Proof of the Demon Lord's Innocence - Chapter 5
Trias agreed to Freya’s representation not because he believed in lawyers, but because Freya had demonstrated a detective-like insight that intrigued him. While he wanted to clear his name, he was resigned to proclaiming his innocence until his execution. He’d expected an incompetent public defender (though he knew competent ones existed, he doubted any would be motivated by a Demon Lord’s “world conquest” case). If Freya wasn’t just toying with him, the outcome might be slightly better. Trias wasn’t yet trusting Freya, just cautiously optimistic.
“Let’s summarize the case”, Freya began. “There are three main incidents leading to your arrest. I’ll explain the charges and what’s been reported, then you fill in the gaps from your perspective.”
“Understood.”
“First, the Anemone Village Massacre. This is considered the Demon Lord’s first act after awakening. Eighty-two of the eighty-three villagers were murdered in their sleep with a sharp blade. You, Trias Marigold, the sole survivor, became the prime suspect. No witnesses. It happened at night, in a secluded village. Merchants visited only during the day. The culprit set fire to the village and fled. No murder weapon found. Hard to find anything in ashes, really. The charges are robbery, murder, arson, and property damage. A large amount of valuables was stolen, mainly from the village elder’s estate.”
Trias knew. Anemone Village was his birthplace. The victims included his parents. He hadn’t been on good terms with the villagers. In fact, he and his parents had been planning to leave. He slightly remembered the bitter arguments between his parents and the villagers. If only he’d been a normal child, his parents wouldn’t have suffered so much.
He became a suspect because it was suspicious that he’d survived with only minor burns while the entire village burned, and a visiting merchant had witnessed the arguments between his parents and the villagers.
“Next, the Iris Region Disaster. Several towns were devastated by a sudden tornado. Investigations revealed sightings of you in multiple towns shortly before the tornado. Apparently, you were turned away from inns. Some survivors testified to seeing you argue with innkeepers. Then, the tornado hit. A merchant’s daughter claimed to have seen you manipulating magic on a hilltop. Your magic power was also detected in the area, so you were blamed for this as well… Charges are robbery, murder, violation of the Magic Conduct Laws, and property damage.”
The Magic Conduct Laws were a set of regulations governing magic use. For example, magic use within city limits was restricted to intermediate level spells unless it was an emergency. Using resurrection magic required special permission. While the tornado’s devastation focused on the loss of life, the violation of the Magic Conduct Laws added to the charges.
“Finally, the attempted coup against the Flower Mail World Government and your declaration of war. Video technology is still developing here, and more people get their news from newspapers than Sphere TVs, but… Sphere TVs are in town squares, broadcasting government announcements. There’s only one national broadcaster right now. You supposedly hijacked the broadcast to declare your intention to rule the world, threatening to kill anyone who opposed you. Then, while hiding in Sunflower City, planning a terrorist attack, you were discovered by the Hero’s party, fought them, and were subdued… Charges include attempted coup, unauthorized broadcast signal use, conspiracy to commit terrorism, and assault on the Hero’s party. There are other minor charges, but these are the main ones. Now…”
Freya shifted in his chair, the sound echoing in the small room.
“Let’s get down to business. You deny most of these charges, correct?”
“Yes. I only admit to the assault on the Hero’s party. And that was self-defense. They attacked me without provocation. I’d argue it was more excessive force on their part than assault on mine.”
“Well, if someone attacks you, you fight back… This was a quick resolution for a Demon Lord’s world conquest plot. Because you announced your intentions and were found hiding in the city, they could arrest you quickly… There are a few things that bother me about that, but one thing at a time. Tell me what happened, from your perspective.”
“Understood.”
Trias hesitated. There were things he didn’t want to reveal, things he wanted to keep hidden. But hiding information from his lawyer could backfire. He decided to carefully choose his words, revealing only what was necessary for now.
“Regarding Anemone Village, it’s true my parents were arguing with the villagers. I didn’t witness it directly, but they were furious.”
His parents were ordinary people. His grandparents and their ancestors had lived in Anemone Village for generations. If it weren’t for that, they would never have considered leaving. The thought filled him with a bitter resentment.
“The arguments… were because of me. I’d hidden my Demon Lord job from the village, but it was eventually discovered. There were Lily Cultists. They called me a demon child, and my parents were enraged. We were planning to leave the village soon.”
“I heard your burned-down house was mostly empty. Why?”
“Yes. I was using magic to move our belongings. Transporting them to our new home. I was worried about the coordinates, so that night I went to check the location alone.”
Trias had survived because he hadn’t been in the village. If someone had seen him in the new town, he’d have an alibi. But unfortunately, given the time and place, there were no witnesses. It would have been suspicious if there had been witnesses at that hour.
He’d realized something was wrong when he returned to the village. It was already engulfed in flames.
“We’ll double-check for witnesses in that town. What town was it?”
“Iris Town, in the Iris Region.”
“Oh.”
“Finding witnesses will be difficult now. And I have a motive for coming to the Iris Region. I was supposed to move to Iris Town. The paperwork was finalized, but it was all canceled after I was put on the wanted list. I can’t blame them for not wanting a murderer.”
Everything was connected. The police knew he had reasons to resent Anemone Village and Iris Town. It was no wonder he was the prime suspect.
“After that… it’s true I was turned away from inns in the Iris Region. I was low on funds, so I could only afford the cheaper places.”
He couldn’t live on the streets forever. He traveled north, sleeping rough, eventually finding a small, isolated settlement unaffected by the Lily Cult and media frenzy. He could only wryly smile at the fact that the settlement was home to a band of thieves (actual thieves, not just the Job class).
The thieves, despite his being a stranger, had been surprisingly kind. He taught them magic and tutored their children in exchange for food and shelter. He never imagined that while he was there, the Iris Region would be devastated by a tornado.
“I was turned away from the inns, but I don’t know what happened after that. I was using tornado magic to attack towns? That’s absurd. I was with the thieves the entire time.”
“So, you didn’t even go near the Iris Region after being turned away?”
“Correct. I don’t understand the supposed sightings.”
And the biggest mystery of all…
“The hijacked broadcast and the declaration of war video. That’s the most baffling. I have no idea how to hijack a broadcast, and I certainly never filmed such a thing.”
Who would do such a thing, and why?
Trias was trapped, not only grieving the loss of his parents and lover but also framed for their murders.
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