When you were in court, you would have to be disciplined in body and mind. I didn’t really care about the mind, but outer appearance was important and I thought I needed to prepare more than I had done for the previous social gathering. Lee Ji-Hye took care of me this time too and after learning her lesson from the last incident, Jung Ha-Yan intentionally wandered around and interfered with the Black Swan Guild’s member’s work. After I thanked the members, Jung Ha-Yan looked at me with satisfaction, but she didn’t contribute even one percent to this work.

When I walked with Lee Ji-Hye, the leader of the agents, I saw the quiet courthouse and my agent[1] had already taken her seat. When I saw Sister Jessica, Sister Helena, and the other important figures, I slightly nodded and saw them smiling with satisfaction.

‘The religious leaders are important.’

Father Basel was always smiling but today, he looked serious for some reason and since he was one of my precious insurance, I needed to manage him carefully.

‘A religious trial can only be held by priests that are above cardinals.’

The jury was sitting opposite them. The jury was normally picked randomly, but seeing Lady Caitlyn and Lady Marilyn sitting there, it made me think that it wasn’t the case this time. They didn’t have a jury system, so I couldn’t say that they had a lot of power, but seeing them sitting there was uplifting. When our eyes met, they smiled.

There were a lot of spectators sitting in a circle in the courtroom and it felt like a colosseum where gladiators fought each other with swords. I was sure there wasn’t going to be a battle, but it wasn’t a bad comparison.

“This is a fight after all,” I commented.

“Huh?” Lee Ji-Hye asked.

“It’s nothing, Miss Ji-Hye.” I shrugged with a smile.

“How boring…” she muttered.

When I shook my head saying it was nothing, she looked back at the documents. Since we didn’t know what was going to happen, she was checking the different countermeasures and other factors that could affect the trial. After waiting anxiously, people started to take their seats in the empty seats.

The judges had already discussed this case and Cha Hee-Ra and Kasugano Yuno were sitting in the witness stand and…

“Defendant, please come in.”

Our lovely Ito Sota entered. As one door opened, the bastard walked in confidently. He looked around the room as if to show that he wasn’t a criminal, but the handcuffs around his hand showed everyone that he was the assailant. My precious comrades sitting in the audience seat started talking...

“Look at that trash.”

“How dare he look at us with that face?”

I didn’t need to explain the fact that the room immediately became heated and when the people on Ito Sota’s side started yelling, the audience yelled at each other and started pointing fingers. However, the commotion didn’t last long because we heard the Chief Justice’s voice.

“Everyone, please be quiet. Starting now, anyone that causes a commotion in the sacred court will be escorted out of the room regardless of the reason for the commotion,” they said.

“...”

“This trial opened after we received a request from Ito Sota, the guild master of the Yamato Guild and before we start the trial, we’ll pray to the goddess of Benigoa. Father Basel will lead the prayer,” they announced.

“Let us pray,” Basel said.

There were always complicated or annoying procedures everywhere. Even though I wanted them to start the trial right away, I kept my silence. While everyone had their eyes closed to pray, I slightly opened my eyes to look at Ito Sota,  and I saw him looking at me.

‘He’s angry.’

Ito Sota-san was obviously angry and it was only natural for him to remember how I had placed him in a bind as he left to get questioned. The way he stared at me with bloodshot eyes reminded me of a demon and if we weren’t in the courthouse right now, he would have already ripped me into pieces.

‘Damn, he’s scary.’

Of course, I was scared, but after realizing that he couldn’t move, I realized that I had no reason to be scared. Victor Hart and the imperial knights were close to me in case something happened and since Ito Sota’s hands were completely tied up, he couldn’t possibly harm me. Naturally, I raised my middle finger once again. When I smiled brightly and stuck my tongue out at him, I noticed blood sliding down from the lips Ito Sota was biting.

‘What are you going to do about it? You can stare at me all you want, you bastard.’

