed through fire."

Zhao Yi smiled and said:

"Then what are you waiting for?"

His smile and flippant tone were like a sharp dagger that pierced through the heavy silver armor and into the heart of the Silver Knights commander!

The latter got angry.

He turned to stare at Clapham and said in a deep voice:

"Marquis, let's begin!"

Beads of sweat appeared on Krebin's forehead as he hurriedly said:

"good!"

He stood up and read aloud:

"I, Marquis Claybin of the Ronald Empire, in the name of justice and fairness of the church, declare the purification ceremony for evil... to begin now!"

"Long live the Church! Long live the Empire! Long live justice!"

The slight shame on the militiamen's faces transformed into fervor amidst waves of cheering and shouting:

"Long live!"

"Long live!"

"Long live!"

P.S.: Third update.

Okay, as expected, another unexpected thing happened today; the dungeon wasn't finished.

I spent some time working on the kernel of this copy, and I don't really want to rush to finish it.

Unlike Twilight Manor, which is purely a dungeon focused on plot twists and thrills, even if the ending is a bit faster, it doesn't significantly affect the overall story.

However, if the ending of a story with a strong core is too rushed, it will greatly affect the viewing experience.

Alright, enough chit-chat, let's get to the game stream.

See you in the comments section.