Reincarnated Into A Dead Woman's Body In Another World-Chapter 212: Arc 4, Act I, - 57: Justice

The small auditorium hosted seats of lavish make, many of them empty for what little attendees there were. Two long tables were set opposing each other while a man shuffled papers in a podium in between.

Robes of dark browns and trimmings of gold with bits of purple. A frilly neckband of the same purple around his neck. Somewhat balding he was, but with a long brown beard that was going grey.

As the people involved walked in, Jotou felt a tap on her shoulder from Krialin. The blonde turned, "Mayor?"

"Thundering Blade, I was hoping to get a hold of you sooner," the mayor walked into a fairly secluded space. "I hope you’re ready, I believe you will be up there as well?"

"Yeah."

"Good, good. I am to bring all relevant Krian issues forward caused by the regime."

"Obviously."

"I’m more than happy to do it, however I wish for you to speak on behalf of Kria."

She crossed her arms, "You’re the damn mayor."

"You’re a Krian citizen aren’t you? A famous guardian? Someone who’s dealt with the scum of Trailon several times?"

"That’s already what I’m talking about."

He raised his brows and put his arms out in glee, "Then it should be no issue to add in a few points for Kria. Here are my specific notes," he ordered the Krialin to hand them to her.

Jotou stared at the mayor, not taking it into her hands.

"You gave a resounding speech that thundered through Kria and rumour is that you shook even the Council of Cravolta. You have a bigger impact than me! Don’t you think yourself, that someone as unworthy as me is not to speak in something so crucial?

That the ’Thundering Blade of Kria’, sworn enemy of Trailon, would represent her nation which was the victim of a war crime, better than I?" with a childish sulk of his lips he said.

"Jotou?" Hotaru walked behind, "Oh mayor..." her face immediately dropped to a frown. "We should be heading to our seats, what’s going on here?"

"Nothing much, just the Mayor of Kria getting cold feet."

The mayor glared, "I believe Ms Howllett would be better suited to represent Kria’s voice than me; on my behalf of course.

Think of all those who suffered. All the children that died to a velatos. Do you really want such a corrupt official in your eyes to represent them?"

Hotaru’s ears spiked, "The nerve to even."

Jotou plucked the documents out of the Krialin’s hands with a scowl. She grunted out a breath to him before glancing to the papers.

"You can represent Kria as well Ms Kinoshita, I’m sure this must be a golden opportunity."

She leaned in, "I’ll help Jotou to make sure Kria gets the justice it deserves, not to boost whatever reputation you have."

"Relax, he’s just looking for another Jack in his life. The real justice will be when Gestryle is out of office," arguments and statements already brewed in her head with a little grin.

The mayor’s eyes narrowed even more, "You can embellish the notes all you like. I believe you can get a point across about your distaste for Trailon; my opinion isn’t different."

’Kor, Analine, Okod, Zach, Father Keel... Our burned house, Hotaru’s home...’ Jotou held the documents a tad tighter... Perhaps her home as well. "Keep being a shameless bastard, I’ll do what needs to be done for the sake of Kria."

"Oh please, this is all for the sake of Kria at the end of the day," he marketed, the Krialin beside him not really caring to his statements; at least paid enough not to.

"Come on, let’s go. We’ll let Daiyu know the small change in procedure," Hotaru ushered Jotou along, giving a glare to the mayor who waved his fingers.

_

Sat across the table were two parties; the ’defendants’, the Trailon Regime and the ’claimants’ consisting of some representatives.

Jotou leaned down upon the notebooks and pens—several of them all across the table for everyone. She leaned closer, squinting to the circular device with metal rods...

"Jotou," Hotaru yanked her back.

"What?" Jotou raised her shoulders, "It’s an old-timey mike, it’s cute."

"Don’t let it catch your breathing."

"I won’t," Jotou turned to an elf, waving to her as she swung her arm from her seat in the audience. "I’m feeling confident. And it’s not an act~"

"Don’t be, the chief justice may be from Cravolta, but they’re very impartial."

"You should know by now the more you say don’t, the more likely I am to."

"I know a certain princess with the same trait."

"She’s just competitive."

"I can hear you both ya know?" Daiyu’s half-eyed glare replied, sitting right next to them.

"My lady, it is about to begin."

The chief justice shuffled his papers. The doors closed, guards from the nations glanced at each other with their weapons at the ready.

Arabella stood by the doors, keeping her head in a swivel. His lordship, the chief justice, opened, "Since the relative parties are here, we may begin. 15th of September, nine seven nine.

The informal hearing between the nations; Cravolta, the Empire of Shattering Earth and Kria, the City of New Beginnings. Against the Trailon Regime, the Regime of Ships and Stars.

