The judge urged the next turn as if he wouldn't tolerate even a moment of commotion.
Shorendo, who had received the right to speak, stood up listlessly. With two of his seniors and subordinates having been removed, he couldn't be in a good mood either.
"Deliberation Group 2. Commander of the Council's Central Branch, Hugo Agrizendro, and 29 others."
Shorendo recited the name of his superior who wasn't present, with an expression that showed he didn't want to do this. After a brief silence, he announced the result.
"Out of 30 total, 3 abstentions, 27 in favor, 0 against. Final verdict, release."
Jeers could be heard from some spectators in the gallery. It was as if they were reacting to the cleanly falling 0 votes against as if it had been rigged. Though the sounds quickly ceased, perhaps due to the glares they received, Leonardo deliberately didn't raise his head.
"Council member seats, please announce."
"Yes, Deliberation Group 1. Representative council member August Horman and 49 others."
He felt so nauseous that it seemed he might throw up all the sandwich he had eaten earlier. Nevertheless, the situation surrounding Leonardo proceeded quickly, regardless of his condition.
The representative council member stared intently at the verdict form and then opened his mouth with an indecipherable expression.
"Out of 50 council members, 2 abstentions, 24 in favor, 24 against. Final verdict unable to be reached."
Complex exclamations burst from the crowd. Along with them, the battalion commanders turned their heads with surprised faces.
"What?"
"It's half and half?"
The murmurs of the members could also be heard clearly. Even within the council member seats, the looks they exchanged with each other weren't very friendly, as if this was an unexpected result for them too.
Leonardo also raised his pale face to look up at where the council members were seated.
'Unable to reach a verdict?'
His eyelids trembled finely as he glimpsed a small possibility.
"Deliberation Group 1, do you mean to withhold the final verdict? Do you need additional deliberation?"
At the judge's question, the representative council member turned back and exchanged glances with a few others. Then, as if judging it meaningless, he shook his head while facing forward again.
"It is judged that even if additional deliberation is conducted, the possibility of reaching a conclusion is slim. Therefore, this group will not render a verdict and will transfer the final judgment to the court."
It was a group that everyone had expected would result in an overwhelming vote difference for denial of release. But with the situation turning out like this, it became impossible to predict what would happen next.
Shorendo, who had been scanning the atmosphere of the council member seats, leaned his upper body towards the person next to him, who had changed in the meantime, and whispered:
"Looks like the seniors' performance worked, huh?"
"I'm really feeling that justice is still alive like this."
"But if the council member votes are tied for and against, don't we have a chance if we sum up the total number of votes? Isn't that why the Commander said to go for unanimity among the commanders at least?"
Jane, the 13th Battalion Commander, shook her head with a complicated expression.
"No... They just handed over the final judgment to the court to prevent that. With this, the total number of for and against votes is useless."
If they were to make a verdict for Group 1 by summing up the for and against votes of all groups, the overwhelming number of votes in favor from the senior commanders would result in a release. In other words, the council member side handed over their decision-making authority to the court to prevent this from happening.
Shorendo, knowing what kind of person the current presiding judge was, let out a sigh and tore at his hair. He felt like going crazy now that a thread of hope was visible.
"Commander, are you going to end it like this..."
"The court has reached its final agreement."
Meanwhile, the three on the judge's bench seemed to have reached a conclusion as well. All eyes in the hall focused on them.
Leonardo sneered at himself for sitting there expectantly, even though he had already guessed the outcome.
The time he had endured and fought until now flashed by like an afterimage. Though he didn't believe in God, he desperately wanted to pray for Him to take his side just this once.
"Based on the verdicts of each deliberation group and the court's agreement, this trial hereby announces the judgment as follows."
He clenched his fist and lowered his head again. The gallery held its breath, and the gazes of countless people focused on a single person.
"We have confirmed that the positions of the two associate judges out of the three court members were opposed, with one for release and one for denial of release."
Another exclamation burst out at the tense situation until the very end. It was a natural result. One had been a person pre-recruited by the council member side, and the other by the Commander's side. But in the end, it meant that everything depended on the decision of the presiding judge.
After a moment, the judge's solemn voice resonated:
"After carefully deliberating on the opinions of both sides and the aforementioned charges against the subject of deliberation, I have judged whether his merits can offset his illegal activities and law violations to date."
"..."
"While the subject of deliberation's merits on the Elder Millie Peninsula are certainly worthy of evaluation, I believe this does not provide grounds for exempting legal responsibility for the guilty items such as obstruction of official duties, loss of national territory and property damage, performing commissions for profit as an illegal mage, and threatening public safety. Accordingly, this court has judged that the subject of deliberation is responsible for his charges, and finally declares the denial of Leonardo Blaine's release–."
Bang–!!
At that moment, a sudden thunderous noise arose from one side of the previously quiet courtroom. Simultaneously, the door behind the judge's bench was roughly opened.
