In Ark Simulator, why do I always get a tough start?

Chapter 15 Avengers Are Innocent

Chen Qi's deafening words were like a bomb falling in the courtroom, causing an uproar among everyone.

Apart from reporters and nobles who were simply watching the spectacle, the rest of the audience consisted entirely of people who supported Chen Qi.

As soon as Chen Qi finished speaking, someone saw a glimmer of hope and pressed their advantage, shouting:
"Qi is innocent! He was forced into this situation just like us!"

"We're barely surviving because of the taxes! Is a single demonstration considered treason?"

"That's right! You are the traitors!"

Faced with the chorus of condemnation from the audience, Dilov's expression was extremely ugly, his face flushed red like a pig's liver, but he hesitated to utter the words "You are all traitors" that were on the tip of his tongue.

Because he knew that the trial was being broadcast live across Letania under his arrangement!
Letania is indeed a country ruled by nobles.

Everyone in Letania knows this perfectly well.

Even figures like the Witch King and the Twin Queens were destined to be overthrown without the support of the Electors.

The electors proved time and again that when they united, they could overthrow everything.

But no one dares to say such things openly!
Because they are well aware that although they have their own private armed forces, their own territory, and their own jurisdiction.

But their wealth, their military power, all come from the countless ordinary yet vast people of Letania.

If Dilov dares to say in this public trial that "anyone who dares to resist them is a traitor and should be put to death."

Then, the countless long-suppressed anger of the people of Letania will be unleashed in a massive uproar following Qi's death!
This is tantamount to Dilov, the representative of the nobility, making a brazen announcement to all the people of Letania:

“You insignificant beings are destined to be slaves to us nobles for generations to come. No matter how much we nobles oppress you, you have no right to resist.”

This would be a devastating blow to the rule and governance of the nobles!

A prayer is not scary.

What's terrifying is that after people saw through the ugly nature of the nobles, countless people inherited their will and fought for freedom and survival!
This force is more terrifying than any strongman or the private army of any nobleman.

That's why Dilov was so eager to nip it in the bud as soon as possible, cutting off any potential seeds of "awakening" in the bud.

But looking at the out-of-control situation before him, and the countless cameras, Dilov, his face ashen, had a vague realization...

It's too late for all of this.

"Silence! Silence!"

Faced with another out-of-control courtroom situation, the judge was under increasing pressure. He kept banging his gavel, but with very little effect.

Just as the judge was about to have the bailiffs remove all the noisy people from the courtroom, Chen Qi, the defendant, spoke up again.

"Judge, I would like to ask you a question."

"If a thief steals your belongings and you take them back, does that make you a thief too?"

"This……"

However, the judge was genuinely surprised that a defendant would ask him a question, and was speechless for a moment.

The judge's acquiescence was exactly the result Chen Qi wanted to see.

"When the Four Emperors War began, I formed a new army with a group of ordinary commoners' children and rushed to the front line."

"In the first battle, our regiment suffered heavy casualties, and only a few of us, including myself, survived."

"But none of us were afraid. We threw ourselves into the most dangerous battles and took on the most dangerous positions. In the end, I was the only one left alive in the entire new recruit regiment."

"The Iron Cross First Class medal on my chest was awarded on the battlefield."

"This medal is not only proof of my merits, but also a testament to the achievements of everyone in the new recruits!"

Chen Qi turned his back and met the eager, expectant eyes of the people in the audience.

His voice seemed to possess a magical power, stirring the emotions of everyone present.

"Could someone say that the new recruits who are fighting and bleeding on the front lines for Letania are traitors?"

"will not!"

At that moment, the disguised mace almost instantly understood and was the first to shout out this deafening response.

With Jian taking the lead, the people in the audience seemed to quickly gain confidence and responded to Chen Qi with excited and resolute voices.

"No!" XN
Meanwhile, the jury, and even the recorder, exchanged glances but none of them dared to voice a view that differed from that of the audience.

After all, the event was being broadcast live.

It's impossible to know how many retired or active-duty soldiers, or even private armies of nobles, were watching the trial on television.

If they dare to say that the actions of the brave soldiers who fought for their country were treason... then who will fight for Letania tomorrow?
The jury's silence allowed Chen Qi to speak without any further hindrance.

