Chapter 623: A Temporary Reprieve
Translator: RaidenTL
Chapter 623: A Temporary Reprieve
“So, Muen, what do you say?”
Three distinct voices, each uniquely beautiful and alluring, intertwined as they bore into Muen’s ears, his mind… and even his very soul.
Words that usually felt as gentle as spring rain now crashed like roaring thunder. Muen’s vision went dark; it was as if he were witnessing the apocalypse, the very heavens collapsing and the earth rending asunder.
Simultaneously, three pairs of eyes locked onto him—some cold, some seductive, some tender. Any one of them would have been enough to make a man drown in bliss, but combined, they formed a lethal poison. To touch it was to die.
Muen truly felt that his end was nigh.
He knew that if he gave the wrong answer, the grass on his grave would be two feet high by this time next year.
But…
Could there really be a solution to such a stable triangle?
Think…
Muen Campbell, use every ounce of your lifelong wisdom! If you slip up against an Evil God, you might find a way to patch things over, but one wrong step here and you’ll fall into a bottomless abyss!
“What’s the matter? No answer?”
The three continued to press him. Their words were soft, but their intent was a sharpened blade aimed at his life. “We won’t allow some ambiguous answer where ‘anyone will do,’ you know.”
Of all the times for them to be so united…
“I…”
Muen took a deep breath.
After Mr. Pink made his escape, Muen stood alone in the eye of the storm, looking weak, helpless, and pitiful. Yet, he forced himself to straighten his back.
His gaze swept across each of the exquisite young women. Every time his eyes met one, the other two would radiate a chill as cold as a thousand-year-old ice field. But Muen knew he had to cross that frozen waste. If he couldn't even manage that, how could he ever hope to reach his perfect ending in a future fraught with calamity?
“Regarding this question from the three of you, I truly wish to give an answer, but…”
“Oh? Are you planning to brush us off?”
Celicia’s eyes narrowed, her gaze turning even colder. The other two followed suit, their auras becoming bone-chilling.
“No, no, no, that’s not what I meant. What I mean is…”
Muen took another deep breath, then shifted his gaze toward…
“I want to give an answer, but have the three of you forgotten the setting? Right now, I am merely a prisoner standing trial. What right do I have to choose? In this place, isn't a just verdict the highest authority?”
Muen’s expression turned solemn, his voice ringing with conviction. Here, in this grand setting where all factions had gathered at the Tribunal, he used his words and actions to express a profound respect for Imperial law and a deep-seated loathing for such nepotistic behavior.
“A criminal has no room for choice! All I can do is submit to the judgment of Grand Judge Thraswell!!”
Muen clenched his fist and answered with raw emotion before the entire assembly. “At this moment, the one who decides my fate is the honorable, great, and impartial Grand Judge Thraswell! I admit my guilt; therefore, he shall pronounce my sentence and determine my destination. I can only respect his judgment!!”
Indeed, a stable triangle cannot be solved from within; it must be shattered by an external force.
And right now, the only external force Muen could pin his hopes on was Grand Judge Thraswell.
I’m counting on you, big brother with the gavel.
Muen looked toward the Grand Judge, his eyes brimming with tears.
Use the power of justice to give these three overbearing beauties a proper lesson!
And while you’re at it, drag me back from the bottomless abyss!
“…”
“…”
“…”
Every gaze in the room shifted once more, landing on Thraswell—the man who was supposed to be the presiding judge of this trial, yet who had possessed the least presence until now.
The atmosphere remained stagnant, as if the very air had been frozen solid.
Thraswell’s withered hand trembled. He didn't know whether to raise the gavel in his hand or let it fall.
Though he had been in seclusion for a long time and lacked recent contact with the outside world—which was why he had been toyed with by Mr. Pink earlier—anyone capable of holding his position was certainly no ordinary man in terms of knowledge, wisdom, or character.
He finally understood the abnormality of this trial.
The Empress of the Empire.
The Sword Bearer of the Silence Bureau.
A mysterious figure from the Life Church.
These high-and-mighty individuals had graced this trial with their presence, but in reality, they didn't care about the contents of the trial at all.
All they cared about… was which of them that man belonged to.
That’s right. Three of the most noble women on the continent had actually come here to… fight over a man?
Absurd!!
Thraswell roared in his heart.
How utterly absurd!!
How could he allow such ridiculous behavior to take place in his courtroom?
