Judgment

"It's alright. I don't blame you. We can only blame the enemy for being too cunning."

Seeing the guilty look on Kaijin's face, Rimuru hurriedly comforted him.

Now that Rimuru knew there was a way out, she was not worried in the slightest and even had the leisure to comfort Kaijin.

"That's right, big brother. This isn't your fault. That bastard Besta is just a complete piece of trash."

"That's right, big brother. As long as us brothers are together, forget mining—we wouldn't be afraid even if we died together."

"That's right. Us brothers will never be separated."

Kaijin's two dwarf brothers spoke with cheerful smiles.

Seeing this scene, Mo Li's heart warmed a little.

"But if they knew they wouldn't have to mine at all, then this touching scene would be..."

At that moment, such a thought suddenly surfaced in Mo Li's mind.

"Forget it. I'll tell them later."

"Besides, I don't know what kind of changes this little butterfly of mine will bring to this world. So far, everything has followed the script. Of course, there have been some minor deviations, but overall, there hasn't been much of a problem. At the very least, no major plot changes have appeared yet."

So Mo Li was still fairly reassured.

Meanwhile, Besta beside them began to panic.

"This time, it seemed he had gone too far. Although he was the one who framed Kaijin, he had never expected the Hero King to personally preside over the trial, nor had he expected the punishment to be so severe."

"Although he had always tripped Kaijin up, he could not deny that Kaijin was truly a good minister and an exceptionally talented smith. He had always targeted him, but he had known where to stop. He had never dealt a killing blow. At most, he had merely caused Kaijin to lose his position and become a blacksmith."

"But this time was different. Not only had it brought Kaijin a harsh punishment, it had also dragged his brothers and benefactors into it. He had truly offended Kaijin beyond reconciliation. This was now a fight to the death. Besta had only two choices: either eliminate Kaijin completely, uprooting him once and for all, or pay any price necessary to obtain Kaijin's forgiveness."

"But of those two choices, Besta immediately ruled out the first. Though he disliked Kaijin, he could not bring himself to kill him, because they were the same kind of people—both were servants of the Hero King. He would not kill one of the King's servants. That was his bottom line. And honestly, Besta bore no real hatred toward Kaijin. Their conflict was nothing more than a difference in ideals."

"And honestly, their relationship had once been quite good. It was only Besta's jealousy that had shattered that friendship. He had truly been jealous of Kaijin. Why could Kaijin, a commoner, receive the King's favor? His own abilities had never been inferior to Kaijin's, so why was Kaijin the corps commander while he was merely the deputy commander? It was precisely this jealousy that led to the later framing."

Later, he had been too aggressive in researching magical weapons, but the project had failed. Not only had it directly blown up the research base, it had also caused heavy casualties and economic losses. Yet he had used his connections to fabricate evidence and shift all the blame onto Kaijin, causing Kaijin to fall from corps commander to a blacksmith. It had always been his jealousy at work. Unfortunately, it was all too late now. There was no going back.

Only then did Besta realize his mistake.

"Isn't twenty years too much? And his companions never even acted. Isn't ten years rather unfair?"

Besta pleaded on behalf of Kaijin and the others.

Kaijin was somewhat surprised when he heard that voice. He truly had not expected Besta to plead for him.

After hearing Besta's words, the judge said nothing.

To the judge, once a sentence had been declared, it was final.

What kind of place was this? It was a place for judging criminals, the fairest place in the entire Dwarf Kingdom.

Changing the verdict was impossible.

And he could not change it anyway. In truth, he knew Kaijin and the others had been wronged, but knowing that did not mean he could help them. He was a judge. In this place, where only evidence mattered, without proof that Kaijin and the others were innocent, they were guilty.

And now that the verdict had been declared, he could no longer change it unless the Hero King personally spoke.

That was the only way.

"Please respect the verdict, Lord Besta."

The judge spoke sternly to Besta.

"Begin carrying out the verdict. Take the prisoners away."

The judge's voice was filled with mercilessness.

Besta wanted to say something, yet he did not know what to say.

Kaijin's eyes were full of rage as he looked at Besta.

Before, he had endured the loss of his position and the underhanded schemes.

But what had his patience earned him?

Twenty years of mining labor.

Several dwarf soldiers then stepped forward, preparing to take Kaijin and the others away to carry out the verdict.

Kaijin, Rimuru, and the others were all fitted with heavy shackles.

Looking at the shackles on her body, Rimuru gave them a try.

"Mm, I can break free at any time."

As a Slime, Rimuru's body had no fixed solid shape.

Not only could she grow larger or smaller at will, she could also turn into liquid. Trying to restrain her with chains was simply idiotic, wasn't it?

As for Mo Li, there was even less reason to worry. They were merely iron chains. If he had not been concerned about causing a conflict and wary of the Hero King, Mo Li could have left back in the prison. The prison's defenses might have been enough to restrain ordinary monsters and humans, but to imprison monsters like Mo Li and Rimuru, they would at least need several more chains and barriers.

However, just as Mo Li, Rimuru, Kaijin, and the others were about to leave the courtroom.

The Hero King, who had long been seated upon the high platform, spoke.

"Kaijin, are you willing to return to my side and serve me once more?"

Kaijin was somewhat moved upon hearing that voice. But after hesitating for a moment, he said,

"King, I'm sorry. I have failed your expectations. I am now a criminal and can no longer return to your side to serve you. Besides, I have already found the one I must serve. He is my benefactor. They saved the lives of my brothers and me, and I must repay that kindness. King, this is the last time Kaijin will salute you."

Kaijin knelt on one knee, placed his right hand over his chest, and spoke resolutely.

Then Kaijin rose to his feet and, dragging his heavy chains, resolutely walked out of the courtroom.

Besta at the side grew anxious.

"What is Kaijin thinking?"

"Alas."

Seeing this, the Hero King could not help but sigh, as though regretting something.