Imperial Crown.

Chapter 391 Yes, I do.
Raven did not go to see Anthony.

The moment he stood at the prosecution table, he was completely on the opposite side to Raven.

The key to this trial lies in the Chief Justice of the Empire, His Excellency Dunlop, who is at the center.

History has inertia.

Before the Third Dynasty of Keynes, the empire had a history of nearly 400 years of aristocratic co-governance, known in history as the "Keynes Republic."

Even though it has been more than 120 years since the return of royal power, some things still permeate the empire's bones.

Among them is the special status of the Chief Justice of the Empire.

They are not conferred by the king but are elected by the council of nobles. Once in office, they will never step down and cannot hold any title or other position.

In the Empire, the highest achievement a commoner can achieve in his life is to become the Grand Chancellor of the Empire.

Its power to interpret the law has now been divided by the royal power, but its power to adjudicate cases is still firmly in its hands.

In other words, as long as Raven can refute the charges that Anthony put against him, he can clear himself of the charges.

"Accusations require evidence," said Justice Dunlop.

"Marquis Anthony, do you have any evidence to support the five charges you have brought against Baron Raven?"

"Of course!" Anthony shouted, "I am the first witness."

There was a bit of noise in the courtroom for a while.

Anthony's five accusations just now are powerful, and the first two are more eye-catching than the last.

Everyone wanted to know how Raven became "sexually sadistic", but Anthony wanted to be the first to testify!

Amid the noise, Anthony walked to the witness stand, cleared his throat and said:

"First, I would like to ask your honor and the gentlemen and ladies present to forgive me for not charging Raven with the crimes listed in the order in which they were previously charged."

"Because when I came here, I saw a scene that no upright person could tolerate!"

"Outside Samuel Palace, there are still people cheering for Raven and crying out for justice."

"It is enough to show how powerful Raven is in bewitching people!"

"And the starting point of all this is his so-called 'war exploits'."

"I am standing here to expose his lies, reveal his true colors, and make everyone realize what a lowly noble he is!"

Raven, who was sitting in the dock, straightened up.

If you want to defeat a person completely, you must destroy his foundation.

Military achievements are the foundation of Raven's life and also the basis for him to reject Ferdinand's solicitation.

Anthony really came prepared!
"First of all, let me make it clear that Raven's attack on the Principality of Eivor was not authorized by me, either explicitly, implicitly or directly."

Anthony pulled out a document and said, "This document is the order I issued when the locust plague hit Nord Province. At that time, I did let Raven command the troops of the five northwestern counties of Nord Province, but that was just an emergency strategy."

"And Raven actually relied on my trust in him and used this expired document to forcibly take control of the military power of the five northwestern counties!"

"This shows how bold this person is!"

On the judge's bench, Dunlop carefully looked at the order issued during the locust plague, and cast his eyes on Raven: "Baron Raven, do you admit this?"

Raven said: "I admit that this is indeed the case, but..."

"You just need to say yes or no. Now is not your time to speak." Chief Justice Dunlop interrupted Raven coldly.

Born as a freeman, he naturally hated all aristocrats; claiming to be an elite made him full of contempt for the majority who were accustomed to blindly follow others.

Anthony's accusation seized on these two points and successfully made him feel disgusted with Raven.

But the justices will not judge cases based solely on their own prejudices:

"Marquis Anthony, this court is aware that Baron Raven is suspected of disobeying orders, which is indeed tantamount to treason."

"However, judging from the results, Baron Raven's defeat of Eivor actually gained the diplomatic initiative for the Empire. It would be too harsh to attack him for this reason."

Anthony said, "That's exactly what I'm going to say next."

"Raven's attack on the Principality of Eivor did not help the Empire, but instead put the Empire into a more passive position."

"The indemnity of 1077 million gold coins has left the treasury empty; with a tariff of only 7%, we must face the dumping of goods from the Insa Empire."

"It looks like a ceasefire, but it still leaves a dagger in the body of the empire, causing it to bleed continuously!"

"Next, please allow me to submit the second piece of evidence!"

It was a thick stack of documents with black covers.

The document was sent to the judge's bench, and another identical document was sent to Raven at the judge's instruction.

"This evidence is enough to prove that the Empire was already prepared to annihilate the Insa forces long before Revan acted on his own."

"It was because Raven attacked Eivor without authorization that Insa became alert and this originally perfect plan went down the drain!"

As Anthony complained, Raven flipped open the document and looked at it. His brows first furrowed tightly, and then he sneered.

It describes in detail the changes in the situation on the front battlefield of the Empire before the armistice, and explains a tactic that was allegedly formulated based on the prediction of Insa's movements "at that time".

The core of this tactic is to mobilize the core troops of the four provinces surrounding Brad Province to encircle Insa, and then send troops from Mingnagar City to launch an encirclement counterattack.

