SOTBW - 95

The Chief was already convinced that Maximón was the perpetrator of the incident. Moreover, there was a known grudge between Maximón and Nathan. Of course, as the Chief, he wasn’t particularly eager to imprison or punish Maximón. However, with so many witnesses, it was impossible to dismiss the case as something other than Maximón’s doing.

On top of that, thinking about how the Armunzen family would badger him endlessly, it seemed better to wrap up the case as quickly as possible, regardless of whether Maximón was the true culprit. In any case, Maximón was a member of the Elgort family and had made significant contributions over the years, so he wouldn’t face the death penalty. At most, he would be stripped of his noble status or expelled from his position as a knight commander.

The Chief, who was already seventy years old, had no desire to drag on a case involving someone’s death. Having lived long enough, he wasn’t particularly afraid of ruining his relationship with Maximón, who was considered the strongest candidate for the next Commander of the Guard.

Ideally, the aging Chief wanted to put an end to this case as soon as possible. Noctis Fortress was already dealing with numerous issues, and among the most complex and significant was the task of managing the endless influx of refugees from foreign nations. While Nathan’s death was unfortunate, countless others had been unjustly killed in Noctis Fortress over the years.

The Noctis records office was overwhelmed with the task of documenting and storing the information of hundreds of thousands of people. Meanwhile, heinous crimes committed by refugees were occurring across the city. There were also the end-of-year holy prayer festival and donor parties to prepare for. At the end of the month, reports had to be submitted to the royal palace. As Acting Commander of the Guard, he also had to oversee the maintenance and repair of the fortress walls and the Great Wall, as well as improve the conditions for the soldiers.

And now, the thought of the haughty and demanding Armunzen family getting involved in this matter was already giving him a headache. The Chief gathered the scattered documents, hugged them to his chest, and collapsed weakly onto the sofa.

“In any case, sentencing Maximón to death is out of the question.”

“Chief!”

The Deputy Commander protested.

“Imposing a sentence isn’t my job; that’s for the judges to decide. But think about it. Maximón Elgort has protected Noctis Fortress for many long years. He came here at the age of nineteen and fought against the Serith until he matured… The judges won’t ignore that history in their verdict. They simply can’t.”

The Chief sighed and looked up at Gwyneth.

“I know you have a special regard for Sir Elgort, but the evidence against him in this case is overwhelming. Even so, I’ll personally submit a petition asking for leniency for Sir Elgort. Why not leave it at that and move on? Prolonging this case will only breed distrust and sour relations among the knights.”

“That cannot happen.”

Najane stepped forward, cutting off the Chief mid-sentence. The Chief looked at Najane with an expression of deep fatigue. Najane’s face showed a mix of injustice and sorrow, as if she were being treated unfairly.

The Deputy Commander found Najane’s presence incredibly irritating. If Gwyneth weren’t present, he would have slapped her hard to silence her. He had an ominous feeling that Maximón would walk free because of her, and that feeling kept putting him on edge.

“Do you still have something more to say, Schnicks?”

“Chief, the very fact that there are witnesses in this case proves his innocence.”

Najane suppressed her urgency and spoke as calmly as possible. Fortunately, her words seemed to spark the Chief’s curiosity, as he tilted his chin slightly, signaling her to continue.

“What do you mean by that?”

“Think about it. If Sir Elgort had killed Sir Armunzen and then emerged from the mansion, he wouldn’t have left any witnesses alive. To avoid being implicated in any troublesome matters, he would have eliminated all the guards at the mansion.”

At Najane’s words, Gwyneth let out a small sigh.

“…Indeed, that’s a fair point.”

Gwyneth examined the testimonies recorded on the documents once again.

“Are all the witnesses who testified that Maximón killed Nathan the guards who were stationed at the mansion?”

“Yes, but…”

The Deputy Commander reluctantly answered, his expression showing that he didn’t see the relevance.

Gwyneth handed the documents he had been reviewing back to the Chief. His expression brightened, as though he had finally found his way out of a maze.

“It says here that some of the guards were injured while fighting Maximón. Najane is right. If it had been Maximón, he wouldn’t have left the guards alive.”

“But…!”

The Deputy Commander reacted immediately.

Gwyneth interrupted the Deputy Commander’s protest and continued his explanation.

“Persio, I know you’d like to say that the soldiers of Colnux fought bravely against Maximón, but let me be honest as someone who prides himself on knowing Maximón well. In Noctis Fortress, the only person who could parry Maximón’s sword would be Sir Elderketh. It’s nearly impossible for an ordinary soldier to fight Maximón and survive.”

“…It is certainly strange,” the Chief was quickly persuaded. Najane inwardly sighed in relief. Who would have thought that Maximón’s ruthlessness could come in handy in a moment like this?

She could defend Maximón without a shred of hesitation because she was certain that he hadn’t killed Nathan. Even if the whole world doubted Maximón, she would believe in him.

This case was not just about Maximón’s honor. Najane’s faith in Maximón was also at stake.

Seeing the Chief deep in thought, the Deputy Commander hurriedly stepped forward to give his opinion.

“They might have panicked and fled without putting up much of a fight. Look at the soldiers’ testimonies. Didn’t they say Maximón, covered in blood, ran away at full speed?”

“That’s exactly what’s strange,” Gwyneth immediately refuted the Deputy Commander’s words.

“Why would he run? He could have killed them all and disappeared leisurely.”

“Are you suggesting that this testimony was fabricated?” the Chief mumbled as he weakly set the papers down.

Gwyneth shrugged.

“What’s your opinion, Chief?”

