Baator Hell Promotion
Page 67
Igor, the Crown of Revelation, turned and exchanged glances with Zoe. Fortunately, he had learned in advance that this crown would grant its wearer the ability to discern lies.
"Today, we are gathered here to hold a trial on the charge that Rachel murdered Archbishop Eichmann. I hope that all the prosecutors, defendants, jurors and spectators will remain calm and restrained and follow the rules of the Condemner's Divine Realm." After seeing that Lord Gray had made all preparations, the clerk behind him stood up and began to read out the court rules.
The clerk quickly read the rules, bowed and sat down.
"Since identities have already been verified in writing, this court will not conduct any further verification in court." Lord Gray cleared his throat and spoke directly, "All accusers, please observe order and speak one by one in order."
He glanced at the list in his hand and said, "Please allow Mr. Igor, the judge from the City of Brewed Food and the agent of the Blood Father, to speak."
Igor stood up and bowed to everyone, then said, "I ask the court to allow me to entrust my assistant to speak on my behalf."
Judge Gray nodded his approval. This was a common practice in the noble court. After all, it was ungentlemanly for the nobles to engage in heated debates. Therefore, the court allowed the nobles to delegate one or two assistants to speak on their behalf. The nobles simply nodded or shook their heads to express their opinions.
Zoe stood up and pulled out a pure white mask, putting it on. This was customary in a trial for the guilty, where both the prosecutor and the jury would wear masks to show they had renounced their secular identities, but also to protect the spokesperson.
"Respected Judge, Clerk, and Members of the Jury." Miss Zoe walked under the light cast by the skylight, like an actor in the center of the stage. She felt that everyone's eyes were focused on her.
Zoe opened the parchment scroll in her hand, and the crisp sound penetrated the hazy darkness and reached everyone's ears.
"I, on behalf of the Judge of the City of Brewed Meat, accuse the young lady on the stone platform, the defendant, of worshipping false gods, organizing idolatry, and spreading poisonous beliefs."
Author's note: I have a family visitor and need to host them, so I may not be able to update tomorrow. Please forgive me for that.
Chapter 196 Trial II
Zoe's words, like an autumn breeze blowing through a wheat field, instantly caused a rustling of whispers in the gallery. For most of the lesser nobles, the arrival of the Inquisitor at Emerald Harbor was terrifying enough, and the accusation of blasphemy practically meant a chance to be burned at the stake the next morning.
However, Lord Gray was naturally not one of those nobles who were making a fuss. As the presiding judge, he had already received the relevant files and materials and was fully aware of the situation. He nodded expressionlessly and said, "We have received your accusation. Please state it in detail and provide evidence."
Zoe loosened her grip, and one end of the parchment rolled to the ground, longer than she was. She cleared her throat and spoke like a true accuser, "We allege that the defendants organized a society. They worshipped a nonexistent false god called the Marble King, using this as a channel to harvest the souls of multiple victims. They included the dwarf Ulrich Flashthroat from Barrel Town; the dwarfs Maxim Planing Wood and Nathaniel Tide from the Surf District; Tressler, the only son of the Kane family, also known as 'Sticky Fingers'; and the Reverend Seven Palmer."
Before she finished her words, a short scream echoed from the gallery. Everyone looked in the direction of the sound and saw a plump figure collapsed in the seats—it was Mrs. Parma. The surrounding nobles gathered around her, unbuttoning her tight buttons, sprinkling floral water on her cheeks, and patting her forehead and chest. After a long moment, perhaps feeling that she had fulfilled the proper duties of a widow, Mrs. Parma, wearing a black headscarf, finally regained consciousness.
The presiding judge, who had been observing the situation, gently struck the bell, drawing everyone's attention back.
"Please continue, miss," he instructed Zoe calmly, and then said to Mrs. Palmer who wanted to speak, "The victim will speak later. Please wait."
"The evidence we presented included the results of an examination of three dwarfs, which were confirmed by the House of Eternal Sleep. They confirmed that the three victims died of soul loss, and their tragic deaths were merely an attempt to conceal their true deaths. The conditions for soul loss are extremely difficult to achieve, and the defendant, as a demon, is one of the few monsters capable of causing such deaths."
Zoe shook the list in her hand, and her words once again caused whispers among the nobles, but this time it was not out of fear but confusion - most of the nobles didn't even know what Lost Soul was.
Lord Grey rang the bell again, and when the court was quiet, he inquired, "Has the deceased been given the relevant details?"
