235. Wartime Special Administration Law
"The original prosecution agency is the Trivira City Temporary Procuratorate."
The temporary court was set up in the lobby of the Magic Technology Pavilion. In a rush, they placed the Crystal Tower's emblem and flags, summoned an incantation to oversee the court proceedings, and arranged a few rows of folding chairs and desks—just enough for a simple courtroom.
Li Aozi lowered his head in boredom. Two golem bailiffs stood behind him, gripping his shoulders tightly, as though afraid he would escape from this Higgs-Field-shrouded courtroom.
The judge adjusted his monocle and continued reading:
"Civil plaintiff attached to this case: White Candle Star Department of Education,"
"Defendant in the original trial: Leoz, biologically male and identifies as male, Tanas race, 22 years old, current residence in Trivira City, holder of an undergraduate degree, formerly a third-year student in the College of Magical Applications at White Candle Interstellar University, path: [Domination], Tier: Zeta. Four days ago, he was placed under criminal detention. In this case, he was sentenced to 270 years in prison, but with good behavior and significant meritorious service, his sentence has been reduced by 270 years, to be served on White Candle Star."
"Defense counsel: Rosion, law professor at White Candle Interstellar University's College of Humanities."
"The Trivira City Speedy Trial Court, having tried the case brought by the Trivira City Temporary Procuratorate accusing Defendant Leoz of illegal entry, forging documents, carrying forbidden path knowledge across the border, possession of a military-grade Colonization Trooper, and extradition of refugees, today rendered its decision (12166) under Special Criminal Judgment No. 1, finding the following:"
"(1) The defendant Leoz is guilty of illegal entry, sentenced to twenty years in prison, and fined 6.6 million Dina."
"(2) The defendant Leoz is guilty of impersonation, forging his identity to take the magic aptitude test and enroll in school. He is sentenced to 100 years in prison; his student status will be retained until after the sentence is completed."
"(3) The defendant Leoz…"
One conviction after another was pronounced by the judge, but as he stood in the dock, Li Aozi's demeanor remained calm and unruffled.
Thanks to his earlier honest confession, both Dean Nastisha and the battlefield-cleanup mages took a more lenient attitude toward him.
His defense counsel happened to be a law professor from White Candle Interstellar University.
As for the evidence-collection phase, no need to elaborate: Li Aozi not only displayed the[Remaining Moon]Omega Energy he had seized, but also the copious remains of Mechanical citizens as proof of his innocence. As for the Colonization Trooper, Li Aozi openly laid it out for the mages to compare with the one that belonged to Remaining Moon.
When it came to witnesses, Li Aozi had an overwhelming advantage.
In addition to Dean Nastisha—who was already on his side—the players, the Lady of the Lake Sophia Marlin, and the three captured Mechanical councilors all corroborated that Li Aozi fought against Remaining Moon and the [Mechanical Society].
Unexpectedly for Li Aozi, the student he'd rescued from Remaining Moon also appeared in court to testify on his behalf.
Beyond any doubt, not only was he spared any punishment, but in view of his outstanding contribution, the Crystal Tower authorities chose not to pursue him further; they tacitly accepted all he had done thus far.
However, due to procedural requirements, Li Aozi was not immediately released. He still needed some time to settle the civil compensation attached to the case. Once the properties on Faithkeep Village's side were liquidated, he could leave the detention center. The entire process would take at most two weeks—essentially paying a ransom to ward off bigger trouble. Any mention of his criminal record would be dropped afterward. Not long after, the authorities issued a notice requiring Faithkeep Village to pay the back taxes for the past few months.
From then on, his territory would no longer be an illegal refugee settlement but would be recognized as a legitimate rural administrative district. When he got out of prison, he would also receive a territorial appointment letter.
In the Crystal Tower civilization, there is no concept of nobility, and the term "lord" is more akin to "landowner" or "estate holder."
For Li Aozi, this was undoubtedly a huge win.
He had already gained maximum renown on White Candle Star, and now that Faithkeep Village had been acknowledged as legal, he could bring a steady influx of players from all sorts of places.
It looked like he'd lost some Dina, but his account actually contained mostly Amnium—he had hardly any real losses. On the contrary, he had gained an even greater future.
Next, he could confidently continue his secondhand dealing business and start pulling people over from the closest server, Agincourt.
In olden times, scam syndicates harvested organs. Today, the Li Family brokers lure in players—different era, same trick.
"When you do the right thing in the grand scheme, the entire world stands with you."
In the detention room, Li Aozi couldn't help sighing.
"You're certainly taking it easy."
A playful female voice rang out. Li Aozi immediately sat up straight, looking toward the viewing window and bowing his head respectfully:
"Dean Nastisha, thank you for being willing to testify on my behalf."
"Don't try that sweet talk, kid. I told you to stay put in your dorm, but you ran off all of a sudden and nearly messed up my plans."
Outside the viewing window, Dean Nastisha raised her hand, shaping a chair from magic. She leaned back in a leisurely way, propping a single hand under her cheek. Though her words were scolding, her face and expression weren't particularly harsh.
"Hey, if you don't listen to your teacher, you suffer the consequences—look, I'm stuck in detention now." Li Aozi laughed. "Still, you made thorough arrangements, Dean Nastisha. With my impulsive nature, I definitely need to change my ways."
They were only one rank apart, so aside from the difference in age and their teacher-student relationship, they spoke on relatively equal footing.
"Dean, how did things end up with those three councilors?"
"They were taken away by a higher scholar from the Supreme Council, most likely as experimental material. Under the planet's immunity effect, the [Mechanical Society] can't come near White Candle Star for the next few centuries. Hence, these councilors have become Marshgegon's marker. Following the Star Abyss tradition, we'll figure out a way to use these three Mechanical Society councilors to lure Marshgegon into a black hole. That should keep Marshgegon trapped for quite some time."
This outcome didn't surprise Li Aozi.
After all, the [Mechanical Society] is still nearby. If an amateur captured its councilors, they might try repeatedly killing them or sealing them.
The Crystal Tower civilization is pragmatic. Drawing the [Society] into a black hole is a reasonable approach.
"Actually, your being in detention might not be a bad thing."
Nastisha reminded him:
"You're an Ascendant of the [Domination] path who's accomplished something as great as repelling the [Mechanical Society]—logically, we should award you a Tanas Hero Medal. But right now, things are complicated, and this detention might actually be a form of protection for you."
"I understand." Li Aozi nodded. "Because of the war, right?"
"It's complicated. First off, Minister Balkomon is still fighting against Night Butterfly's mechanical legion. There's a high chance they can capture the other side's Kappa-tier."
Li Aozi was about to say that capturing a final-weapon-level entity would be great news, but then something struck him:
"—Wait a minute. It's been days already?"
Li Aozi counted on his fingers:
"I drove off the [Mechanical Society] six days ago. Six days—and neither Night Butterfly nor the Supreme Council has sent any reinforcements?"
Hearing this, Nastisha merely looked at him with a faint smile.
Aware something was off, Li Aozi frowned:
"Never mind the others—didn't we, from the Crystal Tower, also send support?"
A moment later, Nastisha replied calmly:
"We have no troops. How could we send reinforcements?"