Chapter 581: Demure Trickery

“Well, well, well… Number 48. Just what am I supposed to do with you?” Rael muttered with crossed arms. “Speak now, or forever hold your peace.”

Number 48 was silent, and no matter how many times Rael poked fun at him, he didn’t move. For a second, Rael thought this guy was deaf, but then he realized he couldn’t exactly use his mind powers to have a chat.

He wasn’t sure about the reason, but even so, if Number 48 didn’t want to cooperate, then so be it.

Rael moved on to another prisoner who was right beside Number 48, and he said the same words he had said to 48.

But for some reason, he was once again met with complete silence.

Noticing that something was off, Rael frowned and switched to another prisoner, then another. After ten prisoners and not a single one replying to him, Rael could safely deduce what had just happened.

I didn’t see this in my Prophetic Realm, but it looks like Anastasia told something to these people so they kept their mouths shut, Rael thought with a sigh. How fucking annoying. I can’t use anything since that’ll just lead me to getting disqualified.

He glanced over to Lucien, and unlike Rael, he was having a blast.

Every minute, he took care of a prisoner, and after five minutes, Rael thought Lucien would back away and bask in his victory. ᴜᴘᴅᴀᴛᴇ ꜰʀᴏᴍ novel·fiɾe·net

But instead, he proceeded to move on to the sixth person, which caught Rael slightly off guard.

Shit, is he really trying to liberate all these people so I have none left?

It was smart, sure, but it was also really annoying. But Rael wasn’t someone who would bend over and take it like a champ.

In fact, he could be just as petty.

Clearing his throat, Rael yelled across the entire room:

“Alright! Whoever wants a reduced sentence, speak up now! One lucky person is going to walk away scot-free!”

Every single prisoner present flinched, and even the prisoner that Lucien was chatting up halted, turning his head slightly toward Rael.

And of course, the moment of silence didn’t last long.

“Me! Pick me!”

“Here! Number 33! I didn’t do anything wrong, I swear!”

“L-Let me out and I’ll tell you a secret!”

Pretty much, that perked everyone up, and all it took was some low-effort provocation.

Rael walked back to Number 48 and put on a smile.

“Number 48.”

“Ahahaha… That’s me. We didn’t get off on the right foot, did we?” the prisoner joked around. “Say… Can you judge me for my most innocent crimes? If you do that, then I swear I’ll worship you like a god!”

“Okay, speak up then,” Rael replied magnanimously. “Oh, but before we get to the innocent, I must know the bad. My curiosity simply can’t take it. I hope you can understand.”

The prisoner chuckled, letting his guard down.

“In that case, I massacred an entire village in search of an artifact, and after I found it, I massacred an entire kingdom for a blood sacrifice!”

The prisoner held back a laugh.

“B-But you know what’s funny? It said Food Sacrifice, not Blood Sacrifice! Hahahaha! I should’ve really learned to read. But that’s not important anymore. Let’s see… My most innocent crime is stealing a jade pearl from a concubine’s chambers. Punish me!”

These people are all clearly a little fucked in the head, Rael thought absentmindedly. But damn… Talking about something so cruel with that expression… I wonder how these people even live with themselves.

Coming to a decision, Rael turned toward Anastasia and flashed a warm smile.

“Number 48. Hang him upside down and drain his blood for 1,000 years straight.”

“H-Huh!?” the prisoner nearly jumped up. “Y-You! What are you talking about!?”

For once, Anastasia seemed satisfied with his choice, so without question, she snapped her fingers, causing the prisoner to vanish.

<Objective: Enact a suitable judgement on 5 prisoners.>

<Current progress: 2/5>

The jolly screams of the prisoners died down, clearly feeling like they were tricked.

“Like all things in life, you don’t always get what you want,” Rael said. “Some of you are despicable, but if you want me to take you seriously, then don’t act like total idiots and tell me your crimes with straight faces.”

With that, he approached another.

“Number 23. Speak.”

“I-I… I have stolen the panties of 100,000 women.”

Rael raised a brow. “That’s a lie.”

The prisoner flinched, lowering his head.

“I meant to say 1,000,000…”

“Uhh…” Rael waited for his lie detector skill to pop, but it didn’t.

He wasn’t sure whether to commend this guy or name him the greatest pervert in the world.

But even though it was scummy and disgusting, it sure as shit was impressive.

“Alright… Every time you see a pair of panties, you think of your grandmother naked,” Rael deadpanned, and then turned toward Anastasia, giving her a thumbs-up.

Her expression by now was unreadable, but she still granted him his judgement.

<Objective: Enact a suitable judgement on 5 prisoners.>

<Current progress: 3/5>

Only two to go… Rael glanced around. I should probably just speedrun this, shouldn’t I?

.

.

.

<Objective: Enact a suitable judgement on 5 prisoners.>

<Current progress: 5/5>

“Phew.” Rael wiped the sweat from his forehead. “I’m finally done.”

“D-Done? What about the rest of us!?”

“You promised you’d let someone off scot-free!”

“You liaaaaar!”

Rael glanced at Lucien, who had been staring at him for the past ten minutes. It was a bit uncomfortable, but he simply gave him the middle finger and then walked up to Anastasia, standing right beside her.

“Why hasn’t the trial ended?” he asked with a hum. “Both of us got five people already.”

Anastasia glanced at him.

“You’re both done. The trial will end in an hour, so until then, you may do whatever you please.”

“…”

Rael stared at the side of her face and saw the faint twitching at the corner of her lips.

Of course, that immediately gave him the memo he needed.

“You know, as a good trial master, shouldn’t you tell us everything instead of holding out on us?”

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