Reincarnated Into A Dead Woman's Body In Another World-Chapter 385: Arc 6, - 1: A Case From 14 Years Ago

"FLASH!" "Shutter!" "Click!" "Flash!"

Rope barriers flanked either side of the pathway leading into the court. Police had to keep a watchful eye over the paparazzi, occasionally having to shove them back over the ropes they would lean too far over.

Carriages and cars were blocked from the road, with a makeshift gate being operated by the Grand Alderman’s Service to allow those who were permitted to enter.

Under the morning shadow of the looming building, walked two detectives representing their company, the Thundering Blade of Kria, the Azure Firefly and a raven-haired elf trying her best not to wave her hand or cast a few butterflies for the roaring audience.

Among them, a short-haired brunette kept pace in between, not really caring to be seen. Her gaze was much more interested in whatever lied ahead, up the steps into the court.

Vanilla-hued columns stretched high under a pointed roof, where gargoyles sat at the edges to watch over all those who entered. Taking a deep breath, she entered with the rest of them.

Inside and onto the tiles was a whole other set of reporters who awaited every person who was related to the case—these ones actually permitted to be here.

"Oooh, look at the time, thought y’lot might be late. Today’s not the’day for tardiness though, even Lady Pinberry’s not here yet-"

"Alicia," Morgana uttered once as the reporter approached with her camera up.

"Alright, alright, keepin’ quiet," Alicia swiftly moved right in beside them and bounced along next to the detective in blue.

Only the sound of camera shutters and footsteps permeated through the foyer, alongside light voices. The GAS kept a handle on the reporters as various important-looking people walked along in formal attire.

"Is it even okay that this is being so publicized?" Fumeko queried.

"It was the prime councillor’s decision, backed by Lady Pinberry," Kazuo said as he used most of his frame to cover his daughter from camera lights. "This is a more sensitive case and concerns not just Dolpool’s security but Burnetrout’s."

"If they don’t let the scoop-hounds in, they’ll break down the doors," Morgana folded her arms.

"Or just use this newfangled technology called a window; hear they’re making something called curtains t’stop them though," Alicia strode along, unoffended.

"I doubt civilians wouldn’t riot if everything’s kept secret either. Burnetrout does have a history with leaders and rebellions," Hotaru recalled as she carried herself prim and proper for the cameras.

Fumeko’s eyes darted around the foyer, to the multiple doors, then to reporters and guards. She held a hand to her chin, "I still don’t like it."

"Sobi?" Jotou glanced at the magician next to her.

Asobi turned with her eyes fluttering rapidly like camera shutters, "I’ve stared into the twinkling stars for long enough that I see the Sun with every blink!"

Jotou held a hand over Asobi’s eyes, "Alright, let’s get away from the camera flashes."

"Ahem, Ms-"

As they were about to go pass some of the guards and into the courtroom, one of them stopped Alicia in her tracks with a hand, while cradling a rifle in his other arm.

"Ahem, Mr," to that however, Alicia leaned a little forward and lifted up a tag that got hidden behind her camera. In a laminated white card was her company’s logo in colour and her name with little pink hearts drawn on next to it.

"Alicia Langstirk, Phoenix News, I’m an eye witness t’the case and they’re gonna need me in there. I already filed a permit for photography within the court, so no trouble f’the camera either," she patted the top of her camera. "Anythin’ y’want t’stop me for still~?"

He put his arm down, "Just doing my job miss," he uttered with a small sigh.

"Thought so and what a fine job you do sir~" she puffed her chest out and strode right in with her chin held high.

"Don’t gloat too much, the GAS will have their eyes on you more," Kazuo warned as they entered the large room where dozens of people shuffled into seats assigned to them.

Alicia was forced to stop at some of the wooden chairs far from the judge’s podium. "Oh I know, I know, no need t’worry ’bout me so much detective~

I wasn’t here fourteen years ago t’see this case unfold in real time and I’ll be damned if I don’t get’to catch it. Send me off t’the butchers and chop me up if I don’t get’a good scoop outta this!"

