Deferment
In the year 1,026, 3rd month, 2nd week, 3rd day. Deep in the night; same time as Proteros. Moonblue supercontinent, south. Terka's palace. In a meeting in a gold-like hall with an extensive red carpet and dull brown ornaments hanging from the ceiling.
A brown, short middle-aged man, balding, with only hair at his sides, and a little fat, walked to and fro in the hexagonal room. Its only extra corners were as small as 1 meter. This was a quirky yet enormous, marvelous building overall, with exotic rooms everywhere. But even this did not compare to the main chambers and main study, which the nobles of the Kingdom of the Valus built before the Lýlaco Empire conquered the north of the southern Moonblue supercontinent.
There were people in the room with this man, and an extra young man standing at the side with his arms behind his back. The rest were mature men, with a few women, mostly young.
A person in military uniform with a descriptive medal of his rank above his left chest stepped up, holding his coat to his chest. “President, the special forces have been installed between the police, and the armament is ready. What do you desire to do with this? Isn’t there a pact? Breaking it would mean-”
“No, no, it’s not that.” The president of Terka replied, stopping moving around to bark at his general before looking at a slender man. “Is there nothing from the Lýmocan president still?”
“No, Mr. president.” The man replied, showing courtesy and respect. This was still the first 100 days of the new president’s term. Everyone felt respectful towards the man who gave them their roles, as expected, even with the few exceptions of changes at the last hour.
“Really? Not even a letter? A small show of understanding, uh… a hint?” The president, already annoyed, started growing irked. The same person nodded again before shaking his head, lamenting. “No, Mr. president. Everything is silent. Their daily press conferences are just about the situation in the civil war. There’s nothing about… responding to u- to you, Mr. president.”
“What the crap do they think they are? That Luis, does he not know I can decrease his country’s influence in the south with a swing of my sleeve? Who has more metals for sale in the south besides Cors but us? That damned, selfish man!” The Ters president complained, putting on an ugly expression.
“It should be as your excellency has been saying before,” the young man at the side, with his arms behind his back, leaned forth where he stood and commented. The president looked at him, “What is it, Martin?”
“Before, you spoke of teaching the Lys a lesson for not listening to your advice, which anyone should have attended, but not even their opposition raised a voice, too busy playing the victims. Well then, why not do it? What starts as a joke or banter often ends up becoming reality… if the situation arises to it.”
“… I see.” The president seemed to think about it, narrowing his eyes. When the old man, general, saw this, he stepped forth again with another slender old man. “Mr. P-… your excellency, please do not do this! It’s not reasonable to attempt this, not since the Sanctum Order returned to normalcy. More than a thousand years! It’s not-”
“Silence, general.” The president nearly barked, but he spoke calmly. The general jolted his neck backwards and seemed taken aback, helpless. The president felt apprehensive because of this and looked at the other old man. “You, what do you think of this?”
“If it is what I think… your excellency is proposing, then these are my thoughts. It’s not necessary, at all. Nobody in the world would act like this— it didn’t happen when Zyckevele was being formed nor afterwards, let alone towards Lýmoca.” The slender old man gulped before continuing, “Especially when considering our history, and theirs with the entirety of Moonblue.”
“Oh?” The Ters president lifted his eyebrows, exclaiming. The slender old man didn’t know if this meant that the president was interested or uncaring, but he carried on. “They partially defeated the Kingdom of the Valus and the Avica Kingdom, taking territory, but even when their empire fell, their nation supported our independence. If the Corsel Empire or ANS had designs towards us, they declined to act because of that. Even making ANS send envoys to us back then.”
“We can’t forget their protection towards the south, even if they thought we were their garden.” The slender old man took a step forth and folded his arms behind his back, lifting his chin, feeling more confident, more than a mere young man. “Even before the Leafless Tree Coalition arrived in the 4th century, the numerous naval assaults from the tribes in the north were terrible damage to the south.”
“The Lýlaco Empire protected us from them, not only from land, but through waters as well, as they also advanced north after conquering some of the south. Even if they were like that, conquerors to us, they also protected every corner of our beaches and shores, even our cliffs facing the sea, and there is enough story of that in any southern Moonblue country history books for that matter.”
“Even with the tribes in the north defeated time after time, we had Twilight, Dawn, and the disputed 3-lands of nowadays EPA Commonwealth eyeing us after the SO began. They protected us from them, bringing a lot of peace we would have lost, even before the Green Transformation. We have all history with and as Lys. Many northerners in the south of Moonblue are Ly blood, too. More than 70% are entirely from the Lýlaco Empire.”
