“Emperor Marcus.”, Supreme Elder Wyngella called out.
“Madam, may I know who you are?”, Emperor Marcus asked.
“Idiot, didn’t this young boy already tell you who we are?”, Supreme Elder Wyngella annoyingly replied.
Emperor Marcus gulped.
“Now that it settles that, Emperor Marcus of the Great Human Imperium, you have a lot to explain to us about your son, Prince Kane.”, she stated.
“Higher Elders, I don’t think the current situation…”
“I said that won’t be necessary.”, Supreme Elder Wyngella signaled the female human on her left.
The human Higher Elder quickly weaved a few signs and incantated, “Structural Reconstruction!”
A huge amount of multiple mana essences flew out of the Higher Elder and rebuilt the entire Imperium Court.
Even the hole below was filled up with earth again.
“Whoa!”
The students were mesmerized.
The Imperium Court was built using special materials. For a Higher Elder to rebuild it as exactly as it was before, it was proven that they were in a different league than the rest.
The foundations were rebuilt first.
Then the walls.
Then the ceiling.
Then the paintings and other stuff.
Once it was finished, Emperor Marcus lifted his Imperial Shelter and carried everyone back to the ground.
“Now, this should allow us to proceed to your explanation, Emperor Marcus?”, Supreme Elder Wyngella reminded.
“Higher Elder, it was not my son’s fault! It was them! These two students incited my son to do such a deed!”
Emperor Marcus pointed at Amelia and Zachariel.
“Preposterous! We’ve already seen your son’s true nature, Your Imperial Majesty. Why do you still deny the truth in front of the public?!”, one of the scholars retorted. His mates seconded his statement.
High Honor Adolf interjected, “Your Imperial Majesty, it is best to give a reasonable explanation to the Higher Elders now.”, he advised.
He knew that Emperor Marcus was currently being trialed by the Higher Elders. If they lost their patience against him, who knows what might happen?
Emperor Marcus felt betrayed inside.
`All of you!`
He glanced at the protesting scholars and the spectators who looked down at him.
`I protected the Imperium from the demon beasts! I gave out edicts that helped you get in your s*** right now! And this is how you repay me?!`
He swore to take revenge on everyone he witnessed who worked against him this day.
“Emperor Marcus. I ask of you, once again.”, Supreme Elder Wyngella’s voice resounded.
Emperor Marcus turned around to look at her.
“Your son, Prince Kane, holds a mighty ancient curse known well before your Imperium was even established. Do you know that once he fully integrates the power inside him, he will be consumed by the curse itself and become a demon?”, she coldly told him.
Her statement instilled fear in everyone’s hearts.
“That curse is that potent? Damn the Elders, why did His Imperial Majesty not say anything about it?!”
“He even dares to declare his son as the Child of Destiny!”
“Child of Destiny my ass! More like the Cursed Child!”
The spectators protested.
“Higher Elders, this is unjust and deliberation on your part to slander me and my son in front of the public!”
“Stop shifting the topic. We are discussing how you hid this fact from us, and how your son obtained the ancient curse.”, Supreme Elder Wyngella retorted.
“I said I don’t have any explanation about that! He is just my son and my wife’s child! How can you not respect that simple thing?!”, Emperor Marcus cried out.
He was starting to lose hope at the Tower. He only wanted a child who could take over his throne, but to think that they were going to pull Kane out from his reach.
Supreme Elder Wyngella smirked.
“It looks like we no longer require the verdicts from the other Higher Elders, Emperor Marcus. Since you cannot provide a reasonable explanation, we will have your child-“
She then noticed that things were not going exactly as she had planned.
`Wait, wasn’t it supposed to be Zachariel whom I should be pressuring right now? Why am I pulling down this weak-ass Emperor instead?`
Her thoughts were cut off when Emperor Marcus shouted.
“I object! I demand a proper trial!”
“This is already a proper trial, Emperor Marcus!”, Elder Rashomon corrected him.
“The video shown earlier had proven the demonic powers your son holds within. These two young students would be punished as well. You don’t need to worry about the fairness of this sudden trial.”, he added.
`Fairness? You must be jesting me, you damn devil!`
Emperor Marcus did not trust Elder Rashomon’s words.
“If this is truly a fair trial, then give them their punishment first!”
“Very well then.”, Supreme Elder Wyngella agreed.
She had almost butchered her own plan.
“Amelia Strom, Zachariel Strom. For inciting the incident yesterday due to your reckless behaviors, you are revoked of your titles as Prospect candidates and are also suspended from the Great Schools for two weeks!”, she declared loudly.
Zachariel’s classmates protested, thinking that such a punishment wasn’t appropriate in Zachariel’s case.
