Chapter 2223

Grace patted his leg just as Johnson Peters, the registrar and now a bailiff, standing next to the desk, shouted out for everyone to rise.

"All rise for the honourable Quinten Cuirass,headmaster of the Academy of Adventurer Training, the one true paladin of the One God!"

Chairs scrapped on the slate floor, and everyone stood. Quinten walked behind the desk and sat. The chair was positioned at a height that allowed him to tower over everyone. He picked up a gavel and struck it once.

Johnson spoke again. "This court is now in session. You may sit."

Quinten leaned toward Johnson and said something.

Johnson yelled out."The defendants will stand."

Amy tried to stand, but Grace tutted at her. She sat back down.

Johnson glared at them as they remained

sitting.

Quinten banged his gavel."The defendants will rise!"

Grace was making a show of examining her nails. Then she looked up in surprise."Oh, do you mean us? That can't possibly be correct. Defendants? My clients haven't been charged with anything. Nor has any evidence been presented."

Daniel heard a chuckle behind him from the front row, but he didn't dare turn to look. It didn't sound like his friends.

"Silence!" roared Quinten."The defendants willonly speak when asked a question. They will respond to the question with truth. I find your attitude to already be in contempt."His head turned slightly to look at Daniel."Is this true? Is Grace de Moroingi representing you?"

Daniel nodded."Yes."

Johnson barked."The defendants will address the headmaster as 'Your Honour'during these proceedings."Johnson looked a little green.

Daniel cleared his throat."Yes, your honour."

"As the headmaster of the Adventurer Academy,I have been granted powers by the King of the Realm. It is in my authority to try all who break the rules of the Academy. You are here to answer to multiple crimes. Johnson read the charges."

Johnson looked apologetic to Daniel. He produced a slip of paper and read from it. "Charge One. Assault of Reginald and RonaldCray with magic. Charge Two. Using witchcraft on school grounds on multiple occasions. Charge Three. Second degree murder of Reginald and Ronald Cray. Charge Four. First degree murder of two legal authorities representing Duke Wilhelm Garcia, namely James and John Garcia, his nephews. Charge Five. Murder in the first degree of Eric Garcia, son of Duke Wilhelm Garcia. Charge Six. Theft of the belongings of Eric Garcia, son of Duke Wilhelm Garcia. This theft also includes the unlawful capture of the spell book of Eric Garcia, which is the rightful property of the Garcia Family."

The audience broke into cries. Shouts were

heard calling Daniel and his circle evil. Some people were clapping. A few boos were heard, even a few cheers.

Quinten banged his gavel multiple times until silence returned."The audience will remain silent, or I will empty the room. Thank you, bailiff. Do the defendants wish to enter a plea?"

Grace remained sitting and looking around the room as if bored."Not guilty on all counts. I formally declare this court to not be legally binding. All charges are fabrication. I do not recognise your authority in this matter, Quinten Cuirass. This is a travesty."

Quinten smiled down at Grace."Do you now? Bailiff provide Grace de Moroingi with proof of my authority."

Johnson walked down the small set of stairs from the stage to the floor. He walked over to Grace and handed her a document. Daniel could see a seal on the bottom. Grace read it over and then handed it back to Johnson.

"As you can see," Quinten said."The King hasgranted me full authority to try this case and

the charges. Do you wish to re-enter a plea?"

"No. That paper has no authority. The King maynot delegate his punitive powers in Whitehaven in cases where murder is involved. Only the King's lawyers have that bailiwick as per the charter of the Realm. You have no authority here.”

Quinten laughed, the sound jarring in the room."Sylvan Castigon, please stand."

The room watched a figure rise in the audience. Daniel had missed him before, but there he was, the King's spy master.

"Can you authenticate the document?"

"I can. The King has decreed that because of thevery real threat of a spell caster bound to a witch's circle presents to the Realm that they be tried at once. Since they are registered as students at the Academy, the King has no choice but to delegate his authority to Quinten Cuirass for the charges spelled out by the bailiff. He has ordered an ask and discover. This trial is the start of that ask and discover."

"Thank you, you may sit."

Grace was now sitting up. She looked from Sylvan to Duke Garcia to Quinten."So that's how it is, huh? I warned you Quinten. When you swore to me you would protect Daniel, Amy, Jasmine, and Amber. You've done anything but protect them. You swore to me and broke that oath. Remember that."Grace sat back down.

