Chapter 13 (part 1/2) - The Tribunal

  Seconds after finishing the final test of his creation, shouting erupted behind the door. It couldn’t be his coworkers or Dodoon; the workshop was still an hour away from opening.

  “Open the door already.”

  “It wasn’t locked, sir.”

  The door swung open, and through the threshold stepped Archon Lutero. Drestan, acting like a loyal lackey, held it open for him and his entourage. Lutero was accompanied by his secretary and four advisors, along with Drestan and a pair of thuggish-looking custodians. Behind them came Dodoon, who looked just as surprised as Vincent. The other craftsmen were too intimidated to enter and remained outside.

  “So here it is…”

  Lutero confirmed. He was tall and imposing. Even though age had thinned him out, the shape of his frame and the broadness of his shoulders made it obvious he had once been a warrior, a stark contrast to his bald head and sharp, scholar-like nose.

  “Your recent loan and purchase history raised a few alarms. I am glad to see you haven’t done anything stupid.”

  Huh? What is he talking about?

  “Did you think I was going to run away?”

  “Nothing of the sort. But when Custodian Drestan brought to my attention that you never returned to the dormitories last night, and then I received a notification of your loan from the Treasury, I must admit my curiosity was piqued. I wanted to see what you were up to.”

  Lutero replied calmly, glancing over the circle with almost disinterest. When Vincent stepped into his line of sight, the Archon grunted.

  “May I ask what you are doing here? Who gave you permission?”

  “I-I did, sir.”

  Dodoon stepped in.

  “The boy has been helping in the workshop, and since they haven’t approved his integration yet, we’ve been compensating him with favors, such as allowing him to use the machines and the workshop after hours.”

  “Helping, you say. So soon?”

  The Archon replied while glancing at Vincent sideways.

  “How impressive. Only a week has passed since he was an empty husk, and now he is already assisting a maestre…”

  He is trying to imply that I know more than I let on… and he’s right.

  “He has been helping with the calculations. He is good at mathematics.”

  “Is that so?”

  Lutero answered, disinterested. But then he pressed Dodoon again.

  “Is that all? Because I can see a circle over there that is clearly his work. Quite surprising that he could make something that complex so soon, don’t you think?”

  “Now that I see it finished, yes, it does look rather complex.”

  “How long do you think it would take a normal person to learn something like that? Someone with no prior knowledge of magic circles.”

  “Assuming they already understand magic… three weeks, maybe more. Although, to be honest…”

  He was wavering, unwilling to answer.

  Is he trying to protect me?

  “The boy has quite innovative ideas.”

  “Innovative? You don’t mean new, do you?”

  Now the Archon turned toward Vincent and stepped closer, prompting Vincent to move between him and the circle.

  “It isn’t finished yet. It would be best if you wait.”

  “Wait?”

  He echoed, incredulous, with a mocking tone.

  I can’t let him use it now. Not without explaining where I got the information to make it.

  Noticing Vincent’s reluctance, Lutero decided to tighten the grip.

  “I don’t think we can afford to wait any longer. And you certainly don’t need to wait.” Lutero extended his hand, and his secretary handed him a written, sealed parchment. “For the husk… Vin. You are charged with perdurance, with withholding valuable information from the tower, and with abusing your status as a husk.”

  “What?”

  “The tribunal will take place… now. Restrain him.”

  “Wait, you can’t do this!”

  Why so fast? Why now? Is it because Lily isn’t here to protect me?

  “Obviously you don't need any more time, right? Buying materials and taking out loans... very bold of you. ”

  Two custodians lunged toward Vincent, so he quickly grabbed his reference books before being seized by the arms. Meanwhile, the Archon tried to decipher the circle left on the table. Unable to understand its logic, his thick eyebrow arched.

  “I can walk.”

  Vincent pulled himself free, stepping away from the custodians.

  “These engravings… I haven’t seen them before.”

  “That’s because you haven’t read every book in the tower, have you? What I have here in my arms is where I took those engravings from. If you let me explain, there would be no need for such commotion. I still had until the end of the week.”

  “Unfortunately, you don’t make the rules, do you?”

