Copy Skills with Affinity! - Chapter 43

WeTried Translations

Translator/Editor: Natty

Discord: https://dsc.gg/wetried

◈ Copy Skills with Affinity! ◈

Chapter 43: Court Hearing

──────

His eyes were good.

Prince Arden Brimstone Lionel had heard that ever since childhood.

A master of all trades. A genius without equal.

All those grand titles stemmed from the “eyes” he possessed.

It did not simply mean he had good eyesight.

The Prince could see the “trajectories” of everything.

When he first took up a sword, he understood within days the principles behind what other knights called sword paths.

When he became able to wield what were called abilities, he instantly grasped the principles governing how they moved.

And then.

The trajectories the Prince's eyes could see were not limited to the movements of objects.

Seeing did not merely mean looking. It also encompassed observation.

The Prince possessed the kind of “good eyes” that could see even the course of the life a person would carve out for themselves.

In that sense.

The man confidently walking into the building was intriguing in many ways.

It was not as though he had entered without realizing this place was a trap.

That man was the sort of strategist who liked to think things through. There was no way he had not taken that into account.

Yet he had come in so confidently. That meant the other side was confident in the cards they had brought as well.

“...”

And, come to think of it.

It made no sense for a man with no backing whatsoever to intend to go toe-to-toe with the Crown Prince.

The trajectory Aiden Kellermain drew in the Prince's eyes was, if anything, like a spring.

Leave him alone, and nothing happened. He did not seem to pay much heed to attacks or threats against himself.

But if pressure was applied to those around him. If arrows were turned toward those within his circle. If the spring was pressed down.

The harder it was pressed, the more forcefully it rebounded, several times over.

Honestly, it would not have been strange if he had become more curious about what that man would do than what Lionheart would do.

“... Presiding Judge.”

And this matter, too.

“Begin.”

He could not be certain, but one thing was clear.

This would not be an easy clash for either side.

▣

Aiden had expected biased claims laced with incitement and fabrication from the other side from the moment he entered the courtroom.

“We will charge Lionheart with involvement in treason.”

... Even so, he had not expected this much.

“...”

At the words that sprang from the Minister of Administration's mouth from the very beginning, Aiden closed his eyes and pressed a hand to his temple.

He had thought they would at least go through the motions of testing each other's intentions with some tact and courtesy first. That single blow shattered such mild expectations from the outset.

A lack of sporting etiquette this extreme was practically art. It was like kicking someone in the groin before even exchanging greetings at a boxing match...

Even Noel, who had been quietly standing beside him, was so dumbfounded that she blankly asked,

“You said treason?”

Noel had come prepared for them to spout nonsense too, yet her expression twisted.

The look on her face made it clear this bullshit was getting more outrageous by the second.

‘... No.’

And Aiden could not help but wholly sympathize with that reaction.

Whatever else it might be, the moment they raised treason, the only possible interpretation was that the other side intended to lay every card on the table at once.

Naturally, anyone who attempted to overthrow the state, whatever their identity, faced life imprisonment at minimum and execution at maximum. The odds of receiving the maximum sentence were not particularly high.

Since they had said she was “involved” rather than claiming she had plotted or led a rebellion, they seemed to have held to a final line. Even so, it could only mean they intended to completely destroy Noel's social and political standing.

And naturally.

If they tried to pin such a charge on someone and failed, the repercussions for them would be no joke either.

If the claims made at this trial proved false, the scandal engulfing the Prince would be so dreadful that Aiden did not even want to imagine it. He might as well consider most of his political standing sacrificed.

But even so.

When the stakes were raised this high, people inevitably thought that side must have something to rely on.

The world was always more easily persuaded by bullshit that looked like truth than by the truth itself.

“Involved in treason? Lionheart?”

“I don't think His Highness would go that far without thinking...”

Watching the murmuring crowd, Aiden rubbed the back of his neck, which had stiffened without him noticing.

‘... This.’

Was this not the very method he had used before to cover up the Prince picking a fight with Lady Noel?

Hiding a tree in a forest by creating an even more sensational incident.

Except now, they intended to bury it beneath an even larger forest.

Aiden himself had not exactly heard fewer people call him crazy lately, but he had the feeling he and the Prince would make fine rivals.

“I believe I have gathered and brought sufficient evidence that I had no involvement in the series of incidents that occurred in the Imperial Capital.”

When Noel refuted that in a stiff voice, the Minister of Administration gave an exaggerated half-bow.

“And what proof do you have that it was not fabricated?”

“I have no obligation to prove that.”

“The Imperial Family has no obligation to prove such things when dealing with those suspected of treason either.”

“...”

“It is the Imperial Family's exclusive authority, and it is stipulated in the Imperial Constitution as well, is it not?”

By this point, it was easy enough to understand the attitude they were taking.

I am the one who will become Emperor. I can manipulate the nation's legal system as I please, so what will you do? Kneel before authority...

And as was often the way of the world, the most frightening thing was simplicity that one understood yet could not stop.

‘... Come to think of it.’

Had the Prince not once warned that if Aiden openly crossed the line like this, the Prince would have no choice but to respond harshly?

Now he understood vividly why he had said that.

