Chapter 3, Part 2

It had been a very rough two weeks for Count Lytton. One of his staunchest supporters in the Noble faction, Povel Nder Ithuan, was imprisoned after being implicated in the murder of Philip and Samuel. A few days later a rumor began to spread that Lytton was the one behind the murders and that Povel was simply protecting his superior.

Then the nobles of the Greenhorn faction, happy to find a scapegoat for their situation, began to demand that the investigation into Philip’s murder looks into Count Lytton. While in time the Greenhorns’ faction would certainly fall apart, for the time being, they still held a good amount of power. Combined with the pressure from those in the Royal faction, the pressure on Lytton was significant.

Lately, a new rumor began to spread. Supposedly Lytton was asked by the king to take a public questioning using mind magic, but he declined. This latest piece of gossip was a complete fabrication but it left Lytton livid since the implication was that he declined because he was guilty. After this rumor circulated, even the members of his own faction began to look at him like he was done.

Worst of all, he was unable to meet Povel to figure out what had actually happened. Pacing in the spacious living room of his estate Count Lytton’s head was full of questions. Did Povel have Philip assassinated of his own accord? It doesn’t really make sense. But then, whoever is the real mastermind behind the assassinations must know that I am innocent. Then, is this public trial using mind magic just a bluff? Do they think I’ll be too scared of foul play to take it?

He grimaced at the thought of doing such a thing. In general, no one trusted mind magic, and few people would place themselves at the risk of having it used on them. After all, depending on the actual spell used, under its effect, once could be compelled to say anything. Because of this, few would trust the results obtained via questioning under such a spell.

On the other hand, public trials using such magic were a bit different. First, the defendant was free, which guaranteed that the magic caster hadn’t already tampered with their mind. The magic caster would also be a respectable and neutral party. After casting a spell which would force the target to answer questions truthfully, the magic caster’s job was done, though they would remain in public view to prevent any foul play.

Hmm, the magic caster should be the head of the Magician’s Guild in Re-Estize. The count thought of the person in question – a middle-aged man who was far removed from politics or everyday events and only cared about magic. He shouldn’t have an agenda against me. What other traps could there be? He stared absentmindedly at the fruit trees outside the window as he wondered if the unknown enemy had planned additional pitfalls for him.

He continued to pace back and forth while assessing his situation. In the end, though, it boiled down to two paths. He could take the public trial and the risk associated with it, but traps aside, he would prove his innocence. Or he could ignore the rumors, after all, he hadn’t actually been asked to take the trial. This path would keep him safe, but his image would be damaged and a crafty rival, like the heir of Marquis Boullope, could seize control of the Noble faction, pushing him aside.

Take a risk to consolidate my grasp on power or take the safe route but lose most of the momentum I’ve built up. What to do? What to do?

He was unable to make a decision right then and there. Cursing at the circumstances he had fallen into, he left his estate, taking a carriage to the Valencia Palace for a meeting of nobles.

After he arrived at his destination, the gazes of the nobles he met while walking through the palace towards the throne room didn’t improve his mood at all. Hyenas, all of them! Looking at me like some dying beast to be torn apart, each one hoping for a fatter piece of meat. And those are my allies!

He entered the throne room, where he was met by even more nobles, which worsened his mood further. He had to endure the expressions of fake concern and outrage from the members of his faction, while those of the royals’ and especially the Greenhorns’ factions talked loudly about the latest rumors which implicated him.

About half an hour passed in such a manner, before King Zanac entered, along with the warrior captain and Shaun, the captain of the palace guards who was conducting the investigation into Philip’s assassination. The room quieted down after Zanac took the throne.

“There are two pieces of news I have gathered you to discuss today. The first is the revival of Jaldabaoth. As you know, we are only two weeks away from the two year anniversary of his death, at which point the demon will be able to come to this world again.”

Zanac looked at the gathered nobles – no one acted surprised, as this was a well-known fact by now. After a small pause, he continued.