“Pffft…”

I found it difficult not to laugh. I knew I had to remain quiet during prayer time, but seeing him throwing a fit had always been fun to watch. Out of all the resentment I received so far, this was the worst, and even though I wanted to compliment him for not releasing his killing intent, I wasn’t planning on putting my middle finger down.

“Please bless us a fair trial…”

“I would like to thank Father Basel for the prayer. Now, the trial will last 60 minutes…”

I nodded when the Chief Justice explained the procedure because I already know all these.

“We’ll start with the plaintiff’s testimony. Miss Lee Ji-Hye is the representative of Mr. Lee Ki-Young, so we’ll start with their statement. Please begin,” they said.

“Honorable Chief Justice. Before I start, I would like you to look at the data we have compiled,” Lee Ji-Hye requested.

“Please bring the data,” they said.

“The first incident didn’t start on the 18th during the social event. My client, Mr. Lee Ki-Young, has constantly been receiving threats and has been in danger because of the deal between Lee Seol-Ho of the Blue Guild and the Yamato Guild,” Lee Ji-Hye explained.

“Please continue...”

“Mr. Lee Ki-Young was first harmed last year on October 1st and I’m sure all of you could still remember the terrorist attack in Lindel. The terrorist attack specifically targeted my client and it wasn’t a random attack at all. Through this incident, dozens of innocent Lindel citizens died. While the Blue Guild, Red Mercenary Guild, and the Black Swan Guild were investigating Lee Seol-Ho, we discovered that he has been in contact with Ito Sota of the Yamato Guild and we even acquired evidence of it, but a few days later on October 7, we found his corpse near the Ramadel Mountain,” she added.

‘Good job, my Ji-Hye.’

“We noticed that Lee Seol-Ho’s body was tortured many times and had injuries everywhere. We even found traces of wounds caused by a katana, a weapon that the Yamato Guild mainly uses. I’ll make sure the data I submit and images of Lee Seol-Ho’s corpse will be submitted later as evidence,” she told them.

Obviously, these were all fabricated because the ones that killed Lee Seol-Ho weren’t them, but us. Still, it wasn’t difficult to use the old man’s corpse in our favor.

“The majority of the assassins that had been involved in the terrorist attack killed themselves before we could capture them, but the poison we discovered in their bodies was a common poison used by Japanese assassins to commit suicide and avoid interrogation,” she explained.

“Objection. There’s no proof that the poison used by the assassins during the terrorist attack belonged to the Yamato Guild. It’s inappropriate to be used as evidence.”

“We’ll accept it as evidence for now. Please bring the related documents,” the judge said.

“Okay, Your Honor,” Lee Ji-Hye said.

That information wasn’t fabricated. We didn’t have proof that the assassins were from the Yamato Guild, but depending on how we used it, we could turn that information into evidence.

“We weren’t able to do a background check, but we found out that the majority of them were Japanese assassins from the Free City of Celia. The weapons they were wielding and the spell mechanisms proved they were from the Free City of Celia and I’ll submit proof for that as well,” she explained.

As expected, Ito Sota’s agent started objecting to Ji-Hye’s claims.

“Objection. Even if the spell mechanisms and weapons were from the Free City of Celia, there’s no proof that the assassins were actually from Celia. A professionally trained group must have fabricated this to frame the Yamato Guild…”

“We’ll accept it as evidence for now,” the judge said, interrupting the agent.

“This is absurd!” Sota’s agent yelled.

“Please be quiet. The plaintiff hasn’t finished their testimony yet,” the judge retorted.

The judges were eagerly accepting pieces of evidence that were somewhat lacking and at this point, Ito Sota should know that there was something wrong.

‘Hahahaha...’

Lee Ji-Hye had already met with the Chief Justice of the Holy Empire several times and even though she didn’t hear them say that they would take our side, they had already accepted many things from our side, so I was sure that they would be willing to turn a blind eye to these tiny details. The fair trial mentioned in the prayer was nowhere to be found.

“Objection! That evidence is…”

“I think it’s enough to be submitted as evidence. Please bring the related documents,” the judge said.

“Yes, Your Honor,” Lee Ji-Hye said.

