Chapter 501

Chapter 501: The Trial

Church of the Dawn Goddess, The Court.

"Null, do you know what law you have broken?" A middle-aged priest looked serious as he silently stared at Null, who was bound by Seastone shackles below.

There were not only members of the Church of the Dawn Goddess present, but also people from the Flame War God Church, the Church of Wisdom God, and others sent by different churches.

The Presea Empire, which had captured Null, also sent representatives.

With Presea’s people arriving, the other four major permanent member countries naturally sent people to join the event.

Additionally, Null’s employer, the kingdom of Persia, also sent representatives.

Moreover, Null is now a Ninth-Level Card Maker; the president of the Card Maker Association and the president of the Alchemy Association have also arrived for his trial.

To create an imposing atmosphere, the Church of the Dawn Goddess even summoned Celica.

Celica sat in the audience, watching Null while munching on sunflower seeds, completely disregarding the so-called courtroom.

The only people she cared about were the two men.

Norton, the president of the Alchemy Association, a ninth-tier wizard and alchemy warlock.

Morgan, the president of the Card Maker Association, an eighth-tier Card Maker, didn’t seem important to Celica, but he brought the strongest Card Maker from the Card Maker Association, Master Luke, a ninth-tier Card Maker.

The small courtroom was crowded with four ninth-tiers.

Ninth-tier, each one is a top force on the continent.

One empire can become one of the five permanent council nations with just two ninth-tiers, especially in the top three.

Whether they can be recognized as one of the five permanent council nations depends on the presence of ninth-tier individuals.

Even the strongest Yggdrasil Empire has only three ninth-tiers.

"Law? What law did I break?" Null silently looked at the middle-aged priest.

"After your breakthrough, you did not report to the kingdom, nor to the Card Maker Association or the Alchemist Guild, but went straight to the Lalaria line!" The middle-aged priest glanced at Celica, his confidence strengthened. He slammed his hand on the table and shouted, "What, didn’t you know that a ninth-tier cannot participate in ordinary matters?"

The diplomat from the Pande Empire became nervous.

He really wanted to know why Null went there back then.

If he was helping Karoso in the war…

This is a ninth-tier Card Maker!

With his abilities, he could change the course of a war without even lifting a finger.

A single eighth-tier could defeat a whole army, so what about a ninth-tier? The destructive power is beyond measure!

Of course, the ninth-tier was also ordered not to act casually.

If there are Ninth Tier beings who want to break the rules, even with the Church as support, they will still face the overwhelming power of all the Ninth Tier members from the five permanent council countries.

"At that time, I had just broken through and lost control of my power. In the blink of an eye, I was out at sea, and then I got lost, not knowing how I ended up near the Lalaria line," Null said, holding to the principle of ‘truth will earn leniency while resistance will face strict penalties.’

"Lost? Who do you think will believe that?" The middle-aged priest leaned forward slightly.

"I believe it," said the diplomat from the Yggdrasil Empire with a smile. "Master Null is focused on card making and might not even understand everyday problems. In the world of geniuses, they only know how to research, not much else. To expect a top Card Maker to have Ninth Tier card-making skills and understand the law… isn’t that a bit too much to ask?"

"Are you suggesting that if Master Null needs to understand social customs, he should get some cigarettes, bring a case of wine, and drink a couple of toasts in front of you?"

The other diplomats looked at the Yggdrasil Empire diplomat in disbelief.

No wonder they are the first empire; look at their quick reactions! Can an ordinary person keep up with that?

"That’s not what I meant!" the middle-aged priest exclaimed angrily. "Right now, he is ignoring the Ninth Tier laws and attacking the military of Canglang Province outside the Lalaria line!"

"Were there any casualties?" the Pande Empire diplomat said slowly. "They’re making moves in our Pande Empire’s territory, and we haven’t said a word."

"No one got hurt, but it was still violence!" the middle-aged priest hit the table, "If everyone acts like this, what will happen to the law?"

"If he is strong, can he do whatever he wants? What if all the Ninth-Order join the war? Let’s see how long the continent can last!"

"Let me make it clear, the continent will be fine." A person from the Church of Wisdom God smiled and said, "If a real fight happens, the ones who will suffer the most are humans, not the continent."

