Chapter 93 - The Trial (2)

Chapter 93: Chapter 93 - The Trial (2) "Who are those?" "Witnesses." "..." "They are former workers from a slaver in the town of Amapytu. They witnessed her being brought there by Duke Addlington and attended to her for twelve years, with frequent visits made by the Duke." What the hell is this procedure? I’m not a lawyer, far from that, but even I know that that’s not how a proper court handles cases. For once, the accused party is not present. Also, the accusation side is speaking for the witnesses instead of interrogating the witnesses. Nobody else seems to be bothered by it, though. I guess this is how the law is enforced around here. If so-called Juno would bring anything from the Romans to this place, she should have brought the Roman justice system. There is a reason why that system is still the basis of law in the modern world. "You tricked me, presenting a witness without formal authorization. That witness’ account cannot be accepted." "You’re the one who said that even the words of commoners are heard by the goddess. Are you going back on your word?" "I’m not; don’t twist what I said to suit your agenda. What I said has nothing to do with accepting the witness of a random commoner in this tribunal." Is this a tribunal? Lol. Doesn’t look like one, to be honest. I don’t even know who the judge is here. Is there a judge at all? If what I know from fantasy novels holds true, the judge would be the king. But, here, he is part of the accusation. And the Pontifex is the defense. Oh. I see. The whole debacle is happening because the system doesn’t have a proper judge, as the Church is questioning the authority of the king to pass judgment. Interesting... Oh, I got lost in my thoughts again, didn’t I? I haven’t lost much, as the Pontifex and the Prince are still bickering about the validity of the testimony. Where is Gundmund? Shouldn’t he have already arrived here? What exactly is our goal with all this? To bring the Duke to justice and sidestep the Church’s attempt to excommunicate Lillian. I look at Lovelace, and she seems very focused on a guy in the audience. "Lovelace?" She only makes a gesture with her hand for me to not interrupt her. "Darling, are you ok?" Damn, the king doesn’t look good. Grandma is tending to him right now, while the Prince and the Pontifex are still talking in circles about the validity of the testimony. I focus inwards, activating my mana perception. There, the culprit. The guy is feeding on the king in broad daylight, in front of everyone, even the Pontifex. The audacity. He seems to be very confident that nobody will notice it. I run to the queen and whisper to her. "Lovelace locked in on the culprit. End the audience now, so we can catch him." "Right." A butler is already giving a cup of water for the king to drink, so Queen Thieda addresses the court. "Everyone. King Halinard is suffering from a flare-up of his illness. I’m afraid we’ll have to cut this audience short. Please, excuse us as we treat our king." She gestures for Daniel to escort the people out. To be honest, the guy’s appearance came at a good time, as it gave us a reason to interrupt the discussion. If we go blindly into this confrontation, we will lose. We can’t let the Pontifex dictate the terms; we need to have a solid plan. Daniel gives some orders, and the guards guide the people outside. The Church people protest a bit but then give up, seeing the state of the king. Not without saying some nice parting words. "You see, everyone? That illness is proof that the goddess is cursing the royal family of this kingdom!" Ugh. I wish I could simply call a lightning bolt from the skies to burn him to a crisp and then say that it was the goddess punishing him for his stupidity. "Daniel, please escort Lady Lovelace and arrest the one she points to. Take some guards with you. He might be the one responsible for the king’s state." Thieda’s order was short and without much explanation, but it’s exactly what’s needed right now. Explanation can come later. "And me, grandma? Can’t I go along?" "Of course not! You’re a child! Come, let’s accompany your grandfather inside." Lovelace goes with Daniel, leaving me behind. I wanted to take part on the pursuit as well... Daniel will probably hinder Lovelace, as she will be limited in what she is able to do with him around. But she doesn’t have the authority to arrest people, so someone has to go with her. Ugh. I hope that the guy doesn’t escape. At least Lovelace noticed him quickly enough that his efforts were cut short. Considering the Pontifex’s parting words, they must have planned it as a way to undermine the king’s authority. The butler brought the king a wheelchair as soon as nobody else was present in the throne room, and we follow the king to the royal family’s wing. We meet Shalia on the way. "Master. Your Majesty. I bring reports. The one who Lovelace is following is that Martius whom nobody knows anything about." "He was the one feeding on the king’s mana. Lovelace cut him short, so the king should recover soon. I think that in one hour he will be back to how he was earlier today." And it’s still morning, so no vampire. Damn, I wanted a vampire... But if he’s not a vampire, what is he? I can’t even ask Lovelace, as she isn’t here. But at least everyone’s worried expression seems to ease with my words. "Were you able to see him as well, Aurea?" "Yes, grandma. As soon as I noticed Lovelace’s shift in expression, I looked around with my mana perception and noticed the culprit." "How did his magical body look?" Ohhh, Gundmund. You’re finally here. "Good morning, Gudmund. His mana was bloated and weird; it looked kinda like an ill, swollen liver. And there was a connection between him and Grandpa’s magical body, like a tentacle." "That’s quite the graphic description, little princess. I wouldn’t expect a girl like you to know what an ill liver would look like." "I had to butcher my own meat in the Barrens. Hehe..." Yeah, that’s the reason. Not because I’ve seen photos of it in my past life, not at all. We arrived at a spacious room, the one we used yesterday. From here, the corridors lead to the private rooms of the royal family, mine included. The butler took the king to his room, and the rest of us stayed behind. "What took you so long, Gundmund? I didn’t see you in the audience." "I’m sorry, Your Majesty. I was looking for this." He produced an object from under his robe. It looks like a small pedestal with an orb upon it. The orb is pure white, as if made by condensed light. One of the faces of the pedestal has an orifice. "What is it, Gundmund?" While my mother asks the question, I don’t hesitate to appraise it. ---------- Holy Orb of Deep Seeing An artifact capable of seeing the stats of any person who touches it and projecting it as a screen visible to any person. Extra Information: Given by Cailleach to the Wesgoth royal family. ---------- Ohhhh. This will be useful.