Tale of Eldramir

Ezekiel nervously stood in front of the gathering of the various Tier fours and Tier threes that were chosen to stand as witness to the proceedings about to occur.

Due to Harolt’s outburst, he was less nervous than before, but he knew that he wouldn’t be getting away without a punishment of some sort. His only hope was that his family wouldn’t be dragged down with him.

Though, knowing his parents, it was just as likely that they would leap after him into whatever abyss he fell into. The only things holding them back would be Wendy and Ellen, which he hoped would be enough.

Ezekiel had no desire to leave his little sisters without their family after all. He was mentally mature and prepared to go off on his own.

He’d actually planned on doing so in a few years when he broke through to Tier two when he’d first awakened, but he’d since pushed that back to Tier three, though it seemed like his plans were being brought forward.

“Ezekiel Luminance.” Yeren’s voice snapped Ezekiel out of his musings. The Grand Inquisitor’s face still looked like it was carved from stone, but now it looked more disapproving.

“You have been brought here today to answer to the statements given by various members of the most recent expedition into the Desolate Lands in order to explore and investigate the newly discovered Ruins.” Yeren stated for the crowd of witnesses.

Most of the Hunter’s attention turned towards Yeren as he spoke up.

“As it stands, it has been reported that you are directly responsible for the destruction of not just part of the Ruins, but the entire city and surrounding lands that encompassed the Ruins in question. Including one of the lost Temples of the Void. The first to be rediscovered since the Desolate Lands expanded and conquered much of the territory controlled by humanity several hundred years ago.”

Looks of shock spread across the room as several Hunters who weren’t fully aware of the situation learned the true extent of the crimes being used to bring Ezekiel to trial.

“Do you have anything to say in your defense?”

Once again, all eyes turned toward Ezekiel, waiting for him to speak up.

Taking a moment to think of how to reply, Ezekiel decided that, rather than try to defend himself, audacity would be his best bet right now. After all, it wasn’t like he could make the Grand Inquisitor’s plans for him change any more than Harolt already had.

“... Are you just going to ignore the Rot Den in the Temple? Or does that not-”

A cacophony of noise cut Ezekiel off as panic and concern spread through the hall as mentions of the Rot Den created an immense amount of worry in all the Hunters who heard him speak.

The noise continued for several seconds as many of the Hunters were screaming about how they should have been informed, and how another expedition needed to be made so as to destroy the Den before it could be allowed to spread.

“SILENCE! SILENCE! I WILL HAVE ORDER IN THIS HALL!”

A wooden gavel grew and formed in Yeren’s hand, which he immediately smashed into the arm of his chair. The magically reinforced gavel made a sound reminiscent of lightning as it cracked against the stone chair.

As the hollers and voices calmed down, Yeren glared at Ezekiel, who couldn’t care less, but was happy to see Harolt smiling down at him. Ezekiel actually felt some pride in the fact that one sentence was enough to break the Grand Inquisitor’s facade, even if he was already rattled by the Grand Scholar.

It was also good to know that someone was willing to fully support him in this situation.

“Your claims bring chaos and have little to no proof. We will not-”

“Where’s yours?”

Ezekiel spoke up, interrupting Yeren’s attempt to play off Ezekiel’s claims by saying there was no proof. He was kind of nervous about his behavior, but he realized that this trial wasn’t like the ones from Earth. What mattered here was perception and getting one up on the other side of the argument.

From what he’d understood from Harolt’s outraged Ranting, Yeren was trying to use his power to ensure that he acquired the outcome he desired. Something that he couldn’t get without having Harolt make him regret it.

This meant that Yeren needed to make it seem like whatever was on his agenda was for the good of everyone, and make everyone in the room support him, so as to be able to look in the right when Harolt took action against him.

However, the full story, while not painting a good picture of Ezekiel, was still one where the outcome was not as bad as it could have been. Something that Yeren and anyone else who heard the full story from Gerome, and even Trissy, who had also been there when the Void Locks failed.

“Excuse me?” Came Yeren’s baffled reply, not having expected such defiant replies.

“You accuse me of a severe crime, but have not stated what proof you have, only that statements were made against me. What makes these people’s words so much better than mine, that you don’t need to provide proof of their claims?”

