The 9Th Class Swordmaster: Blade Of Truth [EN]: Chapter 185

146. The Trial (1)

Framing someone for a crime they didn’t commit is difficult.

If they haven’t committed a crime in the first place, there’s no reason to punish them.

But there’s one place where that rule is easily reversed.

That place is the Imperial Palace.

Throughout the Empire’s 250-year history, this place has seen countless instances of guilt disappearing and innocence being magnified.

Kahl knew the history of the Imperial Palace better than anyone.

Many had been falsely accused in the name of the Empire and disappeared like dew before the executioner’s blade.

In his past life, he had beheaded such people for Oliven.

Kahl knew that some of those he had killed were among the officials standing here.

‘And even the charges they died under.’

Slowly raising his head, Kahl looked at Chief Advisor Brin Inique.

“……?”

Noticing Kahl’s gaze, Brin Inique tilted his head, seemingly puzzled by Kahl’s faint smile.

‘Not long after Oliven ascended to the throne, Tiren McGovern becomes the Chief Advisor.’

A peerless genius and the one who unified the Empire with the Duchy and the three Istrian nations faster than anyone else.

The important thing wasn’t to say that Tiren McGovern was outstanding.

The fact that the Chief Advisor had been replaced.

That meant Brin Inique had been eliminated by Oliven.

Eliminated, not just losing power.

Although he was from the Ruon faction, many subordinates still followed Brin Inique, the Duke of the Empire, even after Oliven’s ascension.

How could he have been eliminated?

The method is simple.

Create a reason why he had to be killed.

A heinous crime that even the highest rank of Duke couldn’t avoid.

‘The murder of a prince.’

In his past life, Oliven framed Brin Inique for the murder of Kroman. The reason Kahl smiled at the Chief Advisor was because of this.

He wouldn’t know.

That the method he was about to use was the same one that had driven Brin Inique to his death.

‘I wonder, if you knew this, would you be grateful to me or resent me?’

“Liliana, I ask you. Is this the Myeong poison used by the Jannabi tribe?”

Without hesitation, Kahl took out the poison from his pocket and showed it to her.

She looked at Kahl, wondering how he knew her name, and then said.

“It is.”

“We have been informed that your tribe traded this with Prince Ruon’s faction. Is that true?”

The officials were astonished by Kahl’s open distinction between Ruon and Oliven’s factions.

Factions supporting the 1st and 2nd Princes certainly existed, but the Emperor was still alive.

In this situation, mentioning factions was a great act of disrespect.

“That’s absurd!!!”

“Do you have any proof!!”

“Silence, everyone! The trial is in progress,” the Emperor commanded.

However, the Emperor didn’t seem to care about Kahl’s words and instead silenced the officials.

“Is His Majesty aware that the northern barbarians occasionally smuggle goods through the port city of Piasta?”

“Hmm… I’ve heard such reports. I ordered thorough inspections, but has it not been taken care of yet?”

The Emperor turned his head, resting his chin on his hand.

“H-How could that be? After receiving the imperial order, we have strengthened security and are conducting more thorough inspections of the northern straits.”

An immediate answer came to the Emperor’s question.

Everyone’s eyes turned to the back.

There was a man sweating profusely despite the winter, breathing heavily.

He wiped his forehead with a handkerchief, seemingly more nervous from the gazes of the officials.

‘It’s been a while.’

Kahl looked at him and smiled faintly.

Piasta’s administrator, Rage Myrtle.

Kahl recalled the past as if reminiscing about old times, looking at his plump figure.

The memories of his past life and a few years ago, two sets of memories.

The secret passage hidden in Baron Rage’s mansion on the hill of Piasta.

It was the same passage, but in his past life, he used it to find his secret ledger under Oliven’s orders, and in this life, he used it to rescue Suan Hazar.

Just as the same passage was used differently depending on the situation, his crimes would be used differently in his past and present lives.

“Don’t disgrace Piasta with baseless accusations!”

Kahl looked at him and bowed his head.

“Baron Rage, I presume.”

The only noble who rose from a commoner to the position of Baron with outstanding insight, and the man who was purged by Oliven for supporting the First Prince.

‘I saw your illicit ledger in my past life under Oliven’s orders.’

And that ledger will still be quietly buried in the basement of his mansion in this life.

“You know the Lavat Guild, right?”

Wince-

The Baron’s eyebrows twitched.

“You must know. It’s a guild that’s been gaining popularity in Piasta. They trade in many things, regardless of the item.”

“Are you saying that there’s barbarian poison in there?”

“There is no poison. However, a seller could secretly sell items containing poison.”

“Lies…!! Highly toxic substances were traded in Piasta? That’s absurd! Besides, that guild is connected to Tatur! Do you think I wouldn’t know that!” Rage Myrtle exclaimed.

“That’s why I know. Tatur is a free city. Since you know so well, you also know that it’s customary for administrators not to interfere with each other’s work.”

