Chapter 66: Judgment

Hall of Starfire.

Beneath a crystal dome reflecting countless battles like a celestial curtain, twelve obsidian prisms burned with torches that blazed as if they would never fade.

Xia Mingyu arrived here carrying a thick stack of parchment detailing the crimes of the wicked.

At the long table, Tamerlan was teaching Shi how to read; upon seeing him, both rose quickly and bowed.

“Your Highness, I mistakenly thought you wished for a pleasant dream tonight, so I overstepped—please forgive my presumption.”

Tamerlan apologized.

Seriously? Is this even worth apologizing for?

Xia Mingyu’s lip twitched; ever since he’d been reborn in this other world, he felt he’d lost basic human rights, treated instead like some monstrous god-king from his homeland.

“It’s fine. Both of you, help me review these.”

Xia Mingyu sat in the main seat and spread the thick stack of crime scrolls across the long table.

Tamerlan picked up one parchment at random; its contents immediately made him frown.

Mor, gatekeeper of the Golden Jasmine Brothel, is known to have ordered the deaths of approximately seventeen people, forced thirty-one women into prostitution, and seven men into male prostitution, using exceptionally cruel methods—recommend execution.

These crimes were jointly identified by twenty prostitutes and thirty residents of Langyazhen, and confirmed under interrogation by interrogator Danielle Marsha.

“Your Highness, these are...” Tamerlan couldn’t help asking.

“I’ve been residing in a territory recently; after my persuasion, the local lord decided to carry out a just purge—eliminating all brothels, gangs, and ruffians within the land.”

“These are the crime scrolls of the arrested wicked. I need you both to help me determine how to judge their crimes,” Xia Mingyu said calmly.

If he judged alone, bias might creep in; but with Tamerlan and Shi—two righteous souls who shared his will—judgment could be truly fair.

“Above the Sun and the God of Justice, Your Highness Mingyu, you are the most righteous person I have ever encountered. I never imagined someone of your noble stature, at the pinnacle of the world, would care so deeply for common folk.”

At these words, Tamerlan’s azure eyes shimmered with profound reverence—as if Xia Mingyu before him were not a living man, but a guiding light on his path.

Ugh!

For the first time, Xia Mingyu was stared at with such burning intensity by a man; he shuddered and turned his head away.

To his left, on the bronze seat, Shi sat quietly flipping through the crime scrolls; after days of literacy lessons, he could now read these common characters.

Though his face was covered in countless scars, Xia Mingyu somehow sensed a deep weight and suppression in him.

“Your Highness, I am honored to judge these wicked alongside you. I will offer my humble suggestions; if they conflict with your judgment, please disregard them and follow your heart.”

Tamerlan bowed slightly, humbly.

“...I feel the same, Your Highness,” Shi said in a low voice.

Though he didn’t believe he had the talent to judge the wicked, if the Prince asked, he would fulfill it.

Rustle. rustle. rustle.

At the bronze table, the three first skimmed through the crime scrolls.

“Your Highness, in judging the wicked, the foremost task must be establishing the standard for execution.”

Tamerlan frowned tightly.

The sheer volume of crimes on the scrolls, and the victims’ testimonies, made his scalp crawl.

Rape, severing limbs and sending them to parents, cannibalism—Tamerlan’s hands clenched involuntarily; a fierce killing intent brewed in his azure eyes.

As a Holy Knight, he had dealt with violent crimes during patrols in Sunhalo City, but that was the Holy City of the Sun Church, bathed in the glory of the Sun God—few wicked dared commit such crimes openly.

Thus, this was his first time confronting such horrifying evil firsthand.

“I agree with your view. Tell me your standard for execution.” Xia Mingyu said coolly.

The first great nation of humanity, the Kingdom of Klay, its monarch—the Star King Joshua Klay—once stated in the Ancient Code: “An eye for an eye, a tooth for a tooth.”

“I believe any wicked who have shed the blood of the innocent deserve execution,” Tamerlan said slowly.

“For those who did not cause death, punishment should be imprisonment for a term proportional to the crime,” he added.

“Your view on execution is reasonable, but I do not fully agree,” Xia Mingyu shifted tone.

“If we imprison every wicked who did not kill an innocent, the daily grain consumption would be enormous.”

Xia Mingyu’s expression turned cold; in this medieval-like world, grain was always scarce.

Even if I fed them bran meant for livestock, I couldn’t accept it—livestock still had value!

“What if we sell them as slaves, and use the money to improve the victims’ lives?” Tamerlan considered.

This kid... he’s a Holy Knight, but he’s ruthless.

Xia Mingyu glanced at the handsome young man, then stole a sidelong look at Shi; seeing no change in his expression, he continued:

“A good suggestion, but I believe slavery itself is an institution inherently filled with evil—it will one day be eradicated, so I reject it,” Xia Mingyu said calmly.

“Shi, what do you think?” Xia Mingyu asked the giant who had remained silent, eyes fixed on the scrolls.

“...These are all criminals. I believe they should all be killed,” the giant said after a long silence.

During the previous exchange, he had read every single scroll; even the least guilty among them had committed rape or theft.

No matter the reason, no matter the degree of evil, all were criminals.

As criminals, they must be destroyed—including... himself.

Xia Mingyu: “...”

Damn. One’s radical, one’s extreme—I’m the moderate here?

“Alright, I’ll sentence three-quarters of these wicked to death; the rest we’ll decide later. Help me pick out the worst offenders first,” Xia Mingyu sighed.

He was a kind man—he’d only kill three-quarters; the remaining quarter could starve slowly.

“Your Highness, this brothel enforcer didn’t kill anyone, but forced five prostitutes and one male prostitute—recommend execution.”

“Your Highness, this gang member forced multiple townspeople into unpayable debts, driving them from their homes—recommend execution.”

By the time the prisms of the Hall of Starfire grew translucent, signaling dawn and the awakening of dreamers, the three had finally finalized the execution list after a night’s labor.

“Thank you for helping me. I will build a guillotine, so all victims may witness the heads of these oppressors piled like worthless trash—and then burned to ash,” Xia Mingyu said calmly.

“It is my honor, Your Highness.”

Tamerlan and Shi exchanged a glance and spoke in unison.

(End of Chapter)