"We were unable to verify with the deceased." Zoe bit her lip and decided not to tell anyone about Igor's entry into the Palma family tomb. "We haven't received permission from the Palma family to question Seven Palma. The bodies of the remaining deceased have been devastated and cannot be communicated with."
"Is there any other evidence?"
"Yes, we have already submitted it to the court. It includes the fragments of the magic circle from the Kane family's old house, proving the existence of false god worship activities; the testimony of Ms. Zanya from 'Twin Cherry Bread', who confirmed that she had seen Seven Palmer, aliased as 'Bull', and the defendant's avatar, Miss Rachel, in close proximity on many occasions; and the testimony of several 'steeds' and 'flowers' from the Wave District, who all testified that Trisler Kane and the defendant organized evil gatherings together."
"Okay, your statement has been recorded. Please take a seat, ma'am. Now, the court will allow the defendant to refute Judge Igor's charges. Given the defendant's status, is there any gentleman or lady who would like to volunteer to defend him?"
Judge Gray looked around. As expected, no one wanted to defend a demon. He banged his gavel and said, "Since the defendant has no counsel, I hereby permit him to represent himself."
Zoe raised an eyebrow beneath her mask. It seemed the condemner's laws weren't perfect. Even in the Demonic Tribunal of Baator, a judge would appoint a reaper or succubus as defense counsel in such cases. Of course, most defendants would probably consider such counsel useless.
Two guards in black mail came forward and untied Rachel's gag, but her entire body was still firmly bound to the stone platform, unable to move.
The inquisitor, the Devil, spoke in a cold tone, "I believe you have heard what I just said. I remind you again not to try to lie under Ossius's gaze. Now, you may speak."
The first thing Rachel uttered wasn't words, but a long, drawn-out moan, like a girl stretching after waking. Zoe could see several nobles (both men and women) in the audience shifting uncomfortably in their seats.
"I will obey your orders and those of the Lords," Rachel's voice was sweet and melodious, reminiscent of a girl selling fruit in the early morning, with a hint of unnoticeable pain. "I don't know how I offended this inquisitor, a stranger, to receive such a serious accusation. Perhaps I offended him, but for the sake of my reputation and that of the entire Church of Perfect People, I will..."
Before she could finish, the presiding judge banged his gavel and shouted, "Get to the point!"
Rachel choked, but said aggrievedly, "Yes, sir."
Even with the heavy shackles on her body, Rachel still maintained the most graceful kneeling posture. Her hood slipped down with her casual movement, and her red hair fell down, shining in the light from the skylight.
"I deny all accusations." Her voice was fragile yet firm. If it weren't for such a serious occasion, Zoe would have suspected she was using a charm spell. "Inquisitor Igor's accusations are all groundless. There is no actual evidence."
"I don't know the dwarfs and nobles he's talking about at all. I'm Lord Eichmann's maid. How could I have the time to fool around with them? Are you implying that the Archbishop allowed it?"
"Defendant, I didn't ask you to ask questions. Continue."
It's going to be bad, Zoe thought. Although the presiding judge interrupted her question in time, many times, she only needed to plant the seeds of doubt in the jury's mind.
"There's no evidence to prove I'm related to the deceased. It's well known that prostitutes' words can't be trusted. They can even sell their bodies, so why would they sell their words for a glittering golden sail? As for that slate? I've never been to the Kane mansion. Is my name written on it?"
She refuted all of Zoe's evidence one by one and looked Gray-sama confidently in the eye. The surroundings whispered again, but this time Gray-sama did not ring the bell.
The presiding judge glanced at Zoe disapprovingly, clearly dissatisfied with her work. He cleared his throat and said, "This court allows the victim's family to speak. Due to the nature of this court, non-Riyadan nobles are not allowed to speak. Therefore, the only one who has the right to speak this round is Madam Palma. Madam Palma, are you willing to speak?"
The excitable Mrs. Palma stood up panting, her face covered in sweat, not sure whether it was out of anger or anger. She glared at Igor, her voice full of cold displeasure.
"Your Excellency, I have nothing further to say. The late Lord Palma died of a sudden illness. There are no relatives of the victim here. I demand that Inquisitor Igor apologize for his thoughtless remarks and the resulting defamation of the Palma family."
Chapter 197: Trial III
Zoe had long expected that a great noble like Mrs. Palma would never admit that her husband had an affair with the devil. She would rather admit that Seven Palma died on the bellies of fifteen prostitutes than let other families use the devil to attack her.
Not only Zoe, but most of the nobles in the court had anticipated this. In fact, this was also Igor's biggest concern before the trial began. In aristocratic courts, commoners or prostitutes were not qualified to testify, and nobles, to protect their reputations, often refused to testify. This left Zoe with much less room to maneuver.