It also comes with a detailed sand table simulation diagram, which describes various possibilities, and the conclusion is that the empire will definitely win.

But Raven could see many of the flaws at a glance.

The most prominent point is how this so-called encirclement should be completed.

Insa is composed entirely of cavalry and is not short of air power. If a small group of troops hide in the forest, active at night and during the day, they may be able to escape their eyes and ears. However, with an army of more than 4 in four provinces, it is impossible for them to be unexpected.

Moreover, how to coordinate, organize and dispatch such a large-scale encirclement and suppression is an insurmountable obstacle.

If you dare to do this, just prepare to be defeated one by one!

But just because Raven can see it doesn't mean everyone can see it.

The wording of this document is rigorous enough, and it is obvious that it was written by an expert. Even nobles who can only talk about military affairs on paper can be easily fooled, not to mention laymen who have never been to the battlefield.

For example, Chief Justice Dunlop.

After looking through the documents and discussing with Prime Minister Hamilton and Cardinal Morenzo beside him, he looked at Raven with increasingly cold eyes.

"This court is fully aware of this accusation," Dunlop said.
"Marquis Anthony, do you have anything to add?"

"Yes, this brings us to Raven's next crime," Anthony continued, "which is the unforgivable and brutal crime he committed against our friendly neighbor, the Principality of Eivor, one of the Fitun city-states."

"I have the honor of inviting His Excellency Quentin, the Grand Marshal of the Principality of Eivor. Please allow him to testify in court!"

Dunlop nodded in agreement, the door opened, and Quentin appeared in the courtroom.

He looked a little frightened.

Growing up in Eivor, he believed that the most prosperous city on the continent was the Blue Castle, and the Posha Palace was the most magnificent building on the continent.

But after arriving in Mingnagar City, he realized how ridiculous his knowledge was, and truly realized the power and terror of the Keynes Empire.

Having been here for a month, he had already adapted to the new environment. However, when he arrived at Samuel Palace and walked into the courtroom, he still felt a little nervous.

Soon, the tension and panic disappeared.

Because he could see that the man who had destroyed the Principality of Eivor and completely shattered the dignity of the entire principality was now a prisoner.

This is a pleasure I have never experienced before.

You have today too!

"Mr. Quentin, please give true and credible testimony regarding Baron Raven's crimes." Chief Justice Dunlop said in a deep voice.

Quentin nodded vigorously and stood in the witness stand with his head held high. He suddenly felt like he was in control of Raven's life.

He was ready to push Raven into the abyss himself.

“Standing here today, I have very mixed emotions.”

"I want to thank the Keynes Empire for being fair and just and giving me the opportunity to stand here and fight for a little fairness for my country."

"Baron Raven has done too many terrible things to our land."

"He took our territory and defeated our army, which I understand, that's how war is supposed to be."

"But, Raven should never have done such brutal and evil things!"

Originally Quentin was just reciting the script.

But as he spoke, Quentin once again recalled the humiliation of the Blue Castle being breached, recalled Eivor VIII's clown-like performance, and recalled his own past defeat like a wild dog in front of Raven.

Complex emotions surged in his heart, causing him to burst into tears:

"After he defeats our army, he will cut off the heads of the dead and pile them into a steeple, leaving their bodies exposed to the air to be gnawed by crows, wild dogs, and insects!"

"And Raven even gave it a name, 'Jingguan'!"

"Our men, all still young men, were chopped off their thumbs just because they refused to submit to him and serve under him. The thumbs were piled up into a mountain!"

"Behind each of them, there is a family!"

"Not only that, Raven also allowed his soldiers to burn, kill, and loot in Eivor, demolish our houses, kill our civilians, and rape our women. Every single one of these things is recorded, and every single one of them has evidence!"

The emotion of this speech was so sincere that Quentin was ready to accept the sympathetic tears or applause from the audience.

However, after it stopped, the scene was as quiet as a library.

Chief Justice Dunlop's expression did not fluctuate at all.

Anthony saw this and cursed Quentin for being stupid.

Originally, this passage did not involve cutting off prisoners' fingers, nor did it contain any section about burning, killing and looting.

The real focus is the "Jingguan" built by Lei Wen.

It is necessary to emphasize how unprecedented, cold-blooded, cruel and inhumane Raven's actions were, and how they conflicted with the universal values ​​of the human race.

Now, Quentin not only did not expand on the content of the Jingguan, but also put it first, completely misleading the focus.

This is the Keynes Empire, not the Principality of Eivor.

For the nobles of the empire, what does it matter to them how miserable the Eivor people are?
What's more, in war, cutting off the fingers of prisoners is already a very merciful practice; and burning, killing and looting in occupied areas is also part of war, so it would be strange if anyone did not do this.

Didn’t you see that the Supreme Court justices were indifferent to this matter?
Anthony was so anxious that he kept winking at Quentin.

Say something useful!