Including representatives from Luxinor and the Vandlevela Regime. This is an informal hearing, as such, it will proceed plain and simple, no need for too many complications and layman terms will be fine.

The reasoning I have been given for why this is not to be a trial for war crimes is because Prime Minister Aldous Woddard of the Trailon Regime has denied them as allegations," even the judge squinted to the statement.

Scribes wrote down each statement, lawyers sitting in the audience chairs took their own notes. A general scowl filled the air of the room.

"To establish some procedures for those who may not know, this is an informal hearing. Both parties will bring their cases forward and argue their justifications.

Any complicated evidence, calling of witnesses and such will not be necessary; this is an assessment, not a trial. If there are any complications, such as void statements or repeating of the same information over and over, it will be quelled.

Order will be held between both parties, any outbursts will only delay the proceedings. I am told that, the Malecise Regime, Burnetrout, Avon and Nirenus will not be speaking today; though I have their statements and arguments filed with me.

Without anymore delays, with me as impartial witness and mediator, Chief Justice Garanda Freynol Karthak, this hearing may begin. Cravolta, provide your opening statement please," his old and hardy voice announced.

"Thank you your honour," Daiyu shuffled her notes. "I am the Undying Princess, Xia Lan Daiyu, the heir to the throne of the Empire of Shattering Earth.

I would like to first claim that these ’allegations’ aren’t allegations at all. There are multiple witnesses, side-effects that still linger upon victims of trauma and news outlets which have spread this information far and wide.

Prime Minister Aldous Woddard is feigning ignorance to these clear war crimes in order to avoid trial and continue wreaking havoc in the name of the Trailon Regime."

"Objection," Lady Oakheart put forth.

"I’ll allow it."

"Thank you your honour." She whispered back to the prime minister.

Prime Minister Woddard spoke, "There is no evidence of this, it’s mere hearsay. Creatures of shadow attacking civilians in Kria in secret, some magical time device near a small town, Trailon possesses no such powers. In fact, there is no evidence for any of these claims."

"Including Trailonian soldiers admitting this information under interrogation?" Daiyu retorted.

"These are soldiers, they’ll say anything to end their torture. Your honour, they could just as easily have paid or made these soldiers say what they want."

"Then the burden of proof would fall on you," Hotaru looked up from her papers.

"If I may your honour?" King Akimitsu requested. "The Trailon Regime under Prime Minister Woddard’s command, has attacked and terrorized not one but two nations.

With two being unlawful occasions in which civilians were harmed. The reason there is no evidence is due to the dishonourable methods incorporating the erasure of said methods."

"Yes," Daiyu continued, "Velatos would disappear into dead animal bodies and the time device was destroyed to end the time magic occurring in Hartamat."

...

"Trailon Regime, your defence?"

They discussed among themselves. The prime minister turned, "New information has been brought to me, Admiral Heraguard," he motioned.

"Yes your eminence, your honour," she greeted, an unsympathetic look over her face. "It shames me to say, this was all done without the Supreme Prime Minister Woddard’s or my own consent.

You see, there have been rogue and unstable members in our rankings who have usurped plans and gone power-hungry to make such atrocious decisions.

These events... have indeed occurred, but not with the permission of Prime Minister Woddard, any of our higher-ranked officials or myself."

"And that somehow doesn’t hold you accountable? They are after all, under your employ. If this many ’rogue’ generals exist in the Trailon Regime then maybe the regime truly needs to stand trial for malpractice.

Somehow even then, the fact that this information only now reaches the ears of such high ranking members of the regime, is laughable.

Meaning no forceful action was taken to better control these ’rogue’ outbreaks," Minister Asad of the Defence Ministry spoke. The council members in attendance nodded and muttered.

"These are things we simply cannot predict. We do apologize for any losses of civilians or property that was not to be tampered outside the confines of war."

"Outside of unpredictability, we also have information of a strange phenomenon that occurred in Kria, where it snowed. Weather forecasts from the Maleficos Ordinate proves this was magical in nature.

The information leads to some form of a weather tower, that Trailon is in possession of, that can change the weather over masses of land.

This type of weapon can be used on the battlefield, sure, however it has been used in civilized areas where the war was not to be brought.

The Evelress Faction from Northern Cravolta can attest to this information. So even if these events are allegedly false, Trailon in the present or past has not abstained from underhanded methods," Daiyu countered.

Jotou peered up from taking notes... ’I’ll never get used to Daiyu talking like that... Hm, nice work psychopath. Though I guess if I can act.’

"Even if this information is true," the deputy prime minister spoke, a deeper voice than the prime minister. "That does not mean that the Trailon Regime has supposedly made some sort of time device.

In fact, I believe the information was of a rogue battalion that decided to invade a small town in order to conduct the experiment of one."