“I’d say ‘pure lye’ or ‘pure Lys’, but that’s insulting for all parties. Thus, I recommend not taking action, your excellency.” The slender old man thought for a moment before adding, “If I recall correctly, your excellency comes from a lineage where your father’s family are Lýmocan by blood, and your mother’s family are half Ly, and even still have people in Lýmoca.”
“Is… that so?” The Ters president narrowed his eyes again, looking around at his cabinet. However, something told the slender old man that the president wasn’t interested about all the important facts of the mini-lesson he just gave, not the good ones he wanted to convey at least.
The general gave the slender old man a thankful glare and nod before staring at the president, waiting for him to enter reason, but…
The Terkan president caressed his chin before gesturing to point at the young man, Martin. “But I still want to show them a lesson. What you said, Martin.”
“Sir-” The slender old man’s face fell, so it was the general who stepped forth, but he was waved off by the president. The slender old man woke up to this and stepped forth. Yet, the president began ‘speaking’ his desires. For good or bad, they were ambitious, grabbing onto the present cabinet’s hearts. His fingers hooked, like grabbing onto something upwards midair at his chest.
“I don’t want to be seen as the president who was ignored, time and again, by a salient national leader for that matter!” The president looked at the slender old man, “Start an operation. There is no place in this country for terrorists, pirates, and criminals like the Lys who put their own people in such precarious danger. Terka will cut off relations with this monstrous country, who was once great, now falling to depravity again! I will show this political entity what it means to be in the Sanctum Order!”
“This is for both of you,” the Ters president glared at the general and the other old, slender man. “If you want to keep your jobs, then you will do your jobs!”
“General.” The president looked at the old man with his coat still against his chest. “You will do this next, and prepare it well— it’s not a joke anymore… Understood!?”
“Y-… yes, y-… Mr. president.” The general hesitated for a couple of seconds, briefly glancing in the young man’s direction, who wore a serious expression, before feeling calm enough to acquiesce. Hearing the addressing form, the president scoffed, and Martin remained serious.
***
Several hours later, in the early morning, at 5:35 am. Proteros City, SCJ building, surrounded by more than 20,000 people, of which a small portion belonged to news anchors teams.
This time, the SCJ was readied, applying for the national guard and the SPD to procure the installation of security. They did well. Even though Luis wasn’t hated or disliked as much as before, and he wasn’t the new ‘green president’, he was rather… thought about since the campaigns started until now, and most likely until the elections finally started.
Of course, the president allowed it this time. After all, many important people would come, and the public might be divided in how to view some of them. From politicians like Omar Preon, Benito Metelti, senator Ol’ Pak, to influential figures even in politics like Luciana Becerra, founder of the Cielo Caído de Miel company, and Lázaro Rentería, founder of the Bread Poeta company.
… Thus, as Fox walked through the corridors where he was once preemptively jailed, with Lesly guiding him through, both feeling at ease, they saw the numerous few news reporters take photos of them, especially of Fox. Even though he was cleared already, with the ‘unorthodox’ method he was exonerated, he was still a suspect of… anything.
“How is the President doing?” Fox asked, using an ordinary suit, of a humble style as always, and accommodating his sleeves. Nala didn’t come with him this time, so she didn’t dress him, and he was far too lazy to do it himself until now, before presenting himself to the supreme trial.
Stolen from Royal Road, this story should be reported if encountered on Amazon.
It was a quirky name, but it was legit. When someone of such high caliber was judged by also the 13 Supreme Ministers of the Supreme Court Justice. The one he was judged in was for high-intensity crimes, so to speak, while the ‘supreme’ was meant for high political charges.
“What, you think I spent the night with him?” Lesly replied, a slightly teasing, silly expression on her face. Fox rolled his, thinking about giving a comment on that matter, but ending up not doing so. “I am just asking. He seemed really… motivated.”
“Really? What makes you think so?” Lesly frowned a little in curiosity, flinging her chin to stare at him while inclining her head. Fox shrugged a bit, “Let’s just say he doesn’t feel like getting preemptively jailed. Hm, doesn’t he also have a daughter? He has things to live and thrive for, not like me back then.”
“Oww.” Lesly had somehow grown weak to self-hating little Foxy. She hugged his neck and brought his head to her shoulder, letting him smell her perfume. Ruffling her fingers though his black hair, she spoke calmly and soothingly, “You have many things to live for, even before grabbing that little lass and not letting her go, hear me?”
“Hm?” Fox was confused. But hearing her words, he frowned and jolted his head, only to be pulled against her shoulder again. “What little lass? You’re just several years older than Nala.”
“How sweet… or bastardly?” Lesly smiled, turning his head to make him look up at her face. “Did you call me young or your woman old?”
