Chapter 119
As dawn broke, the Special Task Force Commander abandoned his usual active wear for a formal uniform. Heading towards the royal palace where the hearing was to be held, he found nobles already gathered in small groups, speculating on the outcome.
“Indeed, what will become of this hearing…”
“Forget what will become. Has the Chief Instructor forgotten whose lineage he follows?”
“Had that been forgotten, this hearing would not have taken place.”
“Foolish talk. If His Majesty had intended to banish him, would he have bothered with a hearing? He would have been judged immediately like any other criminal.”
“Conversely, perhaps His Majesty arranged this gathering of nobles to demonstrate a clear expulsion.”
“Difficult, so difficult.”
The nobles struggled to discern the Emperor’s intentions behind the hearing, but it was no easy task.
Piercing through the crowd, the Commander entered the hearing hall, which was already teeming with people. The Chief Justice and other judges meticulously reviewed the evidence submitted.
Nobles exchanged greetings and discussed the possible outcomes of the day’s events.
The Commander quietly took his seat.
Just then…
“…What!”
“Why is the Duke of Frost here?!”
Duke Beowulf, the Guardian of the North and one of the four Dukes, entered with an icy expression, brushing past the nobles blocking his way.
Following him silently was his daughter, Lorena.
Their arrival set the nobles abuzz with confusion.
“Aren’t the Dukes exempt from attending hearings?”
“There has never been a direct appearance by a Duke before.”
“That… the one who secured the Executioner’s position had established merits in Beowulf’s territory, hadn’t he?”
“Now that you mention it, I recall. So, Duke Beowulf has come to protect him?”
“Hmm… It’s impossible to predict the outcome of this hearing.”
The Commander frowned at the unexpected arrivals.
‘…Why is Duke Beowulf here?’
But Beowulf wasn’t the only issue.
An old man, cane in hand, entered the hall, prompting several nobles to rush over and bow deeply.
“Ah! Sir Wigor, the Imperial Teacher!”
“Thanks to your assistance, we’ve resolved many issues in our domain. We are grateful!”
“Live well and be thankful to your people!”
The Commander’s expression hardened at the sight of Wigor’s cheerful entrance.
‘Something strange is afoot.’
Two unexpected figures had revealed themselves at the hearing.
The Commander bit his lower lip.
One unforeseen event after another was unfolding.
‘What in the world?’
Shortly after…
The supreme ruler of the Empire, the Emperor, entered the hearing hall.
All nobles rose and bowed deeply in reverence.
And then…
Bang! Bang!
“The hearing for Damian Caballan and his disciple, Yan, will now commence. Please be seated.”
The Chief Justice struck the wooden gavel, and the hearing began.
* * *
The inquiry dragged on tediously.
Witnesses stepped forward, spewing claims that Yan had fabricated his merits.
Nobles from the east presented documents related to the allegations.
Thus, the hours of the inquiry passed by.
All statements and evidence from the witnesses were laid bare.
Amidst them were testimonies and proofs so flimsy, yet the Chief Justice did not dismiss any.
The Chief Justice looked at Yan and the Chief Instructor, inquiring,
“Do you wish to speak now?”
Yan shook his head, silent, while the Chief Instructor scoffed, opening his mouth to speak.
“Would my words even be heeded?”
“Defendant!”
The Chief Justice frowned, about to issue a warning, but the Chief Instructor continued nonchalantly.
“How deep must the bribes be for such nonsense to not be dismissed? Tsk.”
The Chief Instructor’s words turned the Chief Justice’s face a fiery red.
But soon, exhaling sharply to calm his heart, the Chief Justice turned away, withdrawing his gaze from the Chief Instructor.
“Does anyone else wish to speak?”
The nobles who disliked confrontation simply wished for time to pass.
Those who enjoyed the spotlight now feared the inquiry’s intent and remained tight-lipped.
The Chief Justice looked around, seeking any audience member willing to step forward, but no noble raised their hand.
Seeing no one willing to intervene, the Chief Justice looked towards the Emperor to conclude the inquiry.
A nod.
The Emperor nodded, signaling to recite the prearranged verdict.
The Chief Justice nodded gravely in return.
And just as he was about to strike the gavel to deliver the verdict,
“Something seems amiss.”
A deep voice halted the proceedings.
The Chief Justice turned to identify the impertinent noble who had just spoken.
“If you had something to say, you should have spoken earlier…!”
But upon recognizing the speaker, he hastily fell silent.
It was Duke Beowulf who had spoken.
The Chief Justice was rendered speechless, as if struck mute by honey.
The Emperor’s will had already been revealed.
Nothing would change, even with Duke Beowulf’s few words.
Yet, the thought of confronting Duke Beowulf was daunting.
As the Chief Justice pondered what to do,
Duke Beowulf continued with an unfazed expression.