On the other side, Amelia’s classmates seemed to not think too much about it, except for a few people.
`Damn the Elders! It’s because of that Zachariel that Amelia is in this situation right now!`, Jeremias cursed.
He felt bad for Amelia who was dragged into this mess because of Zachariel’s powerlessness. If he was in Zachariel’s position right now, he would rightfully defend Amelia’s rights and take all the blame instead.
Helena didn’t feel good either.
`I’m sorry Amelia! I won’t be able to help you much in this case! But don’t worry, your sister will be here.`
She didn’t dissolve her friendship with Amelia just because she wasn’t a Prospect candidate anymore.
However, things went to a drastic change when Supreme Elder Wyngella continued, “In addition, Amelia Strom. You will be lashed 100 times for killing a student and for publicly defaming the Great Human Imperium.”
Zachariel’s eyes widened in disbelief.
`Lashed? Isn’t that a bit too much especially for a frail girl like her?`
He wanted to talk it out to the Higher Elders, but Amelia suddenly clung to him with a fearful expression.
“Brother, they’re going to hurt me! Please protect me! I don’t want to get hurt!”, she cried out.
“Higher Elder, please…”, he tried to negotiate but was cut-off.
“There is no way out of this, Zachariel Strom. She rightfully deserves this punishment, and she must face it alone. Guards, pull her to the platform and carry out the punishment!”
“No!”, Zachariel and Amelia both begged.
Unfortunately, the guards forcefully dragged her away from him.
Amelia shouted in despair.
“No! Brother, help me. I don’t want to feel pain, I don’t want to be!”
One of the guards covered her mouth with a cloth.
“Hmmrrppfff!”
“Stay down, little girl!”
She knelt on the ground.
The other guard pulled out a thick whip with a diameter of 1.5cm and a meter long.
`No, she won’t last long with that!`, Zachariel calculated. He wanted to rescue Amelia but the Imperium guards pulled him down.
“One!”, Supreme Elder Wyngella counted, in which then, the guard whipped Amelia.
‘Pak!’
The flesh and the whip contacted with one another. Amelia shivered in pain. Tears fell out of her eyes as she groaned loudly.
“Two!”
‘Pak!’
The punishment continued.
“No, stop it…”, Zachariel was slowly losing his mind.
Seeing Amelia being beaten like that incited the bloodlust inside of him. He had the urge to charge and kill everyone right now.
“Three!”
‘Pak!’
Another whip resounded. Amelia was already crying many tears in her eyes. However, she still looked in the direction of where Zachariel was.
`It’s so painful. Brother Zachariel, where are you? Why are you there watching me cry out here in pain? Can’t you see me? Can’t you see this sister of you longing for your protection?! Help me, please!`
“Four!”
‘Pak!’
Amelia had to close her eyes in order to endure pain.
“No… stop…”, Zachariel could no longer think properly.
A silent but very strong beat originated from Zachariel. Nobody felt it except Supreme Elder Wyngella and the other high-level beings in Pandragea.
`This bloodlust, it’s too strong! Is it coming from that kid again?`
She noticed Zachariel blankly staring at Amelia’s sorry figure.
“Five…”, her voice lowered.
‘Boom!’
Another beat was felt again.
‘Pak!’
‘Boom!’
[ Warning: User experiencing extreme mental breakdown ] [ Assessing further parameters ] [ … ] [ Assessment complete ] [ Awaiting further actions… ]`I won’t stand down just because of what happened earlier!`
Supreme Elder Wyngella gathered the courage to speak the next counter.
“Six!”
Zachariel’s mind was already lost. His eyes had long become empty. Another beat was about to be sent again when something happened.
A hollow figure suddenly appeared between Amelia and the Imperium guard, blowing away the thick whip the guard was holding.
Supreme Elder Wyngella narrowed her eyes, “Supreme Elder Azzad, what’s the meaning of this?”
Supreme Elder Azzad did not glance at her, “Let the girl go.”
His ghostly voice echoed.
“You Voids seemed to be rather interested in this matter, don’t you?”, Supreme Elder Wyngella mocked.
`These Voids are rather acting strange. Are they keeping an eye on that boy?`
She had her suspicions especially since the Voids were the most apathetic species in Pandragea.
“Wyngella, do you want to die?”
Supreme Elder Azzad’s purplish fire in his ‘eye sockets’ spouted intensely.
“Azzad, are you threatening me?”, she pressured the void in front of her.
“No, I’m just asking. If you still want to pursue your dreams of ascending into the higher realm, you should listen to my call.”, Supreme Elder Azzad advised.
He didn’t feel pressured at all by Supreme Elder Wyngella. If anything, he was more pressured about the Great Sentry’s warning to him.