“…” Fox looked at the vice president wordlessly. She smirked even further, letting go of him with some laughter. Lesly accommodated his collar after messing it up, finally entering the supreme courtroom, with just a minute before 5:40 AM, when everything would start.
“… … …” They were stared at as soon as they went in. One of the ‘primary factors’ in this new, more overwhelming trial, had arrived; Fox. Fear of him still existed in those outside the government’s influence, but with the recent events, they were now with the excuse to show their discontent and ‘hatred’ in front of the cameras.
“Murderer!” - “Traitor!” - “You will be net, Fox! You will rot just after your dear, equally traitorous president is half dead in a cell!” - “How dare you return here, animal!”
“So, that comment on his daughter, do you prefer girls to boys? Better have daughters than sons?” Lesly murmured to him as they walked to the seats on the left. On the right were the people who were definitely not going to just observe, and will name themselves against the president, in the SCJ’s favor to secure the population’s humane, and so on.
“Why are you asking this?” Fox didn’t frown with the hurl of insults, but Lesly’s question made him sink his eyebrows, even if just a little. Lesly shrugged a little, leaning her face to his ear, “Just a curious point. It’s something that it’s either not discussed enough, or too shortly.”
“Fine, girls.” Fox rolled his eyes. He didn’t think of it much, but afterwards, he felt he sold something of him, but he didn’t know what. To top it off, Lesly smiled big time before leaving him to sit nearer to the glass, leaving him to sit beside Nala.
Fox went to his seat, with Nala flashing him a smile with cold and indifferent eyes before focusing on the trial, with Luis at the center. Fox placed his left palm on her right backhand, which notably rested between their thighs.
The trial was slowly started, with Vanessa Valyer no longer looking around the left or right, or the entrance, every minute or so. In fact, she looked calmer, although Fox felt her eyes dart to her corners every now and then, as if to check he didn’t leave.
This courtroom was vastly bigger than the previous trial with all Supreme Court Ministers and the Supreme Justice Minister. Both sides were a little longer, but more than anything, their stands were wider, with higher elevation on every row behind one another.
The center was 3 times unnecessarily bigger, with the Supreme Ministers’ seats, being more majestic and further distanced between each other. The Supreme Justice Minister’s seat had a long cone, sharp, with powerful strokes carved, adding to its beauty and majesty.
“This trial will now commence,” Vanessa Valyer declared. The already silent atmosphere became heavy, with both sides gulping and widening their eyes to take every little thing about to happen now.
After passing some papers through a large screen, which a person moved in a control room, descending to and then ascending from her seat and bigger desktop, Vanessa Valyer looked at the documents while addressing Luis Heartez. “The accused has 5 charges, all against the Humane Key, and his role to protect the people of Lýmoca. The first charge— you have failed the people of Lýmoca to protect them from daily criminal activity due to connections with the organized crime and their profit, shared to you for personal benefit.”
“The second charge,” Vanessa Valyer wasn’t stopping even as the opposition nodded their heads and agreed in low voices, or the left stands slightly frowned and shook their heads. “You have failed to differentiate between civil security and military intervention between your own country, dragging its turmoil as a result. This resulted in tremendous collateral damages, which only the civilians in the country pay for.”
“The third charge— you have deliberately ordered the massacres, and allowed more massacring to occur within the people of Lýmoca, sacrificing many lives for unknown reasons. First at a district in Proteros City, then in the entire country. Hence, this is a hegemony, tyrannical act, which is unacceptable.”
“The fourth charge— you have protected and still offer protection to one of the responsible ones for causing these massacres,” Vanessa quickly looked at Fox, unnoticed by anyone but him, and maybe Nala, but she wasn’t paying attention to her. “You refuse to disclose the information of these people, and their delicate and detailed information despite the screams and wails from your people.”
“The fifth charge— you have raised a hand to the humane, violating the intellectual privacy and social standards of the people, making them worry, fret for their business, fear for their lives, and bring an incredible state where the income entering Lýmoca were reduced in the greatest score in hundreds of years. This, as a means to encourage the support you would receive for falsely accusing those being massacred, shoving this guilt to them instead of you, and also for monetary purposes. Hence, you are also suspect of wasting the supplies that might’ve saved Preut in its most intense state of war.”
“Woah…” There were some uncontrollable exclamations going on in the left stands. If the first four charges were slicing wounds on their face, openly cutting open and bleeding the president and his cabinet for his word, for the work they’ve done together. The last, fifth charge unleashed blatant discontent. Even Fox frowned.
