128: Judgment

Chapter 127: The Trial

The trial was held in the town square.

Joshua personally led his men to escort the Sheriff and the priest to the judgment stand.

The entire trial was truly nothing worth mentioning.

Under the questioning of the populace and Joshua's incitement, both the Sheriff and the priest were found guilty.

The jury did not sentence the Sheriff to hanging; instead, he was sentenced to exile, just like the priest.

The moment the verdict was announced, the Sheriff's subordinates immediately burst into an uproar.

However, in the face of overwhelming public opinion, their voices ultimately failed to stir up any waves.

The two were temporarily detained, awaiting the jury's deliberation on the specific date of their exile.

Just as everyone thought the trial had concluded,

Arthur stepped onto the judgment seat.

He declared to all the townspeople present, his voice amplified by sorcery: "Today, there is one more person who should also face judgment."

His action immediately drew the attention of the entire crowd.

Joshua pointed at Arthur and reprimanded, "This is Mist Town, Baron.

"Your rule has not yet been recognized.

"You have no right to interfere with this sacred trial, nor do you have the right to judge anyone here."

Arthur again performed sorcery, and his eyes glowed.

The townspeople gasped in surprise, many of them drawing the symbol of Mother Earth on their chests.

It wasn't that they had never seen magic.

It was just that Arthur's appearance at that moment truly resembled an envoy of the gods.

The young Baron walked towards Joshua and sternly questioned, "Do you dare swear to the gods that you are innocent?"

Initially, Joshua was startled and retreated a few steps.

But he quickly composed himself and replied, "The gods have long abandoned this land.

"Moreover, we are all sinners.

"No one here can claim to be innocent."

"I'm talking about a murder," Arthur's voice echoed throughout the square, "a dirty murder targeting the Mayor, Dimitri."

These words were like water poured into a hot oil pan, exploding across the entire venue.

A flicker of panic crossed Joshua's face.

He struggled to maintain his composure and said, "Our respectable Mayor was killed by Beastkins.

"The same Beastkins that those two just now harbored.

"His two children witnessed everything firsthand."

Joshua's supporters immediately shouted, "Hang them! Hang them!"

The Sheriff's supporters also raised their voices in protest at the same time.

However, all their voices could not drown out Arthur's words.

"You murdered the Mayor!"

The deafening declaration made everyone stop their arguments, turning their gaze towards the judgment seat.

Even the town representatives and judges sitting on the judgment seat stood up in unison.

Joshua's brows furrowed, about to retort.

But his followers were already shouting loudly, "Liar! Liar!

"Damn liar! This is a shameful lie! This is slander!"

Arthur paid no attention to their accusations, simply continuing, "You secretly colluded with the Beastkins of the Black Blood People.

"You let them infiltrate the town during the Undead attack and kill the Mayor amidst the chaos."

"Are you making up stories, Baron?" Joshua yelled, exasperated, "This is defamation, an insult to my character!

"Judge, end this farce!"

"I have a witness," Arthur said.

Joshua's face turned pale, and the voices of his supporters grew faint.

Arthur clapped his hands, and the Lovich siblings escorted a man, shackled hand and foot, onto the judgment seat.

The entire venue instantly fell silent.

Arthur pointed at the man and said, "He is one of the murderers who killed the Mayor.

"Tell me, you filthy beast, who instructed you to do this?"

The man showed disdain and spat at Arthur.

Arthur snorted, took out the Holy Emblem, and began chanting a spell.

Light shot from the Holy Emblem, directly at the Beastkin.

The Beastkin immediately wailed and fell to his knees.

The townspeople let out a series of gasps.

"Speak the truth, beast!" Arthur commanded.

"I am of the Black Blood People, the claws of the Beast Lord! I will tear you mortals to shreds!"

The Beastkin roared, his body beginning to transform—muscles bulging, hair growing longer, nails and teeth growing wildly.

Many timid townspeople retreated backwards.

"You won't succeed!" Arthur shouted again.

The light from the Holy Emblem grew even stronger.

The Beastkin who was speaking let out a painful wail, then collapsed to the ground.

He failed to complete his transformation and could only weakly raise his hand, blocking the light of the Holy Emblem.

"Who instructed you to kill the Mayor?"

The man weakly raised his hand and pointed at Joshua.

Everyone's gaze simultaneously turned to Joshua.

The exasperated merchant immediately shouted, "This is slander!

"You damned outsider, you found this beast from who knows where and made him slander me.

"As an envoy of God, don't you feel ashamed playing such tricks?"

Arthur nodded to the Lovich siblings, and the two escorted the Beastkin away from the judgment seat.

Afterwards, Arthur invited Louis to the stage, asking him to speak about the abnormality during the battle that night.

Louis accused Joshua of not issuing a warning immediately when the Beastkins attacked.

Of course, this accusation was also refuted by the other party.

Finally, at the judge's suggestion, the trial was declared concluded.

The accusations against Joshua would require a thorough investigation before the trial could be reopened.

The townspeople naturally disagreed; they yearned for the truth, and protests and dissatisfaction rose one after another.

The populace remained in place, unwilling to leave for a long time.

Although he failed to bring down Joshua, Arthur had achieved the desired effect.

Once planted, a seed of doubt would take root and sprout.

He could use some means to make it grow faster, and he began to prepare his next move.

Joshua and his supporters walked back to the business guild, looking sullen.

Midway, someone questioned, "Was it you?"

Joshua stopped, looking at the questioner in confusion. Anger spread across his face, and he raged, "Are you an idiot? To believe such a clumsy performance."

"But didn't you also want to be Mayor?" another person asked.

"Then did I have to kill Dimitri?" Joshua retorted, "You fools.

"That damned outsider wants to sow discord among us, to make you doubt me.

"Dimitri was a key figure in uniting Mist Town; would I be so stupid as to kill him?"

"Then what about that Beastkin?" the first questioner asked again, "He's not from here, I can confirm that. I know everyone in town."

Joshua stroked his chin and said, "That's exactly what I want to figure out.

"Alright, all of you, get back to work, stop guessing wildly here."

Except for a few trusted confidants, the supporters dispersed.

Joshua returned to his room, looking sullen.

His deputy, a capable small man, followed him in.