…
A few hours ago, in the Tower.
Supreme Elder Azzad was still reading the same ancient book he read before when he received a telepathic link.
<Void, I forgot to tell you but, don’t let these fools put the Young Successor into a corner. Otherwise, Pandragea will become a wasteland and our plans will be thrashed.>
<If his emotions get the best of him, heh. I don’t even dare imagine the destruction he will bring. Although I’d like to see my Master’s legacy again, there should be a time for my selfish desires and the overall picture.>
It was then cut off without waiting for him to reply.
…
“Voids, you damn Voids. Just what are you into now?!”
Supreme Elder Wyngella did not like the fact that the Voids were taking action during this time.
`If they are keeping an eye on him, I won’t be able to get what I want!`, she damned them to eternity.
“Leave the girl alone, and release them now. Otherwise, don’t blame me for taking action against you.”, Supreme Elder Azzad was losing patience.
He didn’t know whether the Great Sentry would be angered at him or he would die based on what the Great Sentry had stated.
The only thing he wanted to do right now was to stop Amelia’s punishment lest Zachariel unleashes his rage.
Supreme Elder Wyngella snorted in annoyance.
“Fine, let these two go. And get out of here, you damn Void!”
Amelia immediately ran towards Zachariel. The latter received her and threw away the cloth that was stuck in her mouth.
Her cries resonated loudly throughout the entire Imperium Court.
“Amelia, it’s okay. Your brother is here, no one will hurt you anymore.”, Zachariel calmed her down.
She buried her face on his chest. Zachariel hugged her tightly and patted her head.
He then looked at Supreme Elder Azzad.
“Supreme Elder, thank you for your help. I won’t forget this!”, he bowed at him before walking to the sides.
Supreme Elder Azzad did not reply and vanished.
After the small interference, Supreme Elder Wyngella turned to Emperor Marcus.
“Now that the verdict is passed unto them, it is time to pass the verdict against your son, Emperor Marcus.”
“I demand trial by combat!”
Emperor Marcus did not let go of the chance.
Everyone was dumbfounded. `Trial by combat? But to whom?`
“I dare you, little brat, to take a fight against my beloved son! Do you dare or not?”, Emperor Marcus threatened.
Zachariel scoffed at Emperor Marcus’s desperation.
`Still could not accept the fate of your son, huh?`
“How dare you demand a trial by combat when we did not allow you to do so?!”, Supreme Elder Wyngella was angered by this.
Zachariel’s talents were still to be determined. If they were to fight and he lost, and possibly even die, all of their plans would be for naught.
“Hmph, didn’t you amend Amelia’s punishment? Why am I not allowed to do so in my son’s case?”
Emperor Marcus’s arguments caught the sentiments of many. If the Tower was fair, they should also consider Emperor Marcus’s demand.
Supreme Elder Wyngella, on the other hand, was slowly losing confidence in herself.
`Things are not going the way they should be!`
The trial should have been conducted in a private space in order to produce a viable story of Zachariel being pressured by the Imperium, while still punishing Kane for his criminal acts.
Unfortunately, she did not expect Elder Kent to publicize Kane Cromwell’s secrets. She had to take immediate action and change her plans in an impromptu manner.
She was supposed to punish Amelia and put Zachariel in a despairing situation, but unfortunately, again, Azzad interfered and thus, a part of her plan did not happen.
Now, Zachariel was being challenged by Emperor Marcus through trial by combat against Kane.
She would have no choice but to accept yet at the cost that Zachariel would hate her even more.
He would no longer be tempted on joining her side, and Emperor Marcus will then have his way around instead of his child being executed.
`Damn them all! Why is it that my carefully calculated plans aren’t working? Who can tell me what’s happening?`
Her anger was felt by Elder Rashomon.
`To think that her plans would go out of what she had expected.`
“Then so be it! The conditions would be that if Kane wins the match, he will have to be imprisoned in the Ancient Ruins, while it would be Zachariel and Amelia Strom who will be imprisoned if Zachariel loses!”, Supreme Elder Wyngella concluded.
Her verdict faced opposition from the public, as it was unfavorable on Zachariel’s side. Moreover, Prince Kane wasn’t even revoked of his title as a Prospect candidate.
However, Supreme Elder Wyngella did not take them seriously and continued.
“They will have their match during the upcoming friendly skirmish event!”
“This Emperor acknowledges the Elder’s decision!”, Emperor Marcus did not hesitate to agree.
The rest then looked at Zachariel. Amelia still clung tightly to him, crying and wetting his uniform.
“This young one acknowledges the Elder’s decision.”, he replied in an uncaring manner.
“Good, this trial is finished. Everyone is requested to leave the area.”, Supreme Elder Wyngella ordered.
