Chapter 3242: Notice of Hearing
Chapter 3242: Notice of Hearing
Date: Unspecified
Time: Unspecified
Location: Myriad Realms, Dark Realm, Seven Prince of Hell Territory, Pandemonium City, Center of Pandemonium Volcano, Millennium Volcano Heart Natural Array, Inter-realm city, Demon Merchant Court.
The moment I unleashed my presence to its fullest extent without overexerting myself, pieces of the Grand Vizier’s spiritual body began to crumble and fall away like the shell of an egg or the glaze of a cracked pot, leaving it riddled with tiny fissures. The bloodline apparition he had conjured fared far worse. Crushed beneath the weight of my aura, it appeared flattened to the ground, unable to hold its form.
Even now, the Grand Vizier was drawing on everything in his arsenal to stretch his presence far enough to match mine, let alone overpower it. His mind was fixed on that single purpose, with no room for any other thought. How could there be, when his pride had been wounded by the failure of his own cunning?
Seeing his determination, I decided to grant him the only mercy I could: a swift end, since the Demon Merchant Code showed no sign of intervening. I pushed my presence in this reality to its limit, with the sole intent of erasing the presence that opposed mine. In the next instant, my Gigamite-form World Calamity Tree Celestial apparition crushed the Moon Gazing Owlape apparition into oblivion, and the spiritual body of the Owlape Grand Vizier burst into scattered spirit particles.
As I withdrew my Gigamite-form World Calamity Tree Celestial apparition, a new spiritual body of the Grand Vizier materialized on the trial platform opposite mine, though this time he skipped the grand entrance. As our eyes met, I gave him a slight nod. His do-or-die spirit had won my respect. The Owlape Grand Vizier returned the nod with stern eyes and an indifferent expression, but the sanguine feathers standing on the back of his neck gave away his embarrassment.
Now that we had settled into our respective stands in a court shrouded in darkness, the ceiling suddenly blazed bright red. I looked up and found what resembled a geometric red symbol of a humanoid eye, radiating brilliantly as it gazed down at us like a cyclops peering into a jar. It carried a familiar presence, similar to that of the demon codex. It was the first barred-level sentient spell of the Myriad Realms: the Demon Merchant Code.
I had to admit, the Demon Merchant Code proxy spiritual form was every bit as intimidating as advertised.
The Owlape Grand Vizier’s face carried a look of awe and reverence as he glanced up at the radiant ceiling. As expected of the highest-ranking minister in the Owlape Royal Court, he was a sycophant without equal. Well, the Dark Races were known to worship the strong, so I doubted he would be bothered by the disdain in my gaze. Just then, the radiance from the ceiling began to pulse rhythmically, and a mental prompt reached us both.
[NOTICE OF HEARING:
> IN THE DEMON MERCHANT COURT
The Mulias Royal Family, by and through the Owlape Grand Vizier, Appellant,
v.
Dalton Wyatt, Demon Merchant, Appellee.
> TAKE NOTICE that the hearing on the appeal filed by the Owlape Grand Vizier, on behalf of the Mulias Royal Family, against Demon Merchant Dalton Wyatt shall commence immediately.
> Nature of the Appeal:
The Appellant alleges that the Appellee (1) exited the Realm of True Evil by unknown means and (2) evaded payment of the agreed fee for access to the Realm of True Evil.
Note:
i) All parties shall conduct themselves in accordance with the laws and decorum of the Demon Merchant Court.ii) Failure to comply shall result in judgment in favor of the opposing party.
iii) Any party who violates the laws or decorum of this Court shall not only forfeit the hearing but shall also be subject to appropriate penalties for the offense committed.]
I went through the prompt calmly and understood its meaning: the parties involved would conduct the hearing themselves, while the Demon Merchant Code acted as witness, jury, judge, and executioner. Since the penalty for breaking the laws would directly result in them forfeiting the hearing, the parties had no choice but to conduct themselves properly and keep their emotions in check at all times.
I looked at the Owlape Grand Vizier as a chuckle slipped my lips, thinking that winning the hearing would be easier than I had expected. Considering the latter’s temper, I could leave with a big victory smile after a few well-placed provocations.
However, I wasn’t here just to win the hearing. I also wanted to learn why the Mulias Royal Family hadn’t sent their hounds to hunt me down and had instead gone against their racial instincts to appeal to the Demon Merchant Code, choosing the safest option.
Noticing the Grand Vizier was about to speak, I addressed him first. "Since you appealed against me, I take it that there is no need for us to waste time introducing ourselves. Let us get to the point—"
"No, we must follow procedure. The Demon Merchant Code is recording the entire hearing, and it will be easier to tell who is who if someone else listens to the recording later. Let me take the lead," the Owlape Grand Vizier cut in, interrupting me mid-sentence. His big eyes remained stern, and his feathered face stayed expressionless. "I am the Grand Vizier of the Owlape Empire, appearing on behalf of the Mulias Royal Family in this appeal. I solemnly swear, with the Demon Merchant Code as my witness, that this appeal is brought in good faith and that all I state before this Court shall be true."
"Just Grand Vizier? You don’t have a name?" I asked when it was my turn to introduce myself, feigning ignorance about the workings of the Owlape Royal Court.
If it wasn’t obvious already, I was deliberately provoking him, just enough to throw him off his game. He had tried to intimidate me with his presence before the hearing began. Unlike him, I knew exactly what I was doing.
"No, I do not have a name. As the Grand Vizier, I have no other identity." A look of pride crossed the Owlape Grand Vizier’s face as he answered, but it crumbled the moment I followed up. "So, you were born a Grand Vizier. Wow, your Owlape bloodline must be something else."