Proof of the Demon Lord's Innocence - Chapter 8

This case certainly had several gaps—something Trias was well aware of.

For instance, the first incident: the massacre and arson in his hometown of Anemone Village. Someone said that Trias and his parents had been considering moving due to conflicts with the villagers. The reason seemed to be that Trias’s true identity had been exposed to the villagers.

The media didn’t report beyond that, but anyone with some knowledge about Demon Lords would have been puzzled. Why was his identity as a Demon Lord revealed at this age? If the doctor who attended his birth had been loose-lipped, the truth should have come out long before Trias grew up. While it’s possible that the doctor might have slipped up now, the fact was that the doctor and midwife who delivered Trias were no longer in Anemone Village.

The police must have investigated and discovered this, as the couple had moved to Sunflower City. In other words, unless they returned to the remote Anemone Village to spread the word, it was unlikely that the truth would be revealed at this time. So, how was his identity exposed?

—I lived pretending to be a mage. Given my high magical power and contributions to the village, it was most appropriate to act as a mage. In fact, I was better at magic than physical skills among all my abilities.

It wasn’t impossible that his high magical power, skill, and the all-encompassing abilities unique to a Demon Lord could have exposed him. But there was a more likely possibility. And since Trias was a male Demon Lord, unlike a female one, confirming his identity would require more drastic measures. That is to say…

“Still not ready to spill it out, huh?”

In the world of Flower Mail, suspects are detained in jail until the trial procedures are completed. Interrogations continue during detention. Since the police continuously send information to the prosecution in real-time, the conviction rate in Flower Mail is extraordinarily high, even for ordinary crimes.

This is one of the truths of this seemingly peaceful and beautiful world. While they publicly proclaim “innocent until proven guilty,” in reality, everyone assumes “guilty until proven innocent.” Doubt is punished. Doubt is a crime. In court, lawyers often find themselves at a significant disadvantage—many suspects end up confessing during interrogations after contracting a lawyer.

As a result, there were not enough of lawyers in this world. The defense side is always at a disadvantage compared to the prosecution. This is why court-appointed lawyer jobs often fall to overburdened lawyers. The frequent low-paying “duties” make it difficult for them to focus on the work they truly want to do. No wonder they were not motivated.

“I have nothing to say. I’ve been telling the truth. I can’t admit about crimes I didn’t do.”

Trias knew that many suspects gave in under the pressure from police officers who banged on tables and glared at them like thugs. But he had no intention of yielding. He knew that giving in would be the same to killing himself, more so than dying.

For the pride of his parents who tried to protect him and the person he loved, he couldn’t admit to crimes he didn’t do, no matter how much they tortured him.

Of course, excessive police interrogation is prohibited. There have been cases where police officers were caught for forcing confessions. Since then, there have been efforts to make interrogations as transparent as possible, with sphere cameras installed in police stations worldwide.

Of course, it only matters if they’re actually working properly.

“I admit to responding and injuring Keny and his team. But they initiated the combat, and I’m claiming self-defense. I never harmed innocent civilians. I wasn’t the perpetrator of the massacre.”

“If it wasn’t you, then who was it? Stop lying!”

“Is yelling all you can do? Isn’t it your job to investigate that? Such a disregard for duty.”

With a loud bang, Trias was struck and fell from his chair. He had anticipated the blow and deliberately didn’t defend himself. Although his magic was sealed by anti-magic cuffs, as a Demon Lord, Trias also had the skills of a pugilist. He could fight with just his physical abilities. He could have blocked or dodged if he wanted to. But he didn’t, for several reasons.

“I hate scum like you with rotten souls!!”

The policeman shouted in anger.

“That’s why Demon Lords should be dealt with at birth… Why don’t humans learn that it’s too late after the demon’s child causes massive harm!? Do you know how many innocent people the previous Demon Lord, Lune, killed…!”

The man stomped on Trias’s head, pressing his temple with the sole of his shoe, sending a throbbing pain through his skull. Demon Lord Job holders were seen as incarnations of demons, and the greatest mercy is to kill them at birth and let them be reborn—this was what the followers of the Lily Faith believe. The man in front of him was likely one of them. From experience, Trias knew it was useless to say anything to the followers of the Lily Faith. To them, his voice was the voice of a demon, and his words were the words of a demon. They must never listen.

In other words, if the police officer responsible for conducting a proper interrogation was driven by his religious beliefs and went rogue, it was a problem. Public servants, especially, are required to declare their religion when applying for jobs. The police should have known this man was a Lily Faith follower and understood it was inappropriate.

Yet, they assigned him, which meant they were approving of this violence. They thought it was fine to make Trias confess by any means necessary, even violence.

This also meant they were desperate for Trias’s confession. It proofed that they were anxious because they couldn’t find decisive evidences.

—Well, it also means they’re afraid of Freya…

In recent times, being arrested almost guaranteed indictment and conviction. Amidst this, Freya was one of the few who had secured “not guilty” verdicts. He was free-spirited, lacked manners, and was more than just whimsical, but he had a track record.

Before Freya could catch them, they wanted to secure Trias’s confession to make their position clear and overwhelmingly advantageous. That was their goal.

“…Is it okay to do this? Aren’t you being filmed by a camera?”

Despite the pain, Trias spoke. From above, he heard a mocking laugh.

“Are you stupid? Our camera “just happened” to break, you know. Even if it was filming, it wouldn’t capture what I did to you. We have very advanced technology, you know.”

“You mean you can edit the footage and cut out the bad parts.”

“Bad parts? No, let’s call it “what the public doesn’t want to see”. You’re an evil Demon Lord, and the public is eagerly waiting for the day you’re judged! If they knew you had even a hint of being a “victim”, they’d be disgusted. Nobody wants to face that inconvenient truths, right?”

“That’s right, you people… You framed the previous Demon Lord, Lune, too. What she did may have been unforgivable, but… she had a legitimate reason for her actions, and she confessed it… Yet you crushed it all and imposed a media blackout, didn’t you? She was subjected to horrific physical and sexual violence after her lover was killed by the townspeople.”

Among those who attended Lune’s trial as spectators, Trias was there.

It wasn’t someone else’s problem. Lune’s fate could have been his tomorrow.

“Demon Lords are evil. Heroes and the government are just. ….You’re willing to protect that lie, even if it means deceiving and torturing innocent people? It’s so ridiculous and stupid, it makes me sick!”

“Don’t mess with me! Don’t talk about fake facts like they’re real. Lune was a nutcase who kept killing just to satisfy her bloodlust. Just like you, huh?”

“Ugh!”

With a loud bang, sparks flew before his eyes. The dirty sole of the shoe stomped hard on Trias’s head.

“Just being alive is a crime for you…! Everything you do is a crime! A mistake! A folly!!”

His hair was grabbed and pulled up. In front of him was the face of a policeman, eyes bloodshot with hatred and disgust.

He wasn’t unafraid. He didn’t want to feel pain. Yet Trias resisted because it was his only pride.

As long as he didn’t bend, he could avoid blaming himself for not being able to save his loved ones.

“There’s a demon sleeping inside you too. …Confess quickly. Then God will acknowledge your existence and embrace you. If you still refuse… I’ll have to “sanitize” you myself.”

The policeman grinned wickedly and reached for his belt. It was exhausting to even say it was ridiculous. There was no communication. He was a beast who used his religion as an excuse to satisfy his desires.

“If you feel even a little… it means you consent, right?”

—Scum. A beast who doesn’t see people as people…!

Resigned, Trias closed his eyes. It was all too late. It didn’t matter if it happened two or three times.

His fate had been sealed from the moment he was born.