“I want to reassure all of you that the Re-Estize Kingdom has prepared for the possibility of a repeat attack. As you know, we have recently secured the promise of aid in such an event from the Sorcerer Kingdom. Additionally, the Slane Theocracy has gathered an allied force which will be stationed in the Sorcerer Kingdom for the purpose of confronting Jaldabaoth whenever he appears.”

The throne room became rather chaotic with conversations breaking out all over the place. Words like “The Theocracy is cooperating with the undead?” And “So, the Slane Theocracy decided to move against Jaldabaoth,” could be heard all over the place. Some expressed their surprise at the news, while others began to share the information they had about the participants of the allied forces.

After calling for silence, Zanac continued.

“I believe that this time around, Jaldabaoth will be dealt with quickly. No matter which country he chooses to attack.”

His words elicited modest applause. Although this was great news, most of the nobles had their own problems to deal with, the threat of Jaldabaoth’s attack, while significant, was much more remote than the more pressing issues.

“The second piece of news I wish to discuss with you is the nasty rumors floating around about Count Lytton,” Zanac continued. “Count Lytton, what can you tell us about them?”

“What’s there to say? All of the rumors are false. I didn’t order Povel to have Philip assassinated. And no one had even so much as approached me regarding the public trial under mind magic,” Lytton shrugged trying to act in a nonchalant manner.

“You say that, but everyone knows, there is no smoke without a fire,” one of the Greenhorns’ members said.

“I don’t doubt your words’ truthfulness. But, the commoners won’t accept it so easily. And even some nobles might secretly disagree,” the heir of Marquis Boullope said.

His words were seemingly in support of Count Lytton, but looking at the man’s smirk the Count didn’t doubt that they were meant to stoke the fires. The commoners won’t accept it? Since when do the Six Great Nobles care about the thoughts of the commoners? He’s clearly jockeying for power and hoping to gain the support of the commoners with such a display.

“I am afraid the young Marquis is right. While the nobles are above the commoners, the last few years have been rather turbulent for our kingdom. Jaldabaoth’s attack on the capital, the appearance of the Sorcerer Kingdom and the massacre of the Katze Plains, the famine we barely avoided and my father’s abdication. I feel it is important to not needlessly antagonize the populace. And finding all the parties responsible for the assassination of Philip-dono and Samuel-dono is something the commoners care very deeply about,” Zanac said. “There is also the demand by the Sorcerer Kingdom that we find those responsible for Philip’s death, as a condition of the new grain trade agreement. Will they be willing to accept your innocence just because you claim you are?”

“Then, what is it you want me to do, Your Majesty?” Lytton asked the King with a half-smile.

“I don’t want anything, it’s your choice as to what to do. However, I think everyone here would agree that taking the public trial is the best and quickest way to prove your innocence even to the most doubtful,” Zanac replied with a smile.

As expected, this sly fox is leaving the choice up to me. This way, if I decline then it’s almost like an admission of guilt. On the other hand, if I accept, then claiming I was set up in case of some trap wouldn’t be as effective compared to if I was forced to do it. Lytton cursed silently.

“Who would cast the mind magic spell?” He asked after a bit of thinking.

Zanac looked at Shaun, who spoke after bowing to the king.

“The head of the Magician’s Guild is an appropriate figure for such a high profile trial. And I’ll be the one asking questions,” the captain of the palace guards said.

Everyone looked at Lytton, wondering what he will do. Damn these bastards! But actually, what am I scared of? The magic caster is a neutral figure and I am innocent. What kind of a trap could I fall into? Hell, maybe Povel really did hire an assassin of his own accord, he certainly has no reason to lie about it. Emboldened by such thought Lytton replied in a powerful, loud voice.

“Then I will accept the public trial in order to prove my innocence!”

“That’s great,” King Zanac exclaimed. “Then, we shall hold the trial in three days.”

