Tia’s Smooth Life After Regression - Chapter 137

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This chapter was translated by Lunox Team. To support us and help keep this series going, visit our website: LunoxScans.com
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Tiya’s Smooth Regression Life

Chapter 137

As the judge took his seat, the clerk standing in the center of the courtroom stepped forward.

The sound of unrolling a scroll echoed clearly throughout the courtroom.

“The defendant Shurkha Valoz stands accused of manufacturing the infectious disease ‘Mark of Death’ and distributing it to third parties, causing numerous casualties.”

The atmosphere in the courtroom grew heavier as people’s gazes pierced into Shurkha like knives.

“This court declares that it has been convened to deliberate whether the defendant Shurkha Valoz is responsible for the aforementioned epidemic and to determine his guilt or innocence.”

As soon as the clerk’s declaration ended, the Imperial Investigator was about to aggressively press Shurkha but hesitated for a moment.

This was because sitting as Shurkha’s defense counsel was his son, Rodion Vladijef, who wasn’t even an adult yet.

To think that his father’s life hung in his own hands—what a burden that must be.

Whatever scheme was at play, he would witness his father’s death sentence up close, and it seemed truly cruel to do such a thing to one’s own blood.

The investigator was that confident of Shurkha’s guilt.

Soon, having quickly composed himself, he began pressing Shurkha with a low but confident voice.

The possibility and evidence that the Mark of Death was artificially created.

The fact that Shurkha possessed the specialized knowledge to manufacture the Mark of Death, had the business network to distribute the completed infectious agent to the North, and even had motives for such acts.

Throughout the explanation of all this evidence, Rodion remained silent as defense counsel, not even attempting to refute anything.

Even Shurkha himself acted as if he were listening to someone else’s story that had nothing to do with him.

Feeling strangely anxious about this attitude, the investigator deviated from his plan and somewhat hastily played his trump card.

“I would like to submit evidence found in the defendant’s research lab within the Royal Investigative Bureau.”

At his words, a cloth-covered object began being moved to the center of the courtroom.

The investigator leisurely stood beside the platform where the object was placed and asked Shurkha.

“Defendant, what did you primarily research in your laboratory?”

Rodion still showed no intention of standing up for Shurkha, so Shurkha opened his mouth to defend himself.

“I was researching a cure for White Flower Disease.”

For the first time, Rodion reacted to those words. However, his reaction was different from what the investigator had expected.

His face contorted as if he had heard an outrageous lie.

Though momentarily confused about whether Rodion was friend or foe, the investigator quickly regained his composure and delivered a heavy blow like a marksman who had caught his target’s weakness.

“I wonder about that. What I discovered there differed from that testimony.”

Swoosh!

The investigator then pulled away the cloth covering the object on the platform, revealing the identity of the evidence.

Inside a transparent glass container filled with water was a purple stone about the size of an adult’s fist.

Shaped like a crustacean fossil, it continuously leaked toxins that clouded the water in the bottle.

Before the investigator could even explain its identity, gasps erupted from various spots in the jury section.

They had instinctively recognized what it was without being told.

“This is the infectious source and core of the Mark of Death, found in the defendant’s private research laboratory.”

The rumors had been true.

In an instant, contempt and anger toward Shurkha formed on the jurors’ faces.

Count Montes was watching all of this from the upper seats.

He was attending this trial as an Imperial Observer representing the Emperor.

Thanks to this, he could leisurely watch events unfold according to his plan.

Originally, the Count had intended to use that core to make troublesome individuals appear to have died from the epidemic.

‘It was wise to keep it stored instead of disposing of it after use, as the mage suggested.’

Just as the Count was feeling relieved, it happened.

Rodion spoke for the first time.

“That alone is insufficient. It’s also possible to assume that someone planted the infectious source to frame the defendant. For example.”

Rodion paused briefly, then looked around the entire courtroom. Eventually, his gaze turned toward Count Montes seated in the upper section.

“It might be the work of the real culprit who wants to frame the defendant.”

Rodion then smiled lightly as if joking, but the Count, meeting his eyes, had an intuition.

Somehow, though he didn’t know how they had figured it out, the Vladijef Family had discovered his existence.

For that moment, the Count didn’t care about people’s gazes and met Rodion’s stare without avoiding it.

He was determined to see Shurkha receive a death sentence in this very place today.

‘Next will be that insolent brat’s turn.’

He had no intention of stopping until he eliminated every member of the Vladijef Family bloodline from this land.

For his younger sister, Audrey.

Soon, Rodion, who had looked away first, added more words.

“Also, has it been proven that this is truly the infectious source of the Mark of Death? Perhaps it might be fake.”

At those words, the Imperial Investigator nodded as if he had been waiting for this.

“That’s why I prepared for this.”

Having obtained the judge’s permission, he played his next prepared card.

A gagged man was then dragged to the center of the courtroom. From his shabby appearance to the shackles binding his wrists.

People could immediately guess his status.

A prisoner, and one sentenced to death at that.

As if confirming people’s assumptions, the man was immediately seated on an execution frame. After a Mage from the Mage Tower who had accompanied the prisoner set up a protective barrier around him.

The executioner who had brought the prisoner filled a syringe with water that had contained the infectious source.

And regardless of the terrified prisoner’s struggles, he inserted the syringe needle into the prisoner’s arm, injected the liquid, and quickly withdrew.

The courtroom became so quiet that even the sound of a falling needle could be heard. And before the scene that followed, no one could speak first.

“Grraaagh!”

The prisoner’s body began convulsing, and black spots started rapidly spreading across his exposed skin.

“My God, that’s the…”

“It’s exactly like the symptoms we heard about.”

“So it really was the Mark of Death.”

The investigator pointed to the prisoner’s corpse, which had collapsed without even being able to close its eyes, and spoke briefly.

“The reaction just observed matches the symptoms seen in the Mark of Death. The only difference is that the progression was faster due to the high concentration of the infectious source.”

A silence filled with terror descended upon the courtroom. People’s gazes couldn’t leave the corpse within the barrier.

Confirming this, a brief smile crossed Count Montes’ lips.

This moment was something he had obtained through long persuasion of the investigator.

Now what dominated the jurors was not reason but fear. They no longer showed any capacity to examine the situation logically.

Just as the jurors’ hearts were about to tip completely to one side according to the Count’s plan.

“Are those really the same symptoms as the Mark of Death?”

Rodion’s voice broke the silence.

People’s attention focused on Rodion, who was fearlessly approaching the corpse.

Though protected by a protective barrier, what had just killed the prisoner was a contagious disease powerful enough to spread through the air.

“Are you still denying it even after seeing these symptoms?”

“Who knows? People living in The Dominion haven’t directly experienced the Mark of Death, so they might mistake it for another disease.”

Rodion’s attitude seemed not just carefree but almost foolish.

Was he planning to persist like this?

Just as the investigator was about to speak while suppressing a sigh.

“There’s no choice. I’ll have to examine it up close.”

“What are you—”

Before the words could finish.

Rodion stepped over the protective barrier without hesitation.

“…!”

“What the!”

“That, that madman!”

Ignoring people’s shock, Rodion examined the corpse and even closed the corpse’s eyes with his hands.

Then he turned to the shocked people and said.

“Looking closely, it matches the symptoms of the Mark of Death I’ve seen in documents.”

Having finished speaking, Rodion wore his usual gentle smile.

However, now that smile sent chills down the spines of those watching.

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This chapter was translated by Lunox Team. To support us and help keep this series going, visit our website: LunoxScans.com
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