Tension took over the entire Royal Hall.The seated crowd watched the defendants with faces full of disgust, without a single trace of pity.Shizu, Anin, and Sterfen felt an absurd pressure, so immense that they could barely lift their heads. So many looks of contempt and anger surrounded them as if they were being swallowed by them.
With an abrupt break in the atmosphere, the King spoke:
— Then, today, let us begin the trial of the heroes and their companion.
A feral wearing a tunic and a cross necklace stepped forward and spoke in a tone of total subjugation:
— Stand now before His Majesty. Kneel with your heads to the ground and beg for his mercy. Then, swear from the depths of your souls that you will speak only the truth and nothing more.
Shizu, along with Anin and Sterfen, knelt and, together, said:
— We swear, from the depths of our souls, that we will speak only the truth and nothing more.
The Feral Archbishop turned to the King and solemnly declared, raising his hands high:
— With all formalities fulfilled, let us now begin, before our King, the trial!
The Archbishop quickly turned to the audience present and ordered:
— Everyone, sit down!
Everyone sat immediately. Then, the Archbishop asked his first question:
— Shizu Mark, Anin Thailor, and Sterfen Hermes Diones, do you deny the accusations of territorial damage and attempted harm against the citizens of this country?
Shizu Mark stood up and, with anguish written on his face, tried to explain:
— That is not true. We only heard explosions in the city and went to investigate. Then we found Sterfen wounded amid all that destruction.
The Archbishop observed him with narrowed eyes and coldly replied, turning his back on him:
— If what you say is true, we demand that you show us concrete proof that you truly went out to investigate what happened.
Shizu froze. He lowered his head, trying to think. After a few seconds, he remembered something and quickly lifted his face, with a faint smile:
— Yes, we have proof. We were accompanied by Lord Maprisius! He can prove that we were with him at the beginning of the incident.
Then, Shizu turned toward Maprisius's chamber and asked, with a desperate smile:
— Isn't that right, Lord Maprisius? Can you tell them that we were with you during the incident?
Shizu watched… and froze.His expression changed when he saw Maprisius. He stared into the distance with a look of disgust while swirling the wine in his goblet. Then he replied coldly:
— What are you talking about, Hero Shizu? I do not recall such an event. Perhaps you are mistaken…
Shizu's expression shattered completely. A single word escaped his mouth, filled with disbelief:
— What…?
The Archbishop took the floor and declared, staring at Shizu:
— Shizu Mark, you have just claimed something that was not confirmed by Maprisius.Are you absolutely certain of what you are saying? For if you are lying to avoid admitting to a crime, that will be considered… unforgivable.
Shizu lowered his head. His mind was taken by despair and fear; he could not utter a single word. The weight of the situation suffocated him.But deep down, he understood. He raised his eyes again toward the Archbishop, bit his lip, and thought to himself, reaching his verdict:
"This Archbishop… was bought."
The Archbishop grew tired of waiting for an answer. He let out a sigh, and just as he seemed about to end the trial, Anin spoke up:
— Wait! This is not right! What Shizu says is true! We have nothing to do with this incident. We were with Maprisius and only left where we were when we heard the explosions. You accuse us of everything and demand proof… but what about you? What proof do you have that it was us?!
The Archbishop let out a discreet laugh and replied confidently, his hands behind his back:
— Certainly. I am accusing you beforehand and demanding proof without presenting arguments first.I therefore allow the entrance of a victim of the incident. Let them enter the Royal Hall.
The doors opened. A feral, with bandaged arms and wounds that seemed severe, walked to the center of the hall, stopping before those being judged.
The Archbishop spoke loudly, addressing the young man:
— Introduce yourself and tell us, as a victim, what happened during those terrible moments.Are you absolutely certain that the defendants are responsible?
The feral with crow-like features and black feathers stared at Shizu with a serious and guiltless face:
— My name is Cerberus Arcenades. As Your Majesty can see, these wounds are the result of the attack on the city center. The destruction devastated countless places and houses — including the one where I lived. I was struck by several attacks that destroyed my home. I was gravely injured.But even while nearly fainting, I saw clearly: Shizu Mark, Anin Thailor, and that yellow-haired individual devastating everything ahead of them like disorderly brutes.
An uproar took over the Royal Hall.Several voices rose at the same time: some shouted that this was unforgivable, others angrily claimed that humans were always liars and cruel. The Archbishop and the crow exchanged a sideways glance while watching the people turn against the heroes.
The King slammed his arm against the throne and shouted:
— Silence, everyone!!
The hall fell into silence. Then, the Archbishop called for attention with a dry cough. He turned to Shizu and declared:
— In the face of this concrete and complete proof, I can deliberately announce a decision to this tribunal before all…Or do the heroes still wish for a chance to contradict the witness with some argument?
