BXBX NOVEL Chapter 83 The Trial 3
"Order must be maintained! Do not interrupt the proceedings of the court," Cyrus said, attempting to project an air of civility after his earlier display of power against Ragnar to assert dominance over Envy\'s faction.
Ragnar was displeased with Cyrus\' actions. Although he had the ability to resist the effect of Cyrus\' word of power, he knew that engaging in a direct confrontation with Cyrus would require significant preparation. Caught off guard in the middle of the courtroom, Ragnar found himself unprepared, which diminished his image in the eyes of the other mages, making him appear weak.
This would undermine Ragnar\'s clan and the faction he belonged to, making them appear weaker compared to Cyrus\' "Path of Knowledge" faction.
Magnus snorted at Ragnar\'s misfortune, but he refrained from commenting and instead focused his attention on Yuki, awaiting the placement of her hand on the device.
Yuki glanced back at Greed, who wore a pained expression. She didn\'t possess much confidence, but she nodded in acknowledgment of the request. The homunculus being aware of the numerous modifications she had undergone by third parties to enhance her strength and self-defense abilities, she held little hope.
She gingerly placed her hand on the device, and it performed its function, assessing the condition of Yuki\'s body. Suddenly, a loud beep resonated throughout the room, accompanied by a display of red light for all to witness.
The prosecutor smiled and turned towards the judge.
"As you can see, she has indeed been modified by a third party, rendering her statement unreliable as a basis for the defendant\'s exoneration. While we could employ forensic magic to examine her memories, the information obtained would be subject to uncertainty regarding potential tampering," the prosecutor explained.
"Yuki\'s statement, being a modified homunculus, does not meet the legal criteria for the defendant\'s defense. Does the defense have any other witnesses to prove the defendant\'s innocence?" Envy declared.
Greed exchanged a glance with Klause and nodded.
Klause, acknowledging the signal from Greed, rose from his seat and made his way to the podium, while Yuki returned to her seat with a sad smile, feeling helpless in her ability to aid her beloved.
"You did your best..." Klause attempted to console the homunculus, but she could only offer a sorrowful smile, knowing that she couldn\'t be of any assistance.
At the podium, Klause cleared his throat before beginning his testimony.
"Cough... Your honor, I am Klause Hoffmann, the current Director of the Tessia Kingdom Royal Court Mage. I am here to testify that the defendant did not kill his majesty Victor Justius. He is still alive, and this is the proof," Klause said, presenting a scroll made of animal leather skin to the judge.
Envy raised her hand, causing the parchment in Klause\'s hand to float toward her. She caught it and read its contents.
"This is Victor Justius\' favor contract, and it is still in effect. This indicates that he is still alive," Envy said with a hopeful smile.
The prosecutor, still wearing a smile, spoke up.
"Your honor, may I examine that parchment?"
Envy nodded and released the parchment, allowing it to float into the prosecutor\'s hand.
At the podium, Klause cleared his throat before beginning his testimony.
The prosecutor scrutinized the parchment for a moment before nodding.
"It is indeed still activated, but it should be activated under the second condition," said the prosecutor, displaying the parchment for everyone in the court to see.
"Second condition?" Klause repeated, his curiosity piqued. He continued, "If you mean that it required him to pass this contract to a successor, I\'m afraid that was impossible. His Majesty didn\'t have any heirs."
"Well, unfortunately, he does," the prosecutor said, a smile forming on his face as he turned toward the judge.
"Your honor, I present to you the heir of His Majesty Victor Justius, the heir designated by the law of the Hightower," the prosecutor announced, picking up a remote control and pointing it at the screen. The display on the screen changed from Daniel\'s information to a video call screen, revealing the face of Lucien Blackscar.
It was widely known that Lucien was one of the councilors, belonging to the same faction as the Alchemonts and also serving as Victor\'s teacher.
"Greetings, Your Honor," Lucien greeted the judges, then glanced at Greed before adopting a feigned admonishing tone.
