The Returnee's Hidden Strategy Stream - Chapter 61

Chapter 61

“They accused me?”

In the mayor’s office, Barres furrowed his brow as he listened to the report.

“Yes. It seems to have been orchestrated by people under former Mayor William. The targets are Brook and Your Grace.”

“…So it was them who were after the Sealing Stone.”

Barres recalled the stolen Sealing Stone.

Late at night, Judge Harpen had come running, panting. He had cried out that his mansion had been attacked and the Sealing Stone stolen. It had been a pathetic situation, but exposing it outright would make it easier to manipulate them.

“It’s time to clean this up.”

Images of his subordinates came to mind. He knew they were William’s confidants but had kept them around to handle various city affairs. And they hadn’t said a word when William died.

But if they were going to pull stunts like this, there was no reason to keep them alive.

“What evidence? What did they present?”

“I’ve compiled the evidence they submitted to the court. I think you should review it all.”

“Hmm.”

He picked up the stack of documents his subordinate had brought and examined the contents with a look of obvious discomfort.

After a moment, Barres scoffed.

“This is ridiculous. Do they think they can overthrow me with something like this?”

The evidence of the accusation prepared by his former allies was valid. However, none of it was critical. The only variable would be the workshop of Carmon inside the Sealing Stone.

“Have you put someone on Henry?”

“Yes. We’ve arranged for him to be dealt with immediately if any suspicious circumstances arise.”

Henry had gone to another city on business. As he was the closest to William, he had been placed under surveillance. If he changed direction and went to the capital, it would mean he was hiding something. And if he made a mistake, he would be killed in a bandit attack.

“What about the Black Dragon? There’s a possibility he’s working for them.”

“We’ve hired some adventurers to watch him, but there’s been no unusual activity. Apparently, he doesn’t show up at the guild very often.”

“So he’s all talk. No, adventurers are like that anyway.”

Barres scoffed at the disappointing news. The adventurer’s boasting was just typical of his kind.

Tapping his fingers on the desk, he leaned back in his chair and said, “The news on Liventia is slow. Have you narrowed down the search area properly?”

“As you instructed, we’ve infiltrated disguised personnel into the slums to search. However, since it’s such a closed-off place, it will take some more time.”

“Well, it doesn’t matter. They can’t get past the city’s inspection. Finding a single worm trapped in a dam is just a matter of time.”

Recently, Barres had sensed something unusual in the city. It was a power detected by a spirit-sensing magical tool he had brought in through the black market. In other words, it meant that Liventia was on the move. Perhaps she had been plotting with Henry and his former allies.

“They have an excellent sense of smell.”

The pieces of the combat uniform that the adventurer Black Dragon had mentioned belonged to a dark organization of the Holy Kingdom that had infiltrated Edlen. To be precise, they were the forces of a particular bishop. Because they were all powerful assassins, their power was considerable.

“Find out who they clashed with. There’s a high possibility they were descendants of a spirit mage.”

“Yes. I’ll increase the number of search personnel. And what about the trial? Shall we order the court to dismiss it? We have more than enough time.”

“No.” Barres stopped tapping his fingers on the desk. An interesting idea had occurred to him.

Since the outcome of the trial was predetermined, it was the perfect stage to completely crush their hopes.

“The trial will proceed as planned. We’ll drag the spirit of the dead William through the mud. Then Liventia will come crawling out. I want to see her face.”

“Yes. I will give the order to prepare for the trial.”

The subordinate bowed and left the office.

Turning his gaze out the window, Barres smirked.

“Just wait a little longer. I’ll even make the Pope kneel at my feet.”

Swish-

The scene changed. Suddenly, the surroundings transformed into the square of Edlen.

“They’re suddenly holding a trial?”

“They say it’s about Mayor Brook and Barres’ crimes.”

“What crime? It’s obvious this whole thing will just fizzle out.”

The gathered crowd stared at the courtroom set up in front of them, murmuring.

“Even so, it’s been a long time since we’ve had a trial like this. Maybe something will come of it?”

“The judge is completely in Barres’ pocket. There’s no way anything will happen in Edlen.”

“The mayor is basically under Barres too. They’re both the same trash.”

The citizens, who had been fleeced of their taxes, had a sharp edge to their words.

The conversation naturally turned to the former mayor.

“Wasn’t it much better when Mayor William was around?”

“Shhh! Do you want to be labeled a follower of the Holy Kingdom?”

“No, but didn’t they find a temple in the underground waterways? There’s a rumor that it was built by Mayor William.”

“It could have been someone else. Maybe this trial is related to that.”

“Nah, I doubt it.”

Speculation, linked to old memories, spiraled out of control.

Meanwhile, Hanbit, hidden near the courtroom, checked his quest window.

[Main Quest #14: Trial]

The trial would be held according to Barres’ decision.

He had had plenty of meetings with his former allies.

It was time for each of them to play their part according to plan.

Objective: Watch the trial unfold.

Reward: None

*Current progress: 88%

The focus of the quest was the trial. It was going to proceed exactly as planned. It was the result of the combined efforts of his former allies.

“Hey, look, they’re coming out.”

“What? It’s really the mayor?”

“And Barres too?”

At that moment, the officials entered the courtroom.

On the left sat the former vassals.

On the right were Barres and Brook.

“Silence in the court.”

The judge’s voice echoed through the square.

