by Pegaz A
This Adam is a professional at what he does. He’s got all his bases covered. If I get out of this iron maiden and escape, I must make sure it’s after he leaves. Cale, on the other hand, is spineless. If I escape, he’ll run the opposite way faster than I can run. The judge is too weak to do anything and could be the best hostage candidate around here, but that’s if he’s needed.
I wonder what the difference is between Adam and Cale, though? They’re both Rank 9, but does that mean their strength should be equal, too? That can’t be right… It’s more likely that I’ve been lucky and haven’t met a genius who could kill people of the same rank like it’s nothing. If I met a genius Rank 9, I’d either die within a few seconds, or escape by the skin of my teeth.
It makes more sense if the Rank 9’s I’ve met so far were those who only cultivated using resources, meditating rather than having to fight for survival. A Rank 9 who isn’t a genius but instead has been through millions of battles to reach where he is will more than likely kill me faster than a genius. I’m guessing within a second because they won’t show mercy.
Those people who fought for everything will not look down on people like what Cale and his teammates did. They will not underestimate an enemy. They will not feel it’s below them to kill a Rank 5 like me either. At most, after they killed me, they will feel like they wasted a second of their time.
While he was thinking about how to avoid Rank 9 people from now on, Cale pushed him through the brown wooden door leading to courtroom number 1 at the end of the corridor.
As he passed through the door, Jonathan’s eyes took in the room around him. To his left and right were simple wooden benches like those inside an old church back on Earth. There were a few cushions left behind from previous crowds of people. The benches on both sides went all the way to the end of the walls which were over 30 feet away from him.
Jonathan was pushed further along, passing rows of benches. After about 40 feet, they stopped at a wooden railing with two gates attached.
So the benches are for the public, while this railing is only for the judges, lawyers, barristers, the prisoner, and anyone else involved in the court proceedings to cross.
Past the gate, were two big desks on the left and right where the defendant and prosecutor would sit or stand while going through the paperwork or presenting their case. About 20 feet in front of the two desks was a huge wooden structure. In the middle was a raised seat, upon which Jonathan assumed the judge would sit. To the left of this raised seat was a shorter one; Jonathan assumed this was where witnesses would testify.
However, there were no seats for a jury. That meant it was the judge who found the defendant guilty or innocent. Judge Grant had already called him a criminal before the trial even started, which wasn’t a good sign.
Cale pushed Jonathan to the desk on the left.
Chapter 48
The Trial
After Cale pushed Jonathan to the desk, he walked back through the gate and sat down on the bench. Adam had all ninety-nine other security personnel enter the courtroom and stand along the walls, while Adam himself stood near the judge’s seat and in front of Jonathan.
When everyone was in place, Grant walked around the wooden structure, up a few steps, and sat on the raised seat in the middle of the structure. Looking down, Grant could see the top and left side of Adam’s face as he spoke.
“Do you think it is secure enough for an audience?” the judge asked in a hushed voice. “We need witnesses to a fair trial so he can’t complain.”
“Yes, sir.” Looking up towards Grant, Adam nodded. “I am satisfied with the security for an audience, but if anyone crosses the gate without permission, I will personally dismantle them. Is that fine with you?”
Grant nodded, then asked one of the security guards near the door to the corridor to fetch a barrister and announce that the trial was public. They had to wait for a while because Grant was a bit too eager to start the trial. No barristers had been assigned or informed about the case. When a barrister was finally assigned, he was handed the report, the original ‘wanted’ parchment, and all the information available. When this barrister read everything, he concluded two things:
First, this was a high profile trial; win or lose, he would probably get a promotion or at least a salary bump.
Second, if the criminal was sent to prison but escaped, the prisoner would come for him and everybody involved.
He took on the case anyway. It was worth the risk, however small of a risk that was.
An hour later, Jonathan was tired of staring at Adam and Grant. He couldn’t see behind him because the Scan didn’t work with the life cuffs on, but he could hear people talking. Inside the iron maiden, he could turn his head around to the right by a mere 90 degrees and could see people sitting on the public benches.
Finally, he heard Grant speak.
“The barrister is here,” he announced. “As soon as he’s ready, let’s begin.”
The room got quiet, and Jonathan could hear the gate being opened. He turned to the right again and saw the barrister walk to the right desk with a stack of papers in his hand.
On the Sword Sect’s planet, papers were classified as a luxury item according to Sarah. Yet here they have it in bundles? Is it because of the Sider that Grant mentioned?
Looking at the barrister, Jonathan committed his appearance to memory. He was wearing a brown robe in the same style as Grant’s robes. Brown hair, straight nose, full lips, and a square jaw. He had an interesting face. Jonathan knew he could pick him out in a crowd.
“I’m sorry I’m late, Judge Grant.” The man did a slight bow with his right hand over his heart while he spoke. “I was getting up to speed with this case.”
