In the solemn court next to the Municipal Office Building of the Askatra Administrative District, a lawsuit that attracted the attention of everyone in the city and lasted for two weeks was held as scheduled.
One of them knows without asking, that after investigation, it is confirmed that the expedition team has committed an unforgivable crime.
In order to ensure that these heinous crimes could be tried fairly, Captain Witherland even took action in person and stood in court to make an impassioned speech.
"Your Honor, the Prosecutor General, and all the citizens who came to listen.
I must tell you that after questioning all the sailors, it is basically confirmed that the first thing Cordell and his golden mercenary group did after discovering the Maztec continent was to carry out an inhumane massacre of the local indigenous people.
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In total, they looted seventeen villages, six small towns, and a city with tens of thousands of people.
More than 6,000 people died directly as a result, many of whom were old, weak, women and children who had no ability to resist.
As for those who are displaced, many more will eventually die of hunger, thirst, or injury and infection.
If you commit such a crime, you can still get away with it and even enjoy the looted wealth.
So where is justice?
Where is the law?
Where is the axiom?
The most important thing is that these evil deeds were committed in the name of Amn, which greatly damaged the reputation of the city and the entire country.
It is foreseeable that for a long time, the indigenous people of the Maztec continent will remain hostile and wary of us.
As everyone knows, the reason Amn sent out the expedition was to expand trade and do business with more cities and countries.
Just imagine, if the indigenous people of a continent are full of hostility and do not even allow us to approach their gathering places, how can merchants engage in trading activities?
So Cordell and his golden mercenary group must get justice!
Only in this way can we prove to the indigenous people of the Maztec continent that they are just a group of bandits who are motivated by money, and everything they do is not officially authorized and permitted..."
It has to be said that Captain Witherland of the Knights of the Burning Heart is very eloquent. He not only criticized Cordell and the Golden Mercenary Group from the standpoint of good and evil, but also analyzed the pros and cons from the perspective of a businessman.
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His purpose is very simple, that is, to make the man standing in the dock pay the price for the heinous crime he committed.
Because this is not a murder involving a few people or a dozen people, but a genocide and population genocide involving thousands or even tens of thousands of people at a time.
As a paladin who serves the God of Justice, Witherland will never allow Cordell and his group of golden mercenaries to escape the punishment of the law.
If Amn's laws fail to give a fair verdict, then he will not hesitate to risk falling out with the six-member council and directly lead the Knights of the Burning Heart to attack and kill these villains whose hands are stained with the blood of innocents. Almost exhausted.
Just look at the fully armed holy warriors standing at the door with solemn expressions, and you will know how angry these holy warriors who swear to defend justice and protect the weak are.
Especially Sir Kaidong, who was standing in the front row, clutching the two-handed giant sword shining with golden light in his hands. When he looked at the members of the Golden Mercenary Group, he seemed to be looking at a group of dead people.
You must know that in the not too long history of Amn, there has never been a case like today that brought out the entire Knights of the Burning Heart.
The judge and prosecutor sitting on the stage kept wiping their sweat, completely frightened by this unrelenting momentum.
They know very well that these single-minded paladins will not make any private deals or compromises with you, nor will they just threaten and intimidate you like the gangs affiliated with the Shadow Thieves. Instead, they will really take action without hesitation.
A few months ago, Duke Telga, whose territory is in the Giant Plains, revealed the whereabouts of the paladin team sent by the Knights of the Burning Heart to a vicious wanted criminal.
As a result, the latter set up an ambush and almost wiped out the entire team. Only Cassius and Kaidong survived.
It was the two of them who, by tracking day and night in the wilderness, finally found the enemy's lair and slaughtered it.
After returning to Ascaltra and reporting the matter, the Knights immediately sent someone to question Duke Telga.
The latter refused to admit it at first, until the irrefutable evidence was presented, and then he hid in the castle and wanted to use his private army to fight against the law enforcement agencies.
But in the end, it was overwhelmed by a wave of attacks from the paladins and trainee knights of the Knights of the Burning Heart.
Not only was the entire family uprooted, but many other crimes were unearthed along the way.
During this process, no matter how the nobles involved with Duke Telga interceded, pressured, or threatened, the paladins remained unmoved and went through all legal procedures unswervingly.
In the end, not only was Duke Telga and his direct participants successfully sentenced to death, but the family territory that had been passed down for hundreds of years was also confiscated, and even future generations were expelled from Amn and were never allowed to set foot on this land again.
Therefore, in the eyes of those in the evil camp and those who have committed unforgivable crimes, paladins are more terrifying existences than mercenaries and killers.