"If we're talking about betrayal, it's those who fought and bled for Letania who were betrayed."

"What were some people doing when we won the war against Gaul, broke their spine, and returned home as heroes?"

"They are plotting a coup, to drag the Witch King, who will lead Letania to this victory, down from the tower!"

"This is what true treason looks like!"

Chen Qi did not explicitly say who "they" were, but the answer to this question arose in the minds of everyone in the courtroom.

Besides the electors, who else had the power to overthrow the Witch King?

Chen Qi's words once again caused a huge uproar, and all those in the audience who supported Chen Qi burst into extremely enthusiastic applause and cheers.

Because his words were exactly what they wanted to say in their hearts, but dared not say!

"--Judge!"

However, when he realized that Chen Qi had finally turned his attention to the nobles, Dilov could no longer sit idly by.

He hurriedly approached the judge's seat and shouted sternly:
"This is a trial, not a speech!"

"...Your Excellency, please calm down."

However, the judge, who was now completely engrossed in the proceedings, didn't even glance at Dilov. He stared intently at Chen Qi's back and simply waved his hand, signaling Dilov to stop his accusations.

But the judge's action completely stunned Dilov.

What's happening here?
How dare a mere judge disobey the orders of the count?
How dare those insignificant civilians in the gallery cause trouble in court?
Meanwhile, Gertrude, in the audience, also looked around in bewilderment at the people who had been mobilized by Chen Qi single-handedly, and was momentarily dumbfounded.

This guy... he actually did it?!
To turn this trial into his home turf?
"We just want to take back everything we deserve, everything we deserve as heroes and as people!"

"We should have been treated like heroes, but the incompetent new government has caused our families to be torn apart and burdened us with a heavier burden than during the war."

Chen Qi had already stepped out of the defendant's seat and stood naturally in the center of the courtroom, in the most eye-catching position.

However, there were no more voices opposing him around.

Everyone held their breath, watching him with either fervor, adoration, or unease.

At this moment, he was the sole ruler of this place.

"So we took to the streets and marched to reclaim what we deserved."

"We did not use violence, we did not!"

Chen Qi walked to the audience seats and pointed at Gertrude, whom he had already noticed.

"Countess Gertrude has provided the necessary documentation for our procession!"

"None of my followers carried a single weapon! From the time I was arrested until now, not a single soldier has been injured in this march; only the vast majority of civilians have died or been wounded!"

“If this Earl insists on saying I am guilty—” Chen Qi suddenly turned around again, staring intently at the speechless Dilov, and approached aggressively.

Because of his height advantage, Chen Qi's figure blocked the sunlight in front of Dilov, so much so that Dilov could not see Chen Qi's face clearly.

All he could see was Chen Qi's still incredibly conspicuous blood-red horn, hidden in the shadows.

"My sin is that I paid the price for protecting the rights of the Leitanians."

"Is this the crime you intend to convict, Your Excellency?"

"You, you, you are..."

However, at this moment, Dilov, whose expression had changed drastically, had no time to listen to Chen Qi's words.

His brain has been attacked by dead memories.

Gazing at those all-too-familiar long horns, for a fleeting moment, Dilov seemed to be hallucinating.

The image of that majestic, powerful, and tyrannical witch king, which was buried deep in his memory, suddenly overlapped in his mind with Chen Qi, who was standing in front of him, exuding an aura and with eyes as sharp as swords.

"Witch, Witch King!"

"That's right! You are the Witch King! You are the Witch King!!"

It was merely a hallucination, but the intense fear of the Witch King awakened deep within him drove the horrified count into madness!

The count, who had just plopped down on the floor, suddenly knelt down in terror after a hysterical outburst, facing Chen Qi…

No, it should be said that he kept bowing and begging for mercy towards the "Witch King" in front of him.

"Your Majesty the Witch King! Your Majesty the Witch King, spare my life! Spare my life!"

"I did not betray Your Majesty! I did not betray Your Majesty! Please spare my life! Spare my life!"

For a moment, the entire courtroom fell into an eerie silence.

No one, including Chen Qi himself, knew what he had done to turn the count from being full of confidence into this state of madness.

