The Truth Hidden in Lies (2)
The jury room buzzed with tension.
The blue mana was still shining brightly, but the jurors were visibly unsettled.
The witness was clearly lying.
Yet the lie-detection magic still showed that vibrant blue.
Lie-detection magic reveals every falsehood.
Except one.
A lie that the speaker fully believes is the truth.
“Quiet down!”
The dwarf judge slammed his gavel toward the noisy gallery, trying to restore order.
But the excitement refused to die down.
I ignored the noise and turned to the witness.
“Are you telling the truth, witness?”
“Yes, that man over there… I was so scared. My colleague still hasn’t recovered from the beatings…”
The elf woman covered her mouth with her own hand, unable to finish her sentence.
The dwarf judge, watching her intently, called both sides forward.
“Both sides, come forward.”
When we drew near the podium, the dwarf judge whispered urgently.
“Prosecution side, was there any direct assault during questioning?”
“Absolutely not.”
Direct assault. The question was whether any physical abuse or coercion had occurred while interrogating the suspect.
But there hadn’t been.
Still, the dwarf judge kept pressing me.
“Yet the lie-detection magic says you’re telling the truth. Does that mean the magic has a flaw?”
How could I deny it?
No case in Glorianian imperial judicial history had ever been undone by lie-detection magic.
“I can’t confirm that part, but the witness’s statements are false.”
No artifact or skill capable of neutralizing lie-detection magic had ever been found.
“Prosecutor Zeo Blood. If the witness’s statements are true…”
The dwarf judge’s voice dropped low.
I already knew exactly what he was about to say.
If the witness was telling the truth, my entire career as a prosecutor would be ruined, along with this very trial.
All testimony and evidence would be deemed illegally obtained.
The moment that statement was accepted as true, Noris Molton would walk free, and I would be the one locked behind bars.
At that moment, a crooked smile appeared on the face of Noris’s lawyer as he looked at me.
His voice was now laced with something sharper.
“Judge, can this case continue? You seem like you should be stepping down…”
He had been acting the entire time—clueless and powerless.
A meticulously planned deception.
I quickly recalculated the situation in my head.
‘The lie-detection magic is still active, yet this witness is lying without triggering it.
That means there’s a flaw.’
This witness had never seen the conversation between me and Noris.
Yet she was describing it with perfect accuracy.
At the same time, she was fabricating a violent assault, and the magic still wasn’t reacting.
That could only mean the testimony was true.
It described my visit to Noris Molton’s office at Jacob Department Store and the subsequent assault and fight.
And.
The only person who fought me that day was Nora and Noris Molton.
So this woman…
‘Noris Molton.’
More precisely, the soul speaking through her body right now was Noris Molton himself.
The lie-detection magic wasn’t reacting because he wasn’t lying.
He was using the memories he had built inside his own head to impersonate the witness’s true memories and force her to speak them through her body.
In other words, the witness truly believed what she was saying.
Noris Molton was manipulating her memories.
I looked at the elf woman seated in the witness box.
Her eyes were clear.
“Your Honor, may I proceed with cross-examination?”
“Hah, you’re still going strong even now? Does the prosecution not understand the gravity of the situation?”
The opposing lawyer flared up.
The jury members sent uneasy glances toward us.
“The defense has finished its direct examination. Procedurally, the prosecution should conduct cross-examination. Please allow it, Your Honor.”
The dwarf judge hesitated for a moment.
But there was no reason to pause the trial while the truth remained unclear.
“Prosecutor Zeo Blood. Be careful with your words. If anything unsavory occurs, I will order your immediate removal.”
After issuing the warning again, the dwarf judge decided to continue.
I returned to my seat and approached the witness.
Everyone held their breath, watching us intently.
“Witness, you said you were at Noris Molton’s office at Jacob Department Store on the day of the incident, correct?”
“Yes.”
Blue mana swirled above the witness’s head.
“And that was the first time you saw me?”
“Yes.”
“Did you directly witness me committing assault and abuse there?”
“Yes.”
“Are you certain?”
I pressed the point again, and the witness’s face paled.
“Objection. The prosecutor is threatening the witness.”
The lawyer for Noris shot to his feet.
“Overruled.”
The dwarf judge spoke calmly.
“Witness, answer the question. Did I commit assault and abuse on that day?”
“…Yes, it was clearly you…”
She paused briefly, but blue mana still swirled brightly above her head.
“Very well. There are no irregularities in the lie-detection magic.”
The courtroom erupted into murmurs.
Jurors exchanged glances, unable to hide their unease.
