"Indeed," Robert began to sigh. I can imagine Stone's expression.

Old friend, I never knew I admired you so much—your courage, your sentiments, are you still alive?

Have you arrived safely in St. Quest, and will we still have a chance to meet?

Or, as Rodlis predicted, we'll never get to see each other again?"

Everyone moved on. It was getting darker and darker, and the wind and snow were getting heavier. River Wind chased after him and rode with Scarlet Moon.

Lena tied the horses to the back of the carriage and squeezed into the driver's seat with Calamon, in which Rodrith fell asleep quietly.

Robert rode alone, his head bowed, his thoughts drifting with the wind and snow.

"Finally—" Derek said in a low, thoughtful voice, "I accuse Stone. Breitbrad cowardly fled in front of the enemy. ”

The knights gathered in Sir Swart's castle whispered. The three knights, seated behind a large black oak table, whispered to each other.

Since a long time ago, according to the rules of knighthood, the three knights who served as knights and judges were supposed to be heavenly knights, Dharma kings, and judges.

But now there are no Heavenly Knights, and there is no Dharma King since the Cataclysm.

Even the current Inquisitor, Alfred.

When Sir Marchain was present, he was at best symbolic in maintaining the position, not allowing it to be absent.

Therefore, the next heavenly knight is bound to find someone to replace him.

Regardless of the absence of the highest authority in the Order, the affairs of the Order must continue.

Although the time is not yet ripe to take over as a knight of the heavenly throne, Swart Tungsten.

Westein is essentially ready to take on the role. So today he sits in this seat and judges this young knight apprentice, Stone Breitbred.

To his right sat Sir Athred, and on his left was the young Michael, who held the temporary position of King of France. Sir Jeffrey.

In Tungsten. In the hall of Westin Castle, twenty Sorenian knights from all corners of St. Quest gathered to witness the knightly trial according to the records of the knightly rules.

As their leaders exchanged discussions, the knights below shook their heads and whispered conversations.

Drake stood up from behind a table facing the three Inquisitors and saluted Sir Swart.

His testimony has been finished. The ritual now only remains of the knight's own reply and the outcome of the trial.

Drake returned to his seat in the auditorium and laughed with his comrades.

There was only one person in the hall, and there was silence the whole time. In the midst of Drake's entire gnashing of teeth, Stone Brightbrad sat silently without saying a word.

He heard the accusations against him for disobedience and chivalry, but he said nothing.

His face was expressionless, his hands clasped together on the table.

As if none of this had anything to do with him, his eyes were misty and dazed. Because Stone is an honest knight, he has a strong sense of justice, and he deeply believes in the way of knighthood.

Sir Swart's eyes were now on Stone again, as he had been in the whole trial.

He began to wonder if the man was still alive, his face was so pale and stiff, and his muscles were so tense.

Swart only saw Stone twitch when he was accused of cowardice, and his whole body trembled. The look on his face......

Swart remembers seeing it a few times in his life, like the look of a man impaled by a spear.

However, Stone quickly put aside his distractions and regained his original composure.

Swart watched Stone so intently that he could barely hear the conversation between the two knights next to him, and he only heard Sir Alfred's last words.

“...... Skip the knight defense process. ”

"Why?" asked Sir Swart at once, though his voice was low. "According to the rules of knighthood, this is his rightful authority. ”

The knight's plea has always been an essential part of the process, and it will not be skipped for such a comical reason.

"We've never had a case like this before. Sir Alfred, the knight of the Holy Sword, said emotionlessly.

"In the past, whenever a knight apprentice applied for a promotion to the knights' council, there must have been many witnesses.

He had the opportunity to justify all his actions, and no one would wonder if he had done those things.

But Breit's only possible defense—"

"It's telling us that Drake is lying. Sir Michael Jeffrey, the knight of the crown, said. "It's hard to imagine.

Accept an accusation from a knight midshipman against the Rose Knight!"

In any case, the young man has the right to reply. Swart looked at the other two without flinching.

"This is the law laid down in the rules of the knights. Do you two question that?"

"No ......"

"Of course not. But—"

"Good. Swart smoothed his beard, leaned forward, and struck lightly with the hilt of his sword on the table (that was Stone's) with moderate force.

The other two knights exchanged glances behind him, one raising an eyebrow and the other shrugging.

Swart was well aware of the movements of the two men, just as he was well aware of the plans that were now going on privately in the Knights, and he decided to ignore them.

Although the time is not yet ripe to take over as a knight, Sir Swart's qualifications and status are already the most popular candidate.

As a result, he is forced to deliberately ignore many things, and if the time and space are different, he will not hesitate to stop Alfred.

Sir Marchain was a well-known general in Derek's camp, and he had never been very loyal.

But he was surprised that Michael had this reaction, and it was clear that Drake had bought him as well.

As the Cavaliers returned to their positions, Sweet looked at Derek Kronga.

Drake is the only contender for the Heavenly Knight with enough background and financial resources.

In order to gain more support, Drake voluntarily accepts this dangerous journey in search of the legendary Dragon Ball.

Swoe had no choice but to accept it. If he refused, it meant that he was terrified of Drake's growing power.

If the onlooker were to judge simply by the strict rules of the knighthood, Drake would undoubtedly be the most suitable candidate.

But Sir Swart, who had known Rick for a long time, would do his best to thwart him whenever he had the chance.

It wasn't because he was afraid, but because he didn't believe in him.