“…I didn’t personally hear their stories, but I did visit the scene where Sir Armunzen was murdered. Based on that, I find these testimonies credible. The soldiers guarding the mansion were deeply shocked and terrified. There was even a soldier who appeared to be injured from fighting… The atmosphere was grim, and the anger in the soldiers’ eyes was genuine. Moreover…”

The Chief trailed off, tilting his head slightly.

“Sir Armunzen’s body… Well, I don’t quite know how to describe it, but his limbs were as cleanly severed as if by a guillotine. Not even an executioner could cut a body so cleanly. But Sir Elgort could. Even you must admit that. Sir Elgort is the only one in Noctis Fortress with that level of strength and swordsmanship.”

“Do we have the autopsy report?”

“Of course. Though it’s disrespectful to speak of this in the presence of His Excellency the Archbishop, ancient script with unknown meanings was found engraved on Sir Armunzen’s severed limbs. It’s presumed that the culprit carved them, but why Sir Elgort would do such a thing is…”

“What time did Nathan’s murder occur?”

“According to the testimonies, just before sunset.”

At that moment, Najane, who had been focusing on the conversation between Gwyneth and the Chief, suddenly lifted her head.

“Wait a moment. Are you saying the murder occurred at sunset yesterday?”

The three others turned their gazes toward Najane. Her eyes sparkled with joy, as though she had just grasped a decisive clue. After what felt like endless despair and resignation, it seemed she had finally found hope. Approaching the Chief, Najane spoke in a confident tone.

“At that time, the Commander was with me. Sir Armunzen’s killer was not the Commander.”

“You’re brazenly lying. There are witnesses who testified that they saw Maximón leaving the Order yesterday. Those witnesses were none other than the guards stationed at the front gate of the Romsoa Order!” the Deputy Commander shouted, his voice brimming with hostility as he tried to intimidate Najane. Gwyneth frowned at the sight. If Najane flinched or showed any fear, he was prepared to step in. However, far from being cowed, Najane stepped forward and responded firmly.

“Did they testify that Sir Elgort left the Order alone?”

“…That’s…”

“It’s true that Sir Elgort went out that day. But he didn’t go alone. I was with him.”

Without a doubt, Najane and Maximón were together at that time and place. They had visited Rockbell to ask for help in tracking down Luna’s whereabouts. Afterward, they rejoined the Order well after sunset.

Maximón never left Najane’s side. The two had been practically inseparable until they departed for the field. Therefore, Maximón couldn’t have killed Nathan. Najane’s eyes gleamed with certainty.

Unfazed by the Deputy Commander’s murderous glare, Najane revealed the truth to the Chief.

“We returned to the Order just before heading out to the field. We didn’t visit any other places, only took care of our business and immediately headed out to the field. Do you really think it would have been possible for Maximón to kill Sir Armunzen in that short time? I know his physical abilities are extraordinary, but consider the distance from the Colnux Order to the field. Do you truly believe it’s possible, Chief?”

Maximón...

Najane didn’t say the Commander or Sir Elgort, but Maximón. Among all the doubts and persuasion flying around, only Gwyneth caught onto that.

Najane, in a strong voice, sealed the Deputy Commander’s ability to speak any further.

“If the Commander had killed Sir Armunzen, as the witnesses testified, he would have been covered in blood when he left. But that wasn’t the case. His armor is always covered in Serith’s blue blood. If it had been bright red, even the knights of Romsoa would have found it odd.”

Once Najane finished speaking, the Chief fell into deep thought.

He had been certain that Maximón was the one who killed Nathan, but Najane’s repeated appeals had convinced him otherwise.

Her arguments were all plausible. If it had been Maximón, he wouldn’t have spared the witnesses, and if he had killed Nathan and then gone out to fight in the field, many soldiers would have seen him covered in blood.

No matter how dark it was, the field was always illuminated by thousands of torches. As Najane said, if they had returned just in time after going out, when exactly would Maximón have had the chance to kill Nathan?

The testimonies and circumstances didn’t align. The Chief wiped his face in confusion. Someone here was definitely lying.

The Chief, still deep in thought, looked at Najane.

“Where did Sir Elgort go yesterday? Is there anyone who can prove you two were together?”

Najane was about to mention the black market but suddenly fell silent. She couldn’t mention Rockbell. Panicking, Najane couldn’t respond, and the Chief’s eyes narrowed. The Deputy Commander quickly added his own remarks.

“See, Chief? She can’t speak. This is all a lie to protect Maximón!”

Najane hastily shook her head in denial.

“No, that’s not it! It’s true we went out together yesterday! It’s just…”

Najane’s eyes briefly flickered.

Should she talk about what happened in the black market?

But she couldn’t betray the trust she had with Rockbell. Given Rockbell’s situation, his identity had to remain a secret. If mentioning Rockbell led to not finding Luna, Najane would regret it deeply.

Lowering her gaze, Najane clenched her fist tightly. She needed to talk about the black market in a way that wouldn’t invite questions about where exactly they had been or what they had done there…

Lost in thought, Najane placed her palm on her chest. Her life, stained with shame because of her curse, had been something she had fought to keep hidden from others. How many nights had she spent terrified?

But Najane didn’t hesitate. There was no reason to. If this could save Maximón, she was willing to be treated like a vulgar slave by everyone.

“Schnicks. Speak now. Where did you and Sir Elgort go that day?”

The Chief asked, his voice filled with suspicion.

Najane briefly glanced down at the marble floor before lifting her head and speaking clearly.

“Because of my curse, I went to the black market with him.”