“Of course.” Grant nodded. “Barrister Harry Barker, I haven’t seen you in my courtroom for a few years. It will be a pleasure working with you again. The man below me needs no introduction, I hope?”
Standing up straight, Harry looked at Adam.
“No introduction needed, Your Honour. It’s a pleasure to see you Deputy Commander Adam.” He did a small bow to Adam, too.
“Good.” Grant nodded once again. “Adam is here with the security department’s other members because of the report. I hope you have read it?”
“Yes,” Harry replied. “I did, Your Honour.”
“Brilliant!” Grant picked up a small hammer and knocked it against a round piece of wood in front of him. “When you’re ready, we may begin the trial.”
Everything here is like what I saw on a TV drama once. The only difference is these people have no wigs and the barristers are wearing brown robes. Lawyers might wear a different colour of robes, too. Was there a Sider who created a legal system for the Adventurers Guild as well? The Sider that Grant mentioned wouldn’t have been here long enough to set this all up.
Wait, he didn’t mention how long ago the Sider showed up! Maybe it is the same Sider? They could have given them the Lady of Justice statue’s design only recently. I still have the mentality of a mortal and keep thinking that they won’t live more than a hundred years. If a Sider created the legal system here, he or she could still be alive.
While Jonathan was lost in his thoughts, Harry was sorting out his files on the desk. When he was finally ready, he cleared his throat and picked up a single piece of paper.
“What is your name?”
“Jonathan.”
DING.
“So, Jonathan, is it true you killed eleven first class enforcers?”
“Yes.”
DING.
The crowd gasped and whispered.
Grant picked up his gavel and repeatedly hit the small wooden part while shouting for silence. It still took over two minutes for the crowd to quieten down. The noise of the crowd gave Jonathan an estimate of how many people were in the room. There were a lot.
“Okay.” Harry tried to sound as nonchalant as he could. “How old are you?”
“A hundred and ten.”
BUZZ.
>
The noise the iron maiden made was like the noise a security door made when somebody buzzed another person in from the other side.
“I, Jonathan, am only six months old.”
DING.
“Now, you don’t know what’s going on, do you?” Jonathan laughed.
DING.
Technically, I’ve only used this identity for around six months total. With my wording, I’m telling the truth.
Jonathan was right. Everybody in the courtroom was confused.
“Right... “ Harry carried on like nothing happened. “Let’s move on. Why did you kill the eleven first rank enforcers?”
“Oh, that’s easy,” Jonathan replied. “They didn’t ask me to come with them nicely enough. No ‘please’ or ‘thank you’—only orders like they were kings.”
DING.
As the crowd was whispering, Grant rose his gavel again but Jonathan spoke up.
“The sole survivor, Cale, already knows I speak the truth. I told him after the fight. You know, after he tortured me.”
DING.
Jonathan smiled.
Tortured is the key word there. Even though Cale didn’t touch me, he was already torturing me in a way. Adam walked in before the first punch, but it was still technically true.
Cale stood up and bowed to Grant, Adam, then Harry.
Harry then asked Cale to stand in as a witness. The Rank 9 followed as ordered, taking a seat on the left of the judge. He then explained what had happened, how the fight went, how he didn’t touch the prisoner afterwards which Adam could testify to. He also repeated what Jonathan said about accusing him in front of everyone in the auction hall.
Grant looked at the crowd after Cale had finished and noticed some people had their brows knitted, meaning they disagreed with the way the enforcers had gone about their jobs. Harry dismissed Cale.
“Jonathan,” he started. “Why do you think they were there to question you?”
“Why?” Jonathan frowned. “Are you stupid? They told me why they were there before demanding I go with them.”
DING.
“Ah, no, you misunderstood me.” His answer embarrassed Harry as he misspoke the question. “I meant, do you know how they got the evidence to suspect you?”
“I, Jonathan, have no idea.”
DING.
“Okay, well,” Harry said with a small twitch in his nose. “I can’t divulge how we got the evidence because it concerns the safety of the people. But my next question is, did you know the people from the Anti-Assassin Sect?”
“Yes,” Jonathan answered. “I did.”
DING.
“They were a bunch of criminals,” he continued on speaking. “Just hiding in plain sight. Preaching how all life was valuable, but in the shadows, they killed more people than the assassins themselves. That sect did more horrendous things than most of the criminals this whole courthouse has sent to prison combined.”
DING.
The crowd went into a frenzy as they could not believe what he had just spoken to be true. Grant broke his gravel trying to silence the crowd. He became angry and asked Adam to shut them up. Adam pushed Life Power in his throat and shouted.
“SILENCE!”
Everybody put their hands over their ears, trying to stop the pain.
After a few minutes, Harry finally continued.
“The iron maiden only tells us if you’re speaking the truth, but if you don’t know the truth yourself, then we cannot take it as a fact.”
“Easy,” Jonathan replied. “I’ve witnessed their sins.”
DING.
Wording again. I didn’t see them commit the crime, but I’ve seen their sin number through the Immortal Eye skill.
