「A-aah…」
The female knight trembled, her eyes filled with fear.
Everyone, Lord Hydra, the judge, the other officials, stared wide-eyed at the male knight’s corpse.
I picked up the sword he had dropped…
Swiftly closed the distance to the female knight… and plunged the blade straight into her heart.
「Guh… ha…」
She collapsed, coughing up blood.
Then I crushed her head beneath my foot.
With that, she too was dead.
「Too weak」
I sneered.
「Not even worth calling an opponent. Is this the best your personal guard can do? I’m starting to worry about your security force’s recruitment standards.」
Lord Hydra stood in stunned silence, dumbfounded.
But he soon snapped out of it.
「T-this is murder!」
He shrieked.
「He killed two knights! Committing murder in a courtroom is absolutely outrageous! He must be sentenced to death immediately!」
「That was clearly self-defense. Don’t you agree, Chief Judge?」
I turned my gaze to the judge.
The judge nodded enthusiastically.
「Indeed! That was without a doubt an act of legitimate self-defense! Henry is completely innocent!」
「Khh…!!」
Lord Hydra ground his teeth in frustration.
But he quickly barked another order.
「You’re dismissed, Chief Judge! I’m relieving you of your duties. Get out, now! From this moment on, the remaining judges will deliberate without you!」
I cut in, interrupting his outburst.
「So, when things don’t go your way, you just throw people out? I think he’s a respectable man with sound judgment.」
「Spare me your mock concern! I’ve no need for fools who let themselves be controlled by the likes of you!」
Hydra roared in fury.
Then he declared.
「As long as the other judges are here, that’s enough. The trial is over. We’ll proceed with a verdict of guilty!」
Just then, one of the female judges rose to her feet and made a bold declaration.
「I believe Henry is innocent!」
「Wha…!?」
Lord Hydra’s eyes went wide.
The other judges quickly followed suit, one after another.
「I agree. There’s no way Henry is guilty.」
「No other man possesses such dignity befitting a king. There’s no chance he’s a criminal.」
「Ruling him guilty would be outrageous.」
The courtroom filled with voices defending me.
Lord Hydra began sweating, his face contorting in rage.
「Y-you too!? All of you, have you all fallen under Henry’s control!?」
Of course they had.
I was using psychokinesis to manipulate every person in that courtroom, everyone except Lord Hydra was under my control.
I let out a triumphant laugh.
「Hahahahahaha! Suggesting I’m controlling the judges? Don’t be ridiculous.」
「You… what!?」
「These fine judges are acting based on their free will as human beings, and their sound judgment as arbiters of justice. That’s why they have declared me innocent!」
In truth, their free will no longer existed, they were mere puppets under my psychic domination.
But taunting Hydra was too amusing to resist.
「In other words, they refuse to bow to your vile pressure, and are fulfilling their duties with integrity. I am proud of them!」
「Grhhh… you bastard…. !!」
Lord Hydra trembled with fury, veins bulging with rage.
But behind that rage, I could clearly see the panic, and the fear, in his eyes.
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