Chapter 278
Alicia heads to the courthouse as the witness for the defendant Vargan.
Surrounded by the heroes on both sides, watching over her under the pretense of protection, she held a firm belief in Vargan.
“Seriously? The Young Master took down the Academia? No way.”
For about two years, she had been by Vargan’s side.
Alicia thought his charges were utterly ridiculous.
“He was someone who dedicated more effort than anyone else to nurturing talent. And now he’s being accused of the Goddess Church…”
If Vargan really was involved with the Goddess Church and caused the collapse of the Academia,
why on earth did he even go so far as to establish the Research Society called Arbol Frutal to foster aspiring heroes?
Even when he always claimed everything was for himself, he ultimately worked for the benefit of humanity.
Alicia recalled her own existence as a prime example.
Having lived in a rural corner, completely unaware, she was enrolled in the Academia thanks to Vargan.
If he truly were part of the opposing Goddess Church, would he have even allowed her into the Academia?
More likely, he would have quietly let her die in that rural corner before her talents bloomed.
There were many contradictions.
And those were just a few of the things she knew.
“I need to pull myself together… I have to!”
Alicia took a deep breath to steady her nerves, trying to clear her mind.
Recently, with the Archbishop Salecius and matters related to her master unfolding one after another, she found it easy to become emotional—but now, she needed to regain her composure.
Her benefactor was in an unprecedented crisis.
She had to help him. She must save him.
Creeeak—.
The massive doors of the courthouse swung open, courtesy of the two heroes escorting her.
Alicia stepped inside the court.
All eyes were on one woman.
The courthouse seemed to await her arrival, commanding her to take the witness stand.
With her head held high, Alicia walked in.
She would not be intimidated.
She couldn’t show weakness.
If she appeared flustered or surprised for even a moment, the opponent would exploit that gap strategically.
“…Young Master!”
As Alicia scanned the courtroom, Vargan’s figure caught her large eyes.
He was bound by suffocating chains, looking worse for wear.
It seemed he hadn’t received proper treatment or disinfectant, as thick, congealed blood clung to his hair, cheek, and toes.
Having been forbidden from using mana, the bruises wrapping his body had barely healed.
“…I can’t let it show. I have to walk like it’s nothing.”
Alicia pressed her lips tightly together, fighting to keep her concern for Vargan hidden.
She desperately held back the urge to rush over, free him from all the magical bindings, and cast healing spells on him.
I stood at the witness stand and looked up at the courthouse.
‘The most important thing right now is to help prove the young master’s innocence in this trial.’
Alicia’s resolve, standing within her eyes, was unwavering.
The judge stated Alicia’s identification information and confirmed her identity before allowing the prosecutor to begin questioning the witness.
The prosecutor was an official from the Central Church.
“The witness, Alicia, has been employed by the defendant Vargan for approximately 1 year and 9 months, witnessing his actions closely. Is that correct?”
“Yes, that’s correct.”
“Then, it’s also possible that you may have seen the defendant Vargan preparing something secretly that could threaten the Academia?”
“…I swear on my conscience, I have never witnessed any suspicious behavior even once.”
“Is that so? Your Honor, as you can see, the defendant Vargan has conducted his actions so secretly that even his own servant was unaware. This indicates thorough planning and suggests that the destruction of the Academia’s defense system was not a momentary choice.”
“W-What the…! That’s a huge leap in logic…!”
—Bang, bang!
The judge interrupted Alicia to prevent her from continuing.
The elderly judge raised his hand in favor of the prosecutor.
“Witness, please refrain from approaching the trial emotionally. Prosecutor, you may continue your examination.”
“Thank you, Your Honor.”
“……”
Alicia glared at the prosecutor, but he continued with his questioning, unfazed.
“As everyone here knows, the Academia, which values freedom and equality, prohibits discrimination. However, the defendant Vargan artfully circumvented the rules of the Academia by hiring a witness to create discord. This was just acknowledged by the witness earlier.”
The prosecutor reminded everyone that Alicia had publicly confirmed her role as Vargan’s servant.
His words felt like they were straight out of a well-crafted script.
“…According to the investigation, the defendant had a hefty contract of 100 gold through coercive dealings with the witness’s foster mother. It was a unilateral contract akin to slave trading.”
“Wait a minute…! Let me speak…!”
“This! Represents an unfair transaction that occurred under a thorough imbalance of power! It completely disregards the fundamental rules that there should be no class-based discrimination for a hero!”
The prosecutor referred to the contract that had exchanged hands between Alicia and Vargan.
He pointed out that despite Vargan becoming a prospective hero, he was still entrenched in classism and had long shown traits of being an ‘evildoer’ not just in this incident but for a long time.
Whenever Alicia tried to speak up, the prosecutor cut her off.
The judge silenced Alicia every time, siding with the prosecutor.
Only then did Alicia realize.
Her eyes welled with confusion and resentment, allowing her to truly observe her surroundings.
Though it may seem like a format resembling a modern criminal trial with judges and juries, peeling back the layers revealed it was nothing different from heretical inquisition.
The judge and prosecutor were essentially inquisitors of Yggdrasil, and the Central Church had already regarded Vargan as a disciple of the Goddess.
The church had decided to execute Vargan.
This place was not a venue to restore Vargan’s reputation but a stage for public execution of an ominous heretic who followed the Goddess.
‘Young Master…’
Alicia looked at Vargan with trembling eyes.
He appeared as calm as ever.
However, even with Vargan in her sight, Alicia began to feel uneasy.
Usually, she would think he had something planned, that there would be a countermeasure, and maybe she would feel a sense of relief. But this time, something felt different.
A mere formality of witness questioning. The trial continued even without Alicia saying a word.
Her existence was merely a means to visualize Vargan’s wicked deeds.
