Imperial Crown.

Chapter 392: The Sharp Arrow from 8 Years Ago

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……

“Based on the testimony of witnesses, statements and exhibits.

This court can confirm that all the charges against the defendant are false.

Accordingly, the judgment in this case is as follows: Lord Raven Ota Griffith—

Not guilty! "

boom!
The gavel fell, and the sound echoed throughout the courtroom.

Snap, snap, snap...

King Keynes XVI was the first to start applauding, and then warm applause filled the entire courtroom.

The guard undid Raven's shackles and returned the storage ring to its original state.

Keynes XVI stood up:

“Today’s trial allowed us to witness the dignity of imperial law.

It not only lets us know that the empire has a chief justice who is unyielding in power and enforces the law impartially.

It also allows us to see Baron Raven’s noble qualities of courage and loyalty to the country.

Baron Raven, you have served your country with all your heart. As the king, I will make sure that those who serve their country receive the rewards they deserve."

"Ten days later, I will officially enthrone Baron Raven as Earl at the Royal Court."

"Raven, you should take good care of yourself."

After saying that, he turned and left through the special passage.

"As you command, Your Majesty!" Raven placed his hand on his chest and saluted respectfully.

Everyone present stood up and saluted, and only stood up straight after Keynes XVI left.

The trial ended at this moment, and the original order was gone.

The nobles in the audience began to discuss.

This trial was too bizarre and exciting. Its cause was sudden, the process was absurd, and the ending was beyond everyone's expectations.

Now that Raven has been acquitted, and His Majesty the King has personally promised a time for his enthronement, it not only means that Raven will soon become an earl, but also means that he has in fact become His Majesty the King's confidant.

Everyone knows how much His Majesty the King values ​​this upstart.

Naturally, many people wanted to come over to say hello and make friends.

Some families have already thought about how to send their women to Raven - Baron Raven has not remarried after his wife's demise, so this is a rare opportunity.

There is a tall fence between the hearing seat and the defendant's seat, so you can't go in directly.

Although the nobles had good intentions, they were all reserved and would not try to please so directly.

But some people don't care about these rules.

“Brother!” Weisdong was the first to climb over the hearing stand and rushed to Raven. He grabbed his wrist and moved his lips:
"You've lost weight..."

Before he could finish his words, his voice choked.

The hyena followed closely behind, its iron tower-like body almost breaking the fence. He rushed to Raven, but didn't know how to express his feelings, so he could only hit his chest heavily with his right hand and gave an impeccable military salute.

Thor wanted to jump over the fence but didn't dare to. He wanted to go around it but was afraid of wasting time. It was not until he saw Julia start to move that he finally made up his mind and barely got in front of Raven one step ahead of Julia.

Before he could speak, Julia spoke in a hoarse voice:
"Sir, let's go back."

She was the most nervous when the trial started, and she is also the calmest now.

Raven was detained for 114 days, and they were nervous and fearful for 114 days.

We went through another trial like this today, and the constant emotional changes have exhausted everyone.

Raven could see this, of course. These people outside looked even more haggard than himself who had been in prison for 114 days:

"Okay, let's go back."

I walked out under the protection of the crowd, and the noisy voices filled my ears.

The nobles were bustling around, and many wanted to come and visit, finding all kinds of reasons and excuses, but they were all rejected by Weston and Julia, allowing Raven to enjoy some peace and quiet amid the noise.

The wind was blowing.

The fresh air flowing under the warm afterglow of the setting sun made Raven feel unprecedentedly relaxed.

His eyes moved among the crowd with a hint of longing in them, but as he left Samur Palace, his eyes gradually calmed down.

Still no sign of Lux.

After testifying, Lux left the witness stand and did not appear again until the verdict.

Hope she is ok.

"Lord Raven, Lord Raven!"

Raven keenly caught an unclear shout, which was extremely rude in such an occasion.

Turning around, I saw Judra squeezed in the crowd, trying desperately to rush over, and seemed eager to explain something.

But Raven did not stop for a moment because of Judra's call. He just glanced at him, turned back and quickened his pace.

Judra became even more anxious. In a panic, she tripped over her feet or stepped on someone's clothes, and fell to the ground with a thud. While waving her hands, she accidentally tore open a lady's skirt.

