Chapter 6: The Tables Turn

On the second day of the trial, the two sides continued to argue.

“Then prove that the contents of the article in Weekly Global News are false!”

“You don’t sound like a lawyer! That’s called probatio diabolica! No one can prove what isn’t the case! The burden of proof is on you!”

Miroslav, the accused standing trial, still wasn’t even there.

Through bizarre and complicated developments, the crux of the debate was whether the article in Weekly Global News was true or false. Sven was there only to accompany the witness Lud, but now she was clashing with the defense attorney Mary Ville. On the judge’s breast was a badge worn by members of the judiciary. It showed the scales of the god who administered law and justice. As the two women argued, the judge didn’t know which way to look, so he shifted first to the right and then to the left.

“I’ll say it as many times as I have to! Tockerbrot’s owner, an innocent citizen, is defending the bank robber who took hostages in his shop! So treating him like a criminal is patently absurd!”

Sven had been arguing for thirty minutes since court was declared in session.

“Yes, but only if he actually is just an innocent citizen!”

A murderous light shone in Mary Ville’s eyes.

Tch!

Sven insisted that the magazine article was false—which it certainly was—but she couldn’t settle the matter because the article also addressed a massacre executed by the Wiltian military. The Massacre of Lapchuricka did happen. Sven could say the article was a lie, but then Mary Ville would ask, “Then you are saying the events in the article didn’t happen?” And in that case, Sven couldn’t say yes.

The author of the article didn’t have proof, so she had concocted the story partly from imagination and delusion. In other words, she had made much of it up. What’s more, Mary Ville was trying to wield the article to use Lud as a stepping stone to damage Wiltia and thereby sacrifice him.

The nation trampled on her, and now she is trying to get revenge by trampling on someone else. She’s got some nerve!

During their many back-and-forths, Sven had gained some respect for Mary Ville’s determination, if nothing more. Against a less skilled lawyer, Sven would have easily won a long time ago. But Mary Ville wouldn’t let her. She seized on every opening, launching waves of attacks. And Mary Ville felt the same way.

Who is this girl?!

No opponent had ever caused her so much trouble.

What’s her problem?! Where did Lud meet her?!

And then her fierce anger fell on Lud.

She had researched what he had done and how he had lived since Lapchuricka. During his time in the military, he was a hero known as the Silver Wolf. He had even been offered the rank of knighthood, but had turned it down. Then, after the war, he had quit the military almost as if to escape.

Did Lud and this girl meet during that time?

Even Mary Ville had been unable to uncover Lud’s actions between leaving the army and a few months after opening the bakery.

The truth was that, Lud, after quitting without notice and infuriating his former superior officer Sophia, had erased all traces of his activities by making full use of his skills from his special ops days. The records on Lud were blank until the airship incident here in Ponapalas.

What’s with this girl? She calls him Master and seems devoted to him. She seems like a nice person, but she must be crazy!

Masters of the warrior’s path can accurately size up an opponent in a brief clash of swords. Mary Ville was an accomplished debater. She grasped Sven’s strength, but at the same time she wondered why such a girl was with Lud.

“Urrrgh...”

Meanwhile, Lud was getting an upset stomach and suffering in silence even though all the attention was supposed to be on his replies as the witness.

This is unbearable...

He wasn’t remaining silent because he wanted to leave it all up to Sven. He knew he shouldn’t say anything at this point. Lud was no match for Mary Ville when it came to argument. If he said the wrong thing, she would use it to launch an offensive. So Sven cautioned him before the day’s proceedings began.

“Master, please don’t say anything.”

Actually, if I could just admit it all, that would be easier.

But circumstances no longer allowed that. If Lud confirmed the massacre by the military in public, it would be the same as verifying everything in the Weekly Global News article. It would be the equivalent of saying that he was running a bakery in order to hide his past, and that he was a racist and someone who didn’t hesitate to kill.

If Mary Ville had sought Lud’s cooperation merely to tell the world about the tragedy of Lapchuricka, he might have gone along with it. He might have accepted her offer as a way of reckoning with his sins. Instead, Mary Ville was trying to magnify those sins based on a false news article. And there was no way he could accept that.