They didn’t care to hear Alicia’s opinions.
From the start, her right to speak never existed.
“…In the end, the witness is yet another pitiful victim. This only heavyens the guilt of the defendant…!”
“No! That’s not true—!”
Alicia shouted loudly.
Her voice erupted, almost in a scream. She had hardly ever raised her voice to others, yet here she was, expressing her desperation with all her might.
Did her sincerity resonate? For a moment, the courthouse fell silent.
The prosecutor narrowed his sharp gaze and asked, “What do you mean it’s not?”
“It’s completely nonsense from the beginning…!”
Alicia stood her ground.
Although she wasn’t wielding a sword, she carried herself with the confidence of a warrior ready for battle.
“Why are you interpreting and belittling the matters between me and Young Master Vargan on your own…? Why are you only mentioning things that are unfavorable to him?”
“Witness! You cannot…”
“I’m fine! It’s a contract I willingly entered into! Sure, the initial contract may have seemed somewhat coercive to outsiders. But the subsequent agreement was a fair and equal transaction made by mutual consent! I will not deny it!”
“What are you doing? Shut her up already!”
At the prosecutor’s command, two heroes nearby lunged at Alicia to restrain her.
The heroes attempted to bind her by force.
Yet even amidst this, Alicia did not falter.
“Why am I being treated as a victim? Why must Young Master Vargan be the perpetrator? You know nothing! You’ve heard nothing about what has transpired between us!”
Alicia’s cries captured everyone’s attention.
It was too earnest and desperate to be brushed off lightly.
The jurors began to murmur.
The presiding judge realized the atmosphere and granted her the floor.
“Prosecutor, ensure the witness is able to express her opinions fully during the questioning.”
“…Understood, Your Honor.”
Finally freed from the heroes’ bindings, Alicia was ready to deliver her testimony.
In the newly conducted witness questioning, Alicia conveyed precisely what she had observed and experienced without any distortion or omission.
She clarified the exact causal relationship of the contract.
Mentioning the Arbol Frutal, the End of First Semester exam, and the festival, she revealed the actions of Vargan she had personally witnessed.
Then, a few ordinary jurors began to whisper among themselves.
—Could it be that Vargan didn’t actually bring down the Academia?
Sure, it was just a handful of individuals, but a shift had begun.
Alicia felt a glimmer of hope.
If the church and the heroes wanted to take Vargan down, swaying public opinion would be the key.
No matter how authoritative the judge was, they couldn’t completely disregard the jurors’ views.
If it carried on like this, little by little…!
“Your Honor, Witness Alicia’s testimony lacks validity.”
A woman sharply cut off Alicia’s thread of hope.
A student with striking red hair and piercing eyes intervened.
“I’m the prosecutor’s assistant. What do you mean by that?”
“I am Ocel Julio Clemens, assisting in this trial. Now, let me explain the precise reason for that.”
“I will show you.”
Ocel Julio Clemens.
One of the key figures who led this trial and the only daughter of Sylvester, ranked number one among heroes.
Clemens stated not that she would prove or explain, but that she would “show” them.
She boldly approached Alicia, standing nearby, and carelessly borrowed the hero’s dagger.
The courthouse judge tried to intervene, but the swordsman shook his head.
“Your Honor, please be assured that I will not harm the witness.”
As Alicia stood frozen, unsure of what she was about to do, Clemens unsheathed the dagger without hesitation.
In an instant, Alicia’s clothing tore, revealing her collarbone.
The cursed markings etched by Vargan appeared.
Clemens lifted her clothing for all to see and proclaimed,
“I’ll say it again, the testimony of witness Alicia is inadmissible. From the moment she made a contract with the defendant until this very moment, she has been living the life of a slave, unable to free herself from the curse.”
“N-no! This is…!”
Alicia desperately denied it.
It was merely one of the conditions for the contract. As if to suggest she had been harmed until now or that the effects had been activated.
However, the markings, akin to a slave’s brand, were clear enough for even an ordinary person ignorant of magic to comprehend, and their impact was tremendous.
“The witness’s current statement has also been distorted. After investigation, we were able to identify the effect of the curse magic. I will now present the results to Your Honor.”
No sooner had Clemens finished her speech than another aide, who seemed to have anticipated this moment, smoothly handed a document to the judge.
After briefly reviewing its contents, the judge frowned.
Noticing the judge’s reaction, Clemens spoke clearly for everyone present to hear.
“The Curse of Enthrallment! The defendant Vargan has placed an inhumane curse of enthrallment on witness Alicia, turning her into a well-behaved puppet!”
“…….What?”
It wasn’t just the spectators who were shocked by Clemens’ statement.
Alicia also stood frozen as if all her strength had drained away.
Enthrallment.
The meaning of that word was clear.
It was all about capturing someone’s heart.
In other words, it meant that Alicia’s infatuation with Vargan was closely tied to this.
“Witness Alicia. No, victim Alicia has been forcibly reprogrammed due to the curse placed upon her by the defendant!”
Thus, Clemens emphasized that Alicia was merely another tragic victim, following in Erica’s footsteps, and claimed that her testimony held no weight.
“…That can’t be true. It can’t be…!”
Alicia insisted that it was impossible and that the investigation had been flawed.
However, she soon found herself at a loss for words due to someone supporting Clemens’ argument.
“Alicia, it’s true what Clemens is saying.”
“……Professor Paula.”
The judge asked Paula to clarify her identity.
Paula introduced herself succinctly.
“I am Paula, a professor from the Academia responsible for the investigation into the curse placed on Alicia. I can assure you that the results shown by Clemens are the ‘truth’, without any lies or distortion.”
Paula turned her gaze to Alicia.
Though it was unfortunate, there was no avoiding the truth.
“Alicia, you have been deceived all this time.”
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