"You all…" the middle-aged priest pointed at the people.

Did these people lose their minds just because of a Ninth-Order Card Maker?

Indeed, a Ninth-Order Card Maker is a powerful weapon of war; having one is more important than discovering a mine.

But if a Ninth-Order Card Maker can ignore the law and the rules, what kind of world will this become?

At that point, everyone will follow suit. Will humanity still be okay?

Yes, there are no casualties now, but what if there are casualties, like a few people dying? These people before me wouldn’t care.

But what if their son dies? What about the parents? What about the friends? Can they still be so calm and sarcastic?

The middle-aged priest is a very stubborn judge who believes in absolute law.

But in front of these people, talking about the law doesn’t make sense.

"Alright, guilty, guilty. I, the Pande Empire, will judge this crime." The Pande diplomat continued, "Master Null used ninth-tier power freely in the Pande Empire. He will serve one year in prison and pay a fine of one hundred thousand Forged Coins. This one year in prison must be served in my Pande."

After saying this, the Pande diplomat even winked at Null.

This punishment is similar to just having three cups of self-punishment.

In fact, this one-year sentence feels almost like nothing. They won’t even stop him from moving freely.

With Null’s identity, doesn’t being locked up mean he will still be treated well? That is the privilege of a ninth-tier Card Maker.

Offending him is like offending the Card Maker group.

"It should be judged like this." The middle-aged priest saw the punishment and realized it was similar to a normal one, so he didn’t say anything more.

In fact, if it were him, he would have made the same judgment; it was just that Null initially defended the innocent, and those people were just speaking on his behalf.

I have to say, some people do have privileges, especially on this continent.

The reason those people confronted the middle-aged priest was just to curry favor with Null and to label the priest as a bad person.

Clearly, they succeeded. After the middle-aged priest finished speaking, it didn’t seem like he upheld the law; instead, it felt like he had compromised.

"Serving your sentence in the Pande Empire?" The diplomat from the Presea Empire was unhappy, "I disagree!"

"That’s right, Master Null is our royal Card Maker, and I also disagree!" the diplomat from the Kingdom of Persia said.

"This matter can even be discussed at an international meeting," the diplomat from the Yggdrasil Empire said with a smile, "We all agree."

"You all…" The diplomat from Presea’s expression changed.

It is clear that the other four permanent members have reached an agreement; otherwise, they wouldn’t be so united!

If Emperor Augustus had still been in power, the situation would definitely have been different, but he has died, and Presea has also suffered turmoil caused by Karoso, losing much of its international prestige.

In the eyes of many countries, this huge empire seems like a paper tiger that can be easily crushed.

It may seem like just a struggle for Null, but this meeting is really a political game.

At this moment, Easley letting go of Null also serves to attract the attention of others.

Right now, Presea is overwhelmed and absolutely not in a position to have conflicts with any country.

And a ninth-level Card Maker, while reluctant, knows that Null isn’t his to keep, and since Null won’t help him make cards, plus the Card Maker Association and Alchemy Guild are watching closely, Easley just went along with it.

"Aside from this charge, there is another one," the middle-aged priest took a deep breath. "Master Null, after committing the crime, you still did not report the ninth-level incident, but instead went to the Presea Empire and had a conflict with Mr. Hyros of Presea."

"No, I only wanted to go to the Church of Wisdom God to meet the God of Wisdom, and I did not intend to have a conflict with Mr. Hyros," Null shook his head.

"Hmph, still trying to argue!" The Presea diplomat said unceremoniously, "You were the one who started it!"

"I had just arrived on Presea’s land, I didn’t control my strength well, and I wasn’t prepared for a normal visit. It was my mistake. When Mr. Hyros came in front of me, I was extremely frightened…" Null said with a look of regret, "Fortunately, with Mr. Hyros’s strength, I didn’t hurt him."

"No matter what your mindset was at the time, the fact is you laid a hand on him," the middle-aged priest said. "Committing a crime twice means another three years of imprisonment in Presea."

"I accept," Null nodded.

In this world, there is no such thing as being free from punishment for killing; once you kill, it is a crime.

The only ones who can avoid punishment or have their sentences reduced are high-ranking professionals, church leaders, and nobles, these three groups.

"A year later…" The Presea diplomat frowned slightly.