Anin lowered his head. Shizu glared at the Archbishop with anger, biting his lips, about to say something.But Sterfen intervened:
— Excuse me… if you allow me to speak… I am the proof that Shizu and Anin did nothing of this.
Shizu and Anin turned back at the same instant, understanding what was about to happen.The Archbishop stepped even closer and asked coldly:
— How are you a proof? As far as I see, you are merely an accomplice of the heroes. Or can you prove otherwise?
Sterfen looked at everyone and revealed:
— In truth… I was the one who caused much of the destruction in the city. During a devastating fight, many places were destroyed by me and by another person — the true culprit.Shizu and Anin arrived minutes before the incident. I can state, as one of those responsible: Shizu and Anin are innocent!
The hall exploded into murmurs. Doubts, accusations, and questions mixed in the air.The Archbishop, incredulous, raised his voice:
— Silence! Order in the tribunal!This is indeed a confession of crimes… but it does not prove the others are innocent! You may very well be taking the blame to spare them from condemnation! Do not think such words will convince us!
Then the King's voice echoed through the hall:
— Enough!
Silence fell like a blow.The Archbishop and everyone present fell quiet immediately. Maprisius watched the King with concern and distrust, while the other nobles stared at him in confusion.
The King then turned his gaze to Sterfen:
— Sterfen Hermes Diones… you claim to be one of those responsible for this incident.Then tell me: why did you do it?
Sterfen took a step forward, with a serious look:
— Your Majesty, if you allow me… I will tell the truth.
Sterfen faced the King, who showed no expression. He took a deep breath and said:
— Your Majesty… as you already know, I am Sterfen Hermes Diones. I come from a very distant place. From a small village, where I serve my great master: Miopo Zanios.
The Archbishop took two steps back, incredulous, and asked, his voice filled with fear:
— What?! You say… Miopo Zanios?! The Ancient Apostle of Light?!Impossible! He has not taken students for years — no one can endure his training!He once stood among the most powerful beings in the world!It is impossible that you are his disciple! Majesty, give the verdict and arrest them now for such slander!
The Archbishop turned to the King… and was met with silence.He swallowed hard.
— My King… why do you say nothing?
The King observed the young man with his chin resting on his fist upon the throne. Then he spoke in a tone that made the entire hall tremble:
— This young man… his pure energy, as well as his aura… are something terrifying.Even to me, the Great King.Anyone even slightly sensitive can tell that he is not an ordinary warrior.In truth, I feel that not even the hundred greatest ferals would stand a chance against him — even with these shackles.
The King then turned to the Archbishop:
— Do you understand, Archbishop?In my view, he is far beyond a prodigy.Therefore, it is entirely possible that Miopo Zanios noticed such potential and took him as an apprentice.I can, indeed, consider his word to be true.
The Archbishop fell silent and lowered his head.Sterfen remained standing, staring at the King with seriousness.
In the King's thoughts, as he observed the young man:
"I can see it… this absurdly strong and bright aura, yellow in color.I am certain this boy is an apostle blessed directly by the Angel of Light.It is something extremely frightening… but even so…"
The King's gaze shifted to Shizu, who remained with his head lowered.His eyes narrowed as he perceived a bluish, dense aura covering every corner of the hall.
"Sterfen's aura does not even come close to being more terrifying than this…It is as if I were standing before the very definition of pure energy…As if there were more than one person within a single body…"
Sterfen's voice echoed through the hall as he stated with conviction:
— Your Majesty… I fought against another human.In truth, I do not even know if I can consider that person human.He used chains that increased in size and length, and he possessed extremely high mastery over them.I fought with all my strength, but unfortunately, I lost. Our battle devastated countless places.Please, do not blame Shizu and Anin for trying to help me at the end… for I am the only one at fault here.
Sterfen knelt and begged once more:
— Please, Your Majesty…
The King stared at him, and when he was about to speak, Shizu intervened:
— I don't think so, Sterfen. You bear no guilt for this.Because this was staged.
Sterfen turned to Shizu, as did everyone in the hall, not understanding anything at all.The Archbishop began to sweat coldly.Maprisius looked directly at Shizu and let out a short laugh:
— So that's what you think, little Shizu…?
The King stood up and asked Shizu directly, with a serious expression:
— You said this was staged, Hero Shizu.Why do you say that?
Shizu approached Sterfen and, with a firm gaze, repeated:
— Exactly that, Your Majesty.All of this was staged.
The hall erupted into murmurs and arguments.The King, still staring at Shizu, spoke with authority:
— Then tell us.Explain this now, Shizu Mark.
Shizu smiled, with a confident expression, and replied firmly, turning to the Archbishop:
— Of course, Your Majesty.I will tell you now… why all of this is a setup.