It seemed that even those in high positions couldn't touch the witnesses who had participated in the subjugation. The witnesses who attended in succession recalled Leonardo on the peninsula and clearly conveyed the facts they remembered for his release.
Kenis was also on the witness list. He hurriedly entered the hall with Flynn, opening the door just before his turn. As if he had been busy with something, he barely made it in time to climb onto the podium. Dressed in civilian clothes, he sat in the witness stand, took the oath, and then answered the defense counsel's questions.
"The witness stated that he fell to the bottom of a valley while arresting illegal entrants on the peninsula, and in the process, received help from the subject of deliberation to escape from the collapsing site. Could you explain the situation in a bit more detail?"
"Yes, yes. I was flying at the bottom of the cliff, carrying an illegal entrant on my back..."
Though he clearly shouldn't have been conscious and shouldn't remember, he cleverly pieced together the events before and after, describing the situation even more dramatically. Leonardo listened to the testimony with an expressionless face, but suddenly recalled Kenis's boast about being good at lying.
The guy who was usually stiff and only looked straight ahead was quite brazen at times like this.
Perhaps because he knew Kenis's inherently naive character, Leonardo felt both grateful and a strange emotion towards him.
"Then the witness too might have suffered greatly if the subject of deliberation hadn't been there, correct?"
"I probably... wouldn't be here, would I? Because I was in a situation where it was difficult to take care of even my own body due to injuries."
"Then in the witness's view, is the subject of deliberation someone who would harm others or the community?"
"What? Absolutely not! If Blaine... I mean, Mr. Blaine was that kind of person, how could I be alive, and how could the subjugation have succeeded?"
"You see the result of this peninsula subjugation as a success, then."
"Of course. We eliminated 98% of the monsters living on the peninsula, and even the mother body that produced them was annihilated without leaving a trace. All members of the subjugation team would feel the same. The peninsula subjugation is a victory and a success. Thanks to Mr. Blaine."
Kenis, who had been consciously avoiding looking at Leonardo, turned to him with desperate eyes as he finished his last words. Leonardo deliberately maintained a calm expression. The defense counsel, seeming to judge that this was enough, ended the witness examination with a grateful response.
However, in the voter debate that followed, statements unfavorable to Leonardo began to burst out as if they had been waiting for this moment.
"Are you aware that the subject of deliberation fired a fireball in Frost territory, damaging the barrier above the gate? It's fortunate that the Commander blocked it; otherwise, if it had flown straight towards the gate, ordinary citizens wouldn't have gotten off with just injuries."
"I heard that he caused a disturbance during an examination in the ward not long ago. Not to mention property damage, there could have been casualties among the medical staff if things had gone wrong."
Shorendo, who was listening, frowned one eye. It seemed that information had leaked from somewhere again, even though the Commander had asked for it to be kept quiet.
"The attack magic cast by the subject of deliberation in the northern grand plaza had enough destructive power to turn a 3km radius into a wasteland even within the 2nd Mana Control Zone. Can you still assert that this person is not a threat to the community? Moreover, our 4th Battalion Commander even fractured his arm while trying to subdue the situation."
"Council member-. How many times do I have to tell you that it wasn't because of Blaine, but because I crashed into something on my own? I'm perfectly fine now? Look, there's no problem at all."
"Be quiet, Frederick."
As Andreas waved his arm with a roundabout excuse, the council member preemptively cut off his unhelpful statement.
"There are too many concerning issues to release him as is. I believe this is a matter that should be decided after taking more time."
Andreas, who had been deprived of the chance to speak, opened and closed his mouth before letting out a small laugh. Then he ruffled the back of his hair and stood up abruptly.
"Come on, council members! I was the one who confronted Blaine in the grand plaza. Listen to me. If he hadn't considered public safety, he could have taken citizens hostage and hindered me and the Commander while escaping leisurely. But didn't he instead save a child in danger? He prioritized the child's safety over his own situation!"
A moment of silence fell at his voice, which seemed to have burst out after holding back for so long. A few seconds later, Loren, who had been looking down from the second-floor balcony, cast an amplification spell on herself to support Andreas's statement.
