SUPREME ARCH-MAGUS

Chapter 458 Guilty [OR] Not GUILTY!

The crowd's restless murmurs fell to a deep hush. The attention in the vast stadium shifted to the three Royal Judges seated upon their thrones, each holding a golden scepter.

Every eye was on the judges, awaiting the verdict that would shape the pride of the Frost and Doom families.

As per Royal Court tradition, after hearing the arguments from both sides, the judges would share their opinions, after that the final vote by the crest family heads will be casted. The court stadium, which just moments ago had been filled with noisy remarks and heated debates, now felt like a vacuum—silent, cold, and tense.

The judge on the right stood first.

"This masked young man, Kent Hall has agreed before this Royal Court that he did, in fact, kill the crest wizards of the Doom family. And, threatened the life of Princess Chuli. Whether he did so in self-defense, out of desperation, or for a thousand other reasons, the fact remains: the threat to the princess's life was real."

A wave of murmurs swept through the crowd, growing louder with each passing second. The Doom nation's people, seated in the right half of the arena, started whispering excitedly, their voices growing more and more boisterous.

"More than anything," the judge continued, his gaze fixed on Kent's masked face, "this young man has already admitted to killing several crest wizards. His killing intent was clear and undeniable in this matter. Therefore, I find it difficult to believe that he is anything but guilty of this offense."

The judge's words sent ripples of excitement through the Doom side of the stadium. Loud cheers and mocking jeers filled the air as they celebrated prematurely, already treating the verdict as decided.

"He's guilty!"

"Execute him!"

"Frost family should kneel!"

The cacophony grew louder, the noise rising into a frenzy of excitement. Doom family members, common folk, and even influential allies of the Doom nation shouted slurs at Kent and Ragnar.

King Ragnar's face remained stoic, his sharp eyes fixed ahead as if unaffected by the noise. Lily, standing next to him, clenched her fists in tension.

The judge seated on the right side sat down after delivering his damning opinion.

The Doom family began to nod in agreement, their hopes rekindled as the main judge's words seemed to favor them. King Hoon Doom even smirked slightly, thinking that the verdict was all but sealed.

"Princess Chuli," the judge continued, "did not issue an order to kill Kent Hall in the first instance. And it is true that he threatened her life."

The murmurs from the Doom side grew louder, excited whispers about their impending victory circulating rapidly. Princess Chuli stood straighter, a victorious smile threatening to break across her face.

But then the judge's tone shifted, growing more contemplative, almost stern. "However," he said, and the word hung in the air like a dagger ready to fall, "Princess Chuli is not without fault. She is a Supreme Magus, a powerful sorcerer in her own right, not some helpless victim. Additionally, we must consider that Kent Hall had only just arrived in our realm as of yesterday.

He bore no crest or family insignia and was unaware of our realm's laws and customs."

The crowd's excitement dimmed, confusion spreading through the Doom side.

"Furthermore," the judge's voice grew sharper, "King Ragnar stood before us today, accepting this sudden Justice Call without protest. He brought his family and his allies here, demonstrating his respect for the law."

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The judge turned toward Kent one last time. "Considering all of this, the evidence presented, and the circumstances of the encounter, I believe that Kent Hall is 'not guilty' of the charges brought against him."

A deep, stunned silence filled the stadium. Both sides of the crowd, Doom and Frost, seemed frozen in shock. For a moment, it was as if the world had stopped.

Then, slowly, the murmurs started. On the Doom side, disbelief and outrage took hold. On the Frost side, quiet relief and vindication spread through the ranks. Lily let out a breath she hadn't realized she was holding. King Ragnar remained silent, though a small, satisfied gleam flickered in his eyes.

The main judge raised his scepter one final time. "Now, the vote by the crest family heads will continue. Let justice be done."

The tension only grew as all eyes turned to the 31 crest family heads, waiting to cast their votes. The fate of both the Frost and Doom nations now rested in their hands.

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Note: Thank You @aaaninja @VoidStalker for Inspiration capsules. Thank you so much ;-)

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