"Ah! Someone is molesting me!" The lady screamed and then fainted in a very timely and ladylike manner.

The young nobles had just heard the story of a hero saving a beautiful girl during the trial, and were worried about where to put it into practice. When they heard this, they were immediately excited and rushed to the scene!

The noble young men who came over were divided into two groups, one group was responsible for beating and kicking the "hooligans", and the other group was responsible for scrambling to support the lady.

"I didn't mean it, it's all a misunderstanding, a misunderstanding!"

Judra protested loudly.

But the arguments were soon drowned out by more noises - the sounds of punching, kicking and spitting.

……

Raven was not attracted by this little episode, because there was a bigger scene waiting for him.

Outside Samuel's Palace, the entire street was packed with people, even more than when the trial began in the morning.

They shouted Raven's name and held up banners of various colors.

"Baron Raven - the war hero of the Empire!"

"Justice will not be late, fairness will never be absent!"

"Steel becomes stronger after being calcined, and gold becomes more dazzling after being melted!"

"Lord Raven, I will give birth to many, many children for you!"

"To celebrate Baron Raven's exoneration, we are offering a 8.5% discount on all items in our store!"

Looking at the word "exonerated" which was obviously posted on the back, Raven frowned in thought.

How do I get back here?

The streets were jammed tightly together. If he left on foot, these people would definitely give way. But the problem was that Raven didn't want to be watched like a monkey all the way.

"Congratulations, Raven." Pierre came over from nowhere and winked at Raven. "What do you think of today's performance?"

It looked as if it wasn't him who was accusing Raven in the witness stand today.

"It's wonderful!" Raven also smiled and didn't care at all: "No wonder you are so appreciated by His Majesty."

"To be honest, it's my fault. I shouldn't have scared you like that, but I have to obey the king's order." Pierre rubbed his hands.
"As an apology, why don't you get in my carriage and I'll take you back to the Emerald Palace?"

Raven readily agreed and boarded Beile's carriage.

The carriage separated the crowd and soon left the busiest streets. Although there were still many people following behind, the team gradually thinned out.

The hyena who was riding behind him spat, "This fellow, Pierre, accused you in court today, and now he's coming to you. He's a born clown, no wonder he's so short!"

Thor looked around and confirmed that no one else heard him before speaking in a low voice:
"Don't talk nonsense. Pierre is a favorite of the King. There is no benefit in offending him. The King hasn't said anything. It's not your turn to scold him."

The hyena was still disdainful: "That's because you are well-mannered. If it were me, I would definitely beat him up!"

"Then you should learn more from adults." Thor said, "You spend more time with adults than the rest of us, so why can't you learn the mature way of doing things from adults?"

Seeing that the two were about to start a fight again, Weisdong rode over and said, "Okay, we've been exhausted recently, so stop talking."

Thor turned his head away, and the hyena looked reluctant, but still stopped.

As the saying goes, loyalty is revealed in times of crisis. Ever since Raven was imprisoned, it has been Visdon who has been running around everywhere.

Regardless of how much prestige he has accumulated, at least in the eyes of Hyena and others, Visdon still has the most basic responsibilities.

Weisdong also knew that neither of them was convinced, so he whispered, "Thor is right. This is the capital, and it is not our turn to gossip about others behind their backs."

"But Thor, you are not entirely right. Who do you think my brother is? When have you ever seen him swallow his anger?"

"The reason why my brother can smile at Pierre is not because he can tolerate it, but because he knows that Pierre is just a knife, a tool."

"Would you get mad at a tool?"

After hearing this, the hyena seemed to understand something and a smile appeared on his stern face.

Thor was shocked, looked at Vesdon in disbelief, and then immediately lowered his head.

If Piller is just a knife, then the real murderer must be...

……

When the carriage stopped at the entrance of the Emerald Palace, the sun had already set below the horizon.

Raven jumped off the carriage and walked through the gate, but Billy tactfully did not follow him in.

It's strange to say, although Raven had trouble eating and drinking during the time he was locked up, he had no desire to eat when he was finally free. Fatigue overwhelmed everything at this moment.

After having the bath water and new clothes prepared, Raven sank into the bathtub.