A murmur broke out over the audience and Quinten looked uncomfortable for a moment.

Quinten banged his gavel."Prosecution present your case."

Over the next few hours, the two attorneys for Duke Garcia, named simply White and Winner, went through charge after charge. After an hour, Daniel learned to just stay quiet and listen. His rage was simmering as lie after lie was presented. It was beyond ludicrous.

Finally, Grace was allowed to speak. She rose and turned and stared at Duke Wilhelm."First, this is a farce. I'll come back to charges coming from the use of magic on school grounds. First, I want to speak about Eric Garcia.

"Eric Garcia was a spell caster with some talent.He was a member of my adventurer party, along with Jason Jackson and Brian Bitmyth, seated behind me. Eric was killed pursuing a goal the King laid at our feet. I cannot speak of the mission as I have sworn an oath to the King. Eric died on that mission under mysterious circumstances.

"His body was found by Daniel Davies not farfrom the meagre farm he ran outside Acron. Daniel had met Eric in the tavern in Acron some months before. He knew he was a spell caster, but not whose son he was. But that doesn't matter. Eric was killed by forces trying to intercept him and claim something from him. The prosecution would have you think a farmer, with no ability or training to fight a spell caster, could overpower him. Think on that for a moment. A complete noob, working a farm, kills a high level, formally trained, exceptionally powerful spell caster.

"Regarding the possessions of Eric Garcia. TheAdventurer Laws are oddly specific about possessions, probably because adventurers die all the time. We all know if Duke Garcia had wanted the spell book and the possessions of

Eric Garcia, he should have paid the ransom, for that is what is required when a non-adventurer comes into possession of the items from a fallen adventurer. This happens daily in the Realm and there are even law offices that specialise in this practice.

"The Adventurer Laws even contain examples ofmonetary amounts to be used as suitable compensation. This is to stop people abusing the system. Think of it as a finder's fee. I see one of the duke's attorneys has the volume on Adventurer Law open even now as I speak, so he knows this is the truth. However, no request to pay a ransom was ever made to Daniel Davies while he was a farmer. None. If it had, they would have a copy of the proposal, magically signed and notarised, and bearing the mark or signature of Daniel Davies. It doesn't exist because it never happened. The offer of a ransom could be made and by the laws, he would have to accept if the ransom amount were appropriate. Here, the price would have equalled a dukedom. I doubt Duke Garcia could have paid it.

"But sadly, everything has changed now. Nowthat Daniel Davies is a student of the

Adventurer Academy, he is bound by those adventurer laws in a new way. No longer does he require to hand over the possessions of Eric Garcia. He is registered as an adventurer and as such is beholden to the Laws of Looting. The Laws of Looting are quite clear. For solo kills or solo finds, the individual may claim full asset forfeiture of everything found on a corpse. It is how the weak become stronger in the Realm, with laws to protect that going back hundreds of years. Laws that allowed the humans to stake a claim in the Realm and push back the monsters that emerge from the Wilds."

Grace looked right at Duke Garcia.

"Your son was a rapist who charmed womeninto his bed. I warned him to not carry such wealth around with him and that fucking spell book. But he loved to show off and flaunt that wealth. In the end, he lost his life, and his wealth with it. Everything Daniel found on Eric's body is his by right. Challenge that and you will challenge all the Adventurers and races in the Realm and beyond. I don't think you really want to do that, hmm?

"But back to Eric's murder. It truly was a

murder. Duke Garcia believes a farmer did the deed. This should bring a significant amount of shame to the Garcia family. The man in line to inherit the position of Duke, killed by a peasant."Titters broke out in the room."But how did he die? No one has spoken of this. Just that he was killed and with no evidence to support their wild claim that Daniel Davies did the deed. But their anger is about the spell book. Why? Because he had the audacity to loot the body? That he buried Eric with honours ensuring his spirit did not rise? What murderer does that? It's a sure way to be haunted to death. We all know this.

"Eric Garcia had enemies. Pick anyone who hashad to deal with the Garcia family over the years. There is a lot of hatred there. I myself hated Eric to the core of my being. Why? Because he attempted to charm me once."

Gasps came from the audience, and Duke Garcia roared in anger at the accusation."You go too far! You break your oath!”