...
Silence.
I hate silence.
Yet here I am, standing in a courtroom on another planet, surrounded by an unfamiliar judicial system.
I suppose I should expect more surprises.
Yash stood inside the accused's platform with an indifferent expression.
Was that bravery?
No.
Maybe he simply knew that his mother wouldn't punish him too severely.
Yeah.
I didn't think things would take a dark turn.
Suddenly, our witness platform began glowing.
For a brief moment, I froze.
Even Mala looked surprised.
It wasn't just light.
Something felt... wrong.
Some kind of change had taken place.
Then, without warning, memories began flooding my mind.
I remembered everything.
Our first arrival in the Gretoling Empire.
Beating the smugglers.
Stealing their ships.
Landing on Gamble Planet.
The battles.
The destruction.
Everything.
Everything, right up to Haidoro's death.
The moment I remembered his face, my teeth clenched.
My expression must have turned bitter.
I couldn't help it.
Then I saw them again.
Surya.
Ganari.
Their deaths replayed before my eyes.
I couldn't save them.
I couldn't protect anyone.
I'm worthless.
Just as those thoughts began consuming me, I felt something pulling at my soul.
My chest tightened.
Breathing became difficult.
No...
Was Haidoro trying to take control?
Suddenly, a hand rested on my shoulder.
It was Mala.
[Mala]: You seem lost in thought.
Her voice carried a hint of concern.
...
[Pratik]: Yeah... I guess so.
I forced a smile.
A fake one.
Sometimes, pretending was easier than making everyone around me worry.
As for this trial...
I had already made up my mind.
I'd lie.
A small price to repay everything Yash had done for us.
I looked toward the Empress.
Ask me anything.
I'll take the blame.
But I won't let it fall on Yash.
I expected questions.
Cross-examinations.
Witness testimonies.
Then the herald's voice echoed across the courtroom.
"Yash Chandrika Putra, heir to the Greto Empire, is hereby found guilty."
I blinked.
What?
Just like that?
"The Supreme Authority of the Greto Empire, Her Imperial Majesty, shall now deliver the final judgment."
Wait.
Things were moving way too quickly.
Grimori stepped closer and lowered his voice.
[Grimori]: The witness platforms extracted our memories. The Empress already knows everything that happened.
I froze.
I see.
There was never any possibility of deceiving a ruler like her.
I glanced toward the throne.
Well...
At least I was curious about the verdict.
Hopefully, she wouldn't be too harsh.
What was the worst she could do?
Confine him to the palace for a month?
Two months?
Even that sounded excessive to me.
The herald spoke again.
"Her Imperial Majesty has reached a verdict. The guilty shall now receive their punishment."
Everyone's attention turned toward the throne.
Then...
The judgment was announced.
"The punishment shall be the severing of the guilty's index fingers and imprisonment within the palace for the next fifteen years."
WHAT?!
My eyes widened.
Grimori froze.
Kel and Lila stared in disbelief.
The entire courtroom erupted into chaos.
Whispers spread like wildfire.
Some voices carried concern.
Others carried shock.
Even among the royal family, disbelief was obvious.
And honestly?
This was beyond anything I'd imagined.
My blood began to boil.
How could she do this?
She's his mother!
Empress?
What kind of Empress can't even be a proper mother?
I looked toward Yash.
He stood there silently, accepting the verdict.
Why are you so quiet, you idiot?
Say something!
Defend yourself!
Your index fingers...
Aren't they essential for creating Heavenly Gates?
You're willing to lose them?
You're willing to waste fifteen years of your life locked inside a palace?
That's insane!
I could feel myself losing control.
*
Everything changed in an instant.
The entire courtroom fell silent.
Then—
CRASH.
Everyone turned toward the source of the sound.
The witness platform had been shattered.
Pratik stepped forward.
His eyes burned with fury.
[Pratik]: Is everyone in this courtroom an idiot?!
His voice echoed throughout the chamber.
[Pratik]: Isn't this punishment far too harsh for a kid who just saved the lives of millions of slaves?!
He pointed directly at the throne.
At the Empress.
Gasps spread across the courtroom.
Dozens of royal guards immediately surrounded him.
And yet...
Pratik didn't move.
The true absurdity wasn't the verdict.
It was what Pratik had just done.
He had insulted the Empress of the Greto Empire.
One of the greatest crimes imaginable.
And the punishment for such a crime...
Was death.
To be continued...