Chapter 43: The Trial
Translator: RaidenTL
Chapter 43: The Trial
“He has good eyes.”
It was a phrase Prince Arden Brimstone Lionel had heard since he was a child.
A jack-of-all-trades. A peerless genius.
The origin of all those grand titles stemmed from the unique “eyes” he possessed.
It wasn’t a simple matter of good eyesight.
To the prince, the “trajectories” of all things were visible.
When he first picked up a sword, he grasped the principles of what other knights called “sword paths” in a matter of days.
When he first manifested his supernatural abilities, he comprehended the mechanics behind them in an instant.
And…
The trajectories the prince’s eyes could see were not limited to the physical world.
True sight, after all, isn’t just about visual perception; it encompasses deep observation and insight.
The prince possessed the kind of “good eyes” that could even perceive the trajectory of a person’s life.
In that sense…
The man currently striding confidently into the building was, in many ways, a fascinating human being.
It wasn’t as if he didn’t know this was a trap.
That man was a strategist who loved to scheme. There was no way he hadn’t considered the possibility.
Yet he walked in with such composure, which meant he was supremely confident in the cards he held.
“…”
When he thought about it…
The very idea of a man with no background engaging in a head-on confrontation with the Crown Prince was utterly absurd.
The trajectory of Aiden Kellermain, as seen through the prince’s eyes…
If he had to describe it, the man was like a coiled spring.
Left alone, nothing happened. He barely even reacted to personal attacks or threats against himself.
However, if you applied “pressure” to the people around him—if you aimed your arrows at those he protected, if you pressed down on that spring…
The harder you pressed, the more fiercely he would rebound, multiplying the force of the blow.
Honestly, at this point, he was more curious about what that man would do next than he was about the Lionheart herself.
“…Presiding Judge.”
And this incident was no different.
“Begin.”
He didn’t know the specifics, but one thing was certain: this would not be an easy fight for either side.
* * *
Aiden had expected the opposition to spew biased claims laced with propaganda and fabrications the moment he entered the courtroom.
“—We accuse the Lionheart of involvement in treason.”
…Still, he hadn’t expected it to be this extreme.
“…”
As soon as the words left the Administrative Minister’s mouth, Aiden closed his eyes and massaged his temples.
He had assumed they would at least go through the motions, feeling each other out with a modicum of courtesy. But this opening strike shattered that naive expectation right out of the gate.
This was a breach of decorum so flagrant it was almost an art form. It was the equivalent of delivering a low blow before the boxers even touched gloves.
Standing beside him, Noel was so stunned she could only blurt out a dumbfounded question.
“—Did you say… treason?”
Even though Noel had prepared herself for nonsensical claims, her face contorted in disbelief.
The sheer absurdity of it was reaching a new level.
…No, seriously.
Aiden couldn’t help but sympathize with her reaction.
Setting all else aside, leveling a charge of treason from the very beginning could only be interpreted as an all-in play, dumping every card they had onto the table at once.
Naturally, anyone attempting to overthrow the state—regardless of who they were—faced a minimum sentence of life imprisonment and a maximum of execution. The probability of receiving that maximum penalty was overwhelmingly high.
The minister had phrased it as “involved in” rather than plotting or leading, which seemed to be the only line he wouldn’t cross, but that charge alone was enough to completely dismantle Noel’s social and political standing.
And, of course…
If you tried to pin such a charge on your opponent and failed, the backlash would be catastrophic.
If the claims made in this trial were proven false, the scale of the scandal that would engulf the Prince was horrifying to even imagine. He was practically sacrificing the vast majority of his political leverage.
And yet…
When someone raised the stakes this high, people couldn’t help but think, They must have a trump card to be acting this confident.
Because the world was always more easily persuaded by a believable lie than by the truth.
“—Involved in treason? The Lionheart?”
“I doubt the Prince would go this far without a solid reason…”
Hearing the whispers ripple through the gallery, Aiden unconsciously rubbed the back of his stiff neck.
…Wait.
Wasn’t this the exact same tactic he had used to cover up the Prince’s previous provocation against Dame Noel?
Hiding a tree in a forest by creating an even more sensational scandal.
Except now, they were trying to bury that forest under an even larger one.
Aiden had been called a lunatic more than a few times lately, but he felt like he and the Prince were about to become fierce competitors in that arena.
“…I believe I have gathered more than enough evidence to prove my non-involvement in the recent incidents in the Imperial Capital,” Noel argued, her voice rigid and cold.
The Administrative Minister, who had been speaking, gave a slight bow of exaggerated deference.
“And where is the proof that your evidence wasn’t fabricated?”
“It is not my duty to prove that.”
“And the Imperial Family is under no obligation to prove such things when dealing with individuals suspected of treason.”
“…”
“It is an exclusive prerogative of the Crown, explicitly enshrined in the Imperial Constitution, is it not?”
At this point, their stance was blatantly obvious.
I am the future Emperor. I can manipulate the nation’s legal system as I please, so what are you going to do about it? Kneel.
As was often the case in the world, a simple, crude tactic you could see coming was often the hardest to block.
…Come to think of it.
Hadn’t he warned the Prince that if he crossed the line this blatantly, Aiden would have no choice but to respond in kind?
Experiencing it firsthand, he now understood why he’d said it. When crushed by such overwhelming authority, neither he nor Noel had any conventional means of fighting back. He could feel it in his bones now that the Prince, who had previously tried to handle things quietly and send Aiden home, had actually been acting like quite the gentleman.