Despite the appearance of impartiality, it was all a lie. Anyone could tell by looking at the name above his head.

[Judge Harpen]

The owner of the mansion where the Sealing Stone had been kept.

As they were practically master and servant, he had already reached an agreement with Barres.

After glancing around the crowd, the judge continued in a solemn voice.

“The trial of Brook Norton and Barres Loberger will now begin. The charges are evidence tampering, forgery, concealment, perjury, and conspiracy in the case of the late William Norton.”

* * *

“We have obtained testimony from a guard who manipulated the records of William’s outings. The order was given by the defendant, Barres, and the evidence is recorded in item 8.”

William’s vassal’s presented one piece of evidence after another, revealing the past wrongdoings.

But Barres didn’t bat an eye.

“I know the guard who gave that testimony very well. The problem is that he suffers from a delusional disorder.”

“That’s ridiculous! There’s no evidence that he has such an illness…”

“I think you should pay more attention to the evidence. Not only is the reliability of the evidence questionable, but it also shows a clear bias, as if the outcome has already been decided.”

Barres countered the evidence by using elements that couldn’t be verified in court.

The judge nodded as if he had been waiting for this.

“Well, the defendant’s argument is valid. Let’s move on to the next point.”

-This is rigged.

-Trial?

-Justice?

-Shouldn’t we introduce AI?

-???: Are you crazy, human?

The trial continued in the same manner.

No matter what new evidence or witnesses were presented, Barres’ arguments dismissed them all.

The judge simply nodded, playing the role of a puppet.

“I told you so. It’s going to turn out like this.”

“But Barres does have a point, doesn’t he?”

“They even brought in the Royal Knights to investigate. How could they manipulate the evidence?”

The citizens watching the trial shared their opinions.

In particular, the story of the Royal Knights led to a deeper discussion.

“Speaking of which, there’s a rumor going around in the capital.”

“A rumor?”

“The knight who led the investigation into Mayor William is called the ‘Inept Sword’.”

“The Inept Sword? What’s that?”

It was a rumor whispered in the dark corners of the capital. Given the noble position of a Royal Knight, the voice was very low.

“It’s obvious. He’s the type who thinks he’s right even though he’s incompetent. I heard he even chased away his subordinates who were trying to uncover the truth. He must have been offended by their initiative.”

“That’s not rigging, it’s just incompetence. How did he even become a Royal Knight?”

“I don’t know. He must be from a good family.”

Being a rumor from a tavern, the truth was uncertain. For the common people, it was just something to gossip about over drinks.

“So when will this end?”

“They should wrap it up soon. I need to get back to the shop.”

People were growing tired of the lengthy trial. They weren’t particularly interested in the outcome. It was simply because everyone knew that regardless of the evidence, the judge would ultimately side with Barres.

“I will now deliver the verdict.”

After about two hours of trial, the judge spoke.

Looking around at the audience, he said in a solemn voice, “After examining the 47 pieces of evidence presented by the William side, it has been determined that they all lack accuracy and reliability. As you all know, the previous judgment was made through a fair process and verification under the supervision of the Royal Knights. In other words, it is clear that the verdict on William’s espionage was correct.”

The judge turned his gaze to the former vassals.

In a slightly heightened tone, he continued, “I know you all were loyal to William. However, committing perjury in this manner is a serious violation of the city’s order and the law. If the defendant decides to press charges, you will not be able to avoid a heavy sentence. Furthermore, the crimes you committed in gathering false evidence for the perjury must also be clearly revealed.”

Judge Harpen, recalling how his mansion had been robbed, put emotion into his words.

The former vassals simply listened. Their reaction irritated the judge.

“There’s no sign of remorse. The defendant should prosecute them as soon as possible. With that, the trial is…!”

Bang-!

A loud noise came from the entrance to the city gates. It was the sound of the barrier blocking traffic collapsing.

Everyone in the square turned their gaze towards the sound.

“Fortunately, the trial isn’t over yet.”

A calm female voice, clear and distinct, came from beyond the crowded space.

People gradually moved out of the way, creating a path.

A path that led directly to the courtroom.

“Thank you for your cooperation, citizens.”

With another voice, someone appeared on the path that had just been created.

Black hair and blue eyes. A beautiful face adorned with platinum armor, indicating that she was a Royal Knight.

“Is that… a Royal Knight?”

“Isn’t that insignia for the vice captain?”

“The vice captain? Could it be Leon?”

The name of the youngest vice captain in the kingdom’s history was well known to the citizens.

-Wow.

-Leon is so cool;

-Crazy, she actually came lmao

-Edlen is rising.

-Those who already finished the story are crying.

-Shut up and go cry somewhere else.

[LeonJuice has donated 200,000 won.]

[Please leave a 4K video.]

The chat room was about to explode at the appearance of Vice Captain Leon.

Had there ever been a hotter reaction besides the hidden skill?

“What…!”

“Hic!”

Barres and Brook were visibly startled at the sight of Leon.

“I apologize for intervening in such a matter.”

Leon, who had already reached the courtroom, turned to everyone.

She held out a translucent crystal ball in her hand.

“I will now carry out several procedures as ordered by the royal decree. First, I would like you all to witness this.”

She infused the crystal ball with mana.

Swish-

The eyes of everyone gathered on the light emitted from the crystal ball.

Immediately after, the image of a temple became clear.

———-