  Idiot… how could I forget? How could I think they’d follow their own rules? If they’re rushing the trial… it’s because they expect Lily not to arrive in time to defend me.

  You could be reading stolen content. Head to the original site for the genuine story.

  “Fine, I’ll go to your tribunal… but bring that circle. I have something to show you.”

  That the Archon himself, the man in charge of all resurrects and husks on the Fifth Heart, had taken particular interest in him meant he believed Vincent carried something important in his mind. Anyone who had interacted with the newly awakened Vincent could tell he was far brighter than he let on.

  The loan and the suspicious purchase of materials had erased any remaining doubt. It wasn’t normal to adapt so quickly, to be able to read, even to craft a circle of his own. He had exposed himself too much, but he didn’t regret it. Pretending to be stupid would only have left him worse prepared for the tribunal, and something told him that no matter how hard he tried to hide it, his secret was already uncovered.

  They can see something in me that I don’t yet understand… That woman, the secretary… she never looked away from me. It’s like she was watching my soul.

  The cards were dealt. There was no point resisting, so he simply followed the Archon’s entourage through the tower. As they left the workshop, a lift was already waiting for them. The enormous magic circle accepted Vincent, the Archon and his secretary, along with the procession of scholars, custodians, and Dodoon, who had been forced to accompany them as a witness.

  The magical platform didn’t even flinch at the weight. It ascended smoothly through the tower, passing through several gates and even a couple of Hearts. The tribunal was higher up, on the Third, in an administrative district. Vincent had never gone so high before, and he marveled at the new architecture. It was expected that each floor changed, but the shift in style always surprised him. This time it was a gothic aesthetic built from dark stone.

  Such detail… if the Third looks like this, I wonder what the summit must be like.

  When they arrived, the platform approached a set of metal guards. The rails parted, granting unrestricted passage to the entourage, which stepped off and escorted the court assembly. This floor was far taller and more ornate than the others, with golden floral motifs adorning the railings and columns. To Vincent’s surprise, the room that housed the tribunal was relatively modest: a square chamber with a raised platform at the center, a small table for evidence, and a simple wooden railing separating the space from the seating area. There was also a squat pedestal holding a perforated jade disk, the kind used to adjust one’s debt…

  They’re already prepared to judge me…

  Almost an hour passed from his arrival until the rest of the attendees filled the tribunal. His trial had stirred enough interest that every seat was occupied. When the appointed time came, Archon Lutero settled into the throne facing the podium where Vincent would speak. At his side stood his secretary, and to his left sat Heidegger the Extractor. Vincent also recognized the healer who had treated him, Alvar the treasurer, and Dodoon.

  “Can you walk to the stand, or do we need to tie you up?”

  Asked Drestan once everyone was seated.

  “I’m not a criminal.”

  Vincent answered with pride. He walked to the center of the room with his head held high and placed himself behind the simple wooden podium.

  “Husk Vin… or Vincent, as you call yourself now. You are accused of perdurance, of hiding knowledge from the tower.”

  “I have made it clear multiple times that I am not hiding anything. My memory is still blurry, but I assure you there is nothing you don’t already know with all you’ve gathered from Earth.”

  “And how do you explain surviving such trauma to your meridians?”

  Interjected one of the scholars from the benches. Lutero didn’t seem to mind the interruption, so Vincent assumed that was how these trials operated.

  “It was thanks to Magister Lily, who shared her experiences with me through her gift, combined with what I managed to study before the incident.”

  “That does not explain the level of control you demonstrated over spiritual energy. It is not normal.”

  “If what you’re trying to insinuate is that some Earth knowledge helped with that… I honestly don’t know what to tell you. The meridian system is similar to the circulatory system, and you already have information on that here in the tower. I verified it myself.”

  Truth be told, my knowledge from Earth did help. Seeing 3D models of how the heart works and so on helped a lot with visualization… but best not mention that.

  “Honestly, this entire process seems absurd to me. Why subject me to such a pantomime just to send me to the Extractor? You really couldn’t wait a few more days to raise my quota? Or is your manipulation so clumsy that, if Magister Lily were here, your accusations would be dismissed outright?”

