Reincarnated Into A Dead Woman's Body In Another World-Chapter 213: Arc 4, Act I, - 58: Declaration and Deliberations
"Order!" the chief justice slammed down his gavel.
The room shook and swivelled their heads around to the sudden outburst. "Prime Minister Woddard, would you explain yourself please?" Hotaru’s eyes narrowed.
"I think I have seen enough," the chief justice brought together his documents, "This will go on to-"
"Your honour if you will pause on that," Daiyu held a hand up. The Trailon side discussed anxiously amongst themselves while the prime minister glared to the opposition.
Fumeko and Asobi leaned forward in their seats. ’The hell are you trying to do?’ Jotou scanned the opposition. They were taking out documents as if they had... planned for this...
"Is there something you wish to add princess?"
"I assume the decision is a trial, but I want to know what this sudden declaration is..." she half-closed her right eye. Whispers turned to chatter in the room.
"Order," he hit his gavel. "Trailon Regime, would you expand upon your declaration?"
Prime Minister Woddard sneered, "Look at this ’hearing’, all my allies with my enemies... The judge hailing from Cravolta, the Thundering Blade ridiculing me.
I had arrived to come to a compromise not a mockery of me and my compatriots. It seems as if the only option I am being given is to lead into a trial where no impartiality will be given."
"I swear on my name and my station that I have been impartial during this hearing, I apologize if you do not feel as such. However, the evidence is overwhelming and undeniable; this will lead into a proper trial."
"And if I refuse?"
The Cravoltan defence minister leaned into the microphone, "Then Cravolta, nor any of its allies will hold back. Your decisions prime minister, has brought harm and death to innocent civilians."
"Precisely why I bring forth this choice," the prime minister had papers to his either side as well as people whispering into his ears, "The Trailon Regime will have one last stand against Cravolta.
No trial is to be held, so that we can keep our resources and not pay a hefty fine."
"So do you admit to these crimes of war? The Velatos Case, the rogue battalion in Hartamat?" Hotaru queried back.
He waited for something to be whispered into his ear, "I will make no statement of those matters at the moment. When the Trailon Regime gloriously achieves victory, these trials for alleged war crimes shall be put at rest."
"You knew you’d lose a trial, you knew if you didn’t respond it may have gone to a scorched earth policy, so this is your best play?" Jotou crossed her arms.
"More importantly, what does Cravolta gain by accepting this battle? The admission of Trailon’s crimes?" Daiyu glared.
"IF, by some miracle, Cravolta wins this battle, the Trailon Regime will withdraw from the war."
Louder mutterings went throughout the room, even the guards began chatting to one another in surprise. "Is this something that the nations present wish to consider?" the chief justice hit his gavel.
Hotaru hushed to those around her, "I’m not too sure about this..."
"I share the same sentiment my lady."
"Is something the matter? Is this not what would happen regardless of if I choose to comply or not? The Trailon Regime will take a hit regardless.
So I want it to be on our terms. Surely the Empire of Shattering Earth can muster up troops for a fight worth your while. And when the Trailon Regime wins, this matter will be beneath us."
Daiyu blinked a few times till her eyes flashed a purplish gem-like ripple. "I accept this accord."
"WHAT!?" "WOAH!" Soon the room became a jumbled mess of voices and arguments. "Order! ORDER!!" "KNOCK! KNOCK! KNOCK!"
"Then the Trailon Regime accepts this-"
"Hang on!" Hotaru grabbed hold of a microphone, "Everyone settle down. May we take a recess to deliberate before making any sort of accord your honour?" wide-eyed she requested.
"You may. This court is now in recess!" the chief justice issued...
_
"Princess." "Your majesty." "Your highness!"
"I will speak with everyone later! Give me and my companions some time to deliberate!" "BAM!" Daiyu slammed the doors shut; a room separate from the auditorium a little walk away.
Everyone within said room fell apart into groans. Fumeko poured herself a glass of water while Feyan collapsed onto a chair. "That was almost a disaster..." Hotaru slumped her head onto a table.
"What’s wrong? Did we have something else in mind?" Daiyu turned with narrowed eyes.
"They might have something up their sleeve if they’re making this play," Jotou replied.
"Daiyu, you can’t just accept something like this," Hotaru glanced up. Asobi sat opposing her, pondered with a wand poked into her chin.
"I didn’t do it without thinking. Drastic times, drastic measures. Don’t you see? They’ve cornered themselves and there’s only one way out."
Arabella took a breath, shifting her hands. "You still, need to give, everyone time to think about it."
"Okay fine. Maybe it was like, a bit rushed, but we’re here—my ears are wide open. The way I see it, they’re inevitably losing this match so they do one final play and put all their eggs in one basket."
"I’m not disagreeing I’m just... paranoid."
