vrcanaries Chapter 853 - 853
Chapter 853 - 853
"Then what is the plaintiff's opinion? The defendant is willing to compensate for the losses, and there are mitigating circumstances..."Sena adjusted her glasses and looked toward the plaintiff's seat on the left.
"I don't accept it!"
A mocking chuckle could be heard.
Aldarp's obese body was slumped in his chair as he played with his mustache dismissively.
"A commoner attempting to murder a noble is a serious crime! If I hadn't been in the basement at the time, I would have been blown to pieces! How could you expect me to forgive him? Impossible! Whether intentional or not, he must pay a heavy price. My demand is simple: execute him immediately!"
Aldarp's expression was full of contempt.
He didn't even glance at Kazuma Satou, his small eyes fixed greedily and almost undisguisedly on the defense bench.
Under his direct stare, the golden-haired beauty in armor stiffened.
"Darkness, he's staring right at you, isn't he? That lecherous look is so disgusting!"
Aqua also noticed his gaze, waving her hand disdainfully as if she didn't want to be tainted by his stare.
"Does he not know you've already been slept with by the Demon King?"
"Aqua, I've told you many times—the night the Demon King captured me, he didn't do anything to me!"
"No need to explain, I understand. You're a girl too, so of course you wouldn't want your reputation ruined!"
"No, actually, I wouldn't have minded..."
Darkness looked at Aqua with a pained expression.
When she was kidnapped by the Demon King last time, she had been looking forward to what might happen next, expecting some thrilling play. But in the end, the Demon King did nothing to her and released her the next morning.
What a letdown!
"Objection!"
Megumin suddenly stood up, glaring furiously at Aldarp, her crimson eyes shimmering faintly.
"If you're a noble, you should understand the principle of rewarding merit and punishing faults! Even though Kazuma blew up your house, he also protected so many people in Axel! If that isn't enough to offset his crime, he has also slain a commander of the Demon Lord Army! Isn't that sufficient to exempt him from punishment?"
"She's right! Kazuma was protecting us!"
"And they defeated the Headless Knight Beldia!"
"In that case, his contributions are quite significant!"
The courtroom was packed with adventurers and ordinary citizens watching the spectacle.
After Megumin started, they all nodded in agreement, shouting that Kazuma was innocent and other righteous statements, quickly boosting Kazuma Satou's momentum.
"Regarding this matter—"
But at that moment, Prosecutor Sena suddenly scowled, a cold glint flashing in her glasses.
"Defendant Kazuma Satou, it has been reported that you twice publicly bowed to the Demon King, asking him to take you as his subordinate. Is this true?"
"——"
The entire courtroom fell silent instantly.
Even the spectators outside became deathly quiet, unable to utter a word.
Pledging allegiance to the Demon King was treason!
If they supported Kazuma Satou now, they could be considered accomplices!
"Call the witness—adventurer Dust!"
"Well, what Miss Sena said is basically correct!"
A blond adventurer awkwardly scratched his head as he stepped forward.
"Thank you for your testimony. You may step back now!"
Sena nodded coldly and dismissed him.
"Damn you, Dust, you traitor!"
Kazuma Satou glared fiercely at Dust as if he wanted to tear him apart.
Weren't we like brothers when we went to the succubus shop together?
"Don't blame me! With the lie detector right there, I couldn't possibly lie!"
Dust waved his hand dismissively, putting on an innocent expression.
Once at the castle in the outskirts, and once at the succubus shop—Kazuma had indeed tried to pledge allegiance to the Demon King in public on both occasions.
At this point, even Megumin couldn't say anything in his defense.
Conspiring with the demon race!
This charge was far more serious than plotting against a noble!
"Aren't there more charges against him? Why not lay them all out at once, Miss Sena?"
Alderp chuckled gleefully, his plump features almost scrunching into a ball.
"It is said he also faces charges of public indecency, public theft, and others... Call the witness Chris!"
Sena glanced down at the information recorded in the documents.
The list of crimes Kazuma Satou had committed in Axel was practically endless!
"Huh? Me?"
A silver-haired girl with a short cut stepped forward. Her cute face bore a scar, and she seemed bewildered to find herself called as a witness.
"Is it true that Kazuma Satou used his Steal skill to publicly take your underwear? And that he made lewd gestures at women while threatening them?"
"Well, that did happen, but it wasn't really Kazuma's fault..."
Chris looked utterly exasperated.
Was this really the kind of thing to verify in public?
Though she was telling the truth, after a moment's thought, she still tried to defend Kazuma a little.
"That is sufficient."
Sena nodded slightly, completely ignoring Chris's subsequent remarks.
Basically, there was no way to clear Kazuma of the charges against him.
"Charges of murdering a noble, conspiring with the demon race, public indecency, and others... While the first charge may be debatable, the others are all confirmed true. According to the law, the penalty is death!"
Conspiring with the demon race—and with the Demon King, no less!
That charge alone was enough to warrant execution!
Kazuma Satou's face turned as pale as paper.
Is this the end?
My life in this other world has only just begun—two months in? I haven't even started a harem, nor touched a girl's body, and now I'm going to die as a virgin in two lifetimes?
At the defense table.
Megumin's eyes gleamed with a dangerous light as she unconsciously began murmuring, chanting a spell bit by bit.
Aqua was startled by this and immediately jumped up to stop her.
"Aqua, why are you stopping me? I'm going to save Kazuma!"
"Are you an idiot? An idiot? You all used to call me the idiot, but it's actually you, Megumin, who's the real idiot! If we act now, we'll all be sentenced to death for sure!"
"Am I supposed to just stand by and watch Kazuma die?!"
Megumin suddenly raised her voice, her emotions running high.
"Don't worry, I won't let Kazuma die!"
Darkness sighed involuntarily as she touched the necklace in her pocket.
Had it really come to this? Did she have to rely on her family's influence after all?
But now she was considered "impure"—at least, that's how people outside viewed her. If she revealed her true identity, it would surely bring shame upon her family.
She slowly rose to her feet.
Even so, as a knight, one must distinguish between what should and should not be done!
"Wait, I declare this verdict invalid!"
Just then, a lazy voice rang out.
A young man appeared outside the courtroom, wearing a modern high school uniform. His extraordinary appearance and aura left everyone present momentarily breathless.
The youth lifted his foot and strode openly into the courtroom.