This man is a blind pursuit of honor and has an extreme thirst for power. When Drake has to make sacrifices, he is loyal only to himself.

Now it seems that Drake, who came back with the Dragon Balls, has almost won by a big shot.

This situation brought in many knights who were originally planning to join Drake's faction, and even weakened the power of Swart's faction.

The only ones who remain staunchly opposed to Drake are the lowest-ranking knights: the Crown Knights.

These young men did not need to interpret the rules of chivalry as strictly as the old men, and they demanded a change.

Such behavior was severely suppressed by Derek Kronga. Some knights almost lost their knighthood as a result. These young knights were staunch supporters of Sir Swart.

Unfortunately, they are not only few in number, but also have no way to provide any financial support other than loyalty. These young knights had a very personal feel for Stone's case and motives.

But it was a move by Derek Kranga with all his might, Swater thought sadly. With this sword, Drake could get rid of his most hated and main contender.

Sir Swart is known to be a close friend of the Brightbride family, a friendship that goes back generations. Five years earlier, the young man had appeared out of nowhere, and when he sought succession, it was Sir Swart who had strongly supported him.

There were rumours that insulted the authenticity of this lineage, but Sir Swart was quick to do justice to him.

This young man was undoubtedly the son of his old friend, as could be seen from Stone alone.

In any case, the choice to support Stone was a great danger to Lord Swart.

Swart's gaze turned to Drake, who was shaking hands with the knights.

Indeed, this trial made him - Swart. Tungsten. Sir Westin - looks like a fool.

To make matters worse, Swart thought sadly that his gaze turned to Stone, which might destroy a young man's future;

And it had to be a motivated young man who was qualified to inherit his father's legacy and had a sense of justice.

"Stone. Breit, Brad. Sir Swart waited for the silence in the hall and said, "Have you heard the accusations against you?"

"Yes, sir. Stone replied. His deep voice echoed through the hall.

Suddenly a piece of wood burst open in the furnace behind Sir Swart, spewing a great deal of sparks and heat.

Swart waited silently for the servants to scramble to add more firewood.

After the servants left, he continued his ritual interrogation.

"Stone Bright, do you fully understand these charges against you?

Further, do you understand that these charges are extremely serious and could lead to the Council's revocation of your knighthood?"

"Yes, I understand. Stone replied, his voice a little stiff.

He cleared his throat and said clearly again, "I understand, court!"

Swart stroked his beard and pondered how he would proceed with the interrogation.

Because he knew that any accusation against Drake would cause a lot of damage to Stone himself.

"How old are you, Breitbrad?" asked Swart.

Stone blinked at this unexpected question.

"More than thirty, huh?" Swart continued.

"Yes, in court. Stone replied.

"Then, from what Drake just said, we can understand from the journey to Ice Castle that you are also a skilled warrior—"

"In court, I never denied that. Drake stood up again.

His tone was very impatient, and selfish guys never knew how to respect others.

"You accuse him of retreating before the enemy. Swart interrupted him.

"If I'm not mistaken, you just stated that when the elves attacked, he refused to obey your orders to attack. ”

Drake blushed. "Let me remind the court that it is not me who is being judged—"

"You accuse Bright of retreating in front of the enemy. Swart interrupted him again, "It's been years since we've had an enemy of the elves. ”

Drake hesitated for a moment, and the other knights looked uncomfortable. The elves are members of the Council of Holy Whitestone, but they do not have the right to vote.

Because of the appearance of the Dragon Balls, these elves will attend the upcoming council.

If they knew that the knights regarded them as enemies, the council would not end well.

"Maybe the enemy is an overkill in court. Derek quickly regained his composure. "If I'm at fault, it's only because I'm forced to follow the rules of the knight's rules.

While elves are not technically our enemies, when I mention elves, they are doing everything possible to prevent us from bringing the Dragon Balls to San Quest.

Because this was my mission, and the elves clearly intended to obstruct it, I was forced to define them as enemies according to the rules of the knights. ”

Cunning bastard, Swart thought dissatisfied.

He was about to want to debunk the other party's despicable lies, but due to etiquette, Swart sat in his seat with a sad face, his face very ugly.

Drake bowed in apologies for upsetting the courtroom, and then sat back in his seat, many of the older knights nodding in agreement.

It is also stated in the knight's regulations. Stone said slowly. "We shouldn't kill at will, we should fight to protect ourselves or others.

The elves did not threaten our lives, and our lives were not threatened at any time. ”

"They're shooting at you, young man!" Alfred slammed his gloved hand on the table, his tone becoming more ferocious, as if he was about to tear the other man apart.

"Indeed, in court. Stone replied, "But everyone knows that the elves are unbeatable marksmen.

If they're going to kill us, those arrows won't just hit the trees!"

"What do you think would happen if you attacked the elves?" asked Sir Swart.

Then we'd fall out with the elves, and then we wouldn't have been able to escape the forest.

The most important thing is that these elves are only the bare minimum of defense, and they have no intention of attacking us, and if I fight back on impulse, then tragedy is likely to occur.

A glint flashed in Alfred's eyes when he heard this, and he immediately lowered his head and fell into deep thought.

Is it really as he says? Between the two knights, one of them must be lying.

As an impartial judge, you must not analyze with personal feelings. Once mixed with personal desires, then this trial is no different from child's play.

It was already clear who the liar was, but he was waiting for a suitable moment, after all, the knights present were all figures with heads and faces.

Tearing the skin of the face, it is not good for anyone.