Chapter 15 Chapter 16 Trial
When the review was over, the silver disc-like moon hung high in the night sky.
George, looking tired, walked out of the small dark room. The priest told him that Jima had been sent for isolation and that she was sleeping soundly. He also passed on a message from Jima:
“Today is special, so no studying, right?”
George found it somewhat amusing and felt relieved. Jima’s mindset was much better than he had imagined; she really believed in herself.
Not long after exiting the church, George saw three cardinals in red robes coming out, discussing in hushed tones as they walked:
“Another demon lord from the demon world has fallen, but that was six months ago.”
“… Will Demon Lord Marus unify the demon world?”
“We must be wary of that possibility…”
“… Good night, I’m tired.”
The leading red-robed cardinal said, yawning as he left.
George approached Cardinal Gregory, who stood at the door waiting for him.
George said, “Cardinal, I find it a bit strange.”
“Is it about the succubus?”
“Yes,” George replied. “I thought you would eagerly suggest a confinement plan.”
Gregory’s parched lips were pressed tight, and after a moment of silence, he said, “Because I knew others would bring it up.”
“Do you still have a bias against Jima?”
“Actually, it’s not bias,” Gregory replied coldly. “I’ve always wanted to send her to the stake. I’ve seen enough people; her eyes are not innocent, George. Her evil has been tempered over time, even more resolutely than yours.”
“I trust myself who has been with her day and night more,” George said.
“Do you know why I think she is more resolute than you?” Gregory said. “It’s because I still have to consider your feelings, fearing that one day, you might… So I give you the chance to be willful.”
George said, “Can I take that to mean it’s because of my… background, which you are unwilling to mention?”
Gregory’s murky eyes looked at George, silent for a moment, saying nothing. In this inner city, all clergy could only speak the truth or remain silent.
George slowed his pace so that the aging Gregory wouldn’t have to hurry.
Breaking the silence, Gregory said, “So, you have returned to platinum?”
“During the subversion period.”
“Do you think you can return to diamond?”
“In three months.”
“I will strive to restore your title of the Hero,” Gregory said, stroking his sparse beard as he looked at George. “After that, you still need to undergo training, visit the saints, and adjudicate disputes within the diocese; time is running out.”
“Teacher, you still have quite a long life ahead.”
“I said your time is short,” Gregory said. “We just received news that only two demon lords remain, and this happened six months ago. No one knows what will happen after Marus unifies the demon world. I’m old; in the future’s historical tide, I won’t be able to flap my wings much. The future still relies on you young people to hold the fort.”
“That’s too pessimistic,” George said. “Teacher, you should look forward to spending your days in the manor, soaking up the sun, drinking tea, and enjoying retirement. Occasionally reminiscing about the past by catching a wild boar from the mountains and roasting it in the yard.”
Gregory smiled, his wrinkled face lighting up. “Haha, you little rascal, you can still joke around, which is quite rare. That’s good; with the burden of worrying about this and that, my retirement life will depend on whether you can hold up or not.”
In the end, Gregory seemed to think that George’s change was due to a certain succubus. He sighed and said, “It would be nice if you could joke more with Zhenna.”
“I think, from a certain perspective, joking in front of her would be a form of blasphemy.”
Gregory lightly shook his head and said nothing more.
…
The next day, the trial began.
In the solemn courtroom, the emblem of the God of Dawn hung prominently on the wall, exuding authority. Beneath the emblem sat a row of red-robed cardinals, and a thick stack of documents was piled on the table.
It was like two armies facing each other. Jima sat in front of them, all alone, with only George sitting in the witness stand, her ally.
The courtroom doors were tightly closed, and Gregory sat quietly at the judgment seat, his gaze fixed intently on Jima, his eyes burning like two raging fires, scorching Jima’s black hair, searing her skin, ready to reduce her to ashes.
However, Jima maintained a surprisingly good mindset. It was unclear whether it was due to her faith in George or her faith in herself.
“… Three hundred and twenty-seven years ago, Elector Laderi saved a young succubus from a group of crazy witch hunters; he firmly believed the succubus was innocent. Five years later, his sons turned against each other, and he himself was killed by his eldest son, who claimed he was there to rescue the succubus. After accepting his rescue, the eldest son died a year later in a rebellion in the capital, and the succubus completed her ascension ritual… She only died a century later at the hands of a hero.”
“… Five and a half centuries ago, an imperial mage hatched a succubus egg, and a year later, the mage married her. Three years later, at an Elector conference, the mage decided to kill the other electors to become emperor, leading to chaos in the empire, coinciding with the invasion of the demon army, leading to the loss of half the kingdom. Some witnesses saw the succubus slaughtering humans alongside the demon lord of that time…”
“All historical accounts regarding the succubus prove that neglecting her will undoubtedly pose a severe threat to society. Defendant, do you have anything to say?”
Jima raised her hand high and said, “If you check history, you’ll be surprised to find that the race that has killed the most humans is humans themselves.”
Gregory coldly refuted:
“You’ll be even more surprised to find that the race that has saved the most humans is also humans.”
“You are presuming guilt,” Jima said. “Why should I be punished because a bunch of succubi whose names I don’t even know… did something wrong?”
“Even if you are not a succubus, your previous display of potential harm to society necessitates appropriate measures to mitigate your threat.”
Jima pointed to the door: “You might as well arrest all the men present; after all, they harbor illicit devices, and surely they are engaging in inappropriate crimes.”
Gregory looked down at her disdainfully and said:
“If someone could pull that thing out and instantly make all the women in the city pregnant, he would also certainly face legal consequences.”
Well, it seemed that normal rhetoric was child’s play for such a thousand-year-old fox.
Jima didn’t want to argue further.
George raised his hand and was given the chance to speak:
“Since the key issue is Jima’s potential harm to society, then if understanding her abilities can allow for preventive measures, what is essentially the difference between her and us extraordinary beings?”
The courtroom fell silent.
After a discussion, the cardinals said:
“Defendant, if you willingly disclose the secrets of your extraordinary abilities and preventive measures, you will be freed.”
“I oppose,” Jima said. “This is unfair. As extraordinary beings, among us, if recklessness is to be judged on societal harm, several present have certainly killed more than I have.”
“Morality, faith, and the demands of reality constrain us, succubus; don’t compare us with you.”
“I request a detection of my alignment,” Jima said. “Since you presume me guilty due to the innate evil of succubi, if I can restrain my nature and no longer be evil, shouldn’t that be interpreted positively?”
This time, the cardinals didn’t deliberate for long.
Gregory insisted on personally supervising, and in front of Jima, he meticulously checked the surroundings to ensure there was no interference from extraordinary powers, delaying the alignment detection for more than twenty minutes.
“Detection begins.”
A beam of light fell before Jima, and she closed her eyes.
Even though she was calm, her heartbeat quickened involuntarily, and a slight pain surged in her chest.
No matter the outcome, at least she had given her all.
Jima knew that her skin now emitted the corresponding light of her alignment; if she wanted to know the result, she could simply open her eyes and see the color of the light on her body.
It was very quiet around, and no one announced the results.
Jima slowly opened her eyes and saw a faint gray-white glow coating the back of her hand.
The cardinal seated directly opposite her, Gregory, looked momentarily dazed, as if stunned by this. But he quickly regained his senses, pondering the flaws of the succubus.
Nearby, George couldn’t contain his delight, saying, “Absolutely neutral!”
If it were good, I would have to quickly open my personal system…
Jima smiled faintly, opened her personal system with her own hands, and saw “Neutral Evil” in her personal information, which made her smile even more enchanting.
