Chapter 15: Trial And Error
The courtroom was smaller than Ian expected. It had a plain wooden bench, a raised platform for the judge, and a handful of guards standing along the walls.
There were no fancy robes. No hammer. And no lawyers.
They sat on the right side. Mara sat on the left, smiling like she already owned the place.
The judge cleared his throat. "We are here to settle the inheritance of the Citro family clinic. Mara Citro, you may begin."
Mara stood. Her voice was smooth and professional. "My younger sister has run the clinic since our mother passed. But there was never a written will. The verbal promise cannot be trusted. As the eldest, the clinic should come to me."
The judge nodded once. "Charlotte Citro, your response?"
Charlotte opened her mouth. "I was the one who-"
"Enough," the judge cut her off sharply. "It is not your turn to speak yet."
Charlotte's jaw tightened. Her hands curled into fists on the table.
Ian felt the air shift. Ryn, sitting beside him, stiffened. His eyes narrowed at the judge for half a second.
A faint flicker of recognition crossed his face. The aura around the man felt wrong. Weak. Like a pale shadow of what Ryn had sensed around Thar and his brother.
Ian did not notice. He was too busy watching Charlotte's shoulders shake with barely contained rage.
Mara's smile grew wider. She had her opening.
Ian frowned, but his eyes fell to the floor beneath him.
A glance to his left revealed Charlotte's shoes. They were brown boots. Her legs were shaking, as if suppressing whatever was boiling inside her.
Damn it. This is not going the right way. Ian shot a glance at the judge, who did not seem to listen to whatever Mara was babbling about from the other side.
The judge's expression caught Ian off guard. Usually the judge would look more serious. But this time his mood seemed more carefree.
Ian straightened his slumped posture. He saw Ryn in the corner of his right eye.
He could tell just from that small glimpse that Ryn was frowning as well. Even though as a knight he had to remain neutral in these situations.
Finally Mara finished her long speech. "And that is why I believe I am the rightful heir to the family clinic."
The judge gave a fake impressed nod, as if trying to convince even himself that he had listened to Mara's words.
Then he turned to Charlotte. "You may now speak."
Charlotte sat quietly. She was not sure if she would be cut off again or if she would finally have the chance to speak.
"Well?" The judge encouraged, squinting slightly in their direction.
Charlotte cleared her throat and began. "I believe I am the heir because if Mara was even interested in the clinic, she would not have moved away after our mother's death."
She took a deep breath before continuing.
"I was the one who rebuilt the broken down clinic to the state it is in today."
The judge nodded. "In the evidence given to me it says the clinic fell into disrepair because your mother was sick and unable to clean and maintain it. Correct?"
Charlotte nodded. "That is correct, your honor. She had the Wanderers Curse, I'm afraid."
Ian's eyebrow raised at the name of the sickness. Wanderers Curse? What the hell is that? He did not dwell on the thought for long.
"I did not have many other options, so I poured blood, sweat, and time into a gamble when I decided to take over the clinic. I was the one who brewed the tonics, cleaned thw bedpans at night and kept the doors open-" She continued, but before she could finish, the judge cut her off again.
"Your personal feelings hold no value to the law. Save your words."
Charlotte opened her mouth, but closed it quickly. She leaned back into her seat with crossed arms and a foul expression.
Ian looked at her. "Everything will turn out alright," he said, trying to reassure her.
"Yeah yeah, whatever dumbass," she replied. Her unnecessary remark was back.
Still, her eyes were not as scary anymore.
Ryn stood up. "You honor, I don not believe Charlotte Citro is ready for this trial. I suggest we postpone it for a more fair discussion." He said, silently taking Charlotte's side.
'So he noticed the unfairness too?' Ian thought. Damn, I thought I was the only one.
The judge looked at Ryn with mild interest, but the expression quickly changed when he glanced at one of the guards. "I cannot fulfill that request. It is her fault for not being prepared." The trial then continued.
"Anything more from Charlotte Citro?" the judge asked, looking at her.
Charlotte stood up. "I am happy to say that all my patients are treated no matter what. It is my job to do so. I have also received external help in recent times, making the clinic more known than ever."
The judge leaned forward slightly, but his expression remained cold. "Continue."
Charlotte took a shaky breath and kept going, her voice gaining strength. "Every patient who walks through those doors today is alive because of the work I poured into it. That is not just inheritance. That is my life."
