Drug-Eating Genius Mage

약먹는 천재마법사 909화

Hearing (5)

“It’s a Balkan market….”

Conrad’s message that the mayor may be attending the hearing.

Lennok could not easily ignore those words and was lost in thought for a moment.

Although quite some time had passed since he had been in the city, he had never seen the mayor’s face.

If you think about it, the existence of a market in the Balkans was rarely mentioned in the first place.

It may have been because the mayor did not step forward as most of the work was concentrated in the central council, but Lennok still remembered.

Kaise from the past, whom we met in the closed area, Area 25.

When he mentioned the Black Consumer Project, he mentioned the mayor as one of the stakeholders with whom he was deeply involved.

“It’s already been more than 10 years since a Balkan mayor has not made an official appearance in person.”

Conrad spoke as if he was thinking deeply about something.

“I don’t know why he doesn’t show up to the public. “He is only guessing at a very small percentage of the senators, the senate.”

“That means we can’t be sure the mayor is here.”

“As this is a matter, considering the cost of the referee protocol, it is very likely that he will be at the hearing.”

Conrad answered Lennok’s question with a serious expression.

“The current mayor took over the position a long time ago and has maintained it, so few people know his face. So be careful.”

“….”

“If he really were here, he might try to use his authority to intervene in the hearing.”

“well.”

Lennok chuckled, and Avenia flinched at that unexpected reaction.

“If the mayor was really at the hearing, he wouldn’t do something stupid like that.”

“What a stupid thing to do, he probably has the most authority in this city-”

“Why do you think I am at this hearing?”

Phew…!

Even though he is sitting in a wheelchair and receiving help from Antares, the presence of the wizard weighs heavily on Conrad’s shoulders.

Lennok smiled as he looked at Conrad’s faintly stiff face.

“The City Council can’t win against me in this hearing. “If you don’t know, there’s no need to explain.”

“….”

Is it true that a cause and effect so powerful that he is confident that he is already on his side?

Conrad twitched his mouth for a moment as if he wanted to ask more about him, then checked the time and sighed.

“…If you think so, then there is no reason to warn you anymore. “Is it okay if I don’t have to worry about my injuries?”

Conrad said as he glanced back at the door leading to the venue with his arms crossed.

“If you wish, we can reduce the number of questions or comments related to that through prior consultation.”

Do you have the influence to intervene in the procedure or process before the hearing even begins?

But Lennok shook his head even after hearing Conrad’s words.

“Not required.”

“good. “If that’s the case, there’s nothing we can do.”

Shrugging his shoulders, Conrad slowly stepped back.

“I have confirmed your attendance, so we will start as soon as you are ready. “Wait here and come in when the door opens.”

“understood.”

“Good luck.”

Conrad said so, opened the side door next to the hallway and disappeared.

The moment Avenia followed him, bowed and disappeared, the door in front of Lennok rang loudly.

thud!!

The shape of a huge door that slowly trembles and opens on both sides. Antares immediately started walking, pushing the wheelchair.

Wow!!

Pure white light engulfed the two people and spun as if rushing through them, soon drawing the scene of a huge temple.

A dazzling, transparent marble. A huge temple hall with thick pillars lined up on both sides.

More than a dozen people are sitting in the observation seats on either side, and a dozen city council members are sitting in a circle in front, looking down on Lennok.

There is a small table that can accommodate one person in the center of the venue, with dozens of observers and city council members surrounding it, looking down on the center.

Hundreds of cameras and recording devices were located on all sides of the temple, showing the hearing room in real time.

“It really is fast….”

“I am the leader of the Antares mercenaries. “I heard he has been away in the Balkans for over several months.”

“Did you return to the city to accompany Gorye to the hearing?”

“It’s a strange thing. “The two people’s known personalities are completely different, so how can they be friends?”

Crash.

Antares stopped the wheelchair in front of the table where the chairs had already been cleared and took two steps back.

Lennok leaned the cane he was holding next to him and quietly raised his gaze and looked around.

Are you saying that among those gathered here, there is one person each in charge of the Central Assembly, the Senate, and the Judiciary?

And if the mayor of Balkan is in the hearing room, where will he be sitting and watching Lennok?