"Battalion Commander Frederick is right. Despite the chaos that occurred, there were 0 deaths, and the number of injured was extremely small compared to the scale of the incident. Moreover, isn't it true that not a single person was directly injured by the subject of deliberation's magic? I believe that in that situation, the mistake of our Council in failing to control the citizens beforehand was greater."
Not only Andreas but also the battalion commanders and council members looked up at her with surprised eyes. It was almost the first time Loren, who was usually faithful to orders from above, had openly taken a stance defending Leonardo.
Perhaps this became a starting point, as several council members who had been silent then raised their voices.
"I agree. Let's stop this unproductive argument. Numerous witnesses have already mentioned the subject of deliberation's righteousness and sacrificial spirit."
"Even if there is a history of guilty verdicts for violations of military law in the past, that negative image should not influence this agenda item."
"I agree as well. Nitpicking like this will only lower the quality of the debate without reaching a conclusion. We council members, who should strive for a fair judgment in this sacred courtroom, should not indiscriminately condemn a mage, who is supposed to be under our protection, as high-risk."
"Condemn? You're going too far!"
The council member who had been criticizing Leonardo until just now shouted angrily. Andreas, who was already standing, sensed signs of division among the council members and added fuel to the fire.
"Isn't it condemnation? Members who directly participated in the subjugation have testified, putting their names and affiliations on the line, yet you ignore even that and try to paint the subject of deliberation as a criminal. If that's not condemnation, what is it?"
The battalion commanders turned to look at Andreas with faces that seemed to wonder if he had finally gone mad. A council member with a similar expression raised his right hand and requested to the judge:
"Honorable judge, Battalion Commander Frederick is damaging the essence of the deliberation debate by criticizing those with different views. I request that this participant be removed."
"What? Council member, no!"
Andreas turned to look at the judge's bench with a flustered expression. At that moment, the judge sitting in the presiding seat raised his gavel and declared:
"I order the removal of voter Andreas Frederick."
"Your Honor!"
Meanwhile, court officers in the hall approached and grabbed both of Andreas's forearms. As they exerted force to take him outside, Andreas looked around and pleaded his innocence.
"Hey, no, wait, let go-. Council member, how can this be!"
Maria and Delua, who had been watching, also seemed to find this situation absurd, as they suddenly stood up and shouted towards the judge's bench.
"Your Honor, isn't this too one-sided? This place is the Council before it is a courtroom. Everyone has the freedom to express their opinions, and before that, we have a duty to be fair in deliberation!"
"Do not stand up during the debate. It will be considered an act of disrupting the proceedings, and you will be immediately removed."
"Your Honor, no, council members! Battalion Commander Frederick didn't say anything wrong. The Leonardo Blaine I saw is a righteous person who protects his comrades and the weak, and he led the subjugation to victory, risking even his life for the empire and its citizens. Anyone who spent time with him would agree that he is a person too valuable and wronged to remain a criminal!"
The audience stirred at Delua's plea. She turned to look at the council members behind her and asked again:
"Do you think we don't know that you're doing this because you want to incorporate Blaine into the Council? If so, instead of condemning him as a criminal and oppressing him, the right order would be to release him here, commend his merits, and formally make a scouting offer."
"I order the removal of voter Delua Rivera."
"...Your Honor–!!"
With Delua's ear-piercing cry as the finale, the courtroom turned into pandemonium. The murmurs soon spread into sharp shouts, and the spectators fell into confusion at the unprecedented confrontation within the Council they were witnessing for the first time.
4th Battalion Commander Andreas resisted being dragged out by covering the door at the back of the hall with wooden vines. 6th Battalion Commander Delua also held onto his arm and resisted while trying to calm Andreas down, saying they shouldn't use magic on people.
As their own battalion commanders fiercely resisted, the members sitting in the observer seats also became confused and clashed physically with the court officers. Amidst the chaotic situation, the presiding judge shouted:
"Activate the mana suppressor!"
