Chapter 390 - A Trial And A Harbor
The cat sank into him like a pebble would into a pond. Arthur didn't feel any change after that, and he was simply left with a memory that felt like it didn't happen.
'Was it a spirit?'
Arthur could honestly not tell if it was even a figment of his imagination, and Hana was the only person to prove otherwise. However, there was nothing left to remind him that it was real, and Arthur could do nothing but ignore it.
"Mister, we are ready!"
His two companions returned as Arthur was pondering the situation. As spirits, none of them had any baggage, at least not one you could see.
"Hey Hana, do you remember the black cat? When did you see it, and why did it appear?"
"Uh," the girl seemed hesitant to answer, glancing at the monk besides her. "Well, it was when I first got here. I was crying on the ship, and the black cat rubbed itself against my leg. Then, when I stopped crying, the cat disappeared!"
'Mm, I see,' Arthur nodded. 'It seems the cat wanted me to help Hana. Is this whole thing about Hana or me?' Arthur felt childish to question that, but the cat's golden eyes were unmistakably similar to his.
The three of them left the ship after bidding the captain farewell. Before he left, Arthur made sure to resupply the core with spiritual energy for the past ride.
"The next time we meet, I'm giving you a free ride!"
The captain shouted toward Arthur, who walked off Gwynevere with a smile. Finally, for the first time during their travels, there was a harbor that the ship anchored beside.
As his foot stepped on the wooden tiles of the dock, Arthur was amazed to see many seekers leaving their ships and more spirits to navigate them through proper channels.
"Have you been to this place before, monk?" Arthur asked, and the man hmphed in displeasure.
"I have a name. Yes, I have. This place is similar to the real world because it is governed by spirits who cannot be contracted easily. The fact that the First Seeker gave spirits the ability to feel means he also gave them the thirst for power, greed, desire for order, and patriotism."
"The First Seeker seems to be a man of many emotions,"
"I don't think these are his emotions, per se, but simply his ability to feel them," the monk's voice was filled with awe. "Without his sacrifice and heroism, humans would have never been able to contract spirits and survive the dark ages."
"Aha," Arthur looked around and saw spirit talking to seekers and visitors, chatting unceasingly with them. "The Infra World was silenced, I think. Did it also have such a society?"
"No, it does not." Lin Zhao shook his head. "The spirits in the Skyey World are more intelligent and fuller of ego. Therefore, low-tiered spirits are unable to band together and facilitate the contracting process."
"Hm," Arthur nodded and walked toward the office constructed on the dock. The three of them stood in line and waited to be allowed entry to the harbor.
"Next!"
A feminine voice called out, and Arthur's turn arrived. The monk and girl were in front of him, and they were allowed entry after touching a crystal held by a spirit looking like a woman.
"Touch the crystal, hurry up," the spirit urged him, and Arthur looked around. There was a spiritual barrier around the harbor, and the only entry was through this office.
He had a bad feeling about this but could do nothing but comply, hoping for an uneventful passage. Instead, as soon as he touched the crystal, Arthur saw the clear crystal rapidly turn red.
"Please don't," Arthur muttered, but the crystal gave a loud buzzing sound that made everyone turn to them. The spirit of the woman turned to him in shock before it began to morph into a manticore. "A shapeshifter?"
"By the authority of Lord Rain, I arrest you for the charges held against you!" Then, the feminine voice was gone, and all that was left was the bellowing of a beast. "Exhibit resistance, and you will be banned from entering the Spirits Realm!"
Arthur looked at the giant manticore threatening him and the countless spirits surrounding the office. All seekers were evacuated, and the harbor went into lockdown.
'I could take them down,'
Arthur knew, but he wasn't sure about the strength of Lord Rain. Nevertheless, he knew that he wasn't in the wrong here, as the charges held against him were in self-defense.
Furthermore, he already met the gatekeeper and assistant of the Spirits Sovereign, who wished him 'well' on his travels. If matters called for it, then Arthur and the gatekeeper were best friends as far he cared.
"Submit immediately for trial!"
A dozen spirits were surrounding him, each of them equivalent to a powerful awakener of the Astra-rank. He wished no harm to them or the seekers around them, so Arthur simply presented his hands.
"I will stand trial,"
His words shocked the guards and the office worker, who paused before beginning to shapeshift back into a woman. It looked at him with surprise and asked again to confirm.
"You yield?"
"I'm innocent, so why shouldn't I? Unless your trial does not bring justice, then I have nothing to fear." Arthur shrugged. If he were imprisoned or delayed, he would simply fight his way out. He needed to make use of his abnormal spiritual energy, after all.
"I understand," the woman's gaze toward him softened, and he was sure this would help with his plea. "Take him away."
Another spirit rushed forward, carrying spiritual chains that it threw over Arthur's hands. However, as if jealous and offended by the existence of another, his chains attacked on their own, and the spiritual chains flew away.
"I'm not resisting!" Arthur hurried to explain. "However, these things don't listen to me, and they don't like other chains. I'll follow after you without resisting."
The woman seemed suspicious as she squinted her eyes at Arthur. However, she nodded eventually and raised her hand for the other guards to stand back.
"Take my post. I'll oversee this case myself," the woman commanded another spirit who looked like a living armor. "As for you, follow me."
Arthur nodded and walked behind the woman. He turned to his two companions to ask them to wait for him. However, they were already walking beside him, and the woman simply glanced at them before ignoring them.
"What are you two doing?" Arthur shook his head. "Wait for me in the city until I'm done with this matter."
"And miss the fun? No way," the monk shook his head. "I want to know what your crimes are, hehe."
"I will tell them that you are a good person!" Hana interjected, making Arthur smile.
"You don't know if I am." Arthur shook his head, but Lin Zhao raised his arm to block his view of the short girl.
"Don't teach her your cynicism, boy," the monk talked as if it was contagious. "Let her believe in the goodness of people."
"And wait for her to be betrayed?"
"Now you talk like that bookkeeper," the monk said, and it was the most brutal slap to Arthur's face. He closed his mouth as he couldn't refute the words.
"You guys act as if you are on a picnic," the woman glared at them. Arthur looked at the countless guards surrounding them and shrugged.
"Is it better if I try to run away?"
"Not for you, for sure," she scowled with a threat. "Lord Rain doesn't like such a lax attitude, so make sure to wipe it off when you see him."
"The Lord is the one judging me?" Arthur was surprised. "I thought it would be a trial."
"It is a trial, and the Lord is the only judge in his domain," the woman glanced at him as if he was ignorant. "You will be seen when the Lord is free. So, you will spend the next few hours in the Ethereal Prison."
"What about my friends?"
"They can wait for you in the Witnesses Abode," the woman said as she led them through the city, surrounded by countless guards, into a giant mansion.
Arthur was surprised to see that the mansion was filled with countless spiritual plants and flowers. As soon as they passed through the gate, they found ever-stretching gardens on each side of the pathway.
"This doesn't look like a place for trial,"
"Most criminals resist, so we simply kick them out of the Realm and give their spiritual energy to the gatekeeper to ban them. Thus, cases such as yours are a rarity, so we didn't bother building them a court of their own."
As she said that, the woman's clothes shapeshifted into a flowery dress. Arthur could tell that she was trying to appeal to Lord Rain, who seemed to love flowers a lot.
"Wait in this room," they arrived at a room, and the woman pointed toward the chair in the middle. "The Lord will meet you in a few hours."