Chapter 212

“The charges against First Prince Marib Verosion are as follows: treason and regicide, conspiracy, usurpation and loss of the imperial seal, assault on a royal family member, violation of magical seal stone management, special property damage…”

The chief judge recited Marib’s list of accusations without end.

Normally, as a prince, Marib might have been granted some leniency, but this time, the court applied the law strictly and personally. It was clear the judiciary intended to drag all his accumulated crimes down with him into the abyss.

Though the pages turned, the list of charges rang out clearly in the courtroom.

“That concludes a total of thirty-two charges.”

Ian clicked his pocket watch. The trial had started early that morning, but if Marib refused to cooperate, it could drag on until nightfall. Jin seemed overwhelmed by the unexpectedly long list, his eyes fixed nervously on the back of Marib’s head.

“Marib Verosion, do you admit to these charges?”

“Some I admit, others I do not.”

“…Let’s proceed one by one, then.”

This was going to be a long ordeal. Sighs echoed around the room at Marib’s bold denials. The judges exchanged uneasy glances. It was no secret Marib had already disgraced himself during interrogations, so everyone was on edge.

“First, the charge of treason. On the fifth night of this month, Marib Verosion colluded with the Imperial Defense Department to unlawfully enter His Majesty the Emperor’s quarters, assaulting the guards and injuring the Emperor himself. Do you admit this?”

“…”

“Captain Riama of the Royal Guard was with you, correct? She led the force that neutralized Beols, after which you seized the imperial seal and entered the council chamber that morning. Is that true?”

“And if I say no?”

“The charge will be upheld regardless. There is sufficient testimony and evidence to prove your guilt even without your admission.”

“Haha. Then why bother asking?”

“It is the sacred procedure of the Empire.”

“Sacred procedure? Ridiculous. This is just to legitimize those twin princes sitting over there. Only if Gale and I die in this trial will they stand unchallenged.”

Jin flinched at the sudden accusation. The noble spectators on the second floor shifted their gaze from Marib to Jin and Arsen. Arsen stared straight ahead, expression unreadable.

“Maintain your dignity!”

“What do you want? To know every detail of that day? The documents here—though you can’t see them—are mostly true. I fought Gale, and I tried to kill Delaina, who was allied with him.”

The courtroom murmured in shock. Delaina frowned, shielding her face with a fan, her jaw clenched tight—clearly disturbed.

“But I showed mercy and decided to kill only one of the twins. Then Delaina took the opportunity to push one of them.”

“That’s not true!”

“Delaina, please be quiet!”

The chief judge slammed his gavel harshly. Though this had been mentioned in the assembly, hearing it firsthand was quite different. The nobles whispered among themselves, questioning Delaina’s right to speak as a guardian.

“So I killed him. Jin. That wound wasn’t from me, but from your mother. Don’t blame your older brother.”

Marib’s words made Jin bite his lip hard. To hear such shameless nonsense in a sacred courtroom was truly disheartening.

Perhaps sensing the boy’s feelings, Marib gave a bitter smile and stood.

“If you want to punish me, then do so. But first, let me ask you—if either Gale or I had won, what do you think you would have done? Would you have followed the frail Emperor to the end and scolded me?”

Of course not. Had Marib or Gale clearly seized victory, they would have scrambled to bow low and declare a new era had begun.

“Those who shift their loyalties with the times—how can they judge me? It’s absurd. I wish this show trial would end.”

“No.”

Ian stood, raising his hand to speak. He faced Marib directly.

“Trials are meant to be a spectacle. So that in the future, no fool will follow in Marib’s footsteps. This is a strong warning from Bariel: if you go down that path, this is the end you will meet.”

In other words, the judges should not be swayed by nonsense and proceed as planned.

Marib was testing the waters, calculating quickly how to behave to gain any advantage.

The worst outcome would be losing his royal status and execution by hanging; the next worst, the guillotine; and if a miracle occurred, perhaps the trial could be delayed.

Bang! Bang! Bang!

“Marib Verosion, next we address the charge of violating magical seal stone management. You knew that an unregistered amber stone called ‘Idgal’ absorbs magic, and you used it in the rebellion. Is that correct?”

Marib only nodded briefly.

“Where did the funds to purchase it come from?”

“Hmm. Well.”

He crossed his arms and hesitated, then glanced up at the second floor with a faint, amused smile.

“Last year, the brother-in-law of Marquis Zaltone handed over some rare jewels during the central restoration project. Maybe I sold those to raise the money?”

“Excuse me? I am Marquis Zaltone.”

“Ah, yes! No, that’s not all. I also made a profit from officially approving a medicine made in Visgard. It was said to have pain-relieving effects.”

Ian smirked involuntarily, tilting his head. The people Marib mentioned jumped up in surprise, protesting loudly.

“That’s slander! Absolutely untrue!”

“Calm down, Marquis Zaltone.”

“This concerns my honor. Clarify this at once, Your Highness Marib. What are you trying to do?”

Voices from the second floor shouted back, but Marib shrugged as if uninterested. When he called for order, the chief judge reluctantly ordered Zaltone removed.

“Marquis Zaltone, you are to leave the courtroom for one hour.”

Bang! Bang!

“No, wait! Wait!”

