episode_0193
by fnovelpiaKkudangtang!
“Ugh.”
The soldier who dragged me down to the basement roughly threw me into the iron prison. My emaciated body was thrown like a stone on the road.
bang!
The iron bars are closed.
“You slave trader. How dare you touch the nuns of the church. Your liver has come out of the boat. The Lord will punish you.”
“Oh my. If you punish a good person like me, who will be left in this world?”
“Ugh! That smart mouth will be shut soon!”
Ugh.
They say there is no such thing as a noble or humble profession, but the clergy have already branded me a sinner. It seems like they have no intention of listening to my voice.
It looks like I’ll need Elise or Lucas’ help to prove my innocence…
‘But it is true that there was human trafficking.’
Even though it was to liberate Elise, that’s my standard, and if you look at the facts, it’s true that I bought her with money. I pretended to free her, but I also put chains of subordination on her.
Even if Elise and Lucas come forward as witnesses, if their master-servant relationship is discovered, it’ll all be over. In fact, the situation could get worse.
‘Pope’s chance here?’
If I reveal that I have eaten and slept with the Pope, I think something will work out. If that doesn’t work, I’ll have to roll the dice.
“Hmm… .”
But actually, I’m not too worried.
How well I have lived.
God will provide the proof.
I was confident that I could be found not guilty, so I lay down on the floor. I folded my coat into a square shape and used it as a pillow. That was when I was leisurely spending time like that.
The guards could be heard muttering, and then a female priestess in pure white robes approached the iron bars.
“Iya~ How can we meet again here? Well, I thought I would be punished by heaven someday, but I never thought I would be made to pay for my sins in Cassilon.”
“You?”
“Even if they pretend to be righteous and to care for the children, a slave trader is still a slave trader.”
A priestess who curls the corners of her lips and grumbles at me while I’m locked in a prison. I’ve seen her before.
“Mira?”
“What about Myra?”
She was a priestess I met during the Mirabelle liberation story. She interfered with us, imprisoned me, and interrogated me, but eventually got beaten up by Mirabelle.
“Why are you here?”
“Do you think I’ve been wandering the continent my whole life? I have to come back home sometimes. But you captured a slave messenger? You came running excitedly.”
It may not have been a particularly deep relationship, but I didn’t know he would miss me so much. People really need to live well. That’s why he came to meet me like this.
Myra looked around me.
“That little kid?”
“Who?”
He leaned close to the bars and whispered quietly.
“Little Witch.”
“Ah~ You mean Miss Mirabelle. I sent her back to her mother as promised.”
“What?”
“I should be with my mom by now. Sigh, I don’t know anymore.”
After finishing Elise, I have to go back and liberate her again, but I have no idea how to do that.
I found out Dad’s secret and reunited with Mom. All the conditions for release have already been met. I don’t know if a new condition has been created or if I can just release him as is.
“Still, what. I was laughing at the end, so it was better than crying and shaking. I felt good. You said you were liberated by that taste?”
bang!
Then, Myra suddenly crumpled her expression and grabbed the iron bars as if she was going to break them.
“This piece of trash… !”
“Why are you suddenly swearing?”
“That’s not how I should have sent him back then. I should have brought the brat back with me, no matter what!”
Why are you trying to steal someone else’s child?
Are you a human trafficker?
Anyway, it seems that the priests’ ability to be a traitor is a national rule in the fantasy world.
Myra fell from the bars. She turned in the direction she was leaving and looked down at me with a cold gaze.
“When you die, the slaves will appear and take revenge on you for what you did.”
“Is this the story about a slave coming out to greet his master when he dies? I really like that story too.”
***
A court that handles major and minor affairs of the Holy Land.
A large number of people gather in the temple, which plays the greatest role in maintaining the balance of the Holy Nation.
In a world where entertainment is scarce, trials and executions provide a welcome distraction from boredom.
Because of this, the courthouse, which is usually crowded with people, was even more crowded today.
“Are you going to hold a trial for a slave messenger or something?”
“Habitual slave murderer, nun trafficker. Acting like he has ten lives, but he doesn’t think he’ll ever be caught. He’s really handsome.”
He is not a common criminal, but rather a slave messenger who is notorious across the continent.
I was born in a good era.
All of this was the grace of Ordo, the god of order.
Rattling.
A door on one side of the court opened. Paladins standing on the left and right came out, linking arms with Karami.
His wrists were shackled with magical tools that prohibited the use of mystical powers, such as magic. Under the guidance of the knights, Karami stood on the stone pedestal in the center of the courtroom.
‘There are a lot of them.’
I never knew I was this popular.
I did things in the game that I couldn’t do in real life.
I appreciate your support, but too much attention is difficult.
“Quiet.”
The ripples spread as the judge quietly muttered.
The noisy hall suddenly became quiet.
Karami looked up at the girl who was the owner of the voice.
A girl sitting in the center of the bench wearing white robes.