Quentin misunderstood. He thought that the reason his words did not resonate was that the Grand Justice did not understand Eivor's condition, so he emphasized:
"Of course, I want to point out that Raven only won victory after victory when the Principality was unprepared. In fact, Raven had a very difficult time in Eivor!"

"It was because of our Principality of Eivor's tenacious resistance that Raven became angry and committed one evil act after another!"

As soon as these words were spoken, there was a burst of laughter in the courtroom, and even the Chief Justice smiled.

Is it a tough fight?

A principality was completely conquered and its capital was occupied in less than a year. How can you call this difficult?
Many people have more trouble than this to have a child!
Only Raven didn't laugh.

Because only he truly knew that the process of attacking Eivor was far from as smooth as the outside world thought.

Seeing that things were going against his wishes, Anthony cursed inwardly and said quickly: "This accusation ends here. I would like to call the next witness to appear!"

"He will reveal to us what kind of evil true face Raven hides under his seemingly polite face!"

Quentin came in style and left in disgrace.

He didn't quite understand until he left. He should have been unstoppable, but how did he become a clown?
Could it be that I can’t beat Raven on the battlefield, and I can’t even beat him in court?
But no one noticed Quentin's condition, everyone was looking forward to the next witness.

But as the gate opened, the nobles saw no one coming in.

Until a short figure stepped on a chair and stood on the witness stand.

Raven's pupils shrank.

Pelard!

Why is he here?
Subconsciously looking at the throne where Keynes XVI was sitting, Raven swallowed and felt his limbs a little cold.

The only reason that Pile could appear here was at the king's instruction.

The real driving force behind this trial is the king! ?
No wonder.

No wonder Ferdinand and others gave up trying to persuade him and stopped; no wonder Anthony dared to come forward and accuse him.

It’s not that Raven is stupid, but he simply didn’t think in this direction - because doing so would not do the king any good.

And there is another reason, that is, if all this was really instructed and promoted by the king, then no matter how Raven struggled, the result would not be any different.

Keynes XVI may not be able to directly influence the direction of the entire trial.

But with the ability of the Lord of the Empire, what kind of frame-up cannot he accomplish?
The seeds of fear took root in Raven's heart.

Today, he was afraid that he would not be able to leave Samur Palace.

"Witness." Chief Justice Dunlop looked at Piller with a hint of doubt in his eyes. "If I remember correctly, you want to accuse Baron Raven of the crime of 'sexual abuse'?"

As if he had mustered up a lot of courage, Pierre took a deep breath and said:

"Yes, your honor."

Dunlop said: "Well, please tell me more about it."

Pierre placed his hands on the stage, clenched into fists, his ten fingers twisted together like a knot, his head lowered, his body trembling slightly, and he bit his lips tightly, as if he was caught up in some unspeakable memory:
"Baron Raven... raped me."

boom!
It was like a fireball exploding in the courtroom, and all the onlookers were shocked at this moment!

Even for the nobles in the royal capital, this was too abnormal.

Pile is a man, and a dwarf at that. It is not an exaggeration to say that his body shape is that of a child.

How could Raven do that?
Even Chief Justice Dunlop found it a little unbelievable: "Witness, you have to understand that this is a court. Everything you say will be recorded. If you lie here, you will suffer serious consequences!"

"I understand, Your Honor." Piller did not look up, but his voice was trembling:

"I know what I'm doing."

"This incident is by no means a pleasant memory for me, but I must speak out and reveal Raven's true face... so that more people will realize what kind of demon in human skin he is."

Dunlop said in a deep voice: "...then please speak."

"Huh..." Pierre took a deep breath, stood up straight, raised his head, and could faintly see the tears that had not been wiped away from the corners of his eyes:

"Originally, in my mind, Baron Raven is a very upright person. He doesn't discriminate against me because of my height or race like many people do. Instead, he gets along very well with me."

"It can be said that we became friends in a short time after Baron Raven entered Mingnaigar City."

"It wasn't until December 12 last year that Baron Raven invited me to a dinner at his residence in Emerald Hall."

"Looking back now, everything about that day was very unusual... There was no one else to accompany me, and Baron Raven kept urging me to drink."

"As you know, as a dwarf, it is difficult to make friends. I also cherish my friendship with Baron Raven."

“So I drank a lot.”

"I didn't expect that when I woke up, I saw, I saw..."

Pierre's voice trembled more and more, and tears flowed from the corners of his eyes again, but he did not wipe them away and continued:
"Baron Raven was lying on top of me. I was completely naked at that time. I don't know if he added something to the wine to make me unable to move."

"But... I could clearly feel him spreading my cheeks - I mean my buttocks - and then he started sucking and sniffing."

"I wanted to resist, but I had no strength; I begged, but he turned a deaf ear."

"Then, he took out an oily wooden spike from somewhere and stabbed it into my body..."

