The Spread of Betrayal [Second Update]

What did he stand to gain by betraying them?

If Meketre could shoulder the blame alone, then as long as they retained their official positions, they could still, as his allies, look after and promote Meketre's family in the future. As for hard labor, officials with privileges like them only needed to make a few secret arrangements to have someone else take their place.

Yet they had never expected their ally to sell them out on the platform just to have his family's sentence reduced.

So they all spoke up, trying to stop him.

Unfortunately, Meketre was completely unmoved at this point.

He deeply hated these people for their "betrayal." Now, he no longer held any hope that these "allies" would look after his family.

Everyone who betrayed me can become Sobek's sacrifice alongside me!

At that moment, Nitocris finally responded.

"During the trial, no unrelated person may speak to the accused. Violators will be treated as accomplices!"

Nitocris's stern words finally silenced the officials. Only then did she look at Meketre.

"Fine, I accept," the Pharaoh said. "Your willingness to expose your accomplices proves that you intend to repent. As long as your information is sufficiently useful, I will naturally deal leniently with your family—I can merely strip them of their status and reduce them to commoners, sparing them from hard labor."

"Thank you, Your Majesty!"

"However," Nitocris warned, "do not even think of fabricating charges to falsely accuse others. Believe me, my magic can tell whether you are speaking the truth or lying!"

Meketre shuddered, immediately abandoning certain dark thoughts in his heart.

Still, even if he could not make false accusations, he had plenty of information to offer.

Meketre kissed the ground before him to show his respect for the Pharaoh, then began spilling everything.

"Financial officer