B8 - Chapter 54: Judgment

The audience chamber fell deathly quiet.

Even the faint pitter-patter of footsteps coming from beyond the broken door seemed to vanish in that moment. It was as if the entire world was holding its breath at his audacity.

I alone am enough to face all ten of you.

When had there ever been a Grandmage so bold? Not ten against one, but one against ten.

It was an insult beyond any other. A direct slap to all their faces.

Even so, Zeke, the one who had uttered such brazen words, stood tall without even a hint of nervousness on his face. The truth was, he did not feel a single ounce of fear in that moment.

It was not that he truly believed he could face ten Archmages alone. But if the situation turned violent, he would not be in too much danger either. He was certain of that. That certainty stemmed more from instinct than logic. His gut told him clearly that these people, despite their higher level, posed little threat to him.

It was hard to explain, but if Zeke had to put it into words, he would compare his current situation to a tiger surrounded by elephants. Though the elephants were, in theory, bigger and stronger, the tiger would never fear them.

Why not?

Simple.

They were herbivores. Confronting a predator directly was not in their nature.

Zeke did not understand how such unremarkable people had achieved the rank of Archmages in the first place, given the high entry barrier to the realm. The only explanation that made sense was that they had reached the threshold through slow accumulation. This was possible only because of the unnaturally long lives granted by their elven blood.

A mystery that had plagued him for a long time was finally being answered.

Aside from Irisen, these were the first native Archmages he had encountered so far. He had long wondered how Rukia could have fallen so quickly, given how strong she was. Now, he had his answer.

Irisen was the exception. These ten were the norm. Utterly useless, bearing the title of Archmage in name alone.

Even now, after he had so directly slapped their faces with his words and trampled their pride, not a single one had risen.

He inwardly shook his head.

Even the Merchant Lords of Tradespire had more backbone than these figures. They cared nothing for their pride, nothing for their country, and nothing for their people. It seemed the only thing that meant anything to them was their own safety. Running away was the only thing they had put any effort into so far.

Zeke let out a deep sigh. He needed to revise his plans. He had thought to strong-arm the local powers into taking a stance. By waving the carrot and the stick, he would have them stand side by side with Cassius and Rhea and decisively defeat the Legion forces.

For that, he had prepared several cards to play.

Cassius' food could be used as a bargaining chip, as could the existence of the escape tunnel. But now, he was not even sure that it would do any good. Even if he could force them into action, what use would these people be? 

They were like toddlers wielding masterfully crafted swords. Though theoretically dangerous, even a dozen of them could not defeat a real soldier. In Zeke's estimate, either of the two Legion Archmages he had seen outside could face them without difficulty. It would not even be close.

Finally, one of the figures stirred. Surprisingly, it was not one of the ten, but the man seated at their center. The prince slowly rose to his feet, his expression stern.

Zeke looked at him with a hint of expectation. Lacking as the man had appeared at first glance, it seemed that royal blood still carried some strength. After all, none of the Archmages dared to act in this atmosphere. And yet, he rose. 

"Human..." He spoke the word almost as if it were an insult, a slur. "I have tolerated your offenses for long enough."

The prince straightened to his full height. He was rather tall, his elven blood more prominent than in most other half-elves. Even his ears were longer, almost as if he were a pure-blooded elf.

Zeke remained silent, waiting to see what the prince would do next.

"...On the grounds of rescuing my sister-in-law and my brother, I wanted to show you leniency. But that does not mean my mercy is without end."

Zeke's eyes widened slightly at the completely unexpected words.

Seemingly pleased by that reaction, Prince Edras continued in an even more dignified voice. "I, Edras, third heir to the name of Rukia, hereby render judgment upon you."

Nobody spoke.

"Of the crime of breaking into a royal palace and destroying royal property, I find you guilty."

A pause.

"Of the crime of insulting a royal and his advisors in the most shameless way, I find you guilty."

Another pause.

"Even given your merits, the verdict for these crimes can only be one." Edras took a deep breath, as if speaking the words pained him greatly. "I sentence you to exile from Rukia. From now on until the time of your death, you are no longer welcome in this land."