“……What?”

“In Tatur’s black market, you can sell anything as long as it makes money. And the Lavat Guild operates in the same vein.”

“Are you saying that anything goes as long as it makes money…!! Don’t you people have any ethics!” Someone shouted.

Kahl grabbed the collar of the person who shouted and tried to drag him out, but he simply turned his head and looked at him.

“Before we get to the Myeong issue, shall we show you a sample of the black market’s customer list?”

The noble who had shouted earlier closed his mouth at Kahl’s words.

“I am breaking that rule now to reveal the truth to His Majesty.”

Kahl shrugged his shoulders and said.

Then, he sighed and shook his head.

“If I reveal this fact, the administrators might not leave me alone. It means I’m risking my life. Do you understand, officials?”

As if showing loyalty, Kahl placed his hand on his chest and bowed to the Emperor.

Hasir felt like laughing at his appearance, but he held it in.

Administrators still existed outwardly, but Tatur had already sworn allegiance to Kahl.

‘Who would dare to stand against that monster?’

The nobles of the Empire, who didn’t know the details of this inside story, were suspicious of Kahl’s words but didn’t object, thinking they should listen more.

“You may recall that I mentioned the ingredients of Myeong [a potent poison] earlier.”

Kahl looked at Liliana.

“Mist Foxtail, Ash Leaf, and Dried Tear Moss can only be found in the north. Am I right?”

“That’s right.”

“And I heard that those ingredients are difficult to handle, and only your tribe members can handle them?”

Liliana nodded at Kahl’s words.

“Then all three types of leaves entering the continent must be supplied by the Jannabi tribe. Is there any possibility that other barbarians are involved?”

“No.”

“Good. Then have you ever traded this in Piasta?”

At Kahl’s question, she nodded.

“Recently, we traded through the Lavat Guild in Piasta, and before that, we went through a guild designated by the Merchant Alliance.”

“How long has it been?”

“Since around the time the current Empire was founded.”

Buzz- Buzz-

“So it wasn’t just the Lavat Guild. I know that the Merchant Alliance belongs to Rage Myrtle, the administrator of Piasta… Is that not the case?”

Rage turned pale at Kahl’s words and shouted.

“It’s a frame-up!! After His Majesty bestowed the noble title upon me with his boundless grace, I have not touched the Merchant Alliance at all!!”

“Do you have any proof?”

The Emperor ignored the Baron’s outcry and looked at Kahl.

“Yes. You can check the ledger.”

“Ledger…?”

At Kahl’s response, Rage couldn’t close his mouth, as if he had lost his voice.

“There will be a secret ledger in the basement warehouse of the Baron’s mansion. The transaction details of these three ingredients will be in it. Who knows? There might be other unexpected things written down as well.”

“Wh, wh, what…?!!!”

Baron Rage stammered, utterly flustered.

‘I already know from the details in your ledger in my past life that you’ve been trading with these barbarians since this time.’

He had been dealing not only with the Jannabi’s [a fictional tribe] ingredients but also with those of other tribes.

If it was revealed in the Empire, which had issued the Edict of Heresy Eradication [a decree banning trade and contact with non-human tribes], that he had been trading with barbarians, beheading would not be enough.

‘In my past life, Oliver used the details in that ledger to implicate even Finance Minister Brin Inique.’

But this time, the stakes involved Ruon, a figure far more significant than the Finance Minister.

“…….”

Kahl’s words were shocking, but for some reason, the courtiers in the Sun Palace were silent, as if their mouths were sewn shut.

No one seemed to defend Rage; instead, they couldn’t speak, their faces pale.

Kahl knew the reason.

‘Ironically, these ingredients are very popular among the noble ladies of the Imperial Capital.’

It wasn’t just popular.

They were so scarce that they couldn’t be sold fast enough.

Ironically, all the ingredients of the deadly Dusk [a poisonous substance] were materials for perfumes used by the nobles.

It was an open secret, but among the nobles of the Imperial Palace, the goods from the North were not only perfume ingredients.

From ‘Twilight Moon,’ the highest-grade gemstone mined only in the Frostpeak Mountains, to ‘Eyeball Powder,’ a material for high-end dyes, and ‘Icy Snow Water,’ the ingredient of Miansoo [a fictional skincare product], known to clear the skin.

If noble ladies were addicted to perfumes, the more difficult an item was to obtain, the more popular it was among the young ladies of the nobility.

‘And those guys standing there like they’ve swallowed honey…’

Most of them must have traded these ingredients in Piasta.

Some for their wives or daughters, or to win the favor of a woman they admired.

Such behavior was not limited to women.

If goods from the North were popular among noble ladies, goods from the South were popular among men.

Namely,

Monster corpses.

Since long ago, the barbarians of the South had obtained food through hunting. But that alone was not enough, so they hunted monsters from the monster lairs to make a living.

