[{"data":1,"prerenderedAt":-1},["ShallowReactive",2],{"origin-the-villain-s-pov":3,"chapter-the-villain-s-pov-the-villain-s-pov-chapter-222":6},{"origin":4,"title":5},"english","THE VILLAIN'S POV",{"chapter":7,"nextChapterSlug":20,"prevChapterSlug":21,"totalChapters":22,"novelImage":23},{"id":8,"novel_id":9,"title":10,"slug":11,"index":12,"content":13,"wordcount":14,"created_at":15,"updated_at":16,"volume":17,"translator":18,"content_hash":19},336659,598,"Chapter 222: To Live or to Die (2)","the-villain-s-pov-chapter-222",222,"\u003Cp>Without saying a word, his mere fiery presence gradually silenced the courtroom.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The old man, with his flaming beard, chuckled lightly as he stood beside Frey.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Look at yourselves... all of you... throwing your knives at this boy,\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>desperately trying to stab him.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>He lifted Frey's head for all to see.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Frey, however, remained utterly vacant,\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>as if he wasn't even there.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>His black eyes... looked completely dead.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Everyone watched in heavy silence as they witnessed his face ...\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>a face radiating overwhelming despair and infinite emptiness.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Tell me .. what do you see?\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>A criminal?\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>A murderer?\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Iris slowly shook his head.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"He's nothing more than a child... A child who hasn't even fully matured yet.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The old man released Frey, shifting his attention back to everyone around him.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"I'm not denying that he committed a terrible act, a crime beyond question ..\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>but he's still a young man, barely at the start of his journey, not even half the age of most of you.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Iris pressed forward deliberately with heavy words:\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Yes, he should be held accountable. Yes, he must atone for his sins ..\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>but not through death.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>He isn't just some ordinary individual... His talent is tremendous... He's a miracle!\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Something the world had never seen before.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"We must not bury such a gift.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>A talent that, while it took thirty-eight lives, could one day save countless more ..\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>with the right guidance and proper education.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Surely you felt it too, didn't you? When you saw him fight.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Iris pointed out something that many had overlooked.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"You witnessed his struggle .. how he climbed from the very bottom,\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>how he rose up to challenge monsters,\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>and how, in the end, he became a monster himself.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Frey's journey in the Victoriad, the epic that told the story of his struggle...\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Even if many accused him of cheating,\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>for a brief moment, all of you saw yourselves in him.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>With modest talent,\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>he carved a path toward the summit.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Many imagined themselves in his place,\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>because he resembled them.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>And many of the young had raised him up,\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>declaring him their hero.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>His fight... was never hidden.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Everyone had witnessed it.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Iris' words were powerful.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Yet, despite this, an opposing voice rang out:\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"You're only defending him because of his talent!\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"You're trying to save him simply because he holds a high status!\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Iris' words were both true and false at the same time.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Frey Starlight was no longer a youth of modest talent ..\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>he had been revealed as a monster with unknown limits.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Naturally, much of the public resented Iris' defense.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>In their eyes, if Frey had been an ordinary killer, without talent or a powerful family,\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>they would have executed him immediately, regardless of his age or circumstances.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>To them, this all reeked of pure hypocrisy.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>But Iris showed no sign of anger.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Instead, he flashed a terrifying smile.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"You're absolutely right!\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Everyone was taken aback by his unexpected reaction.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"You say I'm biased because of his talent? Of course I am!\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Who ever said that all lives are equal?!\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>He continued unleashing words that left the courtroom bewildered.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"I'm telling you ... we must let him live precisely because of his talent.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Because he is gifted,\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>because he can offer something extraordinary to this empire!\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>That is how worth is measured here nothing else.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Morality meant little in the world they lived in.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Double standards were the norm inside the empire that had survived countless horrors.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>A person's life depended heavily on the value they could bring to the empire.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>That was the truth Iris was delivering.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>At that moment, Ivar Valerion's eyes widened slightly as he recalled what Maekar Valerion had said on that day:\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"His worth... will determine his fate.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Could this have been the Emperor's true meaning all along?\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Iris Sunlight declared his stance with pride,\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>fully aware he was attracting hostility and disdain from many within the hall.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Meanwhile, Ada Starlight watched how Iris had fought for her brother ..\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>with a ferocity she hadn't imagined.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>At last, she understood why the old man had insisted on speaking instead of her.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Iris Sunlight was someone who had lived too long,\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>who had seen too much...\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>A truly unfathomable man.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Maekar himself nodded with a faint smile,\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>releasing his aura once more to silence the courtroom completely.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Well said, Iris Sunlight,\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>the Emperor declared.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"In the end, it is a man's worth that determines his fate.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The audience grimaced at Maekar's direct support of Iris' stance.