“Quiet! Quiet down!”
The dwarf judge slammed his gavel, but the noise refused to subside.
While supporters of Noris Molton beamed with confidence in victory, the families of the victims watched in silent anxiety.
I memorized each of those faces, then walked toward the witness box.
“One final question for you, witness.”
The courtroom fell silent at my calm voice.
Both jurors and spectators held their breath, staring at me.
I walked slowly toward her and made eye contact.
And asked.
“Witness, what is your name?”
The witness’s pupils shook for an instant.
Blue mana above her head flickered uneasily.
“I will ask again. Witness, what is your name?”
“Objection! The prosecution is repeatedly asking meaningless questions to intimidate the witness!”
The lawyer jumped up in agitation.
“Overruled. Answer the question.”
The dwarf judge issued the order firmly, despite his calm tone.
The air froze.
All that could be heard was the faint, rapid breathing of the elf woman in the witness box.
The elf woman slowly parted her lips, her eyes full of anxiety.
“My name is… Aria Winters.”
Her answer caused the mana above her head to erupt into chaos.
Blue and red swirled together, forming an unstable vortex.
Then a clear red mana appeared.
“Huh?! Red…?”
“The name is a lie?”
“Who on earth is this woman?”
The courtroom froze instantly.
I sent a glance to the jurors and judge, then turned back to the witness.
“This will be my final question.”
Everyone was paying attention to my words.
“Right now, whose body is your flesh, and whose soul is it?”
Whoosh—
A cold wind swept through the courtroom.
The witness’s pupils shook violently.
At that moment, the elf-bone artifact began glowing red.
“Can’t you answer?”
“Stop… stop!”
The witness suddenly screamed.
Her pupils instantly turned pitch black.
“Noris Molton.”
I continued slowly.
“Get out of the woman’s body.”
* * *
After that, the trial was nothing short of pandemonium.
With the witness replaced, chaos was inevitable.
At the judge’s request, holy mages were rushed in to begin soul authenticity verification.
“That damn guy…”
The holy mage’s curse spilled out in frustration at the intensity of Noris Molton’s resistance.
After twenty holy mages were deployed, Noris Molton’s soul was finally extracted from the witness’s body.
The lawyer who had paid the woman to lie was arrested on charges of instructing perjury.
Afterward, Noris Molton, now wearing his blue prisoner uniform again, continued to look uneasy.
He trembled, scanning the room nervously.
That had been the real Noris Molton.
We had no idea when he had begun inhabiting that woman’s body.
Still, the rest of the trial proceeded smoothly.
The judge and jury had formed complete convictions, and the various evidence pointed squarely at his crimes.
There was no need to anxiously await the verdict.
He would never set foot in the outside world again.
“Mr. Blood, how did you know?”
After the trial ended, I met with Chief Prosecutor Frida.
The verdict was scheduled for a week later.
“Because I don’t waste my talents.”
“Talents? Hah!”
Chief Prosecutor Frida laughed loudly, as if the remark was absurd.
Noris Molton was skilled at binding and manipulating souls.
He would have used that ability in a critical moment.
Probably brought the red gemstone from his personal vault to take a more complete action.
“That’s right. Through the holy mages, I learned that elves have weaker soul-body fusion than other races.
The high mana affinity allows them to form contracts with elementals, but the unstable fusion can lead to situations like this.”
“Noris Molton was aiming for that. Using an elf’s body as a vessel for his soul.
Some measures will need to be considered.”
“Leave that to the relevant departments to handle gradually.”
Chief Prosecutor Frida nodded at my words.
“What happened at Frederick Castle?”
She changed the subject.
The reason she had called me here today was likely to ask about that.
“Why are you all keeping quiet?”
Even the Frederick Royal family seemed to be staying silent.
I recalled the events in my head and chose my words carefully.
“Prince Rosen Gilorian had become a death knight and invaded the castle.”
I omitted any mention of the Hetia Library.
There was no need to share that with her.
If she learned the truth, it would threaten my survival.
Yet her eyes widened in surprise at the revelation.
“Prince Rosen Gilorian? The former duke of Frederick Castle?”
“Yes.”
Even for her, it was quite shocking that a prince of the Glorianian royal family had turned into a monster.
“And then?”
“I lent a hand in the battle.”
“That’s all?”
“Yes, there’s nothing more to it.”
Chief Prosecutor Frida looked at me skeptically, but her attention had shifted elsewhere.
“How was the Third Prince?”
As a direct subordinate of the Third Prince, she was focused on assessing the capabilities of the First Prince, Frederick.
“He seemed to have a good appearance.”
