Chapter 546: Chapter 519: Trial

The first order of business at the noble assembly was the trial of Crown Prince Garrett for patricide. The first step was for those involved to give their accounts.

To that end, in addition to the nobles present, the Knights who had experienced the assassination that night also came to the banquet hall as eyewitnesses to recount, one by one, what they had seen and heard.

It was clear from these testimonies that Ronin was under no suspicion. In particular, the account from Broel, the first person on the scene, laid Garrett’s conspiracy bare.

It took over an hour for everyone to finish giving their testimonies. The next phase was for the nobles to voice their opinions on what punishment Garrett should receive for the crime of patricide.

This was a heated phase. Voices rose and fell throughout the banquet hall, and arguments even broke out.

The nobles’ opinions were varied and complex. Some argued for severe punishment without mercy, demanding the ultimate penalty in memory of the late King.

Others argued for leniency, pointing out that Garrett was the King’s only male heir and that his bloodline could not be so easily discarded.

Still others suggested a compromise: find a woman to bear Garrett a child, then execute him and let his child inherit the throne. That way, they would have the best of both worlds.

On that note, it was indeed strange that Garrett, despite having many women, was in his thirties and still had no children.

Ronin couldn’t help but wonder, ’Could he be infertile?’

"Everyone!"

Lurans stood up. His voice was sonorous, and the moment he spoke, the hall fell silent.

The Thunderbolt Marquis. He had been famous for a long time; even nobles from the Kingdom’s most remote regions had heard of him.

"In all the years since the Oduin Kingdom was founded, no one has committed a crime as grave and unforgivable as the Crown Prince. He has forsaken not only his father and his homeland, but also his very identity as a member of the Human Race."

"Crucially, this man also commands immense power, second only to those of Legendary rank. If we are lenient and he escapes our watch, who knows who will be the next to fall to his sword, meeting an unjust end like Philimon?"

Lurans stated his recommendation: "Therefore, I believe he must be sentenced to death!"

The hall fell into a brief silence, but it was quickly broken as nobles in favor of the death penalty began to voice their support, echoing Lurans’s sentiment.

Some who had been undecided were swayed after hearing the opinion of the Kingdom Marquis—especially since he was an old noble from the time of Ronin’s grandfather—and gradually made up their minds.

"Death penalty!"

"Death penalty!"

"Death penalty!"

The voices in the hall gradually became a unified chant.

Next, the Kingdom’s high-ranking nobles began to state their positions.

Faslei: "I concur!"

Arsenno: "I concur!"

"I abstain." Gushan sighed. He had worked with Garrett for many years and had something of a rapport with him. He couldn’t bring himself to approve the man’s execution.

However, he also knew Garrett’s crimes were too heinous for a light sentence, so he had no choice but to abstain.

Ibn Count raised his hand. He had intended to say he concurred, but after glancing at Sharon, he said instead, "I... object!"

His declaration was somewhat surprising, but as people glanced at the couple, they surmised that Ibn had likely made such a statement for the sake of marital harmony.

After all, no matter how one looked at it, Garrett was still Sharon’s brother.

Now, only the two Dukes, Valgis and Ronin, remained.

Valgis raised his hand. "My daughter Dana and my grandson were killed in Moonlight Valley at the hands of the Alien Race. I despise the Alien Race, so I am in favor!"

All eyes turned to Ronin.

If he also voted in favor, Garrett’s death sentence would be all but certain.

The question was, would Ronin object for Blanche’s sake, just as Ibn had?

Blanche glanced at Ronin. He had, in fact, asked for her opinion on the matter.

The ordeal had made her despise Garrett, but Sharon’s pleas had caused her to waver.

So in the end, she had decided to leave the matter entirely in Ronin’s hands. Whatever he chose to do, she would support him.

Ronin raised his hand. "Like Gushan, Ibn, and a number of other nobles, I too object to the death penalty."

As soon as he spoke, a confused murmur erupted throughout the banquet hall.

Many were surprised by his stance. They had assumed Lurans’s position reflected Ronin’s, so how could the two be at odds?

This was especially true for the nobles who had spoken with Lurans earlier; surprise and confusion were written all over their faces.

"Your Grace, if I may be so bold, what is your reason for objecting?"

A noble stood up and asked, "Everything Garrett did was not only to seize control of the country, but was also aimed at you personally! He even nearly murdered the pregnant Duchess. Such a man is not worthy of your forgiveness!"

"He’s right, Your Grace!"

Many others chimed in, decrying the injustice on Ronin’s behalf.

Ibn felt a stir of emotion as he witnessed this. Without anyone quite realizing it, Ronin had already come to influence so many people.

This was not a world ruled by nobility alone, after all. The power of the Extraordinary was enough to influence many things.

This noble assembly should have been a struggle for influence between various factions, but in reality, it seemed many had already made their choice.

Ronin stood up and explained, "I have no intention of pardoning Garrett for his crimes. I simply wish for him to be able to kneel before His Majesty’s grave and repent. Unfortunately, he is mad now and can barely understand a word..."

He paused for a moment. "My proposal is to sentence Garrett to life imprisonment, strip him of all political rights and his noble status, cripple his Cultivation, and publicize his crimes so that everyone throughout the land may know of them."

"Furthermore, we must seek out renowned physicians in an attempt to cure his madness. Once he has recovered his senses and repented before the King’s grave, then—and only then—can we pass judgment on the sane man!"

Ronin glanced around the hall. "There is no value in killing a madman. Only by having him repent can the dead truly rest in peace and the living find solace."

The nobles exchanged glances, and the murmuring gradually died down.

Ronin’s proposal was a harsh condemnation of Garrett’s crimes, yet it also retained a glimmer of humanity.

Moreover, he wasn’t suggesting that Garrett should go unpunished, but rather that the punishment should be deferred until he regained his senses.

If Garrett never regained his sanity, he would remain imprisoned forever, unable to do anything in his mad state.

If he did regain his sanity, his ultimate fate could be decided at another assembly.

Gushan stood up and applauded. "I’m not an eloquent man and couldn’t have put it into words myself," he said with admiration, "but you’ve said exactly what I was thinking. I support your proposal!"

"His Grace the Duke’s proposal upholds justice while also showing respect for life. I support it as well!"

Valgis also nodded. "Indeed. Making a man who has lost his reason face the death penalty may not truly quell our anger and grief. Forcing him to face his crimes after he regains his sanity—that is a far more profound punishment."

Ibn also stood and applauded. Compared to his own simple objection, Ronin’s argument was far more persuasive.

He had to admit, he was Ronin’s inferior.

Lurans also stood with a smile and applauded. He had been the first to declare his stance precisely to lay the groundwork for Ronin.

Whether Ronin had chosen to directly support the death penalty or propose something else, the path would have been smoothed for him.

Ronin accepted the praise from all sides with a smile. He could see that his proposal had united everyone’s position.

This was true influence.

As long as this decision was supported, his voice would be the deciding factor in many more decisions to come.

He was not the King, but his commands were as good as royal decrees.

And so, all the nobles in the banquet hall applauded in support of Ronin’s declaration, and Garrett’s fate was sealed.

However, the noble assembly did not end there. In fact, the main event was still to come.

"Next, let us discuss who shall lead the Oduin Kingdom!"

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