Chapter 64: Euclid's Trial
〘What is she saying?〙
〘Convince me? Why? What's in there?〙
〘I only want justice for my son, who was abandoned and killed〙
〘If it's something unreasonable, I swear I'd never back down. Even if I have to challenge the Dragon King myself, I'd avenge my son〙
A flood of thoughts belong solely to Lord Benowitz seeped inside her mind. Kyriaki's one eyebrow twitched.
'It's a bit different from what I imagine.'
She thought he'd be just like his son since they looked the same. But it seems she was wrong.
He seemed…too good-natured and family oriented.
〘I just—I just want him to sleep peacefully〙
〘My only son〙
"Haah…" Kyriaki loudly sighed.
She felt a bit guilty for no apparent reason. It was uncharacteristic of her.
"Your Honor, I would like to request a private audience to reveal the evidence."
Living by the rule of never to regret, Kyriaki immediately picked up on her rare feeling of guilt and requested an audience from the judge.
〘What's she up to now?〙
〘But it seems she want to prevent the information from leaking. Might be because she was just trying to take advantage of her position in secret or because the evidence were scandalous and might harm the Benowitz House〙
Tilting her head, Astrape signed to the door. Her thoughts filled with curiosity.
—Alright. I might as well grant your request to see these confidantal level evidence—
A smile formed on her plumpy rose lips. Kyriaki waited until only the parties involved and the jury was left alone. They even sent Levana and Prince Erik away.
Kyriaki lifted her hand dramatically and snapped her fingers.
Snap!
One drone glided smoothly to the center and started playing a recording in a holographic screen.
「No, no…please. Please Levana, save me.」
A dark cave appeared. Due to the night-vision filter of the drone camera, every detail of the cave was visible.
Ethan was hanging on a spike, clinging to his life that was about to be dragged into a bottomless pit. Sobbing and pleading, he looked more disgraceful than pitiful.
"My son!" the Elf shouted, barely holding back tears.
"Shhh…Lord Benowitz, don't disturb the trial." Kyriaki coldly cut him off, placing her index finger over her lips and hushing him sternly. There was a quiet dominance in her tone that let others from disobeying her command.
Lord Benowitz gritted his teeth, he seemed to have a lot to say but rather than obeying her, he looked like his words were choking him.
「Please save me…i-i was wrong!!.」
「...what did you do wrong, Sir Ethan?」 Levana asked with a trembling voice, standing before him without moving a muscle.
「I-i apologize! I'm sorry for everything I did! Yes! I was wrong for intentionally bullying you at EESOP! I-i was wrong for making other people force to pick on you too!! Ah! That's right! Adam did it too! I'll make sure he gets punished too! Huh, Levana? Will you help me? Please…I-i don't want to die」
"Gasp!"
—Thanasios have mercy!—
—Bloody hell, so it was true?—
"How shameless"
"How can he ask for help if he had done all those terrible things to her?!"
"A disgrace, really."
—How mortifying these younger generations are—
—No matter how young they are, they shouldn't bully their fellow classmates—
Gasps and mummers thick with disbelief and disgust filled the court room once again. Though the hidden cynical and cold judgement was still there, it seemed that the dragons weren't irrational enough to let go of an exposed crime. Meanwhile, Lord Benowitz stared at the video with a blank expression.
From then on, the video continued to play. How Levana helped him, how Ethan let her fall into the abyss and how Kyriaki rescued her. Everything was clearly recorded, including Kyriaki's sarcastic remarks onsite.
Snap!
Kyriaki paused the video in the moment where she rescued Levana safely. Skipping ordinary scenes, she began to play each event where Ethan acted unreasonably and cowardly.
The more videos she played, the more opinions shifted. Ethan's true nature was laid bare in front of the most powerful bunch in the universe.
Lord Benowitz's sapphire blue eyes shook as if caught by an earthquake at the end of the video where Ethan passed out from a single attack of the death knight.
"The drone record ends here." Kyriaki announced.
A deep silence followed.
After a minute's hesitation, a meek voice, tinted with sorrow and regret called out to Kyriaki;
"Your Royal Highness, forgive me for my rudeness. But this doesn't show us how he died or how Lord Euclid is innocent."
It was Lord Benowitz. He pressed his beautiful lips together and clenched his fist, looking pitifully obvious how pathetic he looked while uttering those words.
"I am not ignoring my son's wrong behavior. What's wrong is wrong. I admit he deserves punishment. But death is not necessary for a crime like this."
"True." Kyriaki made eye contact with him.
〘I feel pathetic for defending his wrongdoings, but I can't help it. It's too painful to part with my beloved son. I-if only I knew why how he passed away〙
"Then let's see why and how he died, and also why Lord Euclid shouldn't be punished."