Because the latter may still be bribed through financial benefits, but once the paladins are determined about something, even death cannot make them retreat at all.
Cordell was standing in the dock, his whole body soaked with sweat. He was thinking frantically about how to defend himself, while secretly cursing Bernard and Sir Kelvin.
If these two guys hadn't invited the Knights of the Burning Heart to arbitrate, things wouldn't be like this.
At the moment, the only thing he can count on is the solemn-looking Supreme Priest of the God of Guards, Osig, who holds the title of "General Overseer" sitting in the auditorium.
As long as this powerful man is willing to come forward, then with the consistent weak attitude of the Amn Council of Six towards the Church of God, there is a high probability that the matter will be settled peacefully.
As for the hard-headed paladins of the Knights of the Burning Heart, they can simply bribe the Masked Mage Guild to use teleportation magic to escape. There is no need to confront them head-on.
However, Cordell is not sure about the attitude of "General Overseer" Oisig, nor is he sure whether the Church of Helm, the God of Guards, will kick him away after the things he has done are exposed.
Just when he was about to defend himself, a commotion and noise suddenly came from the passage not far away.
Immediately afterwards, the three sponsors of the expedition appeared in everyone's sight.
Especially Zuo Si, who had disappeared for a long time, instantly made some members of the top powerful families feel that something big might be going on.
After all, as a chosen one of Talona, ​​the goddess of poison and disease, his identity is extremely sensitive.
Coupled with the title of consultant of the six-person council, once he takes a stand, it will inevitably trigger a series of very serious consequences.
Looking at the silent court, as well as the somewhat confused judge and chief prosecutor, Zuo Si looked around, walked straight to an empty place, put his hand on his chest and bowed symbolically.
"I'm very sorry. Since I was not in Ascaltra some time ago, the other two sponsors, Bernard and Sir Kelvin, were unable to express their opinions, which is why the matter has developed into such a bad situation.
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But now, on behalf of all our sponsors, I officially declare that the crimes committed by Cordell and his gold mercenary group on the Maztec continent have nothing to do with us, and at the same time, we are willing to give up all the wealth we have obtained through killing and plundering.
Not only that!
We also want to publicly condemn their actions that are worse than beasts and their actions that tarnish the reputation of the Chamber of Commerce and this country.
Most importantly, Cordel still tried to link his evil deeds with the guardian god Heim, and violated Talona's domain while deliberately spreading plague and disease.
This is outright blasphemy!
As the chosen one of God, I demand that the entire Golden Mercenary Group, including him, be sentenced to death!
If the Church of Helm has objections to this, then let's hold a divine judgment.
Let's see if the God of Guardians will still recognize such people as his followers."
When saying these words, Zuo Si raised his head and did not avoid looking at the "General Inspector" Ou Xig in the auditorium.
He knows very well that the reason why this lawsuit has been delayed until now is entirely because this guy has been unwilling to remove Cordell and his golden mercenary group from the order of the Church of Helm.
Although I don’t know exactly what the other party is thinking, and what kind of ulterior relationship or deal there is with Cordell.
But as long as Zuo Si forces the Church of Helm to carry out divine judgment, then no matter what Osig is planning, he will inevitably be unable to hide from God.
You must know that Heim is a god of the neutral camp, so the composition of his believers is quite complicated.
Coupled with its almost strict internal discipline, it is particularly prone to corruption.
There is no doubt that when faced with the doubts of another chosen god, Ou Xig has no room for retreat.
Because if he chooses to avoid answering, not only will the entire church be disappointed, but he will also lose a large number of believers.
In fact, since the revelation of what Cordel and the Golden Mercenary Group did in the Maztec Continent, the situation of the Church of the God of Guard has become very bad, and the number of believers has dropped significantly in a short period of time.<
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So after hesitating for a moment, the "General Inspector" finally stood up slowly and responded in an emotionless tone: "There is no need to hold a divine judgment. I officially declare in the name of the God of Guards that from now on
From now on, Cordell and his gold mercenary group will no longer be part of the church organization. As for the crimes they committed, they can be tried how they want to be judged. I have no objection."
Wow——
Following Ouchig's speech, the whole court was in an uproar.
Everyone present did not expect that as soon as Zuo Sicai appeared on the scene, the top leader of the Church of Helm, the God of Guard, who had always refused to express his position, chose to retreat.
"Damn it! Who can tell me what's going on?"
"Are the chosen ones of Talona, ​​the goddess of poison and disease, so powerful? Even the church of Helm, the god of guardianship, is so afraid of her?"
To be continued...