Verbal Abuse
"Are you quite finished?!"
Duke Yurei shouted, the veins in his neck bulging. His eyes blazed with fury.
"So you executed him on the spot?"
Ferda looked away from Duke Yurei and answered.
"I did not kill him."
"Is that not different from what you just said?"
"I said he committed a crime worthy of death. I never said that I was the one who killed him."
"From now on, please answer clearly, Regent Ferda."
Akad warned him, recognizing the remark for the deliberate wordplay it was—an attempt to get under the other man's skin.
Without allowing himself to be swayed by emotion, he questioned Ferda.
"What crime did he commit that made him deserving of death?"
"Lord Yurei insulted Valdrova, the great embodiment of fire and power."
At that, the murmurs of condemnation that had gradually risen fell silent.
Most of those present were people of authority, so they understood.
Insulting a dragon was a challenge to its authority.
Just as a noble would not forgive a commoner who dared to defy them, neither would a dragon.
If anything, dragons were even more ruthless.
They showed no restraint and made examples of offenders to warn everyone else.
Even Silverwind, who had been mild-tempered and friendly toward humans, had shown no mercy to those who insulted dragons.
That was why such incidents now existed only in history books.
Realizing the gravity of the situation, Akad asked in a slightly trembling voice,
"If he insulted a dragon, is there anyone who can prove it?"
"There is."
There were two principal witnesses.
Luri, a Dragon Spawn.
And Malcolm, who had happened to overhear the conversation.
Ferda could not bring Luri forward.
She had already turned the imperial capital upside down once as a warning.
If she had to intervene again, she would have to be prepared to destroy the Golden Council completely.
That was the duty of a Dragon Spawn reborn through a blood bond.
Had she merely been Valdrova's attendant, she would have done so without hesitation.
However, now that a human settlement had been established and everything was progressing smoothly, instilling fear in the people would only create chaos.
'And Luri must not be made to do that.'
The only person she needed to take responsibility for was Valdrova.
Ferda had to resolve this matter himself.
Therefore, there was only one name he could call.
"I will present Sir Malcolm of Peach Hill as my witness."
"Is he here now?"
"Yes, he is."
"Then call him forward."
Ferda glanced behind his seat.
The man looked like a country bumpkin no matter what he wore, and everything he did somehow seemed awkward.
Ferda jerked his chin, signaling for him to come forward.
"Witness, please introduce yourself."
"I-I am Malcolm of Peach Hill! I s-serve in Lord Valdrova's territory—no, I mean, in the Regent's territory! B-before that, I served as a knight of the Imperial Household!"
"An Imperial Household knight…?"
The question came from Oldin Rooster.
He, too, had once been an Imperial Household knight.
"Ah, yes! That's right!"
"How did someone like you become an Imperial Household knight?"
"Oh, that? I passed the examination!"
"What I am asking is how someone like you managed to pass."
"I passed the retest."
"The retest…?"
Oldin Rooster's eyes widened.
"Surely you do not mean the trial where you retrieve the imperial flag planted at the summit of the Ice Storm Mountains in the north?"
"Yes, that is the one."
Malcolm scratched his head and smiled innocently.
Those who did not understand merely looked confused.
But those who did understand could not conceal their shock.
Consilus was among them.
"That fellow climbed all the way up there…?"
"Just how impressive is that?"
"Regent, do you know of Sir Gaius?"
Having once dreamed of becoming a knight himself, Ferda knew him well.
Gaius had been a pillar of the Arken Empire, a man whose accomplishments were so extraordinary that he was regarded as a figure of legend and myth.
"Among the Imperial Household knights, there is a legend that Sir Gaius climbed the Ice Mountains—the highest peaks in the world—and planted the imperial flag at their summit."
"Is that so? But what does that have to do with anything?"
"Those who fail the Imperial Household Knight Examination are given an opportunity to redeem themselves. Using only the equipment provided for the trial, they must climb the Ice Mountains and retrieve that flag."
The summit was hidden above the clouds, while beneath them, unending ice storms raged.
For high-ranking mages, the Ice Storm Mountains were nothing particularly threatening.
But for those who relied solely on physical strength and had to climb honestly from the foot of the mountains to the summit, it was a place akin to hell.
Before reaching even the halfway point, most were either devoured by monsters or frozen to death.