Warren and Evelyn looked proudly down at their son as he started running circles around Yeren in this verbal duel. While it hadn’t happened often, they themselves had been on the receiving end of Ezekiel’s argumentative skills. Usually when he wanted a book, or more time to read and go to the library.

“Hunters of the Guild have a reputation that would see their Guilds tarnished and disbanded if they lied to the representatives of the Willowbrush Empire.”

“Guilds like the Reaching Spires, and various others that went against their liege lord’s commands so that they could support an imperial traitor in order to give power to an unauthorized Cult?”

Yeren clamped his mouth shut at Ezekiel’s reply. As much as he hated to admit it, the fact that several Guilds had betrayed Duke Harper was still fresh in everyone’s minds. As was the fact that such events could only have happened if they were willing to lie to the Empire.

This fact, mixed with the information Harolt had provided in his rant made the Inquisition look very bad right now. Yes, he could try strong-arming the remaining Guilds into supporting him, but as much as the Guilds were reliant on the Empire for various things, so too was the Empire reliant on the Guilds for manpower. Especially in border cities like Harkem.

However, Yeren saw a chance to jump at what he perceived to be a weak point in Ezekiel’s argument.

“Are you claiming that the Guilds that accompanied you on your expedition are just as traitorous as the Reaching Spires!”

“No, just that there is a precedent for everything, including prejudice against Void Mages! Which, all of the Hunters here can attest to as being one of the agendas of the Cult of Light, as well as something that is prevalent in people who are not a part of the Cult as well!”

Ezekiel’s immediate rebuttal was enough to throw Yeren off for a moment.

“Enough! We are getting off topic. Are you responsible for the destruction of the Ancient Ruins? Yes or no!”

“No!”

Ezekiel’s direct and instantaneous reply to Yeren’s accusation threw everyone for a loop.

Wasn’t Ezekiel responsible for what had happened? Wasn’t it his actions that had led to the destruction of the Ruins? The destruction of the Temple of the Void.

Mutterings spread through the room as the Hunters witnessing this began to speak up. Those that had been a part of the expedition grew somewhat furious, as Ezekiel’s statement was technically calling them liars in the process, as they and several others had stated the opposite.

Even Warren and Evelyn shared a look before turning toward Ezekiel. From what Ezekiel had told them before, what he had said was technically true, as he was not the one the activated the ignition of the Void Core, resulting in the explosion of the Temple of the Void that destroyed the city, but he was still involved, so they couldn’t help but worry.

However, it was Yeren and the rest of the representatives that were the most shocked. From what they had learned from the expedition members that they had spoken to; Ezekiel was indeed responsible for what had happened. But here he was, stating the exact opposite.

Yeren couldn’t help but laugh as Gerome held his head in his hands as he despaired at what he perceived as a lie from Ezekiel.

“Liar!” Yeren’s voice cut through the chatter. “We have several Hunters, including two Guild Leaders that have stated that you were well aware of the imminent destruction of the Ruins when you left the Temple of the Void.”

“I was also aware of the Rot Den, but no one seems to care about that.”

“There is no proof that it was a Den!”

“There’s no proof that I destroyed the Temple either! Nor that I was the reason that it was destroyed in the first place! Only that I became aware of its inevitable destruction before anyone else, which was only possible because I was the only one to have actually entered the depths of the Temple and interacted with the Void Core!”

“Said interaction must have been the reason it exploded!”

“The Spirit in the Core is the reason it exploded, not me. It was kind enough to tell me of its intentions, nothing more. Something you would know if the Guild Leaders didn’t lie to you or omit that information!”

“T-they said no such thing!”

“Yes, we did.”

The room fell silent as eyes turned to Gerome, who, finally having felt guilty enough, had chosen to speak up at Yeren’s blatant lie.

“You are not here to speak, Guild Leader.” Yeren’s voice cut through the silence. Berating Gerome in front of his fellow Hunters. But it was too late, as everyone had heard what he had said.

Worse yet, for Yeren, they had all heard his stutter when he claimed that Gerome and Trissy hadn’t told him about the Spirit.

