Knock, knock—
The rhythmic sound of the gavel striking its base echoed throughout the courtroom. The chattering crowd quickly fell silent.
No one wanted to be charged with "contempt of court," and no one wanted to challenge the judge's authority.
Some had tried before, only to be dealt with by "Ushi," Micenei Strome, without mercy and with impartial fairness.
"Order." Micenei Strome sat behind the long table and announced, "Court is now in session."
Gelman sat in the gallery, calmly observing and listening to everything around him. He kept a low profile.
Micenei Strome still wore his black-and-white cow-patterned outfit. Two people sat on either side of him.
One was Shutaner, a commissioner from the International Travel Permit Office; the other was Princess Oito, the eighth queen of the Kakin Empire.
They soon noticed Gelman in the gallery and smiled as they nodded to him. Gelman nodded back.
At the Hunter Association's rather grand celebratory banquet last night, Shutaner and Princess Oito had both been among the first to come over and thank their saviors.
They had already thanked Gelman the night after the Great Chaos. Later, when they tried to find him for a longer conversation, Netero told them that he had left the Coastal Fortress to carry out a secret mission.
At the time, Shutaner and Princess Oito had been disappointed and puzzled. What could Gelman and his group's secret mission be? They were leaving so soon that the two hadn't even had a chance to talk with them.
After seeing the prisoners they brought back, the two finally understood: they had gone to capture members of Beyond's expedition team.
Not long after Micenei Strome declared the court in session, Pariston was the first to be escorted to the defendant's stand, his wrists in handcuffs. He was led