Why is Mary doing this? Maybe it’s because...

Perhaps Mary Ville had been pressing her claims through proper channels for a long time now. But she hadn’t gotten anywhere. Perhaps she had been unable to penetrate the massive barriers erected by the government. So she had no choice in how she could fight. Maybe Wiltia had driven her to what she was doing now.

“This article says the owner of the shop is pretending to be a baker as part of a conspiracy surrounding the events of his service in the military.”

“Indeed. According to my research, the shop had almost no customers during its first year. If there weren’t profits, it’s obvious the bakery is a mere disguise.”

Mary’s false interpretation of the facts gave Sven an opportunity to correct her.

“You’ve totally misunderstood! After the first year, the shop’s sales took off! The schools, the local mine and shops in nearby towns all signed contracts with the bakery, and the number of customers continued to grow! Tockerbrot has renovated, and is investing in new facilities!”

If Tockerbrot was a front for disguising Lud’s identity, there was no need to put such effort into the business.

“This may sound rude, but Organbaelz is a hole in the road. The residents don’t have many options, and maybe that’s why they shop there.”

“Hunh...?”

Sven sneered at Mary Ville’s response.

“Organbaelz didn’t have a bakery for many years. So why would the shop’s sales rise since last spring? Why?”

“Why you—!”

Mary Ville’s temples twitched.

Sven’s customer service motto was: “Give the customers what they want and how they want it.” But that could be turned around for a devastating attack: “Give the customers what they don’t want and in the manner they don’t want it.”

“Isn’t that because of you? You’re quite cute, so men in particular must like you.”

“Oh my...”

Mary Ville insinuated that Tockerbrot had customers only because Sven attracted foolish men. But Sven didn’t lose her smile, as if her opponent just played into her hands.

“Organbaelz is a mining town with a high percentage of men, but many women also shop at Tockerbrot. Why do you suppose that is?”

“Um...”

“Our shop also sells bread in other towns. Sales are good there too, so why would that be?”

To cast doubt on the article’s credibility, Sven described how Tockerbrot was a genuine bakery that the townsfolk rightly and enthusiastically cherished. Without a doubt, that was the truth, so it would stand firm no matter what.

“Have you even eaten Tockerbrot’s bread?”

“What...?”

Sven didn’t ask the question with any ulterior motive. She was only suggesting that if Mary Ville tasted Lud’s bread, she would know that he baked delicious bread and that was why Tockerbrot had such a good reputation.

“Aw, gimme a break!! Why would I eat that jerk’s bread?!”

But Mary Ville’s reply to Sven’s question sounded unhinged.

“—?!”

It caught Sven off guard.

“Agh!”

Even Mary Ville, who said it, looked stupefied.

“M... My apologies!”

Court was not the place for emotional outbursts. It was for finding the truth in order to reach a just decision. If you raved or spoke with personal bias, you jeopardized your argument and the judge would admonish you.

“Is there a problem, Counselor Mehl?”

The judge questioned Mary Ville’s attitude. It was a warning that if she blew up like that again, he wouldn’t overlook it.

“No... I’m sorry.”

Mary Ville understood and apologized. It was an uncharacteristic mistake for her.

“Let us start over by hearing the defendant Miroslav’s account once more.”

“Huh?!”

Mary Ville’s mistake was graver than she thought. She had controlled the flow of the argument, but now she had lost it.

Awesome!

Sven cheered inside at this unexpected opportunity.

Mary Ville and her comrades had dressed up Miroslav as a revolutionary. They presented him as a victim, whereby he wasn’t a criminal but Wiltia was guilty of suppressing thought. In truth, he was just a small time crook. If that came to the surface, Mary Ville had little chance of escaping Sven’s pursuit.

“But... Mr. Miroslav is... Can we bring him in after Mr. Langart has left the room?”

Mary Ville was still floundering.

Miroslav was a petty criminal who lacked the skill to lie convincingly. So he was sure to be nervous in front of Lud. If the judge saw that, his opinion about Miroslav’s testimony would vastly change.

