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Sebas Aren - Divine Judgement (Chapter 64)

Sebas Aren - Divine Judgement (Chapter 64)

Sebas watched the opalescent woman turn to the father as she stood from her seat next to Inalos. She stretched slightly, making her rainbow skin shimmer somewhat as the prismatic colors cascaded over her face and arms.

“Welp, it looks like it’s my turn,” she said, making Sebas tilt his head and clench his foot against the ground.

The infernal human who had nabbed another cookie gestured at her vaguely with it as he spoke up, “Forgive me, but who exactly are you? I’m familiar with Father Dovespire since he makes me nauseous, but you bring a new type of divine sickness into my body, miss?”

“Zynarael,” she said with a smile. “Seraph Zynarael; Originally, I was another impartial party to join this event, but now that we went into the realm of celestials, it would seem that I am required to do my job.”

The red-skinned man squinted at her, curious about what she was getting at, and impatiently asked through a cookie-filled maw, “Which is?”

“Divine Observer,” Zynarael said, bowing gracefully with one hand to her chest, her fingers curling in a manner unfamiliar to Sebas. Despite his lack of recognition, the gesture exuded elegance that commanded respect. She turned her gaze upward, raising her hand. “My Goddess, would you like to do the honors?”

The room stilled as radiant light poured from the ceiling, piercing through Zynarael’s raised hand. Golden veins flared to life beneath her prismatic skin, spreading outward in intricate patterns, hooks anchoring something… uncanny within her. Sebas watched with uneasy fascination as her skin rippled, subtle waves cascading across her form like raindrops on a pond. A luminous emblem began to take shape at the base of her neck, just above her chest; a radiant sun cradled gently by two large hands. The golden veins receded, their light pooling behind her temples and into the newly formed sigil, which pulsed faintly with unknown energy. As the transformation progressed, the golden glow from Zynarael's body intensified, banishing every shadow from the room. Her eyes fluttered open, revealing irises of pure, incandescent white light. A serene, motherly smile graced her lips, amplifying the calm sweeping Sebas. The oppressive aura that now filled the chamber was paradoxical; a gentle yet overwhelming force, like an immense hand cradling Sebas with careful restraint. He felt as if it could easily crush, cast aside, or obliterate him with a flick of its fingers, yet its presence radiated only comfort and reassurance, leaving no hint of malice.

The light dimmed slightly, settling into a steady glow as Zynarael, the Goddess within her, stood silent and radiant, her gaze softly sweeping over the room. Her arrival had shifted the meeting’s atmosphere entirely, and all present seemed instinctively aware that something sacred had entered their midst.

Her smile was benevolent upon meeting each member’s gaze, and for just a moment, it lingered on Sebas’ as a small gentle shift of her smile told him she was happy to see him. Her ethereal form had no use for breathing, yet, she took a soft inhale before she had begun to speak.

“Be at ease, my children, for I come not to condemn thy sins, but to illuminate the world’s transgressions and the truth.”

Her hands spread to an open berth, palms raised open to meet the room. “Though the burdens that weigh you down hold a great weight, they are not beyond my understanding; the threads that hold onto your sins, the shadows you have walked, and the choices you have made, let us examine them together without prejudice.”

Sebas, though calmed, felt every pulse of her aura that would probe into his body, it seemed that it inspected his body, every beat of his heart, and planned to derive the truth from his soul. The aura silently encapsulated him, but there was still no malice within the foreboding energy.

The Goddess of Mercy turned again to the residents of the meeting, addressing everyone within now, “To those who question the soul’s presence here, let your heart be open; Justice and Mercy are not adversaries, but companions. Today we do not seek Justice, and only understanding.”

Her words, still lingering in the room like a feeling, followed by the extremely vibrant golden aura dimming down to a normal vibrance; it was as if it were inviting responses from those in the room, but leaving little to no wiggle room for deceit.

The profound silence from her declaration came not from fear or unease, but from the sheer gravity of her words, along with the intense presence and the sincerity in her words that everyone could feel.

Father Dovesprie was the first to break the silence, his tone reverent and solemn as he spoke with the Goddess, “My Goddess, thank you for taking time from your daily affairs to grace us with your Divine presence. Your wisdom illuminates us in this gathering, and your call for understanding humbles us all.”

