The words hit hard, but this was his current reality.

Not once in that room did the prosecutor ever talk about the fact that he fought off an Eldritch Soul and saved lives.

And when he did, it still did not matter. For the entire passionate speech he gave, the only thing they got was that he was blasphemous.

Soren had long known that the world was not fair. But this... this was something else.

Where was his justice?

Devon sighed after pouring out his annoyance. He finally took his seat opposite Soren. "There is nothing we can do about that round. They won it. We will be lucky if they don't add 'Blasphemer' to the list of charges on your head."

Soren gave a shallow nod. He was not remorseful about it.

He just felt wronged.

Devon patted his shoulder. "Don't worry, the situation can still be salvaged. Besides, if we can go no further, I still have a secret weapon. But it will lose its effect if you keep running your mouth like that. Okay?"

Soren nodded. "I'm sorry."

Devon leaned back. He dug a hand into his pocket and brought out a cigarette.

The edges of his fingers lighted with soul energy, and he burnt the butt.

Soren's eyes brightened. However, no matter how hard he searched, he could not find a Glassheart.

Then his eyes fell on the briefcase.

Maybe it's in there.

Soren thought.

Devon took a drag in and out. "Ahhh... No need to search; I don't have a Glassheart."

"Then how do you have..."

"Soul energy?" Devon scoffed. "Bloodline." He answered without looking at Soren. However, when he did, he was surprised to see Soren staring back.

"What? I thought they taught these things in the academy."

"I have never been to the academy." Soren replied.

"Oh... yeah." Devon took another drag. "Not all contracts with Shades are individual. Sometimes, depending on the evolutionary status of the Shade, the bond may extend beyond the individual down to their bloodline—their children.

This way, the power of an exceptional Shade is passed down to the offspring without the risk of bonding with a low-rank Shade."

Soren's gaze glowed.

"Yeah, sounds good, doesn't it?" Devon took another drag. "But that's exactly the problem." His voice became lower, gaze distant. Like he was talking more to himself than to Soren. "Not all of us want to be Soul Mecha pilots. Some of us just want simple lives."

Soren stared at him a bit longer. He could sense pain from the man.

Perhaps even trauma.

Ivory did say that noble families had their own traditions when it came to bonding with Shades.

No doubt, he had just stumbled on another one.

Devon took the last drag, then he threw the used stick and stepped on it. "Don't worry, kid. I promised you your freedom. I'll get it for you."

Meanwhile, a corner, resting against a wall, Scarvguard turned to the lady in red. "Was what you did really necessary?"

"The church frowns upon blasphemy." She replied, a strict gaze leveled on him. "I am an instrument of the church. I frown against blasphemy."

"Yeah, I know that. But we are supposed to be on his side."

"You are." She corrected. "I'm not."

"But you claim to love me. Shouldn't you be on my side?"

"The church comes first." She clapped back.

"Except if it did, you wouldn't love me, Lema." Scarvguard's fingers reached for her own, fitting into their gaps.

At first her fingers instinctively appreciated his.

But as if catching herself, she recoiled. Then she turned and walked away.

Scarvguard sighed, then he turned once more in Soren's direction.

The five minutes was over, and the court resumed session.

...

This time around, Devon was the one asking Soren the questions.

"So you are telling me..." Devon paced around the room, emphasizing his point as clearly as he could. "... that you knew that Instructor Funguslus Marcus was possessed by the Eldritch soul and wanted to kill all the cadets on the train even before it happened.

And stopped it, therefore saving the lives of over a hundred cadets, many of whom were direct heirs of NOBLE lineage?"

"Yes, I did."

"Truth." "The lady in red," Lema echoed.

"Incredible Council members of this court, I just sent the medical report for the tests conducted on Instructor Funguslus Marcus."

The council members went through the report on the holographic screens hovering before them.

All of them frowned while looking at it.

Devon saw this and continued. "As you can see, Cadet Soren discovered that his instructor was afflicted with an Eldritch parasite and prompted his course mates to act in a timely manner when other Soulbound knights were dispatched on an emergency."

Subconsciously, Devon looked the way of the jury. He noticed their pleasant nods.

'Got them.'

"That will be all, your honor. No further questions for now." Devon went to his seat, feeling quite good with himself.

Then the prosecutor stood up. She walked towards Soren, heels clacking against the ground, commanding both attention and anticipation.

Unlike the last time, Soren had his guard up.

This woman was able to make the rest of the court have very selective hearing. It was in his best interest to not rush it.

"Before you and your course mates attacked instructor Marcus," she began, "was there any sign that he might have been possessed by an Eldritch soul?"

Soren turned towards Devon.

He nodded.

"Well... his skin was kind of green, and he walked funny."

"So," the prosecutor interrupted him. "What you are saying is that you assaulted your instructor, a noble, simply because his skin was green and he walked... funny?" She gave a sarcastic grin.

The prosecutor turned to the rest of the court. "We all know that Soulbound warriors suffer curses from their Shades. The honorable sacrifice they must bear for the gift they're blessed with." As she spoke, she gesticulated accordingly.

"What is to say that Instructor Marcus at the time was not just suffering one such curse? After all, some of these curses occur on occasion or... are triggered by circumstances." She turned again to Soren.

Soren knew it was a trap. That smirk had returned.

Regardless, even he could tell what she was implying.

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