468: THE PUBLIC TRIAL

THE PUBLIC TRIAL

Duke De la Pole was stunned. He stared at Arthur. 

'Why am I here? Why is he here? Why is he beside His Majesty the King?'

He pondered hard but he couldn't come up with a reason.

"Duke De la Pole seems clueless about his situation," His Majesty the King commented.

Arthur glanced at him.

King William had been ruling Tybu for over forty years. He took the throne when he was only twenty years old. 

He was already married and had his first son with his Queen Isabella. 

He always kept a distance from the nobles even though he always had a good relationship with them.

He showed great interest in Magic Tower after Arthur became the Master of the Magic Tower. 

From time to time, he would summon Arthur and ask for his opinion about various matters.

Many nobles thought King William pretended to be close with Arthur so that he could keep Magic Tower within his reach. 

Some nobles thought King William wanted Arthur's power to control the nobles.

However, everything was speculation. No one knew for sure what was the reason King William kept Arthur close.

As for Arthur who was always rebellious and never bowed down to anyone, he respected King William but never showed his true feelings.

Thus, no one knew their actual relationship.

Arthur looked at Duke De la Pole and asked, "Duke, are you confused?"

"Confused?" Duke De la Pole's expression changed. His face twisted with anger. Hatred flashed in his eyes.

"You! A piece of trash master. Who do you think you are treating me like this? I'm a Duke! Do you think you have the power to treat me like this?!"

Arthur didn't faze by his roar. He only glanced at him and muttered, "He has lost his mind."

King William chuckled. "Duke De la Pole, have you forgotten who is sitting in front of you?"

The soldier beside the Duke kicked his stomach. "Insolent! How dare you raise your voice in front of His Majesty the King?"

Duke De la Pole's face paled. The soldier hit him exactly where it was hurting him all night. 

He bowed and said, "Your Majesty, please forgive my behavior. It's really hard to understand what is happening. I've done nothing wrong. I'm innocent."

King William narrowed his eyes. "Is that so? Are you innocent? Then why are you here, Duke? Why did I have to come out of the palace and sit here to make a show for my citizens?"

Duke De la Pole was sweating profusely. 

'What does he mean? Is he trying to turn his back against us? But why? I'm the highest-ranking noble. How could His Majesty do this to me?'

Other nobles who were tied down like him were wondering the same thing. Their expressions weren't good. 

The confidence they had at night that their King would protect them was gone. 

The way King William was behaving, he didn't look like he was going to support these nobles.

Duke De la Pole shuddered. "Your Majesty, quell your anger. I've done nothing wrong."

"You want me to believe that after you were arrested in the place where slave auction was held? You were caught with all the slave traders. What do you want to say about that?"

As King William interrogated him, the crowd shouted.

"Slave supporter!"

"Duke disobeyed the King!"

"Execution!"

"Execution!"

"Execution!"

Duke De la Pole shuddered when he heard the angry shout.

A woman broke free from the guards and scratched his face.

She yelled at him, "My child. My son. He is only eight years old. What did you do to him? Tell me, where did you send him? 

"My son went to play with his friends but was taken by the slave traders. Aren't they your men? Tell them to give my son back!"

That mother's heartbreaking cry saddened the crowd.

King William didn't look good.

"Duke De la Pole, what do you have to say in this?" he asked. 

He was raged. 

"I've forbidden slave trading and passed a law. Did you think that was a joke? Or did you think you could outlaw anything and get away with it because you are noble?"

His words chilled the nobles' bodies who were chained by the soldiers.

"Your Majesty!" Duke De la Pole cried out. 

His tongue was tied. He wanted to defend himself but nothing came out of his mouth.

For him who always faced success, respect and admiration all his life, it was difficult for him to deal with things where everyone pointed fingers at him.

Angry people were shouting at him. A commoner woman was blaming him for her lost child. 

Then, there was the King himself who was interrogating him.

It was scary and suffocating. He realized that he couldn't breathe.

Just like last night.

Suddenly he recalled what the woman told him. 

"I can help you if… you can tell the court who is behind the slave trading. You have to name the person who is behind all these. If you can do that, you can save both your life and the title. What do you think?"

His eyes lit up. 'That's right. I have to tell His Majesty who is behind all these. I'm not to be blamed.'

He raised his head and said, "It's not me who is doing the slave trading. Everyone who is involved in this knows. There is someone who permitted this slave trade. That person belongs to the Imperial Palace."

The moment he disclosed the matter, the whole area became quiet.

King William frowned. "What do you mean?"

Other nobles who were also arrested finally opened their mouths.2

"It's true, Your Majesty."

"You must believe us!"

"That person is too powerful to deal with!"

Arthur sneered. "No matter how powerful a person is, how can you go along with it? It's not like you were forced. You just wanted to use this opportunity. Doesn't that make you accomplish?"

The nobles shook their heads in fear. 

"No, no, we are innocent."

"Please have some mercy."

"Punish the main criminal."

The nobles bowed their heads.

Arthur rubbed his chin. 

"They may be correct, Your Majesty. Shouldn't we find the 'powerful' person who started all this? I mean, that person disobeyed your command and made this whole mess with the nobles."

At his suggestion, King William asked the nobles, "And who is the powerful person you are talking about? Name him!"

The nobles froze.

'Does His Majesty really want to know or is he just pretending? Anyway, we are dead either way. We should disclose the matter as soon as possible.'

The nobles exchanged glances and then agreed together.

"Your Majesty, the person who allowed this slave trade is…."

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