“And above all—”
However, even with the weight of imperial authority, the evidence Noel and Aiden had dragged out of the Imperial Capital’s black market was far too clear-cut. No matter how much power they wielded, they couldn’t push absurdity past a certain point.
So, to find a flaw in their argument…
“—How do you explain the matter of the Lord Protector?”
“…”
“Do you have any evidence regarding that situation, Lionheart?”
So this was the decisive blow they had prepared.
The moment the spirit of the Lord Protector was summoned, it had attacked Noel. Considering that woman’s deeds in life, that fact alone provided ample grounds to argue that Noel was involved in something nefarious. That was their logic.
And, naturally, it was impossible to present a counterargument. They couldn’t exactly summon the spirit of the Lord Protector to the stand and question her. The opposition was acting this brazenly precisely because they knew that…
“Ah, excuse me.”
…Or at least, that argument would have been valid.
Until Aiden nonchalantly raised his hand.
“I have it. Evidence, I mean.”
“…”
The Administrative Minister’s expression twisted slightly as he turned to face Aiden.
“—Did you say you have evidence?”
“Well, it’s less ‘evidence’ and more of a ‘witness.’ But yes, I can prove it.”
Hearing that, the minister’s contorted expression morphed into a sneer.
The premise was impossible to prove unless one summoned the Lord Protector’s spirit and asked her directly. What kind of witness could he have possibly brought to make such a confident claim?
It was a prime opportunity for ridicule.
“—Is that so?”
“Yes. May I have them enter?”
“That requires some consultation—”
“Too late. They’re already coming in.”
“…”
…Aiden could see the light of reason fading from the Administrative Minister’s eyes.
It was likely the reaction of someone encountering an individual throwing such an unreasonable tantrum in an official court for the very first time.
A decent person with common sense would realize they were making a scene, but Aiden couldn’t be bothered to care.
In the first place, wasn’t it the other side that had thrown out all procedures and rules to have a childish fit first? He had no reason to feel a shred of guilt.
“—Mr. Aiden, causing a disturbance without cause might work against us later—”
“Ah, it’s fine.”
And, above all…
“The person coming in right now is someone who’s allowed to make a bit of a scene.”
The “witness” he had called was someone far too grand to pass up the chance for a little disruption.
Following his words, the double doors of the building slammed open. The moment the onlookers caught sight of the figure walking in—
The entire courtroom froze.
“My, my.”
A woman in black holy robes spoke with a bright smile.
At that single remark, even the Prince and the Administrative Minister scrambled out of their seats in sheer horror as they realized who she was.
“Does the Imperial Court have a bigger budget than our kingdom?”
—Abigail III.
The Pope.
The ruler of the Craven Holy Kingdom was casually walking in from the entrance, her footsteps echoing in the silence.
* * *
For a long moment, a silence akin to walking on thin ice filled the shock-ridden courtroom.
“—Your Holiness… when did you enter the Empire?” the Administrative Minister barely managed to squeeze out, desperately suppressing the trembling in his cheeks.
To be frank, compared to his usual overbearing demeanor, he looked thoroughly cornered. But given the atmosphere, he deserved praise just for finding the courage to speak at all.
“Officially? Just now.”
“…”
“I handled the formal procedures directly with the Emperor via personal contact. No complaints, right?”
“…”
How could there be any complaints?
To be precise, no one possessed enough reckless courage to actually voice one.
The Pope strolled up to the podium and casually leaned her upper body against it.
She looked completely at ease, as if she were lounging in her own living room.
“So,” Abigail III said with a yawn. “What was it… the topic was spirits? That happens to be my area of expertise.”
“…”
“So what about the spirit of the Lord Protector? Go on, speak up.”
As her words descended upon the dumbstruck courtroom, Noel, who had also stood up, leaned slightly toward Aiden.
“…Is that truly Her Holiness the Pope?”
“…”
Aiden narrowed his eyes at Noel.
“It’s not like I could bring a stand-in. How would I deal with the aftermath?”
“I feel like that would actually be easier to believe…” Noel let out a groan-like whisper, then continued softly, “I won’t ask how you summoned her, but for foreign royalty to interfere in an incident like this is no small matter. To be officially recognized, the procedures required—”
“Ah, don’t worry,” Aiden said, cutting her off as he rested his chin on his hand.
“I wrote her a script.”
“…Pardon?”
While Noel stared in complete bewilderment, the Administrative Minister, having somehow regained his senses, voiced the exact concern she had just raised.
“—With all due respect, Your Holiness! While it is a tremendous honor for you to grace us with your presence, we must properly deliberate whether your intervention is appropriate and lawful—”
The Pope’s response was simple.
“So what?”
“…”
The moment they heard that, both the Prince and the Administrative Minister stared at her, utterly stupefied.
They were not the only ones.
Noel and the entire audience had the exact same reaction.
The only exception was Aiden, who had instructed her beforehand on which direction to steer the conversation.
“The ruler of the Craven Holy Kingdom wants to. I want to butt into this mess you people are making. I even cleared it with your Emperor on my way here, remember?”
“…”
“When I say that, what can you possibly do?”
“…”
“A mere minister like you?”
Watching the speechless Administrative Minister, Aiden let out a soft chuckle.
“She’s good.”
“…”
“See? Sitting on a throne really is a job for smart people.”
If the other side tried to crush them with authority, then all they had to do was respond in kind.
Except…
Far more fiercely. Returning the force several times over. Until they couldn’t squeeze out a single peep.
“…A coiled spring, indeed,” the Prince unconsciously muttered.