“Please, bring in the defendant Miroslav.”

Mary Ville’s request was not granted. Miroslav was escorted into the courtroom.

“Uh...”

As soon as he entered, his eyes darted around and he scanned the public gallery.

“Ugh...”

At that point, Mary Ville wanted to hold her head. He was a piddling perp—neither an ally of justice nor a revolutionary fighter. But he wasn’t a serious villain either. He was just a citizen that you might see anywhere. There was no way he could hold firm under the gaze of so many spectators.

“... murmur...”

Miroslav’s timidity alone was enough to perplex the audience. It was highly damaging to Mary Ville’s argument to show this man who was so different from what she and her supporting organization had made him out to be.

“Mr. Miroslav, would you tell the court once more about your actions at the bakery?”

Miroslav was visibly anxious, so the judge made an effort not to sound too intimidating as he asked his questions. If his voice was even a little rough, it would invite the objection that he was threatening the witness.

“W-Well... I... Um...”

But the judge’s considerate manner only increased Miroslav’s uneasiness.

“Regarding the magazine article... Is it true? Were you treated violently inside Mr. Langart’s bakery?”

“Um... Well... I ain’t so sure...”

Miroslav spoke timidly.

That nincompoop!

Mary Ville made a silent shriek.

Miroslav wasn’t a child. They could pass lies off as the truth because there was no evidence, but Miroslav was worried that his lies would be discovered, and he veered from the script.

I’ve won this!

Meanwhile, Sven silently made a cry of joy.

Miroslav had said, “I ain’t so sure.” In court, where everything was recorded, he expressed uncertainty about his own memory.

“Mr. Miroslav, did you just...”

Sven pounced on this opportunity. She quickly hurled more questions.

“What do you mean you aren’t sure? Is your memory unclear? Do you mean you cannot confirm the contents of the article?”

There were many ways to press this line of inquiry. If she could demonstrate that Miroslav was just a two-bit crook, this would be over.

“Don’t say anything, Miroslav!”

But a voice rang out, halting Sven’s examination.

“What?!”

“Whaaat?!!”

At that voice, both Sven and Mary Ville froze in surprise.

“Don’t say anything, Miroslav...”

Lud repeated his command. He spoke with steely eyes—eyes that to others would look as if they were glaring. He had finally opened his big mouth...

“Th...”

In court, all statements become a matter of official record. Usually, you must receive the judge’s permission before speaking.

Lud had ignored that. What’s more, Miroslav had been called upon to speak, but Lud had told him to stay silent.

“That’s threatening the witness!!”

There was no way Mary Ville would let this go. The tables had turned again.

“I’ve won! I’ve won!”

Mary was gloating in the waiting room outside the courtroom.

The court was in temporary recess after Lud threatened Miroslav and would reopen after a one-hour recess. But victory for Mary Ville was already certain. Lud had tried to prevent Miroslav from speaking. She could claim that he had threatened Miroslav to prevent him from giving damaging testimony.

No matter what Lud said now, and no matter how Miroslav weakened his case, there would be no further reversals. Even if the judge ruled in her opponents’ favor, Mary could claim the government had applied pressure from behind the scenes, which would further exacerbate the problem.

“Enjoying yourself, Mary Ville?”

As Mary Ville gloated, someone spoke to her. And not in the Wiltian language. The speaker had purposely spoken in Greytenese in case they were overheard.

“Is that you, Dolly?”

Dolly Anastasia was the reporter who wrote the article for Weekly Global News that had caused this whole brouhaha. She was a member of the mass media observing the trial.

“Thanks to this scoop, I can finally go home! Hmf! Every day, just breathing the Wiltian air shortens my lifespan!”

Dolly was a Greytenese journalist stationed at a branch office in Wiltia. It was stressful to live in an enemy nation, especially one that had defeated one’s own country, so few journalists wanted to come to this branch. Most who came wanted to return home as soon as possible. And many of them fabricated attention-grabbing scoops toward that end.

What a sleazebag...

Out of the corner of her eye, Mary Ville looked at Dolly with faint contempt.