"It may be called a second chance, but in truth, it is little more than a way of telling those without the qualifications to become knights to give up."
"…And you are saying that man managed to retrieve it?"
"It would appear so."
What had Malcolm been like when Ferda first took him in?
He had been nothing more than a troublesome burden.
If he had overcome a trial deliberately designed to force people to surrender, then surely he deserved to be treated with some respect.
'Though their pride probably would not allow it.'
Even now, just look at him.
That awkward smile of his invited a punch far more readily than praise.
"In any case… since you were once an Imperial Household knight, I trust that you understand the meaning of honor."
"Ah, yes! Of course!"
"Then I shall ask you this. This incident may cause considerable friction between the Empire and another kingdom. In the worst-case scenario, the responsibility may fall not only upon you, Sir Malcolm, but upon Regent Ferda as well."
Here is the revised passage with Erdes as female:
Akad's words weighed upon Malcolm's shoulders as he spoke of responsibility.
It was an attempt to frighten him into retracting his testimony.
Ferda was not worried.
He had once asked Malcolm a similar question himself.
And how had Malcolm answered then?
"Yes. I heard it clearly."
Even when frightened, he had answered without hesitation.
People tended to grow afraid once they began thinking about the consequences.
But the man Akad was dealing with was different.
'He has no reason to be afraid because he doesn't think at all.'
Seeing Malcolm's confidence, Akad questioned him again.
"Did he specifically refer to Her Highness Princeps Valdrova?"
"Yes. I didn't know it at the time, but it happened while Her Highness Princeps Valdrova and the Regent were dancing."
"Could he not have been looking elsewhere when he said it?"
"No. That man was clearly staring directly at them with both eyes."
"…Can you swear before Alte that you are certain?"
"I can swear not only upon Alte, but upon my mother's name as well. If you wish, I can do it right here and—"
Malcolm adopted an exceptionally solemn expression and began making a strange gesture, but Akad hurriedly stopped him.
Only then did Akad realize that there was no reasoning with this man, and he gave up on pressing him further.
"That will be enough. You may step down, witness."
"Yes!"
Malcolm gave what he apparently believed to be a knightly salute before withdrawing.
Ferda was suddenly reminded of the blood, sweat, tears, and hair that Burnell and his researchers had sacrificed while working tirelessly for Malcolm's sake.
Perhaps Akad had prepared for this possibility, because he continued,
"Sir Malcolm's testimony carries some weight, but we require someone more objective to prove this matter."
His argument was that Malcolm was Ferda's knight and would naturally be willing to sacrifice himself for his lord.
It was difficult to dismiss the claim as unreasonable, since there were countless precedents of precisely that happening.
"He undoubtedly ordered his own knight to say those things!"
Duke Yurei shouted in a venomous voice.
"Regent Ferda had been building a village since before last winter. To establish a village, he needed commoners to work beneath him. To gather them, Regent Ferda slowly lured away subjects from territories all across the continent!"
He concealed his own shamelessness beneath his outrage and portrayed Ferda as a scoundrel.
Ferda remained silent even after hearing those words.
"I cannot remain silent after hearing that!"
It was Consilus's role to object to such accusations.
"The people who came to Regent Ferda's territory were refugees fleeing nobles who offered them no relief during the poor harvest! You kept your mouths shut throughout that dreadful winter, only to come forward like this once spring arrived! Have you no shame?!"
"Count Consilus, obtain the right to speak before addressing the council. Consider this a warning."
Unable to contain his anger, Consilus sat back down.
Akad gestured for Duke Yurei to continue.
"I request that Crown Prince Alexander, who is familiar with the circumstances of the Far East, be called as a witness."
Alexander had been declared guilty and placed under disciplinary confinement only the previous day.
However, only his political activities had been restricted, so he was still permitted to observe the proceedings.
He was seated beside Olivia.
Once Akad granted permission, Alexander rose as though he had been waiting for the opportunity and stepped into the witness stand.
"I am Crown Prince Alexander. My disciplinary action was handed down only yesterday, so I deeply regret having to stand before you again so soon…"
Despite his words, the corners of his mouth were practically twitching with delight.
He began laying out the information he had gathered to use against Ferda.
"A village has recently been established in the territory of Princeps Valdrova, and it is called Hestia. Hestia was the name of a woman who guarded the sacred flame in ancient times—"
Alexander continued rambling about irrelevant history.
