Compared with the sunlight, the Cthulhu Fire cast a much gloomier, dimmer light, shrouding all of Solomon Hall in an atmosphere of solemnity.
Zheng Qing sat behind the long table and looked up at the enormous Danhaag emblem behind the Legendary Wizards on the dais—on either side of the scale's balance sat a copy of the "Wizard Codex" and a gavel.
The hearing was like that scale.
It was one of the mechanisms designed within the Alliance to check and balance power. Although its conclusions carried neither compulsory force nor legal effect, its gravity was in no way inferior to a trial before Danhaag's Supreme Court. That was because this hall gathered the attitudes of the broadest range of High-level Wizards in the Alliance.
Yet Zheng Qing was not sitting here entirely because of those wizards' attitudes.
He was here because of order.
The "Codex" represented order, Danhaag represented order, and the hearing likewise represented order—being "order," Zheng Qing needed to respect the concept of order more than other High-level Wizards did.
Dongdong!
On the dais, Madam Shi Hui, who was presiding over today's hearing, tapped the wooden gavel before her again.
"—Next, we invite the representative from the observers' section to speak."
Her gaze fell upon the Archwizards to Zheng Qing's left. Following her line of sight, Zheng Qing saw Colmar rise to her feet and calmly walk down the steps. She first gave a slight bow to the Legendary Wizards on the dais, then stopped behind a lectern diagonally ahead of her. Like the other Archwizards, she wore a pure black robe today, her expression exceedingly grave. The flickering light of the Cthulhu Fire fell over her silver-white hair, dyeing it with a magnificent hue.
Zheng Qing heard faint rustling behind him. It seemed the Archwizards were whispering