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Translated By Arcane Translations
Translator: Lord Fourth
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A trial. Well, it was more of a hearing. I was led not to the Supreme Court, but to the main conference hall.
We walked down a long corridor and entered a massive room with rows of circular seating.
“Quite the crowd.”
Ophelia, who was in a wheelchair, muttered. I had told her she didn’t have to come since her leg was still injured, but she insisted on attending the “trial.”
So, here we were, surrounded by important figures from across the continent.
The Imperial officials occupied the front row, including Evangeline. Beside them were Archmage Elderian, his apprentice Emily, and other mages.
Owen, the attack dog of the Intelligence, sat in the second floor with the Director of Intelligence. And facing me were Alberich, the Sword Saint, and the Imperial Knights. The pillars of the Empire.
To my right were the representatives from the Great Forest, including Erwin and Uthmund, and about fifteen other elves.
To my left were the representatives from the Holy City. A cardinal, a few knights, and Ured, who was grinning and waving at me, oblivious to the glares from the other Holy Knights.
The Pope wasn’t present because, apparently, Ophelia’s groin kick had been a critical hit.
The Auriga Desert and the Ice Palace were represented by emissaries.
The Auriga Desert, being a collective of nobles, didn’t have a single leader, and the Ice Palace couldn’t spare their strongest warriors, including the Tsar, due to a monster wave attacking their territory.
The chairman, an elderly man with white hair, banged his gavel.
Bang, bang.
“Order!”
He looked at me and said, “To confirm your identity, are you Elliot, a former Holy Knight?”
“I am.”
“Then let the hearing commence.”
Bang, bang.
Silence.
It wasn’t a formal trial. It was more of a formality, a way to appease the nobles, including those from the Holy City.
They needed to see a semblance of due process, a condemnation of my actions, even if it was just for show.
What I had done was… unprecedented.
If I weren’t the hero, I would have been executed on the spot.
“Hmph.”
But not everyone was willing to play along.
The chairman was one such man.
‘The hero? Ridiculous. How dare he cause such a commotion in the Imperial Capital?’
Even if I was the hero, the chairman wasn’t going to let me off easy.
He wasn’t a judge, and he didn’t have the authority to decide my punishment, but he held considerable power in this conference hall.
His words would definitely influence the final verdict. He cleared his throat, drawing everyone’s attention.
“Defendant Elliot.”
“Yes.”
“Before we begin, there’s something we need to confirm.”
The chairman said with a stern expression, “Show us your Hero’s Mark.”
I removed my glove and raised my hand. Murmurs rippled through the room.
Bang, bang, bang!
“Silence!”
The chairman silenced the crowd and examined the Mark on my hand. He had studied Marks at the Imperial Academy.
It was real. He inwardly clicked his tongue and nodded.
“Yes, it’s authentic.”
Well, who would be foolish enough to impersonate the hero?
“Elliot, or rather, Hero, I have some questions for you.”
The chairman unrolled a scroll, pretending to check the agenda, and began,
“You are accused of attacking the delegation from the Holy City in the annex of the Grand Conference Hall four days ago, killing one of their members, and threatening and intimidating high-ranking priests, including the Pope.”
“I see.”
“Is that inaccurate?”
“….”
I remained silent. What could I say? The accounts from multiple witnesses confirmed the facts.
The chairman smiled inwardly and continued,
“These actions constitute treason and terrorism under Imperial law. Even considering your immunity as the hero, these are serious crimes. Do you have any objections?”
“It was unavoidable. I was attacked by assassins from the Holy City. There was no guarantee they wouldn’t attack again. And Ophelia…”
“This isn’t about the Holy City’s wrongdoings.”
The chairman interrupted me.
“I’ve heard you were a slave mercenary. Are you certain your resentment towards the Holy City didn’t influence your actions? Even if it didn’t, the violence you instigated disrupted the peace of the continent. If it had escalated into war, you would be held solely responsible.”
“….”
“You are the hero. And this is the capital, where the leaders of the continent are gathered. This matter could have been resolved peacefully through the Imperial Guard. But you chose violence.”
“….”
“That’s what I want to know. Why? Why did you resort to violence?”
This wasn’t about the severity of my crimes. It was about my qualifications as a hero. I was a commoner, a former slave mercenary, a thug.
