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Several days had passed since Elga and I read the letter.

A few days from when Aira duelled against Verdonas and was ambushed by the main character, the Hunter.

I was invited to participate as a witness in the trial.

“Under the supervision of I, Hynax, the Chairman of the Continent’s Sage Council, the second official trial on the attempted assassination of the Angmar Queen shall now begin.”

A kingdom’s Queen.

Even if the victim didn’t care, the incident was not something that could be ignored. After all, the victim in question was the ruler of a big kingdom.

This was basically the same as shooting the president of a country back on Earth. It was a big deal.

As a result, discussions on the disciplinary action of the Villain Hunter Party was being actively conducted.

The Sage Council seemed to have reached such a conclusion.

“Hihi, execution!!!”

Hearing the Black Mage, everyone in the auditorium began to collectively murmur.

━Execution.

━As expected, the crime of touching the royal family cannot be forgiven.

━That’s natural. After all, we’re in an era where stealing Nymph candy will put you in prison…!

Meanwhile, Hynax shook his head and asked for Sir Pelto to sit.

“Sir Pelto. A verdict has not yet been decided. Please take your seat.”

“Hihi, pee attack!”

“Uh-huh, Sir Pelto, what are you doing in the sacred courtroom?”

Pelto, the man who had gone beyond the 6th rank, yet lost his sanity in the process.

His words were nothing but negative, sinister, and dreadful gibberish.

“However. I think Sir Pelto might be right this time. Even a broken clock is right twice a day.”

Though, Hynax did seem to affirm Sir Pelto’s story.

“With the deep-rooted tradition and history of Angmar, its monarch, a supreme member of the Mage Society, the master of the western wilderness, the ruler of the great northern forest, the conqueror of the rugged eastern mountains, and the dominator of the southern plains, Aira Von Tarantera—”

The elder Mage recited as he looked at the crowd.

Meanwhile, Aira, who was sitting in the witness and plaintiff’s seat, was languidly gazing at the tips of her fingernails.

“Theo, how long will this trial last?”

She, the main character of this trial, was bored.

“I think it’ll be over soon.”

“I have a lunch appointment with Elga today. I hope it ends quickly~.”

Fortunately or unfortunately, Hynax, who couldn’t hear our conversation, spoke up again.

“The crime of shooting an arrow towards Queen Tarantera is grave. It’s a barbaric act of provocation against the nation and its laws. Therefore, it is right for the aggressor to face the most severe punishment. However-.”

I knew very well that the words coming after that ‘however’ were not going to be the end.

At this time, Aira, who was still checking her nails, asked me again.

“Theo.”

“Yes? Shall I tell Hynax about the Queen’s opinion regarding this trial?”

“No, there’s no need. Rather, what do you think the verdict will be?”

“The verdict will probably be….”

While Hynax said that the Hunter needed to face severe punishment, the word “however” at the end made me wonder if it was going to be more lenient.

The fact that Aira was taking this case lightly was probably also a factor in greatly reducing the punishment for the crime.

But.

Nevertheless, sin always came with a price.

There was a consequence for every action.

“…….”

I looked at the empty defendant’s seat.

The Hunter, who was so uncontrollable as to attack the Queen, was currently imprisoned in a heavily guarded underground prison in Ark.

His party member Priestess Miriam, who could be considered the representative, was standing in that place on his behalf.

She looked disgruntled and frustrated.

Being dragged into a trial for something that wasn’t her own fault, and being pointed at by people, it was only natural that Miriam would feel wronged.

However, the party’s wrongdoings sometimes became one’s own. The protagonist’s party was united in purpose.

“Theo, what kind of punishment do you think that man will receive?”

Aira’s urging snapped me out of my thoughts. So, I decided to share my speculation with her.

“In my view, I think it might be something with the barrier.”

“Hm, indeed, the barrier.”

A huge barrier blocking the forces of shadow. Going there was practically tantamount to death.

Still, it was not an execution.

In the end, this verdict would be more humane than the death penalty, while being no different from it. It took off the burden of handing down an execution so it was quite useful.

“The defendant’s status and property are to be confiscated, and they shall be sent to the barrier-!”

Look. It was as expected.

At this, Miriam strongly objected.

“Sage-nim, isn’t that the same as saying to go die? Going to the barrier…! That’s too cruel of a fate! Can’t you reconsider your verdict?”

“The verdict cannot be overturned, Sister Miriam.”

“Then can I apply for a trial by combat? That is a God-given right!”

━A trial by combat?

━Really?

At Miriam’s words, the crowd looked at each other and the murmurs grew louder.

A trial by combat was a method of trial proposed by the defendant or plaintiff when there was insufficient evidence or perceived unfairness in a trial.

In this type of trial, the defendant and the plaintiff would directly fight each other, or they could employ champions to duel on their behalf. The side that won the combat would be considered victorious in the trial as well.

I’d seen it a few times during my time at the palace, but it was a rather ignorant method.

To think that someone who committed a heinous crime could be acquitted just because they hired a strong mercenary.

It was safe to say that trial by combat was one of the reasons that exacerbated the “guilty if weak, innocent if strong”, causing turmoil within Angmar’s domestic affairs.

So, Angmar passed a law prohibiting trial by combat. But surprisingly, it remained popular and didn’t fade away.

Thanks to that, I’d received a fair share of scorn from mercenaries working as champions and nobles who enjoyed gambling.

• Edited by: faker