Path To Godhood Begins With Marrying Wife And Gaining SSS Rank Skill

Chapter 631: 631: Punishment

Haster and Duke Osantra quietly listened to the entire confession from beginning to end while the four prisoners continuously revealed one detail after another, and neither of them interrupted even once because they wanted to hear every single detail properly before making any judgment or reaching any conclusions regarding the matter.

The surrounding nobles also remained silent while carefully listening to everything that was being said, and even those who usually enjoyed speaking during such gatherings chose to keep their mouths shut because they understood that this situation had already become far more serious than a simple conflict between two nobles.

The atmosphere was heavy.

A strange pressure lingered over the area.

After hearing all the statements and confessions, Haster immediately ordered an investigation because accusations alone were not enough to punish a noble, and proper verification was necessary before any final decision could be made.

Fortunately, the investigation did not take very long because several intelligence officers quickly moved out and verified the information through military records, witnesses, reports gathered from various checkpoints, and statements collected from villages located along Ethan’s route.

Soon enough, the results came back.

The conclusion was clear.

Marquise Shatad had indeed sent people ahead of Ethan’s forces to spread rumors among the villages and settlements, and those rumors had deliberately painted Ethan as a cruel butcher who tortured civilians, slaughtered innocents, abused his authority, and committed all sorts of crimes against ordinary people.

Because of those rumors, many villagers had reacted with fear, hatred, and hostility whenever Ethan’s forces approached their settlements.

Some threw stones.

Others hurled rotten vegetables.

A few even attempted to attack Ethan’s men despite knowing they were soldiers.

For many nobles, this might have looked like nothing more than a childish prank or a harmless act of mischief.

However, for Ethan, who had repeatedly released civilians instead of enslaving them and who had intentionally shown mercy whenever possible, it created a huge mess and nearly caused multiple incidents that could have ended in unnecessary bloodshed.

After hearing the full report, Haster slowly grabbed his throbbing forehead while feeling another headache forming.

Then he looked directly at Marquise Shatad.

His expression was cold.

"What are you?"

His voice echoed quietly throughout the area.

"A kid?"

Shatad immediately lowered his head and did not dare meet the Crown Prince’s eyes.

Haster narrowed his eyes.

"Causing trouble at a time like this while the Empire is fighting a war for survival."

"Creating internal conflict while the army is on the battlefield."

"Damaging military operations because of personal grievances."

"You will not be forgiven."

The Crown Prince’s voice became even colder.

"Your crimes will be recorded and judged after the war."

Shatad clenched his fists tightly until his knuckles turned white, but he did not dare speak a single word in protest.

Then Haster turned toward Ethan.

His gaze remained stern.

"And you too, Marquise Ethan."

"Fighting inside the military barracks is strictly forbidden regardless of the reason."

"You will be punished as well."

Ethan was not surprised.

In fact, he had already expected this outcome from the very beginning.

"Yes, Your Highness."

He nodded obediently.

Inside his head, however, a completely different thought appeared.

’Yes, punish me and just let me go home.’

The urge to scream those words almost escaped his mouth, but thankfully he managed to suppress it before anyone noticed.

Haster then looked around the destroyed camp.

Broken tents were scattered everywhere.

Cracks covered large sections of the ground.

Several soldiers were nursing injuries.

The sight alone was enough to worsen his headache.

Finally, he waved his hand dismissively.

"Everyone clear up the scene."

"You are dismissed."

With that command, the crowd gradually dispersed while the nobles left one after another, the soldiers returned to their duties, and the officers immediately began organizing repairs and restoring order throughout the camp.

Soon the area became much quieter.

As Ethan started walking away from the scene, a nimble figure quietly approached from the side.

"Ethan."

He turned around immediately.

Regalina stood there.

Her beautiful face carried a complicated expression while her eyes quietly observed him.

"Was there really a need to make such a scene?" she asked softly.

Ethan sighed.

"Regalina, if I don’t make him understand things properly, then he is going to keep causing trouble again and again."

Regalina pressed her lips together for a moment before speaking once more.

"In that case, you should have simply used an opportunity during the war to kill him."

"..."

Ethan blinked several times.

For a brief moment, he was genuinely taken aback.That suggestion had been far more direct than he expected.

"The situation hasn’t deteriorated to that point yet," he replied while shaking his head.

"Also, if I kill him, there will be a huge loss for the army."

"In a situation like this, I don’t want to be the one destabilizing the military while we are fighting a war."

Regalina slowly stepped closer.

Then she suddenly reached out and grabbed Ethan’s face with both hands while gently nudging it left and right as she carefully examined him.

Ethan looked completely confused.

Regalina stared at him for several long moments.

Then she finally spoke.

"People always say you should beware of beautiful faces because they often hide dangerous intentions."

Her eyes remained fixed on him.

"But why are you the complete opposite of what people say?"

Ethan raised an eyebrow.

"Why does it bother you so much that I choose to be kind sometimes?"

Ethan looked directly into her eyes before chuckling softly.

"Kind?"

"Did you mistake me for a Saint or some preacher of justice?"

Regalina remained silent.

Ethan shrugged his shoulders."I am not a saint."

"I am not someone standing on some high moral ground while preaching to others."

"I am simply someone whose morality is slightly more flexible depending on the situation."

The two stood quietly for a moment while neither of them spoke.

Ethan found himself looking into her beautiful eyes

.....

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