Chapter 110
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Translator: 8uhl
Chapter: 110
Chapter Title: A Calculated Deception
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Merian furrowed her brow.
Christian was once again acting in a way she couldn't comprehend.
He was clearly up to something.
Nordian let out a low chuckle.
"I wonder what audacious scheme that boy will cook up next. What in the world goes on in that head of his?"
Nordian smirked, then said something completely unexpected.
"I think I'll attend this trial in person."
"!!"
"That should be fine, shouldn't it? I'm only going to watch."
The head of the house, attending in person.
Despite his casual tone, it was a decision that would send shockwaves through the family.
Especially for Eshid, the true culprit and accused in this affair, who was set to stand in court.
Not even Eshid would dare pull any dirty tricks in front of Nordian.
In other words, by personally attending the trial, Nordian was tacitly siding with Christian.
* * *
The annihilation of the Riberi County!
The Dark Magic Houses were in an uproar.
But no one could blame the Cazar County.
The Bursen County had revealed the truth.
That Count Riberi had colluded with the Bursen County to perform human sacrifices.
It was also revealed that the Riberi County had framed the Cazar County.
Public opinion had completely reversed.
The Cazar County was cleared of all charges, and in turn, all eyes turned to Eshid.
Of course, there was no evidence that Eshid was involved in the human sacrifices.
This was because Count Riberi had been thorough in ensuring no links to Eshid remained.
However, a significant number of Majin had already been suspicious of Eshid.
Above all, if Count Riberi had performed human sacrifices, for whom would he have done it? There was only one person.
Whenever the Majin of the Dark Magic Houses met, they discussed the incident.
"What do you think will happen at the trial? Young Lord Eshid is under suspicion and has been summoned to court."
"Hard to say. Since there's no evidence linking Young Lord Eshid, it'll be difficult to do anything to him, won't it? Even if evidence were to surface, a severe punishment would be unlikely. He still has too many vassals who follow him."
The other Majin nodded in agreement.
"Since Count Riberi's entire family was wiped out, won't it just end at that?"
"I think so too."
The majority of the Dark Magic Houses shared a similar view.
That although Eshid had taken a major blow, the overall balance of power would remain unchanged.
Meanwhile, Merian, having heard such talk among the Majin, went to Christian.
"Are you sure you'll be fine without my help?"
"Yes, I'll be fine."
"Think again. As you know, Eshid is not to be underestimated."
Instead of answering, Christian stared blankly at Merian for a moment.
"Why are you looking at me like that?"
"Oh, it's just... I was wondering if you were taking my side a bit too much. I was under the impression that direct elders of the family weren't supposed to privately support a specific successor..."
Merian snorted.
"What does that nonsense matter? Are you unhappy that I'm on your side?"
"No, I said it because I'm so happy. I love you, Aunt."
"Hmph, love? From a nephew who doesn't even bring me cookies. You still lie through your teeth without a second thought."
Chris chuckled, and Merian spoke seriously.
"How about I take charge of the trial proceedings instead?"
"It's alright."
"Think it over. This is originally my duty anyway. More importantly, it would be far more intimidating for me to step in than for you, a mere collateral bloodline."
She was right.
However.
"I appreciate the offer, but please leave it to me."
Chris calmly shook his head.
"I will make sure that bastard Eshid learns his lesson."
"!!"
Merian noticed Christian's confidence and fell silent for a moment.
"Alright, I'll trust you with this. But remember. Who are you?"
"A proud temporary member of the Black Shadow Knights, of course."
Chris lifted the black moon badge pinned to his collar.
He was still a temporary member of the Black Shadow Knights.
But surprisingly, Merian shook her head.
"Yes, that's true. But there's something more important."
"Yes?"
"You are my nephew. The one I trust the most."
"!!"
Merian said with a resolute gaze.
"So, go and crush that damn bastard Eshid properly."
* * *
Upon entering the courtroom, the atmosphere was stiff.
A tense air was expected in a courtroom, but this felt excessive.
Chris soon understood why.
'...Why is the Old Master here?'
Over there, in the gallery.
An old man was seated.
His insane presence seemed to press down on everyone.
It was Nordian.
"Kekeke, why is everyone so frozen? I'm just here to watch, so pay this old man no mind."
"......"
But the pale, rigid atmosphere showed no signs of easing.
Eshid's side, in particular, was frozen stiff.
Eshid's expression was hard, as if he sensed something ominous.
'Damn it, why is that old man here?'
Eshid clenched his fists tightly.
With the Old Master sitting there, his vassals would be limited in how they could help him.
'Still, it's fine. There's no evidence left.'
But why?
He felt an endless sense of anxiety.
A feeling that something terrible was about to happen.
Meanwhile, as the hall remained silent, Nordian clicked his tongue.
"Kekeke, didn't I tell you not to mind me? What are you doing, Marquis? How long will you keep glancing at this old man? Anyone would think I'm the judge here."
