“The trial of Baron Niles Audrel Del Monte vs. an unnamed team shall commence. The prosecution may state its case.” Judge Lyons said with a projected voice. The old, refined, man stood above all others. His dark oak podium was beautifully handcrafted and offered little doubt over its importance. This man was the arbiter of this trial. In his court, no person was above the law. Not a baron. Not a countess. Certainly, not a random team of adventurers.

“We really ought to get ourselves a name,” Nicholas mumbled. He’d never thought about it before, but most adventuring parties were given some sort of title. Often, the name came from the team’s leader. This was a problem because no one in this group had officially taken that role. They were all, more or less, equal in terms of strength, age, and seniority. Alternatively, teams could also get their name from outstanding feats of strength, but that also had its issues. The least of which was that these four were on trial due to their actions while slaying Pride.

“Yeah, it’s pretty lame to keep being called the unnamed team,” Rex replied, acknowledging his friend. The group was only realizing now how much a name meant. It meant instant recognition. Announcements could be directed at them. Figures of authority would have to acknowledge their team. Best of all, it would solidify the four’s alliance, not that they’d ever betray each other or disband. It would simply feel great to operate under a single name and banner.

“The defendants will remain silent. The prosecutor has the floor.” Judge Lyons said. He banged his gavel to grip everyone’s attention. The judge was a busy man, as was Baron Niles and Countess Marisol. There was no time to frequently stop for these commoners to have unnecessary exchanges. Judge Lyons could already feel how this one trial would be an enormous headache.

“Thank you, your honor. These peasants have disrupted this city's peace from the moment they arrive.” Baron Niles said with a smirk. The trial was supposed to be about recent events, but the baron had a different plan in mind. To ensure his victory, he needed to run these adventurers’ names through the mud. That’s what they deserved for using a skill to attract his pets away. If the defendants got rowdy and argued with the truth, it would only damage the growing crowd’s perception of them.

“Hey, we’re commoners over here. We worked hard for that title.” Xander said, falling for the obvious trap. To most people, the terms peasants and commoners were used interchangeably. The only ones that cared about the differences were the ones with those titles. The crowd that had gathered was littered with adventurers, guardsmen, and bystanders from all walks of life. It was difficult for everyone to fully understand Xander’s complaint.

“Oh? I didn’t realize there was a difference. The four of you are so low on the totem pole, it would be better if you stayed quiet and accepted your fate.” Niles said. He let out a soft chuckle. These four commoners were easier to manipulate than he thought. It’d be simple to throw out passive-aggressive insults to have them result in another outburst. Speaking of which, his previous statement was not taken lightly, as he predicted.

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“Are you insinuating we should have watched as this town burned? The sin of Pride wouldn’t have stopped until he killed Paladin Rose.” Robyn said. She was agitated. People kept insinuating that she should have done nothing, but they weren't in her shoes. She was the one held hostage. She was the one with a friend in danger. She was the only one at the time who could have saved her. Everyone else could only offer their alternatives in hindsight, which was always better than what really happened.

“I see. Then, let’s ask her. I call Paladin Rose as a witness.” Niles said. He could hardly suppress his glee. Not only were the four arguing over unimportant statements, but they were also perfectly guiding the trial in Niles’s favor. He had an array of witnesses to call, but Rose was the most important one. It was no exaggeration to say her opinion of the group would dictate how the trial played out. As a fellow hero and publicly known vanquisher of Envy, her words were as good as gold.

The crowd parted ways to allow the paladin through. As always, she was dawned in her full armor that offered immense protection. Her radiant sword still clung to her hip. Rose was ready for battle. She had spent the week preparing alongside Damian and Countess Marisol. Upon the witness podium, Rose swore an oath to tell only the truth. With the final preparations commenced, she was ready to tell everyone about the brave heroes that saved this city.

“Paladin Rose, can you detail your first encounter with this unnamed team?” Niles asked. His question was a bit odd. It prioritized Rose’s initial impression of the team. As the four teammates recalled their first meeting with the paladin, the baron’s plan became obvious. He had no interest in Rose’s current opinion. He wanted to expose what was reported and act like it was still true to this day.

“It was during the summer harvest festival. The four took a job to assist a thief.” Rose said. Her four friends couldn’t stop their looks of disbelief. Of course, she couldn’t lie. They knew that much. Even a simple misplaced fact would be scrutinized by the oath she took. On top of that, Rose was a paladin of a lawful god. Lying in a fair trial would go against all of her teachings. That said, there was no need to detail what the team in question was doing during their first encounter.

“No further questions,” Niles said with a smile. He got what he wanted. Public opinion was starting to sway. Not even Paladin Rose could see them in a positive light? Absurd. These four must be criminals. Mumbles slowly turned to a roaring chatter. Judge Lyons banged his gavel to regain control of the masses, but it was Nicholas who got everyone’s attention.

“Is that all? We aided the capture of that same thief not once, but twice.” Nicholas said. It was a partial lie. His team didn’t assist in the first capture of Robert, and the second arrest was more of a fluke than anything else. Still, it was good enough to convince the people that he and his team might not be all that bad. Naturally, that wasn’t enough to stop the baron from his next attack.

“Oh, of course not. I have more who have witnessed your heinous deeds. This trial will expose all of your crimes!”