NOVEL NEXT Chapter 10: Hearing (2)_2
The entire hall fell silent, with everyone holding their breath.
Jones remained silent, quietly looking at the Blood Clan Elders shrouded in shadow, without answering.
"Your adoptive father is no longer in this world, is that correct?"
"Yes," Jones answered without hesitation.
Immediately, the hall was filled with murmurs again. Although most people present already knew the answer, hearing it from Jones's mouth still carried a different weight.
"The one sitting in the Lich King's position now is your adoptive father's biological son, your brother Richie Gruggle, correct?"
"Yes."
"You and your brother have a disagreement, so you each inherited a part of your adoptive father's power, is that right?"
Jones remained silent for a while before finally answering, "That's not quite right. What we inherited was our adoptive father's will, not his power. The White Bone Holy Light Court is a voluntary organization, not an empire. It's just that some members support my decisions more."
"That makes no difference to us, child," the voice said, "So, in reality, you are no longer just an adopted son of the Lich King; you are actually another Lich King aside from your brother Richie, aren't you?"
Jones maintained a smile as he locked eyes with the elders. He didn't reply, which might have been considered as a silent acknowledgment.
The Blood Clan members present continued whispering among themselves.
"Oh my God, is he considered a Lich King?"
"That shouldn't be the case, right? If the White Bone Holy Light Court splits, then there would be no Lich King in this world, because the Lich King should be the only one."
"Anyhow, the split of the White Bone Holy Light Court is good news. What they preach is completely incompatible with our Blood Clan. I even suspect that if they could defeat the Black Dragon, we would be their next target."
"Now we just need to see how to deal with this leftover. I was initially worried about a ruling in his favor, but now it seems there's no need to worry. The elders have already decided."
"Actually, I think the White Bone Holy Light Court poses a greater threat to us than the Black Dragon. Maybe we should join the war against the White Bone Holy Light Court."
Jones slowly clenched his fists.
*Adelle's face turned faintly blue.*
*Belle's mouth hung open in shock.*
*"Hahaha, so Lich King Gray's death is a good thing."*
*"Yes, I agree. It relieves us of many worries."*
*"Such an extreme zealot should never have existed in this world. He was everyone's trouble. Luckily, he's dead."*
*"Everyone, shut up——!"* Finally, Jones turned toward one of the Blood Clan members in the audience, roaring loudly. His forehead veins bulged.
The Blood Clan member who had been speaking enthusiastically was instantly terrified, freezing in place and not daring to move.
All the other Blood Clan members who had been talking fell silent immediately. Each of them stared wide-eyed, blankly at Jones shaking with rage in the center of the hall.
The original silence returned to the hall.
It was the first time, the first time a Blood Clan member had dared to speak in such a tone at a hearing. Yet, it seemed like it was just beginning. Today's hearing was destined to be unforgettable for everyone present.
*"Can I kill them?" The voice of Lich Aileen echoed in Jones's mind.*
*"I want to as well. There's no need to talk anymore. They dare to insult Gray? Let's bring in the Undead Army right now!"* That was William's voice.
*"Little Jones, we're ready to act."*
*Suppressing his fury, Jones said softly, "Let me handle this, okay?"*
*"...Alright, we'll listen to you."* The Liches responded quietly.
Looking around, Jones addressed the Blood Clan members present loudly, "Mind your words, if anyone dares to insult my father again, I swear I will make you wish you were dead. I swear on my father's name, I have the power to do so."
Given Jones's appearance, he seemed like nothing more than a child, even a very gentle-looking child.
However, this was a blatant threat, directed at the Blood Clan elders, something never before seen in any hearing.
Many Blood Clan members twitched slightly at the corners of their eyes but no one dared to speak further.
Adelle and Belle, sitting in the audience, both felt a shiver run down their spines.
When he looked up again, the smile had vanished from Jones's face. He looked at the elders and said softly, "Please continue."
"Alright, I will. You are a child of the Dracula family, and naturally a part of our Blood Clan. According to the law, you, along with your possession of Giant Snake City, enjoy all the rights bestowed upon the Blood Clan. We have reviewed the allegations against you. In fact, we didn't even need a hearing; we could have dismissed them immediately. Because you indeed followed the principles of fair competition, you violated no laws. Despite the pain you and your Giant Snake City have caused the entire Blood Clan, even the much-criticized slave liberation, we cannot say you were wrong. We cannot, on one hand, allow people to degrade into slavery, and on the other hand, condemn the liberation of slaves. This violates the spirit of the Blood Clan's laws."
"But, on the other hand, your actions are extremely unfair."
"While being a member of the Blood Clan, you also have the support of the Liches and are a member of the White Bone Holy Light Court. This grants you an enormous competitive edge within the Blood Clan, enabling you to effortlessly crush other families. It has only been a year, and we already see the results. Over a longer period, the situation will become even more severe. This is not the orderly competition we wish to see among Blood Clan members."
"No Blood Clan member ever possessed the kind of power you do. We admit that when we drafted the laws, we overlooked this, leading to the current situation. We can't allow this situation to persist. Child, you cannot enjoy Blood Clan rights while also wielding the power of a Lich King. It's unfair."
"So, what do you intend to do?" Jones questioned loudly.
The hall fell silent again, with only Jones's voice echoing.
Everyone listened intently.
"This takes us back to the initial question." The voice continued, "Tell us, Dracula or Gruggle, which surname will you choose? You can choose only one. Will you give up 'Dracula' or 'Gruggle'?"
Jones breathed heavily, staring at the elders.
"Let me explain clearly," the voice said, "Our point is, you can only pick one. If you keep the Dracula surname, you must remove all Liches from Giant Snake City and relinquish your membership in the White Bone Holy Light Court. The rights protected by Blood Clan law will still apply to you. You will still be a member of the Blood Clan."
"If you choose the Gruggle surname... then, starting today, you will no longer be a member of the Blood Clan. The rights guaranteed by Blood Clan law will no longer apply. Due to the special circumstances of Giant Snake City, we will ban all Blood Clan interactions with you and sever all trade. Additionally, Giant Snake City must leave the Kolin Peninsula within a year permanently. This is our ruling."
The flames on the walls burned intensely, casting a reddish glow over everything.
Only the sound of the wind from outside the window could be heard in the hall.
"So..." Jones asked softly, "You specifically created a rule just for me, right?"
"It's over," Adelle involuntarily gulped and whispered to Belle, "If they make a rule targeting Jones specifically, then I support Jones declaring war. I had mentioned this to Jones before, but I sincerely hope he didn't take it seriously."