"That's enough, witness. This court is now clear." Dunlop's face was gloomy, and his eyes were full of sympathy for Piller: "There is no need to hurt yourself any further."

Pierre's body began to tremble uncontrollably, as if he was fighting against some instinct, and his face turned pale:

"No, I have to keep talking!"

"I was begging, but he just seemed to be getting more and more excited, and just like that... he violated me."

"I don't know how many times I begged that night. My body and soul were all torn apart."

"The reason I want to tell the truth is not to make your honorable judge or everyone here sympathize with me, but just to remind everyone."

"He is so skilled, will he really only attack me?"

"...I heard that Baron Raven is keen on adopting orphans."

Razor-like gazes fell on Raven sharply and intensively, and noisy discussions broke out uncontrollably.

"Oh my god, Baron Raven looks so impressive, but I never thought he could do such a thing!"

"This...is this slander?"

"How can it be slander? If you were Pierre, would you say such a lie?"

"Yeah, Pierre is about to rip his heart out... Raven is such a scumbag!"

"He was born a gangster, a country bumpkin from the borderland, and barely managed to gain a noble status. Is it strange that he did such a thing?"

dong dong dong.

The Chief Justice banged the gavel three times in a row before the scene quieted down.

He looked at Piller and said, "Witness, your experience is indeed sympathetic, but the court is a place that values ​​evidence. Do you have any evidence?"

"Of course!" Pierre wiped away his tears. "I heard with my own ears that Raven said he wanted to keep the wooden cone as a collection. It is in Raven's space ring!"

Soon a guard stepped back, brought up Raven's ring, and placed it on a magic tray.

The tray was filled with light, and the ring took on a unique magical glow.

"This glow means that its owner still has a mystical connection with the ring." The guard introduced: "In other words, this ring has never been opened by anyone in any way since it was sealed."

Dunlop said, "This court approves it. Now, please check whether there is any evidence mentioned by the witness."

The guard took out another disc-shaped magic item and placed the ring on it. As the surging magic power washed over it, the mark that originally belonged to Raven completely disappeared.

The next moment, a bright yellow wooden cone stained with red and black dried blood appeared on the tray.

For a moment, even Raven was a little dazed.

If he hadn't confirmed that his memory was correct, he would have thought that he had really done it.

But it doesn't matter whether it is true or not, because everyone present has already believed that it was Raven who did it.

Including Chief Justice Dunlop, who looked at Raven as if he was a piece of trash.

In fact, what happened to Pierre himself was secondary. His last sentence was really vicious.

Raven adopted many orphans.

Under normal circumstances, this is just an insignificant matter, and can even be said to be a good thing.

But in today's context, it can't help but make people think about it.

Raven’s “sin” was magnified a hundred times, a thousand times at this moment!
This is completely different from what Raven did in Eivor. After all, it is a foreign country. Even if Raven massacres the city, it has nothing to do with the nobles and the chief justice present.

But they all have children.

Raven sat in the chair and suddenly felt bitter in his mouth.

Pellegrino stepped aside, and the next witness to appear was Judra.

He walked all the way to the witness stand, not even daring to look Raven in the eye.

"Witness, please speak." Dunlop banged the gavel.

"Oh, sorry." Judela finally came back to his senses, his eyes were full of bloodshot, and he wanted to look at Raven several times, but he held back and finally said:

"Your Honor, I testify here that Raven murdered his uncle, Baron Donald, in order to gain the title of successor, and also attempted to seize his aunt, Lady Denise, several times."

Of course, this brought about another round of abuse against Raven.

After stopping the court observers from making a scene, Dunlop asked again, "Where is the evidence?"

"The body of Baron Donald is the proof," said Judra.

Anthony immediately submitted an autopsy report to the judge.

The report stated that Baron Donald died from a sword wound.

Raven also received a copy, but did not open it because Donald's body had already been burned to ashes.

His Majesty the King has given an order. What kind of corpse can’t be created?
Guilty, Judra steps down.

Next came the accusation of "blasphemy", with the witness being a priest from the Eivor diocese.

There is no doubt that it is "sufficient facts and solid evidence".

At this point, the heated discussions among the nobles present were difficult to suppress.

They were filled with righteous indignation and wanted to rush up and tear Raven to pieces.

Some people even clamored that there was no need to continue the trial and that Raven should be executed on the spot!

Dunlop knocked the gavel four or five times before the scene was completely quiet:

"Baron Raven, now it's time for you to defend yourself."

"However, I do not recommend that you make too many ... explanations. If you plead guilty directly, this court will give you the most lenient treatment as appropriate."

Raven stood up and stared at Dunlop:
"What do you mean by leniency?"

Dunlop said: "For your crimes, you should be stripped of your fiefdom and title, and be beheaded as a commoner."

"But if you can plead guilty, then considering the long history of the Griffith family, this court can consider only depriving you of your identity and title, not depriving the Griffith family of their fiefdoms, and allowing you to be hanged like a noble."