The warm water flowed over his chest and abdomen, wrapping Raven in warmth. All the muscles in his body relaxed, and he felt as comfortable as if he had returned to his mother's amniotic fluid.

As the sweet angel's tears flow into my throat, my spirit becomes more relaxed.

This is a good time to take a nap.

But Raven stared at the half sun like salted egg yolk that was about to sink into the earth outside the window, unwilling to let it leave his sight.

After 114 days without seeing the sun, he now misses the sun very much.

The sun gradually disappeared and the magical lights in the house came on. Although it was a bit dazzling, it also made Raven feel a sense of peace.

Only when his fingertips became wrinkled did Raven get up from the bathtub, wipe his body with a towel, open the window, sit in front of the bed, and let the cool breeze dry his wet hair.

But sweat began to seep out of my skin again.

Raven opened another bottle of Angel's Tears and drank a big gulp from mouth to mouth, but he still couldn't suppress his pounding heart.

"Fuck it..."

Only now did Lei Wen know what it meant to be afraid.

It feels fucking terrible to have your life in someone else's hands.

If Keynes XVI really wanted to kill himself...

If it weren't for Morenzo's self-defeating behavior...

If Lux hadn't stood by me...

If any of these points were missing, his head would probably be hanging on the city wall of Mingnagar!
I can’t come to the royal capital anymore.

Unless Raven can guarantee that he has the ability and freedom to enter and exit at will.

After receiving the title, go home immediately!
I raised my head and drank the second bottle of Angel's Tears. Just as I was about to open the third bottle, there was a knock on the door.

A feeling of irritation rose in Raven's heart:

"Didn't I tell you that I want to have a good rest tonight and not see anyone!"

The knocking disappeared.

That night, Raven drank six or seven bottles of Angel's Tears before he fell into a deep sleep due to the combined effects of fatigue and alcohol.

When I opened my eyes again, the sun was still hanging in the sky.

Suddenly, I slept for almost 20 hours!
Gululu...

His stomach rumbled like thunder, and a feeling of emptiness and hunger came over him. Raven grabbed some clothes and put them on, ready to get something to eat. But as soon as he opened the door, he saw someone kneeling not far from the door.

His clothes were wrinkled and covered with shoe prints and dirt. His hands were leaning on the ground, looking a little swollen. Anyone could see that he had been kneeling for a long time.

Hearing the door open, the man looked up, revealing a face that looked at least 60 years old.

Raven raised his brow.

It turned out to be the old neighbor, Lord of Ironforge, Baron Judra, one of the witnesses who accused Raven in court yesterday.

It's only been one day since we last met, how come you look so old?

Let people...

It feels so relieved!

"Lei..." Judra's throat was a little dry because he hadn't had water for a long time.

Before he could finish, Raven turned around and headed straight for the hall, as if he hadn't seen it.

Ever since Raven was imprisoned, all the servants in the Emerald Hall have been replaced by Raven's own people. The clerk Hu Xia also works part-time as a temporary housekeeper. Knowing that Raven has slept for a long time, he has already prepared food and is just waiting for Raven to wake up.

Here, Lei Wen was in position, and Hu Xia snapped his fingers:
"Serve!"

This meal can be said to be the most delicious meal Raven has ever had in his life.

No matter what it was, he would accept it all, meat, bread, paella, all kinds of delicacies would be eaten up immediately as soon as they were served in front of Raven.

But the eating movements are very elegant.

Hu Xia, who was reporting on his work at the side, was so stunned that he even forgot to speak!
"You say it." Raven glanced at him, stuffed a sausage into his mouth, chewed it and swallowed it:
"Old Gordon wouldn't be so startled as you are."

"Yes, my lord!" Hu Xia continued his report.

The general content is the details of the funds spent by Visdon on various activities after Raven was imprisoned, as well as the changes in Eagle Territory during this period of time.

Raven frowned, "Wait, the last message, explain it more clearly."

Hu Xia swallowed his saliva and said, "...Knight Simon disappeared on January 1202, 1."

"Simon is missing?" Raven put down his fork and wiped his mouth with the napkin: "Any follow-up news?"

Hu Xia said: "The last letter from the Eagle Leader arrived 8 days ago. It was sent on February 2th. There is no new information."

A gloom flashed across Raven's eyes.

