The Genius Villain Dies Tomorrow

"Are you physically capable of providing testimony?"

"Yes, Your Honor."

"If at any point you require medical assistance, state so immediately. These proceedings will not benefit from their primary witness collapsing halfway through his account."

’How considerate.’

"Raise your hand."

Rian didn’t know which one he meant, so raised his left hand, the one that hurt the least.

"Do you swear before the Crown and House Rosenheim that your testimony shall contain the truth to the fullest extent of your knowledge?"

"I swear."

"You may lower your hand."

Rian did so gratefully.

"Begin with your discovery of the prisoners beneath the crystal mine."

Rian gathered his thoughts. "I entered the mines to investigate the relationship between the mana crystals and the disappearances occurring throughout Eisenbran."

"Were you acting under anyone’s orders?"

"No."

"Did anyone accompany you?"

Rian felt Alicia’s stare against the side of his face.

"No."

The High Judge made no comment, although Adrian’s expression suggested that particular decision would be discussed later.

"What did you discover?"

"The tunnel being used by Rosalia’s miners led into an underground cavern containing a lake and a large concentration of mana crystals. Water spirits inhabited the cavern, and they are what allowed new mana crystals to be formed."

He wanted to hide the information, but at this point, there were too many inconsistencies. It would be better to save his own skin rather than be quiet and then be dragged away for further questioning.

The High Judge struck the gavel once.

"Continue."

"Traces of Earth Magic led me toward an illusion concealing another passage. Behind it, I discovered an iron enclosure holding the missing citizens."

"How many?"

"I couldn’t count them at the time. Dozens, at least. Men, women, and children."

"Were they restrained?"

"Most were shackled to the walls. Others had been crowded together inside the enclosure."

"And Lord Felix?"

"He appeared shortly after I dispelled the illusion."

The High Judge looked down at the binder.

"You believe he was alerted by the spell being broken?"

"Most likely. One of the illusion’s mana threads escaped into the passage when I dispelled it. At the time, I assumed it was simply the spell collapsing."

"But it may have functioned as a warning."

"Yes."

"What was Lord Felix’s condition when he arrived?"

"Maniacal," Rian thought back on it before commenting. "His left eye had already changed, completely consumed by Leviathan’s power. There was no pupil or sclera, only looking like a surface of dark water."

"He could also cast Water and Ice Magic without an incantation despite possessing an Earth affinity."

Nadine spoke from beside Adrian. "That description is consistent with the early stages of a Possession Contract."

The High Judge looked toward her. "You will have an opportunity to provide expert testimony later, Lady Glatteis."

"What occurred next?"

"He attacked me."

Alicia’s hand tightened around the edge of their table. Rian continued before she could react rashly.

"Felix overpowered me and attempted to prevent me from escaping. During the confrontation, he admitted that he had been searching for a way to surpass the magical limitations of his body."

"Did he specifically identify Leviathan?"

"Not at first. He referred to claiming the power of the ocean."

"And afterward?"

"I escaped through the lake and entered the Ley Line beneath it. There, I discovered another cavern containing Undyne."

Rian paused.

"She had been sealed inside a mana crystal several stories tall. Machinery had been constructed around it to extract her mana."

Nadine’s expression became cold enough that frost formed along the armrest of her chair.

"The extracted mana was being used to stabilize a rift connecting our world to the Spirit World," Rian continued. "Felix brought the prisoners there and sacrificed them one after another."

"Describe the sacrifices," the High Judge ordered.

"He threw them into the rift."

Several people in the audience recoiled at the thought.

"Each life widened the passage. Undyne’s mana prevented it from collapsing. Once the opening became large enough, Leviathan forced part of itself through."

"And Lord Felix entered the contract willingly?"

"Felix was already being influenced when I first encountered him. Leviathan used his resentment and fear to control his decisions. The more power he accepted, the farther the possession spread."

"So yes..."

"Yes, Your Honor," Rian nodded. "Leviathan may have taken control of his body at the end, but Felix willingly opened the door."

"Alright, it seems the verdict is clear," the High Judge nodded his head, already going to grab his gavel.

Yet, just as he was about to bring it down, a voice erupted from Felix’s side of the benches. One of the minor noble had risen from his seat.

The man was visibly sweating, but he nevertheless forced himself to continue. "How can Lord Rian possibly be considered a reliable witness?"

The High Judge’s expression darkened at the man. "You will wait until this court recognizes you before speaking."

"My apologies, Your Honor, but surely I am not the only person questioning this!"

The noble gestured toward Rian. "Everyone in this chamber knows that Lord Rian Rosenheim has suffered from a deadly curse since birth. Until recently, he could scarcely leave his bed without assistance."

"And even if the rumors of his recovery are true, he possesses only a single Magic Circle!"

Several gazes moved toward Rian, and the way he was just barely standing with the assistance of Alicia propping him up from beside the table.

"We are expected to believe that a terminally ill 1-Star Mage entered the crystal mine alone, survived a confrontation with Lord Felix, witnessed the summoning of Leviathan, and then escaped the destruction that followed?"

"It’s just too illogical!" The noble pointed toward him. "For all we know, Lord Rian discovered the prisoners and hid somewhere inside the mine until the battle ended!"

A few members of Felix’s faction murmured in agreement.

"He is Lord Felix’s younger brother and now stands to benefit from his death," the man continued. "His testimony cannot be accepted without proof that he actually witnessed these events!"

Charlotte’s expression hardened, while Alicia’s hand drifted toward the dagger concealed beneath her replacement uniform.

Rian quietly placed his hand over hers before she could do anything unfortunate inside a royal proceeding.

The High Judge struck his gavel.

BANG—!

"Your objection concerns the credibility of this court’s primary witness," the High Judge said. "Therefore, I shall permit the question."

The High Judge studied him carefully. "The objection is not without merit. According to the records supplied by House Rosenheim, you possessed only one Magic Circle when you entered Eisenbran."

"So how exactly did you manage to survive and defeat Leviathan?"

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