Free Web NovelChapter 432: Chapter 45: Ironclad Evidence
Thanks to meticulous preparation and the Grand Law Officer’s own deep-seated arrogance, Westheid captured Eilvette without a fight, catching him completely by surprise.
His entire faction of trusted subordinates was rounded up in an incredibly short time. The operation went so smoothly that even Westheid found it hard to believe.
But on second thought, Westheid had the Wind Law Queen’s endorsement. He not only held the moral high ground but had also brought Reiya and the others over. With such advance preparations, dealing with Eilvette and the Tuner Group was almost insultingly easy.
Whether in a direct confrontation or a sneak attack, Westheid had been guaranteed to win.
Capturing the Grand Law Officer had been the easy part. The next step was figuring out how to quickly bring the matter to a close.
First, Eilvette and his most loyal subordinates had to be dealt with harshly. However, they couldn’t make an enemy of every Tuner, as they were still the backbone of the Royal Court’s Transcendents.
Therefore, what was needed was a trial that followed proper procedure. As long as a final verdict was reached, convincing most Tuners to recognize the authority of the Wind Law Queen and the Central Royal Court, everything else would fall into place.
Otherwise, a sizable civil war might break out—something the current Royal Court absolutely could not afford. Westheid would not allow that to happen either.
And so, over the next few days, the Central Royal Court was placed under martial law, and preparations for Eilvette’s trial were made with great urgency.
Fortunately, key positions had long since been filled with their own people, allowing the Royal Court’s institutions to operate smoothly and efficiently. In just a few short days, all preparations for the trial were complete.
「On this day.」
In the supreme court of the Central Royal Court, Yonglan Knights and other guards patrolled the surroundings. The nobles of the Royal Court who had come to observe the trial all entered and took their seats inside the spacious, brightly lit courtroom.
This majestic and exquisite courtroom could accommodate a jury of over a thousand people. Its tiered structure clearly delineated the court’s hierarchy. At the very top, naturally, was the ruler of the Royal Court, Wind Law Queen Ailorus.
Beside the Elf Lolita was her fiancé, an ally of the Royal Court, Duke Qinghui. Next to them were the Silver-haired Princess and the Wolf-eared Maiden, all equally important allies.
Further down were Faticia and the Queen’s other confidants, who were serving as the judges presiding over the trial.
Below them were the jury and spectators, seated in the surrounding area.
Meanwhile, the once high and mighty Grand Law Officer stood at the very bottom of the courtroom, in the defendant’s dock. His hands and neck were clamped in exceptionally harsh restraints, and a Technique fixed his ankles to the floor, rendering him completely immobile.
Even in this state, a Technique to suppress his Tuning abilities was active, leaving him absolutely no chance to retaliate.
Eilvette’s cheeks were swollen and red, and the corners of his eyes were bruised. He had clearly been brutally tortured during his imprisonment. Had they not seen it with their own eyes, it would be impossible to imagine that this powerful Royal Court official—once so influential he could blot out the sky with a single hand—would be reduced to such a battered and wretched prisoner.
"The Grand Law Officer actually..."
"Has Her Majesty finally had enough?"
"It’s about time. That Eilvette has been like this for over a hundred years. After Her Majesty took the throne, he dropped the act entirely. His arrogance is nauseating."
"Indeed. He’s finally met his downfall. To think he dared to cross the King of Wind Law."
"..."
"SILENCE! SILENCE!"
BANG! BANG! BANG—
Following the heavy bang of the gavel, a judge from the Jade Royal Family scanned the room and then looked toward Ailorus.
The Elf Lolita, seated upon the highest throne, lifted her chin and gave a silent wave.
The judge turned back and announced in a clear voice,
"Everyone, the trial of the former Grand Law Officer, Eilvette Jade, now officially begins!"
"The defendant’s crimes, including but not limited to deceiving the sovereign, forming factions for personal gain, blasphemy against the Divine Ancestor, conspiring to rebel, and corruption and extravagance, have gravely violated the Laws of the Thousand Laws Royal Court and the Land of Rhythm. For this, Eilvette Jade and his entire rebellious faction have been apprehended."
"Today, we shall try the principal offender to set the record straight!"
"First is the charge of illegally seizing a vast amount of the Royal Court’s property!"
"After becoming Grand Law Officer, Eilvette colluded with the Palace Execution Officers. Abusing his authority, he used methods such as ’forced requisitions’ and ’authorized trial productions’ to seize, through trickery and force, numerous Magical Light Industrial Products. These included large-scale Magic-Driven Video Recorders, Changlu Brand High-Grade Music Boxes, High-Level Crossbows, High-Grade Watches, Mithril Armor, Eternal Energy Magic Cores, High-grade Cigarettes, Fruit Wine, and candy."
"Taking foodstuffs as just one example, in a single instance he took 35 cartons of High-grade Lavender Cigarettes, 60 boxes of Liqueur Chocolate, and over 20 jars of Canned Fruit..."
"Here is a more detailed investigation report for everyone to review."
As Eilvette’s crimes were being announced, copies of a document were passed around among the attendees.
The document listed the Grand Law Officer’s various crimes in meticulous detail. The most critical, of course, were treason and blasphemy. Everyone in the Royal Court had witnessed how autocratic Eilvette had been in the past, though being autocratic, strictly speaking, was not a major crime under the Law.
But some matters seem weightless until you put them on the scales of justice. Once you do, their weight is overwhelming.
If the Wind Law Queen felt her authority had been challenged, it was understandable that she would strike back hard against the Grand Law Officer.
In fact, power struggles had always been this way. To any outsider, Eilvette’s past actions, even if not technically treason, were certainly not far from it.