Simon didn't disappear earlier or later, but just after he was arrested. It might be that someone around the Eagle Territory had some thoughts that they shouldn't have.

"Hu Xia, immediately have Hyena take people to the manor outside the city and bring prisoner No. 1 to me."

"Yes, my lord!"

After finishing dinner, Raven wiped his mouth and returned to his room.

Judra was still kneeling at the door.

"Come in," Raven said.

Judra felt as if she had been pardoned. She followed Raven and crawled into the door. Then she prostrated herself on the ground, not daring to raise her head!
"Judra." Raven sat on the chair, opened a bottle of wine for himself, poured it into the glass and sipped it slowly: "How long have we known each other?"

"Nine years, Master Raven."

"Nine years..." Raven chuckled. "Nine years. Even a dog should know its master's temper."

"I'm a little curious, who gave you the courage to do this to me?"

Judra was shaking like a sieve: "Lord Raven, I didn't want to frame you, it was Anthony, that old guy Anthony forced me to do it!"

"He is the Marquis and the Governor. I have no way of disobeying his orders."

"At first I wanted to resist. I tried all kinds of methods, such as pretending to be sick and self-harming, just to avoid coming here to accuse you. But, but he threatened me with my son."

"Lord Raven, I already lost a son, I can't let another one die!"

"Please, Lord Raven, forgive me this time... otherwise..."

Judra is only in her early 40s, but now she looks incredibly old due to fear and fatigue.

He has deep eye bags, wrinkles, and his hair is completely gray.

Now, he was crying and begging for mercy, his eyes constantly looking at Raven. He didn't look like a nobleman, but more like an old man who had lost his orphan.

But Raven showed no sympathy: "How else are you going to finish your words?"

"Kneeling here and not getting up?"

Judra was stunned on the spot, not knowing how to react.

How did Raven say his words!?
"Judra, I've always thought you were a smart person, and I still think so now." Raven said calmly:

"But you are smart, so you shouldn't think that everyone is stupid."

"When I say you are brave, I don't mean you dare to accuse me, I mean you dare to kneel at my door!"

"This kneeling is not for me to see, but for the other nobles to see."

"If the news gets out, I forgave you, it means that your sincerity touched me, and I have a reputation of being magnanimous; if I refuse to forgive you, it means that I am narrow-minded and proud, and I can't blame you."

"You want me to do this multiple-choice question, right?"

Judra's originally sad expression was restrained.

He came here with exactly this idea in mind.

This is the royal capital, it is impossible for Raven to be killed right after he is released.

As long as he survived and saved a little bit of face, he could let this matter go. For him, it would be worth it.

"Lord Raven is indeed smart." Judra looked directly at Raven and said:
"So, which way do you want to go?"

Raven smiled: "I have already given you a chance."

This sentence sounded a little puzzling to Judea.

Raven tapped the tabletop lightly.

A man walked in.

Turning back suddenly, Judra felt all the muscles in her body tense up, and a chill rushed from the back of her spine to the top of her head and exploded in her skull!

The man who appeared in front of Judra had messy hair that reached his knees, a beard as thick as a horse's mane, and a somewhat hunched body.

But Judra recognized the man's identity at a glance.

His blood relative from the same mother, his younger brother who had been missing for 8 years after he rebelled at the funeral and failed in his fight for the title and fled.

mark!

“How, how, how could it be you!?”

Murdering his own father is Judra's eternal nightmare.

And the most powerful witness is Mark.

Ever since Mark ran away from the funeral, Judra has never given up looking for news about her brother, but this man seemed to have evaporated from the face of the earth and has never appeared again.

When he first disappeared, Judra often couldn't sleep all night, and she always dreamed that her brother came back to expose everything he had done and make his title come to nothing.

Originally, as time went by, Judra had slowly forgotten about him, but she never expected that he had been in Raven's hands for the past eight years.

And they even brought it to the royal capital!

The sharp arrow shot 8 years ago hit him between the eyebrows at this moment!

Cold sweat flowed uncontrollably from Judra's forehead, and the foundation that he deliberately used to make himself look older was washed away and flowed into his lips, bitter and salty.

Raven... Could it be that he had anticipated that this trip would not be smooth, so he brought Mark along?
But, how could there be such a person? How could someone plan this for 8 years?