As the agitated noble was dragged away by guards, the other nobles fell silent, their faces tense. They had caught on to Marib’s scheme.

As the second most powerful figure after the Emperor in Bariel, Marib could recite the private scandals of nobles blindfolded.

“Shall we continue?”

Marib gestured elegantly, signaling the chief judge to proceed. Some judges, themselves with questionable pasts, exchanged wary glances.

“I understand the accused is granted a final defense after sentencing. That will be my chance to prove my innocence. I look forward to it.”

The promise that Marib would speak after punishment was a kind of threat.

“Many have changed since the incident, but I still recognize quite a few here.”

“Marib Verosion, stick to matters relevant to the trial!”

“I answered your question about the funds sincerely. Why do you act like this? Or do you expect a different answer? You stand me here as a prince, yet you are the ones disrespecting this sacred court.”

His words flowed smoothly. The chief judge softened his tone and continued.

“How did you collude with the Imperial Defense Department and Riama?”

“Is Kolomo from the administration here?”

“…Hah.”

“There you are. It was thanks to Kolomo that the three of us met. He was very close with the Minister of the Imperial Defense Department. And Riama was Kolomo’s ex-lover, though he was married at the time—”

“That’s not true! It isn’t!”

“See? They deny everything I say. I wonder if my testimony even holds legal weight.”

Romandro bit his lip and glanced at Ian. The high-ranking palace officials all looked at Ian, silently hoping for his help. Even a desperate man can be dangerous, but this was getting out of hand. They clearly wished someone would shut this mad prince up.

The mages whispered among themselves.

“Ian, this is getting complicated.”

“Shouldn’t we take action? The palace is already unstable. If it’s shaken by nonsense like this, Bariel will suffer.”

“Ian, everyone’s eyes are on us.”

“This is maddening. Will he keep this up until the end? Has he thrown away all dignity and honor as a prince?”

Ian clicked his tongue at Marib’s rampage. Some nobles on the second floor hurriedly left, fearing they might be implicated. Marib’s cunning was truly formidable. Ian reluctantly raised his hand again.

“Oh, Lord Ian!”

“Pardon my boldness, but please review the report prepared by the Magic Department. Prince Marib’s testimony throughout the interrogation has been clearly inconsistent with the facts, and it appears to be a deliberate attempt to disrupt the trial.”

Silence fell.

At Ian’s words, the sound of papers shuffling echoed around the room. Everyone was passing around documents—some claiming Ian had ordered this, others saying he had met with Marib in the Bratz territory before—none of it remotely credible. Alongside these were neatly organized, objective rebuttals.

“We ask that you take these into consideration when making your judgment.”

It was an unspoken agreement. Marib was doing whatever it took to survive right now, so everyone tacitly agreed not to take those claims at face value.

In other words, whether Marib’s testimony was true or false wasn’t the immediate concern. The priority was to endure the humiliation together and proceed swiftly and accurately with the trial.

“Hmm. I see. Understood.”

“In cases like this, it might be better to change the format of questioning.”

“Agreed. That’s a reasonable suggestion, so I accept it. From now on, Prince Marib, please answer only with ‘yes’ or ‘no.’ Any other responses will be dismissed.”

Bang! Bang bang!

Though disappointed, Marib showed no sign of backing down. After all, everyone already knew the truth. The anxiety over the revelations would linger regardless.

“Next, we move on to charges of special property damage. The list of imperial palace assets destroyed during the rebellion is as follows: the first palace antechamber and the right wing of the main building, second floor…”

Better to be thorough but quick, the judge thought, speeding through the list. Whenever Marib tried to say anything beyond ‘yes’ or ‘no,’ the judge slammed down his gavel to cut him off. Surely, this judge had his own leverage over Marib.

Bang bang!

“That concludes the thirty-two charges against Marib Verosion. In accordance with imperial law and His Majesty the Emperor’s orders, I propose stripping the prince of his royal status and sentencing him to death by hanging. I ask for your support.”

Stripping Verosion of his title and sentencing him to death by hanging. Marib closed his eyes tightly and sighed. He had fought to the very end, but it seemed inevitable.

“Show your support.”

At the chief judge’s command, Marib opened his eyes and turned around. Strangely, no one raised their hand to agree. Everyone was avoiding being the first to stand out, fearing Marib might self-destruct at the last moment.

“Haha. What’s the matter with you all? Come on, show your support.”

Marib, clearly pleased to have them cornered, slung one arm casually over the back of his chair and shouted. Delaina, hiding her face behind a fan, glanced sideways at Arsen.

“…Arsen?”

“No need to rush. Let’s not step into trouble by making a move too soon. Just wait a little.”

Though called Arsen, his followers weren’t as intimately aware of the details behind the scenes as Marib was. Everyone tacitly knew the exposé was true. Even if ignored in the courtroom, it would eventually come back like a blade.

A heavy, strange silence settled over the room.

“I am Prince Jin Verosion, fifth of the line.”

Jin raised his small hand, signaling his agreement. Ian, seated to his left, gave a subtle nod of approval. Stepping forward first when no one else would was a risky move in many ways.

“I agree with the court’s verdict.”

Especially for someone eyeing the throne, that was all the more reason to do so.