Proof of the Demon Lord's Innocence - Chapter 9

“Something’s off about this case”, Freya muttered, scratching his head. Techno, taking quicker steps to keep up, walked alongside him. They were now at the remains of Anemone Village, which the police had long stopped securing. The village was empty and barren, scattered with burnt debris

The burned area was strangely contained. The village was surrounded by forest on three sides. Arson should have resulted in a massive wildfire. This meant a controlled burn, likely magical. Magic could contain flames, preventing them from spreading to the surrounding trees. Trias, a Demon Lord with a magical talent, could have done this, but…

“The bodies were burned, but they also had stab wounds, right?”

“Yes. The theory is they were stabbed, then the village was set on fire. They were stabbed in the neck, back, and stomach, either dying instantly or being incapacitated before being burned.”

“That’s the strange part.”

The prosecution claimed Trias could have committed the crime, but could he really have done this? I didn’t think so.

“First inconsistency: Trias’s family and the villagers had argued just before the incident. Because his Demon Lord identity was revealed. If they’d just discovered he was a Demon Lord, they’d be on edge. They clearly feared him. They’d be cautious. So, why did none of the eighty-some villagers lock their doors?”

Freya had heard that people in remote villages sometimes left their doors unlocked, treating neighbors like family, freely entering each other’s homes. But after discovering a potential “world-destroying” person among them? I didn’t think they’d all be so careless.

“Our current magic can’t unlock doors or phase through walls. To attack sleeping villagers, you’d have to break in. Could one person kill eighty-two people without making a sound, without anyone noticing?”

“It seems impossible. Even at night, someone would have heard something. And if he resented the villagers, why kill his parents, who were on his side?”

“Exactly. And burning his own house along with the village makes no sense, especially while preparing to move. And surviving alone would make him the obvious suspect.”

“It’s too perfect…”

One of Techno’s best traits was his ability to consider things objectively. Freya really valued his honesty.

“Second: Trias is definitely magic-focused, even for a Demon Lord. He might have some sword skills, but if a mage wanted to kill multiple people quickly, stabbing them one by one wouldn’t be efficient. A sleeping spell and then an inferno would be easier. And the village was burned. Stabbing and then burning the village is pointless. It’s like announcing the culprit is a mage.”

Freya stepped carefully through the debris, stopping in front of one particular house.

“Just as I thought.”

The house was burnt but still mostly intact. The roof and walls were scorched, but the entrance and hallway were still recognizable. He checked the nameplate. It wasn’t Trias’s house.

“Why is this house mostly intact? The others are collapsed ruins.”

“Uneven burning.”

“What?”

“Magic can target specific areas, but precise control over a large area requires skill. The village is mostly burned cleanly, but parts of the forest are also scorched. The culprit overdid it in some places and underdid it in others. There was more than one mage.”

Freya didn’t know the extent of Trias’s magic, but a magically inclined Demon Lord should have been able to burn the village more evenly.

“The attackers weren’t alone. There were enough to overpower eighty-two people, then burn the village and escape, destroying evidence and framing Trias.”

The method of killing, the unevenly burned village… why hadn’t the prosecution noticed? This wasn’t the work of a single person.

“The villagers were killed with little resistance. Most of the bodies were found inside their homes. They didn’t have time to react. One person couldn’t have done it.”

“But… why would the prosecution…”

“They might be blinded by the Demon Lord name. Preconceptions are dangerous. But if it’s not just a mistake… someone wants to frame Trias.”

And there was another reason to doubt Trias’s guilt.

“Third: Valuables were stolen. Hence the robbery charge. But where are they? If Trias had all that money, he could have afforded better inn. He said he was turned away from cheap inns, and there are witnesses to confirm it.”

“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.”

“Trias was clearly broke. That doesn’t fit the profile of someone who just committed robbery. And he stayed with a band of thieves afterward. Why would he attack the Iris Region towns after being turned away? He wasn’t being chased out of the thieves’ hideout. They seemed to get along well. Committing a crime there would endanger them. And he was a wanted man. Hiding would have been more sensible. Even if he planned world conquest, he could have waited. The timing between the Anemone Village incident and the Iris Region attacks is too close.”

The more Freya thought about it, the less sense Trias’s guilt made.

Being denied from a cheap inn was a weak motive for attacking the Iris Region. The prosecution might accept it as sufficient, but…

“There are issues with those witness testimonies, too… We’ll investigate later. Finally, the hijacked broadcast and the declaration of war. The person in the video looked like Trias, but does he have the skills to create and broadcast it?”

“If you put it that way… could it really be…?” Techno looked troubled. He was starting to see it, too. There was no real physical evidence. The case against Trias rested on circumstantial evidence, eyewitness testimonies, and a video.

“Scared, Techno?” Freya asked.

Techno nodded weakly. “Scared, and sad. The police and prosecution are supposed to catch criminals, to protect people. How can they frame someone for mass murder? What if they target us next?”

“I won’t back down.”

“!”

“Who else can help Trias? It’s us, right? If we give up, he’ll be executed for something he didn’t do. I can’t stand by and watch that happen again.”

That wasn’t the only reason, but it was enough.

Freya continued walking. Time was short. They had much to do before the trial.

Next, they’d investigate the Iris Region attacks and the witness testimonies.