“Yet he’s not the one who stumbled over his words.” Ezekiel loudly whispered, ensuring that everyone in the room was able to hear him.

Suddenly a weight was pressing down on Ezekiel as Yeren released his mana.

“You disrespectful little brat!”

Yeren had finally lost his temper. Never before had he ever been insulted and disrespected in such a way before. As someone born into the Willowbrush Empire’s nobility, so far as he was concerned, he was a figure of awe and authority.

Yet here was a child who had called him out, contradicted him, and pointed out his flaws several times within the first meeting.

‘Is this boy not afraid of death!?’ Yeren couldn’t help but think as he stared at the boy, younger than his own great grandchildren, refusing to bow under the weight of his mana.

As far as he was concerned, Ezekiel should’ve been groveling on the ground begging for forgiveness, regardless of what Harolt had said before.

That was what happened every other time he’d had to investigate commoners, or those who were of a lower Tier. Those at a higher Tier were often much more crude and crass, but they had all fallen into line upon facing the Inquisition.

Yeren was a Grand Inquisitor, after all, and even now, the various Guild Leaders and other Hunters in the room were looking away, unwilling to meet his eyes.

Yet thought this all, neither Ezekiel nor his parents were willing to look away. The three of them hadn’t even bothered to flex their mana. Yes, Yeren wasn’t bringing to bear his full might, but even so!

“How unsightly. A lower Step Tier one child is enough for you to blow your top?” Harolt muttered to the side. He had not yet raised his own mana in response, as he was enjoying the sight of Yeren digging a grave for his own reputation.

He had expected Yeren to blow his top at some point but hadn’t thought it would be quite so soon. Especially since Ezekiel was, as far as he was concerned, just a very smart Void Mage with memories from a couple of Relics.

He was quickly rethinking his prior assumptions and observations, as well as patting himself on the back for his decision of who to support.

Yeren was about to reply to Harolt’s words when Duke Harper spoke up first.

“I’m afraid I must agree with the Grand Scholar, though I find it ironic considering his own previous actions. Regardless, you are a noble and a Grand Inquisitor. There is no need to show such an unsightly response as flexing your mana to bring them to heel. It’s not even working anyways.”

Marrik and Justine nodded along, fully in agreement with the Duke. They were cowed previously since they did respect the Grand Inquisitor, but seeing his behavior, as well as his blatant lie, was too much even for them.

They were aware that Yeren had ulterior motives, but what was happening right now was just shameful. Yes, they feared the Inquisition as the agents of the Empire, but that didn’t mean that they could just do as they wished.

Better yet, Duke Harper was likely to become and Imperial Councilor, which would give him command over the Imperial Inquisitors. So, siding with the Duke wasn’t a bad idea in this situation.

“Besides, you did lie just now, as all five of us heard Gerome and Trissy’s recount of the information the boy provided on their way back from the expedition. Including the Rot Den, and the various discoveries that were brought about by the boy’s presence in the expedition.”

Duke Harper continued on, not allowing Yeren to get another word in. He was already annoyed by the Inquisitions involvement in his city’s affairs, especially the fact that they were originally in support of his brother. So, he really wanted to wrap this up, as well as regain some of his authority in the city.

“Ultimately, Ezekiel did as was expected of him; he opened the Void Lock in the Temple, and discovered and retrieved numerous Relics and books that will greatly aid the empire’s growth.”

“Besides, the only reason the explosion occurred so suddenly was because the Void Locks were broken, rather than opened. Had that not happened, then perhaps we would’ve had time to properly cleanse the Rot, or perhaps the Rot Den would have propagated. There were only two loyal Tier fours on that expedition after all.”

Yeren was grinding his teeth as Duke Harper continued to speak. More and more his intentions for holding this trial were unraveling, and he was almost certain that his fellow representatives were against him at this point.

“So, we are to let the boy off without punishment? Is that what you are trying to say right now?” Yeren asked, having calmed himself down and once again regained his stone-faced expression.

For a moment Ezekiel’s heart lightened as the thought of the Duke supporting him crossed his mind, but the lack of expression on his parent’s faces pulled him back down to reality.