The Goddess of Mercy smiled at him, cupping the father’s face lightly before taking her place at the center seat of the table. Sebas turned to the infernal human who seemed to be uncomfortable, his skin glistening with sweat while his wry expression changed to one of disgust or nausea.

Sebas cut through the room and asked the prison representative before him, “Will you accept the terms?”

The Goddess spoke, her soft yet imposing voice answering for him, “That will not be necessary, young Sebas Aren. As long as I remain in this room, the truth will only remain.”

Sebas tapped against the table, placing one of his feet in the chair as he shifted his body, his body now sat adjacent to the table while he held a cookie upright with his finger as he stared at the man across from him. “I see.”

The man across from him stared back at Sebas, a stoic expression on his face, he turned to the Goddess before he returned his gaze, leering at Sebas with a business formal sneer. “With her permission, I will ask the questions that all parties here wish to know about the accused.”

The Goddess of Mercy nodded him to continue.

“Sebastian Iore Aren, the first matter is vigilantism, and you claim to truly have been doing your best to take prisoners, is this correct?”

Sebas held the star-shaped cookie on its peak, his scaly finger lightly pressing down on it to make the pastry stand, he inhaled impatiently, “Yes.”

The charcoal-gray suit turned to the Goddess, asking for confirmation of the truth, to which she nodded.

“The second matter is endangerment, you put lives at risk during your commandeering of the ship vessel, what do you have to say in your defense?”

“Did anyone die?” He asked impatiently as his vision flicked to the Goddess’ serenity and impartiality.

“No,” the man conceded after a small pause, his tone begrudging, “No one died, but your actions caused distress and damage to the state’s property.”

Sebas tilted his head at him, “Then No, I did not endanger anyone.”

The man turned once more to the Goddess, and instead of nodding she simply said to him “I will tell you if he is lying, Corvallis Greystone.”

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“Understood, my lady. The third matter is interference with the Aeredale Government.”

Sebas squinted his eyes slowly at the man, his amber eyes cutting into his head. “Elaborate, if you would.”

“In this report,” he said, holding up a stack of papers, “it took twelve wardens to restrain and escort you to the Brinestone Prison from Aeredale Warden Station. Your resistance to justice is subject to up to a year in prison, along with a gold coin fine.”

Sevas raised his brow, “Inalos, did I resist on my way to the Warden’s Station?”

Inalos turned to Sebas from where he was ogling at the Goddess and finally spoke after turning back towards him with a double take. “No,” he began, “you did not resist. The warden’s actions were precautionary due to your… stature and appearance.”

“Please tell me Inalos,” Sebas asked, not taking his eyes off the man at the opposite end of the table, “Does my appearance scare you?”

Inalos cleared his throat and turned away, “Well, it would be wrong of me to lie when the Goddess is here, so yes.”

“Then, I forgive you for profiling me as someone who you thought aggressive, uncooperative, and evil. Greystone, it would appear that your report is wrong, and I was not resisting or obstructing, please do better in making sure you know the facts of what does or doesn’t happen.”

“He is not lying.”

The murmuring from the room was cut short by Corvalis’ raised hand, “The fourth matter pertains to trespassing; You entered a restricted area of the prison’s dungeon, what say you.”

Sebas let a small smirk reach his lips, “You’re referring to the illegal dungeon, operated in direct violation of international laws?”

Greystone stiffened at his accusation, “Regardless of the dungeon’s legality, entering its premises without proper authority remains a breach of the law.”

Sebas shrugged, “then I guess I am,” he said nonchalantly, “I didn’t know that you could restrict something like a dungeon, considering it a lawless zone; I believe back on my home continent Kladia, a man who tried to kill me once said “Nobody knows what happens in a dungeon,” but we can trust what you’re saying about this illegal dungeon with no adventurer guild staff present. Convenient.”

The dwarven Adventurer guild representative spoke up, “Aye, well, we ain't here to debate taxes or whether it’s a lawless zone. What I'm asking is, what exactly makes it illegal?” he asked, “As far as I am aware, there are no laws against having unstaffed dungeons.”

Sebas smirk grew wider. He tapped the cookie with his ring finger as his vision drifted back toward the prison representative.

Corvalis Greystone cleared his throat, “The fifth matter, destruction of public and government pr-”

The elder of the pair of elves spoke up, “Now hold on a moment, is it an illegal dungeon or not?”