The international situation is becoming increasingly tense; who knows what will happen in a year?

In fact, who knows what will happen in a month?

In this game, they never gave Presea a chance at all.

Now, Easley would never dare to use force.

Otherwise, if they dared to do this, Emperor Augustus would send his troops right away.

"Alright, let’s talk about the matter of probation," said General Morgan, the president of the Card Maker Association.

As soon as Morgan finished speaking, the diplomats from the four permanent member countries, including the Pande Empire, frowned at the same time.

"Ahem, Guildmaster Morgan, Master Null has committed a crime after all. After so many years, there’s only this one case. If we don’t take it seriously, what if others follow his example? This probation…" spoke the diplomat from the Kingdom of Numenor, the last of the five permanent member countries, clearly showing he was on the same side as the Pande Empire.

The task given to the diplomats from the Pande Empire was to bring Null back.

Right now, during the war, a level nine Card Maker is too valuable!

The other people were also willing to speak on his behalf because Pande promised benefits once Null arrived.

The cards Null makes in the future will also be given to them.

"Null is an outstanding talent who has made great contributions to card making. Your countries are all using the cards he created, as well as the card series he invented." Morgan looked around, "I know you are all fighting now, but we are Card Makers and should not get involved in your troubles."

"If you want someone like Null to come down and make cards for you, what would happen if other countries followed suit and got ninth-tier Card Makers to make cards?"

"If Master Luke does not step in, will it seem unfair and make others think we, the Card Maker Association, are favoring you?"

"I can only say that although Null is a ninth-tier strong person, he is also a Card Maker and cannot be treated like a normal ninth-tier."

"For Presea and the Pande Empire, Null did not control his power well. We will discipline him, we will imprison him, we will compensate you, but we will not hand him over to you!"

"The scale and intensity of the war will increase with the rise in weapons. We Card Makers are the biggest arms suppliers."

"During such a war, we must try to remain neutral; at least Card Makers of eighth-tier and above must stay neutral!"

"Our cards should be prioritized for those who contribute to humanity, like the brave warriors who conquer dungeons or the church members who maintain peace."

The diplomat from the Yggdrasil Empire looked upset.

He glared at the middle-aged priest, feeling tricked by the Church of Dawn Goddess.

After talking for so long and having private discussions, it turns out you all had it planned?

The middle-aged priest looked confused.

Why are you staring at me? I don’t know anything.

They want to give our church cards and create cards for the brave warriors who explore the dungeon—what’s wrong with that?

Celica was not in a good mood; she put her feet on the table and said boldly, "What are you looking at? Looking for a fight?"

The diplomat from the Yggdrasil Empire remembered Celica’s fierce reputation and held back his words.

"So, is that how we will handle the situation?" Morgan surveyed everyone.

In this world, the Card Maker is the lifeblood of all nations.

Although the Card Makers do not have the strongest power, their voices are not to be underestimated.

"Ahem, I have another question," a member of the Church of the Wise God asked Null, "Do you have business with our Lord?"

"I want to find out the whereabouts of a person. Has the deity awakened?" Null looked at the believer.

The believer shook his head with a look of regret, "No."

He did not lie to Null; the answer he received was indeed no.

Therefore, with so many ninth-level beings present, none could sense that he was lying, because what he said was the truth.

……

After that, the headquarters of the Church of the Dawn Goddess.

The Pope silently nodded after learning about the trial.

The Card Maker Association is indeed not to be underestimated…

They hadn’t discussed any priority card-making with the Church before!

However, since they are willing to use this method to end the war and willing to pay the price of card-making, the Church will grant their wish.

……

Presea.

Easley felt relieved upon learning that Null was taken by the Card Maker Association.

Null, a ninth-level Card Maker, is a significant variable.

It is a good thing to escape from this turmoil.

At that moment, Peter appropriately reminded, "Master Null was taken away by the Card Maker Association, so… where is Master 『』? Master 『』 is another ninth-tier Card Maker."

Easley was stunned for a moment.

Damn, after the last dungeon, 『』 hasn’t shown her face, and the church and the professional association are keeping quiet about her.

Where is she?

Also, Karoso made a big scene last time and then disappeared. Where is he?

Karoso, what was his strength? Eighth-tier, right…?