Chapter 85
Chapter 85
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Translator: Ryuma
Chapter: 85
Chapter Title: 39. A Corrupt City (3)
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The fateful day dawned.
Raymond's trial was a public affair, held in the central square of the city.
It was all meant to show the residents the sight of Raymond being sentenced.
Yuri's group had claimed their spots in the square early.
"There sure are a lot of people."
"Yeah. Think Genad will show up?"
"Something tells me he will."
Raymond seemed to enjoy high popularity, as more people had gathered in the square than expected.
Soon, workers swarmed in to set up the trial venue. Behind the judge's bench, they even erected a guillotine for beheading the condemned.
Jared clicked his tongue.
"Why the hell did they bring that out?"
"To put pressure on him, probably."
Unless a summary execution was handed down, it wouldn't see use today, but hauling it out anyway seemed designed to crush spirits.
Yuri's group took seats at the very back of the spectator area.
Knights from Yuges encircled the trial area to stand guard.
"Presiding over today's judgment is Yuges's First Judge, Lord Diker. Out of respect for the authority of the court, please rise."
The thing Jared had worried about didn't happen. Instead, the exact opposite occurred.
Yuri shot to his feet and started clapping toward the judge.
The rest of the spectators, caught up in the mood, soon followed suit with applause.
Diker raised one eyebrow. He looked flustered by the unexpected welcome.
He banged the gavel to quiet the commotion.
"Silence, everyone..."
It was like the opening of a trial greeting a respected judge.
Yuri muttered under his breath.
"There was this famous judge in the East called Bao Qingtian. This reminds me of him."
"You sure know a lot of weird stuff."
"Live as long as I have, and you'll end up like this too."
"Ha..."
Of course, Diker was far from any paragon of justice. If anything, he was Genad Jeteri's lackey, more subservient to power than anyone.
The citizens seemed aware of it too, grumbling voices rising from the crowd.
"That guy's handling it? We know how this trial's gonna go without watching."
"What a mess..."
"I just hope Lord Raymond comes out of this okay."
Soon, Raymond was dragged in, bound in ropes. He was already dressed in prisoner's garb, even though no verdict had been reached.
Yuri's eyes flashed with fury at the sight. But the words from his mouth didn't match his expression.
"Alright, no getting worked up. Let's watch calmly and see if Brioll's rule of law is still alive."
"Yes, sir..."
Prosecutor and defense attorney soon took their places.
The trial proceeded at breakneck speed, as if following a scripted performance.
Raymond's charges included tax evasion, bribery, obstruction of official duties, embezzlement of illicit gains, financial fraud, and more—new ones piling on endlessly.
Raymond remained expressionless.
"Jared, look at that composure. If it were you, you'd be tearing up and protesting your innocence right away."
"What are you talking about? No, I wouldn't."
"That's the kind of poise you need to lead an organization."
"What are you planning to have Lord Raymond do?"
"And you still haven't figured it out? You really are clueless."
Then Rolang offered a subtle hint.
"Allied Forces Veterans' Association..."
"Oh, for real?"
People whispering in the back row thought they were out of sight, but those up front saw everything.
Diker banged the gavel.
"Quiet!"
The three straightened up like scolded schoolboys.
"Defense, step forward and make your case."
The man assigned to defend Raymond stood. He scratched the back of his head, flipped through papers haphazardly, then just shrugged.
"Sorry. I can't defend him."
The courtroom erupted in murmurs. Not just the seated spectators—even those standing around due to lack of space vented their anger.
But when Yuges's knights glared menacingly, everyone shut up.
"The crimes are so blatant that even I, his defense attorney, can't bring myself to defend him. Who could've foreseen the upright knight Raymond falling this low? To prevent repeats, I beseech the court to deliver strict justice with the rod of law. That's the wish of one Yuges attorney and citizen."
The mood heated up again.
The knights' glaring kept direct outbursts in check, but fury swelled in the hearts of the watching citizens.
"Oh no..."
Someone beat their chest. Yuri glanced over, recognizing the voice. It was the fruit vendor he'd chatted with yesterday. She kept shaking her head.
The defense attorney pressed on.
"I know all you gathered citizens of Yuges feel the same. Let us unite in hoping for true justice in Yuges."
The atmosphere soured further with every word.
Yuri noticed Diker's brow furrowing.
The attorney seemed to be over-seasoning his performance to curry favor with Genad.
"Now, citizens of Yuges..."
Diker banged the gavel, cutting him off.
"Enough."
The attorney clamped his mouth shut and bowed his head.
"Yes."
Diker straightened up, sweeping a haughty gaze over the spectators.
"No need to drag this trial out further. Before I pronounce judgment..."
Diker nodded toward someone.
"We will now hear from Yuges's lord, the Fair Duke Genad Jeteri, who watches to see justice done."
Genad had been observing the trial.
But that wasn't what shocked Yuri.
"Fair Duke? Who the hell came up with that?"
"Beats me..."
"First time hearing it."
A spectator in the front row turned slightly to clue them in.
"He gave it to himself. Recently."
"What a psycho."
"Right? Shh, be careful."
So he'd branded himself the Fair Duke.
Yuri knew Genad had no conscience, but no shame at all? What the hell was inside that massive head of his?
As Yuri's doubt spiraled into deeper confusion, Genad stepped forward. His body was still bloated from overeating.
He stroked his double chin with a satisfied smile.
"So many citizens interested in this trial—I'm delighted. It shows how thirsty you all are for justice."
Yuri crossed his arms, watching to see how far this would go.
