As soon as the guards at the door announced the arrival of three judges of the goddess of justice, everyone in the room stood up.
The three judges of justice held a great amount of authority as well as divine power bestowed upon them through blessing.
[Blessing]
In this complex yet simple nature, beings with higher power like gods and divine beasts can bestow some form of blessing on others.
These blessings grant the person some of the power of the one that grants it.
In the case of these three judges, they were given the skill of [Absolute authority].
Power to imply any judgment within the empire.
They were good people with precise judgment skills. 𝙚𝙙𝙤𝙫𝒆𝙡.𝒄𝙤𝒎
Their judgments might seem unusual sometimes but that would be the best one in this that type of situation.
They were also the reason these four fools can’t do anything to me within this empire.
Looking at them from my seat, I smiled.
*
At the very back, a tall knight in white armor and a blue cape across his shoulders walked happily.
[Sir Angus] Punisher of evil.
A (Rank-7) holy knight king.
With white long hair and a finely groomed beard same as his hair looked… divine.
His dark blue eyes smiled at everyone present.
*
In the middle, an older person dressed in the holy clothes of priests exuded a warm and loving aura.
[Pope Benedict] protector of the innocent.
A (6-wing) divine healer.
His hair was blue with some white ones mixed in them.
Looking over everyone with his golden, shining eyes, he warmly greeted everyone.
*
Leading both of them, a person with stoic but warm green eyes looked over everyone present with his mage outfit waving as he walked.
[Elder Theodore] creator of law.
A (tier-9) light magician.
His hair was short and uniquely light yellow.
*
All of them had a good and approachable aura around them, just like my father.
‘They are the same as back then,’ I smiled and looked at them.
Sir Angus looked my way and gave me a warm look but then, he changed his expression and blinked.
He had a confused look as he looked deep into my eyes and sighed in pity as if he understood everything.
He looked straight and walked to his seat with the other two judges.
After they set down, everyone else also took their seats.
“I think we don’t need much introduction for today. So let’s start the trial.”
Sir Angus spoke first, surprising everyone.
The two other judges looked me in the eye from above and nodded as if they also understood what was happening.
A guard with red and white armor in the middle of two desks of the opposing party and us spoke in a magic device in a voice that everyone heard.
“As the continuation of the murder case of guild leader of [Faron merchant alliance], where the lady Nolen Heliox from the house of marquis Zahavi Heliox von Ethan Griffin was accused.
With the testimony from several witnesses but the lack of clear evidence, the case was closed with the punishment of relinquishing her rights to trade within the capital.
Now, I request the plaintiff to present their case.”
With that, the guard took three steps back.
Theo, my childhood friend, and the lawyer representing me stood up.
But, before he could step forward, I stood up and walked into the middle of the stage.
From three-step upwards were judges while three steps downward were the jury of the court.
He sighed helplessly.
He was also restless to meet Eon.
He was the head of a viscount family and some of my very few childhood friends.
He was also a (Tier-4) mage and Tuuli was his familiar.
He was somewhat like my little brother, always there to support me.
His wife was a really sweet person.
She along with my big sis, and I was some of the best event planners.
Many noble ladies took our advice on many things like tea parties and birthday parties.
My big sis was best in this matter, more than myself.
He also had a son who wanted to be a great magician.
Hearing about Eon had made his determination even more solid.
He was as excited to meet him as Carla.
But now… no one could meet him.
I didn’t want to admit it but I knew.
It won’t be easy to escape that hell easily.
My heart shatters into pieces whenever I try to think how he might be doing.
Suffering in that cold, dark place without food or any such resources.
Caressing the ring on my hand, I wiped the lonely tear that succeeded to escape my eyes and looked up.
“I wanted to drag this with little more entertainment but, as you can see, I am not in a state to play around.
So, I will just hand over all the complaints, cases, files, countersues, and depositions to the court.