The judge looked at Ian, then at Ryn, then finally at Mara. "And you, Mara Citro?"
Mara looked up with a professional expression. "Well… actually there was a recent event that just happened outside the guild."
Her smile transformed into something Ian could only describe as the personification of the devil herself.
"Go on," the judge said, placing both hands on the pedestal.
The room fell silent. Charlotte's fists were still clenched on the table, her breathing heavy. Mara leaned back in her chair, her smile never fading.
Mara looked to her right at the three of them. "I was assaulted by my own sister right outside your gates, your honor. And if she harms her own family, is she really fit to be a nurse or own a clinic?"
It took a few seconds for the words to sink in.
They had really lost now. No doubt about it.
The words hung in the air.
Charlotte's face darkened as she had finally processed what was just said. She looked ready to explode.
Ian's stomach twisted. 'This is exactly what she wanted.' he thought.
Ryn put his hands on the small table in front of them. "No, that is false. First of all, it is just an assumption. But, as someone who has been accompanying both Ian and Charlotte. I believe none of them have any qualities that match your argument." Something was different in his tone. Like he was slightly alarmed for some reason.
Well, the reason might come sooner or later.
Just as Charlotte was about to open her mouth, the judge spoke up. "I believe I have come to a conclusion."
Everyone looked expectantly at the judge.
Some with a smile, and some with a smirk. Ian looked at the judge with dread. He was waiting for the moment they lost the clinic and were forced to scrape money by begging on the streets and whatnot.
The judge didn't wait. His voice was cold and final. "I have heard enough. The clinic is hereby awarded to the eldest heir, Mara Citro. Furthermore, due to the assault on a family member, Charlotte Citro, Ian, and Ryn Kael Aegis are banished from Zendrya effective immediately."
The judge continued. "On top of that, for Ryn Kael Aegis. You are no longer a knight due to treason against the kingdom since you were in the vicinity of all of this, yet did not do anything to stop it. You shall be allowed to keep only your sword."
Ian's mind went completely blank. 'Banished.' Echoed in his head just as loud if not louder than anything before. He couldn't even react. His mouth was wide open, his eyes were stuck in a forward gaze, as if watching the most interesting wall of his life.
Ryn wasn't much better. Actually, he was quite similar to Ian. The only difference was that Ryn had his mouth closed.
But Charlotte. Charlotte was the one who lost the most. Yet, she didn't react as much as she should have. She simply had a dull expression on her face. Her eyes lost the familiar shine to them.
15.2Aftermath
They had been given 3 days to get their stuff ready. Then, a pair of guards would accompany them to the gates of the city, where they would then be sent off with whatever they had.
It was obvious he had some tie in this. He had noticed the guards stealing glances at him, then speaking with their colleagues while eyeing him warrily.
'I'm the reason, huh? Well, maybe not all of it but I guess it makes sense.' His thoughts echoed for him. Luckily not out loud. If they were, Charlotte and Ryn might've thought he was some egoistic bastard.
Though, that wasn't far from the truth. At least before.
Though, the reason was still unknown to him. No, he knew the reason. He just wasn't ready to accept it yet.
The room emptied, the people in the back exiting in a wave like formation.
Yet, the trio were the only one remaining when the room was at its smallest. Or, at least their physical bodies. Their souls had completely died from the trial.
In fact, Ian had never seen Ryn look this miserable in his whole life. He had always seen him as a stoic and brave knight. Someone who could have been the main character of some cliché Isekai anime.
But here he sat. Looking equally as miserable as Ian. If not even worse.
'I feel bad for him…' Ian thought. 'I didn't have a lot in this world to begin with. But him? He had everything anyone would want…but not anymore.'
Charlotte stood up. The other two followed.
Both Ian and Ryn had lost today. But they were too scared to ask Charlotte anything. Since, she clearly suffered the greatest loss of them all. She lost her legacy.
They both silently followed Charlotte out into the hall.
She was now breathing a little quicker.
Then suddenly, in one swift moment, her legs gave away and she landed on her knees on the floor.
The sound of her crying wasn't loud. But the emotion was sky high. Her hands looked to be pulling some invisible cloth as they tightened into fists next to the small puddle that had already emerged under her.
Neither Ian nor Ryn knew what to do. So, it took a few seconds for them to approach.
Ian kneeled down beside her, getting on her level. But as he did, she only turned away from him as if she was ashamed of letting all her emotions out here in public.