Thraswell closed his eyes. In a daze, he remembered the words his teacher—who was also his father—had said when passing the mantle of Grand Judge to him.
“Thraswell, the laws of the Empire are its backbone, and only we, the Grand Judges, can maintain that backbone. You must understand that for us, besides preventing the rabble from defiling the law, the only thing we must uphold is… Justice! Justice! Justice!”
“That’s right. Justice!”
Thraswell whispered under his breath.
Wasn't providing a just result for this trial the very reason he had come out of retirement?
So, what if she was the Empress? What if she was the Sword Bearer? What if they were from the Life Church?
He was absolutely going to bring this trial to a just…
“Judge Thraswell, what… do you think?”
Perhaps growing impatient with the wait, Celicia took the initiative to ask.
Her voice was calm and indifferent, as if she were truly seeking his humble opinion.
But when Thraswell opened his eyes, he felt a bone-chilling frost to his left and heard faint whispers from the darkness to his right.
When he looked up, a holy light descended, but it wasn't gentle in the slightest—it nearly scorched his eyes.
“What do you think?” the three asked in unison.
“I… This old servant believes…”
Thraswell suddenly stood up. He abruptly removed the dignified high hat from his head and placed it respectfully on the desk.
“This old servant is well advanced in years and truly lacks the strength to bear the heavy responsibility of this trial. I beg Your Majesty to find someone more capable!”
“Huh?”
Beside him, Thraswell’s disciple was dumbstruck, watching as a glorious image collapsed before his very eyes.
“What?”
On the other side, Muen was also stunned. This was completely different from what he had envisioned. The external force he had so carefully calculated to bring in… didn't seem sturdy enough?
Hey! What happened to justice?!
I already confessed! Hurry up and sentence me to prison, you bastard!
Muen gritted his teeth. He hadn't expected his last sliver of hope to go up in smoke just like that.
Who else can save me now?
*
“Wait!”
Just then, the person Muen least expected stood up!
“What is wrong with you, Grand Judge Thraswell?!”
Count Bugard’s eyes were bloodshot. Just moments ago, he had been the accuser holding the upper hand, but now he looked more like a disheveled prisoner than Muen did. He ignored all etiquette and roared at Thraswell, “Muen Campbell has already confessed! Hurry up and judge him!”
“I have said it. I am old and frail; I truly cannot bear this heavy responsibility.”
“Shut up! What do you mean you can’t bear it? You’re just trying to run away!”
Count Bugard trembled with rage, pointing a finger at Thraswell.
“You… you… even you bully the weak and fear the strong? You’re just going to let the trial end like this? We were only one step away! One last step and Muen Campbell would have—”
Eh? Wait.
Count Bugard suddenly froze.
Was my goal to do something to Muen Campbell?
No, that’s not right. I was clearly supposed to…
“Lord Count.”
Suddenly, Celicia interrupted him.
“If we’re talking about running away, the one who has been running all along is you, isn't it?”
“What?”
“Furthermore, the trial is not over.”
Celicia walked toward Grand Judge Thraswell and personally helped him put the high hat—the symbol of his office—back on his head. Her tone was soft as she said, “There is no need for the Grand Judge to belittle himself. Besides you, who else here is qualified to conduct the rest of the trial?”
“But the trial has already…”
“As I said, it is not over.”
Celicia glanced at Count Bugard and said coldly, “The trial regarding Count Bugard’s involvement with the Inner Council, his secret plot to overthrow the Imperial Family, his slaughter of innocent civilians, and his human experiments… has only just begun!”
“Wh—”
Count Bugard’s face turned pale instantly. This development was once again completely outside his expectations.
Even so, he quickly regained his composure. Forcing his emotions under control, he squeezed out a smile. “Has Your Majesty made a mistake? The only error I committed was raising a rebellious son. I have already personally handed that son over to Your Majesty for disposal. The one being tried now is Muen Campbell. For you to make such baseless accusations without evidence…”
“Evidence? Isn't this the evidence?”
Anna smirked as she tossed the Eye Beast’s eyeball forward. As a faint light spread, images began to manifest throughout the entire Tribunal.
Screams.
Blood.
Conspiracies.
One scene of horror after another appeared in the projections. The gruesome sights made even the well-traveled Thraswell tremble, barely able to stay in his seat.
Finally, the image froze on a robin perched in the center of the frame, looking lifelike.
“Since an Eye Beast can record combat footage, it can naturally record everyday scenes as well, can’t it?”