“Something is indeed strange. I witnessed with my own eyes the deeds this young man accomplished in the North.”
Duke Beowulf pointed at a witness who had claimed Yan colluded with barbarians.
“Accepting such claims implies my vision is flawed?”
The atmosphere in the hall turned icy.
The Chief Justice clenched his fist at Duke Beowulf’s piercing remark.
‘Damn it…! Was there a connection with the icy Duke Beowulf?’
Following Duke Beowulf’s comment, another hand was raised.
The Chief Justice was taken aback once more.
“What now, Imperial Teacher?”
It was the Imperial Teacher, favored by the Emperor himself.
Wigor frowned and spoke,
“I too find it odd, having received aid from this young man.”
“What exactly do you mean?”
“They claim this ‘Yan’ was the mastermind behind the train derailment, right? But if my eyes do not deceive me, it was this young man who thwarted the kidnappers and tirelessly ensured the passengers’ safety.”
Wigor didn’t stop there, glaring at the witness who had declared the train incident a plot by Yan.
“Do you not know the consequences of lying in this place?”
“I, I…”
The witness in the stand stuttered under Wigor’s interrogation.
Yan was inwardly shocked by the objections raised by the two influential figures.
‘What’s going on?’
He had thought of these two powerhouses when he was imprisoned, but only briefly.
There was no reason for such titans to clash with the Emperor’s will.
With these doubts, Yan looked at the Chief Instructor and understood who had orchestrated this.
“Did you plan this, Chief Instructor?”
The Chief Instructor, who should have been the most surprised, calmly observed their objections.
The Chief Instructor grinned at Yan’s question.
“Relying solely on your trump card felt a bit precarious.”
“So you weren’t just watching.”
“I didn’t intervene much. I merely allowed those who wished to help you to step forward.”
The objections of the two heavyweights threw the inquiry into chaos.
Then, the Chief Justice hurriedly turned to seek out Count Zion.
“Count Zion, do you have nothing further to add? As the one who convened this inquiry, you must have something to say in response to their doubts.”
He thought Count Zion, who had initiated the inquiry, could provide ample support.
Of course, that would have been the right assumption.
Had Count Zion not been in league with Yan.
Count Zion rose with a sly smile, surveying the assembly with an apologetic expression.
“I was about to address the matter myself, but thanks to the previous speakers, my concerns have been eased.”
Count Zion’s bombshell statement widened the eyes of everyone at the inquiry.
His words implied that the very reason for the inquiry’s existence was flawed.
Count Zion continued smoothly,
“It seems a few immature nobles were envious of the Executor’s generous rewards. The evidence piled up by more than a few nobles forced this inquiry, but upon closer inspection, it all turned out to be false.”
Bowing, Count Zion concluded,
“It’s not something I can excuse, nor should I, but I only learned of this last night, leaving me no time to act. I apologize to all who have made a wasted journey because of me.”
The first to react to Count Zion’s words was the Special Task Force Commander.
He sprang up!
The Commander rose abruptly, glaring at Count Zion.
‘Why is this happening!’
‘My apologies.’
As Count Zion bowed his head with a sly grin, the Commander clenched his fist.
He had handed over all the painstakingly gathered intelligence from the Special Task Force for this fox-like character.
‘And he devours it all?’
The Commander’s face flushed with anger.
Even devouring Count Zion wouldn’t be satisfying enough.
Count Zion’s statement stirred unrest among the seated nobles and bureaucrats.
From how to handle the situation to the treatment of the eastern nobles.
The once-contained uproar grew uncontrollable.
At that moment,
“You must be wondering why I am here.”
Yan, who had been silent in the defendant’s seat since the inquiry began, started to speak.
As the wronged victim spoke, the murmuring voices magically began to fade.
“I’ve noticed a grave crime committed by one among us.”
The nobles waited with bated breath for Yan’s next words.
With all eyes on him, Yan smiled slyly.
And then, raising his finger, he pointed at someone.
“I shall take this opportunity to expose the truth.”
Yan’s finger pointed at the Special Task Force Commander.
“The Special Task Force Commander has violated the founding sovereign’s sacred oath by conducting human experiments. Many children died because of it, and I was accused of a non-existent crime while protecting one of the survivors, leading me here.”
Gasps erupted from the nobles.
But the Special Task Force Commander faced Yan’s accusation with a composed demeanor.
“Me? How impudent. If such a thing had occurred, the Inspectorate would not have let me be…”
As the Commander spoke,
Whether by chance or design.
Creak.
The doors of the inquiry hall opened, and a man and a girl entered.
Interrupted, the Commander turned his head sharply.
Seeing their faces, his own turned deathly pale.
Unwittingly, he exclaimed,
“This is madness…!”
For it was Prince Leon, entering with the test subject the Commander had failed to find.