Ian didn't care if Charlotte was trying to hide herself. Instead, he put his hand on her back. Somehow, he was able to crack a supportive smile through the hopeless expression he had previously been wearing.
"Charlotte. Everything will turn out good, trust me. I've been freeloading off of you for long enough, so any situation like this you bet I'll find a way to repay you for it. So, listen to me when I say, that everything will turn out okay." Ian was unsure how to state his words correctly. But they seemed to have gotten through Charlotte's thick exterior.
She had now turned to him, wiping tears from her eyes. And just like him. She managed to crack a smile as well.
"See? Come on, I'm sure we've all already been through worse in just the last month." Ian chuckled lightly. But there was also weight in his voice, telling them that the last month really had been rough on them. "Let's move forward no matter what is in the way."
Ryn reached out his hand to the two of them. "Come on, just like sir Ian said, we are the impossible horizon that no one can or will reach."
Ian reached the conclusion that the statement Ryn had just said was one of more noble blood. As he had said it to one of the vendors just a few days ago and instantly been met with perfect assistance.
"Yeah, let's move forward. Or whatever that's supposed to mean." Ian stood up.
Charlotte grabbed Ryn's hand which was waving in the slight breeze that escaped into the hallway from the open door ahead of them.
15.3 Home?
The three of them walked through the clinic doors to a unusually quiet place.
Fen ran up to them, which made Ian realise he had left him here alone all this time. "Right...Hello Fen." Ian stammered in the doorway.
Fen didn't look all to pleased, but seemed to let it slide just this once.
They all sat down in one of the lobby couches, the soft cushions a huge different to the uncomfortable seating they had sat on during the trial.
"So, what now?" Ryn said, he escaped a glance to the floor. He was most likely contemplating what to do now. Since he was pretty stumped on his own purpose now. It was obvious that he had been a knight for many years, and expected himself to be for many years to come.
"Well, let's look at our options..." Ian thought out loud. "The real question is... what can we do?" He continued, meeting Ryn's gaze which was now looking at him. But, it still wasn't Ryn's gaze. Not the Ryn he knew. It was like his eyes were lifeless compared to before. His tone was different too. Quieter, not as 'full of himself' as it was before according to Ian.
Charlotte watched as they discussed, before butting in her own. "I think that we should begin packing already. There's no telling if those guards really are showing up three days from now, or if they'll be here any minute." Charlotte looked around the room, as if thinking of the most valuable things she could bring.
"I also don't believe the guards will be very friendly." She said, just loud enough for the other two to hear this time.
Ryn nodded, seeming to agree with her.
Ian was silently thinking in front of them. Since he didn't really know what valuable things he had himself, he was stumped on what was even valuable. He hadn't bought a single thing for himself since he got here.
"Hey, are my old clothes still around? Or did you throw them out?" He looked at Charlotte.
"I'm pretty sure they're in your room somewhere." She shrugged, as if contemplating why he asked her out of everyone.
As he went to his room, he swiftly located the clothes. They were lying neatly folded in a corner of a wardrobe.
'I'm definitely bringing this...' He picked up his sweater, holding it by the shoulders in front of him as his mind wandered.
A sudden yawn escaped him. He was thinking of returning to Ryn and Charlotte. But, he also felt tired after today.
Fen pressed his nose through the door crack, easily opening the half-closed door with it.
As if hearing Ian's thoughts, which he actually did, Fen walked to the carpet and ragdolled out on it like the dog he really was. Or wolf, depending in what way you view it.
Ian and Fen sat in silence for a while, the weight of the day finally pressing down on Ian.
Ian rubbed his eyes. His body felt heavy, like the gravel from Veyra's realm was still clinging to his bones. The adrenaline that had carried him through the trial was gone, leaving only exhaustion and a dull ache behind his eyes.
Following his furry friend's lead, Ian sat on the bed, simply observing Fen. He noticed how the white fur of the wolf blended almost perfectly into the greyish white part of the black and white carpet.
"I think… I need to lie down for a bit," he muttered. As he fell back.
The ceiling blurred above him. His mind kept replaying the judge's words, Mara's smirk, Charlotte's tears. Everything felt too heavy to hold onto.
Sleep came fast, pulling him under like a current. Just as the world faded, a new voice echoed in his mind. A slightly mocking tone.
"Sleep is such an easy escape…"
It wasn't Veyra. It wasn't his own thoughts. An almost tangible aura emanated from it as he was carried into another realm.