As an earl... even if you didn't earn your title on the battlefield, you shouldn't have such poor mental fortitude, right?

Or is the shadow cast by the Witch King on these nobles really that strong?

However, regardless of whether Chen Qi reacted or not, countless cameras did indeed broadcast this scene live to everyone in Letania...

This is destined to bring Chen Qi's prestige among the people of Letania to a new peak.

Because he was the first commoner to drive a nobleman to madness in court.

He is the only one in Letania who truly makes people believe that he is fighting for the people of Letania!

Regardless of the outcome of this trial.

He has already made his mark on history.

"Crack, snap, snap."

"Well said, that was a brilliant and eloquent argument, Your Excellency."

However, what broke the eerie silence of the courtroom was a friendly yet authoritative female voice.

As the applause rang out, Chen Qi turned around and saw the figure stepping into the courtroom through the main entrance.

It was a noble figure whose attire was a blend of gold and white.

The moment she stepped into the courtroom, everyone who saw her face changed drastically and knelt down in the most emotional and sincere manner.

"Your Majesty."

The newcomer was none other than Liselot Ivignad, one of the twin queens, known as the "White Queen".

She wasn't domineering, but her gentle aura was enough to make people willingly kneel in submission.

She was not cruel, yet she was enough to instill in the nobles the same fear they felt upon seeing her as they would upon seeing the Witch King.

“…Send Count Dilov out.”

The White Queen merely glanced at the kneeling Dilov before handing him over to her two guards.

Now, all her attention was focused on carefully examining the young man before her, the rumored son of the Witch King.

"...It looks just like it, so much like it."

"Although I could tell from the photos that you do have the same temperament as him, it was only after seeing you up close that I became convinced that the public's misunderstanding of you was not unfounded."

“But you do have one thing that I know better than any other Witch King, Your Excellency.”

The White Queen looked directly at Chen Qi, the only one present who did not kneel before her, and a smile of appreciation appeared on her lips.

“You are not high above, but stand with the people you want to save.”

"Therefore, I acknowledge your defense of yourself, and hereby, in the name of Queen Letania, I deliver my verdict against you."

"—Innocent."

The White Queen's voice wasn't loud, but everyone inside and outside the courtroom could hear it clearly.

When the Queen herself announced the verdict, the court was silent for only a moment before erupting into deafening applause!

All those who supported Chen Qi and those who had been arrested as remnants of the Witch King's faction offered their heartfelt applause for their hero's exoneration.

Especially Jian, after hearing the White Queen declare Chen Qi innocent, she stood up abruptly in excitement.

If the occasion weren't inappropriate, she would have loved to let out a battle cry to vent her pent-up joy.

"He really succeeded..."

Gertrude, who was clapping only out of muscle memory and was actually in deep confusion, never imagined that things would develop in this way.

Qi, who should have been sentenced to death, was actually acquitted by the Empress herself.

In the future, who will be able to judge Qi?
The thought that Chen Qi still held leverage over her, even though she had already decided to join Chen Qi in overthrowing the Twin Queens, still gave Gertrude a strong sense of powerlessness.

But what Gertrude, Mace, and the others didn't expect was that the White Queen's verdict was not yet over.

“Your Excellency, I am aware of your deeds, your grievances and hatred, and your determination to fight for the interests of the common people.”

"As the king of Letania, I am deeply ashamed that our decrees have brought unwarranted calamity upon you and the people of Letania."

"I do not expect your forgiveness for the tragedy that has already occurred, but at the very least, I hope you can know our stance."

The White Queen stared directly at Chen Qi, whose face remained calm, and smiled as she played the card she had been planning for a long time.

"Your Excellency, I greatly admire your actions in advocating for the interests of the people of Letania and speaking out for them."

"For this, I have prepared a commendation for you."

"Do you think that the title of Earl, and a quarter of the territory of a mobile city, are enough to match your achievements for Letania?"

The White Queen's smile was so sincere, yet her words caused a huge uproar. But no matter who was whispering, they could not shake the Queen's resolve.

Like the White Queen, Chen Qi, who had also ignored the reactions of others, now realized the intentions of the seemingly harmless queen in front of him.

Treat him to a meal, behead him, or take him in as a dog.

The White Queen used her last move.

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(End of this chapter)