“…!” When Vanessa saw that frown, her right-handed fingers tweaked, uncomfortable, but it was minimal. Yet, Fox noticed. After pressing her lips together, Vanessa looked down at the president. “This trial won’t proceed with the same arrangements as the trial with Mr. Caolia before. There is evidence for this trial, proportioned by both anonymous civilians and people from the Ly army, which has seen the terror your rule has caused.”
“The evidence will be shown first, followed by the further declarations of the people who will become spokespeople against you for these charges, sued unto you by the people themselves.” Vanessa said, but these words gained further acclamation from the left stands, frowning harder.
Fox once again received some fleeting glances from Vanessa, who was seen by everyone left, right, and at the center by the cameras. But only he seemed to easily notice this, with others thought she was looking sideways to simulate taking her time, or letting the rest of the room acclimatize.
“Now-” Vanessa ignored the glares of the rest and didn’t let Luis spoke, who shook his head at the mention of the people going against him for this matter, when everything and everyone around Lýmoca could testify the contrary. But then, Luis stopped and took his WID out in plain sight. Nobody, not even military live footage recording devices, could see through its blurriness and blankness. His face changed as he read through it, with Vanessa Valyer frowning hard on this.
“What is this? Why- what is that object in your hands? Put it away!” Vanessa Valyer frowned harder when Luis didn’t seem to listen to him. The opposition were confused, marveled at the thing in Luis’s hands, which looked like a window, but was obviously more advanced, perhaps military. Some wanted to immediately ask their contacts inside, low status, to get them one.
Luis made signs to Vanessa, whose frown became confused. Seeing him point at his glass microphone, she pressed a button and nodded, custom and procedure, to give Luis the permission to speak.
“There has been a drastic altercation with a matter of utmost importance to the country, I request the Supreme Justice to postpone this trial.” Luis spoke with a deadly serious expression, grabbing the edges of the podium. Vanessa looked at him with downturned eyes and a straight back.
“What is this altercation?” She asked, not giving any confirmation or denial right away. Luis looked with upturned eyes, his posture humble, “Terka has… forcibly expelled and banned our embassy within their territory. There are… they have been harmed during their expulsion from Terka.”
“What…?” - “How could- what is going on?” - “They must have been disgusted of Lýmoca’s actions!” - “Haha! President Luis Heartez, it seems you really are good with new records. You just made Lýmoca lost its first embassy in the entire history of the world! Hahahaha!” - “Say goodbye to your ‘third’ consecutive term, traitorous president! Traitorous president!”
“Silence!!” Vanessa shouted out loud, whose face changed when processing Luis’s words, who looked at her still, and slammed her table. The opposition recoiled their necks with a jump and looked at the Supreme Justice Minister, who sternly wrinkled her nose before receding her facial features, staring at Luis.
“If this is true, then you ought to attend the nation’s needs.” Her demeanor changed, from a prosecutor to a Ly. Fox grinned hard from the left corner of his mouth, and just in time, Vanessa looked at him out of ‘custom’. She was a little startled seeing this reaction from him, even feeling… good?
“Thank you. It is. This won’t be cancelled, nor the elections, no matter what… happens.” Luis said with a heavy face. No one noticed, except some in the left stand. He nodded and went to a guard, who opened screen after screen of glass to lead him outside, even using some hurry to do so. Vanessa also unknowingly frowned at his words, though.
The words the president gave weren’t a small thing, and it was awfully confusing from how impactful they were. The entire courtroom, which should’ve gone deafeningly loud with something like this, fell silent like never before.
Vanessa remained in her seat, looking into the void, seemingly questioning the unknown. Then, she looked in Fox’s direction, where she saw him looking at her, who then tilted his head for a few moments, staring at her, unreadable, before standing up to follow the rest of Luis’s people.
“…” Vanessa lowered her head. Her eyes blinked, twinkling with an uncertain resolve, indecisive, and whatnot. She turned to Javier Laran, who looked at her, feeling tense, with his fingers grasping and rubbing across his chin. She seemed to silently… uncaringly cry for something…
… Walking into the corridor, Fox went after Luis, who was with his people and they calling his cabinet to have them ‘present’ in calls as he spoke. Then, when Fox arrived to walk abreast him, Luis stared at him with a hardened stare, which also showered him with… his feeling of dependence.
In the group, with Nala and Lesly walking to Fox’s left, behind the two guys, and the others surrounding them, they felt in a good mood. Lesly smiled, looking at Nala with a big smile, startling ‘the little lass’ a bit before staring at their guys’ backs again. Nala lifted her right eyebrow, but she still ended up smiling so thinly and secretly at Fox’s back. He had grown up, ah?
…
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This is the end of Volume 4 — Rave of Blood.