Three days later

The news that Count Lytton, the head of one of the Six Great Nobles and the Minister of Commerce was going to undergo a public trial under the effects of mind magic spread through the capital like wildfire. And so it was no surprise that Re-Estize’s central square was packed full of people. All of the city residents were in attendance, and some people even traveled from the nearby villages. After all, to witness such a high-ranking noble undergo a public trial would easily be a once in a lifetime event.

In the center of the biggest square of the city, was a podium surrounded by guards. In front of the podium were seated the king along with the nobles, while the commoners surrounded the podium on the remaining three sides. On the podium stood Count Lytton, the captain of the palace guards, Shaun, and the head of the Magician’s Guild.

Lytton was familiar with the procedure for such proceedings. Although his would be the most prominent one, such public trials were held every few years, when the accused was a high-ranking noble and the evidence against them was weak. Such public trials would eliminate any foul play from both sides, and the results would generally be accepted as the truth.

“Quiet! Quiet down, everyone!” Shaun shouted at the crowd. “We shall begin this public trial! Count Lytton,” he motioned to the Count.

“I, Count Lytton, being of sound mind and free will, choose to undergo this public trial under the effects of mind magic in order to prove my innocence,” Lytton proclaimed loudly.

Shaun nodded to the magic caster.

“I will now cast [Minor Compulsion] a spell which will force the Count to answer questions truthfully,” he explained.

Afterward, the magic caster turned to face Lytton and cast the spell. Lytton was relaxed when [Minor Compulsion] was cast on him, and did not try to fight the spell, allowing it to take effect.

“Count Lytton, please answer Shaun’s questions truthfully,” the magic caster instructed after verifying that the spell wasn’t resisted.

“Then, let us begin. Count Lytton, have you agreed to this trial of your own free will and not due to some sort of compulsion?” Shaun asked the standard question, meant to eliminate the possibility of the defendant already being under mind-control prior to the trial.

After verifying the answer Shaun dove right in.

“Are you involved in the murder of Philip-san and Samuel-san?” He asked.

Lytton felt calm and relaxed, the trial would proceed as expected and soon he would clear his name in front of all these people. However, the moment this question was asked, his face changed. Memories of his meeting with Povel flooded his mind. He vividly remembered how he instructed the man to find an assassin and kill Philip before he gets a chance to rouse the commoners and launch the first strike.

“Yes, I am,” Lytton replied loudly even as he screamed internally. Gods damn it! What’s going on? What’s with this sudden memory? And why did it come back now?! He wanted to rip his hair out.

The surrounding crowd was equally surprised, with a loud “What?!” rolling through it as if it was a wave. Zanac wanted to jump up and fist pump, it was a gamble on his part whether or not Lytton gave Povel the order. And now this gamble has paid off. The nobles meanwhile showed a variety of emotions. Mostly satisfaction and surprise, though some of Lytton’s supporters wore angry expressions.

“Then, was it you who had ordered Povel Nder Ithuan to hire an assassin to murder Philip-san?” Shaun asked after he closed his gaping mouth.

“Yes, I ordered the assassination,” Lytton replied in a mechanical voice due to the effects of the spell.

“Were you the one to make the decision to have Philip-san killed or were there others”

“I have consulted the young Marquis Boullope as to what we should do. We agreed that killing him was our best choice. I then decided to have Povel handle it,” Count Lytton said.

“Liar! I never talked to you about such a thing! How dare you to accuse me of this heinous crime in front of everyone?!” Marquis Boullope got up from his seat and shouted angrily.

“Count Lytton, is it possible that Marquis Boullope misunderstood you? Or did your discussion regarding your plans to assassinate Philip-san leave no room for misinterpretation?” Shaun asked, after taking the Marquis’s behavior into account.

“There was no room for misinterpretation,” Lytton replied.

“Do you believe that Marquis Boullope will collaborate your answers if he were to undergo a public trial such as this?” Shaun asked.

“I believe he will.”