“No… that’s impossible…”
The words escaped Count Bugard’s lips before he could stop them. “I clearly deleted those images! I already—”
He slapped a hand over his mouth, but he couldn't hide the terror in his eyes.
“They were indeed deleted,” Liya said from within the holy light. “But the Goddess’s Authority is Life, and the Eye Beast is a living thing. Naturally, I can borrow the Goddess’s power to restore it.”
“You… you people…”
He hadn't expected that the drama he had meticulously planned to clear the Bugard family’s name would end up becoming his own execution ground.
No.
Something must be wrong!
“Your… Your Majesty, this isn't right. This is wrong.”
Count Bugard suddenly collapsed at Celicia’s feet, grabbing her shoe. Tears streamed down his face as he pleaded, “You said it yourself… these kinds of images, images that can be completely forged as long as Master Propol personally takes action, cannot be used as evidence. You just said it!”
“Yes, I did say that…”
Celicia looked down, a hint of mockery in her cold eyes. “But Master Propol… died a week ago, you fool.”
“Huh?”
“You were probably too busy racking your brain for ways to escape your sins to notice such a major event.”
Celicia kicked Count Bugard away and sneered. “But did you really think you could escape? Why do you think I stood in front of Albert? If a tumor in the Empire is to be cut, it must be cut cleanly. I will not allow you any chance to make a comeback.”
“…”
“Go and face your judgment, sinner. The Bugard family is finished!”
“…”
Count Bugard slumped to the floor, looking as if all the bones had been sucked out of his body.
All struggle was futile. He knew that with this casual remark from the Empress, the recently calmed Belland would once again be swept up in a storm of blood.
And this time, the blood that flowed would belong to the old nobility… the Bugards.
*
On one side, the solemn trial had resumed. Grand Judge Thraswell was still presiding, but the identity of the defendant had changed. Count Bugard was waiting for his inevitable fate in despair.
The Empire’s special departments had already been mobilized, weaving a massive net to ensure that not a single member of the Bugard family escaped.
Just as Count Bugard had predicted, new blood had begun to flow into the soil of the reborn Empire. It would become new nourishment, fueling the growth of the great tree that was the Empire.
But on the other side…
“Alright, there are no more distractions. Give us your answer.”
Muen stared with dead-fish eyes. He could feel the warmth and the fragrant scent of the women standing right next to him, but he didn't feel the slightest bit of happiness.
The three of them had practically surrounded him, looking as if they wouldn't rest until they got a definitive answer.
Muen couldn't help but shed hot tears. Couldn't you all just stay united and harmonious like you were a moment ago?
Wouldn't it be great if you all became my wings, lived in peace, and walked toward a happy future together?
Why must you be so antagonistic? Why so incompatible?
“The answer?”
Seeing the three of them closing in, Muen felt like he could hear the countdown to his death. Even though his mind was racing at the speed of Time Dilation, he couldn't think of any way to break this deadlock.
It’s over. To think that I, the illustrious Muen Campbell, would meet my end today…
“Your Majesty.”
Suddenly, as if the heavens had heard Muen’s plea, they finally chose to leave a small spark of life for this man forsaken by fate.
Wei'er suddenly leaned in and whispered something into Celicia’s ear.
“Now?”
“Yes. The delegation is already outside the city, beginning the process of submitting their credentials.”
“Faster than I expected… Tsk. Those bastards, always showing up at the most inconvenient times. How troublesome.”
Celicia thought for a moment, then raised her beautiful eyes to look at the other two. She gave an unceremonious command: “We’re all going.”
“Oh? If Your Majesty has business to attend to, then by all means, go ahead. We won’t disturb you,” Anna said, hiding a smile behind her hand.
“ I said, we are all going.”
Celicia gave a thin, mirthless smile. “Do you really think I’m going to let you two philandering cats stay here alone with him?”
“Hehe, who’s the philandering cat remains to be seen.”
“Th-That’s right!”
“…”
“…”
“…”
After another round of sparks and thunderous tension, the three finally reached a compromise. They stood up simultaneously and walked out, maintaining their triangular formation.
No winner was decided today, but that didn't mean they were giving up.
Rather, this was only the first round of the confrontation.
*
In the end, only Muen remained, still not quite sure what had happened. He watched blankly as the three departed, then patted himself down in disbelief. He muttered in a daze:
“Did I… actually survive?”