Chapter 260- The Trial On House Of Odessa (2)
"Sir Reinhardt, why do you not bow?" Given the stature and reputation of the other party, the member of the court asked, instead of getting mad at him instantly.
"Forgive me, King of Rune, for not being able to bow. As a level 10 Divine Paladin of Solaris, I do not just represent a single entity but an entire kingdom. Every action, gesture, or word that I speak can be associated with the kingdom I come from. As such, please excuse me for not being able to bow."
In short, what he was saying was— So what if you are the king? I am the Divine Paladin of Solaris and one of the handful of level 10s in the world. I will not bow before you.
And it needs to be stressed, but Reinhardt had no desire to bow before this king, as he did not deserve it.
Everyone knew his words were sophistry; however, who can make a level 10 being bow their head against their will? The answer was no one.
"I see, in that case you don't have to." The king waved his hand, his expression a little foul.
After that, the members of the court called out Jerrel and the members of the House of Odessa. With everyone present, the trial began.
The first to present his narrative and statement on the cataclysmic incident that took place on the 31st of the previous month was Jerrel.
After he was done giving his testimony, the locals or the eyewitnesses who were present in the Staleport city on that fateful day and managed to luckily survive, also gave their accounts.
Finally, when everyone was done giving their statements, was the House of Odessa called on to the box to give their testimony. However, now that the whole picture was almost but painted and the members of the court had already formed their opinions, their words could hardly sway anyone.
Plus, this was a foreign kingdom, and no one was on their side. Nevertheless, it was Gerard's duty to try. He did his best to convince the court otherwise, telling them that his House of Odessa had nothing to do with the incident in Staleport city.
That said, spoke as much as he could, but his voice hardly made any waves in the court, which was already looking for a scapegoat to blame the incident on and appease the masses.
While they cannot outright kill a high ranking noble like an earl, they could still weasel a lot of money from him and keep him confined in the prison for many years. At that time, even if Solaris wanted to, they cannot take their noble and wouldn't even know if he had suffered any harm or not.
His daughter too, would suffer a similar fate or maybe even worse.
Just when it seemed like the outcome was inevitable, Jerrel stood in front of the court and asked to speak again.
Everyone was surprised. What was it that this great knight wanted to speak? Nonetheless, they did not stop him. And so, the Emerald Knight got up to the box, his statement completely surprising the court.
Why would it not? After all, he was speaking on behalf of the House of Odessa, someone that the king had decided to make the scapegoat. But what's this? Jerrel was speaking in their favour, trying to give them a way out.
Wasn't this like going against the current king? Some intuitive ones immediately realised what was going on and were satisfied by Jerrel's growth.
He was excellent as a knight and the most powerful in the kingdom; they had no qualms with that. However, it was because the latter was a knight, that he tended to be overly serious and honest in situations that demanded the opposite.
However, today, he showed not only his valor but also his cunning. The king of Rune not only had to be the strongest knight but also good at administration and diplomacy.
Of course, not everyone shared that thought. The current king especially, for him who wanted to keep the throne to himself and his descendants, Jerrel's presence was like a thorn in his side.
And today, the thing he feared the most ended up happening. The young knight had started challenging his authority.
As the next king to be, Jerrel had many allies in the court and public support. With him speaking on behalf of the House of Odessa, it was like the latter had gained a powerful backer all of a sudden.
The atmosphere of the court began to be swayed, and when the time came for the vote. It was 70:30, 70 in favour of Jerrel, while the 30 was in favour of the current king. The result also showed the current favourability and standing the king had in the court.
"The court has decided against punishing the House of Odessa. They are innocent and not related to the incident that occurred in Staleport City".
At those words, Gerard, Gwen, and everyone from the squad showed a happy expression. They were all afraid of what punishment the kingdom of Rune would impose on them. However, it seemed that Commander took care of it in the end, just like he promised.
"Thank you, Commander," Gwen spoke with teary little eyes.
"It's too soon to thank me. The House of Odessa will still have to pay for the reconstruction and to the bereaved families".
While the Odessas may have been spared from the heinous punishment the Kingdom of Rune had planned for them, it did not mean that they were completely out of this.
It was indeed a fact that the demon who appeared from the summoning circle bore an uncanny resemblance to Scralett, the eldest daughter of the House of Odessa. At least that's what the world knew.
"That's fine, I'm willing to reimburse the kingdom of rune with as much amunt as they want" The house of Odessa was rich, Gerard did not care about money as long as his daughter was fine.