Just as Lennok was thinking this, the old judge sitting in the front row opened the thick law book he was holding in his hand and said:

“Please sign the referee protocol pledge.”

At that moment, young boys dressed in colorful robes walked forward carrying stone tablets.

Boys wearing the same uniforms as the judges came in front of Lennok with expressionless faces and quietly laid down the tablets.

thud!!

Complex rules written in ancient script and a signature line with a hand placed on the end of a stone tablet.

While Lennok looked at the slate in silence, the judge asked in an old voice.

“Will you swear that you will faithfully participate in this hearing according to the promise made in Arsnova?”

“Sure.”

“Then, so that you can put your hand on the slate.”

As Lennok placed his hand on the stone slab, he felt an invisible, intangible force cover the back of his hand.

Kagagak!!

A strange restraint that seemed to bind Lennok’s hands like an invisible chain and bound his inner self.

‘You can resist it by using targeted resistance. but….’

According to Conrad’s words, the Judgment Code is not only governed by Lennok, but also Geass, which is initiated by paying a price to those in charge of attending this event.

If Lennok does not accept the protocol here, they too will immediately realize that the protocol was not properly bound.

Ugh…!!

As Lennok watched without resisting the restraints, the wheelchair he was riding in began to faintly vibrate.

At the same time, one of the three chains that were trying to bind Lennok’s inner being loosened from its place, and soon lost its strength and disappeared.

Invalidation of restraint prohibiting use of imagery during hearing.

However, as soon as the Geass adjustment was made, Lennok realized that the other rules of the Judgment Code did not have much influence on him.

Even though the protocol itself is clearly hanging on Lennok, what he feels inside is a slight urge to answer the question.

For Lennok, who has a kaleidoscopic image, is it because Geass itself, which binds the mind in the first place, does not function properly?

While Renok, who had taken his hand off the stone slab, was stroking his wrist and thinking about the fact, the old man spoke again.

“Finally confirming the attendance of the Archmage class. “I hereby certify in the name of the Chief Justice that all persons required to proceed have completed their oath.”

“….”

“From now on, we will begin hearing testimony about all the charges that Gore and Ban committed in the Balkans.”

* * *

“It’s called a hearing, but I haven’t heard any explanation about the specific procedures or methods.”

asked Renok, tapping the stone slab in front of him.

“Shouldn’t you at least explain with your own mouth what you are going to do from now on?”

“Don’t worry, fast.”

At that moment, one of the city council members sitting at the head of the table answered.

“Since you have signed the Judgment Protocol, you will be answering our questions here today, even if you do not wish to.”

“….”

“Of course, you can’t ask questions and get answers about secrets or private life that you don’t want to reveal.”

The city councilman said, pointing to the stone slab with his eyes.

“The only things that can be enforced through the trial protocol are questions related to the immediate agenda of the hearing. Therefore, we can only ask questions about all the crimes you committed in the Balkans and decide whether to admit the charges.”

“okay?”

Lennok chuckled.

“So what I did at Machina wasn’t even going to be discussed at this hearing in the first place.”

“….”

Could it be that Lennok’s well-placed words accurately penetrated the invisible details of this situation?

Among the speechless judges, someone spoke.

“You are fully aware of what you have done in this city.”

“Have you ever doubted my memory?”

“I was thinking so.”

The old judge’s eyes sank deeply.

“Otherwise, it would have been difficult to add logic to such reckless violence that did not discriminate between factions and factions.”

“….”

“We made past enemies our allies, and were anxious to fight and kill new enemies. Are you saying that all those atrocities that lacked any sense of reason or logic were the result of your judgment and memory?”

the judge asked.

“If you know that, why on earth did you show up at this hearing yourself?”

“You sound like you were hoping everything I did was accidental.”

Lennok laughed.

“I never planned everything thoroughly, and I never impulsively grabbed anyone and started fighting.”

“….”

“There was a reason for everything I did until now, and that’s why I remember it all.”

“For his own reasons, he disrupted social norms and order and destabilized public order. “Don’t you know that that is the way of thinking of a madman?”

Perhaps because he judged that Lennok had sworn an oath in the referee’s rules, the judge had no hesitation in his assertions.

