Elden: Ring of Calamity

Chapter 425 Guilty
The public trial was arranged at Lanchester Square inside the south gate of the Golden Temple. When Lacard arrived here with a slightly tired body, he found that there were far more people attending the meeting than he had imagined.

In order to ensure the fairness, impartiality and openness of the conference, Radagon not only convened all the nobles in the royal capital and a large number of professionals from the Ministry of Justice, but also opened applications for participation to the public, agreeing that a large number of civilian representatives could participate in the public trial after a relatively simple application procedure.

The people's long-accumulated anger over the fire plague finally found a channel to vent. Within just half a day after the application was opened, the Rodel people filled the 6,000 places in the upper city and 4,000 places in the lower city, and began to prepare for entry the next day under the guidance of the city guards.

So at this moment, what appeared in Lakkad's eyes were nearly 15,000 people. The black crowd filled every seat around the square, and countless resentful and even hateful eyes gathered towards the position of the person on trial in the center of the square.

It was a row of ordinary seats without any restraints. As a noble, Chapolili even received special treatment. Not only did he have a more comfortable table and chairs, but simple refreshments were also placed in front of him.

Next to him were the thirteen captured caravan representatives of the Ahara caravan. Compared to Viscount Chapolili, who managed to maintain his aristocratic demeanor, they had much worse tempers.

Faced with the pointing and talking of the people around them, these men, whose clothing and appearance were very different from those of the Golden People, were furious. Some of them stepped on chairs and cursed, while others subconsciously touched their waists, forgetting that their scimitars had been taken off long ago.

"Silence!" In the center of the courtroom, Viscount Lehman, the current Minister of Justice and Lacarde's immediate superior, slammed the gavel.

Although this chief justice had gradually faded out of politics, his influence was still there. The citizens soon quieted down, and the representatives of Ahara were tired of scolding after a while. They looked at this solemn and majestic old man, looked at each other, and sat back muttering.

Temperament is something that can often transcend national and even racial barriers, allowing people to see the core of something that is difficult to express in words.

Viscount Lehman was born in the Eastern Expedition Corps. He joined the Ministry of Justice after retiring due to injury. During his 30 years as Chief Justice, he relied not on his family background nor on flattery, but on his fair and severe judgments.

During the past thirty years, there has not been a single controversial improper trial, which has earned Viscount Lehman an unshakable reputation among both the common people and the aristocracy. Even if there are occasional foreign visitors like the Ahara caravan, they will often hear about the character of this great justice through rumors on the streets.

Lacard suddenly remembered what his father said last night. Being ruthless and fair to everyone cannot please everyone, but at least it will not offend everyone at the same time.

Although he has taken over most of the power in the Ministry of Justice, he still has great respect for the old man because of his admiration for his personality and style of doing things.

Having Viscount Lehmann preside over the trial rather than a member of the New Party should ensure maximum fairness, right?
Lakkad thought so.

At this moment, he was sitting in the jury box reserved for the great nobles, and the royal family's seat was still in the highest row. He turned his gaze to the empty seat on the side. His father was walking slowly from the temple, surrounded by his personal guards, and sat down beside him.

When the king took his seat, everyone cheered. The golden people all firmly believed that their king could bring them fairness.

"As I promised you—" Radagan looked down and said softly to his son, "This will be an absolutely fair trial. No innocent person will be wronged, and no criminal will escape the punishment they deserve."

Lacard stared at Viscount Lehman's old but still upright figure, and said calmly: "Even if Lord Lehman is presiding over the trial, I will still stop and correct him if there is anything inappropriate."

Radagan smiled and nodded, "Of course, this is your right, and it is also what I expect of you."

After fifteen minutes of preparation, the public trial officially began. Viscount Lehman asked the witnesses, citizen representatives, and noble representatives to speak in turn, and asked the representatives of the Ahara caravan to defend themselves. Due to the lack of key evidence, both parties were just venting their emotions and attacking and cursing each other, but the chief justice was like a well-wound mechanical puppet, with no intention of pushing the trial further, and just proceeded according to the established procedures.

"Lord Viscount Chapolili..." The old man raised his wrinkled eyelids and stared at the man who had been fidgeting. "Now is the time for you to defend yourself."

"Yes, Your Excellency." Chapolili stood up and responded.

He looked up at the tens of thousands of Rodel people surrounding him. The overwhelming discussions and accusations were like mercury pouring into his ears, making it difficult for him to breathe.

"Look at his anxious look. It's obvious that he's panicking because his crime has been exposed!"

"Yes, a mere court viscount, a third-class nobleman without even a fiefdom, how could he be responsible for resisting the plague? Just think about it and you will know that he did not get to this position legitimately!"

"Don't you know? I've heard that he is a famous jester in the aristocratic circle. Those nobles with clean backgrounds simply disdain to associate with him."

"So he kneels at the feet of the ancient dragon, spreading the plague to poison us Rodel people on behalf of his master? Damn it!"

"."

"I didn't, I really didn't," Chapolili muttered with lifeless eyes.

"I'm sorry, Lord Chapolili," Viscount Lehman frowned, "Please forgive my old age. What did you just say?"

"I didn't do anything they said!" Xia Bolili suddenly raised his head and argued loudly.

"I never thought that I would be in charge of fighting the plague. It was just by chance that I gained the trust of His Majesty and His Highness Lucia, and they entrusted me with this important task. I just wanted to do more for the people of this dynasty!"

"Since I took office, I have lived in the National Hospital almost every day and have never had a good night's sleep. Every day I count on my fingers how many people I have saved today, and how many people should have been treated but unfortunately died because we did not do enough - these things are seen by many people, Lord Aleto, Mrs. Winkton, and Lord Xia Wen and Lord Danny Wens from the Ministry of Civil Affairs. They all know what I have been doing in the past few months!"

He felt that he had suffered a great injustice, and cast his eager eyes toward the noble jury, hoping that his former colleagues would say a few fair words for him, just like a drowning man trying hard to grab the reeds on the shore.

But among the names he read out, Lord Aleto entered the stone stage with the Queen and was not present. Lady Winkton went to other areas to inspect the spread of the epidemic. The rest of the people looked at him indifferently like rows of cold stone statues.

They looked at him as if he were actually guilty.

(End of this chapter)