By Zephyria “The subject of the deliberation, Leonardo Blaine’s……?”
At the same time as the clear snapping sound, the lights went out all at once. It was before the Legal Officer could even finish his first sentence. In the darkness, the murmurs of the people could be heard.
Maria covered her mouth with both hands and turned to look at the culprit beside her.
“…Shorendo, are you crazy?”
However, the Lumen of the Council, who had cut off all the light, was gleefully enjoying himself, as if he was feeling joy in the darkness that had dyed everything.
“Wow, it worked.”
“What’s going on!”
“Turn on the emergency lights immediately!”
The urgent voices of the councilors echoed along with them. There was nothing more humiliating than being criticized for poor facility management at a trial of this scale. The members and guards who were on standby in the hall ran around in a frenzy, replacing the Magic stones in the stone platforms prepared throughout the courtroom.
Before long, as Light Balls began to rise one by one from the spectator seats, the lights on the ceiling flickered a few times with the power of the Magic stone before emitting light again. Shorendo clicked his tongue in disappointment, as he was about to turn them off again, but Maria grabbed his wrist.
“You’ll get caught if you keep doing this, stop it―.”
“Once is too short.”
“Silence―!”
As the hall stirred once more, the Judge shouted loudly enough to make ears fall off. Everyone who had been murmuring, including the two of them, was surprised and shut their mouths.
“Do not make a fuss over trivial matters. The more you do this, the more the proceedings will be delayed. Legal Officer, start again.”
“Ah, yes!”
The Judge, thinking it was just a brief incident, seemed to be trying to proceed with the trial quickly and bring it to a close. The Legal Officer must have sensed this as well, as he began to recite the prepared case outline at a pace that seemed a little rushed.
“Case number 999-RT(Redemption Trial)-0024. For the discussion regarding the charges against the subject of the deliberation, Leonardo Blaine, and his legal release….”
But Shorendo, who hadn’t given up, flicked his fingers, repeatedly turning the lights on and off. He was realistically recreating the flickering of the lights in the courtroom as if the fuses were about to blow due to the poor lighting conditions.
As the view repeatedly brightened and darkened, the Legal Officer’s words gradually trailed off. The councilors’ clearing of throats could also be heard from time to time. Some of them looked back at the Vice Commander, who was associated with ‘light’.
“…Therefore, for the past 2 years and 6 months, he has been engaging in for-profit activities as an unregistered illegal Mage, ignoring the Council’s solemn summons, and disregarding the laws for social order, posing a threat to the community. What needs to be pointed out here is that as a former soldier of the Imperial Army, he is well aware of how much anxiety an uncontrolled, high-risk Mage can cause to the general public.”
It was fortunate that Maria grabbed and pulled Shorendo’s finger as if she were about to break it, or he would not have been able to avoid disciplinary action if she had been even a little late. As Shorendo was now resting his chin on his hand and looking straight ahead, the councilors, wearing suspicious expressions, looked forward again.
“Objection, Your Honor. The Legal Officer’s statement is an unfounded speculation that does not take into account the previous situation at all. The subject of the deliberation was reduced to a position where he was ostracized by the entire nation in an instant, making it difficult for him to even show his face to the public. Weakened in mind and body, he was only trying to evade the pursuers and live quietly, avoiding the attention of the crowd, and in the process, he did not intentionally pose a threat to the community at all. This is merely a legitimate defense to preserve his personal safety, and rather, it was the state institutions and the Imperial citizens who threatened his safety after his Amphitrite parole―.”
“Objection, Your Honor. The lawyer’s statement contains personal opinions that are irrelevant to the facts. This may unnecessarily influence the judgment of the voters….”
Shorendo glanced around and let out a sigh of relief when all the eyes that had been directed at him disappeared. He didn’t expect to be suspected so quickly, no matter what. If he had done it one more time, as Maria said, he would have been caught quickly.
Moreover, even if the flickering had subsided quickly, they were confronting each other so fiercely in that situation. Both the Legal Officer and the lawyer who had gathered today seemed to be very formidable people. They proceeded flexibly without even looking at the briefing materials they had prepared, even in the midst of the chaotic situation.
