Ch 15.5

The trial had taken on a life of its own.

What had begun as a straightforward hearing regarding the Tranquil Pavilion incident had evolved into something far more complicated. Every testimony seemed to uncover new contradictions. Every answer generated two new questions. By now, even the jury was struggling to determine who was telling the truth and who was merely telling the better story.

Much of that was thanks to the two counsels.

Old Monk Rugbert and Verdant the Wise had spent most of their lives competing against one another. Both were veteran adventurers whose names carried weight across the Isle Continent, though their reputations had been built upon very different strengths.

Rugbert had earned his fame through action.
Verdant had earned his through strategy.

If Rugbert was the hammer that shattered obstacles, Verdant was the hand that moved them into place.

Their guilds had spent years competing for prestige, influence, and rankings. Sometimes Rugbert emerged victorious. Sometimes Verdant did. Neither man had ever managed to completely outshine the other, and that unresolved rivalry had followed them long after their retirement.

Nowadays, younger adventurers carried the banners of their respective guilds. The two veterans no longer fought on the frontlines.

That did not mean they had stopped competing. Far from it.

The moment this trial presented an opportunity, both men had instinctively slipped back into their old habits.

Verdant, especially, seemed determined not to lose.

Whether he personally believed Nosmos and Wallus was difficult to say. Judging from his experience, he likely suspected that both men were withholding information. Yet that was irrelevant. His duty was to defend the side assigned to him, and he intended to do so to the best of his ability.

Unfortunately for Aisha and the Pavilion girls, he was very good at his job.

The Horus elder had already succeeded in shifting the focus of the trial multiple times. First, he reinforced the narrative that Chloe might have been the mastermind behind the incident. Then, he highlighted the Pavilion girls' refusal to surrender Chloe for questioning.

Finally, he introduced the possibility that their judgment had been compromised by their attachment to her.

None of those claims had been proven. But they did not need to be. They only needed to sound plausible. That was the dangerous part.

The jury no longer viewed the Pavilion girls purely as victims. Doubt had crept into the room, and once doubt took root, it was remarkably difficult to remove.

Rugbert understood that better than anyone.

Seated in his counsel chair, the old monkey slowly stroked his mustache while observing the reactions around the courtroom. Several jurors were whispering among themselves. Others reviewed their notes with furrowed brows. Even those who still sympathized with the Pavilion seemed less certain than before.

The battlefield had changed.

Earlier, Rugbert only needed to prove that Wallus and Nosmos were responsible for the destruction of the Pavilion.

Now he had an entirely different problem. He needed to stop Chloe from becoming the convenient villain that everyone wanted her to be.

The old monkey glanced toward Aisha and the others. The girls looked exhausted.

Aisha appeared dejected and tired. Tevu was barely containing her frustration. Gina looked as though she wanted to punch something, while even Fina's composure was beginning to crack.

Meanwhile, Nosmos sat comfortably upon the defendant's bench with his arms crossed. The guildmaster looked far more relaxed than he had at the start of the trial.

That alone irritated Rugbert. The old monkey narrowed his eyes.
Verdant had scored several points. That much was undeniable.

But the trial was far from over.

If Verdant excelled at creating favorable narratives, then Rugbert excelled at tearing them apart. Somewhere within all the testimony, omissions, and contradictions, the truth was still hiding.

The old monkey simply needed to find it first. Now it was Rugbert's turn.

The veteran monkey beastman slowly rose from his seat and stepped onto the courtroom floor.

"Counsel Verdant is correct about one thing," Rugbert began. "Chloe Worth is certainly a suspicious figure. However, declaring her the mastermind behind this entire affair before she has even had the opportunity to testify would be premature."

Several jurors nodded.

"That is precisely why I conducted my own investigation."

Rugbert turned toward Judge Nendalf.

"In preparation for this hearing, I contacted the New Age Church of Virtues regarding Chloe Worth's background and service record. With the court's permission, I would like to summon Vicar of Clergy Oswald Denings as a witness."

Nendalf nodded. "Proceed."

A side door opened, and an elderly beastman entered the courtroom.