Then, someone's voice resonated through the hall.
"That judgment is invalid."
All the people who had been listening intently turned their heads.
The startled judge also stopped speaking, and all three judges turned around at once.
There, sunlight was pouring in like a beam of light from the domed glass ceiling. And beyond that, an uninvited guest who had just revealed himself was catching his breath.
The light brilliantly illuminated the steps of the man who had suddenly barged in like a halo.
"...Commander?"
Shorendo tried to call out to his superior as he stood up, but Leonardo was faster.
The moment he felt the familiar mana engraved in his bones, Leonardo abruptly raised his lowered head.
"Agrizendro–!"
A criminal calling out the Commander's last name without hesitation. It was enough to instantly draw everyone's attention. Shorendo, who couldn't continue his words, and the public silently looked at Leonardo.
Leonardo demanded an explanation for his own anxious feelings from the man who was late, far too late.
"You, why are you only coming now? You promised you'd set me free!"
A desperate voice, quite different from earlier, echoed through the courtroom. Hugo, who had walked in with large strides, quietly answered him, who had veins popping on his forehead.
"I'm sorry, Leonardo."
The atmosphere became extremely chaotic, but the judge sitting in the presiding seat didn't dare think of raising his gavel. This was because the 'presiding judge' who had been dragged in by Hugo's hand was shoved in front of him, complaining of dizziness.
Hugo pushed aside the half-baked person sitting in the presiding seat and, standing at the center of the judge's bench, unfolded something he had brought before the crowd.
"At approximately 15:39 today, Commander-in-Chief Langaster disallowed the change of the presiding judge for case number 999-RT-0024. Therefore, the final judgment authority for this trial belongs to Judge Heimbert. The previous judgment is invalid."
Hugo spread out a new verdict document he had brought on the judge's bench, then dragged in the original presiding judge and stood him beside him.
"Read it quickly. Use your authority as the presiding judge to render the verdict and promptly conclude this trial."
"Ah, now! What are you trying to do?"
The displaced judge belatedly protested, but Hugo looked down at him with sharp eyes.
"You have lost your impartiality in this trial, shown a biased attitude towards a specific side, lost political neutrality, and have been excluded from your duties. Therefore, you have also lost the right to exercise deliberation and judgment, so step back before I have you dragged out."
"W-What? How can this be! This is clear contempt of court!"
The judge protested as if wronged, but Andreas, handcuffed behind the door Hugo had entered through, leaned against the doorframe and threw in a word:
"Judge–. If you cause a disturbance in court, it will be considered an act of disrupting the proceedings and you'll be removed?"
"You've already interfered by blocking the rights of voters, so it's the same as having disrupted already."
Delua, who appeared next, leaned against the opposite doorframe and sneered. The judge's face turned bright red as if about to burst.
Hugo called Flynn, who was near the defense team, with a glance, then jerked his chin as if telling him to deal with the judge who was bursting with indignation. Flynn, who understood immediately, came up behind the judge's bench with members from the 1st Battalion. Soon after, they dragged away the judge who had lost his authority.
The flustered council members seemed dumbfounded by the sudden situation, as they stood up from their seats and shouted towards the judge's bench:
"Commander Agrizendro, what are you doing in the courtroom?"
"Using force in a sacred place!"
"I've only handled it according to internal regulations in accordance with the duty of fairness. As the presiding judge has not yet finished the final sentence, the judgment is on hold. Finish it quickly."
Hugo, who answered matter-of-factly, ordered the presiding judge beside him. However, the original judge standing in that position trembled at his fingertips as he looked at the cold-blooded witch sitting in the council member seats.
As he struggled to open his mouth, Hugo sighed and gently pushed the judge's shoulder to the side.
"As the presiding judge cannot speak due to health reasons, I will read the verdict on his behalf as a proxy. I announce that this verdict is the final decision reflecting all trial processes leading to the sentence, the verdicts of each deliberation group, and the agreement reflecting the opinions of the two associate judges."
As his sharp blue eyes swept over the audience, the murmurs hidden in the crowd quickly subsided. Even the council members, unable to know what to do in the face of the rapidly progressing situation, failed to stop his speech.
"Case number 999-RT-0024. Regarding the charges against and release of the subject of deliberation, Leonardo Blaine, the following final judgment is rendered."
The moment of judgment pronounced by that pleasant baritone voice. Leonardo blankly looked up at the man on the judge's bench. He stared at him with upright eyes, believing and believing once more that he would cut off all the shackles and injustices binding his body.
"The subject of deliberation concealed his whereabouts for the past two years and six months, disobeyed the Council's summons, and continued profit-making activities as an unregistered illegal mage. He is also charged with damaging public places, threatening public safety, and obstructing official duties by threatening investigators during the investigation."
Up to this point, it was no different from the previous verdict. However, around this time, Hugo met the golden eyes directed at him.