Dolly viewed Miroslav, Mary Ville and the lives of the deceased people of Lapchuricka as means to her own fame, success and swank apartment back home.

But I have no right to criticize.

Mary was just like Dolly in trying to accomplish her own goals by using those who would use her.

“I look forward to seeing you take Wiltia’s reins. May I interview you after the ruling?”

“Yes, of course.”

Mary Ville was distracted as she answered Dolly, who was smiling with enjoyment.

“By the way, where’s Miroslav?”

“Huh?”

Mary Ville only noticed the man’s absence when Dolly mentioned it.

Miroslav had left the room a few minutes earlier, saying he was going to the restroom. Officially, he was a defendant facing prosecution. He would normally be under guard, but Mary Ville had complained about undue confinement, as well as thought suppression, so he was unsupervised.

“What is that schmuck doing?!”

But there were limits to his freedom. Without permission, he couldn’t leave certain areas of the court building. If he left the courthouse, Mary might lose the advantage she had finally gained.

“I’ll go look for him. See you later.”

After telling Dolly good-bye, Mary Ville left the waiting room.

Meanwhile in Lud’s waiting room...

“I’m sorry.”

Lud was hanging his head low... very low.

“Master...”

Sven wore a dark expression as she looked at him.

“Why did you say that?!”

Sven would always, no matter the circumstances, take Lud’s side. That was more important to her than her own life. But she had to ask.

“We almost had him! I suspect Mary Ville and her people are lying about Miroslav being a revolutionary! If he admits that in court, this is over!”

And that wasn’t merely wishful thinking. Sven’s prediction bordered on certainty.

“So why... why did you do something that would help him?!”

“—!”

Lud widened his eyes and raised his face at Sven’s question.

“You... noticed that?”

“I can see no other reason for it.”

Sven heaved a sigh.

“I think Mary’s—or rather, Counselor Mehl’s—backers are the Peace Faith. I encountered them a few times during the war, and I’ve heard about them since.”

They chanted the mantra of peace and freedom as they sought to end war through actions that were sometimes harsher than those of the military. To end war, they would even invite enemy armies into their own nations and call it liberation.

“There is an iron bond between them, so they’re merciless against traitors... Or rather, against those they perceive to have acted traitorously.”

In religion, heretics sometimes receive harsher deaths than nonbelievers. While the nonbelievers are considered fools who do not know the teachings of God, the heretics blaspheme against God’s teachings. So heretics invite more hatred. The same thing happens with political ideologies.

“If Miroslav can’t hold up under your questioning and admits he lied, he’ll be a traitor in their eyes.”

“Which is fine! He’s just a small time crook anyway! And he betrayed you for his own immediate benefit!”

Miroslav found himself in trouble and panicked. And then, when he tried to commit suicide and Lud tried to stop him, he shot Lud. And now there was all this legal drama! Sven would not mind killing Miroslav.

“He’ll just go to prison and that will be the end of him, so you should have let him suffer the consequences!”

Sven wasn’t asking why Lud told Miroslav not to speak in court.

She was asking why he had invited trouble for himself by helping Miroslav.

“But if I do that—”

As Lud started to answer, the door opened and a man came in. It was Miroslav, the man they were discussing.

“You! How dare you show yourself here!!”

When Sven saw his face, she shouted and was poised to deliver a hand chop to his neck.

“Don’t, Sven!”

“I... I know!”

Sven knew she couldn’t do that without Lud telling her. Killing is forbidden in the courthouse. But if it weren’t for that, Miroslav was someone she could have killed happily enough.

“Why did you come here? It’ll hurt your standing in court.”

Even now, Lud cautioned Miroslav.

“I... I didn’t really know about that magazine article. They said I wouldn’t have to go to prison if I did what they said, but...”

Excuses poured from Miroslav as he trembled violently.

“I’m sorry! I had no idea this was going to happen!”

“You didn’t? Then you haven’t any imagination! You didn’t notice they were just using you?!”

Sven was merciless toward Miroslav.

He had committed crimes and was spreading falsehoods, but it was true that the fault was not entirely his. Society, the economy and rampant inequality were also causes. But that didn’t make it right to trample on a complete stranger.

