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chapter 61
“You say I’ve been accused?”
Inside the city hall office.
Vares, seated in his chair and listening to the report, frowned and asked again.
“Yes. It appears to have been initiated under the leadership of those who served under former Mayor William. The targets are Brook and Your Excellency Vares.”
“…So those fools were after the sealing stone.”
Vares recalled the stolen sealing stone.
Judge Harpen, who had come running late in the evening, panting.
He had cried out that his mansion had been attacked and the sealing stone stolen.
It was an utterly pathetic situation, but if they exposed it openly, it would instead become easier to exploit.
“It’s about time to clean things up.”
The faces of the former retainers naturally came to mind.
He had known they were William’s confidants, but he had left them in place to handle the city’s various affairs.
To begin with, they were the ones who hadn’t said a word even at William’s death.
But if they were going to pull tricks like this, there was no need to keep them alive.
“What evidence did they submit? What are they putting forward?”
“They’ve compiled the evidence submitted to the court. It would be best if you reviewed it all.”
“Hm.”
Taking the stack of documents from his subordinate, he examined the contents with a visibly displeased expression.
After a short while, Vares let out a mocking laugh.
“Ridiculous. Do they really think this level of evidence can bring me down?”
The accusations prepared by the former retainers were reasonable.
But not a single one was fatal.
If there was any variable, it would be Kamon’s workshop inside the sealing stone.
“Have you assigned someone to Henry?”
“Yes. We’ve arranged for him to be dealt with immediately if anything suspicious appears.”
Henry, who had gone to another city on official business.
Since he had been closest to William, a watcher had been assigned to him.
If he changed course toward the capital, it would mean he was hiding something.
If he attempted any foolish moves, he would die in a bandit attack.
“What about Black Dragon? There’s a chance he’s in their employ as well.”
“We’ve hired several adventurers to keep an eye on him, but there’s been no special movement. He rarely even appears at the guild.”
“Just a loudmouth, then. Well, adventurers are all like that.”
Vares scoffed at the uninteresting news.
That blustering bravado was exactly the level of a barbaric adventurer.
Tapping the desk with his finger, he leaned back in his chair and said,
“There’s been no news of Riventia. They’ve narrowed the search properly, right?”
“As you instructed, we’ve deployed disguised personnel and are searching from the slum districts first. However, it’s an extremely closed-off area, so it may take a bit more time.”
“It doesn’t matter. She won’t be able to pass the city checkpoints anyway. Finding a loach trapped behind a dam is only a matter of time.”
Recently, Vares had detected an unusual sign within the city.
It was power picked up by a spirit-detection magic tool acquired through the black market.
In other words, Riventia had begun moving.
Perhaps she had been planning something together with Henry and the other former retainers.
“They really do have an uncanny nose for trouble.”
The combat uniform fragments Black Dragon had mentioned.
They belonged to dark agents of the Holy Nation who had infiltrated Edlen.
More precisely, they were part of a specific bishop’s faction.
Since they were all powerful assassins, the magnitude of the detected power had been significant.
“Find out exactly who they clashed with as well. There’s a strong chance they inherited the spirit mage lineage.”
“Yes. We’ll increase the search personnel. And what should we do about the trial? There’s more than enough leeway to order the court to dismiss it.”
“No.”
Vares stopped tapping the desk as he spoke.
An interesting idea had occurred to him.
Since the outcome of the trial was already decided, it would be the perfect stage to completely crush their hope.
“Let the trial proceed as is. I’ll grind even William’s dead soul into the dirt. Then Riventia will come rushing out gnashing her teeth. I’d like to see that face.”
“Yes. Then I will give the order to prepare the trial.”
The subordinate bowed and left the office.
Turning his gaze out the window, Vares curled his lips upward.
“Just wait a little longer. I’ll even make the Pope kneel beneath my feet.”
Slide—
With that scene, the scenery changed.
At some point, the surroundings had transformed into Edlen’s plaza.
“They’re suddenly holding a trial?”
“I heard it’s about Mayor Brook and Vares’s crimes?”
“Crimes, my ass. No matter what comes out, it’ll obviously end in nothing.”
The gathered people murmured as they looked at the court set up before them.
“Still, it’s been a while since a trial like this was held, hasn’t it? Maybe something will happen?”
“The judge is completely in Vares’s pocket. There’s no chance in Edlen.”
“The mayor’s basically under Vares too. Same trash, really.”
The words of the citizens, who had been squeezed dry by taxes, carried sharp blades within them.
The topic naturally turned to the former mayor.
“Wasn’t it way better when Mayor William was around?”
“Tsk! Watch your mouth. Want to be branded a Holy Nation follower?”
“No, but they found a temple in the underground waterway, right? I heard William built it?”
“Could’ve been someone else. Maybe this trial’s related to that?”
“No way.”
Speculation born from old memories piled atop one another.
Meanwhile, Hanbit, hiding near the court, checked the quest window.
[Main Quest #14: Trial]
By Vares’s decision, a trial has been convened.
You have held sufficient meetings with the former retainers.
Now is the time when each person’s assigned role, according to the plan, becomes important.
Objective: Watch the trial as it proceeds.
Reward: None
*Current progress: 88 percent
The focus of the quest was the trial.
It would truly proceed from start to finish exactly as planned.
It was the result of the former retainers wracking their brains together.
“Oh? They’re coming out.”
“What, that’s really the mayor, isn’t it?”
“Vares is there too?”
At that moment, the relevant parties appeared at the court.
The former retainers sat on the left.
On the right were Vares and Brook.
“Order.”
The judge’s voice boomed across the plaza.
Even though he projected an air of absolute fairness, it was all a lie.
