Paimon opened her mouth.
It was a face of utter disbelief.
Torukel, using his cane to support himself, bowed deeply.
“My apologies. This one knew full well of your highness’ care for all the people on the continent. This one had used your highness’ merciful heart in order to incite hatred towards his highness Dantalian. His highness Dantalian was merely rank 71st anyway. This one had judged that once the hearing was open that it would end on the majority vote.”
“……”
“As it so had happened, his highness Dantalian had murdered his highness Andromalius and this one had seen that as a golden opportunity. To threaten his highness Dantalian with the atrocious crime of murdering a Demon Lord. Using that chance, this one had planned to snatch away all of the black herbs. But his highness Dantalian had surpassed this one’s expectations and was able to prove his innocence. How vexing……”
Torukel glanced at me slightly.
I gazed back at him with absolutely no emotions on my face.
Unintentionally, with a ‘tsk’, I ended up clicking my tongue. I could grasp what that aged merchant was basically trying to do. He was intending to foil this great circus performance.
The judge, Marbas, sharply inquired Torukel.
“Small goblin. You have admitted yourself that you had ridiculed Paimon in order to fulfill your own selfish desires. Do you understand your crimes?”
“Yes, your highness. This one knows when to admit defeat. This one had tried to gain great profit by using her highness Paimon and the chief executive of the Keuncuska Firm. And I had failed. That is all.”
The goblin shook his head.
“If there was something wrong that her highness Paimon had done, then it was having trusted this wicked and old goblin. Thus, since all faults completely lies on this one— although from a humble birth.”
Quickly.
Before anyone could do anything.
Torukel took a small blade out from his clothes—
“This one shall apologize with this insignificant life.”
—and stabbed his own throat.