Raven sneered, "Ha, after all, you still have to die?"

"Raven, watch your attitude!" Dunlop knocked the gavel:
"Do you plead guilty or not?" Raven felt a tightness in his chest. He raised his chained hands to unbutton his collar, but still found it hard to breathe.

A smile appeared on his lips, and Raven's lips twitched slightly: "Huh... confession?"

"I should plead guilty."

"My greatest sin was attacking the Principality of Eivor and relieving the empire of its crisis."

"You are such a shameless bunch that you are still alive today and you can even sit here and accuse me and judge me!"

The scene suddenly boiled.

Raven refused to stop and shouted, "Anthony, don't you know what has become of the Nord Province under your governance?"

"If I hadn't conquered Eivor, with your achievements in the Nords, you should be standing in the dock now!"

"And Duke Ferdinand! Why didn't I see you today?"

"You are capable of making this seemingly thorough war plan, but you are incapable of facing me!?"

"You know better than anyone what the war is like. Can the war be won? If so, how could we be beaten to the border of the direct-governed province!"

"Silence, silence!" Justice Dunlop almost broke his gavel:
"Lord Raven, since you don't want to plead guilty, then start from the beginning, state your point of view one by one, and re-interrogate the witnesses instead of talking nonsense here."

"This is a sacred court!"

In Dunlop's opinion, this condition was generous enough, but Raven was not grateful:
"You are the one who deserves to die the most, Your Excellency."

"You asked me to explain my point of view, what should I explain?"

"Of course I can point out the flaws in every piece of evidence and every flaw in the words of every witness, but what's the use!"

"No matter what I say, it's impossible for you to change your mind since you have already determined that I am guilty from the beginning."

"A 'holy' court, that sounds good, but why can't I see where its holiness lies?"

"You hate the nobles, you want me to be guilty and want me to die; and these blind nobles wanted to kneel down and lick my feet when I was in power, but now they regard me as a disgrace because of my lowly birth."

"You have joined forces to pin the most foul crimes on me, without caring about the truth at all."

"This is not a trial, this is a murder!!"

Silence became the mainstream of the scene. No one expected that Raven would vent his dissatisfaction in such a way.

The nobles present felt as if their faces had been ripped off and stepped on into the ground. They were all ashamed and angry, but they did not dare to provoke Raven, for fear that he would say something embarrassing again.

Justice Dunlop's wrists were shaking, and his breath blew his beard.

"…Defendant, do you have anything else to say?"

Raven raised his wrist and gave Dunlop a middle finger:

"Fuck you!"

boom!
The gavel fell with unprecedented force, and Dunlop looked around the room: "Well, since the defendant has nothing to say, this court will enter the final stage."

"Next, please ask the three jurors to express their opinions."

"As per custom, let the Prime Minister begin first."

Anthony lowered his head at the prosecution table.

Raven is crazy. He is asking for death by saying this.

For a moment, Anthony even felt a little regretful.

Although Raven had caused him a lot of trouble in Nord, what he said was correct, his ability to govern the place was indeed very poor.

If Raven had not conquered Eivor and given him a lot of credit, he would have been disliked by the King sooner or later.

However, it was never a matter of choice between Raven and His Majesty the King.

"Prime Minister, please express your opinion," Dunlop said again.

"Well, I just thought about it."

The Duke of Hamilton rubbed the remaining thumb and little finger of his left hand together.

To be fair, he didn't want to see Raven die.

As the Duke of the Empire, he was well aware of Raven's achievements and abilities, and he could also see many flaws in the witnesses and evidence in this trial.

This war between the Empire and Insa will never end here, but will be the starting point of a series of wars.

The Empire still needs military talents like Raven.

However, the person who promoted this case was, after all, His Majesty the King.

Gustav's title as the "second family" had long caused dissatisfaction among His Majesty the King. Now that he was stepping forward to plead for a nobleman with military merit, it was either a form of trying to win him over. He could not avoid suspicion.

Pity.

"Although Baron Raven conquered the Principality of Eivor, the crimes he committed cannot be denied or refuted, and his attitude towards admitting his guilt is also terrible."

"So, I agree with your Honor that Raven should be given the most severe punishment."

Dunlop said: "The Prime Minister summed it up very accurately."

"Next, let us invite His Majesty the King to express his opinion."

There was warm and solemn applause in the courtroom.

When the applause died down, the voice of Keynes XVI rang out:
"Actually, I have a different opinion on this case."

"Let's take the first point that Anthony accused Raven of, saying that Raven sent out troops without his authorization. In fact, that's not the case."

"Because I personally ordered Raven to do this."

After a brief silence, a tsunami of discussion filled the entire courtroom.

No one could have expected that His Majesty the King would stand beside Raven at this moment!

Chief Justice Dunlop was so shocked that he even forgot to strike the gavel.