White wool covered portions of his face and neck, while a pair of curled horns protruded from either side of his head. He wore the black robes of the New Age Church and carried himself with the quiet dignity expected of a senior clergyman.

Several members of the jury immediately recognized him.

Unlike the main Church of Virtues, the New Age Church had spent years building relationships throughout the Isle Continent. While the two organizations shared the same faith, their doctrines differed considerably.

The Church of Virtues had once earned infamy across the continent for its persecution of beastmen. The New Age Church had been established later as a reform movement, modifying many of those teachings and adapting its doctrine to local customs.

Over the years, it had gained considerable influence among smaller tribes and struggling settlements by providing food, medicine, and education.

As a result, Oswald's testimony carried considerable weight. The elderly vicar stepped into the witness box, swore his oath before the Holy Book of Lord Zarnok and again on the doctrines of the New Age church, and then turned to face the court.

Rugbert watched him carefully. For the first time since Verdant had begun dismantling the Pavilion's case, the old monkey looked completely confident.

He folded his arms. "Vicar Denings, would you please tell the court what your church knows regarding Chloe Worth?"

Oswald nodded.
"Chloe Worth was indeed assigned to the Isle Continent by the main Church of Virtues. According to church records, she was raised in an orphanage attached to one of our chapels. She entered service at a young age and distinguished herself through diligence, charity, and a rather troublesome commitment to honesty."

A few jurors exchanged amused looks.

"Troublesome?" Rugbert asked.

The old vicar sighed.
"A few years ago, Chloe exposed a church deacon who had been diverting relief supplies intended for poor villages and selling them on the black market."

The courtroom immediately stirred.

Oswald continued.

"The incident caused significant embarrassment to the Church. The deacon was arrested, several administrators were removed from their posts, and the Church's reputation suffered considerable damage."

"Did Chloe benefit from exposing the corruption?" Rugbert asked.

"No."

"Was she rewarded?"

Oswald laughed bitterly.
"Hardly. She created enemies. Powerful enemies. The scandal embarrassed individuals who would have preferred the matter remain hidden."

Murmurs spread throughout the courtroom.

Rugbert glanced briefly toward Verdant before returning his attention to the witness.
"Was this an isolated incident?"

"No." Oswald shook his head. "Her record contains several examples of similar behavior. Whenever she encountered corruption, abuse of authority, or exploitation of civilians, she reported it regardless of the consequences."

The old vicar produced several documents.
"These reports have been submitted to the court."

Judge Nendalf accepted the files and began reviewing them.

"The promotion that eventually elevated her to the rank of abbess was not entirely a reward," Oswald continued. "To speak plainly, some members of the Church preferred to send her far away, where she could cause fewer problems."

Several jurors murmured in disbelief.
Even Nendalf's shoulders seemed to twitch slightly.

Oswald smiled faintly.
"The girl possesses many flaws. She is stubborn, reckless, and often ignores political realities."

He paused.
"But her service record is clear. Whenever she encountered corruption or abuse within the institutions she served, she reported it. More than once, doing so placed her own position at risk. So I am sure the allegations of the girl torturing the pavilion girls are completely lies."

Verdant immediately rose from his seat.
"Objection. The witness is offering an opinion regarding events he did not personally observe."

"Sustained," Nendalf ruled.

Oswald bowed his head. "My apologies."

Rugbert nodded.
"No further speculation, then. Let us stick to the facts."

The old monkey turned toward the jury.
"Consider what we have learned about Chloe Worth."

He raised one finger.
"Her records show repeated incidents in which she reported corruption within her own institution."

Another finger.
"Those reports resulted in disciplinary action against the corrupt people more powerful than she was."

A third.
"And the documents before this court show that her eventual reassignment to the Isle Continent was not universally regarded as a reward. To some, it was an opportunity to remove a troublesome subordinate from their midst."

Rugbert paused.
"So when we examine the accusations being made against Chloe, we should at least ask whether they are consistent with the documented record."

He glanced toward Oswald.
"That record does not prove Chloe incapable of committing wrongdoing. Nor does it tell us what happened inside the Tranquil Pavilion."

