The news of the arrest of the most wanted criminal sent shockwaves throughout the city.

Overnight, Detective Lime became a well-known celebrity. On his daily commute, he was often greeted with respectful salutes from passersby. Even bold young girls would rush up to him to offer a kiss.

The people of Flondeck, who had been suppressed by the city-sealing order, seemed to have found a way to vent their frustration.

They spread different versions of Inspector Lime's heroic deeds among the citizens. Some citizens even spontaneously gathered in front of the courthouse, shouting slogans like "Hang Eric Andreas! Hang this villain!"

As for the Holy Warriors who played a crucial role in the capture, they were deliberately forgotten. "Oh, We don't need to give any credit to those outsiders who only bring trouble," people thought.

According to rumors, the presiding judge of this case was Albert Fraley, Flondeck's youngest and most promising prosecutor. And the defendant was the most notorious criminal in the empire. With such a lineup, the whole city was excited.

The court officials of the First Court were already struggling with how to arrange the spectator seats. The largest courtroom had only four hundred seats, but the number of people who wanted to attend far exceeded that. It was predicted that on the day of the trial, countless curious citizens would gather outside the courthouse.

"The attendance rate for this trial is higher than that of the opera house. If we charge admission, we could make a fortune," the court official thought with a sly grin.

Albert did receive the notice that he would be the presiding judge, and the Chief Justice, Carmen, even held a meeting for this occasion.

"In fact, the Royal Court of the capital wants to transfer the prisoner to Castain, but since it was Flondeck's people who caught the criminal, it should be Flondeck's people who try him. Those bookworms at the Royal Court who only know how to endorse things should not think about taking the honor that belongs to Flondeck's judiciary. Albert Fraley, the prosecutor, is the first to take on the role of presiding judge, his excellent performance has proven that he is capable of this role."

Albert put aside all the trivial matters and immersed himself fully in the study of the case, with the secretary assigned to him by the court.

The pile of files stacked in front of him was half a person's height. The more Albert read, the more shocked he became. Eric Andreas was simply a scum of humanity, and his case file was a document showcasing human cruelty and torture.

If it were just brutality, it would not be enough to make people fearful. However, he also happened to be a high-intelligence criminal genius. When violence and intelligence were perfectly combined, the resulting energy was terribly powerful.

If it were not for his whim to inspect Flondeck's secret industry, the unbreakable city-sealing order of the Holy Warrior, and the fact that Detective Lime happened to search the temporary lodging place of Eric, this criminal would still be at large.

This series of coincidences, Albert could only regard as fate's arrangement.

"I cannot let him live. All I can do is end the source of this evil," Albert vowed.

When Penny invited him to the private salon at night, Albert smelled the scent of danger and firmly declined the invitation. However, that night, when Albert left the court after working overtime on the case, he saw Penny's carriage parked in front of him.

"Get in," Penny commanded. The dim light made it difficult for Albert to see the expression on the young lady's face. Her face, seen through the carriage window, was like a lifeless sculpture in the shadows.

"I don't think we have anything to talk about," Albert said.

"Perhaps you have guessed my intentions, but you should know that no matter how you choose, what I have decided to do will be accomplished. And you're like an ostrich, burying your head in the sand, thinking that you can't see or hear danger, even the dumbest monkey won't do that." Penny pushed open the door and made a gesture for him to get in the carriage.

The content of what the young lady said was just as Albert had guessed.

"Every aristocratic family has some underground forces to deal with problems that cannot be solved in public. Sometimes, solving certain problems through bloody and criminal means is more effective than engaging in political struggles in the open. The Leinshman family has a considerable influence in the dark world, and Eric Andreas is one of the people we support."

"That's impossible. The evidence against him is conclusive enough to get him the death penalty; even an illiterate person could convict him. Moreover, the public is paying attention to this case, so it's impossible to deceive them," Albert advised himself to be patient and tried to convince Penny.

"This is why I wanted to hand Eric over to the Royal Court of Castain," Panny sneered. "The people of the capital have little interest in this case, and the court is just a puppet in the hands of the Leinshman family. We only need to know how to manipulate it correctly to make it act according to our wishes. Actually, I know that it's too idealistic to hope to spare Andreas from the death penalty. Although reputation may be boring, it's still better to clean it up. At the Royal Court, Eric's fate will still be sentenced to death."

