Chapter 1498: Judgment
Ning remained in the Emperor’s dungeon for a week, waiting for the days to pass.
The 7th day was going to be his trial to see what should be done to him now that he had killed a woman at the party. What was more curious was that the woman’s body had vanished after her death, leading to many believing that he had snuck a treasure into the party.
However, after several searches, they hadn’t found anything.
The doors to the prison cell opened and a man walked in to take him to the court.
His feet were shackled to large chains and balls, his hands shackled to the chain on his feet. There was a leather collar around his neck, meant to be grabbed by the guard he was to follow.
Ning walked out of the dungeon, humming as he did so. Zurnius was dead, and his task in this world was done for the most part. Now he just had to complete his end of the bargain for Tim and Jasmine, and then he could leave this place.
He was brought to the court, which turned out to be the throne room. The Emperor was going to make the judgment today it seemed.
Ning looked around the room, seeing many figures, most of whom he remembered from the party.
Jasmine was to the side at the back with Edward. Tim was even further back, surprisingly with Arya of all people. He didn’t see Zarius, which made him wonder why his daughter had remained behind.
“Young Ning,” the Emperor’s voice boomed throughout the room with the help of a sound-amplifying treasure. “Do you know the crime you have committed?”
“No,” Ning spoke back as soon as the Emperor was done speaking. “I have committed no crime.”
The Emperor was surprised. “Do you claim to not have killed anyone?” he asked.
“I didn’t kill anyone,” Ning replied.
“Everyone in that party saw you kill Miss Jenny. Do you deny that?” the Emperor asked.
“Who?” Ning asked.
“Miss Jenny.”
“I don’t know any Miss Jenny,” Ning said.
“How dare you lie at my court!” the Emperor shouted. “Have you no shame?”
“This Miss Jenny, do you have proof that I killed her? Are there markings on her corpse that show how she died?” Ning asked.
“There is no corpse. Tell us what happened to it,” the Emperor asked.
“I do not know what you mean, Your Majesty. I killed no one,” Ning said. “If you have proof that I did kill someone, please present it. I will happily accept my judgment then.”
“We have eye witness that saw you do something to the poor old woman right before she collapsed and died,” the Emperor said.
“Yes, I did touch her. That did not mean I killed her. I only wanted a handshake from her. Your men grabbed me right after that. Who says it wasn’t one of them?” Ning asked.
The Emperor was getting frustrated.
“You damn little brat. I am a hundred years old. I have lived longer than you can ever imagine. I am the Emperor of the greatest empire in the world, and if you think you can bullshit your way out of this, think again.”
Ning looked at the Emperor and gave a scornful smile.
“You want the truth? Are you sure you can handle it?” he asked the Emperor.
“I demand the truth!” the Emperor slammed his fist on the sidearm of his throne.
“Very well, here is the truth.”
Ning took a step forward and the chains at his feet shattered. He moved his hands next, and the chains on his hands shattered free as well. He pulled apart the two metal braces around his wrist and then tore free the leather strap around his neck.
Then, he spoke directly to the Emperor and nobody else.
“Here is the truth, you damn brat,” he stepped forward. “I am hundreds of thousands of years old.”
The many guards immediately moved, barricading in front of the Emperor with swords and shields, but Ning simply pushed forward as though he were treading through shallow water in a pond.
“I have lived long enough that when I was traveling the stars, your planet was nothing more than a bunch of dust floating endlessly in the expanse of space.”
Ning moved all the soldiers aside, arriving right in front of the Emperor.
“You are the Emperor of a pitiful empire in a pitiful world in a pitiful section of the galaxy. I can bullshit you all I like.”
“But since we have come so far, I will give you the truth. You want me to confess to the murder? I will. I killed the woman. Only, she wasn’t a woman at all.”
“There’s a reason why her body didn’t survive. Do you want the truth? It is because she wasn’t a human.”
The Emperor’s eyes widened in both fear and confusion.
“That’s right. She wasn’t a human at all. Your miss Jenny was the same Miss Margaret you met in your childhood, the one that helped you gain back your throne.”
“Wh-what are you talking about?” the Emperor asked.
“That’s correct. Miss Jenny was Miss Margaret. Not only that, she was Miss Temming, Miss Hannah, Miss June, Miss Farrow, Miss Everend, and so many other custodians you have met over your life as the Emperor.”
“That’s correct, they were all one single person. Only, there was no person at all.”
“They were instead something else, something… I think you have guessed by now.”
The Emperor paled.
“That’s right, the person I killed at the party was Zurinus. I killed Zurinus, the god you talk about so much, whose statues you have in every hallway, whose tapestry you hang in every room.”
“That god is dead, and now you’re all alone.”
Ning took a step back and looked at the Emperor. “I wonder. Now that your god is dead, how long can you survive without him.”
The Emperor looked up. “What… what do you mean?” he asked.
“Oh, did you not know?” Ning asked. “The reason why you have lived such a long life was all because of Zurinus.”
“But he is dead now, so your life will soon come to an end as well. Make the best of what you have, Vixian. You don’t have much time.”
The Emperor’s breathing got heavy. He took heavy breaths in and out, his mind refusing to believe Ning’s words, while his heart knew those were the truth.
The man had said he had killed the god, and the Emperor trusted him for some reason.
Ning went back to where he had been before, his voice no longer hidden from everyone.
“Now, give me your verdict. What is going to happen to me now that you have the truth, Emperor?” Ning asked. “Is it execution? Or am I free to go?”
The Emperor looked up, his face still pale. “Y-y-you c-can go,” he said before looking down, away from everyone else.
“Appreciate the verdict,” Ning said and turned around walking up to where Tim and Jasmine were.
“You guys wanna get out of here?” Ning asked. “We can continue our travels through the world now.”
Tim and Jasmine looked at each other before nodding. Then, they left the palace.
pronovels.com