As Mikhail had said on the way to attack the Twin-Headed Eagle’s nest, the Rahu tribe, one of the four tribes of the Great Plains, was famous for hunting monsters.

In particular, they had the technology to completely taxidermize the corpses of the monsters they hunted without damaging them.

The more powerful the taxidermized monster corpse one possessed, the higher one’s prestige rose—a kind of status symbol.

However, monsters caught directly by the knights or soldiers of the territory were not allowed.

Only

Monsters caught by the barbarians of the South were allowed.

So, when items occasionally came into Tatur’s black market, the nobles would be eager to buy them.

Some with wealth, some with food, each sought stronger monsters in their own way.

There was no real reason.

The bizarre hobbies of the nobles.

Kahl thought of their actions like this.

‘The games of well-fed pigs.’

For some reason, he frowned, feeling like the forgotten stench was vibrating again in the hall.

“That must be true.”

The Emperor’s voice echoed softly in the silence.

“If there really is a secret ledger of Baron Rage, this is truly a grave crime. Kahl, can you take responsibility for this fact?”

“Of course, Your Majesty.”

At his question, Kahl answered without hesitation.

The courtiers began to stir at his resolute appearance.

The faces of the nobles in the hall, both men and women, turned pale.

The ledger would surely contain all sorts of details, and each item on that list could be a charge that could cost them their heads.

‘A secret ledger… What was he up to?’

‘I told him so earnestly, yet he dared to deceive us and do such a thing…!’

‘That’s why you shouldn’t take in those of humble birth.’

‘Surely my name isn’t in there.’

The nobles’ minds were already blaming Rage, not thinking about their own faults.

Kahl smirked, looking at them, knowing exactly what they were thinking.

After the Edict of Heresy Eradication was issued,

Items from the barbarians and savages became difficult to obtain, and as a result, prices soared, making them so scarce in Piasta that they couldn’t be sold fast enough.

This was the reason why the Lavat Guild was able to rise so rapidly.

It was the only provider that could sell goods from the North and South.

‘Those who were so eager to buy when they wanted to…’

Now they were blaming others.

“I…!! I don’t know anything!!!”

Ruon’s cry was heard.

He, too, knew that the situation was going badly.

“Your Majesty, I dare to say that the ingredients mentioned earlier are used in the luxury goods of the Empire’s nobles.”

Finance Minister Brin Inique hurriedly spoke to the Emperor.

He knew well that now was the only time to change the atmosphere.

“So?”

But all that came back was the Emperor’s cold question.

“Does that mean you knew that the barbarians and the Empire’s nobles were trading? Even though I issued the Edict of Heresy Eradication?”

“That’s not what I meant… I just…”

Kahl watched the scene and was convinced.

‘It’s over.’

The Emperor looked at Rage with cold eyes.

Since learning the source of Dusk, the Emperor had been anxious, apart from the death of Kromen.

‘He wants to confirm whether the Dusk he was fed was also from Rage.’

If a secret ledger came out of the Baron’s mansion, regardless of the Dusk’s existence, it was only a matter of time before his head fell.

“The trial will continue after the evidence has been clearly verified. Brin, was the Knight Order closest to Piasta the Green Knights?”

In fact, the Knight Order closest to Piasta was under the Blue Knights, but the Emperor deliberately ordered the Green Knights, who were still neutral.

It seemed like he was trying to show his fairness, but in reality, it was to prevent Oliver from gaining power.

Kahl smiled coldly.

‘The Emperor has figured out what kind of person Oliver is. If it’s him, he’ll pin even crimes that Ruon didn’t commit on him.’

Of course,

Even that Emperor was eventually devoured by Oliver, so the Second Prince, sitting with an expressionless face, was truly remarkable.

“Yes… Your Majesty.”

Finance Minister Brin Inique replied in a trembling voice.

He was in a situation where he had to issue an order that would tighten the noose around the neck of Ruon, whom he supported.

“Immediately detain Baron Rage and investigate the ledger. The trial will proceed after receiving the report. Also, from now on, the First Prince, who is suspected of the charges, will also be imprisoned as a criminal.”

“Father…!!!!!!”

Only Prince Ruon’s miserable cry echoed in the Sun Palace. But the Emperor turned away, no longer paying attention to him as he was dragged away by the knights.

Weak.

It was then.

The Emperor looked at Kahl, not his son being dragged away, and said with his eyes.

This is not enough.

‘He’s quite useful… But surely he didn’t think he could implicate Ruon with just this.’

The Emperor’s eyes seemed to be saying this to Kahl.

Kahl raised the corners of his lips.

‘Of course, this can’t be the end.’

Looking at him, he thought.

‘Ruon? Whether he lives or dies, I have nothing to gain. My real purpose is different. Doing this troublesome thing is just groundwork to make Piasta mine.’

His eyes seemed to be answering the Emperor.

‘And I’m going to take something amazing from you guys in the future, so look forward to it.’

The trial is just beginning.