When the discussion subsided, Dunlop said:
"If that's the case, why doesn't Baron Raven tell the truth?"

"This is a secret order, and of course it cannot be known to others." Cairns XVI said slowly: "Baron Raven didn't say it, which further demonstrates his loyalty."

"But..." Dunlop still couldn't believe it: "Where is the evidence?"

"How dare you accuse me of lying?" asked Keynes XVI.

"This..." Dunlop was in a dilemma for a moment.

Keynes XVI slowed down his tone again: "Haha, just a casual question, no need to be nervous."

"Of course there is evidence, Pillar. Give it to your Excellency the Lord Chancellor."

Piller, who had already left, came out from the corner and placed a document in front of Dunlop.

Those brisk steps didn't seem like they were caused by any psychological trauma.

Dunlop's expression changed several times, but he finally said, "...But even so, it doesn't mean that the other four charges are not true!"

"They themselves are not valid." Keynes XVI emphasized:

"What does the tragedy of the Principality of Eivor have to do with our country? Without my instruction to Raven to start this war, who knows when the outcome of the frontal battlefield will be decided, and the empire will be dragged into the quagmire."

"Do you know how much the Empire has to pay for every year of fighting? At least 1 million gold coins. 6000 million gold coins per year is nothing in comparison."

"The story of Raven murdering Donald is even more ridiculous. The autopsy document only shows that Donald died in an accident. How can it be proved that Raven was the one who did it?"

“Accusation of blasphemy—the battlefield is full of surprises. Since the priests of the Church of Light have chosen to join the war, they must be prepared to die in battle.

I haven't protested to the Church of Light yet!"

"Ah..." Cairns XVI loosened his wrist and changed to a more comfortable position: "As for the accusation of Raven by Piller, I want to apologize here."

"This is just a new play that Pierre has rehearsed. I ordered him to come and test the results."

Pierre stretched out his arms and bowed deeply to everyone with a funny smile on his face:
"Thank you all for coming."

"No, if this is fake, then what about the evidence in Raven's ring?" Dunlop asked.

"Oh, this is just a little trick of mine." Piller reached out and knocked on the table in front of Dunlop: "Look, what's on the table?"

Dunlop reached into the table and took out something. After seeing what it was, he let out a strange cry and threw it to the ground.

Everyone looked intently and saw that it was the blood-stained wooden spike that had appeared before!

Laugh out loud!

Dunlop couldn't laugh.

He only felt immense anger and humiliation.

This is the Supreme Court, and as Chief Justice, he has devoted almost his entire life to the law.

Now, this trial that has attracted national attention has turned into a farce!
What is he then, a clown for people's amusement! ?
Dunlop knew why Keynes XVI did this.

His Majesty, who is young and vigorous, cares most about loyalty.

Keynes XVI wants to use this trial to tie the rising star Raven firmly to his chariot.

This was also an opportunity to see clearly the attitudes of the empire's high-ranking nobles, who was loyal and who would oppose him.

Going against His Majesty the King was bound to have no good results, but at this moment he had only one thought in his mind -

This is the Supreme Court, and the dignity of the law must not be violated!
Boom!
The gavel struck, and Dunlop straightened the square silver crown on his head. "Next, please allow the Cardinal, the Duke of the Empire, His Excellency Morenzo, to express your opinion on this trial."

"Dunlop, wasn't I clear enough?" Keynes XVI said frivolously:
"Raven is innocent and can now be declared acquitted."

Dunlop stiffened his neck and said, "The trial is not over yet."

There was already anger in Cairns XVI's tone: "You want to disobey my orders?"

"I dare not. The entire Keynes Empire belongs to you, Your Majesty. How can I disobey your orders?" Dunlop said word by word:

"But to rule an empire, you need not only strength but also laws. If everyone ignores legal procedures, how can there be any distinction between high and low positions?"

"Now that the trial has begun, we must complete it conscientiously. This is how I serve the Empire and Your Majesty."

There was silence at the scene, and even Hamilton looked at Dunlop with a somewhat doubtful expression.

Dunlop, how dare you contradict His Majesty like this!
"…Your Excellency, the Chief Justice, what you said makes sense." Keynes XVI said in a cold tone:
"In that case, let's continue the trial."

As early as when Dunlop stretched his neck and confronted Keynes XVI, Raven realized that the trial was not over yet.

Now that the trial was going on, Raven was worried again.

Under normal circumstances, Raven would respect people who uphold the dignity of the law.

But now, he wished that the world was full of corrupt officials, corrupt officials and treacherous ministers.

Cardinal Morenzo, who had been observing silently, cleared his throat and finally spoke:
"Your Majesty, the King has made a strong argument for Lord Raven."

"But this does not mean that the crime Baron Raven is accused of is not true."

"Originally, I wanted to leave some dignity for Baron Raven because we are both nobles who have been together since the First Dynasty. But now, in order to maintain the fairness of the court, I have to tell the truth."