They both knew from Harolt that Duke Harper wouldn’t let Ezekiel get away without any punishments. As both the indirect instigator of the Cult of Light’s increased activities, and the destruction of the Ruins.

“That is not what I am saying at all, Grand Inquisitor. I am saying that the circumstances are simply not as black and white as you are painting them as, nor are they as severe as you are determined to make them. As it is, I believe you are attempting to place responsibility for the destruction of the Ruins, entirely on the boy’s shoulders, correct?” Harper inquired.

“Only because it is.” Yeren replied.

“You are not helping yourself. From what we know from the Empire’s interactions with Quintessa, we know for a fact that there are indeed Spirits that exist within the Void Cores of the Temples of the Void. From that knowledge, it can be determined that it would, in fact, be impossible for anyone who interacts with the Void Core to cause it to ignite due to this Spirit, as well as the fact that said Cores are Relics created by the Ancient Void itself.”

Ezekiel was listening closely as Harper spoke, as he was bringing forth information that he hadn’t known about prior to this instance. From the pinched look on Yeren’s face, this was also information that wasn’t known to most people.

“That information is not yours to spread, Duke Harper.” Yeren grumbled out.

“And you do not have the right to make a unilateral decision regarding a citizen of my city. Especially when it regards something this extreme. The facts are facts, and we need to ensure that we, as those responsible for the safety of these citizens, make logical and informed decisions for the betterment of the Empire.”

“At this moment, ensuring that the boy is punished is the best thing for the Empire.”

“Then kill him and be done with it.”

Yeren fell silent, not wishing to speak up as he would be contradicting himself if he went against Duke Harper’s argument. Technically speaking, due to the number of issues that had occurred because of Ezekiel’s presence, as well as the extent of the damages done to the Ruins, death was not out of the question.

But as Harolt had stated in his earlier rant, Yeren didn’t want Ezekiel to die. He wanted Ezekiel bound in a contract of service, to forever serve the Empire according to the will of the nobility and royal families, so that the secrets of the Void could be obtained by the Empire alone. Something that Harolt was strongly against, and Duke Harper considered to be distasteful.

“If I may?” Marrik spoke up before Harolt, who was looking at Harper in frustration, could interrupt. “The problems currently stem from the fact that the boy’s presence has caused problems within the city due to the changes brought about by his studies in Void Magic, and his involvement in the events that happened in the Ruins, correct?”

“Indeed.” Came the simultaneous response from Harper, Harolt, and Yeren, though the latter's response was less enthusiastic.

“Then perhaps we can come to a compromise. Send him away.” Marrik stated.

A look of confusion crossed Yeren’s face before it twisted into anger, while a smile crossed Harolt’s face. Justine and Harper remained neutral.

“The boy’s presence has caused enough problems to deserve a death sentence, by both the Empire’s laws, as well as the Prime Guild’s mandate regarding the preservation and study of Ancient Ruins. However, as the boy has indirectly stated, there are extenuating circumstances regarding these events. Not only that, but he has also brought the Guilds, and this city, a great deal of benefits. Not enough to free him of all blame, but enough to lessen it.”

“And how does letting him simply leave provide any form of punishment? If anything, he should be forced to further work for the Empire to make up for the damages he has yet to repay!” Yeren exclaimed in response to Marrik’s advised punishment.

“His parent’s will pay that debt for him. That is to say, the boy will be exiled, but his family will remain to serve his punishment in his stead.” Marrik finished.

During this time, the Roaring Ruins’ Guild Leader hadn’t turned his attention away from Ezekiel for a moment. Something that Ezekiel noticed, but even so, he still couldn’t stop the look of horror and despair from settling on his face as Marrik finished.

“You bastard!” Warren loudly exclaimed as he began to glow. Beside him, the shadows started writhing in anger as Evelyn’s emotions began to run rampant. Growls echoed through the room as Theo and Reya began to flare their own mana alongside their partners.

Seeing the couple’s response, the other Tier four Hunter’s in the room also began to flex their mana as their Spirits began to tense themselves in preparation for a fight.

“The fact that we finally got a reaction from them all shows just how effective this punishment will be.” Marrik calmly stated, even as sweat began to trickle down his brow.