"This court has heard the opinions of all three parties. Due to the multiple charges involved, we will not render a verdict for now. Please ask the jury to record the above statements and use them as the basis for conviction." Lord Gray waited for a moment, and when no one spoke, he said, "If you have any additional evidence or comments, please submit them before the final statement."
The presiding judge's hawk-like eyes scanned the parchment in his hand and announced the second accuser: "Lady Tira Hearthheart of the Wave District, please speak."
Lady Hearthheart was not present, so the gray-haired dwarf, wearing a mask, spoke. He mainly accused Lady Rachel of murdering three dwarfs and inciting Bishop Eichmann to brutally oppress non-human races.
After the gray-haired dwarf finished his speech, Igor turned and exchanged a glance with Zoe. The content of the Hearth Lady's accusation was within their expectations.
Naturally, since the Inquisitor's evidence couldn't successfully accuse her of murder, Lady Hearthheart's accusation regarding the dwarf's death was of little use. However, the shrewd Artificer Lady didn't really care about the three dead dwarfs; her goal was to force the accusation.
As Zoe expected, Rachel easily slipped away from the murder charge using the same "no evidence" excuse.
"I am just a maid living under someone else's roof. How can I disobey Archbishop Eichmann's orders?" The devil concluded with this and stopped defending himself, putting all the blame on the archbishop.
Just as the presiding judge was about to call the next accuser, the old man in the white robe in front of Zoe raised his hand to indicate that he wanted to speak.
"This court agrees that Bishop Isaac Navon of the Mast District Diocese should speak."
Navon, in a white robe, did not let the young priest behind him speak for him, but stood up and spoke. He walked to the middle of the hall, and the top light shining on his pure white bishop's robe made him look divine and noble.
"Distinguished gentlemen and ladies, we gather here today not to judge Rachel, the Maid of the Golden Dome Cathedral, but to remove a venomous snake lurking among us. She murdered our highly respected Archbishop Eichmann and now seeks to poison your ears and hearts. As the administrator of the cathedral and candidate for Archbishop, I swear before the supreme, perfect, and inviolable Golden Guardian that the Archbishop has never been bewitched by the devil; he was merely temporarily blinded."
Oh, so that's what you think. Zoe nodded, understanding the stance of the Golden Dome Church, represented by Navon. The church was full of capable individuals, and they had surely guessed the nobles would exploit this situation. Therefore, they refused to acknowledge the connection between the Archbishop and the devil, placing themselves squarely in the shoes of the victim.
"Please allow the third accuser, Mr. Zevin Monte from the Shady District, to speak." After Navon finished speaking, the presiding judge began to call the next speaker.
At the other end of the bench stood a scholar in plain robes and a neatly trimmed beard. Judging from his thick, bushy eyebrows, he must be related to the Monte family.
The thick-browed scholar accused the devil of colluding with the Eagle's Nest orcs to invade Emerald Harbor. As soon as these words came out, the nobles' discussions could no longer be suppressed. Zoe saw several nobles standing up in excitement, probably because they had all had their fields damaged by the orcs.
The evidence provided by the Monte scholars included the teleportation mirror in Rachel's room, the testimony of the orc captives, and the confirmation by the wizard that the orc warlock and Rachel had the same magical fluctuations. This evidence was so strong that Rachel had little room for rebuttal.
"Furthermore, we believe the Archbishop has indeed not been deceived." The scholar raised his voice slightly, revealing only his pale jaw and sharp lips beneath his hood. "We accuse Rachel of making peace with the late Archbishop, using orcs to force the non-humans to leave, and using this to purchase the Shady District and land outside the city at a low price."
The whole room erupted in an uproar. The young priest next to Zoe stood up with a jerk, his chair scraping against the floor. But before he could say anything, Bishop Navon glared at him and sat back down.
Oh no, the fox's tail is exposed. Zoe glanced at him and saw that Bishop Navon looked normal, but his no longer relaxed sitting posture still revealed his inner attitude.
"Your accusations are severe. What evidence do you offer, Mr. Monte?" the presiding judge rang the small bell on the table, restoring order in the courtroom. "If you fail to provide a reasonable explanation, this will negatively impact your reputation and that of the entire Monte family."
"Of course. Not long ago, the church's herald, Judith, and her superior, Edimu, managed to rescue a group of captives from the Eagle's Nest. I believe everyone here knows this."