The voice was calm and gentle, but to Raven's ears, it sounded like fingernails scratching glass.

Raven stared coldly at Morenzo.

How did I offend you that you are still trying to kill me?

Morenzo returned Raven's gaze with a soft smile.

He actually didn't care whether Raven lived or died.

What he cares about is the future development of the Church of Light.

Now, Keynes XVI has manipulated the high-ranking nobles of the empire at his fingertips, which is a great deterrent to those with ambitions.

But at the same time, it will inevitably dishearten those who are already loyal to the empire.

If Raven survived, then it would be good for everyone, and the matter could be easily covered up. Except for Raven losing some free time, no one would suffer any loss.

But if Raven died, it would be completely different.

Perhaps His Majesty the King is magnanimous enough not to care about Hamilton's completely opposite attitude; perhaps Prime Minister Hamilton knows that this is His Majesty the King's strategy and will not complain.

But they do not represent themselves, but a large number of forces.

There will always be someone who uses this as an excuse to stir up trouble until an irreparable rift is created between Keynes XVI and Hamilton.

Therefore, Raven must die.

And Morenzo was also glad that he had prepared thoroughly enough.

"Your Excellency, please condescend to step into the witness stand and speak," said Dunlop.

"I am not here to testify, but I have brought a witness today." Morenzo said:
"She is the apprentice of the next Saint of our church, the 7th-level Great Divine Magician Crouch, and now the deacon of the 'Holy Sisters'

Your Highness Lacus."

The door opened, and as if the morning sun jumped out of the mountain, Lux in white walked into the court.

It instantly grabbed everyone's attention.

Including Raven.

She was still dressed simply.

Her long golden hair fell over her shoulders, fluttering gently with her steps.

7 years.

They hadn't seen each other for seven years, but she was still as young as when Raven first saw her.

On that beautiful face, a pair of sapphire eyes were as calm as a deep lake.

Raven looked around but couldn't find what he was looking for.

It was a pair of bracelets, a birthday gift from Raven to her. They were once inseparable from Lux, but now they were nowhere to be seen.

And her eyes never wandered over here for a moment.

Raven's eyes became complicated, and his heart was filled with mixed feelings.

The Cardinal is no fool. Since he let Lux come forward, it means he is fully confident.

See you again after 7 years, perhaps, it will be a farewell.

"Excuse me, Your Highness Lacus, what crime do you want to accuse Baron Raven of?" Dunlop asked.

"Let me tell you the story," said Morenzo. "Lacus, I once worked at the Eagle Territory Church and witnessed Baron Raven's actions."

"Although she was deceived by Raven's lies when she was young because of her ignorance, now she can see through Raven's lies and shamelessness."

"Therefore, today, Her Highness Lacus will prove how Raven killed Earl Donald, how he used horse thieves to intimidate the people, and how he colluded with the Death Hand Cult and manipulated the bone dragons to earn himself the first wave of reputation, territory, and wealth."

Collaborate with the Death Hand Cult.

This accusation is more serious than all the charges Raven has faced before.

Once confirmed, not only will the laws of the empire not let Raven off, but there will be no place for Raven to hide in the entire continent.

Keynes XVI no longer had any excuse or reason to shelter Raven.

Keynes XVI secretly clenched his fists on the throne. He did not expect that the stage he had carefully prepared would end up letting the Church of Light play the leading role.

We will settle this account sooner or later!

Dunlop looked at Lux and asked softly, "Your Highness Lux, are you willing to testify regarding Mr. Morenzo's accusation?"

"In the name of the Lord of Light, yes." Lux said quietly.

Prime Minister Hamilton's face looked extremely ugly. The feeling of being led by the nose was very uncomfortable. As prime minister, he did not want to see the empire's internal divisions increase, but he could not think of a way to stop it.

All he could do was look at the delicate, smooth, angel-like Lux and speak clearly:
"As Lord Morenzo said, I once served in the Eagle Territory Church and witnessed the end of Baron Donald's reign and the beginning of Baron Raven's reign."

"At that time, I helped Baron Raven conceal some facts and also helped him implement some policies. To be honest, I really couldn't fully understand it at that time, and I couldn't see the deep meaning of many things."

"Now, seven years later, I can finally make an objective and truthful assessment of Baron Raven from the perspective of an outsider."

She looked directly at Dunlop, her teeth moving slightly:
"Baron Raven is a wise, kind, brave, decisive and responsible nobleman!"

Dunlop's eyes suddenly widened!

The cloud on Hamilton's face disappeared.

Keynes XVI gave a playful smile.

Raven was completely stunned.

"Lacus, Your Highness!" Morenzo leaned forward and pressed on the trial table:
"Do you know what you are talking about!?"