“I’m sorry...”

That was all Miroslav could say.

“It’s all right. I chose to do it myself.”

Lud still wouldn’t criticize Miroslav.

“You... But why?!”

Even Miroslav, whom Lud was protecting, couldn’t help but raise his voice at Lud’s timidity.

“You should be harder on me! I’m just a crook! I’m not worth protecting! Don’t you care what happens to you?!”

Lud persisted in protecting Miroslav, but the man under his protection was giving Lud a good chewing out.

“How can you say that?!”

Without thinking, Sven raised her voice in dismay, and Lud gave a wry smile.

“I did it because I wanted to.”

Lud answered with a quiet but determined voice.

“I told you that night in the shop, didn’t I? You said my bread tasted good. And I don’t want anyone who says that to be unhappy.”

“You...”

“Mr. Tocker always said that. He was the man who taught me how to bake bread.”

Tocker Mehl was Mary Ville’s grandfather and the owner of a small bakery called Tockerbrot in Lapchuricka—and, indirectly, Lud had killed him.

“I became a baker to atone for the killing I’ve done. But I always held on to the words Mr. Tocker said.”

After the slaughter in Lapchuricka, Lud had been devastated, almost to the point of death, but Tocker’s words had saved him. At one point, he had even considered suicide, but he knew that wouldn’t have solved anything. He had murdered hundreds, even thousands of people. It would be egotistical to think that his life was an equal exchange for those countless souls.

“I don’t want your life to be over because of my selfish reasons. I mean, then you wouldn’t be able to eat my bread again and say it tastes good.”

“...............”

As he spoke, Lud wasn’t smiling. He looked tense and expressionless. It wasn’t the murderous face Miroslav had seen when he occupied Tockerbrot. At that moment, Lud’s face looked like an ascetic who had decided to walk a certain path. Miroslav looked at Lud and then spoke.

“I... have made a decision. I’m going to tell the truth. When the trial resumes, I’ll come right out with it. I’ll say it’s all a lie and you haven’t done anything wrong. I’ll say you helped me.”

“Really?”

“Yes. I have at least that much pride. Despite being a petty crook!”

Miroslav’s voice was firm as he responded to Sven’s question.

“There are some things a human being shouldn’t do. I know that.”

He spoke with the determination of an all-too-human man caught between good and evil.

“No, you mustn’t do that.”

But Lud flatly refused his offer.

“W-Why not?! Don’t you believe me?!”

That wasn’t the problem.

“No, that’s not it. You heard, didn’t you? The people backing you don’t forgive traitors.”

They espoused peace and freedom and never doubted they represented justice. They never forgave traitors. But not just because they had defied their creed.

“If they let a traitor go unpunished, there will be more traitors. They have to eradicate traitors to make sure others don’t follow.”

Lud had seen this during the war. It was a tumultuous time when many simply went missing. A time when the difference between one hundred dead or two hundred dead was brushed aside as a simple error. Perhaps some of their comrades had been purged during that time.

“It... It’s all right. The judge will find me guilty and I’ll go to the slammer. While I’m there, I’ll keep my head down.”

“Right. If you’re in prison for, say, three to five years, this should all blow over.”

Sven agreed with Miroslav, but Lud shook his head.

“They have comrades everywhere. Inside the prison, they might be among the guards. They might even commit a crime to get into prison and have access to the prisoners.”

“But that’s...”

Miroslav started to say that was ridiculous, but then he closed his mouth. Mary Ville had said it herself. Like Lud, she had said her supporters were everywhere.

“I appreciate your willingness. I’m very happy. But don’t make a move right now. Just lie low and don’t do anything. Don’t cross them until this is all over.”

The Peace Faith would finish using Miroslav, decide it would be a waste of time to get rid of him, and leave him alone.

“Then... what will you do?”

“I’ll handle it somehow.”

Lud gave a forced smile.

“Oh.”

During the hostage incident, Lud’s smile scared Miroslav because it looked murderous. But now, for some reason, Lud’s true nature shone through. He didn’t have grounds to believe this would work out... but he wouldn’t give up.