“We…” he began, staring down Sebas, “Might be behind on a few payments…”

“Oh you naughty boy,” Sebas jeered, “Is paying taxes too good for you? What else have you done that isn’t legal? Let's make a few things clear about this dungeon that you throw your inmates into. Or would you like to tell them yourself?”

Sebas watched as the man before him, and the human beside him suddenly stilled to a silence that only death could permit. Both parties turned a shifting red as he grinned evilly at the pair that stared daggers into him.

“I will be frank, considering I’m not familiar with all the laws of this world, much less than on this continent, miss?”

“Lucille Valenforth.”

“Miss Valenforth-”

“Dame.”

“Dame Valenforth,” Sebas corrected himself, “I am not a smart man, but while I don’t know the status of all the inspecting and registration that may have been paid off to whatever corrupt officials that live here,” He said, tone growing more pointed as he spoke, “I believe the real problem you will find is in how this prison is being operated, disregarding the fact that prisoners are quite literally tossed into the dungeon’s entrance, with no supervision mind you, but that there are these very neat artifacts called “Experience Blockers” that not only siphon off the “Experience” these individuals get from killing beasts but also suppress all form of offensive ability that they have. As far as my dull understanding knows, that is a form of unethical and unusual torture and experimentation on sapient species.”

The room grew still as the words sank in. Corvallis stiffened, his face pale. The adventurer guild representative frowned deeply but remained quiet, clearly weighing the implications of what Sebas had just said. Father Alleran Dovespire cast a knowing look at the elf next to Dame Valenforth, who had a knowing glint in their eyes. It seemed they had already suspected the dark dealings of the dungeon but hadn't anticipated Sebas bringing it to the forefront so bluntly.

Father Dovesprite spoke up, “My Goddess, is that true?”

“It is so,” She said with a soft, pained voice, as if upset over the victim’s tragedy.

“A man who has seen such horrors should not be left unpunished," he said quietly, though his voice carried a weight that demanded attention. "Not just for trespassing, but for not bringing these truths to light.”

The man in the charcoal-gray suit adjusted his tie as he began to defend himself, “I- I wasn’t aware of the extent of these operations,” Corvallis stammered, eyes darting nervously between the Adventurer Guild rep, Father Dovesprite, and Sebas. “This is… much larger than I anticipated.”

Sebas smiled as he spoke, “Is that true, Goddess?”

“It is not.”

Sebas sighed, “Oh what a shameless man, willing to lie in front of a God.”

Corvallis Greystone paled and muttered, “No! Are you certain my lady, this-” he turned to Sebas, “YOU!” he pointed an accusing finger at him, “YOU SET THIS UP.”

“Mercy, is that true?”

“It is not.”

Sebas shrugged and sighed, “What a shame…”

[Access. 120 Stat Points are available for Distribution.]

[Strength has been increased 120-> 200]

The Goddess of Mercy’s golden eyes of light blazing as they widened and she hissed out, “Sebastian! DO NOT-”

She reached out across the meeting table as a star-shaped cookie launched from Sebas’ flicking finger, flying across the desk, turning into crumbs as the object sent Corvallis Greystone flying backward into the wall.

The Adventurer Guild Representative sighed as he looked down at Corvallis who laid slumped against the floor, “You can’t just-” he stopped, as he turned his vision to Sebas, whose calm demeanor was contrasted by his body’s rippling muscles.

Father Dovesprite finally turned away from the hopefully unconscious man toward Sebas anger and understanding on his face, “Sebas, you have turned this meeting into a battleground,” he said quietly, “May I ask what reason for the use of such force?”

“Divine Intervention,” he shrugged, “He spoke ill of my Goddess’ words, and I used that weight to show him the weight of his transgressions and sins.”

The Goddess of Mercy sighed heavily, her light dimming as if she were disappointed or the weight of the moment were a burden on her descent, “Sebastian you walk a dangerous path,” her voice tinged with sorrow and frustration, “Do not let your strength blind you to the consequences of your actions.”

“The council-” a hand shot up from the other side of the table, “will not stand for this!” The hand fell back down with the exclamation.

The elder elf, with a hand to her chin, spoke, “I suppose the truth has been brought to light, although Mr. Aren’s methods are fairly unorthodox, there are things we need to discuss- and much more to answer for.”

Sebas smirked at the groans of the man across the table from him, biting a cookie with a triumphant pride in his actions.

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