He could've understood quietly framing Raymond, but treating the onlookers like idiots this blatantly was so absurd it almost made him doubt if Raymond really was innocent.
"Let's all feel Yuges's justice alive and well—me, your lord, and you, my people. Unite as one to pronounce the criminal Raymond guilty. I'll count one, two, three, and you all shout 'guilty' at him together. Isn't that great?"
Raymond's defense attorney chimed in.
"Brilliant!"
A man who'd sold his soul for advancement.
Raymond had his eyes closed.
"But first, one last question."
Genad loved self-aggrandizing to the point of dubbing himself Fair Duke. That's why he staged these over-the-top theatrics.
"I ask not just the defense attorney, but everyone gathered here."
Genad flung open his fur coat, exposing his obese frame.
"If anyone thinks Raymond is innocent, step forward and speak. Even one person—that's your final chance!"
With the lord himself out and knights at his side issuing threats, who would dare?
Genad smirked with utter confidence.
"This silence proves Yuges's justice lives. Now, I'll count to three. We'll all declare him guilty together."
He gave the signal.
The surrounding knights bellowed numbers in intimidating tones.
"One!"
Genad shrugged his shoulders.
"Two!"
Genad pointed at Raymond.
"Thre..."
Just as "three" was about to boom out...
"Take that, you bastard!"
A thunderous roar accompanied a flying banana peel.
The peel slapped onto Genad's neatly combed hair like a hat.
"......"
Deathly silence descended.
The knights poised to shout "three" held their breath. The absurd scene hit, and they couldn't hold it in—deflating sounds escaped.
"Pfft..."
"Khk..."
"Guhk..."
The knights stifled laughter for dear life.
The citizens were the same.
Genad blankly touched his head. Confirming the ripe, sticky banana peel, his face flushed purple with rage.
"Wh-wh-wh-who the h-hell..."
He was so shocked he stammered.
Yuri jumped up.
"Me, you rotten bastard."
Yuri strode forward.
Genad didn't recognize him at first due to the hair color, but as the distance closed and features sharpened, realization hit.
"Uh..."
Genad recoiled as if struck by the peel again.
Knights behind him surged to surround Yuri. Rolang and Jared moved to Yuri's side, having watched the scene.
Genad stood dumbfounded, speechless.
"Well, well, they won't back off?"
"How'd you get here..."
"They won't back off?"
"B-back..."
Before Genad could speak, Yuri booted two knights blocking his path.
Two bodies flew through the air, crashing beside Genad.
The knights drew swords in unison. Rolang and Jared raised theirs too. The clang of steel echoed through the square.
Spectators fled their seats in panic.
Yuri took a leisurely step forward, eyeing Genad.
"Drawing swords now? That's straight-up treason. Right?"
Genad yelled hastily.
"Sh-sheathe your swords! All of you!"
The knights glanced around in confusion.
The knight leader, eyeing Genad and Yuri's group alternately, spoke.
"Your Grace, fall back. It's dangerous. We need to deal with these first..."
"This is His Highness the Prince!"
"Pardon?"
Yuri deactivated the artifact around his neck.
His hair and eyes shifted to pitch black.
It was like magic.
His faintly hazy features sharpened intensely.
The lead knight, meeting Yuri's jet-black eyes, finally grasped it—his grip slackened, sword clattering to the ground.
The other knights dropped theirs one after another.
It looked like total surrender.
Yuri grinned, waving at Raymond.
"Sorry about this, Your Highness."
"What do you have to be sorry for? This bastard should be."
Yuri turned to Genad.
Genad seemed to be sorting his thoughts. After a silent moment, he spoke.
"Your Highness. Even as a prince, this is my domain. Ruling Yuges is my right and duty, delegated by His Majesty."
"Then rule it properly. Dragging in an innocent knight on your whim? You the king or something, you bastard?"
"What are you saying? You watched the whole trial."
Genad slipped back into his sly, smug expression. He'd calculated his next move.
He pointed at the judge, prosecutor, and defense attorney in turn.
"Yuges's legal experts all agree: Raymond is guilty."
"Of course they do—they're all your underlings, you bastard."
"Keep cursing like that and..."
"Sorry, bastard."
The watching citizens felt a thrill of satisfaction.
The one who'd lorded over them with status was now humiliated by someone even higher.
"Got evidence?"
"You think I'd come without it, you bastard?"
Yuri jabbed Genad's cheek flab.
Genad trembled with rage.
"If-if you really have evidence..."
"Genad."
Yuri leaned in close, whispering in Genad's ear—he had to bend down due to the height difference.
"Keep this up, and you'll really end up charged with treason."
Brioll had a unique trait unlike other nations.
The king was absurdly strong, leaving nobles no room for disloyal thoughts.
Now even the third prince showed similar promise—driving nobles mad.
"Your Highness."
But Genad thrashed desperately.
"If you have evidence, present it properly! Otherwise, this is abuse of power!"
Yuri just laughed.
"Fine. Here's your evidence."
Yuri beckoned. A man from the onlookers stepped forward steadily.
He wore expensive jewelry excessively, yet it somehow suited him—hard to tell if he was nouveau riche or just flashy by fashion.
He bowed politely.
"Guillermo, Vice President of Ireine Merchant Company. This seal proves my position."
Guillermo winked at Yuri, then held up a document.
"The慰金 seized by Your Grace from the Allied Forces Veterans' Association was entirely His Highness's personal asset from start to finish. Thus, it was a royal gift."
Genad blanked out, failing to process at first.
Guillermo explained slowly.
"In other words, Your Grace has forcibly seized property belonging to the current Brioll royal family."