Meanwhile, the fateful four continued in to find a seat along the benches that rounded around the room. "Is Alicia okay, why does she want people to chop her up?" Asobi held her wand in both hands.

"Don’t mind her," Jotou replied.

Hotaru took a deep breath and smiled, "Ah, courtrooms always have that smell no matter the country I guess."

"The scent of industrial cleaning supplies?" Fumeko snarked.

"Said the one who showered with laundry detergent," Jotou took a seat right next to the middle aisle.

"It was one time, I didn’t know it was laundry detergent and for some reason it kinda looked like a bottle of soap, so sue me since we’re already here," Fumeko grumbled as she sat right next to her.

Hotaru sat down next and patted down the leathers of her skirt, "It looked like detergent, I think you were just tired. Or maybe the cottage’s lighting messed with it."

"Why are we talking about this?" Fumeko squinted ahead.

"Probs because we’re nervous," Asobi looked right at the tip of her wand as she sat down. "...Can I just do a tiny little frog?"

"No magic Sobi," Hotaru affirmed and pushed Asobi’s wand down; Asobi pouted. "It was a hassle enough to file for weaponry and enchanted attire. Just be patient for today."

"Speaking of which, any guesses as to how long this’ll take?" Jotou glanced at Hotaru over the brunette’s head.

Her crimson ears pricked, "Today? An hour or two at best; hours at worst. I doubt this case will just be one day though, I’m sure our schedule for March is gonna be booked."

Asobi wilted even further.

"And our evidence could be refuted by them. The real investigation’s far from over, but..." Jotou pondered aloud.

"Let’s just wait and see. Maybe a cultist might squeal if we’re lucky," said Fumeko.

For the next few minutes, people from varying stations and positions began filling the courtroom as the jury assembled to the side.

The chief justice took a seat and the court registrar proceeded to introduce and open the court. She announced, "The plaintiff, Prime Councillor Lawrence Callaghan, against the defendants, the members of the thought to be defunct Deuctus Cult...

The case now reopens with a string of murders and suspected cult activity," she continued.

On the side of the plaintiff sat a redheaded woman in the front row in between two tall muscular guards who barely even quivered a lip as they stayed watchful.

Many eyes within the courtroom fell on her, before they would focus on the scene up front. It was easy to see why; her orangish-crimson eyes were fiercely staring ahead and her entire lissom figure was leaning forward, perhaps even unbeknownst to her.

The woman in her mid to late forties patted her tied auburn hair that rested over one shoulder. It was not often one would see the illustrious Lady Frederica Etta Pinberry, the Grand Alderman, up so close.

As if the greatest detective in Burnetrout, the Thundering Blade and the Azure Firefly all under one roof was not enough to write a puff piece out of.

Eventually, the court proceeded to call the accused onto the stand. A man in his late twenties walked up and stood as the court registrar spoke to him, "Do you solemnly affirm that you will tell the truth, the whole truth and nothing but the truth?"

"..." The man stared at the edge of the stand.

"Mr Graham," the registrar repeated and asked the oath. The man still stared silently as whispers grew within the courtroom and reporters wrote feverishly. 𝒻𝘳ℯℯ𝑤ℯ𝒷𝘯ℴ𝓋ℯ𝘭.𝑐ℴ𝑚

"Mr Graham, you have the right to remain silent, but given the case, the jury will not disregard this response," the judge warned. Yet even then, the man stood silent and avoided the gaze of everyone.

Lady Pinberry’s eyes narrowed and she nearly snarled as she spoke, "I request the usage of a charm. This is not a matter to be silent about, nor is it the time."

The jury discussed among themselves while the whispers became more audible. The judge hit his gavel and ordered for silence, "While against the will and rights of the defendant, considering the matter, compulsion will be allowed."