Could someone who killed a man in broad daylight truly represent humanity? That’s what most of the nobles believed.
Several attendees nodded in agreement with the chairman, especially those from the Holy City.
“Well…”
I was about to respond when…
Crash!
Ophelia, who had been sitting quietly in her wheelchair, suddenly flipped the table.
“This bastard is spouting nonsense.”
“….”
“He’s attacking his background because he has nothing else to criticize? How pathetic. I’m a commoner too. Why don’t you try criticizing me?”
“S-Saintess…”
“And! If someone attacks you, you retaliate! Didn’t you hear what the Pope did to us? Oh, this is perfect. I’ll bash your head in on the way home. Just stand there and take it.”
Her tone was condescending and mocking. She didn’t have to attend this hearing, yet here she was, causing a scene.
Her language was vulgar, unbefitting of a Saintess.
“Saintess Ophelia Meredith, please watch your language…”
“Who’s a Meredith? Speak clearly. Is your pronunciation getting worse with age? Should I pull out your teeth and get you some dentures?”
“This is the Imperial Capital. You should choose your words carefully.”
“So what? What are you going to do about it? Want to try executing me? You’ll be the one held responsible.”
The chairman rubbed his forehead, looking at the smirking Ophelia. And what surprised him even more was that Elliot, instead of stopping her, was simply standing there, his lips twitching, trying to suppress a smile.
“Ahahahaha!”
Erwin, the master archer and chieftain of Binheim, burst out laughing.
She was the only one laughing. The rest of the attendees were staring at Ophelia and the chairman with pale faces.
“….”
Were these really the hero and the Saintess, the ones who were supposed to defeat the Demon King? And was the god who chose them truly benevolent? That’s what everyone was thinking.
Ophelia’s outburst, while inappropriate, had turned the situation in our favor. As she had pointed out, we were the hero and the Saintess.
We couldn’t be judged by ordinary laws. And as the situation became more chaotic, the more influential figures began to speak up.
“Now, now, please calm down. This is getting out of hand.”
The Archmage and Evangeline intervened, calming the situation.
“Sir Elliot is not a villain.”
Alberich, the Sword Saint, defended me.
“He’s a devout servant of God. I, as an Inquisitor, can vouch for him.”
A certain lunatic Inquisitor made the sign of the cross.
“The Intelligence has also benefited from the hero’s assistance.”
Owen, the attack dog, testified.
“The hero has already eliminated agents of the Demon King’s army in the Great Forest. He’s our benefactor.”
With even the representative of the Great Forest defending me, the chairman and the Holy City’s representatives had no choice but to back down. The verdict was…
Bang, bang.
“The defendant, Elliot, is sentenced to house arrest.”
And even that was suspended for two years.
Essentially, I was acquitted.
Ophelia grinned at me, and I shrugged. It was the expected outcome, even without her intervention.
Though she had tarnished our image as the hero and the Saintess…
‘Well, it doesn’t matter.’
Our reputations were already in tatters. The hearing seemed to be moving on to the next agenda item.
“One last thing.”
The chairman said, picking up his gavel. Perhaps it was the effect of Ophelia’s… kind words, but he looked ten years older.
“I have one more question.”
“Yes?”
“Same as before. You chose violence, taking matters into your own hands, instead of using your authority as the hero.”
“That’s right.”
“…I’ve heard you were a Holy Knight.”
“Yes.”
“So, you served God? You swore allegiance to the Holy City?”
“That’s correct.”
“Then why?”
“Because…”
Because I was pissed off. Because I wanted to rescue Ophelia. …That’s what I wanted to say.
“….”
But the words wouldn’t come out. I suddenly realized… saying “for Ophelia” in front of all these people…
“…Huh?”
It felt like reading my diary out loud. I had said those words casually before, but saying them publicly required a different kind of courage.
I reached for my water bottle, my throat dry, and my eyes met Ophelia’s.
“….”
I suddenly felt… shy. A feeling of embarrassment, buried beneath the recent events and battles, surfaced. And Ophelia seemed to feel the same.
“…Ugh.”
An awkward silence filled the air. And it wasn’t just me who felt it.
“Ahahahahahaha!”
Erwin burst out laughing again.
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Hi Lord Fourth here!
I’m still new to translating as this is my second novel to pick up, so if you find some mistakes or inconsistencies let me know about it on the dedicated channel on discord.