"...My apologies. Let the trial begin."
Marquis Langham rose from his seat.
As the Acting Head, he would deliver the verdict for this trial.
Marquis Langham glanced toward Nordian before speaking.
"We will now begin the trial concerning the human sacrifice incident that occurred in the Riberi County. Christian, step forward."
"Christian van Baron Cazar. I will testify regarding this incident."
Christian stood at the podium and looked around at the people.
"You are all likely aware of the full story. Count Riberi colluded with Baron Borde of the Bursen County to perform large-scale human sacrifices. Fortunately, both Count Riberi and Baron Borde have been dealt with. The issue we must now address is who else was entangled in these horrific sacrifices."
Christian shifted his gaze.
It was toward Eshid.
"First, I ask: Young Lord Eshid, were you in any way involved in this incident? I understand you were staying at the Riberi estate until recently."
Eshid's eyebrow twitched, but he soon replied with a relaxed smile.
"Well now. I know nothing about it. I couldn't have imagined that Count Riberi was committing such a horrific act behind the scenes."
"So you're saying you had nothing to do with it."
"Of course. If I had known beforehand, I would have dealt with Count Riberi myself."
A brazen reply.
Chris nodded.
"Thank you for your statement. To be honest, I initially suspected Young Lord Eshid, but no matter how much I investigated the Riberi County, no evidence of your involvement came to light."
Eshid nodded as if this were only natural.
However.
"During the investigation, I discovered some completely unexpected evidence. Evidence that implicates others, not Young Lord Eshid, in the human sacrifices."
"!!"
The hall stirred.
"Who could it be?"
"Sadly, there are many. Baron Balaman, Viscount Malcom, Baron Shannon, Count Woodcock..."
"!!"
Everyone wore expressions of shock.
Every one of them was an important vassal.
Though not on the level of Count Riberi, they were important pillars of the Dark Magic Houses.
At the same time, they were all supporters of Eshid.
"What nonsense is this?!"
"We would never do such a thing!!"
The accused cried out in bewilderment.
Their faces showed genuine outrage.
It was only natural.
'Because these are false accusations. Ones that I fabricated.'
Inwardly, Chris wore a wicked grin.
That's right.
Chris planned to frame them today.
Why?
To bait Eshid.
"I didn't believe it at first, either. None of them seem like the type. But I found some unbelievable letters in Count Riberi's secret vault. Take a look."
Chris took out several letters.
"These are letters from those vassals, requesting human sacrifices from Count Riberi. I wondered if they might be forgeries, but they are not. The handwriting and the seals match."
"!!"
The reason they matched was simple.
Chris had forged them.
Of course, even for Chris, forging letters was no easy task.
It was because of the seals.
The seal of a noble family is not a simple stamp.
To prevent forgery, a complex mana pattern was designed to be imprinted where the seal was stamped.
Each time it was pressed, variables like the angle, pressure, air humidity, and paper material would cause the mana pattern to be imprinted differently in a multi-dimensional way, making it impossible for even a high-level mage to replicate.
It was a difficult task even for Chris, but.
'This time, it was possible. Because I had thousands of samples.'
Count Riberi had been a chief vassal.
Therefore, the vassals under him had sent an enormous number of letters to Count Riberi, all of which were preserved in his study.
Chris had referenced those thousands of samples to grasp the pattern of each family's seal and succeeded in forging them.
"Confirm the authenticity of these letters."
Marquis Langham commanded.
The family's black magicians meticulously examined the letters Christian presented as evidence.
"The mana patterns on the seals imprinted in the letters perfectly match those of each family's seal."
"The handwriting also matches."
"The weathering of the paper and ink is consistent with the dates the letters were written."
"The fingerprints on the paper also match."
They confirmed it from every angle.
The conclusion was reached.
"No evidence of forgery has been found."
The verdict was that the letters were authentic.
The courtroom was plunged into astonishment.
"!!"
The individuals who had just been named were supporters of Eshid, but they did not have bad reputations.
They were people one could never imagine being involved in such a thing.
"It's not true! We would never!!"
"We've been framed!!"
"These are false accusations!!"
Just then, Christian said something unexpected.
"I also believe they have been framed."
"?!"
Everyone stared at Christian with puzzled expressions.
After accusing them of being criminals, he was now claiming they were framed?
"The reason is simple. The owners of these letters are not the kind of people who would engage in human sacrifice. Of course, one can never truly know what's in a person's heart. But the reasons for their participation in the sacrifices are also incredibly flimsy."
"......"
"Baron Balaman sought an extension of his life, Viscount Malcom a financial blessing. Baron Shannon wanted external beauty, and Count Woodcock even asked for his mistress's health."
Chris scoffed.
"Isn't it too crude? I find it hard to believe that these individuals would participate in human sacrifices for such trivial reasons."
The hall fell silent.
Everyone looked confused, unable to discern Chris's intentions.
This was especially true for Eshid.
'What is he scheming?'