  “That is precisely why we are able to judge you properly,” Lutero replied, resuming the exchange, “since another matter at hand is the abusive relationship you maintain with her.”

  “Abusive?”

  What ridiculous angle are they using to accuse me now?

  “It is well known that you are Magister Lily’s protégé. She has covered your quota for years and bore the cost of your treatment, which forced her to take on another bracelet. You were also granted benefits, such as a more lenient quota… all to avoid overburdening the magister. Yet you went and asked for even more money.”

  “That money was given to me without issue. I asked for a fair and measured loan. If I am so untrustworthy, you held full authority to deny it. Or are you insinuating that I somehow forced you to hand it over?”

  Vincent said this while playing to the audience, searching for complicity in how ridiculous the accusation was. Everyone knew exactly why they had approved the loan.

  “It seems you are far more capable than you let on, husk Vincent… or should I say resurrect Vincent. We will not tolerate abuses of the system.”

  “So you will unilaterally increase my quota until I have no choice but to sell my memories? What exactly do you expect to get from me? I already told you I don’t know anything you haven’t learned yourselves. All you will gain is more paper piling up and rotting on forgotten shelves.”

  The scholars did not react well to that. They didn’t appreciate having their methods questioned.

  “Why would I risk antagonizing you? Believe me, if I had useful information, I would share it. And if the information I have isn’t in your books… I honestly don’t know. It’s been too little time for me to understand what you lack.”

  Vincent motioned for them to bring forward the evidence in his favor: the magical circle and a few books.

  “That is why I have been working on something on my own. Something personal you may have overlooked…”

  “‘Overlooked?’”

  “There is a vast amount of information in this tower. You focus on accumulating it, but never actually use it. That’s why I made this circle: to show you how much you’re missing.”

  A cart entered carrying the evidence, and the scholars rose just enough from their seats to inspect it. The Archon signaled one of the custodians to bring him the circle. He wanted to examine it again.

  “Hmmm… yes, the magic circle. Its logic resembles nothing I’ve ever seen.”

  Lutero remarked to his peers. Although he presided over the Fifth Heart, it seemed he still required their implicit approval to condemn Vincent.

  “You claim to bring no new information, and yet you created a magic circle in a single week that even an Archon cannot comprehend… and last I checked, Earthlings did not possess knowledge of magic circles.”

  “There are no magic circles where I come from, but there are electrical circuits… nothing unfamiliar to you. After all, you have an entire shelf dedicated to them on the seventh floor of the Earth library.”

  Lutero said nothing this time. He leaned subtly toward one side to listen to a whispered comment from his secretary… or rather, his adviser.

  “Hmmm…”

  Something in his expression told Vincent the man didn’t fully believe him.

  That woman… can she read thoughts? No, if that were the case, none of this would be necessary. In a world like this, it wouldn’t be impossible for her to analyze more than I can see… perhaps she can tell whether I’m lying. I need to be even more careful with my words.

  “I swear I only used knowledge already present in the tower to construct this circle. Maybe something in my memories nudged me in the right direction, but it’s nothing any one of you couldn’t have achieved if you had read the same books I did.”

  The adviser whispered something again, and Lutero raised his eyebrows.

  I didn’t lie this time.

  “I beg you not to touch my memories. You know my condition is extremely fragile. If you tamper with them, you would be sentencing me to death. I can be far more useful alive… I can prove it.”

  Vincent stepped down from the stand and approached the Archon’s podium.

  “If you let me have that back, I’ll show you.”

  The Archon recoiled slightly, almost possessive, and the custodians moved to block Vincent’s path. But after he insisted it wasn’t dangerous, and after a silent confirmation from the adviser, they allowed him through. Vincent took the circle in his hands and checked that none of the pieces had come loose.

  He shifted his posture, adopting a different aura entirely, more confident, almost like a presenter at a conference unveiling a new smartphone.

  “My intention is to show you that Earthlings do have value. I know magic is what is prized here, and if you have neglected science for so long it is because the former is far more powerful than the latter… even so, I believe something worthwhile can emerge from fusing the two.”

  Vincent dragged a small nearby table and placed it before the Archon, far enough that the entire tribunal could see it. At the center he set down the magic circle, the first computer he had ever created in this world.