Chapter 618: The Grand Judge
Translator: RaidenTL
Chapter 618: The Grand Judge
In the gloomy corridor, a flickering light suddenly appeared.
A maid, her expression solemn and dignified, carried a lantern as she descended the long, winding staircase into the depths.
The oil lamps lining the walls had long since run dry over the passing years. Strange echoes seemed to stir within the cracked brickwork, only to be crushed by the sound of her cold footsteps.
The maid continued downward until she reached the very bottom.
An ancient door, looking as though it hadn't been opened in decades, stood before her. It was carved with eerie patterns and featured a set of scales that, despite the erosion of time, still radiated a faint sense of majesty.
The maid took a deep breath, straightening her back and tightening her expression, as if terrified that her next move might disturb the sanctity behind the door.
Then, she reached out and pushed.
The rumbling of the door’s opening disturbed the settled dust. The light from expensive magic stones, which had remained unextinguished for decades, fell from the high ceiling, illuminating rows of neatly arranged bookshelves.
The darkness was dispelled, revealing a staggering underground space. Yet, the sheer volume of books and the density of the shelves made the area feel incredibly cramped.
Fortunately, a massive ventilation fan was still operational, casting rhythmic shadows across the shelves and ensuring the air didn't become stagnant enough to turn the place into a tomb.
The maid extinguished her lantern and walked cautiously into the depths. However, even the slight friction of her soles against the floor disturbed the old man reclining at the very back, surrounded by countless volumes.
"Cough, cough... Who is it?"
The old man leaned against a high stack of books, his head swaying slightly.
He looked ancient, shrouded in an aura of decay. To say he had one foot in the grave would be an optimistic description. He looked like a living corpse, or a body that had just crawled out of a tomb; his withered limbs seemed ready to crumble into dust at any moment.
"Greetings, Grand Judge Thraswell. I apologize for disturbing your slumber."
The maid bowed respectfully.
"I am from the House of Bugard. I have been sent by the current head of the family to see you."
"Bugard?"
The old man murmured softly. "Bugard... Bugard... Bugard... Oh, I remember now. The current head? Is it that kid, Cotton?"
"The Cotton you refer to was the previous head. The one in charge now is his son, Lord Fehman Bugard."
"I see. In the blink of an eye, decades have passed. Even that boy's son has become the head of the house. Time waits for no one."
Thraswell let out a sigh. "He sent someone to find me... I assume it’s because of the favor I once owed the House of Bugard."
"I did not expect the Grand Judge to still remember."
"I am old, but not so old that I’ve forgotten everything. Speak. What does he want me to do?"
"It is quite simple."
The maid stepped forward and respectfully handed a document to Thraswell. "A very important case is about to go to trial. Due to the unique status of the accused, this trial has garnered immense attention and will have far-reaching consequences. Therefore, the Head of House Bugard hopes you will step forward to serve as the presiding judge. With your status in the Empire’s legal world, it should not be difficult, provided you are willing to speak up."
"Oh?"
Thraswell took the document. His reading speed was unlike that of an old man; he quickly grasped all the vital information within.
"The son of the Campbell family? The nominal fiancé of the new Empress? Reported by the House of Bugard for colluding with an Evil God? Heh, it’s even escalated to a Tripartite Trial. This kid has quite the influence."
"Which is why we need you to step in, is it not?" the maid said respectfully.
"Bugard’s intention is..."
Thraswell narrowed his eyes. His clouded, elderly gaze suddenly radiated a terrifying majesty. "To have me favor him? To convict this young man who might one day become the Prince Consort of the Empire?"
"No, it is not that he wants you to favor him."
Seeing the Grand Judge’s displeasure, the maid hurriedly explained, "Quite the opposite. The Head of House Bugard’s point is that he does not trust the other judges. He fears they will be unfair due to the defendant's status. That is why he sought you out, hoping you would step forward to bring a fair trial to this matter!"
"A fair trial?"
"Yes. This case is highly unusual. Only you have the qualifications and the status to ensure fairness!"
"Hmm... there seems to be some logic in that."
Thraswell nodded slowly. He wondered to himself: Had the Empire’s legal circles rotted to such a degree during the years of my seclusion?
A public trial of this magnitude, a Tripartite Trial, and yet they are timid and biased because of the defendant's status? To trample the laws of the Empire underfoot... what has the world come to?
In that case...
"Very well. I hear the new Empress has just ascended the throne, and everything is still in a state of transition and chaos. If that is the case..."
Grand Judge Thraswell stood up abruptly, his majestic judicial robes fluttering with the movement.
"Then let me bring absolute fairness to this Tripartite Trial!"
"The Grand Judge is wise!"
*
"Is he coming?"
"Yes, everything went smoothly."
After hearing the old butler’s report, Count Bugard felt a surge of excitement once more.
"Excellent. Now all the groundwork is laid. A fair trial... Heh, it is precisely because it is a 'fair trial' that I, the whistleblower holding the evidence, have the power to manipulate the outcome. Now, even Her Majesty is backed into a corner!"
"Indeed. The higher one’s position, the more one is bound by circumstances."
"Now we just wait for Her Majesty to compromise. If she doesn't, she will face pressure from three sides: the Silence Bureau, the Life Church, and even the incorruptible Grand Judge. I doubt she can withstand that pressure, even with her current momentum. In the end, she will have no choice but to negotiate with me!"