"What's the point then?" Albert asked.

Penny looked at Albert and said, " Another unlucky guy with a similar build and appearance will be sent to the gallows. We have our people in the prison and the executioner, and it's much easier to accomplish this in Castain than in Flondeck. The Leinshman family has a vast and complex network of relationships, and people like Eric Andreas are what we need."

Albert looked out of the car window and said, "Please stop the car."

"Don't be so stubborn. I'm giving you an opportunity. Men always want to make a name for themselves. Just think, Baron Albert Fraley sounds much more impressive than Sir Albert," Penny said.

After a long silence, Albert smiled tiredly and said, "Please don't play with me anymore, madam. Even though bananas are delicious, monkeys have the right to choose whether to eat them or not."

As soon as Albert stepped off the carriage, Penny called out to him, "It's strange, in the past, no matter how unwilling you were, you always agreed in the end. Let me remind you that many things in the past were my personal requests, but this time, I am conveying the will of the Leinshman. I think you should understand what I mean."

"It's different this time. What you used to ask me to do, in my eyes, was just a dog-eat-dog game between bigwigs. No matter what the outcome, the ones who can eat the bones in the end are just the vicious dogs. You know how heinous Eric Andreas's crimes are. Maybe in the eyes of your big families, the so-called just trial is just a joke, and the law is just a tool in your hands. But for me, there are some bottom lines that cannot be crossed. I haven't forgotten the oath I made when I took office," Albert vented.

This book's true home is on another platform. Check it out there for the real experience.

Under the streetlights, the thin figure of the prosecutor grew longer and longer. Penny was impatiently stomping her feet, and she suddenly thought of that pot of dog meat.

Unfortunately, the opportunities will not be given again to monkeys who don't know good from bad. She thought.

On the day of the trial, the talk of the town was the confrontation between justice and evil. All four hundred seats in the hearing room were filled, and those who couldn't get a seat had to squeeze themselves in front of the courthouse. The crowded square and noisy chatter made the once spacious square seem small overnight.

From early morning, the square was packed with people, and citizens came hours in advance just to get closer to the entrance.

To accommodate the public, the court arranged several staff members on the square. These loud-voiced messengers had astonishing lung capacity and would occasionally shout out the scenes and dialogues in the courtroom for the public who couldn't witness the trial.

At 10 o'clock, the long-awaited judicial opera was finally about to begin. The announcer, or rather the messenger, exclaimed, "The trial is about to begin. The presiding judge, lawyers, and prosecutors are all present. Representing justice is our invincible Saint Albert. Oh, can you believe there are lawyers who would defend villains? These money-grubbers have no conscience." He knew what the citizens liked and spared no effort in praising the prosecutor while belittling everything related to the defendant.

"Yes, they have no conscience!" everyone echoed.

"Real revelry will take place at the execution site. So, what do you say? Is the gallows better, or is the guillotine better?"

The crowd immediately divided into two camps. Those who preferred the gallows claimed it would inflict more pain on the criminal, while those who favored the guillotine argued that only the red of blood was the true color of justice.

But the disagreement quickly merged into one will, and the crowd shouted, "Death penalty for him!" The deafening chant resounded throughout the square.

The bell in the tower rang, signaling the start of the trial. In an instant, the entire square fell silent, and people were enveloped in a solemn silence.

"Albert's opening statement was perfect. He listed forty-nine charges, each one more shocking than the last, and the defense lawyer could barely refute them."

"Death penalty! Death penalty!" The seriousness was swept away and the fanatical shouts erupted once again.

The messenger ran out of the courtroom again, holding up both fists high. "The prosecution is calling witnesses now, Strike a deadly blow to the devil Andreas."

Thousands of hands were raised at once, joyfully waving their fists.

"No, the witness has changed their testimony! Oh my god, what is happening?" Another messenger hurriedly ran into the crowd and shouted, "But don't worry, Albert can handle it."

At first, nobody paid much attention to this minor setback, but bad news continued to come in one after another.

"The prosecution has called seven witnesses in a row, and every one of them has betrayed us!"

"The defense lawyer began to fight back, claiming that all the charges in the court were unreasonable."

"God, the court document provided is missing a few pages. Another accusation has been overturned."

