"Well, William? Do you have anything to say?"
Duke Alfred asked, allowing a hint of mockery to curl his lips. He genuinely found this situation amusing. Castle Commander William sighed, his eyes narrowing in pain. His gaze was fixed on the ruined castle.
His eyes held a storm of complex emotions: sorrow, pain, hatred. He was so troubled by these feelings that he had bitten his lip until it bled.
Spitting on the ground, William spewed out his hatred and looked into Alfred's eyes with defiance. "What would it matter to you to destroy Ardun? Why all this slaughter, hatred, enmity?"
William spoke wearily. Duke Alfred's gaze was cold, and he frowned, visibly irritated by William's tone. "It's not your place to question me."
"These soldiers—every single one of them joined the army just to support their families," William said, looking at the ground. Two Sun Knights held him firmly by the arms as he continued angrily, "They had done nothing wrong."