@HOOfan_1
Considering that that expression:
a) was done in response to Souma's anti-corruption campaign which involved arresting certain nobles, and one of the Dukes played traitor to attract all the known problematic elements in one place, with absolutely no idea what he was saying...
b) threatened the unity of the kingdom's combined military forces when a foreign nation's own army was marching towards them...
c) had been questioned and challenged, with him actually damning himself, his family, and subordinates under the Laws of the Kingdom at the time, in which Souma could have actually executed everyone involved legally (this was a major plot point that got him the talented Earth Mage, the one with the twin spears, and the guy's sweetheart on his side in the Royal Army)...
...I'd say he actually got off very light considering the Laws of the Kingdom before Souma could seriously knuckle down to change them, as it stands, Souma only had the time to audit the Kingdom with a fine-tooth comb, introduce Agricultural Reforms, and get the kingdom's road systems (along with the natural disaster in the Forest) started before the Crisis with the Dukes and the Invasion side-tracked him.
The thing with self-expression seemingly everyone forgets is that you're free to say what you wish, but it's also a responsibility. There are consequences to your words, to your actions, they might affect only you, they might affect your friends and family, they might affect a stranger or a community, and it's your responsibility that that effect is a positive one. If you knowingly express a thought or an idea that has a negative impact (whether immediate or in the long term), you really shouldn't be surprised if someone holds you responsible and you are punished for it.