Raven seemed to see through Judela's doubts:
"It's just to support one person. It won't bankrupt me."

"Speaking of which, Baron Judra, do you still want to continue kneeling?"

Judra's body fell limply to the ground with a thud.

When Raven was still a baron, Mark's existence was a great deterrent, not to mention that now Raven is about to become an earl!
But now, all the charges against Raven have been cleared, and he can just take Mark to testify and accuse Judra of murdering her father.

And Judra didn't even have the chance to resist!

Who would go against a rising star on the imperial political stage for a baron of no use to him?
Not to mention, he actually killed his own father!

"Lord Raven, please, please let me go. I am willing to do anything for you!"

“Oh, don’t be so excited.” Raven spread his hands and said, “Baron Judra, you are generous and magnanimous. You gave me two options. I am even more generous. I will give you three options.”

"First, I will immediately send someone to take Mark to the Noble Council to file charges. I estimate that the trial will take at least one or two months. Baron Jude, you should prepare in advance and fight this case well."

"Second, I will take you out of the city now, and then kill you outside the city. I will say that you saw a witness and lost control of your emotions. You wanted to kill someone to silence him, but you were killed on the spot by my guards."

"third……"

"I choose the third one, I choose the third one!" Judra said repeatedly.

Raven said playfully, "Oh? I haven't mentioned the third point yet."

"Whatever you say, I agree!" Judra bit her lip.

"I just ask you to let my son go!"

"Very good." Raven nodded. "Why did you say that earlier? Why did you have to make such a fuss?"

"Judra, I want you to immediately draw up a contract stating that you will transfer your title and territory to your brother Mark, and I can guarantee that Mark will never lay a hand on your son."

"And you must keep your identity secret. From today on, you will become an ordinary member of the Eagle Army. Without my permission, you cannot reveal your identity, and you cannot step into the Iron Furnace Territory again."

"Can you agree to this condition?"

Judela no longer had any thoughts of resistance and nodded woodenly:

"Thank you, Lord Raven, for your generosity..."

After saying that, he got up, picked up a pen and paper, wrote a document clearly, signed it personally, and stamped it with his own seal.

"Mark, why don't you thank your brother?" After drying the ink on the document, Raven threw it to Mark.

"Thank you, brother!" Mark's eyes were filled with undisguised resentment.

How is it possible that I have no hatred in my heart after being imprisoned by Raven for 8 years?

But he did not hate Raven. He could not and dared not hate Raven. Of course, he could only hate his brother.

Judra was silent.

He couldn't imagine what kind of inhuman treatment his daughter, his second wife, would suffer at the hands of Mark.

But at least his son can still survive, and the title may return to his branch.

Looking at Mark's excited and violent expression, Judra sighed in her heart.

This must be the price he paid for killing his father.

Moreover, he also saw the purpose of Raven's arrangement.

Mark has been kept in captivity for 8 years and has become useless. If he inherits Ironforge Territory, he will only become Raven's puppet. From today on, Ironforge Territory can be said to have been incorporated into the Griffith family's territory in a practical sense.

Moreover, Raven kept Judra's son and let Judra serve under him, which in itself was a check on Mark.

If Mark has any change of heart, Raven can replace him at any time.

Could it be that... when Raven imprisoned Mark 8 years ago, he had already thought of this day?
"Go ahead, Baron Jude." Raven stretched out his hand and waved it to his mouth:
"I mean, soldier, Walton!"

Judra bowed her head and stepped back.

The news of Judra's "disappearance" did not cause much stir. After all, he was just an insignificant border baron.

The hottest topic is still the upcoming enthronement ceremony.

The empire has not conferred a powerful earl for nearly 400 years, and everyone is looking forward to what kind of grand scene it will be.

During this period of time, Raven was mainly recuperating.

In addition to exercising and familiarizing myself with magic every day, I also cultivate relationships with the black cat Sikoret and the horned hippogriff Xiaobai.

He also tried to find out the news about Lux from various sources, but it was as if Lux had disappeared from the face of the earth, and no useful information leaked out.

The connection with Eagle Territory is also being strengthened.

Until February 4th.

The enthronement ceremony was officially held in the Royal High Court.

……

(End of this chapter)