"It's impossible, even the presiding judge has betrayed us. The defense presented Albert Fraley's account, damn it, thirty thousand gold coins were deposited into the account the day before the trial. He has betrayed justice! He has betrayed us!"

After three hours of trial, people had become desperate, and a near-riot broke out on the solemn square in front of the first court.

The people began to attack the court, and the patrol officers and court guards did their best to evacuate the citizens. It is unclear who started it, but a bloody event occurred.

According to later investigations, two citizens died in the melee, and several hundred people were injured.

The festive banquet had turned into a tragic sacrifice.

Inside the courtroom, the atmosphere was boiling like hot oil, and even the judge's repeated calls for silence could not stop the people's clamor.

"I propose that this trial be indefinitely suspended, and the prisoner be tried again by the Royal Court on a later date," said the grand prosecutor, who represented the Castain judicial system. "Everything that has happened today is ridiculous. The sudden change in testimony, the missing pages in the case file, and the unexplained source of the thirty thousand gold coins. All of our colleagues in the judiciary across the country are waiting for a reasonable explanation from the First Court in Flondeck."

Count Carmen sat slumped in the VIP witness seat, unsure whether he felt ashamed or angry. His fingers dug deep into the leather sofa.

He was powerless to stop the Royal Court's proposal.

"I know someone is behind this," Carmen thought, but the thought of pursuing the truth was quickly cleared from his mind. The Count must prioritize preserving his own reputation and position. "Someone must take responsibility for this." He looked at Albert Fraley, who was frozen at the prosecutor's table.

Albert closed his eyes tightly, his body and senses numb.

From the moment the first witness changed their testimony, he knew he had fallen into a trap that had already been carefully prepared.

Or rather, he had already guessed what was about to happen since the night he had broken completely with Penny.

After all, he was just a mortal without invincible power. Even with his remarkable eloquence, he could not pass sentence without evidence.

Although everyone knew that Eric Andreas was indeed guilty.

This was the ridiculous and reasonable side of the judicial process.

He kept thinking to himself.

"What madness has possessed me? As a destitute aristocrat and a mere prosecutor, why did I stubbornly challenge the power of authority? "

"Clearly, if I just bowed my head, a bright future would beckon to me. Why did I pretend to be a saint and lose everything in my self-righteousness?"

"Isn't it better to cleverly utilize the power of others and maintain relative fairness without compromising my own interests?"

Albert's mind was filled with various thoughts until one idea appeared in his mind.

"Birth cannot be chosen, it is fate's arrangement; death is inevitable, it is the outcome we face from birth. Since fate has already arranged everything, humans can only make limited choices, and I have just chosen my own ending."

"Yes, free from anyone's manipulation, I have freely chosen my own ending."

So he figured it out and felt relieved.

The mixed-blooded villain grinned smugly. Golden Sparrow Flower was truly the best host. By bribing and threatening key figures, transferring a few zeros to a certain account in the bank, and arranging a few thugs in the crowd at the square, everything could be resolved.

All he needed to do now was endure a few more months, and he could return to the world filled with the scent of blood.

Glancing at the disoriented prosecutor, he silently sneered, "What a fool." He followed the guard to the backyard where a prepared prisoner carriage awaited to take him to the capital city of Castain.

"Andreas, I'm so sorry." Nobody expected that Albert, who had been standing still, would stop Eric and apologize to him in front of everyone.

Eric knew about the grudge between this prosecutor and Miss Golden Sparrow Flower. Did he want to seek forgiveness through this gesture?

"Too late," Eric scoffed.

"Yes, it's too late, and I feel deeply disturbed by the harm you suffered," Albert's face revealed a sarcastic smile. "I should not have arranged for you to be in a multi-person cell. Those prisoners who have been imprisoned for many years and cannot see women, are bound to be a bit abnormal. You know what I mean."

Everyone saw Albert cast a sympathetic glance at Eric's buttocks.

It wasn't until the grim-faced Eric Andreas was escorted out of the courtroom that everyone's gaze reluctantly left his buttocks, which had become the focus of attention.

Albert was calmly led away in shackles by the guards. Until the investigation of the thirty thousand gold coins was cleared up, he would be detained on charges of taking bribes.

He planned to consider his future livelihood carefully while in prison.

Because he knew he would never again be a prosecutor in his lifetime.