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Chapter 32: Even as the situation worsens (Part two)
—- A few hours had passed, and the town of Clausel was buzzing with morning activity.
In the Leomel Empire, every city has a temple.
In the temple, there’s always a large hall. There, in addition to rituals, judgments of the nobility and other influential people are sometimes held.
It was a ritual of judgment in which observers were invited to observe and follow a prescribed process, as required by imperial law.
The first is the “Elfen” ceremony, which is a clean ceremony in which no one is allowed to lie under the worship of the revered Lord God Elfen.
“It’s about to begin. My Lord.”
Weiss, the Knight Commander, said next to Baron Clausel, who had taken his seat.
Outside the temple, voices calling for Baron Clausel echoed. Symmetrically, it was quiet inside the temple.
It’s because there is a rule that it must be so.
“Fufu.”
“…Why are you laughing?”
“It’s funny Weiss. You should have seen the look on the man’s face when he sat down in front of us.”
The seat where they sat was at the back of the temple, in front of the altar.
The seats of Viscount Givens, the complainant, and Baron Clausel, the opponent, are placed across the altar from each other.
The Viscount Givens’ face was clearly visible from his seat on the opposite side.
“What …… that man ……?”
Weiss saw that Viscount Givens didn’t seem to care about Baron Clausel.
Viscount Givens was even engaged in pleasantries with the knight he had brought with him.
“Don’t worry about the arguments of the day, that’s what he seems to be saying…..!”
“I suppose. I think he’s confident that he can thoroughly denounce me here and win tomorrow’s ruling. He’s prepared to make such a forceful stand that he’s sure he can win.”
Weiss shook his fist in exasperation.
The power he unleashed traveled through the sky and startled the temple.
Viscount Givens, who had looked relaxed up to this point, just looked at Weiss and gasped when he saw his indignant face.
“Calm down.”
But Baron Clausel was calm.
“But —-“
“Just calm down. If you don’t calm down, I’ll have you removed from the room.”
Weiss, who was surprised by his lord’s resolute attitude, cast down his eyes.
He wasn’t afraid of a hunch.
He was ashamed of himself for not being calm.
“I have something to ask you —-.”
Baron Clausel suddenly said in a calm voice.
“Weiss. What kind of boy is Ren Ashton from your point of view?”
“Um, why all of a sudden….?”
“Just tell me once more. It’s important to me right now.”
In response to the strong tone, Weiss avoids further useless words.
“As I told you before, he’s a strong boy.”
“Is that even when compared to the heirs of the seven great barons you saw in the imperial capital a few years ago?”
“Ha. I believe that Ren Ashton isn’t only comparable to the Descendants of the Seven Heroes, but is even better than them.”
“Fufu. Then that’s good.”
Seeing the lord with a satisfied look on his face and the corners of his lips relaxed, Weiss wondered why he could afford it.
Almost certainly Baron Clausel will end up being set up, but he didn’t know what his sense of confidence came from.
“Between you and me, I have been in contact with a certain nobleman.”
Weiss’ eyes widen at the sudden and unexpected words.
“A certain nobleman…..?”
“Oh. I can’t divulge the details yet —- but the man has promised me. He will help me out if and when the need arises.”
“That man, you mean, is a nobleman of higher rank than you, master?”
“Yes. And higher than Viscount Givens.”
Then he’s at least a count.
Weiss’s cheeks relaxed with joy when he learned this.
He had thought until today that none of the neutrals would take his side, but he had no idea that his lord had secretly gained an ally.
And that ally is one who is counted among the great nobility.
“But I didn’t expect Viscount Givens to move so quickly.”
Baron Clausel shrugged his shoulders and mocked himself.
“That’s why I have had to rely on Ren Ashton’s qualities as well, without any proof.”
“Please, my lord, explain this in a way that I can understand.”
Baron Clausel didn’t answer, but smiled bitterly.
“But the boy was……”
“Taken away with Licia, eh?”
Weiss, still regretful, nodded quietly.
But.
“Even so, we must trust Ren Ashton and rely on his abilities.”
Baron Clausel believed.
With Ren’s rumored strength, he should be able to escape the bandits.
If only Licia were there with him, this situation would be —-
“Ladies and gentlemen, it’s time!”
The civil official of the legal affairs bureau declared.
Standing in the center of the room, he looked around, made sure that everyone’s attention was focused on him, and spoke the following words.
“The arguments will now be heard in accordance with the great imperial law. First, the petitioner—-.”
On one hand, Viscount Givens, who accuses.
On the other hand, Baron Clausel, who defends.
The argument, which Ren would have muttered about as a race if he had been here, began with Viscount Givens.
The argument was as expected.
Of course, Baron Clausel didn’t panic.
He had anticipated what Viscount Givens would say and had prepared a number of materials to refute it.
How many knights had he dispatched, how many battles had he won, and so on.
He also presented the actual damage suffered in villages close to Viscount Given’s territory, and argued that Viscount Given’s statement was wrong.
It was so well prepared in a short period of time that it even surprised Viscount Givens, who had been pretending to be relaxed.
However, it all ended in vain.
In the end, a civil official at the Legal Affairs Bureau agreed with Viscount Givens.
It was as if everything had been decided from the beginning.
“The decision will be reviewed by our Legal Department with reference to the pleadings and in accordance with the great imperial law. Please remember that the announcement will be made tomorrow morning, at the same time as today’s arguments begin.”
It was a judgment that was obvious anyway.
Baron Clausel, smiling bitterly, looked down.
“Two days at the most.”
It’s customary for convicted nobles to be transferred to the imperial capital.
Although the successor to Baron Clausel will not be decided, the remaining civil servants and knights must be given instructions.
In other words, the time required for the handover would be granted.
“No, we can make more time. We can complain about the ruling, and then go to the imperial capital for the next trial. If that doesn’t work, then we can go to the divine tribunal at —-.”
“It’s impossible. By the looks of things, they will sabotage me before I even get to the opening of the court. They’ll bring up Licia and the others and threaten me, no doubt.”
Weiss thought so, too, but when Baron Clausel actually told him so, his anger did not stop growing.
He glared at Viscount Givens on the other side of the room, but they were having none of it.
“Viscount.”
“Oh. Thanks to your speedy action, we haven’t yet been sidetracked by the royalist faction. We’re finally going to be able to finish what we started.”
Viscount Givens smiled in the face of the others.
He was slightly annoyed at Baron Clausel’s stouthearted behavior.
But still, a win is a win.
There was no way he could resist anymore, he exhaled.
—-The next morning.
A civil official from the legal department found Baron Clausel guilty of the crime and deemed him worthy of punishment.
But the nature of that punishment has not yet been determined.
When nobles are punished, as in this case, it’s only with the Emperor’s approval that the punishment is finally carried out.
Of course, the emperor will be impartial in his decisions, as he will involve the Senate and others who advise him, as well as the Legal Affairs Bureau and others.
The reason why so many steps are taken is that the punishment for nobility includes confiscation of lands and deprivation of titles, and the emperor is the one who decides on these matters.
It’s also related to the fact that the consequences of execution are great.
In any case, it’s not easy to overturn a judgment that has gone through the steps of a trial.
The emperor will soon hear the results of the trial, and the future of Baron Clausel, who will be transferred to the imperial capital, will be decided.