Chapter 99: Judgement

Judith stopped in the center of the Courtroom, facing the judges with a respectful bow.

"Your Honors, I apologize for the sudden intrusion, but I believe my testimony is crucial for this case."

Jamison's eyes narrowed as he leaned forward, his voice suspicious.

"Vice President Judith, your appearance here is unexpected. What do you have to contribute to this trial?"

Judith straightened and spoke while taking a vial from her spatial ring.

"This potion is called 'Affinity potion.' Well, your Honor must have known much more about this potion than a Wizard like me from this rural island." She said innocently.

"How did you get your hands on this?" Jamison asked in a cold tone and was shocked inside. The same goes for the six judges and Prime Minister Gavin.

Jamison was the first to snap out of the shock and asked coldly.

"Do you know what your actions are implying, Wizard Judith? According to the Wizards Act of 845, illegally importing products from the main continent is punishable by death or lifetime imprisonment."

"But, your Honor, I never said I got this potion from the mainland continent, though," Judith said calmly and turned her gaze towards the crowd.

"I'll show everyone that this potion is legitimate. I want five people to come forward and help me do a little experiment."

At that moment, Jamison interrupted her.

"Miss Judith, this is not your house lab or the academy to do experiments."

"Haa, even my words won't do a thing, huh?" Her gaze moved towards Emperor Ian.

'Puppet Emperor, huh? Now that I see it, His Excellency is indeed a mere spectator. I hope I've brought another 5 minutes for Raven.' As she muttered under her breath, something extraordinary happened before the VIP seats.

A virtual-like 10-meter large illusion appeared in the Courtroom, showing a scene.

Everyone in the Courtroom saw the sudden illusion and was startled.

Using the chaos, Raven slowly touched his face and changed himself into his original appearance.

Then, he took off the bowler's hat and leaned on the seat to watch the past illusion with a calm look.

The scene showed an image of three people standing in a gloomy hall.

One was the defendant of this case, Shirley, another was Sword Princess Athena, and finally, the third person was Prime Minister Gavin!

"A projection video recorder? How did it appear in this continent?" Gavin stood up with a shocked face.

'Wow! What kind of magic is this?"

"Is it something like photography?"

"But is it even possible to capture the whole scenario like real life?" Chaos erupted in the Courtroom.

Soon, they saw Gavin sitting on the sofa leisurely and talking with the defendant and the sword Princess. He asked about the man's identity in the portrait, then revealed how he and the Emperor always kept an eye on them through the inheritance bracelet. He also revealed information about the Crown Prince's death and threatened Athena and Shirley to return to the Royal Palace under the order of the Emperor.

When Athena resisted and soon gave in, everyone noticed the illusion-like video was covered in darkness.

A few seconds later, only Gavin was standing in the gloomy room.

All the spectators, advocates, reporters, nobles, and even judges silently watched the scene. As everyone thought this was the end, Gavin slowly sat on the sofa in that video and shouted out a person's name.

Soon, everyone watched how Gavin ordered the man in black clothes to assassinate Raven and put the blame on the Viser Kingdom.

After that, the illusionary video shimmered momentarily and broke into countless images like broken glasses before disappearing from everyone's eyes.

Alas, nobody even dared to take a breath or mutter.

Everyone's attention was solely focused on the Prime Minster and the Emperor.

"Ahem!" Jamison cleared his throat to gather everyone's attention and spoke.

"Given the disruption caused by numerous unforeseen factors, I declare this case postponed."

Jamison's gavel struck the stand, the sharp sound reverberating through the hushed Courtroom. The tension was palpable, as though the air had thickened under the weight of the revelations.

The postponement felt more like an escape than a resolution.

'This court is an utter joke!' Raven finally lost hope in the Emperor and this Empire's justice.

"Haa!" Raven exhaled loudly, causing the whole Courtroom to be silent again.

He slowly stood up from his VIP seat and walked towards the Prime Minister Gavin.

"Funny. Is this the justice you are proud of, Chief Judge?" His voice echoed in the Courtroom like a mockery.

