Sumeru was a nation that revered wisdom, and accordingly, scholars who possessed knowledge always enjoyed all manner of privileges unavailable to ordinary people.
These included a consistently tolerant attitude toward scholars who broke the law, to say nothing of someone as powerful as Azar. Even after being arrested by the Matra, he could still enjoy exceptional treatment in prison.
The saying that punishment did not extend to high officials found perfect expression in Sumeru.
Although the Matra existed to provide oversight, not every Matra was as unbending as Cyno, nor did every Matra have the authority to arrest and judge sages. As such, Cyno, the Great General Mahamatra, actually stood outside the Matra system.
Had Azar's actions this time not been so outrageous that Lesser Lord Kusanali herself intervened-but even so, other scholars of the Akademiya had already begun pleading with Lesser Lord Kusanali for leniency.
After all, sages being sentenced to death was a first in Sumeru's history. Setting this precedent might have a different impact on the position of scholars in Sumeru going forward.
If even sages could be sentenced to death, what about those who had yet to become sages? Would they also face harsher punishment if they committed offenses in the future?
So in truth, they were not pleading for Azar's sake, but for their own futures.
Unexpectedly, Lesser Lord Kusanali actually agreed to the scholars' tentative request. Thus, the sentences for Azar and the others were changed from death to life imprisonment.
The scholars were overjoyed at this outcome and hurried to praise Lesser Lord Kusanali for her magnanimity and benevolence. Since she had already taken a step back, they could hardly object to the terms of imprisonment that followed.
Their place of imprisonment was not Avidya Forest, with its birdsong, fragrant flowers, and pleasant