Upon hearing the Emperor's command, the executioners at the scene were momentarily stunned.
Had the Emperor changed his mind?
Was it possible that he couldn't bear the pressure and had decided to adopt a more lenient approach?
At that moment, the criminals who were still alive looked at each other with hopeful expressions.
Then, Gaia spoke again.
"All remaining criminals are to be branded with a slave mark and immediately sent to the mana stone mines to work."
Upon hearing this, the criminals who had almost been executed were filled with relief.
They had gotten lucky and survived this time.
Although entering the mana stone mines meant they would never see the light of day again, it was better to live in misery than to be dead. As long as they were alive, there was still a chance.
The reason Aurek had changed his mind was primarily due to the persuasion of William and Heimerdinger.
