Chapter 10
Chapter 10
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Translator: Vine
Chapter: 10
Chapter Title: A Father's Judgment
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Carlyle's reaction was something Grand Duke Guntram had ‘never’ anticipated.
Carlyle had been a craven coward, a weakling in both body and spirit.
To Carlyle, a sword was a weapon used only to threaten the weak, and it had been so long since he'd properly trained that he could barely remember.
It was nothing short of astonishing that such a man could overcome the fear of death and maintain such a calm and dignified demeanor.
Guntram had thought him a disgrace to his lineage, but it seemed he had some spirit after all.
Before, he would have been trembling so hard he'd have pissed his pants.
‘I heard he’d changed after waking up. Was this what they meant?’
The Grand Duke recalled the stories Maranello had told him, pondering Carlyle's transformation.
‘Perhaps the head injury made him lose his fear of death.’
But the moment of surprise was fleeting, and the anger that had momentarily subsided began to erupt like a volcano once more.
“Do you have anything to say?”
“Yes, I do.”
“What?”
Fury laced the Grand Duke’s voice.
“You have something to say. Does that mean you refuse to admit your guilt?”
“I will not admit to a crime I did not commit.”
“A crime you did not commit?”
“I cannot accept the charge of murdering the hunter, Alberto.”
“Carlyle, you bastard—!”
The Grand Duke's furious roar thundered across the area.
A fierce wave of energy erupted from the enraged Grand Duke, swirling around the tribunal and creating a terrifying pressure.
“Kuh!”
“Your Grace… the Grand Duke!”
“Huuuhk!”
The pressure was so intense that the commoners watching the trial from up close groaned in agony.
Some even fainted, their eyes rolling back into their heads.
“Do you truly wish to die at your own father's hands?”
The Grand Duke exercised superhuman patience and did not draw his sword.
But there was no doubt he was on the verge of doing so.
“There is a mountain of evidence for your murderous act, and even a witness! Do you still intend to deny it?”
“I am not denying it. I am pleading not guilty.”
The people squeezed their eyes shut.
When they opened them again, they were quite surprised to see Carlyle's head still attached to his neck.
‘He... he's holding back.’
‘Is he restraining himself because Carlyle is his son, after all?’
While the people inwardly marveled at the Grand Duke's patience.
“Evidence. You must have evidence.”
“I call a witness.”
“Testimony alone will not be enough to overturn the charges.”
“I have evidence as well.”
“You have evidence?”
“Yes.”
“…Permission granted.”
The Grand Duke said, closing his eyes gently.
It was clear to all that he was doing his utmost to suppress his surging anger and proceed with the trial properly.
Meanwhile, Geoffrey, who had been watching the situation unfold, scoffed inwardly.
‘There can't be a witness. The fool is digging his own grave. Hehehe.’
There hadn't been so much as an ant at the scene to witness it.
***
Carlyle looked back at Maranello.
“Maranello.”
“Yes, Young Master.”
Maranello escorted Evangeline to the witness stand.
“This way, Lady Evangeline.”
“Ye-yes.”
And so, Evangeline stood at the witness stand.
“I... I greet His Grace... the Grand Duke.”
“What is your name?”
“I-it is Evangeline, Your Grace.”
“Are you a witness for Carlyle van Sigmund?”
“Th-that is correct, Your Grace.”
Standing at the witness stand, Evangeline trembled, presumably from nervousness.
“If you commit perjury, you will be severely punished. Can you swear to speak nothing but the truth?”
“I-I can swear it.”
“Good.”
The Grand Duke nodded.
“If you speak only the truth, I will not punish you in any way. You have no need to tremble or be afraid.”
“Yes, Your Grace.”
“Very well. Tell us what you saw and heard.”
“I... I will show you, Your Grace.”
“Hm?”
The Grand Duke furrowed his brow at the completely unexpected answer.
“Show me?”
“I am… I-I am.”
As Evangeline struggled to answer, seemingly hyperventilating, Maranello stepped in.
“Your Grace, I believe Evangeline is a spirit summoner who has contracted with an earth spirit.”
“Is that true?”
“How could I lie to you, Your Grace?”
The Grand Duke looked quite surprised.
And for good reason; spirit summoners contracted with earth spirits were exceedingly rare.
A stir went through the crowd.
“That girl is a spirit summoner?”
“I don't know whose daughter she is, but what a blessing for her family.”
“Ooh! A spirit summoner!”
The people of Decaron were just as astonished.
“Lady Evangeline here will read the earth's memory of Young Master Carlyle and testify as to what happened at that time.”
“The earth's memory… That would be admissible as evidence.”
The Grand Duke nodded.
‘Wh-what is this?’
Geoffrey's face instantly froze over.
Who would have thought a spirit summoner contracted with an earth spirit would appear out of nowhere?
“Lady Evangeline, please begin your testimony.”
“Yes, Sir Maranello.”
With hesitant, trembling steps, Evangeline moved to the center of the tribunal to perform the ritual.
Since she had already read the memory once, she didn't need Carlyle or a return to the scene of the crime.
“■, ■■■ ■■■■. ■, ■■ ■ ■, ■■■ ■■■■ ■, ■■……”
Soon, the spirit language began to flow from Evangeline's lips.
‘This isn't good.’
Carlyle frowned.
‘She's nervous.’
Carlyle couldn't understand a single word of the spirit language Evangeline was speaking.
However, he could tell she was stuttering badly, her voice trembling.
It felt completely different from the spirit language he had heard before.