The trial resumed. It was likely that everything would be decided today. Sven ran simulations, starting with their disastrous position, but all the scenarios had a low chance of success. The only sure way out was to kill everyone in the courtroom.

Well, what should we do now?

Mary Ville looked like an executioner as she walked into court.

“Huh?”

Seeing her face, Sven noticed something had changed.

Why is she shaking? And...

Mary Ville’s eyes were red. She looked like a child who had just stopped crying.

“Let us resume the discussion.”

The judge declared court to be in session.

“I have a question, Your Honor.”

Mary Ville raised her hand.

“It’s a question for Lud Langart.”

“Your request is granted.”

Mary Ville took a step forward.

Sven braced for the question. They needed to handle Mary Ville’s questions, deflect the discussion, and buy time until an opportunity to recover arose. Those were the only options Sven could come up with.

“Are you a former soldier?”

“Yes.”

Lud answered Mary Ville’s question.

“Whether or not you were involved in the massacre, you have taken many lives on the battlefield. That’s a fact, and that’s why you were labeled a hero.”

According to one cynical truism, a hero is another name for someone who kills people the most effectively. Even excluding Lud’s time as a special ops soldier, he had certainly killed many people.

“Suppose, if you will, that someone close to one of your victims tried to kill you. What would you do?”

Mary Ville’s voice, usually as cold as ice, had begun to warm.

“I don’t know. I used to think I would have to accept it. But now...”

Unintentionally, Lud looked at Sven.

“There are people who want me to stay alive, so I don’t have the right to choose death for my own selfish reasons.”

“Well then...”

Mary Ville stopped as if she needed to think.

“Then what would you do if someone was about to kill you?”

Mary Ville stared at Lud as she waited for him to answer.

“I...”

Lud met her eyes. The boy and girl who had laughed with each other eight years ago had lost their smiles and were here now angrily confronting each other.

“If I have time to speak to the people who care about me and want me to stay alive, I would tell them not to hold a grudge against my killer.”

“..............................”

“My killer would have suffered a lot and would surely continue to do so.”

That was truly how Lud felt. Such people’s actions would be the result of loss, mourning and suffering. Lud had seen a lot of that, so he was one of them.

“I see. Understood. Thank you, Lud.”

“............?”

Lud was confused by the sudden ending of Mary Ville’s questions.

What is she thinking?

Sven was even more confused than Lud. She had assumed her opponent would use the events of the previous court session for a relentless assault, but instead Mary Ville had asked a few ambiguous questions and backed away.

“Your Honor, I would like to call a new witness to the stand.”

Ignoring Lud and Sven’s confusion, Mary Ville made a request of the judge.

“I haven’t been notified of any further witnesses.”

Trials have certain procedures and it is necessary to submit prior notification of all witnesses and evidence.

“Upon further deliberation, I decided that it was necessary to hear her story.”

“And who is this witness?” `

“It is Dolly Anastasia, the reporter who wrote the article in Weekly Global News that has become this trial’s point of contention.”

“Oh?”

“She is in court today as a spectator.”

A buzz ran through the courtroom. No one had known that the author of the article was present. Voices asked, “Who?” and “Where?”

Their gazes gradually concentrated on one spot... A woman was sitting toward the back of the public gallery and looked as if she was enjoying a show.

“Whuh?!”

Dolly Anastasia paled when the fun was suddenly ruined for her.

“Dolly. Please, take the stand.”

“N-Now hold on! I’m just a spectator! I have no reason to testify in court!”

“I have only one question.”

Dolly didn’t want to testify, but Mary Ville wouldn’t relent. Moreover, the people sitting near Dolly were now regarding her with suspicion. Someone whose occupation was reporting the truth would only be reluctant to testify if she expected to be asked certain questions that she would have trouble answering honestly.

“What’s wrong with her?”

“She should agree to testify since the result of the trial is already almost certain.”

Other reporters in the gallery began expressing doubts.

“Ugh...”

Dolly’s profession wasn’t large and if she continued refusing, she’d needlessly make things worse for herself as word spread.

“All right.”

Reluctantly, Dolly stood up from her seat.