You could tell just by looking at the name floating above his head.
[Judge Harpen]
The owner of the mansion that had housed the sealing stone.
Given their near-master-servant relationship, he must have already finished discussing things with Vares.
After briefly surveying the surroundings, the judge spoke again in a solemn voice.
“We will now begin the trial of Brook Northton and Vares Roberg. The charges are destruction, fabrication, and concealment of evidence related to the past William Northton case, as well as false accusation, perjury, and incitement.”
***
“We have obtained testimony from a gate soldier stating that records of Lord William’s outings were falsified. The order was given by the defendant Vares, and the evidence for this is listed under item number eight.”
William’s former retainers, using the evidence they had prepared, pointed out past issues one by one.
Yet Vares did not so much as twitch an eyebrow.
“I also know that soldier well. The problem is that he suffers from a hallucination-related mental illness.”
“That’s impossible! There was no mention of such a condition—”
“I think you should be more careful with your evidence collection. Not only is the reliability of the evidence lacking, but there’s also a strong bias that suggests you’ve already decided on the outcome.”
Vares refuted the evidence by exploiting factors that were difficult to verify on the spot.
The judge, who had been listening, nodded as if he had been waiting for this.
“Hm, the defendant’s argument is reasonable. Let us move on.”
-This is such a rigged farce. LOL
-Tri?al
-Fai?r
-Can we just introduce AI judges?
-???: Are you insane, human?
Like this, the atmosphere of the trial flowed consistently.
No matter what new evidence or witnesses were presented, everything was smothered by Vares’s excuses.
The judge simply nodded like a puppet, taking one side.
“I told you. This is exactly how it’d go.”
“But Vares kind of has a point too?”
“The Royal Guard investigated back then too, didn’t they? How could evidence be fabricated?”
The citizens watching the trial voiced their own opinions.
The talk of the Royal Guard, in particular, went a bit deeper.
“About that—there’s a rumor going around the capital.”
“A rumor?”
“The knight who led the investigation into Mayor William back then is supposedly someone called the ‘Incompetent Sword.’”
“The Incompetent Sword? What’s that?”
A rumor whispered in the darker corners of the capital.
Since it concerned the noble position of a Royal Guard knight, voices grew very quiet.
“It’s obvious. The type who has no ability but pushes only his own opinions. I heard he even drove away a subordinate who was trying to dig into the evidence. Said the guy got uppity and annoyed him.”
“Isn’t that not corruption, but just incompetence? How’d someone like that become a Royal Guard?”
“No idea. Probably from a good family.”
Like tavern gossip, its truth was unclear.
To commoners, it was nothing more than brief drinking fodder.
“So when’s this ending?”
“I’ve gotta get back and prep my shop.”
People gradually grew tired of the long trial.
The reason few cared about the outcome was simple.
Regardless of right and wrong, everyone knew the judge would side with Vares in the end.
“I will deliver the verdict.”
After about two hours, the judge opened his mouth.
Scanning the crowd, he spoke in a dignified voice.
“After examining the forty-seven pieces of evidence presented by William’s side, all have been found lacking in accuracy and reliability. As both parties know, the verdict at the time was reached through a fair process and verification under the supervision of the Royal Guard. Thus, it is clear that the judgment regarding William’s espionage was valid.”
The judge turned his gaze to the former retainers.
Then, with a slightly heated tone, he continued,
“I know that you followed William faithfully. However, committing false accusations in this manner severely disrupts the order of the city and the court. Should the defendants decide to counter-sue, you will not escape heavy punishment. Furthermore, the crimes committed in the process of gathering false evidence for this accusation must also be clearly revealed.”
Judge Harpen poured emotion into his words, recalling how his mansion had been ransacked.
The former retainers simply listened in silence.
Their reaction irritated the judge.
“Not a hint of remorse. The defendants shall proceed with indicting them as swiftly as possible. This trial is hereby—”
Boom—!
At that moment, a massive noise rang out from the road leading to the city gate.
It was the sound of the barricade blocking passage collapsing.
Everyone in the plaza turned their gaze there at once.
“Fortunately, it seems the trial hasn’t ended yet.”
A calm female voice rang out clearly from beyond the packed crowd.
Startled people gradually moved aside, making space.
A path leading straight to the court naturally formed.
“Thank you for your consideration, citizens.”
With those words, someone emerged along the newly opened path.
Black hair and blue eyes.
Platinum armor that suited her beautiful face proclaimed her identity as a member of the Royal Guard.
“Th-the Royal Guard?”
“With that insignia, isn’t she the vice-captain?”
“Vice-captain? Don’t tell me that’s Leon?”
The name of the youngest vice-captain in the kingdom’s history was widely known even among citizens.
-Holy shit.
-Leon unnie ㄷㄷ;
-This is insane, she actually came. LOL
-I can hear Edlen skyrocketing.
-People who already cleared the story are crying right now.
-If you’re loud, go cry outside.
[User 레온육수 donated 200,000 won.]
[Please save a 4K recording.]
At Vice-Captain Leon’s appearance, the chat was on the verge of exploding.
Had there ever been a hotter reaction outside of a hidden skill reveal?
“W-what…!”
“Hik!”
Vares and Brook could not hide their shock upon seeing Leon.
“I apologize for intervening like this, but this is a matter of great importance.”
Leon, now standing atop the court, swept her gaze over everyone.
Then she took out a translucent crystal orb from thin air.
“From this point on, I will carry out several procedures by royal decree. First, I ask that the citizens also confirm what you are about to see.”
After speaking, she infused mana into the crystal orb.
Slide—
The light emanating from the orb drew everyone’s attention.
The image of a temple became clear almost immediately.