"I was informed by one of my people at the headquarters that Miss Greed, in her haste to help her friend, used up all her contribution points to set up this trial without waiting for me to be available to clear my name."
Upon hearing this, Greed remained silent, maintaining her stoic expression on the surface.
Observing that Greed refrained from commenting or quipping at him, as she usually did with others when she was in control, Lucien smiled, believing that Greed wouldn\'t be able to exert influence over him anytime soon. It was true that Greed had caught him off guard by swiftly flying to headquarters and expending all her contribution points to arrange the trial without giving him any time to prepare.
However, upon being informed of the situation by his associates at headquarters, Lucien sought assistance from Cyrus, the leader of his faction. In exchange, Lucien promised to provide Wrath Blood and Magic Essence to Cyrus, a valuable commodity as it marked the first instance of a non-Witch mage obtaining access to the secrets and extraordinary abilities of the Witches.
Therefore, Cyrus wholeheartedly supported Lucien, recognizing the significance of their achievement. Prior to this, no one had successfully obtained control over one of the Witches of the Seven Deadly Sins. Previous Witches had either perished, possessed overwhelming power like Envy and Pride, or were too vigilant like Greed and Gluttony, preventing others from gaining control over them.
On the screen, Lucien presented a parchment bearing the same design as Klause\'s, indicating that it was the master copy of the contract. He displayed it for everyone in the court to see.
"As stated in this contract, I, as his teacher, will inherit all of his assets and authority in the Tessia Kingdom in the event of his demise without an heir," Cyrus explained.
"This is impossible!... I don\'t recall..." Klause exclaimed in disbelief, remembering that he was the one who had drafted the contract for Victor and didn\'t even include that clause.
"Yes, you don\'t remember agreeing to this contract, but it appears that His Majesty Victor Justius outsmarted you by concealing this clause within the document before you signed it. If you don\'t believe me, you can use the revelation spell on your side to uncover the hidden content," Lucien suggested.
The revelation spell was used to reveal hidden objects or objects disguised by low-level illusion spells or high-level illusion spells that had degraded over time.
Though skeptical, Klause decided to employ the revelation spell to expose what lay concealed within the parchment. As Lucien had claimed, a small clause emerged on the paper, indicating that it had been concealed by a powerful illusion spell that had weakened over time, allowing Klause to dispel it with a basic spell, like a revelation spell.
"I can\'t believe it... Have I truly been so incompetent as to fall into this trap?" Klause muttered in disbelief, never imagining that he would one day succumb to such a childish ploy.
In truth, Klause had not fallen into a trap. The events unfolding were a result of Satan\'s wish-granting word of power, which had granted "Tessia Kingdom to Lucien." The power of Satan had manifested in reality through the presence of clauses within the contract, though this fact remained unknown to everyone present.
Lucien\'s smile widened as he observed Greed\'s expression, sensing that the situation was slipping out of her control.
At that moment, a greedy thought took hold of his mind. How marvelous would it be if he could obtain Greed\'s witch power as well! Although her power was relatively weak, it possessed a unique quality that could not be replicated by spells—a flawless ability to foresee fortune with 100% accuracy, leaving no room for error or interpretation like the spells used by mages to glimpse the future. This power bestowed upon the Witches of Greed the ability to amass vast wealth and accumulate riches regardless of their prior status, whether they were destitute or lacking in competence.
"Your honor, since Miss Greed has orchestrated this trial, it provides me with an opportune moment to make a petition. I submit that Miss Wrath not only murdered Counselor Victor Justius, but she also destroyed his very soul. Under our legal jurisdiction, such an act warrants the severest punishment. However, invoking a clause from five years ago, I hold Miss Greed responsible as Miss Wrath\'s employer. Miss Greed guaranteed that Miss Wrath would not inflict such immense harm upon our esteemed counselor," Lucien declared.
Upon hearing this, Envy fixed a piercing gaze upon Lucien\'s image on the screen.
"Lucien... know your place!" she retorted sharply.