Unfair Verdict

"Was that really necessary, Besta? To frame me, you've completely thrown away your dignity. Were your injuries really that severe?"

"Didn't I just punch you in the face a few times and kick you in the stomach? What's with the cast on your arm and those crutches? Did you fracture something? A cast and crutches? You've wrapped yourself up like a mummy. Aren't you embarrassed?"

Kaijin sneered.

"Kaijin, you bastard. You dare do it but won't admit it?"

Besta said with a face full of grief and indignation.

"Order, order. This is not a marketplace. No shouting."

At that moment, the judge on the platform spoke while banging his gavel.

After hearing the judge's warning, Kaijin, who had been about to settle things with Besta, immediately quieted down.

Even Besta, who looked utterly wronged, did not dare say another word.

To put it plainly, the person you absolutely could not provoke here was the judge on the platform. Your life and death were practically in his hands. If you truly angered him, then you could only prepare to say goodbye to this world.

And honestly, neither Kaijin nor Besta was supposed to speak here. Those were the rules. If they wanted to speak, they needed the King's permission—the approval of Hero King Dovagon.

Without permission, they could only have their defenders speak for them. This was what was known as a defense, much like the lawyers from Mo Li and Rimuru's previous lives.

Unfortunately, Kaijin, Mo Li, and Rimuru's defender had already been bought off. Mo Li, who knew the plot well, knew that if Hero King Dovagon had not been present, their side might really have been sentenced.

"Alright, court is now in session."

The judge on the platform said this as he struck the gavel.

Besta's defender began to speak.

He pulled out a stack of papers and said,

"Today, while our client, Mr. Besta, was drinking at Night Butterfly, he kindly greeted the other party. Yet the other party attacked our plaintiff without any provocation, causing our side extremely severe harm.

"This conduct was exceptionally serious and vile, inflicting tremendous damage upon Mr. Besta and leaving him with extremely serious injuries.

"Not only was Mr. Besta's arm beaten to the point of fracture, but his thigh was also fractured. His face suffered extensive damage as well: the bridge of his nose was broken, his face was deformed, and several of his teeth were knocked out.

"These are the results of examinations conducted by professional departments. We ask the judge to render a fair judgment."

The little lawyer rattled on and on. In short, it meant only one thing: they were finished.

"Is every statement made by the other party true?"

The judge asked Kaijin's defender.

"Yes, every word is true. We have no objections."

Kaijin's defender said.

The moment Kaijin heard that, rage surged through him.

He'd been bought off.

No wonder Besta looked so certain of victory.

He never intended to give me a chance to defend myself.

But that made sense.

After all, it was Besta. I should have thought of something like this sooner.

Even finding some random person would have been better than this.

Rimuru was completely dumbfounded.

No, this isn't right. Wasn't he their defender? How could he do this?

Seeing the bewilderment in Rimuru's little eyes,

"He got bought off."

Mo Li's tone was relaxed, without the slightest panic of someone trapped in a desperate situation.

"What? Then what are we supposed to do? Are we really going to prison? No! My adventure hasn't even begun yet!"

Rimuru said in a panic.

"Don't worry. It'll be fine."

Mo Li said soothingly as he held Rimuru in his arms.

"How can this be? Can people just do whatever they want if they have money and connections?"

Rimuru said indignantly from Mo Li's arms.

Meanwhile, Besta was already overjoyed inside.

Kaijin, you're finished.

What Besta failed to notice was the trace of regret that flashed through Hero King Dovagon's eyes as he sat on the high platform, as though he hated to see iron fail to become steel.

Mo Li, who had been watching Hero King Dovagon, had noticed that change in expression long ago.

Looking at Besta, who was smug with pride, Mo Li thought rather pitifully,

Does this guy really think no one has discovered what he did?

Why doesn't he think about how the wisest King in the history of the Dwarf Kingdom could possibly fail to notice such things? I really don't know what he was thinking. I really don't know how he got into that position.

Only anime would play out like this. In Mo Li's previous life, he would have been exposed countless times already.

Bang.

The judge struck the gavel.

"I will now announce the verdict."

It's over. This definitely isn't something a little money can settle. I'm going to prison. I'm sorry, Mom and Dad, I've disgraced you. I've let you down... Boohoo...

Rimuru cried out miserably in his heart.

Before coming here, Kaijin had told Rimuru and Mo Li that as long as the matter was not too serious, they could settle it by paying some money.

But Rimuru had never expected Besta to be this ruthless. He was trying to destroy them.

Seeing Rimuru's expression, Mo Li could not help feeling puzzled. He then transmitted his voice to Rimuru.

"What are you afraid of? With your strength, if you really want to leave, who could stop you?"

Only then did Rimuru react after hearing Mo Li's words. That's true. I'm not even from this country, so what am I afraid of? At worst, I can just run into the Jura Great Forest. The forest is so vast—could they possibly search all of it? Besides, the verdict hasn't even been announced yet. What am I scared of?

After thinking it through, Rimuru was no longer wearing a worried expression.

"I now announce the verdict. The principal offender, Kaijin, is sentenced to twenty years of compulsory labor in the mines."

"The remaining accomplices are sentenced to ten years of labor in the mines."

Rimuru, Kaijin, and the others were instantly dumbfounded upon hearing the verdict.

To be honest, Kaijin had calculated every possibility, but he had never expected the punishment to be so severe.

Kaijin's eyes reddened.

He was not afraid of twenty years of labor in the mines. He felt sorry for his brothers, and even more sorry for Mo Li, Rimuru, and the others. Especially Gobta. The guy had merely gone out for a drink, only to have alcohol splashed all over his face, and now he had to spend another ten years doing labor in the mines. Honestly, in all his years of life, Kaijin had never seen anyone so unlucky. (Gobta: Who the hell did I offend? How did I wake up and get slapped with ten years of mine labor?)

Kaijin turned around and said to Rimuru and Mo Li,

"I'm sorry."

Kaijin's tone was filled with guilt. They had helped him, but what had he done? He had dragged them into laboring in the mines with him. He truly felt too ashamed to face these two benefactors.