If they crushed them like this, neither Noel nor Aiden had any means to respond. The Prince, who had tried to quietly send Aiden home without escalating matters, suddenly seemed remarkably gentlemanly...

“And above all else.”

But even Imperial authority could not ignore the evidence Noel and Aiden had brought back after raiding the Imperial Capital's black market. It was far too clear for them to make claims that absurd.

So the method they had prepared to create a flaw in Noel and Aiden's argument was this.

“How do you explain the Lord Protector?”

“...”

“Do you have evidence prepared regarding that incident, Lionheart?”

So this was the decisive blow they had prepared.

The Lord Protector's spirit had attacked Noel immediately after being summoned. Considering that woman's actions in life, it could readily serve as evidence that Noel was doing something wrong. That was their logic.

And naturally, there was no rebuttal they could offer. They could not exactly bring the Lord Protector's spirit here and question it. The other side knew that, which was why they were acting so unreasonably...

“Ah, excuse me.”

... That would have remained effective.

Until Aiden casually raised his hand.

“I do have evidence.”

“...”

The Minister of Administration's expression twisted slightly as they turned to Aiden.

“You say you do?”

“More of a witness than evidence, actually. She can prove it.”

At those words, the Minister's twisted expression turned into a sneer.

This was a matter impossible to prove unless they brought in the Lord Protector's spirit herself and asked. What witness could he possibly have brought to speak with such confidence?

It was the perfect opening for ridicule.

“Is that so?”

“Yes. We can let her in, right?”

“That will require discussion first...”

“It is already too late. She will be here shortly.”

“...”

... A little reason vanished from the Minister of Administration's eyes.

It was probably the reaction of someone seeing a person throw a tantrum like this during an official trial for the first time.

Anyone with basic sense and decency would recognize they were making a spectacle of themselves, but Aiden did not particularly care.

The other side had been the first to ignore every procedure and rule and throw a tantrum. He had no reason to feel guilty.

“Mr. Aiden, if you cause a disturbance for no reason, it may put us at a disadvantage later...”

“Ah, it is fine.”

And more than anything.

“The person coming in is someone who can make a little disturbance.”

The “witness” he had called was someone too important not to take advantage of by making that kind of unreasonable demand.

Then, as the building's doors burst open and someone entered.

The entire courtroom froze.

“Well.”

The woman in black clerical robes began with a smile.

At that one word, even the Prince and the Minister of Administration, who realized who she was, jolted to their feet in shock.

“Looks like the Empire spends more on court budgets than my country does.”

Abigail III.

The Pontiff.

The ruler of the Craven Holy Empire was casually strolling in through the entrance.

▣

For some time, only a silence like walking across thin ice filled the courtroom, which was steeped in shock.

“Your Holiness, when did you enter the Empire?”

The Minister of Administration was the first to barely manage speech, forcing down their trembling cheeks.

... Honestly, compared with their usual attitude, the Minister had been backed into a corner to an extraordinary degree. But considering the atmosphere, his courage deserved praise instead.

“Officially, just now.”

“...”

“I handled the procedures by contacting the Emperor personally. No objections, right?”

“...”

Could anyone possibly object?

More precisely, there was no one so full of reckless courage that they would voice such a complaint.

The Pontiff then walked up to the dais and casually leaned her upper body against it.

Her attitude was as relaxed as though she were in her own sitting room.

“So.”

With a yawn, Abigail III spoke.

“I heard the subject is spirits. That happens to be my specialty.”

“...”

“So, what's this about the Lord Protector's spirit? Go on, tell me.”

As those words fell softly through the courtroom, now full of speechless people, Noel, who was also standing, leaned slightly toward Aiden.

“... Is that truly Her Holiness the Pontiff?”

“...”

Aiden narrowed his eyes at Noel.

“It is not as though I would have brought a stand-in. How would I deal with the consequences?”

“Frankly, that would have been easier to believe...”

Noel let those words slip out like a groan, then whispered again.

“I will not ask how you called her here, but it is no ordinary matter for royalty from another nation to involve themselves in an incident like this. There are procedures that must be followed for it to be officially recognized...”

“Ah, do not worry.”

Aiden propped his chin on his hand and cut Noel off indifferently.

“I wrote her a script.”

“... What?”

As Noel spoke in bewilderment, the very concern she had just raised emerged from the Minister of Administration's mouth, now that they had somehow regained their senses.

“Forgive me, Your Holiness. It is a great honor that you have personally visited us, but whether your visit is truly appropriate is something whose propriety should be examined...”

The Pontiff's answer was simple.

“So what?”

“...”

The Prince and the Minister of Administration stared at her blankly at the answer.

And they were not the only ones.

Noel and everyone in attendance had much the same reaction.

Except for Aiden, who had instructed her beforehand on how to steer the conversation.

“The ruler of the Craven Holy Empire wants to. I want to involve myself in the matter you are handling here. I told you, I came after reaching an agreement with the Emperor.”

“...”

“If I say that, what can you do?”

“...”

“A mere little minister?”

Seeing the Minister of Administration rendered speechless, Aiden snickered.

“You are good at this.”

“...”

“See? Smart people are the ones who sit on thrones.”

If the other side wanted to use authority to crush them.

Then they only needed to answer in a similar fashion.

Except.

Far more forcefully. By returning it several times over. Until they could not utter a word.