At the command tent's center was a rectangular table, and on one side sat Izroth, Aurie, and Solomon. Satoras stood behind Izroth with an indifferent expression. As far as he was concerned, humans wasted too much time on their procedures and hearings. Back during his era in the Nether Realm, everything was decided with power alone. There was no right or wrong; it was whoever had the most power that was always right. If someone wished to question them, they better have had the strength to back it up; otherwise, only death awaited them!

Sat across from Izroth's group were the Jestal family members—Orcus, Anaemia, and Leuko.

​​

Anaemia and Leuko glared at Solomon with hatred in their eyes. The humiliation from earlier was still fresh in their minds; however, they could only secretly curse the General.

The person who was ultimately passing judgment, Yan, took his seat at the head of the table. As for Dolos, he was currently guarded by Soothing Smoke and Duchess on the opposite side of the command tent until the final judgment was given.

"Lead Agent Soothing Smoke of Amaharpe's War Intelligence Group, Ten Beast Guardian Duchess of Rosentarus—you two shall act as official witnesses to the hearing that is about to take place. I'm sure everyone is aware that this situation is highly sensitive and should be kept within the confines of this command tent. General Solomon, although this is rightfully your battlefield to command and judgment should naturally be left to your discretion, given the circumstances, I am invoking my royal privilege as a prince of the Amaharpe kingdom to oversee this personally. Do you have any objections?" Yan said calmly.

"No objections," Solomon answered. He was the one who told Soothing Smoke to contact Yan; therefore, Solomon was already prepared for something like this to happen. It was just that the number of individuals on the other side of the table that Solomon envisioned was not one but three. As for the main culprit, he was still unconscious and unable to give his testimony.

Yan nodded and said, "Then, let the official hearing begin."

After the hearing formally started, Izroth and Aurie were asked to recount the events that led up to Dolos' current state.

As the two retold the events, Orcus interrupted multiple times and objected their claims. He even argued that it was a plot by Izroth and Aurie to wrongfully frame their Jestal family and that General Solomon was a part of it!

It did not take long for Orcus to lose his temper after having his claims repeatedly denied.

He slammed his fist onto the table and bellowed, "Outrageous! This trial is an obvious sham! I won't tolerate this blatant disrespect towards my Jestal family!"

"Sir Orcus, I have tolerated your outburst as a show of courtesy. Not to your Jestal family, but for the sake of our brothers in the kingdom of Proximus. However, if you would like to see how unhospitable I can be, then you can continue to test my patience." Yan stated firmly.

Orcus wanted to protest further, but it was clear that he did not want to push things beyond a point of no return. In the end, Orcus sat back down and regained his composure; however, there was a grim look on his face.

"I have heard enough. I will now proceed with the judgment for all parties involved." Yan said as he stood to his feet.

He then continued, "Sir Orcus, it is clear that your side has a severe lack of evidence to back up any of the claims you have made. Therefore, I am clearing General Solomon, Commander Aurie, and Captain Izroth of any wrongdoings. Unless, of course, you have any further evidence to present?"

"...I don't..!" Orcus uttered as he suppressed his anger.

"Good, then... As for Dolos Jestal—even as a prince of Amaharpe, I do not have the authority to remove him from his position here in the Demilitarization Belt with a hearing alone. While I personally trust General Solomon's Absolute Symmetry and the testimonies that the Commander and Captain have laid out before me, it is still circumstantial and a one-sided perspective. That being said, the Ten-Headed Demon Nether Idol is not something that can appear out of midair. Since it is claimed by Lead Agent Soothing Smoke to have been found in Dolos Jestal's tent, then..." Yan glanced over at Soothing Smoke with a meaningful look.

Soothing Smoke stepped forward, "I advise that we detain Dolos Jestal until his guilt or innocence can be proven. I am willing to stake my life on what I have discovered." They then tossed a small object on the table in front of Yan.

The object was a silver emblem with three stars carved onto its surface. It symbolized Soothing Smoke's identity as a Lead Agent of the War Intelligence Group, but this was not its sole purpose.

Given the War Intelligence Group's importance, those who were Lead Agents or higher were granted the unique privilege of detaining personnel regardless of rank. However, it was not without a high cost. If the Lead Agent turned out to be wrong, the consequences would be disastrous. Losing their position would be the least of their worries as such serious accusations were not taken lightly.

Yan gave a nod of approval as he took the silver emblem into his hand and said, "If you are willing to go so far, then I have no choice but to accept your grand gesture. For now, Dolos Jestal will be kept in this camp's custody under General Solomon's supervision until we manage to get to the bottom of everything. As protocol dictates, an officer in custody cannot hold an active command position. Therefore, Dolos Jestal shall be temporarily relieved of his command position in the Demilitarization Belt. General Solomon, I'll leave who fills that position to your discretion."

"Finally, Orcus Jestal, Anaemia Jestal, and Leuko Jestal. The three of you not only entered an active war zone without filing an official report, but you even dared to raise your sword against the Head Commander of its sector. Usually, this type of behavior would land you in a cell for a minimum of fifty years; however, I will associate your brazen actions with protecting a member of your family, as well as your ignorance of the situation. I will overlook it this time, but you should know that ignorance is no excuse for breaking the laws. Should there be a next time, you will have to deal with my less than courteous side. This concludes my judgment for this hearing."

...

After Yan's final judgment, those from the Jestal family, excluding Dolos, were allowed to take their leave.

Without wasting any time, Orcus opened a spatial vortex outside the command tent as he stepped inside with Anaemia and Leuko. A few moments later, the spatial vortex closed.

The instant they entered the isolated pocket of space used by their family to travel from place to place, Anaemia stomped her foot angrily and asked, "Uncle, must we truly swallow this humiliation..?!"

"That's right! How can our Jestal family ever hold their heads high again after today? Won't the other families laugh at us?!" Leuko scowled.

"A setback today does not mean our loss is written in stone. I did not expect a prince of Amaharpe to be so close by and interfere with our plans. Nevertheless, even he cannot stop what is to come. After all, our Jestal family is the rightful ruler of Proximus. It is only a matter of time before our family's goal is realized." Orcus reassured.

"But, uncle, the royal family has the Y'Zati and Wiseman of Everpeak on their side. Won't they interfere with our family's plans?" Leuko questioned with a frown.

"The Y'Zati hasn't been heard from since he last departed to Amaharpe. Even as the war progresses, there has been no news regarding his appearance on any battlefield. As for the Wiseman of Everpeak, she will be our biggest headache. But, as long as that person makes their move as promised, the headache will not be ours to deal with." Orcus explained.

A look of excitement found its way onto Anaemia's face as she exclaimed, "By that person, you mean...!"

"That's right. But, for now, we will return and give our report to the family head. I want to see how long that prince and General dares to hold a member of our Jestal family in confinement. That Commander and Captain will also not escape their fate. All those involved—I have remembered their faces well." Orcus stated coldly.

...

Meanwhile, back at the command tent...

Not too long after the Jestal family left, Soothing Smoke and Duchess secretly escorted Dolos Jestal to a special confinement area. But, the conversation was not over just yet.

"Now that those two are gone, shall we discuss a separate topic?" Solomon said as his gaze fell onto Satoras.