I sincerely apologize for my rude behavior but I would be grateful if you could accept my request,” with a bow, I handed a storage device to the guard.
The guard took it and handed it to another guard at the back.
The three judges nodded at the guard and he took it backstage where the office for such thing was located.
This whole time, the defendant party was stiff and their faces had turned ashen after my ‘command’.
They had made their mistake back when they accused me with manipulated evidence and testimonies.
I knew their ultimate goal would be my death but so do the judges.
Canceling my right to trade in only capital was the best support they could give me.
They followed the justice but back at the time, I had nothing to prove my innocence.
I wouldn’t have thought of that scenario before but after that count joined our merchant alliance, things took a sharp turn.
Our previous guild master was the same as grandpa Zhen to me.
But more than that, he was my teacher.
He was the one who taught me everything about being a merchant.
He was a great person, a real hero just like my father.
Felix Isaac.
The founder of the Faron merchant alliance and the guild leader of the third most successful and rich merchant group.
He was my teacher but, I wasn’t his only student.
There were many excellent individuals taught by him who are successful people.
The sixth-ranked merchant group is solely founded and managed by his students.
They are good people but because of this incident, some of them had a cold relationship with me in past years.
Well, that will be cleared one of these days.
I wasn’t much happy about everything that happened these past few years but, Eon was one only reason I was able to let go of those petty things.
But, now… my Eon was away in a dangerous forest.
I wanted to send search parties from our knight brigade and my personal squads but… I wasn’t sure of the outcome.
They might not be able to find him and he might actually be in that forbidden zone.
But… I had to try.
And, teaching these side characters some lessons was definitely important.
I had a lot of work ahead of me so… wrapping things here properly was important.
After a moment, which seemed very quick for that kind of work, a guard came out with a complicated expression.
Without going to the judges, he walked straight toward me.
With a confused expression, I looked at him when he spoke in a very quiet voice.
“Lady Nolen. It seems like you handed us the wrong storage device. This one was filled with books.”
I stared at him with a stoic expression, not showing my anger, embarrassment, or sadness.
I took the storage device full of Eon’s books and put it back into my bracelet.
Taking out the other storage device, I took off the yellow note on it and handed it to the guard.
The guard walked back and I heard some silent pitiful sighs.
All three of them were smiling sadly down at me, only to make me even more embarrassed.
They were some of the strongest and wisest individuals on this continent.
And them hearing about this devastated mother’s mistake seemed more embarrassing to me.
I tried my best to avoid their warm and kind gaze and just stood there.
After a much longer time, the guard walked out with some papers in his hand.
He had a disgusted frown on his face.
Handing the papers to the judges, he walked back with a bow.
His frown deepened when he looked at the other side of us.
All four trashes flinched as cold sweat might have run down their spine.
They had no idea how deep their grave was going to be.
The frown and disgusted looks on the judge’s faces were enough to conclude today’s much short hearing than the past one.
This was a small one but, if given the chance, I might love to show Eon and the little baby what a real heated courtroom looked like.
Murmurs started from all over the balcony and people were jumping to find out what the results would be.
The jury was given the same documents as the judges after a bit and even they didn’t like the contents very much.
From slave trading to illegal business deals were just the tip of the ice barge.
They had done unimaginable crimes within this city that was blessed by gods themselves.
“Let us not waste the time of everyone present here.”
Pope spoke in a stern and calm voice.
There were things in those files that could make an always calm pope sound angry.
With three thumps of the gold-decorated wooden hammer, the judges made their decision.
“For atrocities committed by all the individuals listed here…
We punish them with eternal imprisonment in [Trigon Tower].
And, we return all rights of trades and merchant alliance to their rightful owner; lady Nolen.
The case that has been dragged for such a long time is now concluded.”
With that, I now had full control over my own merchant alliance.
But… at what cost?
‘Eon, my baby… please, please don’t die on me,’ I pleaded with tear filled eyes.
I wasn’t sure what might happen if he…