Chapter 153

Posted by Kuze, ? Views, Released on January 26, 2025

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There was a suffocating silence.

As a person suddenly died right before our eyes and transformed into light, everyone was at a loss for words.

“The guards are killing people!”

“They’ve gone mad!!”

When one person finally managed to shout this out, others followed suit, their voices rising in chaos.

Yet, even amid such a situation, the guards remained entirely indifferent.

Despite receiving all kinds of condemnation and accusations, not a hint of anxiety or fear could be sensed in their eyes.

Instead, they were filled with the certainty that they were absolutely right.

Adel felt a sense of unease at their demeanor.

The guards she had seen while residing in Justitia weren’t like this.

Their eagerness to impress the special being known as the Lord of Justitia, while mockingly throwing the authority of the Holy Kingdom at high-ranking individuals from elsewhere, though not exactly right, was unquestionably human.

But what about now?

“Now, confess your sins. The Scale shall judge you.”

“If you are truly innocent, there will be no harm done. It’s quite simple, isn’t it?”

The guards didn’t care about the watchful eyes around them. They were unfazed by anything.

They stood unchecked, proud, and even appeared intoxicated by their own actions.

Just moments ago, they had severed a person’s neck for not complying with a trial.

‘That light.’

Watching the emerald light envelop the guards, Adel’s eyes narrowed.

She realized that their demeanor had changed suddenly once they were engulfed by the light.

It wasn’t magical power.

It was similar to the divine power Sofia used, but whereas Sofia’s divine power felt infinitely kind and gentle, this light was dazzling and beautiful yet cold.

Like the Scale of Justitia, which derives conclusions based on predetermined conditions.

Even as Adel concealed herself in the shadows, pondering how to proceed, the situation moved swiftly.

“Is there no one willing to stand trial?”

“Anyone who cannot prove their innocence within an hour will be deemed guilty.”

The guards’ excessively proud attitude caused some of the citizens’ eyes to waver.

Among those who were exchanging cautious glances, one individual stepped forward cautiously.

“Ahem. What’s the big deal? I just have to prove my innocence, right? I’ll give it a shot.”

“Please step forward. You may confess on the Scale.”

The citizen cleared his throat and addressed the Scale.

“I have committed no sins in this city… Is this how it works?”

A gentle light flowed from the Scale that the guards held, creating a small ring above the citizen’s head.

The citizen waved his hands in confusion, but the light ring slipped right through them as if it were just an illusion.

The soldier nodded.

“Confirmed. Now, please step inside.”

The face of the first citizen to step forward lit up.

That was just the beginning.

“Me too, let me do it!”

“No, I want to go first!”

People rushed forward to confess to the Scale, emerald rings appearing above their heads.

Those receiving the rings looked pleased as if they were receiving a grand award.

But not everyone could join in.

When a young man with a stern expression declared his innocence to the Scale, it trembled, and the gazes of the guards turned icy.

“You have spoken falsely.”

“N-no, wait! I saw it too! Those guys in masks were beating people up all over the place! They’re doing this to catch them, right? I had nothing to do with it!”

“Do not presume the intent of the Scale. No sin shall be exempt.”

“Ugh, fine, fine! I can pay, can’t I?”

“First, confess your sins. The judgment will come afterward.”

“You’ve got to be kidding me! People are all around, can’t I say it in a less crowded place?”

“I’ll say it one last time. Confess your sins.”

“This is ridiculous. I did a bit of pickpocketing! Is that enough for you?”

The Scale stilled, and one of its plates slid down.

“It seems it wasn’t just once or twice. You are sentenced to 8 years in prison. Will you serve your sentence, or pay a fine?”

“What kind of question is that!? Do you think 8 years is just some puppy’s name!?”

“Understood. Scale, measure this man’s crime.”

The young man, grumbling, pulled out his pouch, expecting the soldiers to accept the money.

But that wasn’t the case.

Swish!

Two soldiers’ swords flashed, and the emerald light traced his arms.

The next moment, everything below the young man’s elbows was gone.

A scream of agony escaped his lips.

“Money gained from sin is not true value; we will take what is lacking in exchange. Scale, measure this man’s worth.”

The sight of his severed arms disappearing in a swirl of light etched itself into the citizens’ memories.

As the young man writhed on the ground, foaming at the mouth, the soldiers spoke with a truly solemn expression.