He was having a difficult time believing that the two Hunters in front of him had only recently advanced to Tier four, even if he was made aware of the circumstances of their advancement. He had no desire to look into the kind of lives they must’ve lived in order to obtain as much power and control as they currently had.

“I cannot say that I fully approve of your proposal. These two Hunters saved the lives of several of my subordinates, at great risk to their own lives, and are indirectly responsible for saving my own life in the process. I feel that punishing them for the issues caused by their son is not fair to them.” Duke Harper countered as he considered Marrik’s plan.

“Indeed! Letting the boy run rampant outside of the Empire’s control will be a nightmare. Especially if he ends up going into the Desolate Lands and joining the Cruor. There have already been several Void Mages born from this city who have done so already.” Yeren said with vitriol, determined to keep Ezekiel under wraps.

“Yet I believe that his parents would prefer this over seeing their son executed. Ultimately, there is no possible way for us to keep the boy loyal to the Empire, not after Yeren’s display, and Harolt’s threats.” Justine decided to jump in, feeling that this might be the best choice for them right now.

“Ultimately, I don’t think that anyone is going to be happy with anything that we decide on here, except Harolt, since he just wants the boy free from enslavement.”

“Thank you, Justine. Nice to know that someone up here has a brain.”

Harolt’s words were ignored as Justine continued talking.

“I would suggest that the boy be sent to the Endless Archipelago, our closest neighbor besides the Morathi Alliance. That way, news of his whereabouts and actions will not be beyond our reach, and he will be isolated in such a way as to be unable to delve into the Desolate Lands. If he goes to the Cathedral of Sanafalls, the Church of Ten will also be able to explore their research into Void Magic, which will eventually be spread to the Empire and other factions due to their stance as a neutral faction.”

The other representatives thought over Justine’s extension to Marrik’s proposal, and even Duke Harper felt like retracting his complaints. The only one still fully opposed was Yeren, who had no desire to see his intended tool be taken away from him.

“What about the various objects and Relics he has taken for himself?” Yeren voiced, attempting to add more fuel to the fire. “He claims to have given all Relics and treasures obtained from the Ruin to the Roaring Ruins Guild, but word has reached my ears that the boy has kept a Sword enchanted by the Void Remnant itself.”

Ezekiel, Warren and Evelyn all glared at the mention of his sword, knowing that there was no reason for Yeren to know as much as he did unless someone leaked the information to him, and the only one that was even told about the Void Remnant touching Ezekiel’s sword was Quentin, Trent, and Issa.

Ezekiel couldn’t help feeling himself grow more frustrated at this additional betrayal. But, at the same time, he felt proud of himself for taking measures into his own hands and making preparations beforehand.

Looking at the representatives, Ezekiel could see that this information wasn’t something they were made aware of, as they all looked briefly confused. Looking to the side of the room, Ezekiel also saw that Gerome and Trissy were somewhat confused as well.

Sighing, as he knew this would create another argument, Ezekiel chose to speak up.

“I possess no sword enchanted by the Void Remnant from the Temple of the Void. This I swear on my soul itself.” Ezekiel stated, much to the shock of many in the room.

To swear upon one’s soul was to create a pseudo geas that would accumulate as a regret if broken by those in the higher Tiers of power.

It had no actual impact for those below Tier three, but the fact that he was willing to say such words meant that he was willing to have himself directly inspected and checked over, to ensure the truth of his words was verified.

Yeren’s face pinched once again, as he was surprised by this development. Especially as, much like all those of Tier four and higher in the room, he was able to tell that Ezekiel was telling the truth due to his magic.

He could not previously due to being riled up and shocked at the disrespect being shown to him, but now that he was clear headed once again, he could quite easily read Ezekiel’s life signals.

“Representatives of Harkem and the Empire, how is this relevant to my son’s trial?” Warren asked as he tried to get things back on topic. He was still angry, and still glowing, but he and Evelyn had both restrained themselves somewhat, and now they just wanted to get things over and done with.

“I must say, I am confused as well. First you wish to take my baby boy away from me, now you wish to take his possessions as well? Just how cruel are you people.” Evelyn spat out as she glared at the representatives.