“What?”
“Tall and broad-shouldered, the kind of man who looks the part.”
I didn’t need to convey my personal disappointment in Prince Frederick’s talents.
He was undoubtedly a capable commander.
But he was also the kind of person who would ruthlessly discard the value that should be prioritized for his own goals.
In my view, he was not qualified to become emperor.
Therefore, there was no need to discuss his suitability or abilities as a prince.
“That’s why his subordinates follow him well.”
Well, the path had been bumpy, but as long as the results were correct, was it not enough?
The fact that his subordinates trusted him was true.
“…Anyway, you worked hard, Mr. Blood.
The items recovered from Noris Molton’s personal vault will be used first to compensate the victims.”
“Yes. Understood.”
Chief Prosecutor Frida clicked her tongue, sounding dissatisfied.
“Also, regarding the investment in Ruby Lab I&C that you requested, the Environment Ministry has agreed to actively review it.
They seem to find the magic-stone processing method quite useful.”
Ruby Lab I&C.
A research company that had been on the brink of bankruptcy due to Noris Molton’s stock manipulation, now striving to create new energy sources by utilizing magic-stone waste.
I had wanted to pull that unfortunate company into the light.
Their capability, passion, and ambition had been impressive.
They could now hang a proper signboard without having to hide in the shadow of slimes.
I simply nodded in response.
I had barely prevented a solid company from collapsing under the schemes of a stock manipulator.
Of course, that was only the beginning.
I deserved to reap the rewards of my labor.
“Will the financial product trading license be approved soon?”
“Yes. Mr. Blood isn’t an official of the financial authorities, so it should be approved soon.”
I planned to invest directly in Ruby Lab as well.
I intended to bet on their determination and passion.
I returned to my office to wrap up the documents.
Marian and Piaget, the office manager, were already waiting.
“Senior, you worked hard.”
“Prosecutor, it seems the souls of all victims from Noris Molton’s case have been recovered.”
Immediately after returning from the Hermitia Plain, I had instructed them to check.
Because the women had been held captive for a long time, their identities had been difficult to verify until now.
“The financial losses?”
“Noris Molton seems like a complete collector.
The value of the recovered items from his personal vault is immense.
Some are worth enough to make even the imperial palace museums drool.
We have a meeting scheduled next week to discuss them.”
There were various treasures and artifacts in addition to money and gems, so it might take some time to appraise them.
“Prosecutor, are you planning to establish a foundation?”
“A foundation?”
Piaget, the office manager, approached me with a sly look.
“No, when the items in the vault are declared as stolen property, the reporter could claim half of it.
If we compensate the victims and hand the rest to the empire’s treasury, it would be a waste.
Even now, with proper legal structuring, we could dispose of a lot of it as stolen property.”
Piaget winked at me and began rubbing his palms together.
Well, it wasn’t impossible.
As long as I wrote down the exact declaration date of the stolen property, I could claim half of the recovered items.
But the real professional never leaves a trail.
I asked Piaget.
“Are you serious?”
“No.”
But I couldn’t make a partner out of him either.
“Office Manager Piaget, please do not speak like that again.”
I sat down with a stern expression, and Marian peeked out from behind me curiously.
“Ah!”
And Marian let out an odd sound.
“Senior, you’ll be taking a vacation soon~.”
“Marian Prosecutor, what does that mean?”
Piaget asked, and Marian replied while staring straight at my finger.
“Senior is now a Schrödinger’s goblin.
There are goblins here, but there could be goblins over there too.”
That was why sharp-eyed people were such a pain.
Marian’s gaze was fixed on my sesame ring.
She must have figured out the ring’s capabilities.
She seemed to be trying to deduce my inner thoughts based on it.
But she simply smiled faintly and returned to her paperwork.
“What? Is that guy a scapegoat?
Was he a victim of workplace bullying?”
Actually, I had created a new binding spell in the vault that only I could access.
A seal that could only resonate with the sesame ring on my hand.
It wasn’t something valuable enough to be money, but it could serve as a key to my survival and secrets.
I had kept it separately for safekeeping.
Once I obtained more information about the heretics, I would return to solve the puzzle.
Until then, no one should know.
“Enough joking around.
Let’s wrap this up quickly.
We need to leave by midnight today.”
At my words,
“Yes, Senior!”
“Understood, Prosecutor.”
My colleagues answered cheerfully.
I found myself smiling unconsciously as I watched them.
I wasn’t sure.
When the puzzle that would allow me to return to Earth was finally complete, what choice would I make?
For now, I would continue running toward the goal.