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Chapter 185: Trial (1)

Karyl knew the history of the imperial palace better than anyone else. There were many who, for the sake of the empire, had been falsely accused and sentenced to death. In fact, he himself had executed such people, with his own hands, for Olivurn.

He knew full well that some of the vassals standing in the Sun Hall had died by his hand.

I even remember the crimes you were sentenced for...

Slowly, Karyl raised his head and looked at Chancellor Bryn Ennik.

“...”

Bryn Ennik cocked his head in confusion, noticing the faint smile on Karyl’s face.

Not long after Olivurn ascended the throne, Tiren MacGovern was appointed chancellor.

Tiren was a genius without peer; he was the one who had led the empire to quickly unify with the Lurein Principality and the Three Kingdoms of Istria.

Nevertheless, it wasn’t Tiren MacGovern’s brilliance that was important, but the fact that the current chancellor would be replaced. This meant Bryn Ennik had been eliminated by Olivurn, not just removed from power, but eradicated.

Although a supporter of Luon, Bryn Ennik had many subordinates who still followed him even after Olivurn seized the throne. How could such a man be removed? It was simple—create undeniable grounds for execution, a crime so severe that not even a duke could escape the gallows.

The murder of a prince.

In his previous life, Olivurn had framed Bryn Ennik as Kromen’s assassin. Bryn had no idea that Karyl’s current plan mirrored the very scheme that had once led to his downfall.

I wonder... If you knew this, would you be grateful or resent me?

“Lilliana, I have a question for you. Is this indeed the infamous Twilight poison used by the Jannabi tribe?”

Without hesitation, Karyl produced the poison and showed it to her.

Lilliana gave Karyl a puzzled look, wondering how he knew her name, and replied, “Yes, it is.”

“It’s been reported that your tribe traded this with Prince Luon’s faction. Is that true?”

Karyl’s bold distinction between Luon’s and Olivurn’s factions left the vassals in shock. Of course, the First and Second Princes had their own supporters, but to openly acknowledge the existence of those factions with the emperor still alive was a grave act of disrespect.

“Nonsense!!”

“Do you have any proof?!”

“Everyone, be quiet. The trial is in session.”

In contrast to the vassals’ outrage, the emperor seemed indifferent to Karyl’s words, and he immediately silenced them.

“Your Majesty, are you aware that the northern immigrants sometimes smuggle goods through the port city of Piasta?”

“Hmm... I recall hearing such reports. I instructed that inspections be conducted thoroughly, yet it seems the issue persists,” the emperor said, turning his head.

“Th-That can’t be, Your Majesty! After receiving your orders, we have tightened security and increased the frequency of inspections at the northern straits,” someone immediately gave a response to the emperor’s remark.

All eyes turned to the back of the hall. Despite it being winter, the man was sweating profusely and breathing heavily. He seemed even more nervous under the scrutinizing gazes of the vassals, wiping his forehead with a handkerchief.

It\'s been a while, Karyl thought, smiling faintly as he looked at him.

Reige Myrtle, the administrator of Piasta—his plump figure brought back two distinct memories for Karyl, one from his past life and one from a few years ago. They were both related to the secret passage in Baron Reige’s mansion on the hill in Piasta.

In his past life, Karyl had used that passage under Olivurn\'s orders to find Reige’s secret ledger, while in this life, he had used it to rescue Suan Hazer.

Just as he had used that passage differently in this life, Karyl would take advantage of Reige’s guilt in a different way this time.

“Do not tarnish Piasta’s name without evidence!” Reige demanded, his voice shaky.

Karyl bowed slightly as he looked at him.

“Baron Reige, I presume.”

Reige Myrtle was the only commoner to rise to the rank of baron through sheer insight—he was also among those who backed the First Prince—only to be purged by Olivurn.

I saw your illicit ledger under Olivurn’s orders in my past life.

Even now, that ledger was likely buried in his mansion’s basement.

“You are familiar with the Ravat Guild, aren’t you?”

“...!”

At that, Baron Reige’s eyebrow twitched.

“You must know about them. They’re a guild on the rise in Piasta. They trade many things without much concern for the items themselves.”

“Are you saying that includes poisons from the immigrants?”

“No, they themselves don’t deal with poisons. But a seller could very well slip in a poisoned item, right?”

“L-Lies! Are you saying deadly poison is traded in Piasta? That’s nonsense! Besides, isn’t that guild connected to Tatur? You thought I wouldn’t know that?” Reige Myrtle snarled.