“Mother, father, I’ll just show them my sword. That should be simple enough.” Ezekiel stated as he removed his sword from his belt, slowly unsheathing it for all to see.

This was the sword that Warren had given him when his eyes were closed, ensuring that he had deniability if he was asked what happened to his original sword, as he truly didn’t know. He just knew that it was taken from him but could not confirm by who or where it might be.

After all, his eyes and ears were closed at the time.

“Did you, or did you not, previously have a sword that was altered by the Void Remnant?!” Yeren shouted at Ezekiel, tired of being played with by these commoners that continued to defy him.

“I did.” Ezekiel stated.

“Then where is it?!”

“I literally don’t know.”

Everyone in the room was able to tell that he was telling the truth, either through his voice, his heart rate, the signals being fired by his nerves, and many other means.

Yeren was stumped, as he knew that Trent had told him the truth when he had informed him of the sword and requested that it be taken from Ezekiel for studying.

The Grand Inquisitor knew that there was some sort of conspiracy happening right now, but he didn’t know how to get any answers right now.

“How-”

“Enough! The boy’s telling the truth, and you’re about to embarrass yourself again. Warren and Evelyn, do you agree to the punishment proposed by Justine and Marrik?” Harolt spoke up, having decided that he couldn’t let this go on for much longer, else magic started being thrown around.

The abrupt shift back to Ezekiel’s punishment threw the family for a loop. Ezekiel and Warren had been expecting to have to do a bit of verbal sparring in order to clear themselves from suspicion regarding the sword, but it seemed like they wouldn’t have to go as far as they expected.

“Now wait just a minute-”

“No! We are here to ensure that the boy is punished for being the cause of numerous problems. Death would be the preferable sentence, as it means removing the problem in full, but I can tell that doing so would mean we permanently lose two nearly middle Step Tier four Hunters, something more important than the life of one Tier one Void Mage, or whatever agenda you may have.”

Duke Harper interrupted Yeren, having no desire for the topic to deviate once again.

“While I am opposed to punishing Mister and Missus Luminance, after they have aided me and my city so much, I will admit that the life of their son would be enough of a reward, considering the extent of the trouble their son has caused. Now, choose, will you accept our proposed alternative to your son’s punishment?”

The suddenness of their forced decision was shocking, and Warren and Evelyn were both hesitant to make their choice. Especially since it meant that they wouldn’t be able to see their son for an unknown period of time.

Seeing his parent’s struggling to make their choice, Ezekiel chose to speak up, knowing that this was actually a better outcome than he’d been expecting.

“It’s not forever, right?” Ezekiel said as he pulled on his parent’s sleeves. “I’ll get to live another day, and right now, Wendy and Ellen need you most.”

Even though his words were meant to reassure his parents, Ezekiel couldn’t help it as his eyes began to water. He knew that, logically, given the determined faces of the representatives, and the strict laws of the Empire and Guilds regarding destructive civil conflicts and the destruction of Ancient Ruins, this really was the only choice where he’d get out of it alive.

In his heart, however, he knew that he’d be back, when he had the power to take on the whole of the Empire, he’d be back, and he’d make the Empire change its ways, and ensure that such idiotic laws were either abolished, or had their standard punishments lessened.

“Ezekiel...” Warren and Evelyn couldn’t help but tear up as well. They were filled with shame and confusion. They were the adults in this situation. They were the ones that should be shouldering the responsibility for their child’s actions. Yet, here they were, forced to accept the exile of their son.

As Evelyn nearly broke down as she fell to her knees and held Ezekiel in her arms, Warren forced himself to glare up at the representatives.

“What would my wife and I have to do for the Empire and the Guilds, and for how long would we need to do it?” He asked with a voice filled with fury.

“Well-”

“You’d work as our representatives in the city and the Guilds.” Harolt stated as he spoke over whatever Marrik was about to say.

Harper, Marrik, Justine, and Yeren all turned to Harolt in astonishment and confusion.

“You are already tied to the Church under contract after all. Whenever the Guilds request the Church’s assistance on expeditions, you will be the first responders that we send out. Similarly, when the city makes requests from the Church to step in and provide assistance in some form or another, we will send you first and foremost.”