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Iris simply nodded respectfully toward Maekar.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Your wisdom is truly admirable... Your Majesty.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The Lord of Sunlight gracefully stepped back,\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>leaving the rest for the Emperor to handle.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"I would now like to hear the opinions of everyone present.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>In order, the courtroom allowed each major group to express their stance.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>House Starlight...\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Their position was made absolutely clear by Ada Starlight's powerful statement:\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>they fully supported her brother and firmly rejected any possibility of his execution.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>House Moonlight...\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>To everyone's surprise,\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Frost Moonlight declared that their house would remain completely neutral regarding the case.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>He stated that any rumors about House Moonlight seeking Frey's death were merely fabricated by certain disgruntled members of their family.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The young lord of House Moonlight showed clear maturity as he declared his family's stance without hesitation.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The Church.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>They were perhaps the decisive factor, the main force that had demanded Frey's execution.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Yet to everyone's shock, the Church suddenly announced its neutrality!\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Their sudden reversal, after being so vocal in calling for Frey's death, was blatant hypocrisy.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>You could practically feel the suffocating frustration radiating from Blatter.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>But he couldn't do a thing once the Hero himself declared his support for Frey Starlight out of nowhere.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Since Snow Lionheart was the bearer of Vermithor,\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>his decisions were seen as the embodiment of the Will of the Lord of light.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Opposing him would mean directly opposing their god's will—and completely destroying their credibility.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The High Priest was finally experiencing the dark side of appointing a Hero ..\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>becoming shackled to the whims of a 17-year-old boy named Snow Lionheart.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Blatter quietly wondered whether it was even possible to manipulate that young man anymore,\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>especially after gaining the constant backing of Saintess Yurasha.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>It was a true disaster.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>One that brought a subtle smile to Emperor Maekar's face.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The Emperor then requested the opinions of his children, since one of them would inherit the throne one day.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Sansa Valerion did not hesitate.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>She openly and boldly voiced her full support for Frey Starlight.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"His execution would be the stupidest decision this empire has ever made since its founding.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>With that powerful declaration,\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>having already helped dismantle the hidden forces that sought Frey's death,\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>and cleverly securing the presence of a major influencer like Oliver Khan at her side,\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Sansa had gained a significant advantage with seemingly simple moves.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"You claim he's just a murderer...\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>But to me, he's the man who saved my life when no one else would.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The princess spoke of how Frey had risked everything to save her inside the Temple.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>A person like that...\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>did not deserve death.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>She made her stance crystal clear.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Her dark eyes briefly glanced toward her brother sitting on the opposite side.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Aegon Valerion sat quietly, wearing his usual smile.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Yet his gaze never once left Frey Starlight.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>This insect who had grown into a monster,\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>whose true size even he could not yet measure.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>A being who had survived every attempt on his life,\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>who had defied logic with miracle after miracle…\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Before Frey, for the first time ...\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Aegon felt something he hadn't even felt toward his father, nor the Empire, nor the Ultras ..\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Despair.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The despair of facing true defeat.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Frey Starlight had, quietly, become Aegon's top priority.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Calmly, Aegon expressed his stance:\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"I will remain neutral.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The prince decided to play it safe.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Of course, he wanted Frey dead,\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>but he couldn't afford to be the sole open opposition.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>That would've been pure idiocy.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Now, very clearly,\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>almost every major power was against Frey's execution.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Everyone was left bewildered\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>at how quickly Frey's situation had turned around overnight.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>And it was all thanks to the old man sitting back with a satisfied smile ..\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Iris Sunlight.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>He had overturned what seemed like an impossible situation in record time,\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>showing that the terror of the old generation was not only on the battlefield...\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>but in the political arena as well.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Everyone could now feel the momentum of the court shifting completely in Frey Starlight's favor.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Yet Maekar had not announced the verdict.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>There was still one person left whose voice had yet to be heard.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>That person... was Frey Starlight himself.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"I would like to hear what the accused has to say,\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Maekar declared, his voice echoing throughout the silent courtroom.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>In other words, Maekar was giving Frey a chance to defend himself ... and perhaps tip the scales fully in his favor after all the support he had gained.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Finally, all attention was focused on the boy at the center.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Frey Starlight,\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>who had remained vacant and detached all this time, his eyes still staring blankly into the void.\u003C\u002Fp>",1533,"2026-05-30T03:41:22.346Z","2026-06-01T04:30:12.387Z",1,"novelbin.me","ee6034cd8ebf62a0a4a41b8fb48b1dee20c6e1f673840c81bed9aad008d16fcf","the-villain-s-pov-chapter-223","the-villain-s-pov-chapter-221",866,"https:\u002F\u002Fnovelzhen.com\u002Fimages\u002Fcovers\u002Fthe-villain-s-pov-cover.jpg"]