...Meaning that apart from Soren, Devon, Scarvguard, and the lady in red, the rest of the court were in an entirely different location, simply projected here.

Soren looked around; he did not recognize these people.

What was so important about his trial that they all came?

Well, not all of them. He could see one person he recognized. Far at the back.

Boyed.

This was the first time Soren was in a law court, but it was not as if he had not heard about them in school.

Far off to his left were a group of people he easily assumed should be the jury, and on the other side—

Shit

He cursed. He had seen that family emblem before. It sat proudly on the left side of a blonde woman's chest.

The Ivory noble family.

The moment Soren and Devon took their seats at the table, the bailiff spoke up.

"All rise for the High council of the Imperial Soulforge Academy."

Everyone stood. And then a group of three men and two women walked in. They all looked to be somewhere in their sixties and dressed in baggy purple robes.

They made their way to the high table in front of the room.

Soren could see the respectful gazes of the people in the room, all directed at these five.

The room had become quiet enough to hear the little flickering light of the holographic projections.

Amongst the council members, the man with glasses—sitting in the middle—spoke. "A lot of things to do on the schedule today." He grunted, taking a file on his table and opening it. "Prosecutor, you may proceed."

"Thank you, your honor." The blonde woman slid out of her seat.

She adjusted her well-fitted suit and stepped forward.

She turned to the crowd, and then her obviously focused and predatory gaze landed on Soren.

"Cadet Soren, student of the Imperial Soulforge Academy, you stand accused of—

*Piloting a Soul Mecha without government approval or licensing.

*Piloting a Soul Mecha that is not yours.

*Piloting a decommissioned Soul Mecha.

*Assaulting an Instructor of the Imperial Soulforge Academy.

*Assaulting two nobles of the Imperial Soulforge Academy.

*Influencing other cadets to participate in mutiny.

*Willful destruction of school property.

*Murder of a citizen.

*Murder of a noble.

*And the murder of a Soul Mecha Pilot.

The moment the accusations were listed out, there was a low murmur from behind.

"Are you sure he is just a cadet?"

"How is that even possible? He murdered a Soul Mecha pilot?"

"He assaulted a noble? He should be hanged."

Even as holograms, Soren could still feel their glares at his back.

He suddenly remembered Captain Scarvguard's reaction when he was arrested that day.

It was no wonder he was perplexed.

Hell, even Soren was taken aback by the list of crimes.

And here he was, thinking it was only about Ivory.

"Cadet Soren," the prosecutor continued, arriving at his table. She leaned in. "What do you plead?"

She looked at him fiercely, intentionally trying to mount pressure.

However, all she got in response were calm eyes—too calm.

If this was the old Soren, the one that did not need to face an Eldritch horror again and again and conquered it. The one that did not need to dive into a herd of antibodies—then maybe, just maybe, she might have had an effect on the teenager.

But this Soren?

Indifferent.

Regardless, the question had been directed to him, and he needed to answer.

However, Devon tightened his hold on Soren's hand as he spoke up. "My client pleads not guilty on all charges. And states for the record that he is nothing but a victim of circumstances."

"Not guilty!?"

"How can he plead not guilty? Does he think we are fools?"

"A victim? He killed a noble, and yet he is the victim? Such guts from a mere commoner!"

The murmurs came again.

"Order." The head council member spoke.

The noise slowly died down.

"The prosecution will proceed. I am sure you have evidence to back the claims?"

"Yes. Your honor." She gave a kind of confident smile.

Like she had been waiting for this. "But first, I'd like to call the accused to the stand for questioning."

"Proceed."

Devon turned to Soren. "You don't have to admit to anything you are not comfortable with, unless I say so. Remember, it's not about what you did or did not do. They don't care. They are only looking for an example."

Soren nodded and then walked forward.

The woman in red beside Scarvguard followed after him—a book with a golden star in hand. "Cadet Soren, do you swear by the god of the neuralink to tell the truth and nothing but the truth, so help you god?"

"I do." Soren responded.

Now, he was even closer to the faces of the council members. And they did not look at him favorably.

The prosecutor walked over to her desk, and at the press of a button, a holographic screen appeared in front of the court.

"We have account testimonies from many upright citizens of the accused's town." She pressed another button, and the video played.

The man being interviewed was the town's mayor. Vass's father.

"...and you are saying that Soren used the Soul Mecha?"

"Yes, yes, he did." The mayor pointed to the destroyed Soul Mecha. "The most amazing thing I have ever seen." He smiled. "We all thought he was crazy at first, but then he got into the trash mecha, and it came to life. It was..."

The video was passed there. "This is just one of over two hundred testimonies of the account of piloting a Soul Mecha, which, as you all know, the empire takes as a strict offense, punishable by death. Or..." she walked up to Soren, "do you deny not knowing this?"

"Objection, your honor, the prosecution is trying to force my client into admitting to a crime he had no knowledge of as a result of his terrible upbringing in extreme poverty."

"Ignorance and poverty are not excuses to disobey the law of the land." The prosecutor clapped back. "Besides, education is free in the empire, regardless of status."

"Objection overruled." The head council member spoke lazily. "The prosecution may proceed."

"Thank you, your honor." She turned towards Soren again.

"Cadet Soren, would you say that the law of the land should be held with maximum effectiveness to maintain the peace and integrity of the empire?"

"I guess so." Soren replied, gaze following the pacing woman.

"Good." The prosecutor nodded. "Tell me and this esteemed court... please.

Did you not know that piloting a Soul Mecha—one decommissioned without a license—is a federal offense punishable by death under the law of the land, as freely taught in schools all around the empire?"

She paused. Waiting for his answer.

Soren's eyes turned to Devon, as if asking what to answer.

Devon gave a silent nod.

"I did," Soren replied.

"Truth." The lady in red echoed.

"So," the prosecutor's eyes gleamed.

You are saying that you do deserve the full penalty of the offense, which is death.

Don't you agree?"

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