This incident was publicized by the entire Church of the Perfect Man as a miracle, and almost everyone present knew about it. Judith's death further increased the topicality and legendary color of this incident tenfold.
"When these captives were held in the Black Cell, the Dark Elves lived next door. I'm sure everyone remembers the curfew a few days ago. The Dark Elves who escaped were eventually betrayed by their employer and sent to the Eagle's Nest. This employer was Rachel and her master, Archbishop Eichmann! We have questioned all the survivors separately, and their answers are surprisingly consistent. We request that their testimony be presented to the court."
As a stack of parchment was presented, the presiding judge's face became solemn, but Isaac Nafon asked to speak again.
"Please allow me to remind the Monte family," the old man said calmly, "that all the so-called testimonies come from a group of children. The noble court does not accept the testimony of children. They don't even know what they are talking about."
Igor turned around, his eyes full of inquiry. Zoe leaned forward and whispered in his ear, "There are indeed relevant regulations, but they are different from what he said."
Zoe turned her head. From her angle, she could only see the lower half of the scholar's mask. But she had a vague feeling that the scholar had a mocking expression.
"Perhaps you're getting older and don't bother with these little things anymore," Scholar Monte's words elicited a few chuckles. "Our laws don't prohibit children from testifying. Article 253 of the Ryadan Code simply states that a child's testimony cannot stand alone."
"But I have more than one witness," the scholar spread his hands. "In fact, two dwarves and an eagleman escaped from that prison, and they are all willing to testify for us."
His words caught Zoe's attention. She hadn't cared where the Eagle Man had gone, but she knew who was protecting the two dwarves, especially Master Conn. It seemed Lady Hearthheart and Lord Monte had reached a deal.
"Non-human testimony is unreliable," Bishop Navon sneered. "Law No. 39 has already restricted the right of all non-humans to testify."
"Decree No. 39, which has not yet been passed," the scholar replied, his hands tucked into his sleeves. "If poor Master Eichmann had not died, this decree would have been put to a vote in Parliament after the Harvest Festival. Am I right, Your Excellency?"
"Your memory is correct, Mr. Monte," the presiding judge said coldly, "but I must remind you that interpreting the law is the job of the judges in this court. You only need to state your opinion. Mr. Eichmann has no direct connection to this case. If you cannot focus on the defendant, I will restrict your speech."
Chapter 198: Judgment IV
After being warned by the presiding judge, the Monte scholar raised his hand in compromise and walked back to his seat.
"Defendant, do you have anything to defend yourself against?" Lord Gray turned to Rachel who was sitting in the middle of the stone platform.
The beautiful devil struggled slightly, and her red hair swayed, revealing her perfectly shaped neck and white shoulders.
Yalon, who was sitting in the gallery, whistled silently and nudged Edimu next to him: "Who do you think is more beautiful, Miss Joyful Demon or our Miss Hopper?"
After saying this, he unconsciously looked towards the prosecution seat opposite him. However, from such a distance, he could only see the white mask on Zoe's face.
"You are more beautiful when you keep your mouth shut, Aaron Oria." Edim squeezed out a few words from the corner of his mouth, too lazy to look at his companions.
"Oh, if you're not interested in Miss Hopper, then I'm going to pursue her."
"She's not suitable for you!" He naturally couldn't say that Hopper was a devil in public. In fact, Edim couldn't understand Knight Aaron's behavior - pursuing a devil was really a fantasy for him.
Knight Aaron glanced boredly at the devil on the stone platform again and said casually, "I don't understand why you care about this trial. The meat was already divided before it was served. Carving it on the table is just a strange etiquette of the nobles."
Edim ignored him and just watched the devil's performance.
"Lord Eichmann's order was discussed and approved by many lords. How could I possibly influence it?" Rachel cried. "Lord Verinster also signed the order. Is Lord Monte implying that the Speaker should also make peace with me?"
Boom! Lord Gray banged his hammer before anyone could react, silencing all whispers. He roared, "I didn't ask you to question me! Law enforcer of Osius, teach the accused a lesson."
The black-armored guard swung his silver-threaded whip in a circular motion, a terrifying crackling sound. Like black lightning, the whip lashed out at Rachel's shoulder blades, a crackling sound like ripping silk, and blood splattered. The demon screamed in pain, curling up. If she hadn't been restrained by the chains, she would have tumbled off the stone platform.
Zoe frowned slightly. Rachel's reaction was definitely partly an act, but the lacerations on her back couldn't be fake. As a pleasure demon, Fantie couldn't even leave a mark on her skin, and now she was bruised by the whip...
