NOVEL NEXT Chapter 32
The courthouse.
A place that judges various problems and disputes arising in society according to the law and draws conclusions.
Fangju’s courthouse was no different in function, but the problem was why I was here.
And as a defendant, no less.
“Alright, let’s go back.”
The soldiers in black garb who had placed me in the center of the octagonal room then exited.
“…”
I was still bewildered, but the layered structure resembling an antlion’s trap, dividing the space into tiers, and the large organ-like podium situated at the far end reminded me that this was indeed a courthouse.
A place that had made several appearances in AOE. However, since all the events related to this place involved plots of treachery, it naturally filled me with ominous unease.
“Is everyone gathered?”
A stiff voice of a middle-aged man came from above, prompting me to look up.
Finally, a man appeared on the high podium that resembled an organ, and beside him was the middle-aged woman I had seen earlier at the academy, referred to as the minister.
And to the right side—
“Aha, I see.”
Disheveled hair resembling a loafer, scruffy chin with protruding stubble, gaudy clothing contrasting with his boisterous behavior, and a lazy, smug smile spread across an otherwise ordinary face.
Gye-jek Feast, the Guildmaster of the Explorer’s Guild.
“Hey there, kiddo, how’s the academy treating you?”
Though his face exuded humor, there was no trace of goodwill in his demeanor.
Of course not, since I had overturned the schemes he had set in motion. In short, he must have pulled the strings for the higher-ups here.
“Yes, the facilities are good and it’s quite livable.”
“Really? I’ve gone through a lot of trouble because of you.”
“That’s unfortunate.”
“What’s up with you liking the academy so much? It’s like a snake—”
“You there, Gye-jek, stop it. We didn’t gather here to quarrel, did we?”
The minister, the mid-aged woman, sharply rebuked Gye-jek, who had abruptly stood up from his seat.
“Ahem, my apologies, Minister.”
At her reprimand, Gye-jek sat back down with a smirk, resembling a sycophant bowing to power.
The conversation ended, and silence settled in.
“Is everything ready? Then, let’s start the trial of the defendant, Edu Numbersday.”
The middle-aged man spoke with no apparent enthusiasm as he manipulated a terminal.
Yet, despite the height difference, even though this man wasn’t looking at me, I felt involuntarily intimidated.
“The trial will be conducted by me, the lawmaker of Fangju, Gro-jay Abil, the Administrative Minister Be-veret Nyune, and the head of the Explorer’s Guild, Gye-jek Feast, forming the judge panel.”
With that, Gro-jay picked up the wooden hammer beside him and banged it against the raised wooden block.
Thud Thud.
The sound reverberated loudly through the room.
“By the way, what exactly are we trying me for?”
“The charges against the defendant involve collusion with the Invaders and instigating inner turmoil to disrupt Fangju.”
The minister, Be-veret, replied nonchalantly, but I couldn’t help but be taken aback by her words.
“Wait, collusion with the Invaders?”
“That’s correct.”
“Are you implying this knowing that I engaged in a life-or-death battle with those brutes last night?”
“It might have been so, or it might not.”
An ambiguous response.
“…What exactly are you trying to say?”
“Just a conjecture, if you were aligned with them, it wouldn’t have been difficult to act out a fake battle by colluding.”
Though she framed it as a mere conjecture, in essence, Be-veret was implying that my alliance with the Invaders was as good as confirmed.
This made me bristle with irritation.
“You’re implying with that conjecture that my collusion with those brutes is certain?”
“Yes, because it’s the truth.”
Be-veret smirked, her face now resembling a repulsive devil.
“Gye-jek? The video.”
“Alright.”
Gye-jek grinned while fiddling with something, and a massive hologram screen rose between me and them, playing a video.
“Outland…?”
It was unmistakable.
The screen displayed the Outland, specifically the scene of the garbage mountain I had first encountered upon arriving in this world.
The video repeated the same unchanged view over and over again.
“What is this-”
At that very moment, with a hissing sound, a portal-like void opened up and a girl with long, silver hair appeared, landing on the trash heap.
“That’s…!”
I finally understood why they had the audacity to bring me here.
Though uncertain, that video was almost certainly a recording of my arrival in this world moments before it happened.
And to an unknowing observer, my appearance in that video would have seemed utterly strange.
“That’s perfect, right, kid? Look how pretty it came out! Heavens, I went through so much trouble to get this. We’ve got the city wall surveillance cameras to thank!”
Gye-jek grinned as he placed a loop on the video, repeatedly showing the moment I appeared.
After that incident, it had seemed surprisingly quiet—but they had been scheming this all along!
“Alright, you’ve seen it now, don’t you? Any excuses?”
Be-veret pressed coldly.
“That’s—it’s…”
Caught off guard by the unexpected situation, my words faltered.
What should I say?
Though Ryu-je was someone I trusted and had confided my secret to in subtle terms, these three before me were certainly not trustworthy.
Revealing one’s secrets to people like that was akin to walking willingly into the jaws of a crocodile to escape this moment, a self-destructive move.
But what should I do—
“The charges don’t end here, you. Don’t you have one of the bio-terminals issued to Fangju citizens?”
“…Yes.”
“But there’s no record of you ever receiving one from the government.”
Be-veret continued her interrogation, my mouth went dry, and my heart raced with fear.