Feyan sat upright, "By making this decision my lady, we have a lot to consider. What will we tell the public? The council? All our allies? I do not believe the council can weigh in after you boldly agree."
"Alright fine," Daiyu put her arms out, "That’s why we’re here. We’ll do this fairly. Here’s the thing, I’m making my decision right the fuck now; not tomorrow, not a week from now, I mean today.
I’m not waiting for that bastard to rethink his stupid proposal, I’m not waiting for the damn council, I’m waiting for the opinions of the people I know can steer me right. We’ve been sitting through procedure after procedure and it’s gotten us to here."
The blonde held the bridge of her nose, "I’m with you and I agree. The Trailon Regime’s not the brightest cookie. At least the four of us have dealt with them and survived. But we shouldn’t underestimate them."
"Why not?" Fumeko placed the empty glass. "We’re assuming they’ve got some trick up their sleeve. It could just as likely be idiots thinking they can win.
We take some time to prepare, get the best plans and weaponry, we go in, fight everything and win. Cravolta’s the biggest country in the world, but it’s always just been defending. I think it’s time to change something."
"I am in agreement as well... Violence is not the answer, but if we do not accept this offer, I fear what Trailon may attempt. A larger scale invasion will only cause more damage and casualties.
Even if we win a trial, the death toll alone would be in the tens of thousands if not higher; including innocent civilians. This way, we control the area of the battlefield and can minimize casualties," Feyan winced an eye.
Asobi hummed, "But what if Trailon doesn’t want to keep their promise...? They do sneaky tactics all the time. If they lose, they might just do it again."
"Then all the, nations will attack, Trailon," Arabella stated through Feyan’s translation.
"It’s a simple clause to add to make sure they wouldn’t attempt anything like that. If they withdraw from the war, the Tri-Regime of Iniquity, after forty-three years of war, will take one of its greatest losses," Hotaru evaluated the option. 𝕗𝚛𝚎𝚎𝐰𝗲𝗯𝗻𝚘𝚟𝚎𝗹.𝕔𝐨𝕞
The blonde stared at the floor in pondering, "It’s not only us either. Cravolta’s got allies and Trailon’s allies hate them. My only concern is that it’s all an act to make us more confident to agree to this plan.
That Trailon secretly communicated with the other regimes about this. In which case..." Jotou faced Daiyu, "We can ask emissary Dahl a couple of questions and you can tell whether or not she’s lying."
"I trust ya brain; can do." Daiyu folded her arms, "That’s three yeses. Ara?"
"With all, the points, brought up..." Arabella paused to think whilst Feyan waited to translate. "It’s difficult, not to agree. Your word is command, princess."
"Four. What about you Asobi? You’ve got a serious look for once."
Asobi fluttered her lashes, "Wouldn’t it be safer to do a trial? Less people will die and maybe they’ll be sentenced to go away from the war anyway."
"Except that’s barely an option Sobi," Fumeko replied. "Trailon will still refuse and then it’s back to a war, but one that’ll probably end up with more war crimes being committed."
Her jade-green eyes blinked a few times and for once they narrowed. She pouted just as she clenched one fist which held her wand, "I, I don’t like the idea that people need to die one way or another..."
The magician’s eyes softened, "There’s so many people... and families that’ll go sad and lonely... It doesn’t seem fair that we’re making a huge decision for them... Is there really no way to make them do a trial?"
The entire room turned to her... Fumeko’s eyes waxed with furrowed brows, Jotou tilted her head and exhaled. Hotaru’s ears fell as she looked to Asobi, "Even if somehow we convince them into a trial...
Trials can take weeks to months, sometimes even years. For something as monumental as this, who knows? If they keep denying, the burden of proof lies on us."
The redhead spoke softly, "Even if we know they’re guilty, there’s a lot of things that need to be done before proper action’s taken.
Meanwhile, the Trailon Regime can easily stop their ceasefire, continue their invasion and continue to commit war crimes till a verdict’s decided.
And EVEN then, Trailon may be forced to a penalty that doesn’t help us much. Maybe the verdict is, they pay a portion of their wealth or forfeit some land and resources.
Maybe even to abstain from the war for a few years, maybe a decade. But this way, we guarantee that Trailon is removed from the war completely. The majority of the world will see it as a victory."
Asobi listened to every word calmly till her shoulders slumped. Her hat tilted with her head as she twisted her wand in her fingers.
Jotou glanced to her, a forced smirk upon the blonde’s pout, "Asobi, it’s either more lives or less lives."
"And it’s between those who choose to fight and risk their life or the innocents who wanna stay safe," Daiyu added, infected by Asobi’s wilting mood.
"Hm," she sighed through her nose, "Then I choose less lives..."
Daiyu huffed out a loud breath, "Everyone’s in agreement then. I think we can make the decision."
Jotou stood up, "We have our terms and conditions to ask for and we have a certain emissary to politely interrogate."