Taking this chance to drag the Anti-Assassin’s name through the mud is my final revenge. As word spreads, any remaining sect members will be hunted down like the criminals they are.
Chapter 49
Sentencing
“Nonsense!” Harry shouted out. “I knew some Anti-Assassin Sect members before they died, and I know they were upright people and not criminals!”
“Ha! Nonsense?” Jonathan could only laugh maliciously and shout back. “I was in love with the sect master’s newest disciple, Sarah Hughes, before she died. She died because her master tried forcing her to marry one of the elder’s sons, and she made a deal with her master to void the marriage. Because of this, I sought more information on them!”
DING.
“But why are you yelling at me?” Jonathan’s voice lowered as he played coy. “Isn’t there something in the rules about being biased? This Harry guy admitted he knew them before they died, and he even thought that they were decent people! Doesn’t that mean he has a personal vendetta against me, based only on these accusations? The iron maiden told you I’m speaking the truth yet he questions it!”
DING.
Wording again. Sarah Hughes technically died when she changed her name after I helped her run away. She was also only there because I was going to help her with the arranged marriage. I can also say I loved her before she died because I love Sarah now, including who she used to be or will become in the future.
The crowd was getting riled up. They began to agree with Jonathan. Before Grant could ask Adam to quieten the crowd again, Harry shouted back.
“I am biased!” He stood from his seat. “I knew the people and thought they were upright people, but it’s not like we were family and grew up together.”
“So you openly admit it like you’re proud?!” Jonathan resorted again to shouting. “How can we all know what you speak is the truth? How about you come and take my place inside this iron maiden and have a lie detector attached to you?”
“If that’s what it takes, then fine!”
He took a step towards Jonathan but before he could take a second step, Adam stepped in once more.
“SILENCE!” His voice boomed. “Take one more step and I will have to kill you, regardless of your position!”
“This barrister is an idiot!” Jonathan laughed. “Where did you get him from? Surely, he’s not trained or educated.”
“You’re calling me an idiot?” Harry’s face was beet red. “Killing the Adventurers Guild’s enforcers over how and where they spoke to you and the usage of demonic techniques to boot! YOU are the idiot here, Mr. Jonathan!”
“Demonic techniques?” Jonathan scoffed. “Can you say the Adventurers Guild has every technique in the universe? What they don’t know is ‘demonic’? I created the techniques I used that day! Are you implying that the Adventurers Guild is the ruler of the universe and what it doesn’t approve of is deemed demonic?”
DING.
“If I yelled that you’ve committed a crime so horrendous that you should get locked up for eternity, wouldn’t you become angry at me for spreading false rumours?” John’s scoff turned into somewhat of a snarl. “Even if you were later proved to be innocent, people talk. That’s how lives are ruined!”
DING.
Some people in the crowd were not staff members from the Adventurers Guild, and it was these people that stood up and shouted that Jonathan was right. Other staff members who were in the crowd doubted the Adventurers Guild’s rules, or at least it crossed their minds that they should update them.
Grant looked at Adam, who nodded and shouted once more.
“SILENCE!”
After a few moments of uttering, silence fell upon the crowd. Grant then addressed them.
“What he says is reasonable. No organisation can have all the information in the universe, and some techniques will baffle or look demonic to us without us knowing otherwise.”
He then looked at Jonathan, a haze of disgust sweeping across his face. “However, eating a soul is different! While we don’t know if there is an afterlife and we only know of a few Siders who were reincarnated, we don’t know what happens to the rest of us after dying. That means if that person had any chance of reincarnating, eating the soul would kill that chance. And taking that c
hance away from anybody is a demonic act itself.
“Our first class enforcer, Cale, has reported that he only saw you attempting to eat it, but the team leader managed to stop you, so the only thing we can do is assume you were going to eat it. However, because you didn’t deny it at the time and neither can your actions be explained in any other way besides attempting to eat the soul, I will carry on with sentencing in accordance to you being guilty of this crime.”
More hushed voice came from the crowd, but they quickly died down as Grant began his speech again.
“You said you created the technique yourself. I hope you didn’t teach it to anyone before this and I hope you won’t in the future. For now, because you can kill first class enforcers, I am sentencing you to one hundred years in the maximum security prison for the act of eating souls.”
Jonathan’s eyes widened.
“While we don’t have enough proof to charge you with the destruction of a planet, I am also placing you under the special class of criminals. A Rank 9 will constantly monitor you in the room while you stay inside the iron maiden. You should feel honoured as there is only one other person who is in this special class. He, too, destroyed a planet.”
There’s… another one?
“When we have enough evidence, we will bring you back to court to continue with the trial and remove any doubt that you committed the crime. Once we’ve done this, you will be charged with the destruction of the Anti-Assassin Sect and the death of millions of innocent people by destroying the planet. If there isn’t enough evidence within one hundred years, then you are free to go. This court is adjourned.”