“Dolly Anastasia, did you write this article?”

Mary Ville held the Weekly Global News in her hand.

“Yes, I did. I wrote it after thoroughly collecting data and interviewing relevant parties. I must insist, however, that I cannot reveal my sources since I have an obligation to keep their confidentiality.”

“Just answer the question.”

People who are hiding something often talk a lot. Mary Ville spoke coldly to Dolly, who was saying too much without realizing it.

“Huh...?”

Dolly believed Mary was on her side, so the defense attorney’s cold attitude was confusing. Mary Ville now asked her main question.

“According to this article, the Wiltian military carried out the massacre in May. What was the date in May?”

“What?”

Dolly’s eyes grew shifty.

The article wasn’t just a fabrication. It was a figment of pure delusion. It was only by chance that it happened to match some facts. There was no way Dolly could have known the exact date of the mission that annihilated Lapchuricka. Dolly had suggested that it took place in May because records indicated a large deployment of Wiltian military around that time.

“It was M-May.”

“And the date?”

Dolly was bewildered, but Mary Ville didn’t let up. The woman had to answer or her credibility would be shot—as if an invisible gun were pointed at her.

“The 6th. It was May 6th!”

Somehow, she came up with an answer. She remembered that the large-scale military displacement had occurred in early May. She thought that if she gave the date as May 6th, it would allow her to play innocent if it turned out she was wrong—as if she had simply been off by a week. It was a random guess that could work.

“May 6th... I see. Unfortunately, then, it appears the article is wrong.”

“What?!”

Dolly’s face stiffened at Mary’s reply, which felt like a slice from an icy knife.

“Lud Langart was in Maben on May 6th.”

Maben was a town a good distance from Lapchuricka, on the opposite side of the massive Bonauts River. There wasn’t a bridge, so ferryboats were used to cross between the two.

“The mighty Bonauts had been high since noon that day because of heavy rainfall. Since no ferry was available, Mr. Langart had to spend the night in Maben.”

“D-Do you have any witnesses?!”

For a journalist, a fabrication was ordinarily as fatal as a mistake. At the very least, it was certain to prevent the homecoming Dolly so badly wanted.

“My witness is right here.”

Mary Ville turned toward Lud.

“Lud Langart, did you work as a baker’s apprentice before you joined the military?”

“What?”

Lud raised his voice in confusion at the question. This was the official version of Lud’s military career. Mary Ville must have known that Lud already belonged to the military by then.

“I’m the granddaughter of the owner of the bakery where Lud was an apprentice. And I remember that day very well. My grandfather went to Maben to buy wheat, but because of flooding in the river, he had no choice but to spend the night there. He drank heavily at a tavern, and Lud Langart, who was with him, carried him back to his lodging.”

“Mary... You...”

Lud had no idea what was happening. Why would she suddenly say this? It was almost as if she was trying to help him.

“Wait! Does that mean you were on close terms with him? Then your argument is invalid! It lacks objectivity!”

Tagkinder had remained silent throughout, but now he spoke up. He was the prosecutor, and should be on Lud’s side.

“What are you talking about?!” Sven shouted.

Just when the opposing lawyer was arguing in Lud’s favor, the prosecutor—supposedly on their side—rejected it. It made no sense!

“Shut up!”

The warmth that was in Tagkinder’s voice the night before was completely gone. Disregarding how it appeared, he openly glared at them.

“Oh... I get it now!”

Sven finally realized that they had never had an ally in court because Tagkinder was a Peace Faith sympathizer.

“Counselor Mehl! You never revealed that you were an old acquaintance of this man! This is perjury! It’s contempt of court!”

Tagkinder was ranting, but Mary Ville stood firm with a piercing glare.

“Haven’t you misunderstood? I am indeed an old acquaintance of Mr. Langart, but what is the problem with a witness and the defense counsel being acquaintances?”

“Whah?!”

It was a response that allowed no ifs, ands, or buts. Lud had been grilled like a criminal, but he was here in court as a witness. There was nothing wrong with Mary Ville being his acquaintance. The Peace Faith had fallen into its own trap.