“Now, everyone. Time is running out. Prove your innocence.”

***

Clang! Clash!

“Incredible durability. If I could make armor out of this, the tide of battle would change.”

Packing away the gathered sword energy, Maris muttered this to herself.

Despite her relaxed tone, there was a significant hint of anxiety in her voice.

She had unleashed fierce attacks to create an escape route, yet the emerald-like wall bore not even a scratch.

Given that her true strike could slice through steel as thick as a human’s waist, the stubbornness of the wall before her was almost alien.

“Any other places?”

“I scoured the outskirts of the city, but I found no gaps to escape.”

“Most of the support team managed to escape the city, but the execution team is completely trapped.”

“This is one of the worst situations, perhaps the second worst.”

Maris had no choice but to admit her plan was flawed.

What she had anticipated as ‘the Holy Kingdom’s exercise of authority’ was merely political pressure using the priests’ positions or perhaps a physical siege with reinforcements.

She never dreamed the entire city would be turned into a prison and that a trial would be held for all within it.

It was a capability beyond her imagination and maneuvers beyond her prediction.

The repercussions of this event, whether this was the Lord of Justitia’s will or the will of someone higher up, and under what conditions this ’emerald wall’ could be used—all these questions flooded Maris’s mind, but she temporarily dismissed most of them.

Though they would undoubtedly become important later, they weren’t necessary information for her at this moment.

What she needed to contemplate now was how to break through this situation.

“Escape is impossible. Confessing to the Scale as well… well, that seems impossible.”

It wasn’t only the embarrassment of tarnishing the Lion Duke’s name; the more serious problem lay in the judgment of the Scale.

‘I have no clue what the standard is.’

If it ended merely with a fine, that would be one thing, but under certain circumstances, one might have to exchange a body part, or even their very life itself.

Who could predict that a sudden death penalty would be handed down for the crime of causing this mess and troubling others?

No matter how much the Lord of Justitia and her soldiers claimed the Scale’s righteousness, trusting that would be naïve.

And what about running away without standing trial?

Though what would happen if she couldn’t prove her innocence within the time limit remained uncertain, the current situation indicated it wouldn’t end happily. Since leaving the city was impossible, endlessly fleeing wasn’t a feasible option either.

In reality, only one option remained.

“Gather everyone. I’m going to strike the Lord.”

***

Crack!

The Tin Knight’s strike left a long scar on the emerald wall.

But that was only for a moment.

As if the process of stalactite formation was being accelerated, the emerald sprouted out like a nail, instantly covering the recently created scar.

[‘Tin Knight’ complains that he can’t physically break through the wall!]

It was possible to create an entrance by slashing the wall.

Even if the wall recovered, the Tin Knight had the capability to attack with greater force than its recovery.

The issue was the magical power consumed in doing so.

If they were to break down the wall and penetrate the city, they would lose most of their magical energy just from that.

With Dorothea absent and even with all of Sofia’s available magical power, they could only fill a portion of the Tin Knight’s capacity.

In other words, while breaking through was possible, returning would not be.

Even combining with Adel’s magical power might yield a solution, but there was no guarantee of encountering her immediately or that they wouldn’t need additional magical power from the inside.

The Tin Knight scrutinized the wall before him.

The height was roughly double that of an ordinary castle wall, and apart from where the Tin Knight had struck, its surface was smooth and unblemished.

In short, it was the worst of conditions for climbing.

Had there been some tilt or curve, it would have been different, but the wall before him was neither.

Though there was a method of creating footholds and handholds by striking the wall with his sword, that would also consume nearly as much magical power as the straight charge would.

As the Tin Knight pondered what to do, something flew in from the distant sky.

Squawk.

A crow, oddly devoid of life in its eyes.

Attached to the crow’s leg was a piece of paper, which it presented to the Tin Knight.

Unfolding the paper, he found hastily written words in a somewhat frantic script.

The Tin Knight handed the paper to Sofia.

[‘Tin Knight’ requests an interpretation!]

“It seems to say that she is on her way and to wait a bit without acting hastily.”

[‘Tin Knight’ asks if it’s quite a distance from the meeting point where Dorothea is to avoid potential tracking!]

[‘Tin Knight’ wonders how Dorothea knew about the situation here!]

“I guess it’s proof that the cautious leader has been keeping an eye on things here.”

A moment of silence followed.