"A judge who possessed the eye to see through lies is using the Empire's laws to give false judgment and executing innocents. And the Emperor, also my biological father, is keeping his mouth shut and is listening to all this nonsense like he is a clown."

"Atrocious!" A shout came from Jamison.

But Raven didn't flinch even a bit and continued to walk towards Prime Minister Gavin.

"And the strongest Wizard, who is also the representative of common people, who is said to have a part in introducing the voting system and even allowed the commoners to rise in social rank, is scheming like an old fox and playing with lives." He arrived before the Prime Minister and stared at him coldly.

"You better watch what you say, Raven! You should apologize to all of us and return to the Royal Palace. Or else, even I can't save you from getting executed for ridiculing the Courtroom." For the first time, Emperor Ian spoke while looking at him with complicated eyes.

Meanwhile, Raven stared at the Prime Minister and felt an oppressive spiritual power descending on his body.

'No, I can't back down.' He took a deep breath and continued.

"An Empire should be ruled by an Emperor, not by some clowns sitting high up in the benches and manipulating laws. Clause-35: Kidnapping or killing a royal family member results in lifetime imprisonment or execution. For trying to kill me and also for threatening my sister, I hereby sentence 'Prime Minster Gavin' to be executed on the spot."

"Hahaha. How are you going to do that, brat?" A cold voice came from Gavin as he looked at him with menacing eyes.

At that moment, Jamison felt he wasn't bluffing and shouted.

"DON'T PROVOKE HIM-!"

Before he could finish his sentence, Raven calmly raised his hand and pointed his forefinger at Gavin's chest.

'Do it, Zera.'

[One slot spell 'Erase Existence' has been used on Gavin!]

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A second later, a mysterious power suddenly entered Gavin's body through Raven's forefinger, destroying his body cells from the atomic level. But this mysterious power didn't stop; it invaded his consciousness and even entered his soul.

Gavin suddenly felt he was losing memories, and all his surroundings appeared unfamiliar. Within 0.3 seconds, he lost more than five centuries of memories. No, even his precious memories started disappearing in a blink, leaving his consciousness nothing but an empty shell.

But it was just the start.

The strange power started destroying his Sea of Consciousness and even his soul at a rapid speed.

Gavin stood blankly for two seconds and soon turned into ash like he had never existed!

A pin-drop silence appeared in the Courtroom!

For the first time, fear appeared on everyone's face.

Not only Jamison but even the Emperor, Judges, and the people showed fear in their eyes.

This sudden change also dumbfounded Judith, and she soon recalled his words.

'Is this the gift his teacher left behind? How powerful is that man I saw in the dream?' She felt unfathomable respect and fear!

The most powerful Wizard and the Zenith Empire's Prime Minster died like that!

[Use the fear and give everyone a warning.] Zera's voice echoed in Raven's head.

Nodding, he turned around and looked at Jamison.

"I want you to declare my aunt officially as Innocent within today. You may consider it a threat, but this is the tip of the iceberg I can do with my abilities. If something happens to my aunt, I will not hesitate to shower this city with meteorites." His words caused Jamison's face to go pale as a white sheet.

'F*CK! This kid really can summon meteorites from the sky.' For the first time, he regretted learning the 'Eye of Truth' skill!

"I-I will re-do the case and release her under your order, Your Highness!" He instantly turned into a polite man and sat down in his seat.

Meanwhile, Raven turned his gaze towards Emperor Ian and started walking towards him.

With every step he took, the people in the Courtroom grew anxious.

"Unlike you, I don't go around killing my family members." He paused for a moment and soon showed a killing intent.

"But if you dare to hold my sister hostage or use her through political marriage, I'll not hesitate to slit your throat, 'father.'" Saying so, he snatched the inheritance bracelet from his hand and added.

"You can remain a puppet Emperor for a little longer. One day, I'll return and challenge for the throne officially."

As soon as he spoke, an invisible power came out of his body and caused everyone in the hall to feel pressured.

