Chapter 465: Chapter 465- Bring in the Accused.

A few minutes had gone by and the duo had finally made their way to the front of the Forest.

Standing beside each other while taking in the view with different thoughts and emotions, they steeled themselves for the work ahead.

Ban Xen had found himself questioning his decision until now, but after reaching the supposed first location… he had lost all the will to question it.

Now, willingly or not, he accepted it.

Meadow, on the other hand, was now twice as focused as she usually was.

For her plans and future ambitions to succeed, this must, first.

She shook her head as lingering doubts began to creep into her mind before sighing as she took a step forward.

‘I hope you’re right, Raph.’

She walked straight in without a bit of hesitation, while the young boy behind her flinched before attempting to follow after her.

But in that moment, something sharp stung his skin.

Like ants crawling against the surface of his body.

His expression turned sour and he glanced back immediately. Glancing at the scene before him.

Behind them stood the old, mushy and broken roads of the Neighbor District, and further behind were the lines of deteriorated houses they had come by.

As usual, none of the indigens… the people who lived in this place were nowhere to be seen.

But Ban knew anything but to trust that.

They were there.

Few, yes, thanks to the Trial, but others existed. Lurking in the shadows… watching from wood nailed windows and cracks on the walls.

If one focused, they may even be able to feel their lifeless energy draining down with the light in their eyes.

The discarded forms of people served the same ruler as him.

Ban could only frown at the familiarity of the situation, but he did nothing more.

Soon, after checking once more, he turned and walked into the forest where Meadow waited by a tree.

“What is it?” She asked as he came into her field of vision.

The boy shook his head. “Nothing to worry about, My Princess.”

He said, but his thoughts said something entirely different.

‘I could have sworn I felt we were being watched.’

Ban had always been sensitive to danger, and that included people as well.

The nutrient–deficient people of the Neighbor District had been on their toes since the start.

Watching them with cautious eyes and hesitant breaths.

It was obvious they simply watched out of habit and weren’t much of a threat to him… but what he felt was something different.

Sharp and stinging… and a nearly familiar feeling that had always sent him on his heels running for his life.

A clear-cut sign of danger.

Yet, he could tell he wouldn’t get the chance to run from it.

Meadow could decipher his line of thought up to that point, and that only increased her discomfort.

She frowned as she read his thoughts and her brows knitted as she looked away.

‘I had assumed we had left the Castle unnoticed…but did someone find out?’

She pushed herself from the tree and continued on her way with Ban closely behind.

‘If they did find me leaving the Castle unsupervised… who would be suspicious enough to send someone to watch me?’

They ventured deeper and deeper into the path of green and brown.

Tall, mahogany and oakwood trees, and lush grasses that reached the knee.

Cleared paths failed to be placed here due to the unnecessary labour.

It was futile as the people who needed it the most were mostly too busy fighting to live another day.

But Meadow was too focused to realise they were leaning more deeply into a world of wildlife. Nature at its finest.

‘Julian…’

Her body tensed.

‘That would be the worst case scenario… but even if it isn’t, I should prepare in advance.’

And so, they continued on their way.

Goal in mind and a path forged by them.

•

•

•

Their figures had been consumed by the Forest completely by the time the air warped behind them.

On the same path that the duo took, a figure formed from thin air.

Around him, a gust of black and crimson surged in waves.

And on his face, two scars marred his eyes shut while a mask covered the rest of his facial features.

He adorned himself in a black, tight, armoured vest and trousers.

And the shroud of mystery around him, as his long, black, messy hair danced to the wind, revealed everything one needed to know at a first glance.

An assassin.

“The Second Prince was right.” He muttered deeply as his body was whisked slowly by the wind.

“The Princess is acting strange.”

A subtle current carried the wave of black and red and diffused it through the air as he disappeared like he was never there.

•

•

•

It had taken a while, albeit more so than the people seated at this moment had assumed, but it finally began.

“ALL STAND.”

The Throne room hummed with the feet of guests, Aristocrats, powerful figures, Vassal Families and the Great Families.

Of which two seats of the Great Families remained absent.

The Juns and the Lucius Households.

The King’s gaze hovered over them for a moment, but his expression remained the same. Sour.

Then, he glanced to the side. The cause of concern had now forged itself like an ever-persistent parasite to its host.

Still seated on his Throne, his gaze now peered at the source of the Voice.