Rugbert's eyes shifted toward the jury.
"But it does tell us something important." His voice hardened. "We should be careful before turning a woman with a complicated history into the mastermind of this entire affair simply because her name fits neatly into the story being presented to us. I hope this shouldn’t be an attempt to make her the scapegoat, while the real perpetrators go unpunished."

The argument struck home.

For the first time since Chloe's name had entered the trial, several jurors looked less certain that she fit the role of mastermind as neatly as Nosmos and Wallus had claimed.

Aisha and the other girls finally felt some of the tension leave their shoulders.

Rugbert nodded toward the witness box.
"Thank you for your testimony, Vicar Denings. You may return to your seat."

"One moment, Counsel Rugbert." Oswald raised a hand.
"If the court permits, I would like to say one final thing."

Rugbert glanced toward Judge Nendalf.

The judge considered the request for a moment.
"You may speak briefly. However, these remarks shall not be entered into the official record."

Oswald bowed respectfully. "That is acceptable."

The elderly vicar turned toward the jury.
"I simply wish to clarify a matter that may become important later. The New Age Church and the Church of Virtues are not the same organization."

A few jurors exchanged looks.

"While we share common origins and worship similar gods, our administration, doctrine, and leadership are separate. We answer first to the needs of the Isle Continent and its people."

The old sheep beastman paused.
"If individuals within the main Church are involved in wrongdoing, it does not automatically implicate the New Age Church."

Several representatives nodded thoughtfully.

Oswald continued.
"From what I have heard during this trial, there is a possibility that individuals from the main Church may have been pursuing agendas unknown to us. If that proves true, I ask only that the jury remember that the people of our church should not be judged by the actions of outsiders."

Nendalf nodded. "Duly noted."

The old vicar bowed one final time before leaving the witness stand.

Rugbert watched him go with a small smile. The testimony had accomplished exactly what he intended. It had not proven Chloe innocent. It did something more useful.

It had weakened the certainty surrounding the accusation against her while establishing a documented reason to question the motives of those who might have wanted her removed from the Church's affairs.

At the same time, Oswald's final statement had created a clear distinction between the New Age Church and the main Church of Virtues.

The jury immediately broke into discussion. Scribes revised portions of their notes while several guild representatives debated quietly among themselves.

Rugbert returned to his seat, appearing satisfied.

Unfortunately, his satisfaction lasted only a few seconds. Across the courtroom, Verdant slowly rose. The Horus elder adjusted his robes before descending from his counsel chair.

For a brief moment, the two veterans locked eyes. Rugbert immediately disliked the smile he saw. Verdant looked entirely too pleased. The old monkey had known him for decades. That expression only appeared when Verdant believed he had found a weakness worth exploiting.

The avian beastman stepped onto the courtroom floor and addressed the judge.
"Your Honor, I would like to recall Aisha of the Tranquil Pavilion for questioning."

Aisha's stomach immediately tightened. Beside her, Tevu muttered a curse under her breath. Gina looked worried, while even Fina's calm expression faltered slightly.

"Very well." The judge struck his gavel lightly.
"Aisha of the Tranquil Pavilion is recalled to the witness stand."

Aisha slowly rose from her seat. Every step toward the witness box felt heavier than the last.

Unlike Rugbert, who preferred direct confrontations, Verdant specialized in patience. He had a habit of asking harmless questions until his target unknowingly walked into a trap of their own making.

That was what worried Rugbert.

Aisha’s previous testimony already left quite a few holes. And what worried him was that the girl was not a good liar. There was a good chance that her testimony could blow up the entire case in the next round itself.

As Aisha entered the witness box once more, Verdant greeted her with a polite smile. The expression was warm. Friendly. Almost grandfatherly.

Which only made Rugbert more concerned. Because whenever Verdant looked harmless, he was usually at his most dangerous.

"Miss Aisha," Verdant began pleasantly, "let us discuss Chloe Worth."
The knot in Aisha's stomach tightened. Verdant's counterattack had begun.