"This is just false. Major Schroeder from the Hartamat Defence Force has a detailed report of all the occurrences and the Thundering Blade was not affected by the device.

Namely, they had the support of new soldiers entering the fray as well as not one but two tanks into the battle, whilst a mass of medical reports were recorded after the device was broken; many of the victims young children and the elderly."

"If I may provide my input?" emissary Dahl raised her hand.

"You may."

"Speaking as an ally of the Trailon Regime, hearing news of their malpractice has left both the Vandlevela Regime and Malecise Regime in a state of shock.

It must account for something when allies of the regime have also acknowledged the blatant use of underhanded methods and harming civilians to gain weapons and strategic positions."

"Objection, we believe this to be conspiracy," the prime minister put forward.

"Overruled."

"Overruled? You cannot simply push this statement aside!"

"The idea of a conspiracy is brought out of thin air. I have thoroughly studied the evidence provided and there is no mention of conspiracy within the documents I hold," the chief justice retorted.

The door to the room slowly creaked as Arabella let someone in. A short brunette with a purple headband entered, sneaking her way to one of the seats, more pouty than normal...

"I believe Kria, being a victim of these alleged attacks, has a statement as well? Kria, your statement?"

Jotou and Hotaru nearly hit their heads as they looked back up from the documents. The redhead quickly shuffled the papers to Jotou. "Yes your honour," the blonde replied.

’They’re already cracking, just bring it home Jotou.’ "I, Jotou Howllett, the Thundering Blade of Kria will speak on behalf of Kria, which was supposed to be exempt from matters of war, standing in a neutral position.

So, the City of New Beginnings even being in this discussion raises a lot of concerns. Why would a country that was to be the centre point of all the nations suddenly take such a stance without provocation?

I have been a very direct witness to most of these crimes. I have seen death brought by the creatures known as velatos. I was trapped within the confines of the time device of which I personally destroyed.

I believe Trailon is trying to put off a proper trial in fear of loss, since the allies of said regime have also shown intolerance to these issues.

I don’t think anymore statements need to be provided for this to be taken to a proper trial. News has spread, the people know. It’s no longer a matter of who said what or what evidence is to be found.

The world knows, the public knows and Trailon knows," Jotou glared up, a little spark in her hair and a little smirk. "And simply cannot predict? It seems supreme is truly a title and not in any objectivity at all.

These people are the highest ranking officials in their country—to be unaware of such atrocities as the Cravoltan defence minister has said, is laughable.

Feigning ignorance behind a façade, due to the inability to take responsibility. This is no nation that deserves such ruling parties who are incapable of ruling," she read of the documents no longer.

The blonde merely stared down the prime minister as he did the same... "I was even told by Lord and Lady Oakheart of how I had a rough relationship with Trailon, with the context of meeting with the prime minister.

Now why would I hold any disdain or would they know of me if I was not a kink in their plans to use war crimes to win the war which they fear losing?"

The prime minister shook his leg, his face getting redder by the second, his brows furrowing more and more. Some of his colleagues looked to him and started whispering things.

"The incident in Kria was through infiltration using spies, of which the very vulnerable and unaware Mayor Gestryle was a victim of."

The mayor who sat a few seats down the line from her glared and shook his head. Whatever, she got the message across at least.

"Infiltrating the Krian Maleficos Ordinate, intercepting the Chief’s letters etcetera. I’ve seen my friends suffer and die to these velatos, created by recruiting certain Krian citizens with the promise of wealth and or fame.

In summary, the Trailon Regime is trying to hide their fragile pride, poor management and complete and utter failures to withhold from having a trial to which they know they will lose."

The judge’s gavel tapped twice, "Refrain from slanders Thundering Blade."

"My apologies your honour. It is true I may have some sentiments on the matter. However, I was personally told that I was such a threat and it was proven.

Sending a spirit-assassin into my home, burning down my house, sending dozens of assassins to deal with me, sending more troops in the battle of Hartamat, the list goes on really.

I have seen the atrocities committed... I have seen pain and suffering for weeks... This regime cares not for the safety or laws of war, murdering innocents if they want to.

The real situation is, they bit off more than they can chew. To commit so many war crimes, they must be able to kiss the laws goodbye and start doing everything drastically to win their war.

They failed in that endeavour and did not have the backing to finish what they started. So, they now sit here, shamelessly feigning ignorance and passing the blame to their subordinates," her face grew solemn...

Her fist slowly closed... She blinked a few times to the documents and took a breath. "That is all your honour."

"Trailon, your defence?" the judge seemed to have had already made up his mind; the entire room starting to wilt slightly. The verdict seemed obvious to all those present.

The Prime Minister, "SLAM!" slammed his fist on the table and stood, shocking the room. "I DECLARE ONE FINAL BATTLE!"