In a single monologue, without even pausing to consider it, the prince had swept away all merits, listed his crimes, and passed sentence.

Jury, judge, and executioner.

During the speech, Zeke's head had gradually lowered. Now it was bowed. From the outside, it must have looked as though he were a sinner, accepting the weight of the verdict.

That impression could not have been further from the truth, though. The real reason he had lowered his head was that he could no longer control his expression. The prince's words had utterly shattered what little expectation he had still held for him.

What royal blood? What strength?

The prince had not spoken because of any such virtues. The reason was far simpler. He was a fool, no more and no less. So utterly incompetent that he had not even understood the situation he was in.

What fear could a newborn lamb have? It had never felt the tiger's bite, so it naturally did not fear its stripes.

Zeke let out a deep sigh.

Inwardly, he wondered if that spineless fool Khaelryn might, in fact, be the better of the two brothers. At least he had possessed the sense to beg for his life when the situation demanded it.

Zeke slowly raised his head and met the prince's gaze head-on. The prince flinched. Zeke no longer bothered to control his expression. He did not know what his face looked like, but judging by that reaction, it was not a pleasant sight.

"Edras," he said, stripping away all honorifics and titles. "What are you planning to do if I do not leave on my own?"

The prince's brow furrowed, as if he did not quite understand the question. Or perhaps he was simply displeased by the address. Even so, he answered.

"I would advise against that. Such behavior would only deepen your crimes. Even the death penalty would be a possibility..."

A fool to the end.

Zeke opened his mouth. "Imbecile."

The word came out more strongly than he had intended, but he could no longer be bothered to restrain his anger. It was precisely because of leaders like this prince that the people suffered so much.

When Zeke saw that the prince was about to speak, he would not allow it. He had no intention of hearing more from this fool, so he continued before he could.

"You cannot judge me." It was not a question, but a statement. "You no longer have the ability to do so."

"What nonsense is that!" the prince finally shouted. "I am a prince! I have the right to judge whoever I damn well please!"

Zeke shook his head slowly. "You are no prince."

Edras grew even more irate. "My mother is-"

"No queen," Zeke cut him off before he could finish the sentence.

At that claim, not only the prince, but even Irisen and the cowed Archmages looked at him with grave expressions. Denying even the queen was something akin to a declaration of war.

"...After all," Zeke continued slowly, "there are conditions that must be met before someone can call themselves a royal." He raised three fingers. "First, you must possess land. Second, you must have the strength to protect that land. Third, you must be able to command the people of that land."

Zeke looked at the prince. "Your family does not fulfill even a single one of these conditions."

Zeke lowered his hand, but his words continued. "Rukia has already fallen. Moreover, your mother's word no longer commands the respect of the people, and neither does yours." 

"What nonsense! We are far from defeated!" The prince had been screaming for a while now. Zeke couldn't see this as anything other than a child throwing a temper tantrum. 

Otherwise, he would have used logic instead of resorting to shouts. 

However, Zeke was done indulging such fantasies. It was time he tightened the noose he had planted around the prince's neck. 

"Then prove me wrong," Zeke said calmly. Despite the milder tone, his words managed to silence the prince at once. "If you still command the hearts of the people, command them to carry out your sentence. Exile or death. Speak the words and see them carried out." 

"What are you... I have already..." The prince's words faltered. Only now did he seem to realize the problem. Had he not already sentenced this human to exile? Yet, for some reason, the man was still standing there, continuing to speak so disrespectfully.

Why was he not being dragged away? His eyes seemed to ask.

Zeke watched as realization slowly dawned on him. The prince's gaze darted left and right as he looked at the Archmages flanking him, his loyal advisors. The people he had relied on until now.

Yet wherever he turned, none of them would even look at him.

"Lord Sil?" he called out, but Eryth Sil did not dare meet his gaze. Edras called out to a few others he was apparently close to, but none of them responded to his increasingly urgent calls.