At this rate, it wouldn’t take long for the Legal Officer to make his statement and confirm the facts. It would be nice if he could tell the lawyer who would have the floor next to buy some time. In this atmosphere, it was highly likely that the proceedings would continue without even a recess to make contact in between.
Shorendo stared at the small Amplifier that was shining in the form of a Magic Circle on the platform where the Legal Officer was standing. If he could just do something about that, he could delay the proceedings, but it was difficult to suddenly launch Attack Magic here.
“I wish someone would break it without being obvious….”
“What? What thing?”
At that moment, Shorendo flinched and turned his head at the voice that came from right next to him. Dellua, who had appeared unnoticed, was sticking close with her face close to his.
Bang―!
Stone fragments fell from the wall where the entire door had been torn off. Although it wasn’t a peninsula, the inside of the VIP room was no different from a lawless zone. A chilly steam was slowly rising around Hugo.
He would be scolded for damaging property, but that wasn’t important now. His blue eyes coldly stared at the door of the pantry, which was in a straight line. Private security guards, who he didn’t know who had hired, had already knelt down and surrendered.
Without facing a single challenge, Hugo strode towards the last space without delay.
Unlike the previous two doors, this door was far too weak to protect anything. He thrust his frozen fist straight in, piercing his arm through the wooden door.
Unfortunately, it seemed to be a little lower, as a shrill voice leaked out from the floor beyond the door. Hugo lowered his gaze and stared at the location, then tore off the entire door with his arm still pierced through it.
The wooden door he had thrown back crashed to the ground with a thud, and the burly security guards covered their heads and prostrated themselves.
Looking down at the presiding Judge, who was trembling in the same position as them, Hugo, with his eyes shining in the backlight, coldly recited.
“Come out.”
“What’s going on again?”
“How did they manage the facilities….”
Leonardo scanned the murmuring crowd and gradually calmed his erratic breathing. The strange phenomena that occasionally interrupted the flow since he entered the hall were helping him to regain his composure, as he had been suffering from trauma.
When he realized that Hugo was absent, he felt as if he was standing alone in front of hundreds of arrows. His mind was filled with shouts calling out to him, and his condition became unstable as if he was about to hyperventilate. However, Leonardo, whose focus had returned from the moment the lights flickered temporarily, was slowly beginning to read the atmosphere.
‘Is there a force trying to interfere?’
He straightened his posture, which had been slumped on the chair and looked calm to others. Even with that small movement, countless gazes in front of him were fixed on him. It was like looking at a ferocious beast that had just been anesthetized and was now waking up.
Leonardo leaned his upper body slightly forward to meet their expectations. His eyes maintained a calm yet cold temperature.
He didn’t know where he was, but Agrizendro had said that the trial was all about ‘momentum’.
‘There’s no one here who can beat me with momentum.’
Tap, tap―
“If the same problem recurs, we will proceed with the proceedings without an Amplifier or separate equipment, using only our voices. The organizers should pay more attention to equipment management.”
The Judge, who had looked back at Leonardo, reorganized the situation again. In the end, the Council members, who had been scolded, were constantly urging their aides and attendants to find out what was going on.
This was because whenever the Legal Officer tried to say something, the Amplifier would make a loud noise and then suddenly turn off in the middle.
The same thing happened even after replacing it several times, and each time, the atmosphere in the hall became chaotic, and the Judge raised his voice more than once or twice.
“In addition, if any act of intentionally disrupting the proceedings is detected in this sacred courtroom, the person will be immediately removed from the hall and severely punished without a separate deliberation.”
Dellua, who had been stabbed for a moment, trembled her concentrating fingertips. Then, the dry twig that had been attacking the small Magic Circle of the Amplifier suddenly fell. Dellua hurriedly pulled it back and took a breath, clutching her fluttering heart, so that she wouldn’t get caught.
“They didn’t notice, did they?”
“You’ve been interfering with only one side too much. It’s better to restrain yourself now.”