Although it was only a slight pressure enough to make a normal human suffocate, it caused a rippling shockwave and subconsciously made everyone in the Courtroom lower their gaze.

"R-Ruler's Dominance!!!" Jamison cried out in shock.

'Ruler's Dominance?' Even Raven was stunned by the sudden phenomenon and asked Zera in surprise.

At that moment, a notification popped out before his eyes.

[Host has obtained 'Ruler's Domination' skill.]

[I heard that it's a unique skill obtained only by the true Sovereigns and needs the World Will's acknowledgment. It's more like a power of people. The more people respect and fear you, the more powerful this skill will become.]

'Oh? That's a nice skill indeed.'

Saying so, he turned around and looked at Shirley.

At that moment, she was shocked by his transformation and smiled forcefully.

"Advocate Lauren will take care of the rest, Aunt. Until then, stay strong."

Saying so, he started walking towards the courtroom exit. Although the Royal Guards and even the Emperor wanted to arrest him immediately, nobody moved an inch.

After all, who would even have the courage after witnessing Raven turning the most powerful Wizard of the Empire into ash in two seconds?

Only after he disappeared from the Courtroom did people start relaxing.

'I should help him escape before others notice.' Judith was the first to snap out of shock and left the Courtroom stealthily.

"What a rebellious child!" Emperor Ian hadn't even dreamed that his son would flip the whole Empire's history due to a single case. How Raven quickly killed the most powerful Wizard of the Empire rattled him!

'Haa, Elise is going to be pissed.'

After that, Emperor Ian also left the Courtroom with a grave expression.

Meanwhile, Jamison retook the case and continued.

"Ahem, from the confessions of His Highness Raven and also the virtual video evidence he presented in the court earlier, it is proven that the defendant hadn't kidnapped the Sword Princess Athena or poisoned Concubine Jeanne to kill the unborn child. Instead, she acted with a sense of justice and humanity and saved the 66th Prince's life all these years. With all this evidence, the court declared Defendant Shirley as innocent and asked the department of police to release her of all charges."

He didn't even allow Cedric to speak this time and closed the case while proving Shirley innocent.

Whispers broke out among the spectators, but the majority remained too stunned to voice their thoughts aloud.

Once the case was closed, people started leaving hurriedly.

As the Courtroom emptied, the atmosphere outside became electric. Reporters scrambled to relay the events to their publications; nobles exchanged wary glances, and advocates were rattled by the twists the case had taken.

At that moment, Raven sat on the iron bench outside the hallway and looked at the crowd gathering in the outer yard.

After leaving the Courtroom, Zera warned him that someone was probing his whereabouts through the spiritual scan and told him to use the 'Past Self' skill to create a clone of himself.

After creating the past clone, Raven used the boot's 'Shadow Stealth' skill, changed his face into Thomas, and reappeared more than 100 meters away before finding a bench to sit down.

[That's so reckless, lad. But thankfully, Judith must have used her spiritual power to check on you and block off all the probing eyes. Do not reveal yourself as Prince Raven until you become a Rank-4 Warlock.]

'Understand.' Raven nodded gravely and pondered about what to do next.

'I want to bring my aunt with me to Giaris.'

[No. You can't protect your aunt with your measly strength. The safest place right now for her should be Judith's house.]

'I don't trust her completely… But, indeed, she won't harm my aunt.' He also felt something was off about that butler named Philip and fell into contemplation.

[Your actions have already caused a lot of political changes within the Empire, lad. You just eliminated the main pillar of the Wizard Alliance and even allowed hope for the Wizard Union to stand on its own. After hearing your declaration against the Emperor, Judith must also be under great pressure. After all, she is the one who brought you into the Courtroom and even supported you in this case. Although the Nobles and Wizard Alliance will pressure her using laws, she is bound to become the next president of the Crows' Misery. As long as you help her a bit, she will become your greatest asset.] Zera said in his mind.

Raven leaned back against the bench, closing his eyes briefly as he absorbed Zera's words.

'An asset, huh?' Raven thought to himself, tapping his fingers lightly on the bench's cold metal surface.