“Oh... I see how it is, Counselor Mehl!”

Tagkinder wasn’t about to give up.

“Maybe you’re Lud Langart’s lover! You planned this farce so he won’t say anything incriminating!”

Tagkinder began casting scurrilous accusations and Dolly decided to pile on.

“That’s right! And that’s how I got into this mess! I’m just trying to reveal Wiltia’s misdeeds to the world! It’s sickening! Don’t you think that’s unjust?!”

“Justice?”

But Mary Ville’s cold gaze held steady. Rather, the temperature of her steely glare dropped as if to freeze everyone in sight.

“The people who prattled about such high-minded concepts destroyed my city!”

As she spoke, Mary Ville removed her jacket and placed a hand on her shirt buttons.

“It’s true that Lud Langart and I go way back. But you actually think I’m his lover? Me? Love him?! That is absolutely...”

“Mary? What are you doing?!”

Lud called out to Mary Ville, who had suddenly started to take off her clothes.

“Take a look at this!”

Mary Ville removed her shirt, leaving her upper body in nothing but a bra. Her half-naked body was irrefutably lovely. But the spectators in the courtroom did not cry out in excitement.

“Ulp...”

As one, they all gasped and fell speechless. Her back was savagely scarred as if by a horrible monster.

“That invasion by the Wiltian military turned my hometown into a battleground. It became a sea of flames. My house was bombed, and I only avoided instant death because I happened to be out. But...”

She was trying to escape when a house had collapsed on her. Nonetheless, she was lucky to have survived. But she was trapped under an iron pillar, unable to move or crawl out as fire surrounded her. The heat traveled along the pillar and burned her flesh. She had cried out and scrabbled at the ground until her nails peeled off. However, she was unable to escape and had experienced excruciating pain. Rescue didn’t come for three days as she suffered, caught under the rubble.

“I have a grudge against Wiltia. I hate the Wiltian military. That’s an undeniable fact!”

The courtroom was silent. Tagkinder and Dolly were now speechless and unmoving.

“And, despite that, you think I love Lud Langart? Impossible! I despise him!”

Mary Ville picked up the jacket she had tossed aside and put it on again. Then she slowly approached Lud.

“Lud... That’s why I will strike you down to Hell! I won’t let you make even the slightest excuse! I won’t let you say you were tricked or framed. I will cast you down in regret and humiliation so you repent your sins! That is my desire!”

As Mary Ville spoke, she held her face so close to Lud’s that they could feel each other’s breath.

“I won’t let you face judgment here! First, you must suffer greater despair and—”

At that point, Mary Ville breathed deeply, in and out. This was her ritual for regaining composure.

“That’s all for today. Thank you, Lud Langart.”

Forcing down her emotions, she spoke in a calm, rational voice. It was a declaration of the end of hostilities. And it suggested that while Lud had finished his role as a witness, he was still guilty of a slaughter that had been concealed by the government.

“Your Honor... in light of this, the article in Weekly Global News lacks credibility and is insufficient evidence for a trial. Therefore, I request a retrial.”

“Indeed. I concur.”

Having witnessed the whole scene, the judge nodded quietly.

“This trial needs to be heard without preconceptions from the very start...”

Then he glanced at Tagkinder.

“... so we may also need a new public prosecutor.”

“No...!”

His face utterly desperate, Tagkinder collapsed where he stood.

Now for a full account of all that happened later...

Miroslav received a retrial. This time, he faced charges as a regular criminal, not as a political criminal. He had committed perjury, but if a bank robber didn’t know he was working as an accomplice to terrorists and then escaped and gave information to the authorities, there was a fear of him facing retaliation. He had been partially forced into crime, so he received a greatly reduced sentence.

Furthermore, during the hostage situation at Tockerbrot, Miroslav was so desperate and confused that he wanted to take his own life. But he hadn’t treated his hostages violently, so consideration was shown for his circumstances.

Mary Ville was his defense counsel once again, and she worked to lighten his sentence. When his sentence was announced, Miroslav quietly bowed once and accepted his punishment—and there the trial ended. It was all over. Or so it seemed...