Chapter 92: The Price of Innocence
The echoes of Ren's confession hung in the air of the courtroom like a suffocating fog. For a few seconds, the only sound was the frantic scratching of the court reporter's pen and the heavy, ragged breathing of the spectators. The silence was not peaceful; it was the silence that follows a catastrophic explosion.
At the front row of the gallery, Mr. Go (Prince Enoki) sat as still as a statue. His golden eyes, usually filled with calculation and hidden power, were now wide with a mixture of shock and sheer disbelief.
Ren, you absolute fool, Go thought, his knuckles turning white as he gripped the armrest of his chair. Are you out of your mind? Do you have any idea what you've just done? I risked my knights and my status to buy you a chance, and you just threw your life into the abyss. Do you think being a martyr is that easy?
Behind him, the air was just as thick with tension. Mika, Adam, and Lira looked like they had seen a ghost. Adam, who had always known Ren was protective, never imagined his friend would lie to the world and paint himself as a villain just to save a sister who was already broken.
Suddenly, the silence was shattered.
"NO! That's a lie!"
Mina stood up, her chair screeching against the floorboards. Her face was flushed with anger and desperation, tears brimming in her eyes. She ignored the shocked gasps of the aristocrats around her. "Your Honor, Ren is lying! He didn't do any of those things! He was just a victim who tried to save everyone! Don't listen to him—he's just trying to protect his sister!"
Ren didn't turn around to face her. His shoulders stayed slumped, but his heart hammered against his ribs. Beside him, Hana looked up at him, her eyes trembling. She tried to open her mouth to speak, to scream that her brother was innocent, but the trauma of the past week had stolen her voice. She looked at Ren, her face a mask of pure confusion.
Ren reached out and gently took Hana's hand. His fingers were cold, but his grip was firm. "Please, Hana," he whispered, his voice so low only she could hear. "Just stay quiet. This is the only way. For once, let me be the one who carries the weight."
He finally turned his head slightly, catching Mina's gaze. He didn't say a word. Instead, he gave her a small, agonizingly sad smile—a look that conveyed both his gratitude for her bravery and a final "goodbye." It was a smile that broke Mina's heart into a thousand pieces.
"Order! Order in the court!" the Judge (Jug) bellowed, slamming his gavel with enough force to shake the wooden podium. "Miss, if you have something to say, you must be called to the witness box. Sit down immediately!"
Before Mina could shout again, a heavy hand landed on her shoulder. Kimo stood up, his face as cold and unyielding as the mountain stone. His grip on Mina was iron-like as he forced her back into her seat.
"Sit down and be quiet, Mina," Kimo hissed, his voice dangerous. "If the boy wants to confess, let him. This is his choice. Do not drag our family into this disaster any further. If he says he did it, the court will believe him. Your words mean nothing here."
Mina looked at her father, her eyes filled with betrayal. "But Dad, he's—"
"I said be quiet!" Kimo commanded, his aura momentarily flaring, silencing her through sheer pressure.
The Judge adjusted his spectacles and looked toward the defense table. "Mr. Silas Thorne, your client has just confessed to the most heinous crimes in recent history. Do you have anything to say in his defense? Any evidence to contradict this statement?"
Silas stood up slowly. He looked at his brother, Merzerk, who was watching him like a hawk from the prosecution table. Silas knew the plan. He knew that by Ren taking the blame, he could at least save the girl. But seeing Ren stand there, accepting his death, was harder than Silas had anticipated.
"Your Honor," Silas began, his voice professional and hollow. "I... I have no physical evidence to prove my client is lying about his involvement. However, based on this confession, it is clear that Hana Vority was merely a tool used by the mastermind. She was under the influence of the catalyst provided by the accused. Therefore, the defense maintains that Hana Vority is entirely innocent of all charges."
Mr. Go watched Silas with narrow eyes. So this is the game you're playing, Silas? You're sacrificing the king to save the pawn? It's a cruel strategy, but perhaps the only one left.
The Judge looked at the prosecutor. "Mr. Merzerk, do you agree with this assessment?"
Merzerk Thorne stood up, a thin, predatory smile touching his lips. He had won. He didn't care who went to the gallows as long as someone did, and having a self-confessed "mastermind" was even better than a possessed girl. "Yes, My Lord. Since the defendant has admitted to orchestrating the events, the state is satisfied. Ren Vority is the perpetrator. His sister is merely a victim of his ambition."
The Judge nodded, scribbling notes onto the official decree. The tension in the room began to shift from chaotic energy to a heavy, somber finality.
"Very well," the Judge announced, his voice booming through the silent hall. "By the power vested in me by the Crown of Athelgard, I hereby declare Hana Vority innocent of the crimes associated with the Sector 7 massacre. However..."
He paused, looking at the paralyzed girl in the wheelchair. "Since she was the physical vessel through which 173 lives were lost, and to satisfy the restitution of the grieving families, a civil fine of 20,000 Silver Coins is imposed upon the Vority estate. She is free to leave the prison tonight, but the debt must be settled."
20,000 Silver Coins. The number hit the room like a physical weight. For a commoner, it was a sum that would take ten lifetimes to earn.
"As for Ren Vority," the Judge continued, his gaze turning cold and judgmental. "Due to the severity of the confession and the massive loss of life, I will deliberate on the final sentencing over the coming week. We will reconvene next Sunday to deliver the verdict for the mastermind behind the 173 deaths."
The gavel struck the wood one final time. CRACK.
"Case over. Clear the court!"
The guards immediately swarmed the dock. Two guards grabbed the handles of Hana's wheelchair, while four others surrounded Ren, their hands on their weapons.
"Ren!" Hana finally found her voice, a broken, high-pitched sob. "Ren! No! Don't leave me!"
Ren didn't look back as they started to lead him away toward the dark tunnels leading back to Rollv 13. He kept his head high, but his hands were shaking in his cuffs. He had done it. She was free. She was safe from the executioner's block. But as he heard Mina's muffled sobs and Go's silent, judging stare, he realized that the price of her life was his own disappearance from the world.
The courtroom emptied slowly, leaving only the scent of old paper and the lingering chill of a brother's ultimate sacrifice. Sunday was coming. And for Ren Vority, Sunday would be the day the sun went down for the last time.