'I don't trust her, Zera, but you're right. Judith's strength is more than enough to protect Aunt Shirley for now. I'll help her rise but on my terms.'

He slowly stood up from the bench and noticed people leaving the court. Reporters were the first to leave with their cameras, followed by noblemen and Wizards. They all knew that if they didn't leave sooner, the Royal Knights would come by and complicate things in the name of investigation.

Raven also didn't face much difficulty and left the court compound after a small checkup. After that, he moved towards the opposite side of the road and patiently waited.

During this time, almost everyone who came to attend the trial also left hurriedly.

A few minutes later, two figures walked out of the court's compound entrance and moved towards the carriage parked on the roadside.

One was a middle-aged woman, while the other was a young woman in her twenties.

They were Shirley and Lauren.

Although his aunt Shirley still looked injured all over her body, and even her hand was tried in rough cloth to stop the bleeding, her face showed no sign of pain or fatigue.

She smiled proudly and thanked Lauren multiple times.

Before long, both entered the carriage and left.

Raven watched the carriage disappear into the distance, his face a mixture of relief and determination. Knowing Shirley was free, he felt a strange weight lift off his shoulders, but he knew this was just the beginning.

The courtroom events had painted a target on his back and stirred the already volatile political landscape of the Zenith Empire.

'There will be a shift in power for sure. Wizard Alliance's power will be reduced to a large level, and even the reputation of the Royal Family will be greatly damaged.' The ones who benefit the most from this incident would be the Wizard Union and the Nobles.

After some thought, he shook his head, took a normal carriage, and returned to Garden Street.

…

Meanwhile, in the Emperor's Chambers, Royal Palace.

Emperor Ian sat in his private study, the heavy silence broken only by the faint crackle of a nearby fire. His face was pale, his lips tight as he stared at the bracelet in his own hands. But unlike the one Raven had, it emitted a radiant green color at the top and also had a symbol of twin serpents.

"What a mess," Ian muttered,

"Elise won't forgive me for this."

A knock at the door pulled him from his thoughts. A tall man clad in dark robes entered the room without waiting for a response.

"Your Majesty," the man said, bowing slightly. "The Royal council is demanding an emergency session. They seek answers about the Prime Minister's death and the Prince's actions."

Ian sighed heavily. "What answers can I give, Orion? That my son, a talentless child born from a concubine, managed to annihilate the most powerful Wizard of this Empire? That he declared open rebellion in my Courtroom and walked out unscathed?"

Orion's expression didn't waver. "We cannot show weakness, Your Majesty. The nobles are already restless, and the Wizard Alliance will demand retribution."

Ian leaned back, his gaze fixed on the flickering flames. "Raven has forced my hand. I can't even put a bounty on his head in fear of retaliation. But we should at least brand him as a traitor and a rebel. Should I also put an arrest warrant?" He soon stopped as he recalled what happened at the court. The scene of Gavin disappearing into ash was still lingering in his mind.

"For now, just declare him a rebellious prince. After all, the press must have already released all the news to the public. If we declare him a traitor, we will only incur the wrath of the citizen."

Orion nodded. "What shall we do about Lady Shirley?"

"Let her be. Judith must have formed some ties with that child, so it's impossible to do anything to her," Ian said after a moment of hesitation. "As for Raven… Let's keep searching for his whereabouts and find out more about him. We also need to know who is backing him."

…

The chaos in the Courtroom echoed through the Capital City as news of the trial spread like wildfire. Soon, every street buzzed with whispers about the Rebellious Prince, the fall of the Prime Minister, and the Emperor's cold-hearted act of targeting his child.

Newspapers were quick to seize the moment, splashing bold headlines like "The Dead Prince Returns: Courtroom Chaos Shakes the Empire," "Prime Minister Gavin Erased in a Flash," and "Emperor's Rule Defied by His Blood."

Legacy News rolled out fresh editions, drawing crowds eager to devour every detail. The bustling central market became a lively hub where people argued passionately about the events unfolding.

…