Erdes, who had been watching with her chin resting on one hand, raised the other and obtained permission to speak.
"No one cares about that. Get to the point."
It was a rude remark, but more than a few people agreed with her.
"A-anyway, the reason Regent Ferda gathered all those people was…"
Alexander hesitated, as though unsure whether he should reveal it.
Ferda already knew what would come from those filthy lips.
"I have heard that black magic was involved."
"Black magic?!"
The council chamber erupted into chaos.
The Arken Empire recognized the Church of Alte as its state religion and maintained a policy of absolute intolerance toward black magic.
Even nobles were no exception.
Anyone suspected of involvement with black magic had to either make an enormous donation to the Church or receive a sacred mark of repentance through divine power.
Naturally, Ferda could do neither.
He genuinely practiced black magic, and he had no intention of abandoning it.
"An accusation of black magic has enormous ramifications. Can you bring forward the informant who provided this information?"
"I cannot reveal their identity. There may be retaliation after this council concludes, so I earnestly request that the informant be allowed to remain anonymous."
Akad tilted his head and exchanged opinions with the others regarding the request.
Even if the informant remained anonymous, who could possibly have disclosed such information?
As far as Ferda knew, Erdes was the only one.
'But that seems rather strange.'
Had Erdes intended to expose his black magic, she would have done so personally.
At the very least, she would not have used a pathetic fool like Alexander as her mouthpiece.
Meanwhile, the senior councilors appeared to have finished their discussion, and Akad delivered their conclusion.
"For now, we will accept the testimony anonymously. Continue."
"Yes. Thank you."
The kite Alexander had launched caught the wind and began climbing higher.
"Regent Ferda's violent nature can be confirmed through the reports we have received thus far."
He tapped a thick stack of documents and began revealing Ferda's past actions.
"Before the engagement ceremony, Regent Ferda gathered the nobles of the Far East and held his first formal meeting. At the time, he was not yet Regent, but merely the prospective fiancé, and therefore possessed no official authority. During that meeting, he mocked Baron Thessalos Walcher by calling him a mage and summarily executed him on the spot!"
That information must have come from one of the senior officials in the Far East.
Whatever the case might have been with Lord Yurei, Thessalos Walcher had not insulted a dragon.
"I object to that account! Chairman, please grant me the right to speak!"
Consilus sprang to his feet.
Akad nodded, granting him permission.
"The summary execution of Thessalos Walcher was undoubtedly something difficult for noble society to accept, but there were circumstances behind it. Thessalos Walcher was plotting an unprecedented atrocity—he intended to fuse monsters with black magic! Had it not been for Regent Ferda, the conspiracy would never have been discovered!"
Alexander immediately countered.
"Even if such a plot existed, is the order of events not backwards? If he truly was a servant of demons, the facts should first have been established before he was executed!"
"At the time, Regent Ferda was inexperienced in communicating with others. He also had no reason to trust the lords of the Far East. Had he revealed the truth, it would merely have given Baron Thessalos Walcher an opportunity to escape."
Ferda sensed something peculiar in Consilus's defense, but chose not to dwell on it.
The argument remained evenly matched.
Alexander decided that it was time to reveal his trump card.
"It greatly pains me to hear such an opinion from Count Consilus, who has served the Far East longer than anyone. However, there is someone who can prove just how dangerous Regent Ferda truly is. Chairman, please permit me to summon him to the witness stand!"
"Who is it?"
"William Miller."
Ferda did not recognize the surname Miller.
But he knew William.
"Permission granted."
Alexander's expression brightened, as though victory was already his.
At his gesture, a man who had been waiting outside entered the chamber.
Ferda, Duke Yurei, and even Consilus all recognized his face.
"That man… Is he not the captain of Hestia's constabulary?"
"He is."
"Then why is he appearing as the Crown Prince's witness…?"
The first emotion that swelled within Consilus, who lacked the relevant information, was betrayal.
A knight's loyalty should never be so easily swayed.
Had he possessed a sword, he would have wanted to cut William's head off on the spot.
Unlike Consilus, however, Ferda remained calm.
'He is someone I trust.'
William possessed firm convictions, and Ferda had appointed him captain of the constabulary because he believed in those convictions.
To feel betrayed now would be to dismiss those very convictions as something shallow.
Therefore, Ferda had to trust him until the very end.
William stepped onto the platform.
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