I Woke Up In Another World As A Slave

The bailiff crossed the room in two swift strides and struck Shadis hard across the face. "Silence, Bot!"

Stick snapped out of his daze, a rush of anger flooding through him. What did he just say?

Herzog's voice was calm, but a slight frown creased his brow. "Is it true, Sir Arslan? Did you stall because of this… escape plan?"

Caught off guard, Stick nodded, his mind whirling.

"Yes," he murmured, feeling more confused with each passing second.

"And why would you try to escape after such an offer?"

"There was no risk to his person in the plan and he'd be free alongside the lords," Shadis said.

"Typical for an Adventurer," PP scoffed.

The bailiff struck Shadis again. "I said: Silence!"

Becket leaned forward, his tone quick and officious. "As far as we know, Sir, he was only supposed to use his Inventory as a means to store supplies for the Blitz twins' escape."

"That's a lie!" Stick shot back, but his words were nearly drowned out by the sound of another blow landing on Shadis.

The bailiff was relentless, hitting him again and again, blood spattering on the floor. Stick's fists clenched, but a heavy hand landed on his shoulder, holding him back. PP looked at him, his gaze a silent warning: Don't interfere.

"Why would you attempt to escape, when you had such a promising offer from Baron Bonatelli?" Herzog paid the commotion no mind, his gaze still fixed intently on Stick.

"If you think about it," the Jester chimed in, "it makes sense that he acted the way he acted against the people holding slaves with his limited knowledge of the world. NPC or not."

The Duke waved him off.

"Why would you try to escape after such an offer?" he asked again, a final note of impatience creeping into his voice.

Stick felt his pulse pound as he looked around, seeing the web of deceit close in around him. PP, Becket, the Baron—they were all lying, all pushing the blame onto the NPC. They'd found their scapegoat, and that was all they needed. They understood how easy it was to blame their failure on Shadis. Shadis's bloodied, defiant grin met Stick's gaze across the stand, and in that moment, Stick realized it had been Shadis's plan all along. Every word, every taunt had been intentional from the start, when he first interrupted General Solo. Shadis had given himself up to protect all of them, even those that didn't deserve it, to save him. All Stick had to do was lie about his involvement. However, he didn't want that. He could never do such a thing that would make him no different from the Carnifex Players, that exploited the people who had lived here first for their own gain. The ones that took families. The ones that ripped out tongues. The ones that desecrated corpses. It'd be easy to feign ignorance. To admit that he just joined the NPCs to escape. To claim that he defied Carnifex, because he didn't know any better. To play dumb and submit. He'd just need to plead for his missing memories and ask for forgiveness, then the council would rule in his favor. No, I don't want that.

He could lie... But...

He looked at Shadis. At PP. At Bonatelli. At the council.

He saw a world where truth meant punishment—and he chose it anyway.

"Because," he spat, meeting Herzog's gaze, "I'd rather die than become a Player like you!"

A silence fell over the room, thick and absolute, as his words echoed, unchallenged. The bailiff froze, fist mid-swing, and the entire hall seemed to pause, caught off-guard by the raw defiance in his voice.

Shadis's grin fell. "No…"

Across the hall, Sofia narrowed her eyes, appraising him with a new intensity. "So, you would not consider becoming a Carnifex Player?"

Stick clenched his fists, feeling the burning frustration rise within him, swallowing the fear. "Never."

"Very well." General Sofia finished writing down a note. "Now that we've clarified that you acted knowingly, voluntarily and intelligently, let's see what laws your insurrection broke."

The courtroom buzzed with restrained energy as the council members whispered among themselves. Stick's gaze flicked uneasily between his fellow knight, Sir Shadis, and the imposing General Solo, whose gloved hand tapped rhythmically on the stack of charges in her grip. The silence broke when General Solo cleared her throat and began reading the list of crimes with icy precision.

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"Your escape plan consisted of a diversion, the sabotage and theft of Baron Bonatelli's means of transportation, the incapacitation of Officer Becket, the acquisition of the aforementioned's equipment and possibly… the elimination of John Reacher. Is that correct?"

Stick hesitated, his mouth dry. Shadis, however, didn't.

"Yes, Ma'am," he answered, his voice low but steady. "Those were the broad strokes."

"Thank you, Sir Moore," General Solo replied, without missing a beat.

The cloaked figure stirred.

"Ridiculous," he muttered, his voice barely audible. "Sir Moore."

Stick glanced over and caught the figure's discontent, but nobody else seemed to notice. He looked back at Shadis's fallen face, feeling a pang of guilt tighten in his chest. Shadis had come here hoping to take the fall, perhaps a doomed attempt to save him from the council's wrath. Stick recognized that sacrifice, and for a fleeting moment, he regretted not letting him proceed with his plan. Despite his position as a Player, he wanted to show Shadis he was committed to their loyalty, that he'd never betray a fellow knight of House Blitz, no matter what this twisted game or Carnifex dictated. General Solo's voice cut through his thoughts.