The appearance of people who, without hesitation, are confident in the fact that Lennok is crazy.

But when Lennok heard that, instead of getting angry, he tilted his head back in disgust.

“Okay, let’s get started. “If it goes as you described, it looks like a lot of preparation time is needed.”

“…I was planning on doing it even if I didn’t say that, so don’t rush it.”

Only then did the judges in charge of answering questions at the hearing step forward one by one.

“Now that we have confirmed that your answer is operating in accordance with the referee protocol, we will now begin listening in earnest.”

It is not the city council members of the Central Council who are presiding over this hearing, but the judges belonging to the Supreme Court.

To be precise, should we say that they are the ones who have the authority to officially present the suspicion of fastness, which has been vaguely assumed so far?

Meanwhile, the observers who were watching the conversation between Gyeomrei and the judge exchanged words.

“You look a lot healthier than I thought. “Are you sure you’re really crazy?”

“It has long been known that communication is possible. Fast’s notoriety largely stems from what he did.”

“The profilers of District 17 assessed the fact that fasts can communicate normally to be even more dangerous. “We’ll have to wait and see how he comes out.”

“Are you saying that monsters that can communicate are more dangerous? “There is no such thing as a horror movie.”

As one of the judges cleared his throat and pushed the verdict through the projector, a video with blurry quality came to mind.

[Falling, breaking!]

[Quaaaaang!!]

A huge thunderbolt falling on top of an old power plant and the image of a building being torn to pieces.

The shock wave indiscriminately destroys and crushes streets and roads in all directions around the power plant.

A stream of water gushes out between the broken water pipes, and in an instant, the entire street turns into chaos.

“This video is a video recording an alleged attack on a public facility under the jurisdiction of the city government when you were working as a freelancer in the shadows.”

The judge spoke after finishing playing a short recorded video.

“At that time, due to damage to the power plant, part of the nearby 40th division suffered a complete power outage, and 40 employees managing the facilities were presumed to have died.”

“….”

“The lightning wizard presumed to be the culprit of this situation quietly left the scene without any punishment or responsibility. “What do you think?”

the judge asked, looking at Lennok sitting in the wheelchair with a stern gaze.

“Grand Wizard, will you accept the sentence and admit to the charges of massacre of employees at the power plant facility and destruction of public institutions under the city government?”

The city council members and reporters sitting in the hearing room looked at Lennok with nervous expressions as the young judge spoke with great weight.

The archmage known to be the most bloodthirsty in the Balkans.

The first question he formally confronts and admits to his charges.

Because there was nothing to predict how the fast would react to that fact.

Of course, the city council is also not demanding compensation for damages to property or public facilities that were damaged at the time.

If compensation or responsibility were to be considered in that way, there would be many people in this city who would be caught by the book before Lightning.

What the Congress is trying to confirm through this question right now is not anything else, but the response itself.

This is his true intention in attending this hearing.

“ah….”

And Lenok, who was watching the video with his chin resting, nodded his head as if he had remembered it too late.

“I remembered. Was it when you killed the lightning wizard named Eden? “I brought something from quite a long time ago.”

“If you admit to the charges-”

“But maybe because it’s an old story, there are some mistakes.”

“…what?”

The moment the judge paused at the completely unexpected answer. Lennok said calmly.

“It was 103 people, not 40. “We had a hard time because of the strong resistance from the gang that was occupying the power plant.”

“….”

“Is the name Cigar Bang Gang? “I remember trying to support the magic power of the lightning wizard who was the leader with the output of the power plant.”

Lennok muttered as if reminiscing about his old memories as the chairman became quiet.

“I thought the power plant’s output was too strong, but later I found out that they had bribed the district office and were using electricity from other districts without permission.”

beep-

At that moment, the microphone transmitting Lennok’s voice cut off.

The official who was broadcasting the situation at the hearing cut off the audio when a completely unexpected story came out.

However, Lennok’s voice was heard quite clearly despite the sudden microphone interruption.

“The lightning wizard I killed at that time was in collusion with a city council member from that district. That name must be-”

“Wait, wait!!!”

At that moment, the judge shouted and cut Lennok off.

