Chapter 397 - 389. Legacy
As expected, the voice of dissent toward the ’harsh’ punishment that House Horin received after the trial against House Ishetra died down after the citizens watched the trial for Operation Kronos.
Now, they thought that the punishment wasn’t harsh enough.
The extent of the atrocities mentioned in the prosecutor’s opening speech put Zein’s case in a new light. Previously, it was only seen as a conflict between two Old Houses. With the new trial, it became so much more.
Now, House Ishtera has become one of the many victims that people can relate to. It shone a light on the previous story about Zein’s struggle, and people were once again reminded that the guide did not come from a privileged place.
Not that Zein cared if their view of him improved or not.
That being said, he did not expect to be greeted by another bout of crying from the kids in Trinity.
"Captain!"
Zein tilted his head when Dheera was greeting him while crying again. He let the girl cling to him, but also looked around the guide lounge with confusion. Why did they look so down? A glance at his commlink told him today wasn’t the day for the simulation training, so why all the crying?
He shifted his gaze to the sound of reason in the room; Nadine and Alice. His assistant, as usual, swiftly provided him with an answer by lifting her tablet where an article was displayed. It connected his past of living in the red zone with the attack on House Ishtera twenty-nine years ago.
"Ah..." he looked down and flicked the weeping girl’s forehead. "Why? Do you think my life is sad? Are you pitying me?"
Dheera--and the other guides--immediately shook their head. "N-no," she said in the middle of her sob. She knew how strong her Captain was, and Zein had never shown any sign that he felt bad about what he had been through in his life. "It’s just...I’m ashamed because I’ve been too complacent with my lif--ouch!"