“However, there’s something surprising. Your information, along with the bio-terminal you somehow acquired, was registered in Fangju’s database without any official issuance.”
Be-veret looked down at me with disdain.
“T, hat—”
“Isn’t it astonishing? As if you were always a citizen of Fangju, your information appeared precisely on that day, that very moment you showed up here.”
“…”
The discordance I had overlooked between AOE and this world began to strangle me.
“Then isn’t the answer clear? The means by which you arrived here and the ability to manipulate Fangju’s database with such expertise must belong to one group alone.”
Gye-jek whistled.
“The Invaders.”
Be-veret announced the name as if sentencing me.
With her gaze turning to the middle-aged man, Gro-jay nodded in agreement.
“So, anything else to say?”
“Just a moment! If I were one of their minions, I wouldn’t have fought at the academy like I did! And assuming I’m one of those Invaders is way too simplistic—”
“Didn’t you say that already?”
Be-veret waved her head as if it were a nuisance.
“Who knows if that was a genuine fight or a staged performance?”
“…I fought alongside others! If it were staged, why would I deliberately cause a disturbance or report to the dean—”
“Do you not know? There’s also the possibility that they tipped off information to quiet the scene because they were discovered earlier than expected.”
Be-veret bluntly replied.
“About the disturbance, well, maybe the kid made a mistake. Honestly, that so-called ally girl might have already been swayed to your side, right?”
With her curt dismissal, I caught a glimpse of Be-veret’s hideous sneer and mockery.
It was then I realized.
These bastards had no intention of listening to anything I had to say.
They were using the confusion caused by the Invaders’ attack on the academy and that video to dispose of me.
“…”
“So, is that it? Did we waste enough time explaining to you? Time to admit your guilt quietly, wouldn’t you say?”
Gro-jay spoke with boredom.
But my answer was already set. Since they were going to pull such stunts, I would counter with equal resistance.
“No.”
“What?”
For the first time, Gro-jay turned his head to look at me.
“You’d still deny it despite such clear evidence?”
“It’s only circumstantial evidence. Do you actually have any proof that I colluded with them?”
“Hmm? You’re still saying that after seeing that video?”
“Isn’t it just showing when I first appeared? Is there anything in that video that explicitly says the Invaders sent me?”
“…”
Gro-jay furrowed his brow, either realizing he was losing the argument or just feeling annoyed.
“Annoying. How long do we have to stand here dealing with a kid who doesn’t know his place?”
With that, he nodded toward Gye-jek, who responded with a grin.
“Of course. Legislator, a whip is good for an upstart kid.”
Click.
The sound of something activating followed by sparks erupting from the floor, and then an overwhelming pain spread through every inch of my body.
“KYAAAAH!!!”
A scream of anguish erupted involuntarily.
In such immense pain, thinking or acting held no meaning.
“AAAAAHHHH!!!”
Hurts, it hurts! It hurts!
Stop, stop it…!
Tears streaming down.
As my vision faced the ground, I realized a moment later that I had fallen.
“That’s enough. We can’t let him die before he confesses.”
“Yes, Legislator.”
The click sound ceased, and the intense pain in my body subsided.
“Oof, Ow….”
My body shivered uncontrollably.
My mind, emptied by the pain, was as blank as a sheet of paper.
“Feeling more obedient now, aren’t you? Now, let’s try this again. Will you admit your guilt?”
“Grr…”
“Pitiful. You can’t even respond after just that amount of pain?”
Gro-jay sneered, his gaze filled with malice targeting me.
“Stupid brat, do you really think denying here will change anything? How naive, how naive.”
With that, he turned his gaze toward Gye-jek, who happily nodded in agreement.
“That…”
“Great timing! You, kid, should have listened to us adults, huh?”
Gye-jek reached for the button, and I instinctively clutched my legs in anticipation of the returning pain.
“Now, it’s time for punishment!”
Right as Gye-jek was about to press the button, a commotion erupted outside.
– Step back, the trial is in session right now. No one is allowed to- GAAAAHH!
– Suppress them! AAAHHHH!
The sound of heavy metal rang out.
The disturbance was quickly approaching.
– AAAAAH!
KWA-BOOM!!
The heavy door, tightly shut, shattered with the sound of the terminal, sending a black-clothed soldier flying and slamming against the wall behind.
“Guh…”
The soldier lost consciousness.
Heavy, silent footsteps echoed in the room. A sharp metallic sound spread across the floor as if dragging some kind of metal object.
“You’ve all exerted yourself greatly.”
Her distinct, genteel tone.
“But I don’t recall giving anyone permission to treat my student like this, do I?”
Adorning her head was a black cap emblazoned with the academy’s emblem, and her fluttering black coat was adorned with elegant red and gold embroidery.
The footsteps drew closer. As the cold floor and pain made Edu’s small body tremble, a warm sensation enveloped the wounded small body.
As the girl slowly lifted her head, Ryu-je looked at her with a gentle smile.
“Dean…”
“Rest easy, Edu. I’ve arrived.”
Ryu-je whispered softly, tenderly embracing Edu. Then her gaze turned toward the three individuals further away.
“Are you deaf?”
Her voice frosty and cold.
Clang.
With a graceful motion, Ryu-je’s geer (weapon) was drawn and aimed directly at the three.
“Hu?!”
The two flinched, and Be-veret’s voice trembled with fear.
“And now, I’m asking you once more: what exactly did you do to my student?”