The succubus narrowed his eyes and looked at the guard who put the whip back at his waist. There was an inconspicuous silver scale emblem on the coiled handle of the whip, which was the same as the holy emblem of the condemner on the headband of the presiding judge.
"I hope this serves as a warning to the accused. Silvertongue is futile in the face of the wise Ossius," said Lord Gray with a stern face. The Devil of Pleasure straightened up with difficulty and nodded resentfully.
His words and the harsh punishment he had just imposed were already doing their best to prevent the nobles from spreading their testimony against the Devil of Pleasure. But just like Rachel's first question, she didn't need an answer; she just needed to plant the seeds. Perhaps this was the deal she had made with the nobles.
"Monte, Luxin, besides you, have anyone else reached an agreement with the Delight Demon?" Zoe mentally counted the names of the nobles. "It seems our guess was wrong. You want more than just the power of the Church."
After a series of unexpected events, the presiding judge's brows were so furrowed that they could have pinched a mosquito to death. But when he saw someone raise their hand to speak, his hand couldn't help but tremble.
"During the trial, the jury is prohibited from speaking," Lord Grey said, using his gentlest tone to reject the gray-haired young man. "Mr. Peter Willingster, I believe you should understand."
"Stupid." Zoe looked at the heir of the Verinster family, who sat down with his arms folded, his face filled with anger, and made a scathing comment in her heart, "The presiding judge has tried his best to minimize the impact. Jumping out now will only escalate the situation."
"Please allow the accuser, Isaac Navon, the diocesan bishop of the Mast District, to speak." Lord Gray called out the name of the last accuser, attracting everyone's attention. Everyone knew that the most crucial part was coming.
This time, Bishop Navon did not speak himself, but, following tradition, the young priest behind him spoke. Zoe was slightly surprised when the person behind the mask spoke. It was a female voice, a voice she had heard before—the adjutant of the Holy Harrier, the daughter of the Mencius family.
"The interim administrator of the Golden Dome Church, Bishop Isaac Navon of the Perfect People's Mentor, on behalf of the Northern Continent and the Emerald Harbor Diocese, accuses the defendant, His Excellency Eichmann, Bishop of the Star Seal, of organizing and murdering the Perfect People's agent."
The trial finally reached its most crucial point. Lord Gray cleared his throat and said, "Please present the evidence that confirms this accusation."
Miss Mencius stuttered at first, but she spoke without a script, speaking directly: "First... First, the accuser provided testimony and church records to prove that the defendant was the protector of Master Eichmann."
"We know from the records that the protective magic on Master Eichmann can withstand most damage, and the defendant is the only one who knows how to penetrate the protection. Oh, no, the only devil who knows how to penetrate the protection. Therefore, only the defendant could have the opportunity to murder the archbishop."
"Secondly, we have a confession from Lady Abigail. She admits that on the day the Archbishop was assassinated, she dispatched most of the guards on his orders. This suggestion was undoubtedly made by the defendant to the Archbishop, clearly demonstrating her murderous intent. Otherwise, how could such a coincidence have occurred? And why would she have needed to dispatch the guards?"
"Finally, as everyone present witnessed, a devil murdered the archbishop, and the defendant is the only devil in all of Emerald Harbor! The Church demands her immediate death sentence!"
Miss Mencius's voice rose in pitch, and she concluded with a sharp judgment.
"Defendant, the court allows you to speak." Lord Gray's voice did not change at all.
"I have served the church for quite some time, and I have worked with you all before. What reason do I have to murder the Archbishop?" the devil said sadly. "Bishop Navon, I have worked with you before. Do you believe that I did all this?"
Rachel didn't wait for the bishop's answer. Seeing the presiding judge about to raise the hammer again, she quickly said, "When the archbishop was assassinated, I stood with Abigail and Gadot. They can all testify on my behalf. I didn't have the opportunity to commit the crime."
"No, they won't." Before she could finish, Miss Mencius rudely interrupted her, "We have already questioned Abigail and Gadot, and they both pointed out that you disappeared that day and no one knows where you went. So you had plenty of time to commit the crime."
No, that's not right, miss. Zoe observed from behind her mask. Lord Monte was not present. However, even so, no fewer than five people in the room knew that Rachel had actually sensed the tremors caused by the damaged crystal and went to investigate the cause.
Zoe knew that there was a time lag between Rachel's sensing the crystal's problem and her departure and the Archbishop's death, and she still had room for argument. However, neither the nobles nor the church would allow that leeway. Whether through threats or inducements, the two maids who could prove she didn't shoot the Archbishop dead in the sky would surely bite her to death and disappear.
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