Maria whispered in a worried tone. Dellua nodded as if she agreed.
“The lawyer may continue with his statement.”
“Yes, I understand.”
Leonardo’s lawyer, who had already received his turn, checked his watch and began to speak.
“To reiterate, the Eldermilli Peninsula has been a barren and dangerous land that even the Empire has been unable to deal with. According to the reports of the investigators who participated in the subjugation, the peninsula was a giant nest with its own unique ecosystem, and it has also been confirmed that an ancient demon, the king of the demon beasts, existed at the top of the food chain.”
The lawyer, who had been listing the facts, scanned the audience and appealed in a voice that conveyed his message.
“We were able to fully realize their strength and the tragedy of that time through the deaths of the warriors we sent off at the joint funeral a few days ago. However, shouldn’t we be able to belittle the merits of the hero who contributed the most to defeating such evil, just because there were many casualties? If it weren’t for the hero of the Empire here, we might not be here today. It means that even the survivors who safely returned to their families might have been coldly dying in the swamp of the disaster. Your Honor, I request the disclosure of related materials in order to clearly convey the facts.”
“Granted.”
After the Judge’s answer, a photo was projected largely on the white wall behind the platform where the lawyer was standing. At the people’s reaction, which seemed to be surprised as they inhaled, Leonardo’s gaze also followed there.
The photo contained the appearance of a monster that looked so hideous that it made one frown even now, and although it did not capture the entire actual size, it was enough to shock those who saw it for the first time.
“Do you see that? It is the figure of the monster that brutally slaughtered our warriors who fought bravely. Does this really look like the same level as the demon beasts we have seen so far? If something like this had crossed the peninsula and invaded the territory, at least the southern part of the Empire would be annihilated by now.”
As he spoke with that grotesque figure displayed behind him, the people swallowed their breaths and quickly became solemn. The reason for letting in the spectators, which was not originally planned, was to induce an atmosphere of exclusion, but there was no way that ordinary people who were facing the reality of Elder Millie for the first time could think properly.
The Legal Officer must have sensed the quiet atmosphere in the hall as well, as he was frantically rummaging through the materials, looking for something to refute. Leonardo smiled at the ironic situation, wondering if the persistent Queen Bee would be of help in this way.
“I will submit the photo data taken from the sky during the battle with the demon beasts, the statements of the witnesses who witnessed the subject of the deliberation’s activities, and the subject of the deliberation’s medical records as evidence. And then―.”
Beep―
At that moment, a light came on from the councilor’s seat, which had been quiet all along. It was to express their intention by pressing the button when requesting the right to speak. The Judge did not particularly stop him and answered.
“Speak.”
“First of all, I have listened carefully to the lawyer’s statement, but in my personal opinion, the argument is appealing to emotions based on speculation about a situation that has not occurred.”
“Your Honor―.”
“Of course, I acknowledge that the subject of the deliberation contributed in part to the subjugation, but I do not agree with the statement that the southern part of the Empire would have been annihilated if it had not been for him.”
“Your Honor, the voters do not have the right to raise objections during the lawyer’s statement outside of the discussion―.”
“Our Council members are warriors who are well-trained enough not to fear death, and they set out with the determination to give their lives for the Empire. No matter what level of destructive power the enemy had, it was a fight that could have been won sufficiently if more support troops were deployed. Wouldn’t it be inappropriate to simply promote that as the achievement of the subject of the deliberation alone? The members fought until they became dew on the battlefield and died honorably, and it’s not like we’re differentiating between lives―.”
Beep―
“…….”
The hall became silent for a moment. It was because of one person who suddenly pressed the speaking button.
The crowd all turned their heads to one place where a red light had come on. The Judge’s reluctant gaze also turned there.
Originally, during the lawyer’s official defense statement, no voter other than the Legal Officer or the Judge was allowed to raise objections or speak. However, there was one person who was free from all these restrictions, and that was the subject of the deliberation himself.
Leonardo, with his hand on the blood-colored buzzer, glared fiercely at the councilor who had been babbling.