“That’s exactly why I know. Tatur is a free city. Since you know so well, you must also know it’s customary for managers not to interfere with each other’s work.”

“...What?”

“In Tatur’s black market, anything that makes money can and will be sold. Ravat operates under the same principle.”

“Are you saying that everything is acceptable as long as it makes money? Do you not have a sense of ethics?!” someone shouted.

Karyl turned his head to look at his accuser, itching to grab him by the collar but settling for a glare instead.

“Shall I show you a sample list of black market clients before we delve into the issue of Twilight?”

The noble who had shouted fell silent at Karyl’s words.

“Right now, I’m breaking the rules in order to reveal the truth to His Majesty.” Karyl shrugged with a sigh. “Showing you this will get me in a lot of trouble with the administrators here. This is a matter of life and death. Do you understand?”

Karyl placed his hand on his chest and bowed deferentially to the emperor.

Hashir felt like laughing but held it back. Although some administrators were present at this trial, Tatur had already pledged allegiance to Karyl.

Who would dare oppose that monster?

The imperial nobles, unaware of the full story, seemed skeptical but decided to listen to Karyl without arguing with him.

“Do you remember the ingredients of Twilight I mentioned earlier?” Karyl looked at Lilliana. “Mist Foxtail Grass, Ashen Leaves, and Dried Tear Moss can only be found in the north. Am I right?”

“Yes, that is correct.” Lilliana nodded.

“And these ingredients are difficult to handle, so only members of your tribe can manage them?”

Lilliana nodded again.

“So, all three types of leaves entering the continent are supplied by the Jannabi tribe. Is there any chance other immigrants might be involved?”

“No, there isn’t.”

“Good. Have you ever traded these items in Piasta?”

She nodded again.

“Recently, we’ve been trading through the Ravat Guild in Piasta. Before that, we used the guild designated by the Merchant Alliance.”

“How long has this been going on?”

“Since the establishment of the current empire.”

Murmur, murmur...

“So, it wasn’t just the Ravat Guild. The Merchant Alliance is under the jurisdiction of Baron Reige Myrtle from Piasta, isn’t it?”

Reige, pale with fear, shouted, “This is slander! I have had nothing to do with the Merchant Alliance ever since His Majesty bestowed a title upon me!”

“Do you have any proof?” The emperor ignored Reige’s outburst and looked at Karyl.

“Yes. You can check the ledgers.”

“Ledgers...?”

Reige’s jaw dropped, lost for words.

“There are secret ledgers in the basement of Baron Reige’s mansion. They will show the transactions involving these three ingredients. Who knows, there might be other unexpected entries as well.”

“Wh-What?!?” Baron Reige stammered in shock.

Seeing your ledgers back then, I already knew you were trading with the immigrant tribes.

He had meddled not only with Jannabi’s ingredients but with those of other tribes as well. Being exposed for trading with immigrants during the Extermination Decree of Heresy would be disastrous, as it constituted a capital offense.

Olivurn used those ledgers to frame Chancellor Bryn Ennik.

However, this time it wasn’t just the chancellor who was in hot water, but also Prince Luon himself.

“...”

Karyl’s statement was shocking, but the vassals in the Sun Hall remained silent as if their mouths were sewn shut. None stepped forward to defend Reige; they just stared with ashen faces.

Karyl knew why they reacted that way.

These ingredients are highly popular among the noblewomen of the capital.

In fact, they were so popular that they were constantly in short supply. Ironically, the ingredients for the deadly poison Twilight were also used in various fragrances that the nobility adored.

It was an open secret that goods from the north, not just fragrance ingredients, were traded among the palace nobles—from the highest quality gems like Dusky Moon, mined only in the Frost Plains, to premium dye ingredients like Snow Eye Powder, and the Ice Crystal Water known for its skin-clearing properties.

If noblewomen were obsessed with perfumes, young noble ladies had a particular desire for rare and hard-to-find items.

And those who stand there like mute idiots...

Most of them likely bought those ingredients from Piasta—some of them as gifts for their wives and daughters, while others hoped to win the affection of ladies.

It wasn’t only women who sought foreign products—while northern goods were popular with noblewomen, men favored southern wares, monster carcasses in particular.

For a long time, the southern barbarians used to hunt for food, but when that proved unsustainable, they started to hunt monsters from dungeons as well in order to survive.