Kyriaki extended her hand that held >Nuwan<
She infused mana to it and activated the record playing section.
A lard screen shot out from the blue eye, on the colorful screen there was the gloomy Void Plane and an elf boy standing far away.
「Oh? It's Ethan. Finally, I'm reunited with a teammate!」
The wearer—Euclid's voice cheerfully flowered out. Since he was the one wearing it, his face wasn't recorded there.
The distance between Euclid on the video and Ethan soon began to close. However, suddenly, Euclid halted.
At first, it seemed like an error from the record, but the watchers soon realized it wasn't the case.
An incubus suddenly appeared right in front of Ethan. Ethan knelt down calmly as if submitting to a superior and they began to talk.
The court room instantly felt heavy with pressure. Few dragons released their
No one, literally no one was allowed to bow down to demons or angels, the traitors of the world, the ones who threatened world peace. Otherwise, the ones who'd do such a thing are treated as traitors too.
The Dark Elves who loyally followed Dragons were practically hostile against those two races. Dark Elves usually never entertained the idea of betrayal. The chances of them betraying dragons were closer to zero. However, there are always exceptions.
They continue to watch the video after the dragons calmed down.
The conversation between the incubus and Ethan continued. The distance was still too far for the conversation to be recorded. And Euclid didn't move a muscle throughout the entire time as if he was glued to there.
When the incubus finally disappeared just as it appeared, that was when Euclid moved.
「Phew…this is troublesome.」
Euclid muttered to himself. He approached Ethan casually. Spoke to him, and stayed with him. Ethan acted suspicious from the beginning. And Euclid kept an eye on him meticulously.
They traveled for a week without any major trouble.
Just as the tension was building up like when watching a thriller movie, Ethan made his move.
「Just Die!」
It was a murder attempt on a hatchling.
A grave sin by the law of dragons.
Ethan, corrupted by demonic energy for weeks, had his eyes change color. Black veins had invaded his body, showing their presence through his tan skin.
The rest of the event was imaginable.
「Article 02, Section 01.A of Dragon Laws, any kind of malicious violence directed at a dragon by other races would be viewed as challenge of authority and the assaulter will be punished accordingly.」
「What the hell are you talking about! Ugh! Die! Die!! Just die already!!!」
「Article 02, section 01.B of Dragon Laws, murder or attempt murder on a dragon would be punished with death sentence」
「Don't be too cheeky, you tyrant lizards! You are the one to die today!!」
「Article 05 section 1 of Dragon Minor Laws, murder, attempt murder or any kind of violence towards a hatchling would be faced with immediate execution」
Slash!
Euclid showed no mercy. Ethan, who was pathetic in every way, crumbled under his feet without even knowing how he died. His end was a single, refined slash of a blade with only sword aura coated.
Thud!
Snap!
As soon as Ethan's half split body landed on the ground, the video ended.
No one dared to speak first.
Each person had their own thoughts. But the end concussion was the same. To rational dragons, following the law as Euclid did was the correct procedure.
This evidence, when Kyriaki first discovered, made even Kyriaki agree with his methods.
Euclid was innocent. In fact, he acted in self-defense.
He wasn't to blame. Not in the slightest. And this trial was meaningless. If there's more, it's that they should apologize for even daring to punish the true victim.
"I-i.."
And it seems literally everyone thought that way.
Yes, including the one who requested all this mess.
With shaking sapphire pupils, Lord Benowitz stepped forward.
Thud!
His knees fell on the ground as he bowed on all fours in front of Euclid.
"I apologize for everything me and my son did to you, My lord! Please punish me! I am ready to bear our sins!!"
He repeatedly slammed his forehead on the ground, sobbing and choking on his own sobs. Euclid merely stared at him. There was not even the slightest change in his expression. Cold, arrogant and aloof.
"It's all my fault for failing to raise my son properly. It's—It's all my fault for misunderstanding you. I was arrogant for thinking my sorrow was justified. This sinner doesn't deserve to live, please punish me!!!"
"You are not the only one who should apologize, isn't that right?" Euclid's voice, a carbon copy of his demeanor, pierced the atmosphere in a clear and arrogant manner.
He completely ignored the sobbing Elf and turned to look at the council members.
His tone screamed; if it's apologizing, then do it together so that I can get over with it.
Some ancient dragons flinched, some cleared their throats.
—Ahem. I sincerely apologize to you as the representative of the council and the judge of this court. Young Lord Euclid, I promise to make up for my mistake in the future. And there will be a formal apology from our side to you later as well—
Astrape did not shy away from what had to be done.
With the cooperation of the involved parties, the incident of a meaningless trial hence came to an end.
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