he sadness at the bottom of his heart. He tugged at the corners of his lips. “You are extraordinary Royal Guards... Thank you.”

Beldin’s words froze in his mouth. He was unable to utter any words. “Your Highness...”

Samel turned his head as though he wanted to immerse himself in darkness. His expression was unclear.

Thales tried hard to smile. With his weak body, he turned to the other three men.

“Calvary scout of the Vanguard Division, Jonah Canon. Guard of the Defense Division, Sol Bruley. And you, Gutee Tardin of noble birth.”

When they heard their names being called, Canon shuddered while he held Nalgi’s body. He did not dare look up. Bruley sobbed in pain. Tardin even turned his head to the other side, feeling ashamed.

“All of you were involved in the conspiracy and chaos back then, and you even took part in it. You were part of the Bloody Year, caused the misfortune of the royal family, brought about the disaster of the kingdom, and your crimes cannot possibly be eliminated.”

The three men felt even sadder. Canon buried his face into Nalgi’s bosom as he sobbed continuously. Burley knelt down on the floor. There was a blank look on his face. Tardin bit down on his lips and seemed prepared.

Thales looked at the three men with complicated emotions in his heart. It was impossible for him to describe those emotions.

But in the end, he still took a deep breath and shook his head.

“However...” Thales revealed a faint smile.

“...I forgive you.”

The air was as still as death.

Beldin opened his eyes wide. Even Samel furrowed his brow. The three men concerned, be it Tardin, Bruley, or Canon, were completely dumbfounded at that moment.

Tardin instinctively said, “Your Highness—”

Thales did not let him continue. Instead, he spoke faintly while he looked at Nalgi and Naer’s bodies, “Like Nalgi, you made your own choice among the many paths laid out before you. Today, times have changed. It is no longer important to pursue what is right and wrong in the past.”

As Thales said these words, Tardin shook a little. Without any hatred or contempt in his voice, the prince said calmly, “What is more important is that you have paid the price, be it the passing of your brothers, the punishment brought to you by your conscience, or the guilt and nightmare which will follow you forever.”

The three men still stared at Thales incredulously.

“Even I can tell what kind of people you all are. Regardless of what decision you made back then, on this day, you did not let Zakriel bear your crimes alone. Instead, you faced your past and stepped forward to admit to what you did that year.”

A few of them cast a glance at Zakriel, but the seriously injured Knight of Judgment remained silent.

Thales sighed. “Also, you saved my life today even though you knew very well that doing this will not get you pardoned, because you were different from Barney—you knew the truth.”

As he spoke, Thales did not know whether his Power of Eradication had taken effect or whether the time taken for the sequela from using mystic energy to wreak havoc in his body had passed, but Thales felt that the pain in his body had disappeared entirely.

All that was left was weakness, bewilderment, emptiness... and an unprecedented relief, as if a heavy load was removed from his shoulders.

Thales lifted his head and tried his best to smile while he said hoarsely, “Thus, I forgive you. I forgive all of you. You have been pardoned. You have been pardoned so that you will be free from the torment of the past and the eternal guilt. I hope that you are reborn from this second onwards...”

‘This is... my decision,’ the voice in Thales’ heart said softly. ‘Compared to power and status, this is... what I should really cherish, care for, and uphold.

‘This is my real anchor point.’

Silence...

In the silence that lasted a few seconds, only the sound of sparks coming from the torch, and the breathing more interweaved.

Finally, Canon was the first among the three of them who could no longer keep his composure. He placed his hands on the pool of blood, prostrated himself on the floor, and burst into tears.

Canon’s reaction seemed to have triggered something, because immediately after Canon threw himself on the floor, Tardin went down on his knees and covered his face in pain and remorse.

“Your Highness... I... I...” He sobbed bitterly, unable to speak.

Bruley’s lips quivered, but no sound was made, he just squeezed his eyes shut. Then, in Thales’ direction, he lowered his body and head to the lowest possible point he could manage.

Samel sighed. Beldin put Naer’s body down while he stared at Thales fixedly.

Thales smiled at them. “I am sorry. I can only speak using my own name. After all, I am not the king...

“This is the most I can do,” he added, feeling somewhat dispirited.

Beldin shook his head and flashed the prince his most grateful and most restrained smile.

‘No. What you have done is far beyond this... Far beyond this.’

Once he had finished saying these words to himself, Thales inhaled and gazed at Barney Junior—on the other side of the room.

Quick Rope watched all this with a stupefied expression as he stood at the side. In the dark prison, two bodies lay peacefully on the floor. Zakriel knelt on the ground and stared at Thales, feeling lost. Barney Junior leaned against the wall indifferently. He did not move at all.

The other four prisoners including Samel were in a terribly sorry state; they were either worked up, filled with grief, sobbing while they covered their faces, or sighing while they knelt on the floor.

The teenager remained lifting his torch as he stood amid the group. There was a smile of relief on his face. His thin and weak figure was illuminated by the flames, and he appeared tall and strong before their eyes.

“What is he doing?” Samel mumbled in his daze as he stood aside.

Beldin heard what he said. “Nothing at all.”

The Knight of Judgment watched Thales walk towards Barney Junior before the prince spoke softly, anguish and hope in his voice at the same time.

“He only... raised the torch.”

Beldin watched Thales from afar and said quietly at the bottom of his heart, ‘Then, he lit up our darkness.’

In the next moment, Beldin could no longer keep his composure. The warrior, who had fought so hard and violently, turned his head away abruptly.

He covered the tears that gushed out of his eyes.