Blood soaked the entire platform and left small pools of blood up to ankle-deep in the square; the severed heads piled up higher and higher, looking from a distance like small mountains stacked up in the square.
The executions lasted from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. During this time, people kept fainting, some from shock and others from grief.
After the second batch of death row inmates were executed, the firing squad led out the last batch of death row inmates.
These prisoners were all the participants who spearheaded the rebellion and their family members, including the renowned Dawson family, the families of former Silver Ring officials, and other members of other merchant guilds who participated directly or indirectly in the rebellion.
Using his soul-linking ability, Todd had already found the family registers and the list of each family member in Rutledge's memories.
During the capture operation, the Froststone Legion, based on information provided by the Sons of Gods, rounded up all the members of these merchant families and brought them all to the execution ground.
Among those arrested were men and women, including elderly people who had lost all their teeth and children who were not yet adults.
An old woman with white hair, blind and needing assistance to walk, knelt before the high platform and wept loudly towards the direction of the palace, saying, "Wise King, merciful King! I, this wretched and pitiful woman, kneel at your feet and beg you to bestow even a little bit of your grace!"
“I know that my son participated in the rebellion and killed soldiers loyal to the kingdom. But my child, still in my daughter-in-law's womb—my grandson—is innocent, and I beg you to grant him the right to life. As compensation, I am willing to give my own life as atonement…”
Todd lowered his head and looked at the group of merchant families captured by the Froststone Legion. Some of them were unforgivable, but others had not participated in the rebellion and, in principle, did not deserve to die.
Emerson gazed at the dragon, lost in thought, and murmured, "These people are different from the previous ones... The previous group, whether pirates, rebels, or traitors, each carried unforgivable sins, and their deaths were arguably deserved. But this group was implicated simply because someone in their family participated in the rebellion. They are indeed guilty, but perhaps not enough to warrant their lives?"
Todd looked at the group of trembling merchant family members, and suddenly Cú Chulainn's words from the past echoed in his ears again.
"We are tyrants! We are beasts! What we need is flesh and blood! We need slaughter!"
Todd shook his dragon head and swayed his tail back and forth, his dark golden pupils flickering with the struggle in his heart.
Suddenly, he raised his two dragon claws high, and pale blue soul particles overflowed from his fingertips, slowly drifting across the entire square.
Carefully controlling the wandering soul particles and connecting them with every living being present, Todd spent considerable effort finally establishing a soul link with everyone.
The next second, Todd unleashed his full soul power, bringing all the living beings in the entire square into his soul space.
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