Loren had stabbed the suppressor with a dagger, rendering it inoperable. Shorendo opportunely tampered with the courtroom lighting, and the council members threatened the battalion commanders, saying they wouldn't escape disciplinary action.
Only Meterion sat quietly with his arms crossed, checking the time.
***
"Order, order―!"
Leonardo, sitting in the center of the courtroom, wasn't sure if this was reality or a dream. He had felt something similar once before. His ears were ringing, and he felt as if he was separating from the space around him.
He hadn't expected to fall into this sensation again, but the situation was a bit different from last time. Back then, it was his comrades shouting for him, but now... people who were a bit ambiguous to call comrades were causing a disturbance for his sake.
The judge's voice and the dull friction sound of the gavel crossed the courtroom. But the voices of the rioting spectators were louder. Aside from the situation where an organization had split into two because of him, Leonardo realized the transience of things as he watched the public's target of criticism change moment by moment.
Even without Flynn shouting from below the podium to reassure him, thinking he must be confused, his head in the midst of the pandemonium was unprecedentedly cold and calm.
'With the situation like this, why isn't Agrizendro...'
Nevertheless, Leonardo looked with blurry eyes for the phantom of Hugo, who had yet to show himself.
It would be a lie to say he wasn't resentful. You said you would be here when I entered the courtroom, so where on earth are you and what are you doing?
"Be quiet! The tallying and deliberation have all concluded. Before announcing the jury's verdict, from now on, if anyone uses force or raises their voice without the right to speak..."
At the word 'verdict' announcement, the noisy courtroom suddenly fell silent. The judge, deeming further debate impossible after the removal of Andreas and Delua, declared the end of the debate and hastily proceeded with the voting.
Now the trial was facing its climax, with the announcement of each deliberation group's verdict followed by the final judgment.
However, Leonardo found himself not expecting anything at all. What was this emotion? Ah, yes, resignation. Just like that day.
Even if positive public opinion had been created, weren't there already three people missing who would have cast votes in favor of his release?
"Your Honor, Commander Agrizendro has not yet returned! I believe we cannot exclude the voting rights of the Commander, who observed the subject of deliberation most closely in this trial!"
Shorendo, who had barely avoided being removed, shouted towards the judge's bench. The judge slowly shook his head.
"The trial has been conducted fairly to allow anyone with voting rights to exercise their vote for or against, as long as it does not interfere with the proceedings. However, if there is someone who failed to return in time and couldn't vote, that is solely their own responsibility."
It was certainly true. But if they weren't being fair, did this side have to be fair? Leonardo clenched his fist.
The sound of chains rattling and brushing was heard, and around that time, Leonardo discovered his own hand trembling.
"Then proceed with the announcement."
The judge passed the right to speak, and the citizen representative standing in front of the jury received the amplifier from the court officer.
"Case number 999-RT-0024. I will now announce the jury's verdict regarding the charges against and release of the subject of deliberation, Leonardo Blaine."
The silence just before the announcement was completely different from the atmosphere until now. Leonardo found the sound of his own heartbeat in the stillness extremely unpleasant. The strange ache below his chest, gradually distancing itself from calmness, was so irritating that he wanted to tear out his heart at this moment.
Unconsciously, he tried to place his hand on his left chest, but his chained wrist stopped abruptly in mid-air.
Leonardo exhaled, pretending to be composed, and lowered his forearm back down.
The jury representative glanced at him and then turned his eyes to the verdict in his hand.
"Deliberation Group 3, Jury voting results."
The clearly enunciated pronunciation pierced his ears. Soon, the first sentence was handed down in the silence.
"Out of 25, 11 in favor, 14 against. Final verdict, release denied."
"What is this―!"
"This can't be!"
Simultaneously with the two words 'denied,' the members sitting in the observer seats stirred. Along with them, Leonardo felt a pain as if a thorn was piercing his heart. It was similar to the stinging pain that had spread when he confronted the queen on the peninsula.
It became increasingly difficult to breathe, as if his throat was gradually tightening.
"Silence! Next, announce the verdict of Deliberation Group 2, the senior commanders."