"You stand trial for obstructing an official proceeding, conspiracy to obstruct law enforcement, seditious conspiracy against Carnifex — which the NPC has already confessed to." She paused, glancing at her notes. "Furthermore, two counts of second-degree arson, two minor thefts, one major theft, ten instances of property damage, three counts of workforce destruction…" She finally looked up, locking eyes with Stick. "I must say, I am impressed that a LVL 1 player managed to cause so much damage."

Stick felt a slight tremor in his knees as Duke Herzog shook his head, sighing in disappointment. "What will it take to integrate someone like this into society?"

Stick shuddered, the weight of the accusations settling in.

General Solo resumed. "Aggravated assault on a Carnifex soldier, kidnapping and attempted murder of a Carnifex soldier—"

"Actually, Ma'am," Officer Becket's grim voice interrupted, "those last two were the actions of an NPC named Cadmun Frost."

Becket's clenched fist trembled with barely restrained anger. The general's gaze shifted to him, her expression unyielding.

"Still part of the insurrection, was it not?" she asked.

Becket's jaw clenched, but he nodded, conceding the point. General Solo continued.

"Three counts of assisting a dissident in escape and, finally, disloyalty and high treason."

The last accusation made Stick flinch.

"High treason?" he blurted, unable to contain his frustration. "But I was never part of Carnifex to begin with!"

General Solo's eyes narrowed, scrutinizing him carefully. "You accepted the Baron's offer, no?"

"Yes… but I never used the Letter of Initiation." Stick swallowed. "I'm not part of Carnifex!"

After a moment's consideration, General Solo scratched something off her list. "Technically, that is correct."

"Then there's the matter of the Prized Possession," Duke Herzog added thoughtfully. "It's come to our attention it obstructed law enforcement."

"It was an excellent example of obedience," Becket remarked, clearly eager to defend it. "As soon as it learned about the plot, it turned against the escapees and helped bring them in."

Baron Bonatelli, seated with a satisfied smirk, nodded approvingly. The praise clearly gratified him. Stick could see a flicker of satisfaction in Bonatelli's eyes. He cast a glance over his shoulder at the figure standing quietly behind him — the Prized Possession. It…

Satisfied, Herzog dismissed his initial accusation, shifting the trial's attention once more to Stick.

"We also have charges in the PvP case against Officer Becket and Baron Bonatelli regarding the mistreatment of Sir Arslan." General Solo's gaze swept over the council, lingering on Becket and Bonatelli. "Though the accused does not belong to Carnifex, he is a Player, and a fair trial demands we consider this as well."

Bonatelli scoffed, looking mildly irritated. "An Officer slapping a player is hardly my fault."

"Assault?" Herzog raised an eyebrow. "That hasn't been mentioned before."

Murmurs rose from the council as more eyes fixed on the Baron and Becket. The tension was palpable, Becket's shoulders stiffened under the weight of the council's scrutiny, Nakamura eyed him with suspicion, and Bonatelli's eyes had widened. Stick looked around, perplexed. Did he just incriminate himself?

The red-haired woman leaned forward, her gaze sharp. "Baron Bonatelli, the General was referring to your failure to provide for Sir Arslan adequately. He was left in NPC accommodations for days after his arrival. That negligence is what radicalized him, not any supposed assault."

The room went still, a dangerous pause hanging in the air. Beside him, Stick heard the faint clinking of chains as Shadis stood abruptly, his face illuminated with dangerous enthusiasm.

"Days?" he said, feigning incredulity. "I beg your pardon! We don't hand out honorary titles in days. Sir Arslan has been with us since summer."

A ripple passed through the council as murmurs filled the room. Stick's mind scrambled to catch up, but as he looked at the horrified expressions on the council members' faces, the dawning horror in Becket's eyes, and the shock in Bonatelli's reddening face, the revelation fell into place. Sir Moore caught the Baron in a big lie.

Stick glanced over at his fellow knight, a big smile forming under Shadis's beard who just turned the tables on Baron Bonatelli. This wasn't a sacrificial diversion meant to save Stick anymore. This was about making Bonatelli answer for his crimes and tearing him down with them. It was a dangerous game they were playing, but he knew now that whatever came next, they were in it together — knights of House Blitz to the end.

Voices clashed like swords as council members erupted in outrage. Duke Herzog was the only one silent, his face drawn with quiet disappointment. He neither defended nor condemned Baron Bonatelli, though his eyes remained fixed on the man with a look that made the Baron's discomfort even more apparent.

"Months?" The man with the cloak leaned forward, a smile stretched thin across his lips, as he fixed Bonatelli with a piercing glare. "Baron Bonatelli, perhaps you'd care to explain your actions in light of Sir Moore's account?"