This too…

“Objection! This is simply an assumption, not hard evidence. Please consider the possibility of the document being fabricated,” the agent pleaded.

“Order! The plaintiff is still giving their testimony and I’ll take a look at the related documents first. Please bring the documents over,” the judge said.

“Thank you, honorable Chief Justice,” Lee Ji-Hye answered.

This one too…

“Objection!”

“I’ll accept it.”

“Thank you, Your Honor.”

And this one as well…

There was so much evidence that it seemed like Ito Sota was receiving judgment rather than being put on trial. Every time the people were asked to remain quiet by the court, the Chief Justice would nod and applaud for them, but when Ito Sota’s side started talking and yelling, the Chief Justice would give them a cold look.

Nothing was lacking. No matter how much Ito Sota’s side said the evidence was fabricated, they were already submitted as evidence and the traps we had set up were all showing that it was the Yamato Guild’s doing.

“The Juliena case is similar as well, Your Honor. In order to frame my client, Ito Sota of the Yamato Guild used the information he had obtained from Lee Seol-Ho and the Lindel terrorist attack to label him as a murderer. If you look at the legendary Juliena’s item information, she only moves when my client is in danger,” Lee Ji-Hye explained.

“I see,” the judge commented.

“Kazuma Hiroyuki of the Yamato Guild received an order from Ito Sota to give off a threatening energy toward my client and to support this, I would like to submit additional analysis data on Juliena’s movement patterns as well as Kasugano Yuno’s testimony,” she said.

“I will check the documents. Will Kasugano Yuno of the Yozora Guild please come up to the witness stand?” the Chief Justice requested.

“Yes… what I first saw was…”

It couldn’t get any smoother than this and Kasugano Yuno’s testimony itself was very credible. The jury and the religious figures nodded while listening to Kasugano Yuno’s vivid testimony and after she was done, Lee Ji-Hye continued.

“Please make your final statement, plaintiff,” the judge said.

“Yes, Your Honor. I’m sure all of you can still remember the attempted murder case from the recent social gathering. Thanks to Miss Cha Hee-Ra, it became an attempted murder case and I don’t think I need to submit evidence for the sin Ito Sota had committed at the gathering where nobles and religious figures had been gathered. Based on all the statements and evidence that I submitted, you can’t deny the fact that Ito Sota has ill-will against my client, and on that day, everyone even saw how he intentionally planted mana into my client’s arm.”

“Okay…”

“I won’t submit evidence regarding that case because everyone here is the witness. Thank you,” she said, finishing her statement.

Ito Sota’s agent made several comments during her testimony, but it wasn’t enough to change the people’s minds. I wasn’t sure how they were going to refute it, but…

‘It probably won’t end here.’

Ito Sota wouldn’t just let it end here and I was sure that he wouldn't go down that easily since he was competent and smart.

‘Well then, show me what you got.’

I was certain that he had fabricated evidence and as expected, Ito Sota started talking.

“It’s not true. Miss Lee Ji-Hye’s statement is a bit different from the truth.”

‘I knew it.’

“The Lindel terrorist attack, the Juliena case and the attempted murder case weren’t my doing and to be exact, the Japanese may be the ones behind it, but I can say with certainty that I wasn’t involved in any of those cases,” Sota said.

“Please refrain from making absurd remarks, defendant,” the Chief Justice warned.

“It’s not an absurd remark. Everyone and honorable Chief Justice. I know this is a bit sudden, but have you heard of the fantasy potion that’s currently being distributed in Japan?” Sota asked.

As expected… he took the bait.

‘I’m glad Ito Sota is competent.’

I was relieved that he had caught on to the small changes happening around him to the extent that he had obtained a result that should have been unobtainable. I was also glad that he had done a background check on me and the fantasy potion using the fabricated evidence I had laid out for him.

‘Hahahahahaha...’

I was already laughing inside my head, but I remained quiet.

‘Good job, you smart piece of shit.’

1. Although contextually it should be lawyer, we decided to go with agent since they do other things outside of court, such as running errands. ☜