“■, ■■■ ■■■■…… ■■■…… ■, ■■……”
“■, ■■■ ■■■■……”
“■, ■■■……”
Evangeline attempted the ritual repeatedly, but with each try, her trembling only grew worse.
Having never stood before such a large crowd, her mind had gone completely blank with stage fright.
The crowd began to murmur again.
“What's going on? Did she really make a contract with a spirit?”
“Is this a scam?”
“How long is this going to take?”
Just as the crowd's murmuring reached its peak.
“I... I can't do it.”
Evangeline collapsed to the floor.
“I'm... I'm sorry... I'm sorry, I'm so, so sorry.”
A chilling silence fell over the tribunal.
“Are you saying you cannot testify?”
“Th-that's right. Y-Young Master. I'm... I'm sorry. I... I…”
Evangeline answered the Grand Duke's question, trembling uncontrollably.
“Y-Young Master.”
“Hah.”
At Maranello's look of dismay, Carlyle let out a sigh of disbelief.
He had never imagined the ritual would fail simply due to nervousness—it was like having a perfectly prepared meal flipped over at the last second.
“...I will now pass judgment.”
“Your Grace! This old man saw it with his own eyes! I implore you to postpone the verdict!”
Maranello, unable to watch any longer, stepped forward, but it was no use.
“Do you intend to make a mockery of this court, Maranello?”
“That is not my intention…”
“The defendant, Carlyle van Sigmund, is a criminal who has committed countless offenses, not just the murder of the hunter Alberto. When even his own witness cannot attest to his innocence, how can I possibly delay the verdict?”
“Your Grace…”
“Your efforts to save the criminal are commendable, but this is as far as it goes. I will hear no more.”
Having said that, the Grand Duke turned back to Carlyle.
“I, Guntram van Sigmund, as the judge of this tribunal, sentence the criminal Carlyle van Sigmund… to death.”
A heavy silence descended upon the tribunal.
They couldn't believe it, but he had actually pronounced a death sentence.
‘That took ten years off my life. Heh heh.’
Only one person.
Geoffrey, felt a sense of relief.
“F-Father!”
“Father!”
“Your Grace!”
A shocked Selena, Frey, and Maranello cried out urgently, but the Grand Duke didn't even blink.
“Brother?”
“Y-Your Grace.”
Even Medeia and Rebesque, who despised Carlyle, were stunned.
“…However.”
The Grand Duke spoke again.
“By punishing the accomplice who collaborated in the criminal's evil deeds, I shall commute the sentence from death to lifelong military servitude as a slave soldier beyond the border.”
Everyone looked confused by the Grand Duke's ruling.
‘I had an accomplice?’
Even Carlyle himself was baffled.
Heavy footsteps echoed.
Soon, the Grand Duke left the judge's seat and stood in the center of the tribunal.
“The accomplice is I, Guntram van Sigmund.”
The Grand Duke declared, looking around at the assembly.
“As the criminal's father, I am a failure who did not raise his child properly. Had I disciplined his past indulgences more harshly, he would not have stooped to murder. Therefore, how can I say that I, too, am not a criminal?”
Having said this, the Grand Duke raised his left arm straight up.
“I, Guntram van Sigmund, as the Lord of Decaron, sentence the father of the criminal Carlyle van Sigmund to the punishment of bodily mutilation. Kristan!”
“Yes, Your Grace.”
“Cut off my left arm.”
The Grand Duke commanded his aide, Kristan.
“……!”
“……!”
“……!”
Everyone was shocked.
It was safe to say that not a single person had expected him to offer his own left arm as grounds for commuting the sentence.
***
Carlyle was just as stunned.
He could feel the depth of the Grand Duke's anguish.
His position as the Lord of Decaron, forced to sentence even his own son to death.
And yet, the heart of a father, unable to bear killing his child with his own hands.
The Grand Duke's decision encompassed both of these positions and feelings.
In that case…
‘I have to see this through to the end.’
He had no intention of being sent beyond the border to live as a slave soldier, nor did he intend to live as the unfilial son who made his father cut off his own arm.
“You.”
Carlyle strode over to Evangeline, who was sitting dazedly on the ground, and pulled her to her feet.
His wrists throbbed from the manacles, but this was no time to worry about that.
“Look at me.”
Carlyle brought his face close to hers.
“Let's try one more time.”
“B-but… but…”
“Forget everything else. Pretend there's no one else here. Just focus on me.”
“Pretend there's no one else here?”
“Yes.”
Carlyle nodded.
“Right now, I'm the only one in front of you.”
“If it's only the Young Master…”
“You have to send your siblings to school. If you succeed at this, I guarantee you'll say goodbye to poverty forever. You won't have to struggle as the head of your household anymore.”
“R-really?”
“Yes.”
Carlyle gave her a gentle smile.
It was the first time he had smiled since waking up in Carlyle's body.
“I'll... I'll try.”
Evangeline clenched her fists.
“■■ ■■ ■■■■. ■■ ■ ■■■ ■■ ■■■ ■■ ■■■■■. ■■ ■■ ■■■■ ■■ ■■■……”
Once again, the spirit language flowed from Evangeline's lips.
The power of encouragement from an unparalleled handsome man, combined with the promise of financial reward, was truly astonishing.
The intonation of the spirit language Evangeline spoke was now distinctly different.
‘It's working.’
Just as Carlyle became certain the ritual would succeed.
Rumble, rumble.
The ground began to squirm as if it were alive.