One of the clerks who sat aside in the courtroom got up and walked forward, preparing some form of an enchantment spell from the air.

"Is that normally legal?" Jotou queried in a whisper over to the wolf-girl.

"I assume it’s a case-by-case basis; depends how severe the circumstances are. It’s just... something else is odd to me," Hotaru mentioned.

"And that’d be?" Fumeko asked.

"The defendants don’t have a lawyer. They’ve decided to go pro se and be their own attorneys? Sure, there can be some claim that the evidence is insufficient to exactly pin it on the cult, but it’s still pretty condemning."

"Wellll, if they’re not talking I don’t think they’re gonna defend themselves anyway," Asobi added as she watched the enchanter begin to cast a spell onto the defendant.

Jotou tilted her head, "She has a point. If they’re planning on staying silent, they don’t exactly need a lawyer. Plus, who in Burnetrout would want to even try and defend them?"

"Someone who wouldn’t care for their reputation and would be paid a lot," Fumeko figured.

"But the chief justice already ruled that the silence won’t be disregarded. I can’t understand what their plan is here other than sacrificing themselves to keep the cult’s plans a secret. They’re basically pleading guilty with extra steps," the redhead argued.

Everyone watched intensely as the magical wind invaded the defendant’s nose and ears, seeping in with a sparkling mist. "Mr Graham, do you solemnly affirm that you will tell the truth, the whole truth and nothing but the truth?" the registrar repeated.

"..."

Light gasps and murmurs burst around the courtroom. Kazuo, who was sat next to Morgana and Commissioner Coates in one of the middle rows, uttered with a deep breath and a glare, "Same as before."

The man gave the smallest hint of a smile as parts of his dilated pupils had wisps of red that rippled within them. The chief justice discussed something with the court registrar quickly.

The registrar cleared her throat and asked the defendant to be escorted off the stand and the next one to be brought up. "There goes the first death penalty," Hotaru predicted as he was taken away.

One by one, several of the defendants were brought up to the stand; however, each one was taken away with the same end result. They would stay silent, they would be charmed and they would smirk or smile.

The present audience of people were vocal at first, but became accustomed to it by the tenth suspect onwards. "It’s just like what dad said happened years ago," Fumeko told.

"Then that pretty much proves that they’re involved with the cult... Something about all of this feels, off," Jotou knitted her brows.

"I’m with you there. Something hasn’t been adding up for weeks now," the brunette furrowed her brows.

Hotaru sighed as her ears fell, "I hope it’s just you two being paranoid."

"My skin’s crawling with caterpillars, this is creepy..." Asobi shrunk where she sat and held her wand tightly.

Just then as the next defendant left the stand, a door behind the judge’s podium opened up and in came a brawny man in a full black suit with red accents all over—his shoulders broad and chest wide.

The same chiselled face and the same sharp beard as when they last saw him in his cell and in their previous escapades. His dark brown eyes surveyed the court while his chin never lowered.

He was escorted in by two guards and his wrists were shackled together at his front as he walked up to the stand. The police commissioner locked eyes with him as the man grinned.

"Kier?" Kazuo side-eyed the rabbit-man.

"I’m not in cahoots, before you get your panties in a twist," the commissioner replied. "I don’t like the way he’s looking at me either."

"Need a few guards?" Morgana, who was sat with folded arms, said without a glance.

"I’ll be fine; if that uncooperative bastard tries anything it’ll be the end of him," the commissioner glared.

"Mr... Ambrose, do you solemnly affirm that you will tell the truth, the whole truth and nothing but the truth?"

"I solemnly swear," his low and resonant voice responded to the registrar.

All those in the court began murmuring or leaning forward to hear better; ink splurged onto the notepads of reporters and some cameras flashed. The enchanter who was already preparing their spell stopped and the winds faded away.

Both Kazuo and Fumeko Namora had the same narrow of their eyes as Ambrose smiled up to the judge and then to all those in attendance...