What the hell?! What am I saying?! This is a disaster! But how? How did this happen? Why did I suddenly remember these things? Was it in response to the questions? Or was it something else? Gods be damned, I am done now.

Count Lytton felt like throwing up. All of a sudden he remembered both his meeting with Povel and his meeting with the Marquis. The memories were very clear and didn’t seem like the murky and confusing memories which could be produced by mind magic. So, he was certain the memories were real.

Then, did someone cast an [Amnesia] spell on me? Impossible. I always wore the pendant which protects its wearer against mind magic. But, this isn’t important, no, what’s important is how do I get out of this situation?

Unfortunately, there was no easy way out. He couldn’t exactly claim that the memories of his crime had just returned to him and that he would’ve never taken this trial if he remembered his crimes prior to it. And while he could argue that his answers were false, no one would believe him.

Damn it, is there really no way out? He thought as his mind raced in desperation.

Meanwhile, all of the nobles were looking at Marquis Boullope. While a “Take the trial” chant began among the crowd of commoners.

“Marquis Boullope, Count Lytton has implicated you as a party involved in the assassination of Philip-san. As you know, it’s impossible to lie under the effects of [Minor Compulsion] therefore Count Lytton’s words hold a lot of credence,” Shaun addressed him from the podium.

“It’s all lies! I have never discussed such things with Count Lytton! I don’t know what’s going on here, but he’s lying!” The Marquis shouted angrily, as he eyed the crowd of nobles like a rabid dog.

“I am afraid your words won’t be enough to overrule the answers obtained under the mind magic. Since you are so certain of your innocence, would you mind taking a public trial? Only if your answers are still the same, would we know that you are indeed innocent,” King Zanac said.

“Then I will do just that, Your Majesty,” Marquis Boullope replied before he rushed onto the podium.

Those gathered at the square then had a sense of deja vu as the Marquis made the same proclamation as Lytton did earlier, followed by the head of the Magician’s Guild casting [Minor Compulsion] on him. After asking if he had chosen to take the trial under his free will, Shaun went straight for the jugular.

“Have you and Count Lytton discussed and agreed to have Philip-san assassinated?”

“Yes, we had talked about it and agreed to have Count Lytton’s subordinate, Povel, handle it,” the Marquis replied.

The crowd immediately blew up with shouts of anger, while the nobles seemed to have rather confused faces. The young Marquis was shouting about Lytton lying with such conviction that no one could doubt it. Yet, under the effects of mind magic, he had admitted to conspiring with Lytton.

Sensing the mood of the nobles, Shaun asked the two Great Nobles some more questions, mostly ones which could be verified by other witnesses. Such as when and where did the meeting take place, was there anyone else there and etc. While no one else was present at the actual meetings, it would be a simple matter to have the carriage driver, the guards and the maids verify if such meetings took place.

In the end, both nobles appeared to be guilty of the crime, though it was unclear why they were so eager to take the trial. Under heavy escort, they were escorted to the local jail. While King Zanac took this chance to make a speech.

After going on for a while about how the nobles thirst for power had greatly damaged the Kingdom over time, he promised that things would be different now and that a lofty name and a powerful house would not be enough to escape the consequences of a crime. As could plainly be seen by what had just happened to the two Great Nobles.

The commoners cheered loudly with chants of “Long live the King” rolling through the crowd. The nobles were visibly less than thrilled about such a proclamation, but couldn’t say anything in opposition.

Count Lytton was furious. He had already guessed by what happened with Marquis Boullope that the young noble must’ve had a similar experience, otherwise, he wouldn’t agree to the trial so eagerly. However, such a guess didn’t make things better. It would be impossible to claim innocence now.

What if I tell King Zanac about the memory thing? If he knows that we were set up, perhaps he will be more lenient? However, he quickly dismissed such a foolish thought. Who am I kidding, he has no reason to look for any foul play in this trial. God damn, such a simple trap, yet impossible to get out of. Whoever set it up is a genius.

 

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