Only then did Lennok, who had been immersed in reminiscing, frown and look away.

“It’s noisy. “Don’t stop talking.”

“…This hearing is designed to confirm and officially acknowledge the charges that are presumed to have been committed by you.”

The judge said while desperately clearing his throat and observing the surroundings.

This is because no one wants the details of corruption by city council members or district offices to be suddenly revealed at this time.

“We will not tolerate actions that arbitrarily change or modify the details of the charges. In particular, retracting or distorting a statement without evidence is-”

“Oh, did you need proof?”

dump!!

At the same time as he said that, an old notebook fell in front of the judge.

Lennok said as he looked at the judge picking up his notebook with trembling hands.

“This is a research diary written by the leader of the gang before he died. “What I said is written there, so take a good look at it.”

“….”

With so many people watching, the judge did not have enough courage to damage or steal the evidence.

While the pale-faced judge handed over his research log to the other judges, Lennok rested his chin and began to think.

“That lightning wizard. He was from the Torburn Mage Tower, and it seems he reached a limit while researching changes in the nature of magical power. Most of the journal was about him. “It seems like he was trying to form an organization in the shadows and get into the arms market, but his ideas and resourcefulness were good.”

“….”

“Now that I think about it, there must have been an easier way to kill him, but he overestimated his power while dealing with a gang leader. Still, looking back, the decision to force one-on-one in the end is not bad.”

In the quiet hearing room, only Lennok’s low voice resonates clearly.

“Huh….”

City council members, wizards, and reporters listening to Lennok with pale complexions.

I’m more surprised by Görmrei’s answer than the evidence he submitted, so I can’t even control my facial expression.

They also knew why Gyeonrei was now reminiscing about what happened back then and expressing his feelings.

Three rules due to Geass in the referee regulations.

The fact that all of the answers that Lightning is giving right now are not tainted with the slightest deception.

That wizard is not only crazy about fighting, but he is also crazy enough to remember and dwell on the details of battles that were years old.

Everyone gathered here is feeling it keenly from that one answer.

“…The authenticity of the evidence has been confirmed. “As a result of measuring the preservation power, there was no damage to the evidence.”

Meanwhile, the judge, who had finished analyzing the research log, slowly returned with an expression as if he had chewed on a bug.

As if he was truly reluctant and had no choice, the judge took the microphone and spoke to the audience in the hearing room.

“It was confirmed that Representative Hartenstein was involved in the agenda at the time. “We will defer judgment on this charge and will deal with it later by seeking cooperation from the Central Council.”

“That’s completely crazy….”

“I should never have come here in the first place.”

“This is what happens from the beginning of the hearing?”

If the corruption of the central council members has been implicated from the beginning, what kind of words will come out of that wizard’s mouth in the future?

Of course, among the city council members gathered here, there is no one who is not upset in one way or another.

He doesn’t know which of all the corruption and corruption he has spread in this city is connected to that wizard.

The hearing began again, leaving behind lawmakers who were already regretting attending the hearing.

“Then, let’s reserve judgment on this matter and move on.”

Perhaps because each judge had a different case, the first judge entered and the younger judge walked out.

“Oh, is it over already?”

Only then did Lennok, who had been reminiscing about what had happened with Eden just a moment ago, come out of his thoughts.

“It’s a shame. “I still have a lot to say about what happened back then.”

“….”

“Aren’t you curious about how the brains of the gang of criminals who impersonated power plant employees developed their brains?”

The young judge did not respond to the words of the archmage, who seemed literally out of his mind.

Looking extremely nervous, he slowly unfolded the verdict and the projector in front of Lennok at the same time.

“Well, okay. Let’s move on. But next time, when I testify, don’t interrupt me unnecessarily.”

Lennok relaxedly clenched and unclenched his hands as he watched.

“I’m slowly getting used to how the restraints of the referee rules are manifested. Everyone can look forward to it.”

“….”

Lennok’s remark was so absurd that it felt as if the main guest of the hearing had become a proselytizer.

Taking Arsnova’s pledge as an opportunity, one of the council members muttered helplessly at the strange sight of his mouth becoming relaxed.

“…I think I’m being punished, not that wizard. “Is it an illusion?”