Wolfe made a note, then addressed her again. "Would you say that you have seen others here in this room commit violations of human rights standards, and can you describe them by name?"
The Corporal looked around the bench, and called out all but two of the men by name. Surprisingly, her descriptions of the abuses by the female officers were just as vile as those by the men. Wolfe had thought that there might be some sort of gender solidarity there, but that was definitely not the case.
"Thank you Corporal. You may take your seat. Witness number two, please take the stand."
The witch rubbed the scars on her neck from the metal collar as she stood, but a loud commotion from outside interrupted them before she could speak.
"Saint Noxus, there is an issue that requires your immediate attention." A man was shouting from the door, before he was forcibly restrained by a group of witch born men with the bright hair that marked them as being from Morgana Noble families.
"Let him speak. What is so important that it needs to interrupt the trial?" Wolfe asked.
"Sir, the Kind Intentions spell is flawed, there are attacks everywhere, and vigilante justice in the streets." The man shouted, then squeaked in pain as his arms were wrenched behind him in a rather brutal manner.
The spell wouldn't stop things that were painful without intent to seriously harm, but there were limits on how far you could take it.
"My apologies, witness number two, I will return shortly, and we can continue. I must see if my spell has failed." Wolfe sighed, then activated the Gravity magic for flight and floated across the room and out the doors.
The reason for the commotion was immediately clear. Numerous Grand Dutchies citizens were lined up along the fence that surrounded the running track in the town's park, with their hands tied to the bars, and their backs exposed to the whips of the witches.
"Are we not doing trials anymore?" Wolfe shouted as he saw the situation.
"We already did them. Local law says that the town Elders can take care of minor crimes on the spot, and these have all been sentenced to a hundred lashes." One of the older witches called back.
"Give me the list of crimes." Wolfe demanded.
A uniformed soldier stepped up with the document, and Wolfe noted the military police armband, which assured him that this wasn't just the witches getting even, but the community seeking justice.
The lists for each of these people were short. Theft, assault, and other petty crimes were listed for each of the people tied to the fence, and Wolfe noted that the [Truth] spell that the witches had cast was still in full force.
"The truth spell should still be active here. Do any of you honestly believe that you are not guilty of the crimes you were accused of?" Wolfe asked.
None of them spoke for the next thirty seconds, and Wolfe took that as an admission of guilt.
"Alright. It is within the law, and while I don't appreciate the disruption of the trials, all that I ask is that you mark each of these people or give them a token that shows their sentence has been carried out so that they are not taken a second time for the same crimes." He informed the crowd with a serious glare that made it clear he wasn't going to allow them to turn the tables and keep the troubles going with a new team in charge.
"Understood, Saint Noxus. We apologize for our interruption." The Elder announced.
Wolfe returned to the courtroom and addressed the crowd with the microphone active.
"The town Elders decided that now would be an appropriate time to deal with the minor crimes in the city. While I don't approve of the timing, it is their right as the town leaders. The military police have helped them gather the petty criminals, and I would assume that there will be more in the near future. Please do not interfere, unless you have evidence pertaining to the guilt or innocence of the accused.
Now, let us get back to the testimonies. Witness number two, my apologies for the wait. You may begin."
One after another, the townspeople came forward and spoke their piece about the conditions in the cities. Surprisingly, over a third of the officers in the room were not accused of anything more than corruption, as those who had committed the most heinous crimes had either fled in advance or had killed themselves before the trial began.
They were just about to break for lunch when the sound of an unfamiliar helicopter caught Wolfe's attention. It wasn't one from Forest Grove, the blades sounded wrong, like it was a much smaller vehicle than their twin bladed units.
The vehicle landed on the roof of the capital building, and while another witness recounted a similar story to many others, two people came down the stairs.
One was a Magic Demon, with blue feathered wings on his back, and the other was a human man in very fancy clothing.
"Saint Noxus, may we address the court?" The Demon requested once the witness had finished.
"Certainly. Please activate the microphone so that those outside the building can hear your words." Wolfe agreed.
"A am Ezekiel. The twelfth Prince of the Kingdom of Magic, Overlord of barriers, and now the Guardian of the Grand Dutchies as a whole. As of this morning, the Grand Dutchies have signed an agreement with the Continental Representatives to join the allied nations, and talks are underway to finish a formal agreement on the use of the standardized currency."
That startled Wolfe, as he would need to be present for that, but they had likely sent someone to Forest Grove to wait for him, so it was technically true. The talks were underway, they just wouldn't go anywhere until he got home.
The Demon continued. "The Grand Dutchies are now under allied laws and regulations, and any fugitives who have committed crimes in the Morgana Territories will be stripped of their rank and privilege upon return to their home nation. As per the Council of Grand Dukes, no shelter will be given to criminals, and the Oligarchs have been taken into custody."
He paused for dramatic effect, and Wolfe noted the wave of fear that passed through the town. It was a palpable thing, as his attunement to Unholy Magic sensed the upheaval in their souls. Those who had counted on being able to go home to be protected by powerful factions immediately lost hope, even before the Demon finished his speech.
"The Grand Dukes have ceded control of the nation to the Council of Guardians, made up of three Overlords and four Fae Saints, with me as their representative.
Beginning today, we will be working with the Continental Representatives to send supervised military forces to all colonies to enforce the new laws and collect criminals who are to be extradited at the will of the local leadership.
That includes the coastal villages in the south and west that are headed by the Rebel factions from Morgana Coven."
He might as well have dropped a bomb on the town. Or the entire region for that matter. The Morgana Coven Rebels were notorious for much worse crimes than had been committed here, and if the two ancient Representatives were gathering forces from across the continent, they wouldn't last long in a confrontation.
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