Chapter 426: Under the Scales

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The halls were abuzz, whispers and gossip adrift in the air and suspicious eyes swam left and right, curious and vicious gleams hidden inside. Seats were placed along the aisles, people of gentle and noble status, attending all the same.

There were Marquesses, Counts, Viscounts, Barons, Baronets, and Knights, even some influential merchants sitting amongst the crowd. It was a busy day, the news already spread throughout the Royal Capital, even commoners awaiting the results.

A long-awaited day of judgement which could very well overturn the fate and future of the Kingdom. Two sides stand against one another, eyes fierce as tigers and dragons which won't bow down even at the cost of their own lives.

"The Defendant, His Grace, Duke Arslan til Schemer, is entering!"

A loud voice boomed throughout the halls and all suddenly became quiet. All sorts of eyes, both sharp and soft, peered towards him, some avoiding the Duke's gaze whilst some looking at him with contempt, looking at him like a bug.

Behind the Duke were two figures, both bearing the rank or "Lt. General" in the army and two of the three powerhouses in his side. Just their presence alone was enough to keep everyone's mouth shut, tension rising even higher.

"The Complainant, His Majesty, King Philip til Varreon Aldenberg, is entering!"

The voice rang out once more and another person entered. It was the King, his might and majesty coursing throughout the court with every step he took. His eyes were resolute and his heart was firm, ready to put an end to the misery.

Following him were his trusty vassals, the General, the Captain of the Guards, and another 2 Lt. Generals. They didn't wield any weapons, however, their presence alone was enough to make everybody feel suffocated.

"How intense... It seems like His Majesty has already decided..."

"Duke Schemer... Just what sort of crime did he commit for His Majesty to be so angry. This day won't be a peaceful one."

"No matter how this ends, it will be chaos."

Everyone started whispering and murmuring once again, all kinds of gossip and rumors spreading throughout the court like wildfire, both sides glaring at one another without hiding their hostility, hell about to break loose at any moment.

A week has passed and the time for judgement has come. It was the day of trial for the Duke and the King, the latter accusing the former of heavy crimes which neither one of the audience knew of. It was all a mystery, waiting to be unraveled.

However, it was not like the people were entirely clueless. Though there was a gag order to prevent either side from gaining advantage over the other, it wasn't like the feud between two sides was something new. Nobles and commoners alike already know of how bitter their ties were.

"The Judge, His High Reverence, Archbishop Lawrence, is entering!"

The final character has shown up and the whole court was set. In the side of the Defendant was the Duke, and in the side of the Complainant was the King. As the neutral party, it was the Archbishop's role to ensure everything was fair.

"Both sides raise their hands and take an oath before God. What you say will be the truth, and only the truth. Do you pledge?" ［Lawrence］

""""I pledge.""""

"Those who are judged to be guilty shall accept the rightful punishment, be it compensation, be it repentance, or be it death. Do you pledge?" ［Lawrence］

""""I pledge.""""

"Those before us shall serve as witnesses and shall stand as equal before all. Their voice shall be heard and their questions shall be answered. Those that do not speak shall be the evil whose tongues are bound by God. Do you pledge?" ［Lawrence］

""""I pledge.""""

First came the making of the oaths, all people involved in either side raising their hands as they plead before the court and the eyes of God that they shall only be speaking of the truth and that they shall accept any rightful punishment.

However, the trial has yet to start and lies were already being thrown left and right. A single figure observed from atop the beams, his eyes peering through the crowd and his hair silently fluttering in the wind, hidden from the eyes of many.

It was none other than Grey, his eyes glimmering with colors. When the Judge made his entrance, he immediately used his eyes and watched how a fierce dance of red and green clashed, truths and lies playing with one another.

"That stupid baldy... How could he lie so shamelessly..." ［Yuna］

"He really lives up to his name, doesn't he? It's a shame that he's a Duke of the Kingdomー or at least, he currently is. But not for long." ［Grey］

"Couldn't we just get this over with? We already have enough evidence anyway. Let's just arrest and execute him. That would be better for the world." ［Yuna］

"I also wish we could do that, however, politics isn't as simple as that. Even if His Majesty is the most powerful person in the Kingdom, there are still things to consider. Especially the opinion of the masses. Everything must be fair." ［Grey］

"Uuu... How annoying... I just want to beat him up already..." ［Yuna］

The Duke's heart glowed red every time he opened his mouth and Yuna wanted ro beat him up more each time. However, they couldn't afford to make a scandal, else, everything they have worked hard for would be ruined.

