Free Web NovelChapter 81: Ch 80: Open Trial
"Hey, something is wrong! Why are all these people trying to rebel against us? We need to stop them right now."
"B-But how? We never learned how to do that-!"
"Does it matter? Think of any way you can for now. Don’t let them turn all this against us."
The nobles tried to find a way out of this situation, but they were out of their element.
Kael knew that the nobles chosen to be the representatives for today’s meeting were the council’s throwaways. They had no authority, no future, and no brains.
He had initially wanted to save them to use them later. But with their limited intelligence, he wondered if he could even use them...
’Maybe discarding them early is a good move. I will be at a disadvantage if I take them in.’
And just like that, the group was discarded once more. Not that the nobles even realized what had happened.
"Please maintain order in the court. Now, do the council’s representatives wish to say anything in their defense?"
The High Judge asked, and the eager noble quickly stepped forward to reason with the judge.
"High Judge, I understand that Grand Master Kael is portraying his crime as one of ’justice,’ but that does not change the fact that he still killed a noble. He has tarnished his name as well as his reputation. So I demand that he be punished."
Kael had not thought the nobles could make this case worse for themselves, but he was proven wrong in an instant.
Even the High Judge looked taken aback by the council’s poor argument.
"Is this...the council’s stance on Sir Kael’s actions?"
The High Judge asked, and the council’s representative nodded with his head held high.
"That is right! A noble’s life is much more important than a commoner’s, and Sir Ridley was a noble as well. As such, he should be avenged."
Kael almost let out a laugh as soon as he heard those ridiculous claims, but he controlled himself.
Now was the perfect time to spread some rumors.
However, just before he could give his statement, Iris stepped forward.
"I have something to add to this statement. May I?"
She addressed the High Judge, and he nodded to show that he was giving her permission. It triggered the nobles even more, but a single look from the High Judge made them sit back down.
Iris took a deep breath before she spoke firmly.
"Sir Ridley tried to assault me, so our side took the necessary actions. Kael merely did what he had to do in order to preserve a noblewoman’s dignity."
Iris had been the one to kill Sir Ridley, but before this trial, they had agreed to say that it was Kael. As much as he wanted to give Iris credit, he knew that the council would try to use it against her.
On the other hand, Kael was much harder for them to deal with, so most people would back off.
Iris had not liked that idea, but she had slowly come around to it by the end, and this was the result.
Her words made the public gasp, and they sympathized with her. But the nobles were a different case. freeωebnovēl.c૦m
"So what? Who cares what happens to a slave-"
"But I am a noble now as well, right? The council made a vow to recognize me as one...unless...are you backing away from that promise?"
Iris was openly taunting the council, and it made them rage even harder.
"You bitch! Your marriage to Sir Ridley was your ticket to becoming a noble. You blew your chance-"
"Hmm, so you can accept a person who assaulted girls of noble birth as a fellow noble, but not someone who got rid of that problem? I guess the apple doesn’t fall far from the tree."
Kael interrupted, causing the council to lose the argument.
The High Judge quickly narrowed his eyes at the new claim and instantly demanded evidence.
And there was plenty of evidence for Kael to present to the High Judge.
Sir Ridley was a sorry excuse for a man. Not only did he keep changing wives, but he also kept records of the ladies he harassed or wanted to approach. Among them were a few names that were better left unspoken...for the sake of those noble houses’ dignity.
Kael presented the evidence to the High Judge, and he verified it quickly. There was a pinched expression on his face as he read through the list.
"This evidence...is enough. All charges against Grand Master Kael will be dropped, and his actions will be considered necessary. There is no longer a need to discuss this case."
The High Judge made his decision quickly, causing the opposition to immediately butt in.
"This is not fair! We demand that you reassess your verdict!"
"Please release the evidence! Otherwise, how can we believe the ruling?"
Kael had seen a lot of stupid people before, but even he had to admit that this was crossing a new limit.
Not only were these nobles challenging the High Judge’s decision, but they were also demanding that the reason behind his decision be released to the public. Did they not realize that the High Judge had remained silent for the sake of the nobles’ dignity?
"Do not press your luck any further than you already have. This is my final verdict, and it will not change. If you have any grievances, please refer to the evidence notes-!"
"No! We demand that the evidence be made public! We will not be able to rest until then."
The High Judge looked at the nobles as if they were fools demanding their own execution, and even Kael had to wonder what the council had been smoking when they chose these people to represent them.
"You want...me to make...the list public? Are you sure?" ƒrēewebnovel.com
The High Judge demanded, sending the other side every possible signal to drop the matter. But it was of no use.
Despite his careful warnings, the other side chose to keep pressing him further and further.
"That’s right! We want the list to be made public. That way, everyone can judge whether the crimes were serious enough or not."
Kael tried his hardest not to smile as he watched the other side sabotage themselves.
"Hey, did the council send people with no brains to be our opponents? Or is this the best they have?"
Leon questioned with just as much confusion as Kael felt at the moment.