Giving up Raven and using Raven as a bargaining chip to widen the internal rift of the Keynes Empire was not a decision made by Morenzo alone, but a consensus of the entire church's top leaders, and it also received the approval of Pope Saint Urban.

Otherwise, Morenzo would not have ignored Crouch's opinion and called Lux ​​to testify.

It had been made clear beforehand that if Lux did not speak according to the church's instructions, then not only would she no longer have the possibility of obtaining the title of Saint, she would also be expelled from the Church of Light!

There is more to bear than that.

Behind Lux ​​is Crouch, and Crouch himself represents a considerable force within the church.

Once Lux is excommunicated, it will be a major blow to Crouch's reputation and will also shake his entire faction!
Lux stared at Morenzo quietly:
"Sir Morenzo, I know exactly what I said, and I am willing to bear all the consequences for it."

"Good...very good!" Morenzo almost bit his lips until they bled.

Dunlop was still unwilling to give up: "Your Highness Lacus, not only did Lord Morenzo accuse Raven of murdering Baron Donald for the title, Baron Judela also gave the same testimony. Can you guarantee that Raven did not do so?"

"I can." Lux turned her gaze back and continued, "In fact, I personally witnessed the death of Baron Donald."

"The Griffith family has a blood curse that means they will die at the age of 40. Baron Donald was 39 when he died."

Dunlop asked, "So, Baron Donald, was cursed to death?"

"That's not the case." Lux recalled: "In fact, Baron Donald, in order to prolong his life, did not hesitate to seek help from black magic, and even tricked me to Eagle Castle at that time, wanting to use my life to prolong his life."

"At that time, he almost succeeded, but Baron Raven rose up in resistance and fought desperately to kill the demonized Baron Donald, saving me."

"This is the truth that I helped Baron Raven hide."

"But I believe that as the Chief Justice, you can understand Baron Raven's intentions."

"I also don't think that a mortal who fought back and killed a demonized second-level strongman in order to defend his own life and the lives of innocent people can be considered murder."

Dunlop felt his mind was in a mess. This was completely different from the news he had received before.

The nobles present also began to discuss quietly.

The story of a hero saving a beautiful girl is old-fashioned, but it is a scene that every young noble man and woman has fantasized about.

However, if such a thing really happened among the nobles, most of the time they would just flee for their own safety when disaster struck.

For a moment, men wanted to be Raven and women wanted to be Lux.

"Your Excellency, the Chief Justice." Without waiting for Dunlop to ask, Lux took the initiative to say:
"Mr. Morenzo's other accusations against Baron Raven are also untrue."

"Baron Raven never used horse thieves. In fact, three months after he took the throne, he relied on the castle to fight a bloody battle with the invading horse thieves, defending the then weakly defended Eagle Town and also protecting the residents there."

"And colluding with the Death Hand Cult is even more of a lie. At that time, in the Nord Province, the Death Hand Cult was causing chaos. Baron Raven only had 30 heavy cavalry under his command, but he dared to take huge risks, go deep into the battlefield, and kill dozens of Death Hand Cult herders and a necromancer."

"The reason why he didn't suffer any damage was purely due to his keen battlefield sense and the high combat effectiveness of the Eagle Army."

The previous five charges had all been overturned by Keynes XVI; now Morenzo's new accusations were completely denied by Lux, and even turned in a completely different direction.

For a moment, Dunlop couldn't help but begin to doubt himself.

Did I really have a preconceived idea before?

Are there good people among the nobles?
Questions came to his lips: "Lacus-sama, why do you know all this so clearly?"

"Because I witnessed all of this with my own eyes." Lux said, "I personally bandaged the soldiers who were injured or killed by the bandits, and I personally prayed for them. I touched their blood."

"And I personally participated in the battle against the Death Hand Cult and witnessed the entire process."

Dunlop was speechless for a moment.

"Your Excellency the Archbishop, the facts are quite clear. Baron Raven is completely innocent." The voice of Keynes XVI sounded:

"Now, can we make the final judgment?"

Dunlop clenched the gavel, looked up at the dazed Raven, and his gaze fell on Lux.

With his lips trembling, Dunlop asked in a resolute voice with a hint of reluctance and a last hope:
"Your Highness Lacus, this is a sacred court. Everything you say must be true and without concealment. This is the order of the court and the teachings of the Lord of Light."

"Now, I want to ask you one last question."

"Are you willing to swear to the Lord of Light on your honor, soul, and purity that what you said before was completely sincere and without any falsehood?"

For a moment, everyone's eyes fell on Lux.

There was hope in the eyes of Weisdon and others.

Prime Minister Hamilton held his breath.

Cairns XVI clutched the throne armrests tightly.

Morenzo’s eyes were like sharp knives—change your words now, there’s still a chance!

But Lux, who had never looked at Raven, set her eyes on Raven for the first time.

Looking at the weathered and thin face, Lux's heart trembled and she said softly:
"Yes"

“I do.”

……

(End of this chapter)