"What are you..." he said weakly, visibly confused by their reactions. It was as if he were thinking: I am the prince, you have to obey me.

But that line of thought was fundamentally flawed.

It showed that the prince had a complete lack of understanding of how power truly worked. With the queen's status unknown, her forces scattered or defeated, and the country in ruins, what did these cowardly advisors have to fear from disobeying him now?

They were deserters to begin with, meaning they had already defied the queen's orders once. Why would they risk their lives now on the command of such a weak prince? In comparison, that crimson-haired human with reptilian eyes seemed far more fearsome.

It was as simple as that. Risk and reward were clear for anyone to see. Who would face a tiger just to escape a fox?

However, the prince seemed unwilling to give up. His gaze shifted to the last person he had not yet implored.

"Sister-in-law..." He looked at Irisen. "Arrest him for me."

Zeke felt Irisen stir beside him and turned his head slightly toward her.

Irisen glanced at Zeke for a moment before shaking her head. "No."

The prince was visibly angered by her refusal. The straightforward rejection enraged him far more than the cautious refusal of the elders.

"Irisen, you!" His eyes flashed dangerously. "Do you not care what happens to your sister at all? Or have you forgotten who holds her right now?"

Zeke's lips twitched. Oh. This was going to be interesting. The prince had crossed a line from which there was no turning back, resorting to outright threats. Zeke was genuinely interested to see what Irisen would do next.

In truth, Irisen's sister had already been removed from the prince's control. David had long since sent word that she was safely outside the wall, under Zelkara's protection. Even so, Zeke did not plan to reveal that fact just yet. He wanted to see how the situation would play out.

Would Irisen turn on him?

As expected, her expression turned extremely ugly.

It could not have been a good feeling to have her weakness used like this. After everything she had done, after everything she had sacrificed, this was how the royal family repaid her?

Even so, her feelings did not change the reality of the situation. The prince had spoken a threat, one that, for all she knew, he might actually be able to carry out.

This time, the eyes with which she regarded Zeke held a far deeper struggle. It was clear that the decision weighed heavily on her. More than once, Zeke felt her mana pulse briefly before dispersing again.

Eventually, with a deep sigh, she deflated completely.

"I can't do it." The words seemed to drain her. "I can't..."

"What do you mean?" Edras roared. "Are you so obsessed with that human that you would sacrifice your sister for his sake? What kind of creature are you?"

At his words, the previously deflated Irisen finally exploded. "What do you even know, you half-wit? Sacrificing my sister? How could I bear to do that? But what choice is there? Do you even understand the situation we are in?"

The prince took a step back, almost stumbling over his throne. Clearly, he had not expected Irisen to erupt like this.

"Even if I could capture Ezekiel, would my sister be safe? Without his help, this entire place is doomed anyway. Should I betray my morals just so we can live a few more days?" 

"Calm yourself, sister-in-law," Edras said soothingly. "If the worst comes to pass, the hidden passage will see us safely to the land of the elves."

Irisen's glare intensified. "The elves, you utter fool? What makes you think they would welcome us after we turned on their chosen champion?"

"Chosen... champion?" The words left his mouth slowly. Edras looked from Raileh, whom he had tried to negotiate with, to Zeke, who had remained silent for a while now. Gradually, his face drained of color.

It was then that Zeke made his move. Having seen the situation play out, there was nothing left for him to observe. He was quite satisfied with how Irisen had chosen to act. The first thing he did was send her a mental notice informing her that her sister had already been brought to safety.

Irisen's first reaction was to let out a deep sigh of relief. A moment later, she shot him a resentful glare. Clearly, she had not appreciated being tested in such a manner. Zeke simply shrugged it off. They were not close enough for him to trust her blindly yet. Smart as she was, she would understand that.

Next, he faced forward again. A visible ripple of unease spread through their ranks under his gaze. The realization that their plan to flee to the elves had already failed shattered their confidence more than anything before.

Even Edras seemed to be at a complete loss.

It was in that atmosphere that Zeke spoke. "Are you prepared?" he asked. "I will now render judgment."