The pledging of the oath was soon over and everyone took their rightful seats. The judge also took his seat, a gavel and a block before him. His eyes peered and swam all throughout the room. His mouth soon opened.

"Duke Schemer, for the charges of kidnapping, physical assault, murder, defamation, embezzlement, and treason among many others. How do you plead?" ［Lawrence］

"I plead not guilty, Your Reverence." ［Arslan］

"Duke Schemer, the eyes of God are not once to be deceived and not ones to be sullied. I ask you again. How do you plead?" ［Lawrence］

"I plead not guilty, Your Reverence." ［Arslan］

The Judge asked twice and the Duke answered twice, his heart also turning red both times, Grey's eyes continuing to probe him and the King's fists clenching even tighter as rage grew deep in his heart, eyes filled with hostility.

"The Complainant, Your Majesty. You and many others have accused Duke Schemer of such heinous crimes. Do you have any reason to believe so?" ［Lawrence］

"We do, Your Reverence. We have sufficient evidence to prove our claims and we are certain that the Duke is guilty of such crimes." ［Philip］

"It says here in the papers that you have found evidence incriminating against the Duke for crimes which has spanned for more than a decade. Are there any reasons why you have taken such a long time to appeal to the court?" ［Lawrence］

"That is because we have yet to gather enough evidence which could support our claims. However, thanks to certain people, we have now gotten our hands on our proof. That is the truth, Your Reverence." ［Philip］

"Certain people... Can you be more specific, Your Majesty?" ［Lawrence］

"They are here in the court with us today, however, I believe it is best to hide their identities as it could cost them their safety. I hope you understand." ［Philip］

"I see... Then, Duke Schemer..." ［Lawrence］

The questioning continued and answers came out of the mouths from both sides. Red and green once again danced in the eyes of Grey as he continued to observe the development of the situation, eyes and ears alert and ready.

It was a bland and boring process, questions asked and answered one after another, a couple of oppositions here and there as the two sides exchanged statements, the Judge listening to them attentively to make sure not to miss a single thing.

Before long, the evidence the King and his allies had gathered were presented to the Court and the judges' eyes swam through them. His emotions were pricked by what was written on them, yet he still managed to compose himself.

"Duke Schemer, His Majesty has presented enough evidence to support your claims. Embezzlement of over 2 billion kiels, amongst many others." ［Lawrence］

"I plead not guilty, Your Reverence. I have no involvement in those cases as I have never embezzled anything. Not from the people nor from the Kingdom. " ［Arslan］

"However, your mana signatures could be found throughout these documents. I have compared it with one of your documents, and they do indeed match." ［Lawrence］

"That is just forgery, Your Reverence. Are there not magic tools that can mimic mana signature? If given enough time, that signature will surely fade away." ［Arslan］

Argued the Duke, a smug and scornful expression painted on his face. Of course, his words were lies yet again. They won't be able to save him, but they will be able to buy some time for him to think up more schemes.

"That is indeed plausible, however, the Duchy's seal could also be found stamped across all these documents. How do you plead?" ［Lawrence］

"That is simply because the Royal Family also owns a copy of the seal. For all we know, they could have just stamped the papers themselves." ［Arslan］

"How dare you tarnish the name of the Royal Family?! This is insolence! Are you really challenging the authority of the Royal Family, Duke?!" ［Callipso］

"I am merely telling the truth! Otherwise, how else would such a preposterous document come to be! The Royal Family is framing me!" ［Arslan］

"You...! How dare you! Do you want your tongue to be cut?!"!［Callipso］

A single statement and the Court was thrust into chaos, two sides exchanging loud and hurtful words against one another. It was them that the Court started to heat up, tension and pressure rising with every moment.

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"Order in the Court! Order in the Court!" ［Lawrence］

There was slander and there were wrathful reactions. The Court had become noisy for a short moment, however, it was quickly dismissed with the Judge's quick actions. The gavel struck the block and then there was silence

"Do not speak unless you're spoken to! This is your first warning, Lady Ladellade! And, Duke Schemer! Don't respond to provocations easily!" ［Lawrence］

"... I apologize, Your Reverence. This shall not happen again." ［Callipso］

"Please forgive my boisterousness, Your Reverence. I was merely trying to defend myself. I shall be minding my words." ［Arslan］

Or so he says, but just another couple of minutes later, yet another heated argument broke out. It was because the Duke insulted the Royal Family once again. Not just Callisto, but Johann and Douglas also engaged in retaliation.

Of course, it wasn't just them but the other side as well. However for a more stupid reason. Callisto just slipped up and mentioned something regarding the Duke's bald head and he immediately went ballistic, lashing out uncontrollably.

