Chapter : 329
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Chapter : 329
Elma stopped a few feet away from them. Her cheeks instantly turned a vibrant shade of pink. She looked at Sayma. She completely avoided looking at Ken.
"Elma," Princess Iris greeted her politely. "It is good to see you. Now, this time, what did you buy more than you need? Pastries? Cookies? Chocolate?"
"I am not here for a visit!" Elma announced very quickly. Her voice pitched up just a tiny bit. She crossed her arms tightly. "Princess Hestia gave us a ten-minute break. I went to the cafeteria. I bought too many fruit tarts. I simply do not like wasting food. I decided to give the extra ones to your messy unit."
Sayma pushed her glasses up and offered a highly amused smile. "Let me guess, Elma. You were inspecting the marble floors, and a baker tripped and threw fruit tarts at you?"
Elma bristled, her cheeks flushing pink instantly. "No! I am here because Princess Hestia wanted me to... visually confirm that you haven't been arrested yet! And I confiscated these fruit tarts from a highly suspicious noble! They are dangerous and need to be disposed of immediately!"
Naomi smirked, bumping Ken's arm. "Well, farm boy, looks like your personal delivery service has arrived just in time."
Ken gave a sloppy, goofy salute. "Do not worry, Elma! I will bravely dispose of these dangerous tarts in my stomach! Your sacrifice will not be forgotten."
"You are an absolute idiot!" Elma muttered, shoving the bag into his hands. She refused to look him in the eye, though a tiny, undeniable smile touched her lips before she quickly hid it. "Do not choke on them during the trial!" She spun on her heels and marched back down the hall.
Laxmi burst out laughing. "She is totally obsessed with you. If you confess to her now, she will accept it without wasting a millisecond, Ken."
"I am a very charming guy," Ken agreed lazily. He opened the bag. He took a huge bite of a fruit tart. He chewed happily. "Every girl dies over me. I cannot confess to her. If I do, I will make you girls sad."
"Shut up! Eat your pastry and keep moving," Naomi smiled. She patted his back. "The council chamber is right here."
They stopped in front of two massive metal doors. Two imperial guards stood outside. The guards opened the doors slowly. The hinges made a loud, echoing sound.
The 13th Unit stepped inside the Upper Council chamber.
The room was vast. The ceiling stretched high above them. Three older judges sat behind a tall, curved wooden desk at the front of the room. The judges wore long gray robes. They looked very strict.
Princess Iris walked to the center of the room. Sayma stood right beside her. Naomi, Laxmi, Zinia, Ira, Luna, Risa, and Ken stood a few steps behind them.
"Princess Iris Belmontia," the Head Judge said. His voice echoed across the quiet room. "You requested an emergency hearing. You claim you have solved the murder of Dr. Carrion. Present your findings."
Princess Iris nodded gracefully. "Yes, Your Honor. We have uncovered the absolute truth behind the assassination. Dr. Carrion was murdered to protect a massive, illegal conspiracy."
The judges frowned. They murmured to each other.
"Those are bold claims," a female judge stated. "Do you have proof?"
"We do," Sayma answered politely. She stepped forward. She placed the magical recording crystal onto a small silver pedestal in front of the judges. "We interrogated one of the assassins. His name is Luis. He confessed to planting the explosives in the laboratory."
Sayma tapped the crystal. A bright blue light filled the room. The crystal projected Luis’s voice.
The audio played clearly. Luis sobbed loudly on the recording. He explained exactly how he blew up the lab. He explained how Anny manipulated him. He confessed that Anny used his jealousy to make him kill his childhood friend.
The judges listened quietly. The recording ended. The blue light vanished.
"This proves Luis and Anny committed the murder," the Head Judge noted. He rubbed his chin. "But a jealous dispute is not a conspiracy, Princess."
Sayma pushed her glasses up. She picked up the sealed envelope from her folder. "Anny was not a grieving girlfriend. She was a highly trained spy. She orchestrated the assassination on the orders of a very powerful man."
Sayma opened the envelope. She pulled out the final letter written by Dr. Carrion. She placed the letter on the desk for the judges to read.
"Dr. Carrion wrote this letter before he died," Sayma explained. Her voice remained completely steady. "He detailed his entire project. He was not making a medical potion. He was forced to weaponize toxic Solurius radiation."
The judges gasped. The word 'Solurius' made them incredibly nervous. They read the letter quickly.
"This letter states that Dr. Raven orchestrated the entire operation," Iris declared firmly. Her violet eyes locked onto the Head Judge. "Dr. Raven funded the secret laboratory. He forced Dr. Carrion to build an apocalyptic radiation bomb. When Carrion refused to finish the weapon, Dr. Raven ordered Anny to silence him forever."
The chamber went totally silent. The judges stared at the letter in pure shock. Accusing Dr. Raven was a massive political move. Dr. Raven was an incredibly powerful figure in the capital.
Ken stood in the back of the group. He slouched his shoulders. He took another bite of his fruit tart. He chewed slowly.
He knew the entire truth. He knew Senator Norman was actually the man funding Dr. Raven. He knew Senator Norman was the true mastermind behind the entire plot. But Ken also knew why Iris and Sayma did not mention Norman’s name today.
"They are being very smart," Ken thought to himself casually. "Dr. Raven is a big target. Senator Norman is an even bigger target. If Iris accuses a powerful Senator without a mountain of physical evidence, she will start a massive political war. The Upper Council will turn against her. She needs to take down Raven first. She is playing the political game perfectly."
Ken smiled a goofy smile. He was very proud of his friends. They knew exactly how to handle the situation.
"This is an incredible accusation," the Head Judge said. His voice shook slightly. "Dr. Raven is a respected official. A letter from a dead man is strong evidence. But is it enough to arrest him for high treason?"
"The evidence is completely airtight," Naomi spoke up. She crossed her arms confidently. "We have the confession. We have the letter. We have the exact location of the secret bunker. Dr. Raven is guilty."
The judges looked at each other. They seemed hesitant. They did not want to start a massive scandal. They whispered among themselves. They were afraid of Dr. Raven’s political connections.
Laxmi gritted her teeth. She hated watching politicians hesitate. "Just arrest the guy!" Laxmi complained quietly. "He built a radiation bomb! What more do you need?"
"Statistically speaking," Ira stated in a deadpan voice. "Political judges require an overwhelming amount of pressure to act against their own peers."
Before the judges could announce their final decision, a loud noise interrupted the hearing.