The middle-aged uncle simply sat in the head seat for this announcement of the Raiden Shogun's verdict.
Almost none of the higher-ups from the Kujou Clan around him weren't trembling in fear.
You know what's the scariest thing? When someone doesn't say anything at all.
When writing horror novels, the biggest taboo is having the eerie entity actually communicate.
Because if it can't communicate, you're left to explore and think on your own, piecing together information that sends chills down your spine.
But once it speaks, you can glean a lot of information about the thing from its voice. Compared to indescribable beings, rational creatures are far too friendly.
From the moment Lord Shura Anyakonsen-shou entered the place of judgment, he sat boldly in the main seat without any restraint, saying not a single word—just sweeping his gaze over all the higher-ups present with contempt.
I behold you all as mere heads stuck on pikes for sale!
Damn it all—if it weren't for the fact that chopping everyone here at once would cause massive chaos below, I'd really just slaughter the lot of you.
If it weren't for the Raiden Shogun holding me back, you'd already be dead.
Once your value has been squeezed dry, I'll send every single one of you inside according to the law…
Simple bribery carries up to 5 years, bribery by entrustment up to 7 years, pre-acceptance bribery up to 5 years, third-party bribery up to 5 years, aggravated bribery 1 year or more, post-acceptance bribery up to 5 years of penal servitude. Abuse of official authority up to 3 years, and so on…
In any case, all sorts of miscellaneous legal provisions are laid out right there…
At that point, those with some humanity will get life imprisonment and serve as slaves to the nation for the rest of their lives; those without any will be sent straight to the leylines…
In short, the middle-aged uncle acted as the enforcer at the banquet—utterly solemn, extremely stern, and appearing perfectly upright and proper…
Meanwhile, the head of the Kamisato Clan had a much easier time. He just needed to negotiate over there about how much money might buy their lives…
And because Lord Shura Anyakonsen-shou was holding down the scene, no one dared refuse the Kamisato Clan head's quotes.
Truly no one did—which left Lord Shura Anyakonsen-shou somewhat dissatisfied.
Seriously, all I did was take out a few thousand wandering samurai, that's all…
All I did was demonstrate that I could wipe out everyone present in an instant…
If someone resists or shows dissatisfaction, isn't it perfectly normal for me to accidentally take out a few extra scum?
There's no way I could possibly slaughter all of you.
Facts proved that there weren't many fools among those who played politics. Fools couldn't reach high positions. If someone did something stupid, normally you'd have to look at who was behind them.
But everyone present were high-ranking figures who valued their own lives—they all obediently paid their taxes.
Just looking at how widely the head of the Kamisato Clan was grinning, almost unable to close his mouth…
You could tell just how satisfactory the outcome of this trip had been.
But… wasn't something a little off?
Clan head, why are you starting to look more and more like a comedian?
At this moment, little Eula stood behind the middle-aged uncle, displaying the elegance, dignity, and strength of a noble knight.
Under normal proceedings, the middle-aged uncle and Eula would have had to sit and stand boringly for a very long time.
But at that moment, the head of the Kujou Clan arrived, bringing his adopted son, Kujou Sara.
"Kujou Clan's Kujou Takayuki, together with my adopted son Kujou Sara, pays respects to Lord Shura Anyakonsen-shou."
Oh, so it's that old bastard who tricked the Shogun into colluding with the Fatui to enact the Sakoku Decree and the Vision Hunt Decree…
Lord Shura Anyakonsen-shou merely glanced at Kujou Takayuki before shifting his gaze to Kujou Sara.
Kujou Takayuki appeared greatly relieved. Some people really are strange—you pay attention to them and they think you're taking advantage; you do take advantage, and they instead feel humbly that it's only normal.
The middle-aged uncle didn't care about his reaction. After all, his fate was already sealed. His attention was entirely on Kujou Sara.
Oh~ So Kujou Sara is already this old now?
About the same age as little Eula—right at the age of a junior high school girl.
Looking at the somewhat rigid and proper little Sara, the corners of Lord Shura Anyakonsen-shou's mouth curved into a faint smile.