Russell's POV
Because of this, Elai starts to cry and grieve for her ruined relationship with Nicholas. This made me cemented and proved my conclusion on their relationship as true.
As Elai cried, Nicholas looked at me and said, "Come on, Russell, I am done talking with her. Let's go now."
"R-Right!" replied I.
Me and Nicholas then left the dungeon as the cries of the disgraced and heartbroken hero could be heard in swift volumes. As we did so, I took a look back at Elai one last time before turning back. Later, we are now back in the palace's first floor. As we walked along, I asked Nicholas, "Hey, Your Highness…"
"Yes?" Nicholas replied back.
"Are you and Elai-san in love?"
"Yes, we used to back then, before all of her crimes had come to light. How did you know that?"
"I basically analyzed what you and Elai said, and those lines proved that you two are in love and in a relationship."
"Wow, you're gifted in analysis, aren't you, Mr. May?" Nicholas smiled at me.
I smiled back. "Yes, I liked analysis a lot."
"Ah, I see."
We then stopped, and Nicholas' expression turned into melancholy before he went to reveal to me his long history with Elai, who was his childhood friend in his childhood years. Surprisingly, he told me that Elai was a bright child who aspired to be a hero and didn't like giving up even if she got exhausted. "Woah…" I was stunned and astonished at the same time.
Nicholas then nodded. "Yes, and we were in love just 2 years ago."
Then, his expression shifted to mild feelings of being betrayed. "But it seemed that her attitude had changed for the worse when she had achieved her dream of becoming a hero. She isn't the same person I used to know a long time ago. I don't even recognize her anymore."
His words of flames had taken me aback a lot, and I eventually replied, "Wow, you're right. It does make sense. Greed and corruption can change a nice and kind person every time."
Nicholas then nodded. "Yes, they do."
He then patted my back a few times. "You know, your rebuking on her and her party had made me aware of her and her current attitude. Thank you, Russell-kun. I owed you one."
"Yeah, thanks a lot." I scratched my head a bit.
Third person POV
A bit later, all of Russell's friends came to the scene, asking Russell and Nicholas what they were doing. Russell and Nicholas then looked at them.
"Oh, hey, guys…"
"We're just having a talk last time with the Elai party in the palace dungeons."
Adrian was taken aback by it, while Nathan and the others were surprised by it.
"Huh?"
"What?"
"Those schmucks?"
Nicholas then nodded. "Yes, and I had broken up with Elai."
"Woah…" Adrian was shocked with mild surprise, "…that was hard for you, right?"
"Yes, but because of what she did to you and me, she will regret those things forever."
But Russell, in his mind, disagreed with that he believed that the Elai party would reflect on their actions someday in their lives.
Not long after, at the throne room, George and Nicholas announced to the witnesses and everyone in the room that the trial of the Elai party would be held tomorrow at 10 a.m., telling them to stay in the royal palace's guesthouses for now so they don't have to return home and come back tomorrow morning. The witnesses were stunned at their generosity in letting them stay in their royal palace grounds for the night but accepted them anyway, before expressing their apologies to them, Adrian, and others. So, once all of the witnesses left the throne room, Russell looked at George and Nicholas and asked them what criminal charges they will put on the Elai party and what punishment those charges will impose and put on them.
"That'll be treason and abuse on power," Nicholas replied back, "as well as misconduct and violation of heroes' code of conduct."
"And normally, for treason," George added, "death will be their punishment."
"Wait," Russell responded back, "you mean…?"
"Yes, it will be execution by either firing squad or the guillotine."
Russell and most of his friends then shivered at those methods of execution for those who committed treason.
Because of this, Russell thinks that it was way too brutal for him to accept it or to see it. So, the young bus driver made a moral and alternative suggestion to just send the Elai party into an indefinite exile outside of the kingdom until they had truly and authentically reflected on their past actions and proved themselves to reconcile with them and change for the better; thus, they would be pardoned and allowed to come back from exile. Upon hearing that suggestion, George and Nicholas were surprised, while most of Russell's friends were either stunned or smiled in approval of it.
"Are you sure about that?" George asked Russell.
"I mean," responded Russell boldly and with courage on his face, "these guys are also humans, right? So, they must be treated equally. The only problem is that those guys had been blinded by greed and hunger for power and selfish gains. If they reflect on their past actions and strive to change for the better, can you allow them to return here from their exile instead of sentencing them to death?"