To the left of the Throneroom, three high podiums of a different form and purpose stood, and behind these, three figures of great accomplishment and poise occupied them.

The L.A.W. was in the seat for this Trial, and the King was quite displeased.

‘Ever since that day… these fools who have remained silent up until now have suddenly taken their place in that old Podium.

One that has lost its function in years.’

As if that was not enough…

At that moment, the doors swung open as the Herald announced.

“Appearing before the Throne room, Cardinal of the Lucia Holy Church, Cardinal Manon Lucius.”

The King’s lips curled downwards in a deep frown, and his brows knitted together as the man… old and riddled with age, walked down the aisle with priests at his side.

The murmur began, and as soon as it did, it only increased with the next announcement.

“Appearing before the Throne room, Matriarch of the Jun Household! Gloria Jun and first Prince, Thylan Swanstorm!”

The hall shook with gasps and raised voices.

“The Jun household showed up?!”

“Impossible! Shouldn’t they be mourning the dead?!”

“How can this be?!”

“Is this really her?!”

” *Gasp* it is her!”

And the chaos rose.

But at that moment–

“ORDER!”

The voice, loud and boisterous shook the room into stifled silence as heads turned to the direction of the source. Including the King.

The man’s expression had failed to keep still like the ruler he was.

His deep annoyance and sudden loss of control had already eaten at every fibre of patience within him.

Yet, he simply stared as the Man, the first of the Law, Thumpfrey Logan.

He had been the main source of his headache as he led the three with a bull–front charge.

Never taking a step back despite opposition.

Like the first time they appeared, their appearance had remained the same.

With black, slicked, combed hair tied in a ponytail and grey hair sticking out from the edges. The middle-aged man failed to outrun old age.

The Throne room sizzled with the leftover voices of those who didn’t hesitate to speak, but it was quickly shushed.

“ORDER IN THE THRONE ROOM!”

The King gritted his teeth as the silence left after his order was made evident.

A still quiet took the room as they all remained standing.

In that silence, Manon and Gloria, with Thylan sticking behind found their way to their seats.

By the right side of the Throne were a series of short staircases that led to a raised dais, enclosed by a carved balustrade.

Twelve high-backed chairs lined its breadth, spaced just enough to allow consorts or aides to stand between and behind them.

The arrangement was based on the present Rankings of the Great Family, and Gloria found her way to the first of the seats, left empty in their name.

The Jun may have lost two males… but these females were not to be underestimated.

The first of the Juns, and Raph’s eldest sister was here to make that known.

And behind her, her consort stood quietly with his head bowed low.

Thylan Swanstorm, the supposed first Prince of the Kingdom, and Gloria’s forced husband.

With the people set and in motion, the Trial was edging closer to its start.

“With that…” The second, Micar Argona, the second and youngest, with deep emerald eyes and lush green hair, began. “…We will begin the Trial.”

The Throne room hummed with the feet of Nobles and Aristocrats who took their seats, while those who were meant to stand did so.

The tension in the air was evident, but the excitement that followed swallowed it in a bubble of anticipation.

The third and the oldest, Lamel Winston cleared his dried throat as his fingers trembled slightly while he picked up his glasses.

In that silence, he put them on, flipped through a few pages of paper and suddenly darted his sharp, dark eyes still filled with vibrant energy towards the Great Families.

“Manon Lucius…” he began, not just to the surprise of the congregation and the King, but also to his peers, the other L.A.W. members.

The old Cardinal looked up from his seat.

“Yes, old friend.”

“I take it that your appearance means the church will have an influence in the matters of today’s Trials?”

Manon nodded slowly with evident strain.

“This matter concerns the Lucius Household deeply. Our Mother, the Pope, wishes for it to be handled with precision.”

A low rush of whispers rose to the air in the Throne room as the congregation announced their surprise with their words.

“The church?”

“Don’t they stay off public matters?”

“Just what is happening?”

The questions were synonymous, but they meant the same and they drew everyone to the same question.

‘Why is the Church getting involved?’

The King, who had listened unwillingly, had found himself sinking deeper in his boiling rage.

‘Why are these croons getting involved?’

But his response would not be handed to him. At least, not yet.

“Suite yourself.”

Lamel spoke as he turned to the grand doors of the Throne room.

He licked his dry lips and said, with a calm, yet authoritative voice.

“Bring in the Accused.”