This is Sigrid, the judge of Cassillon.
‘It looks even cuter when you see it in person.’
Although he has been an NPC since long ago, he is a popular character due to his small and cute appearance.
Wakyapyaheuknongjukbubububububububu Iluwait what what what.
It would suit him well if you gave him a rabbit doll to hold in his hand.
Sigrid stood up from her seat.
When he put his hand on his heart, the audience followed suit.
“Declaration. Great God Ordo. Father of Order. I dedicate this trial to you. Please keep evil far away and allow good to stand before the judgment. May the scales be tilted according to your justice.”
A declaration to God before the start of judgment.
Karami flinched slightly.
Some might have thought that Karami was nervous, but that wasn’t the case.
It was exciting, and a little thrilling.
‘The day will come when I see this.’
I didn’t know I would be seen as a suspect.
Judge Sigrid finished her declaration and took her seat. Sigrid looked down at Karami with dry eyes.
“Question. Is the accused slave killer Karami?”
“Yes.”
“The defendant’s identity and the charge were officially recorded.”
Sigrid unrolled the scroll in her hand.
“Verification. You have committed a sin against order and balance by trafficking believers in human beings, destroying the sanctity of life, and defiling their souls. Is that right?”
“No.”
“Re-question. Do you not admit to the crime? If you do not admit to the charges, the sentence in this trial may be harsher.”
“How can you admit it when you are not guilty?”
Sigrid nodded calmly.
“Confirmed. The defendant does not admit to the charges. Therefore, we will proceed.”
Sigrid stretched her arms forward.
“Notice. I will pass judgment.”
A thin, firm voice rang out.
Judge Sigrid, who has condemned numerous criminals. Fragments of light gathered together and a giant scale appeared in the center of the courtroom.
A sect-style trial of order and balance.
Using magic, he places Sigrid’s and the defendant’s souls on a platter.
The soul contains good and evil deeds. The more you do good, the more concentrated the soul becomes, and every time you do evil, the soul is eaten away and becomes lighter.
If the defendant’s soul weighs less than Sigrid’s, he is guilty. On the other hand, if it is heavier or balanced, he is considered innocent.
What this means is that even if there is a misunderstanding this time, if you have been committing sins in your life, you are guilty.
‘It’s a really maggot-like method.’
In a world where memories are read by magic, it’s impossible to judge someone’s sins based solely on their usual behavior.
Well, there are also duels to decide who is better at swordsmanship, so I guess it’s better than that.
A mass of white light flowed out from Sigrid and was placed on a plate.
Squeak.
The scales tilt towards Sigrid’s soul. Since she was given the role of judge, the scales have never tilted the other way.
Because Sigrid is a being specially managed by the Holy Nation.
He never overslept, never ate picky food, and never even threw trash on the street. He was a saint created by the Holy Nation solely for this trial.
Sigrid is flawless.
That’s the girl’s nickname.
At the point of coming to this trial, everyone is found guilty. It is merely a formality to justify punishment.
“Next.”
At Sigrid’s gesture, Karami’s soul escapes. It is a black soul, the exact opposite of Sigrid’s.
“I can tell he’s guilty without even looking.”
“My words. Even if I raise my soul, will it tilt towards me?”
Antonius was hiding in the crowd, watching. Elise was also quietly observing the situation from the second floor. Hundreds of people predicted the same ending with one heart.
The spirit of the rising Karami settles on the opposite side of the scales.
Rattling.
The scales are shaking.
It was trivial, but unexpected to most.
Because I thought it would be light as a feather.
It seems like he has accumulated some good karma.
I think it’ll probably be a little shaky.
I had no doubt that God would punish sinners.
Squeak.
But the scales moved as if betraying the faith of a faithful believer.
The plate containing Sigrid’s soul rose, and Karami’s soul began to descend.
little by little.
little by little.
As the phases of the scales changed, the murmurs in the crowd grew louder.
“… Huh?”
“Hey, hey. Right?”
“Hey, no way.”
However, the scales did not stop moving. The heights of the souls, which were located on opposite sides, gradually became similar and eventually became horizontal.
innocence.
Ordo, the god of order, declared Karami innocent.
That alone was shocking.
Someone prayed that it would be enough to get there.
The scales keep tilting.
The balance is broken and two souls intersect.
Sigrid’s eyebrows, which were expressionless like a marble statue, twitched.
Dull.
Finally, the scales stopped, just as people had hoped.
But the ending was different.
A diagonal balance beam.
The one below is a black soul.
The one that went up was a white soul.
The soul of the slave messenger is heavier than that of the judge Sigrid.
What this means is that the good deeds he has accumulated are overwhelmingly greater than Sigrid’s.
“Puhhh, how many times have I told you that? How many times? Hundreds of times, I must have told you.”
Karami laughed lightly as if trying to hear it.
“I said I was a good slave trader?”
0 Comments