"However, it has been recognized that he was in a situation where it was difficult to appear in public places due to physical and mental injuries sustained while serving as a soldier in the imperial army in the past. Furthermore, upon examining the flow of funds secured through profit-making activities, it was confirmed that the majority was used with good intentions for the stability of national interests and people's livelihoods, such as donation organizations and facilities for protecting socially vulnerable groups."
The observers turned to look at the person next to them and whispered at the content they were hearing for the first time.
"Donation organizations?"
"What?"
The council members were equally surprised. Since even the defense counsel hadn't mentioned these points, there was no way they could have known.
"In Frost territory, he supported the official duties of the Commander and investigators to resolve the monster smuggling case, and also contributed in part to the process of arresting the impersonator involved in the case.
During his escort to the imperial capital for official mage registration, despite the failure of the institution to control citizens, he showed the spirit of a dedicated soldier by rescuing citizens in danger before exercising his rightful right to preserve his personal safety.
Although there was friction with investigators who overlooked the principle of presumption of innocence during the subsequent investigation process, there is no evidence that he directly infringed upon the dignity of the investigators through injury, insults, or abusive language."
Hugo paused briefly to catch his breath. Then he slowed his pace slightly and began to read the most important part.
"The subject of deliberation was assigned to the Elder Millie Peninsula subjugation team on the condition of his release, formed a smooth community with Council members, and achieved great merits in all battles. He generously shared his knowledge and experience, presented the right direction and rational opinions for the subjugation, and greatly assisted in the commanders' strategy formulation.
Moreover, he threw himself to protect members who were in life-threatening situations, and in moments of crisis when even the fate of senior commanders was uncertain, he fought against the strongest enemies at the forefront to protect the Council and the empire.
He is worthy of the title of war hero, a hope, salvation, and light for the people, and his back figure bravely jumping into enemy lines is an example and object of respect for all those who protect the empire."
Leonardo, with his lips half-parted, no longer heard that as a verdict. Just like the day Agrizendro had called him a hero in front of everyone, he was now bestowing upon him the glory he had lost.
"Therefore, after comprehensively reviewing all these matters, this court recognizes the subject of deliberation's dedication to public interest and acknowledges that he has perfectly fulfilled the condition of release, which was the success of the subjugation. Accordingly, we judge all previous charges against the subject of deliberation as not guilty, and order that he shall never be extradited again for the same matter by rendering a final judgment of release."
"Look here, Commander! Why are you arbitrarily deciding such an important agenda–!"
"This Council acknowledges its mistakes as a state institution, including Leonardo Blaine's lost time and honor, failure to control external factors during the escort process, coercive investigation methods, and poor management of outdated handcuffs. Accordingly, we order the payment of 50 million bells to Leonardo Blaine as compensation, combined with rehabilitation and social reintegration support funds."
"This is nonsense–!"
"Drag him out immediately!"
At the content of the verdict ordering not only release but also payment of a large sum in compensation, the stunned council members rose up vehemently. Not only that, but the spectators in the gallery and jury members who disliked the criminal also stirred as if about to rush into the center.
However, the members sitting in the observer seats didn't remain idle either. They physically blocked the reactionaries until the trial safely concluded. Not only the battalion commanders, but also Andreas and Delua, who had been standing outside the courtroom, entered the hall.
Even Meterion, who had been watching with his arms crossed, closed his eyes tightly and released thick smoke in all directions to obscure the rioters' vision.
Amidst the surroundings being completely covered in white, Hugo entrusted everything to his subordinates and read the final closing remarks.
"The name of Leonardo Blaine, the subject of deliberation, will no longer remain as a criminal riddled with charges, but as a glorious hero of the empire. Your courage and noble spirit will be passed down in history hereafter and remain as a model for the peace and prosperity of the empire."
"..."
"Furthermore, as a proud imperial citizen of Raina Logia, we declare that from this moment on, you have the right not to be oppressed or discriminated against by anyone."
Hugo, who had closed the unfolded verdict, murmured with a gentle smile:
"From now on, wherever in this land, live freely achieving what you want where you want."
Leonardo's trembling eyelids expanded. The ringing in his ears intensified with a beep-.
Hugo pulled the presiding judge's arm and forced him to grasp the gavel. Covering his hand over it, he raised the gavel together with the judge and marked the climax's end.
"This concludes all judgments regarding Leonardo Blaine."
Thump–
Thump–
Thump!
The sound of the verdict echoed inside the noisy courtroom. From that point, the chaotic hall boiled over with an unprecedented heat.
Leonardo Blaine, with both hands bound by mana-restraining handcuffs, sat askew in the central chair of the courtroom, quietly staring at the judge's bench with reddened eyes.
Though the uproar filling the hall loomed close by, somehow he neither heard nor saw it. His golden eyes only contained the one man who had kept his promise for his sake.
Appearing with a beam of light amidst the stifling curtain,
A man like the refreshing sky, smiling brightly towards him.