The Judged, The Judges (4)
While Shukul was joining the ranks of the dead, the trials proceeded without a hitch. It was one of the noblemen who received his trial next.
“I am innocent!! I am in no way connected to the massacre of the Salbuveirs!!”
“Silence!!”
The nobleman’s appeal of innocence was promptly shut down by Ortho.
“Is there proof of the defendant’s involvement in the massacre to be presented?”
“Yes, right here.”
In response to Ortho, he presented a piece of document to the retainer, who was acting as the prosecutor. When the document was handed to Ortho and he skimmed over it, he directed his gaze, full of malice, at the nobleman.
The nobleman’s body shook in response to that gaze. Ortho’s gaze was colder than a gaze he would look with at a disgusting insect. He had never experienced being glared at like this in his life.
(This is not a venue for a fair trial.)
The nobleman took notice of this. The hatred of the Salbuveirs was too great and they had no intention to forgive.
“What’s the point?” The Salbuveirs would ridicule them quietly.
“Defense attorney, how do you dispute this document?”
When Ortho handed the document to the retainer who acted as the defense attorney of the nobleman, the attorney made a forced expression of surprise.
The trial has been going on for about ten minutes now, and the defense attorney has done very little to defend the nobleman. He was just doing unfocused reactions. It was infuriating to the nobleman who was being judged.
“I can’t argue with this. This is not good. We cannot win.”
The defense attorney said to the nobleman with a smile.
“Wha!! Are you kidding me!! Anyhow, what is that document!! What does it say!!”
“Be silent, you scum!”
The nobleman’s legs grew limp under the bloodthirst of the prosecutor and he crumbled down to his chair. Even though he felt he had to refute something, his thought process had stopped completely, so his voice didn’t come out.
“Yes, don’t create disorder. Defense attorney, please inform the defendant about the contents of the document.”
“Yes.”
The defense attorney cheerfully spoke to the nobleman.
“First of all, there is evidence that you were involved in the fabrication of evidence in our case. I know that might not seem like much evidence, but it’s not a big deal, right?”
“Ah… ahh…”
“I mean, you had sent us to the chopping block with a single sentence too.”
The defense attorney smiled at the nobleman with a cloudless smile.
“My child was three years old. But, he was executed. Fortunately, we were able to meet again as undead, but this and that are different stories.”
The nobleman couldn’t say anything. At that moment, Ortho rebuked the defense attorney with a voice containing dark joy.
“Stark, you are this scum’s defense attorney. Give me a little bit of that defending.”
“Roger!! Please forgive me. I think that rather than cutting off his limbs and crushing his head, cutting his abdomen open and hanging him up would be more appropriate.”
The defense attorney’s words were not defending the nobleman whatsoever. The moment the nobleman tried to shout, the prosecutor spoke up.
“Objection!! An execution like that is too lukewarm. Cutting off his limbs to immobilize him and setting his body on fire would be more suitable.”
“Wha!?”
A loud shouting voice escaped from the nobleman’s mouth.
(This trial is a place to discuss the execution methods, not the innocence.)
It was too late when the nobleman noticed. That’s because Ortho had already entered the consideration stage.
“I’m now going to give the judgment.”
The nobleman was frightened by Ortho.
“W, wait a moment please!!”
Ignoring the nobleman’s cry, Ortho continued.
“The defendant will be sentenced to death. The method of execution will be a limb amputation and burning at stake.”
“Stop kidding me!! This is no trial!!”
“While I took the defense attorney’s merciful proposal into consideration, I found the prosecutor’s sentence of burning at stake reasonable. Because fire cleanses everything, the defendant sins will surely burn away.”
“Where do unfair trials like this exist!? Is the word ‘fairness’ missing in the Salbuveir vocabulary!?”
Ortho laughed coldly at the nobleman.
“The court is adjourned.”
Ortho no longer paid attention to the nobleman and adjourned the court. Then, the retainers forcefully dragged the nobleman away. The nobleman was screaming in the meantime, but when the retainers broke his arms, he was singing a different kind of screaming.
What the nobleman noticed in the end, was that this was a place to decide the execution methods. Shukul, who realized it and showed acceptance was allowed to go without pain, but those who couldn’t realize it died in agony while experiencing hell.
The rest of the cases of the Imperial family and the noblemen went similarly, and everyone was sentenced to death by different kinds of executions.
And then, the last defendant, Emperor Altonius, was to appear in court.