As Mikhail had mentioned while heading to raid the nest of the Two-Headed Eagle, the Rahu tribe—one of the four tribes of the Great Plains—was renowned for their monster hunting, being particularly skilled at preserving the bodies of the monsters they slew.

The more powerful the monster they had preserved, the higher their prestige in what was essentially a sport for them. They didn’t accept monsters caught by knights or soldiers of the empire; to the southern barbarians, only the monsters they hunted themselves were deemed legitimate

So, whenever goods from Tatur appeared on the black market, nobles were desperate to buy them. Some used wealth, others food, each using their own means to obtain stronger monsters. There was no particular reason for this; it was merely an eccentric hobby of the nobles.

The playthings of well-fed pigs. That was how Karyl saw it. He almost felt that stench of rot, which he had long forgotten, here in the Sun Hall, causing him to frown.

“Is that true?” the emperor\'s voice echoed faintly through the silence. “If there really is a secret ledger in Baron Reige\'s mansion, it would be a grave crime. Karyl, will you take responsibility for that statement?”

“Of course, Your Majesty,” Karyl answered without hesitation.

Murmur, murmur...

His resolute demeanor sent a ripple among the vassals, both men and women turning pale. They knew the ledger would contain numerous entries, each capable of condemning them.

A secret ledger... What was he planning?

Despite all the warnings, he dared to deceive us and do such things...!

This is why one shouldn’t take in those of lowly origins...

I hope my name isn’t in there...

The nobles quickly turned to blame Reige, none reflecting on their own culpability. Karyl scoffed at their reactions.

After the Extermination Decree of Heresy had been declared, goods from the immigrants and barbarians had become scarce, causing prices to soar in Piasta. That was why the Ravat Guild had risen so rapidly—it was the only source for northern and southern goods.

Those who were once desperate to buy these items now turn against their own.

“I’m... I’m innocent!!”

Luon’s shout echoed through the hall. He was painfully aware of how dire this turn of events was.

“Your Majesty, I humbly inform you that the ingredients mentioned earlier are used in luxury items for the nobles of the empire,” Chancellor Bryn Ennik hurriedly explained to the emperor, knowing this was his only chance to turn things around.

However, the emperor’s response was cold.

“So? Does that mean you were aware that nobles were trading with the immigrants despite my decree?”

“That’s not what I meant... I just...”

Seeing how the situation was unfolding, Karyl became certain of the outcome.

It’s over.

Titan Shutean stared at Reige with a frosty expression. After learning about the source of Twilight, the emperor was eager to confirm whether the poison that had crippled him had come from Reige.

Once the secret ledger was found in Reige’s mansion, it wouldn’t matter if the poison was from there or not; his execution would be inevitable.

“The trial will continue after the evidence is meticulously checked. Bryn, aren’t the Green Knights the closest knight order to Piasta?”

In fact, the closest knight order to Piasta was the Blue Knights, but the emperor intentionally commanded the Green Knights, who still maintained neutrality. Ostensibly, it was to show fairness, but his real intent was to keep power out of Olivurn’s hands.

Karyl smiled coldly.

The emperor knows what kind of person Olivurn is. He would frame Luon for a crime he didn’t commit.

Even the sly and sharp Titan Shutean had eventually fallen to Olivurn. Indeed, the Second Prince, sitting there composed and betraying no emotion, was that formidable.

“Y-Yes, Your Majesty,” Chancellor Bryn Ennik answered in a quavering voice, realizing he had just ordered a noose around Luon’s neck.

“Detain Baron Reige immediately and look into that ledger. The trial will resume once I receive a report. Also, given the suspicion of involvement, Prince Luon will also be detained.”

“Father!!”

Prince Luon’s wail shattered the oppressive silence. Even so, the emperor didn’t even glance at this son as he was being dragged away by the knights.

How pitiful.

Instead, the emperor turned toward Karyl, conveying a message with just his eyes.

Impressive, but surely you don’t think this is enough to bring down Luon.

Karyl’s lips curled into a smile.

Of course, this isn’t the end.

He replied to the emperor with his gaze.

Luon? I don’t care whether he lives or dies. My true goal is elsewhere. This whole ordeal is just groundwork to make Piasta mine.

Karyl made a promise to him with his cold eyes.

And what I’ll take from all of you will be even more shocking, so be prepared.

The trial was just beginning.