“I fully intend to run you all ragged and ensure that you will barely have time to breathe outside of the work I’ll be giving you all. You may even be forced to serve as part of Duke Harper’s retinue, should he feel the need to assign some tasks to the Church for whatever reason.”

The other representatives looked frustrated at Harolt determining such things on his own, but upon seeing Warren and Evelyn relaxing slightly, they realized that Harolt was the only one that they actually seemed to respect and listen to right now, and even if the two weren’t working for any one of their groups directly, they’d be passed around and forced to work with them at some point or another anyway.

Yeren, of course, did not approve.

“How does that serve the Empire! How does any of this make up for the blatant disregard for the Empire’s laws?” Yeren questioned with a voice filled with frustration. He refused to give up without a fight, and if he couldn’t get what he wanted, then he had no desire to see anyone else get what they wanted.

“If you have a problem with what has been decided, then I will be happy to accompany you to the Capital and personally provide my account of the recent events here to the Emperor himself. I have been refusing to meet with him for years now, since my duties were my main priority, but I feel that he would be more than willing to welcome me with open arms if I tell him I need to speak with him.”

Yeren was unable to reply. He was fully aware of the interest the Emperor had in Duke Harper, as the Duke was the man most likely to become one of the pillars that supported the Empire in its entirety.

“As for the rest of your question, Harolt, would you say that ten years, or one billion gold coins would be enough? Whichever comes first.”

Gasps were heard throughout the room as the massive number was presented. Even Harolt winced at the massive sum, but he knew that it wasn’t impossible to achieve. Even then, if they could pay that much back, then all they had to do was serve for ten years.

“It is a scarily large sum, but yet, I feel that would be fair.” He honestly didn’t think that it was fair for anyone to be forced to serve the Empire, or any worldly factions, but he knew that Ezekiel was more important right now.

Warren and Evelyn grit their teeth, even as Ezekiel’s jaw dropped open. He was just about to tell his parents to stop, especially as they were essentially accepting what Yeren wanted for him, but for themselves under a different master.

“We accept!” Warren and Evelyn forced themselves to say. Although they had no desire to enter the field as Hunters once again, they knew they had no choice if they wanted their son to survive.

“You can't!” Yeren declared, only to be ignored by his peers, thought with some reluctance on Marrik and Justine’s part.

“Then as the ruler of the city of Harkem, I declare the following punishment will be enforced. Ezekiel Luminance will be escorted by Scholars of the Church of Ten to the Endless Archipelago. His crimes will be spread to the public, and he will never again be permitted to step foot in the Willowbrush Empire ever again for the duration of his life.”

Yeren slumped in his chair, finally understanding that there was nothing more he could do. If this was not an official trial held by civil and imperial representatives, he might be able to force his hand, but not right now.

“As well, in exchange for the life of their son, Warren and Evelyn Luminance will work off a debt of ten years of service, or one billion gold coins, to the Empire and the Guilds by serving the City of Harkem as representatives of the Church of Ten for whatever needs the city may have.”

With that said, Duke Harper banged his hand against his chair, a loud crack echoed out as the air was pressurized and popped beneath his fist.

With those final words said, Ezekiel and his parents looked like their lifeforce had been drained from their bodies as the finality of their situation had been set in stone.

Muttering spread throughout the room as the various Hunter witnesses discussed the outcome with confusion and shock. Most were happy that things had finally ended, but more were shocked at the blatant conflict going on between the imperial factions, though many were happy that the Guild representatives had taken a fairly neutral stance.

Many more were disgusted by the Inquisition’s attempt to enforce an outcome that they wanted, rather than follow the laws they were meant to enforce. The rest were curious about a few things relating to the Luminance family. Especially the sword that was briefly mentioned.

Finally, as the room began to clear, and the Luminance family morosely headed back to the Cathedral, Ezekiel felt a chill run up his spine.

Turning back to look at the Grand Inquisitor, he saw the hatred and greed filled eyes of both the Tier four Hunter and his snake Spirit. The look in those eyes was filled with the madness of a man who wouldn’t accept the official outcome.

In that moment, Ezekiel knew that this trial wasn’t the end of his interactions with the Inquisition. If anything, he felt that they were just the beginning, and he needed to prepare.