“R-right! The safety of Princess Ecstasia’s copy-pasting has been meticulously controlled!” Prosecutor Ileana added from the gallery. “Plus, the building in this incident was designated as off-limits, and the investigation of the cause of collapse still isn’t complete!”
“Quiet in the gallery. I have not given permission for you to speak.”
After rebuking Ileana for speaking out of turn, Judge Tsukasa Wagatsuma continued.
“The court believes that there is still a need to formally investigate the cause of the building’s collapse. It would be hasty to request compensation when no reasonable causal relationship has been found.”
She was right—it was too early for a conclusion. Tsukasa’s and Ileana’s words began swirling in my head. There was something off about this case.
“Miss Judge, you were summoned to this world by Princess Ecstasia herself, were you not?” the high priest asked Tsukasa as he took one glance at Ileana, who was standing indignantly. “In that case, I suppose it is unavoidable that you would take her side in this trial.”
The atmosphere once again took a sharp turn.
This is bad… People are going to start to doubt the legitimacy of the trial.
The gallery seating began to glow red. The spectators’ bodies were emitting small orbs of light.
“The court is impartial and neutral,” Tsukasa insisted. “It is decidedly impossible to side with her.”
“So you say. Then why have you stopped recording the session?” the high priest replied.
What?
I hurried to check the computer under my desk. He was right—the live feed had been cut off.
“Just the other day, during the Hero’s Case, you were sure to make your judgment known to the people through your live broadcast. Is this perhaps out of consideration for the princess?”
I pressed the button on my headset. “Shiro, what’s going on? The camera feed is turned off,” I told her, speaking as fast as I could. There was no answer.
Maybe there’s a connection issue?
In this world, the mana in the air sometimes interfered with reception, even when communicating within close range. But that wasn’t the problem this time.
Crash—!
I heard a strange sound to my left. Shiro, who had been tasked with recording the session, was standing next to the princess.
Around her, the recording equipment was scattered on the floor and the cables all disconnected.
“Shiro, what—?” I started to ask, in shock.
“A falling-out of sorts? Human bonds are ever so fragile,” Tamamo cut in.
That was enough to irritate me even more. I stood up and faced the head maid.
“Shiro, did you break the cameras?”
“I cannot cooperate in anything that would harm Princess Ecstasia.”
The look on her face made me shudder with fear.
She wore a steely, blank expression, and her eyes, which were normally a shade of blue reminiscent of thin ice, had turned red.
“Please halt the trial.”
Her words were cold. She stepped forward in her metal-soled boots, toward the judge’s bench.
“Wait. Don’t come any closer.” I stood in between Shiro and my sister.
“Do you think you can win against me in a fight?” Shiro asked me.
Her eyes had turned a blackish red, like they had been imbued with blood. Maybe this was some kind of manifestation of one of her tribe’s abilities. In those eyes, I could see the rage and murderous intent welling up inside her.
So Shiro is not our unconditional ally.
From the start, the head maid had been the princess’s retainer. It made sense that she wouldn’t prioritize us over the princess.
I felt a pang of sadness like I had lost a friend. My legs trembled.
“Please, don’t come any closer,” I urged as I moved all the magical windows I had opened in front of me.
“…Grrr.”
Shiro positioned herself like a rabid dog about to lunge. Honestly, I wasn’t sure if the windows would be enough to stop her.
“Shiro, stop,” said the princess. “Don’t make any more trouble for Mr. Akuto.”
Her dog-eared retainer halted.
“I hereby revoke head maid Shiro Katou’s appointment as a member of the courthouse staff. Please exit the courtroom immediately.”
The judge—Tsukasa—had ordered Shiro to leave.
<<Tsukasa…>>
I turned back to look at her as I spoke to her telepathically.
My sister’s body as she stood at the judge’s bench was covered in reddish-black stains. The Rust of Doubt that had been emitted by the people in the gallery had already flown over to the judge. From on top of her black judge’s robes, the rust encroached upon her body and let off smoke like it was burning her flesh.
<<Akky…there was no other choice. But if we lose Shiro…>>
I heard the uneasiness in my sister’s voice through her telepathy, though she showed none of it on her face. She appeared to be partially in shock.
Tsukasa’s order appeared in the floating window. Would this text be thrust onto Shiro like it had for Laman the Hero? I didn’t think my sister had it in her to use her Power of Words on Shiro like that. I—
“Oh, what a pitiable sight!” The high priest’s words jumped out once again to corner me. “So this is the judge that was summoned to our world with such great effort? Do you think you can save the kingdom while in a predicament like this?”
We had to think. Right now, we were not on the princess’s side. But I didn’t want to make Shiro our enemy, either.
“Won’t you use the Power of Words? How truly incompetent. What shameful ignorance,” said the high priest. “I suppose it was unavoidable. Only the people of this world can truly understand our world’s logic.”
As the gallery began to doubt Tsukasa’s legitimacy, the red rust would continue to grow and take away our power. We needed to find some decision that would regain their trust.