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The Judge tried to calm them down, slamming the gavel down the block once again, yet it was useless. The two sides would only behave for a short time, soon getting into a heated argument once again as if they were on a battlefield.

Soon, it was time to bring in the witnesses, both sides presenting their evidence time and time again. All the King's witnesses were truthful, whilst the Duke's were just money-hungry bastards paid to stand up for him.

It was only after observing for a couple while that Grey had confirmed his suspicions, his eyes peering. He tried to test it out again and again, but the results came back all the same. It was all too puzzling.

"Is something bothering you, Grey?" ［Yuna］

"Yeah. It's just none of them match. The voice, the mannerism, the pattern of speech, everything... None of them match the man in the communication orb." ［Grey］

"You mean, it wasn't the Duke you heard?" ［Yuna］

"Most probably, yeah. It seems like there's someone else behind the scene. I doubt the Duke could pull something like that by himself... How frustrating..." ［Grey］

The Duke seemed smart and collected at first, but as the Court went on, he showed his true colors more openly. Not only was he bad at simple provocations, he was also quite stupid, making excuses even a five-year-old could make.

No matter how Grey thinks about it, there was no way such a person could think up of making such clever schemes. It was actually surprising that he managed to evade the King's investigations up until now, yet he answers so uncouthly.

"Hm? Grey... Look at that..." ［Yuna］

And just when Grey was in deep thought, Yuna spotted a certain person amongst the crowd which stood out like a sore thumb. Amidst the seriousness of the situation, he is the only one laughing and giggling, clearly enjoying himself.

"Grey... I don't have a good feeling about him..." ［Yuna］

Says Yuna, whispering ever so meekly as he clenched her hands. She couldn't point her fingers into it, but she could feel something ominous about the man. It wasn't just his oddities, but something about him makes her uncomfortable.

The trial continued and both sides continued to engage in a heated argument. There was still no sort of progress in the case, the Duke pushing back all of the allegations against him like a slippery eel just refusing to get caught.

"Your Reverence, I would like to introduce our final witness." ［Philip］

"... Allowed... Please bring them in." ［Lawrence］

However, such tough defense was soon over. As soon as the final witness took the stage, everyone suddenly went abuzz and gossip spread throughout the whole Court. The Duke's eyes widened in shock, his hands trembling in anger.

"You...! What do you think you're doing, Clarence?!" ［Arslan］

"I am testifying against you, Father." ［Clarence］

It was none other than the Duke's youngest son and also the wildcard the King had prepared. He may not be as famous as the Duke or his siblings, but people still know he was the flesh and blood of the Duke.

Yet such a person appeared in Court, not to defend his Father, but to testify against him as a witness of the complainant's side. There was a burning resolution in his eyes, not willing to bow down before anyone for his own reasons.

"Clarence til Schemer... You are the Duke's youngest son, correct? Why are you here to testify against your own Father?" ［Lawrence］

"That is because I have something to protect, Your Reverence." ［Clarence］

The King initially had no plans to ask Clarence as a witness, but surprisingly, he was the one who approached them first, down on his knees as he begged the King for a favor in exchange for his help. There was only desperation in his eyes.

The favor was simple. It was simply to spare his Mother, Duchess Brigitte, from the punishment of execution which the whole family usually receives as a whole. He had seen how his mother suffered at the hands of his own father, and just wanted her to be free. It was his only wish.

After the trial, the moment the Duke is judged guilty, he would immediately lose all his properties, and he would be stripped of all his power and title. This would also affect every member of the household, however, it was much better than dying.

Of course, for something so simple yet so advantageous, the King didn't hesitate any further and accepted his offer without a second thought. Like that, they have a trump card which was extremely vital against the Duke.

"I see... And against Duke Schemer, how do you plead?" ［Lawrence］

"I plead guilty, Your Reverence." ［Clarence］

Clarence answered with clarity, sending shock and surprise all over the Court. Soon enough, he then started to reveal all the secrets he knew about his father and all the crimes he had been involved with throughout the decades.

Starting from his crimes before the Civil War, to his dual allegiance and murder spree during the war, and all the heinous crimes after such events. He described them all in great detail, making sure not to miss a single thing.

"You ungrateful bastard! How dare you do this to me! Do youー" ［Arslan］

"Duke Schemer! This is my final warning! Speak any more, and let's see if you can handle the consequences!" ［Lawrence］

The Duke tried to rebut his claims, but he was quickly silenced by the Judge. All he could do was sit still in rage and silence as his own son spilled all his crimes and secrets, a feeling of betrayal looming inside his heart.