Excitement gleamed in Bugard’s eyes. "Once she compromises, the House of Bugard, having bided its time for decades, will finally have the chance to rise again!"
"Indeed. If we can clear this hurdle, there is no reason for the House of Bugard not to flourish," the old butler praised sincerely. "Lord Count is truly brilliant!"
*
"Thraswell? Who is that?"
"Um... he seems to be a Grand Judge who was extremely prestigious in the Empire’s legal circles decades ago. He’s known for being upright, impartial, and unafraid of authority. Most of the Empire’s current high-ranking judges were once his students or protégés," Wei'er explained to Celicia, quickly flipping through the records.
"Upright and impartial? Unafraid of authority?"
Celicia’s expression turned cold. "He practically controls the entire upper echelon of the Empire’s judiciary. He can decide the outcome of a trial with a single word, and he wants to talk to me about fairness? Is it 'fairness' as defined by them?"
"But they say his reputation is excellent."
"When everyone from top to bottom is one of his people, of course his reputation is excellent."
Celicia’s eyes flashed, and she suddenly gave a light laugh. "However... it’s actually perfect. We do need a 'fair' person right now, lest... Go. Agree to it. Let him be the Grand Judge for the Tripartite Trial."
"Yes!"
Wei'er shrunk her neck. For some reason, despite being inside the warm and comfortable Imperial Palace, she felt a sudden, inexplicable chill.
*
Time flew by, and five days passed.
The day of the trial.
Thraswell hobbled out of his carriage. The Chief Judge, who had been waiting for some time, hurried forward to support his arm.
"This is wonderful. I never thought I would see the day my teacher returned to the bench."
As the Chief Judge of the Imperial Tribunal, this man with a monocle and a dignified face already had graying hair.
Yet, compared to Thraswell, he was still young. He carried himself like the humble student he once was, bowing his back so that he appeared even shorter than the already stooped Thraswell.
"Hmph. Is it not because you all are too incompetent?" Thraswell rebuked.
"Please forgive us, Teacher. For a case involving a Tripartite Trial, you are truly the only one who can command the room."
The Chief Judge gave a bitter smile. "It is said that Her Majesty will personally attend as an observer. The Empire has just undergone such upheaval; the blood spilled in the Upper District nearly stained the sewers red. We are, naturally, somewhat fearful of this Empress."
"The laws of the Empire are its bones. Does Her Majesty dare to break the Empire’s spine in front of the masses?"
Thraswell snorted. He glanced at the surrounding area, which was already packed with crowds of onlookers, and said displeasurably, "What is all this?"
"This... Count Bugard intentionally made the matter public. Every faction in Belland is watching this place."
"A sacred and majestic place of judgment is not a stage for a monkey show," Thraswell said with simmering anger. "Go. Drive away the irrelevant people. Restore the sanctity of the court!"
"Yes, right away, right away..."
Wiping cold sweat from his brow, the Chief Judge hurried to order his men to disperse the crowd.
...
Not far away, another carriage passed inspection and stopped before the Tribunal.
The curtain was pulled back, and Count Bugard poked his head out, just in time to see Thraswell entering the Imperial Tribunal.
He frowned slightly, though not because he had almost been driven away as an "irrelevant person."
"Strange. Is this trial actually going to proceed?"
He had plotted meticulously, pulling every string, even exhausting an old favor to bring the Grand Judge out of retirement... but he didn't actually want a trial against Muen Campbell to happen.
As per his original plan, all of this was merely to force the Empress to compromise.
In his estimation, the best time for a compromise was before the trial began. After all, if things actually reached the courtroom, no one would come out looking good.
He believed that by bringing out the Grand Judge, he would put enough pressure on the Empress to secure his victory.
He hadn't expected...
"Heh, as expected of Her Majesty. She certainly is persistent. But I won't give up that easily."
The corners of Bugard’s mouth curled up. He felt his long-dormant fighting spirit begin to burn again.
"Just wait. This game of chess, this struggle for power, is far from over!"
*
"Ma—Your Majesty? Your Majesty? We’ve arrived."
In the carriage, Wei'er, who was still not used to the title "Your Majesty," gently shook Celicia awake.
"That’s rare. Does Your Majesty also space out?"
"I was just thinking about a few things. I got lost in thought."
Celicia stood up and rubbed her temples.
"Oh? Has Your Majesty figured out how to punish that villain, Count Bugard?" Wei'er asked excitedly, blinking her eyes.
"Bu—"
Celicia looked momentarily bewildered, then shook her head.
"I almost forgot about that man. Forget it, a petty buffoon like him doesn't matter. Let him jump around for a bit longer. The person I need to deal with next is much more troublesome than him."
Just as Celicia’s carriage arrived at the Tribunal, as if by some twist of fate, two other parties arrived at the exact same time.
The carriages stopped. Even the spirited horses seemed to sense something, pawing at the ground uneasily.
At that moment, the curtains of the carriages were lifted, and three gazes, each filled with profound meaning, locked onto one another.
...
"Hmm? Is it going to rain?"
Muen, who was currently being escorted, felt a sudden, sharp drop in atmospheric pressure and instinctively looked up.
But all he saw was the clear, vast sky of Belland.
"Strange."
He scratched his head. All he saw was a scene of peace.
Late spring. No rain. A good day for admiring peach blossoms.