[Lifespan Remaining: 3 days, 1 hours, 24 minutes.]
Out of all the buildings within Altaire, the main City Hall was one of the few buildings that miraculously managed to stay untouched.
That probably had less to do with miracles and more to do with its location.
Aurora and the Rosenthal Crusaders had defended Central Square throughout Leviathan’s attack, while Lenia’s ice prevented most of the flood from reaching the buildings surrounding it.
The fact that several nobles from Faust’s faction had chosen the City Hall as their shelter probably encouraged its defenders to be particularly thorough. Well, the ones that weren’t at that banquet anyway.
Regardless, Noct was currently standing in that same building, wearing an attire that was so tight-fitting that he would likely never choose to wear one again.
It was the classic noble attire, dressed in the colors of Arcadia’s black and red, adorned with silver embroidery as well as mantling a black half-cape by his side that was pinned with his house’s rose-shaped crest.
Noct had traded the bandages covering his right eye with an eyepatch, which made him look like a fancy pirate captain rather than a duke’s child. But at this point, he wasn’t about to complain.
Noelle stood on his left, wearing a replacement maid uniform supplied by the city while Aurora stood on his right, holding the documents she had brought into his room earlier.
"You could still request a chair," Aurora whispered.
"I’ll be fine."
"You need wind magic to remain upright."
"And no one needs to know that."
Noct didn’t expect for her to notice it, as he had been using trace amounts of wind magic to even keep himself standing.
Though before they could argue further, the two city officials guarding the entrance pulled open the large double doors. And as soon as Noct stepped a single foot inside, the conversations stopped completely, and every person in the hall turned toward him.
’Great...’
The Main City Hall had originally been designed for municipal assemblies rather than noble trials. Long wooden benches rose along either side of the chamber, surrounding a lower floor where several groups had already gathered.
Amelia and the senior members of the Diamond Merchantry occupied the left side. Most had exchanged their usual colorful merchant attire for restrained formal clothing.
Amelia sat at their front, seemingly awake and alert.
On the other side, sat what remained of Faust’s faction.
City officials, minor nobles, surviving members of the garrison, and several administrators sat under the watch of Arcadia’s knights. Some appeared frightened, while others wore the indignant expressions of people who had already decided to push the blame onto the dead Faust.
One man noticed Noct looking toward them and instantly bowed.
’They’re abandoning Faust remarkably quickly.’
Though, not that Noct could blame them. It was the harsh and cold noble world of politics after all. Everyone saved their own skin because they couldn’t afford to do the same for others.
The center of the hall belonged to House Arcadia.
Amon sat behind an elevated table with another raven-shaped crest hanging behind him. He had arrived with more than a dozen Arcadia officials, of which most were knights and clerks.
Lenia took the seat on his right. The Witch of Black Ice had finally changed out of her pajamas. She now wore a layered dark-blue robe embroidered with silver patterns.
Her hair had been combed for once, although the irritated expression on her face suggested someone else had forced both improvements upon her.
There was, however, one group Noct did not recognize.
They occupied a separate table between Amon and the two competing factions. Their robes were white and dark gold, with the Rexford crest displayed prominently across their chests...
Royal officials.
Three clerks sat behind them, accompanied by four knights wearing gleaming golden armor. Finally, a man was seated at the center of the delegation.
He appeared to be in his late sixties. His long white hair ran down his back while several deep lines ran across his face that seemed to permanently resemble a frown.
’A High Judge?! Have things become that serious?’
Apparently, they had, and Noct had no time to dwell on the implications.
Being the primary witness of what happened, Noct’s faction was led to the middle, where they had a designated table of their own. Though, calling it a ’faction’ was not quite right, as it was literally just the three of them: Noct, Noelle, and Aurora.
’Truly an overwhelming political force.’
A gavel struck the table.
BANG—!
The High Judge suddenly stood up, causing all remaining chatter to cease at once. He then opened a thick leather binder resting before him, its contents already divided using colored markers.
"Let these proceedings resume now that all parties involved are here."
His voice was not particularly loud, yet it carried throughout the chamber without the assistance of magic. "We shall begin with the charges brought against the late Lord Faust de Arcadia."
With the mention of his name, the rest of Faust’s faction grew noticeably tense, probably hoping that their names weren’t mentioned in that binder.
"Kidnapping and unlawful imprisonment of citizens residing within Altaire."
One of the royal clerks dipped his pen into an inkwell.
"The systematic torture of those prisoners for the purpose of extracting information, ensuring compliance, and preparing them for use in an unauthorized magical ritual."
The scratching of the clerk’s pen became the only sound inside the hall. "The murder and ritual sacrifice of no fewer than forty-seven confirmed victims. The actual number remains under investigation."
A few gasps echoed through the chamber, coming from Faust’s own faction. Most appeared genuinely surprised by the number, and what he had done.
Clearly, they’d been left in the dark.
The High Judge continued without pausing. "The unlawful confinement and exploitation of Undyne, the recognized Guardian of the Altaire Ley Line according to Lady Lenia Eis."
The charges went on and on until they finally ended with...
"Successful partial manifestation of Disaster Spirit, Leviathan within the Kingdom of Rexford, resulting in widespread hysteria and destruction across Altaire—as well as the deaths of its citizens, and damages whose value has yet to be calculated."
"However," the High Judge closed his leather binder. "The evidence establishing Lord Faust’s involvement is substantial. However, much of it remains circumstantial, and several crucial details are still unknown."
Suddenly, he pointed toward the center of the room, toward a single individual. "Yet, there was only one surviving person who directly witnessed everything until the end."
"Lord Noct de Arcadia," the High Judge said. "Please rise and tell us—"
"...What happened at the banquet Lord Faust had prepared, as well as underneath the Altaire Crystal Mines."