"That is all I could say, Your Reverence." ［Clarence］

"That is more than enough. You are now dismissed." ［Lawrence］

It wasn't long before Clarence finished his words, taking his leave soon after as he was escorted by the King's trusty Royal Guards. He was only in the podium for a little over a dozen minutes yet in that time, the whole balance was completely tipped over.

Everyone inside the Court was now talking about the Duke's heinous crimes and how unforgivable he was. Even the neutral nobles were now leaning towards the King, the enemies now sweating buckets as they tried to calm themselves.

"This is preposterous, Your Reverence. I'm sure His Majesty threatened my son to go against me! I'm absolutely certain of it!" ［Arslan］

"Say what you want, Duke Schemer. However, it won't change the fact that you have committed these crimes. Just give up already." ［Philip］

"You're being too much, Your Majesty! Do you really want to destroy our house to such an extent?! This is no different from oppression!" ［Arslan］

The Duke still tried to deny the claims and evidence, but just as he was doing so, a handful of documents was being passed throughout the crowd, everyone getting a hand of the research papers and documents found during the raids.

It does not include the results and the specific processes, however it contains the number of victims, which territories have been involved, the purpose, and much more. They were more than enough for everyone to learn the weight of his crimes.

The last one to be passed such documents was none other than the Judge, reading through them whilst the Duke was still busy arguing with the King. It was the set of evidence they had prepared in case the first ones failed to work.

"Duke Schemer! How dare you...?!" ［Lawrence］

He was enragedー no, being enraged doesn't even begin to describe him. It wasn't just him, but the other nobles and audience as well. They all looked at the Duke with scorn and contempt, the latter still confused about what's happening.

"Surprised, aren't you? Why don't you take a look at it yourself?" ［Philip］

Well, it didn't take long before the Duke understood why they reacted in such a way. The King slapped a shower of documents straight towards his face which not only contained his, but the other involved nobles' mana signatures and seals as well,

"Th-This is?!" ［Arslan］

It didn't even take the Duke a second. As soon as he saw them, he immediately realized what they were and shock ran all throughout his body, unable to believe what he was witnessing before him.

Such an obvious reaction only gave him away, all the nobles now siding with the King and only looking at him with distaste. They were all ready to stand against him, all of them infuriated by the great tragedy the Duke had spilled in their lands.

"Th-This is all a lie! How could you do this to meー No, how could you do this to us, Your Majesty?! We have given all our life for the glory of Aldengard, and this is how you repay us?! Are you ready for the consequences, Your Majesty?!" ［Arslan］

Still, the Duke remained to argue against the undeniable evidence before him, his loud voice thundering throughout the courtroom as he desperately struggled to defend himself. Desperation which soon turned to despair...

Just when everything was going downhill for the Duke, a hand was suddenly raised from the audience and all eyes turned towards it. The owner of the hand was none other than Baron Norkettle, appearing once more.

"Do you have something to say, Baron Norkettle?" ［Lawrence］

"Wh... What His Majesty claims are all right, Your Reverence... I... I was also involved in the experiments... I swear this on my Honor..."

It was a huge reversal, the Baron admitting his crimes before everyone in Court, all the while dragging the Duke to hell along with him. It was a confession which only strengthened the argument of the King.

"M-Me as well! I was also involved! The Duke forced me to!"

"We had no choice! The Duke threatened our families! It's all his fault!"

"Y-You bastards! How dare you repay me like this?!" ［Arslan］

It wasn't just the Baron, but all the other nobles and merchants involved with him as well, the Court devolving into a spiral of chaos as they tried to pin the blame on the Duke and saving themselves like venomous snakes willing to do anything to survive.

All the King did was offer them salvation and they quickly took the bait. However, it was all for show. The King was a warm person towards his people, but colder than ice towards his enemies. They will all be executed along with the Duke.

The Duke tried to resist against them, and his Lt. Generals were about to unsheathe their weapons. However, it was all futile. The outcome had already been decided, the General and Captain of the Guards pinning down the Lt. Generals.

"Do you have anything more to say, Duke Schemer?" ［Philip］

The King asked, his sharp and resentful eyes looking down on the Duke. However, there was no answer, the Duke now kneeling on the ground in disbelief, his whole body trembling in disbelief as he clenched his fist.

He had even sent letters towards his allies to prepare for war, but even those were now in the hands of the King, his allies defecting from him and leaving him for dead. It was a complete and utter loss for him.

"With the authority bestowed upon me by God and the law, I judge Duke Schemer to be guilty beyond reasonable doubt! Court is over!" ［Lawrence］

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Judgement has fallen.

CHAPTER 426 END