Chapter 3243: How Do You Plead?
Chapter 3243: How Do You Plead?
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.
"No, I was not born a Grand Vizier. I was chosen to fill this position by His Majesty the Owlape Empyrean, on the recommendation of the royal court," the Grand Vizier answered with barely any reaction on his face. At the back of his neck, however, his feathers were raised and trembling subtly, exposing his true emotional state.
"So, you do have a name," I asserted. Just as the Grand Vizier was about to reply with a look of annoyance, I exclaimed, "Don’t tell me... the Owlapes have no names, just like the True Evils? I have heard such great things about your race’s development and advancement that I never would have guessed you still had such a primitive side. It seems not every rumor can be trusted."
Provoked by my rude words, the Grand Vizier looked ready to explode. Instead, he turned to the ceiling and addressed it formally. "Your Honor, I move to hold the appellee in contempt of court for willfully delaying the proceedings."
"Since when has requesting clarification for the record been an offense?" I defended myself with a subtle grin that the big eyes of an Owlape could not miss.
The Grand Vizier wanted to argue, but a mental prompt from the Demon Merchant Code sounded in our minds, ordering the hearing to continue. It directed the Grand Vizier to either state his name or give reasons why he could not disclose his true name.
My grin grew wider as the Grand Vizier once again swallowed his pride and began, "The Owlape Imperial Court holds that its ministers may have no identity other than their roles at court. Any other identity could place them in a compromising position, where a conflict of interest might force them to neglect their duties.
"To avoid such a scenario, those chosen to serve the imperial court must forsake their worldly ties and dedicate themselves solely to the duties of their office. Hence, while I hold office, I may use only my title and never my true name, regardless of the reason."
"I see, you are like an imperial eunuch. Did you also get neutered—"
Before I could finish my sentence or the Grand Vizier could object, the Demon Merchant Code warned me with a mental prompt, telling me to move on and not ask questions unrelated to the hearing.
I knew the Demon Merchant Code would not make an offender forfeit the hearing over a minor offense, as long as they heeded its warning. That was why I was deliberately stalling the proceedings to provoke the Grand Vizier.
"Forgive me, I let my curiosity get the better of me," I apologized to the Owlape Grand Vizier, finally introducing myself. "I am Dalton V. Wyatt, the first Demon Merchant from the Card World. I solemnly swear, with the Demon Merchant Code as my witness, that I will speak the truth, the whole truth, and nothing but the truth."
"Now what?" I asked, seeing that the Grand Vizier was about to speak.
Accustomed to my harassment, the Grand Vizier got straight to the point. "How do you plead on both counts: (1) departing the Realm of True Evil by unknown means, and (2) evading payment of the agreed fee for access to the Realm of True Evil?"
"I plead not guilty," I responded without hesitation. The Grand Vizier nodded as if he had expected it, then proceeded with his questioning. "Did you or did you not depart the Realm of True Evil by unknown means, and in doing so evade payment of the agreed fee for access to the Realm of True Evil, owed to the Mulias Imperial Family?"
"Yes, I did depart the Realm of True Evil by unknown means, as the contract I signed with the Demon Merchant Code contained no provision prohibiting it," I admitted, nodding. "However, in doing so I did not evade payment of the agreed fee for access to the Realm of True Evil, owed to the Mulias Imperial Family. The contract I signed with the Demon Merchant Code clearly stated that the burden of collecting the fee rested solely with the Mulias Imperial Family, not with me or with the Demon Merchant Code that arranged my entry to the Realm of True Evil."
The points I had raised were not an oversight in the contract but a deliberate flaw. The Mulias Imperial Family wanted to entice the Demon Merchants with these loopholes, making them believe they could pull a Wyatt.
Yes, I had named the act of departing the Realm of True Evil by unknown means, and thereby evading the agreed fee owed to the Mulias Imperial Family, after myself.
The contract a merchant signs with the Demon Merchant Code contains no provision prohibiting departure from the Realm of True Evil by other means because that omission was bait, set by the Mulias Imperial Family to lure those who believed themselves special, different from, and better than, the rest.
As for the burden of collecting the fee resting solely with the Mulias Imperial Family, and not with the merchants or with the Demon Merchant Code that arranged my entry, the reason was simple: the Demon Merchant Code assumes no liability and only provides services. Not to mention doing so might scare away potential adventurers. Besides, the Mulias Imperial Family already had an agreement with the Demon Merchant Code that every merchant leaving the Realm of True Evil through it be escorted to the family’s toll booth on one of the realm’s moons. So, they saw no need for it.
The Mulias Imperial Family knew that unless a merchant belonged to the Barred Realm, they could not exploit these deliberate gaps in the contract. As for Barred Beings, the family did not dare forbid them entry to the Realm of True Evil, unless they too had an Owlape ancestor in the Barred Realm.
"I would like to direct the Court’s attention to the fact that the respondent is in breach of a clause in the same contract..."