Miss Witch, it's time to clean up the entries

Chapter 355 Public Trial, Empire Changes Hands

"Sophie."

Li En stepped forward and hugged the silver-haired girl.

She returned from the rift and helped him at his most crucial moment.

Sophie is practically her lucky star.

However, although Sophie is very strong, and should be the strongest witch besides Dorothy, her strength still cannot reach the level of Soraya and Nancy after awakening. Why did she suddenly become so strong?

Sophie offered an explanation for Li En's confusion.

While searching for Grand Duke Moria in the rift, Sophie and Aislie unexpectedly discovered the ruins of an ancient witch. Sophie was chosen by the ancient witch and obtained the witch's heart.

The Witch's Heart can use the combined magic of all witches for a short period of time without suffering a backlash from the magic.

Sophie just used not only her own power, but the combined power of all the witches in this world. Even an evil god would probably be defeated by her single blow.

The price of using the Witch's Heart is that you lose a portion of your memories each time you use it.

Compared to losing some of her memories, helping Li En is the most important thing for Sophie, because she knows that no matter whether she remembers who she is or not, Li En will be by her side to help her find herself.

"Sophie, what have you forgotten?"

Li En asked somewhat nervously.

"I do not know."

Sophie shook her head.

"Do you still remember me? Do you remember Green Collar?"

Li En pressed for an answer.

Sophie nodded. "I remember."

"Whoo~"

Li En breathed a sigh of relief; it seemed that the crucial memories hadn't been lost.

"Li En, I have bad news for you."

Sophie's silver eyelashes trembled slightly, and a faint sadness flashed in her pale blue eyes.

Li En's Adam's apple bobbed, and he swallowed hard, realizing that this bad news might also be related to the crack.

"I'm sorry, I failed to complete the mission you entrusted to me. I brought back Grand Duke Moria, but he is dead."

Grandpa, is he dead?
Was he secretly killed by a puppet?
No, Grandpa was already an eight-star war knight, how could he have been killed?
Li En initially doubted the authenticity of the news, but after seeing Sophie's expression, her unfounded doubts were completely dispelled.

Sophie could never deceive herself about something like this.

If she says that Archduke Moriah is dead, then he is truly dead.

“He wasn’t killed by the puppet, but he was indeed injured. It must have been some kind of curse that caused instant death if he left the rift. Aisley and I brought him back to the North, and he died there.”

Sophie said slowly, hoping that Li En could gradually process this matter.

"Grand Duke Moria's dying wish was that you would become the master of the empire."

"I see."

Li En's fingertips trembled slightly, as weak as withered leaves in the autumn wind.

He slowly lowered his eyelids, his thick eyelashes casting two shadows on his pale cheeks, as if even his gaze was too heavy to lift.

His Adam's apple bobbed up and down, but he couldn't make a sound. Only a barely audible gasp escaped from between his tightly pursed lips.

His shoulders seemed to be crushed by an invisible weight, and his once upright back was now bent into a fragile arc.

Grand Duke Moriah is dead.

The once most talented head of the Moria family, the first man to become an eight-star war knight, is dead.

The pillar of the Moria family is dead; the first king of the North has fallen.

But those were all irrelevant to Li En.

In his view, the death of his grandfather was the most unacceptable thing.

Alex Moria, the grandfather who rushed to the Azure Dragon Court to fight Earl Hall without hesitation after hearing of his own death, the grandfather who rarely smiled because of his engagement, the grandfather who made arrangements everywhere because he was sent to the Supreme Court.

He opened his mouth as if to call out something, but only exhaled a trembling puff of white breath. His right fingernails dug deeply into his palm, but the pain was nothing compared to the dull ache churning in his chest.

Nancy and Soraya also came to Li En's side.

They all heard the bad news. Compared to the good news of Randall's death and the change of ownership of the entire city of Arlong, it all seemed insignificant.

Nancy tried to soothe Li En's sorrow with the Siren's Song. Her melodious voice was like heavenly music, and it traveled far and wide, as if it were a funeral for the entire city of Yalong.

Randall is dead, and the Holy Empire's last force resisting Li En is gone.

The wise men who usually advised the royal family did not appear, and the mysterious Institute of Wise Men disappeared.

As the dawn broke and the sun shone on the towering buildings of Yalong City, the Holy Empire held its most important trial since its founding.

All the residents of the royal city came to the streets, where they heard the ancient church bells and solemn songs coming from the Supreme Court.

In cafes and pubs, everyone was talking about how the Son of God, Lyon Moria, had brought the Creed family to trial, just as Lyon Moria had been brought to the Supreme Court.

Their gazes occasionally drifted to the towering building, the Supreme Court, a place inaccessible to ordinary people unless they had committed heinous crimes, but today it was open to everyone.

Anyone can enter, and anyone can watch the trial.

Through the intricately carved marble archway, one can feel the weight of history and the solemnity of the law.

On the walls, murals depict the glory and splendor of the empire, colorful yet solemn.

High above the dome, golden decorations glittered in the sunlight, resembling a palace of gods. Rows of neatly arranged carved wooden chairs were filled with witches, revolutionary cadres, knights, and commoners.

Everyone's face was filled with surprise.

Because this trial was being held against four major creed families: the Frank family, the Edward family, the Burke family, and the Lane family; Elder Cosent of the Wise House; and—Emperor Augula of the Empire.

As for why Emperor Augulas, who had clearly committed suicide, came back to life, it was thanks to Elder Cosent of the Wise Academy.

Elder Coscent of the Institute of Sages secretly revived Auguras and attempted to take him away. This elder of the Institute of Sages was also an elder of the Frank family. He was one of the few in the Institute of Sages who was obsessed with his family. He could not allow his family to fall, so he revived Emperor Auguras, intending to take him away and make a comeback in the eastern border of the Empire. However, he did not know that Seth Frank's labyrinth power had been possessed by Li En. Nothing that happened in Arron City could escape Li En's eyes. So when the two were trying to escape, they were caught red-handed by the revolutionary army brought by Cobb and sent back.

Emperor Augulas, who was not originally required to appear before the Supreme Court, is now required to undergo a public trial.

Augulas stood on the dock, looked up at Lyon Moria sitting high in the highest judge's seat, and suddenly remembered the scene when he had tried Lyon.

At that time, the young King Augulas Frank, dressed in a red and black robe, rested his chin on his hand, tapped his fingers lightly, and gazed at Li En with his deep emerald green eyes, just as Li En was gazing at him now.

It's truly an ironic cycle.

“Grandfather, you shouldn’t have saved me. That way I wouldn’t have had to suffer this shame.”

Augulas looked at Coscent beside him.

Cosent sighed deeply, “Emperor, this is fate. We have lost, utterly lost.”

The presiding judge for this trial was Li En, and the other two assistant judges were Earl Hall and Pope Damir.

"Augustus Frank, do you know why you are being publicly tried?"

Li En asked slowly.

The black-haired, brown-eyed boy, Augulas, raised his head, glanced at Li En indifferently, and sneered, "Because I lost."

"It seems you still don't understand how serious the crime you've committed is."

Pope Damir shook his head and sighed. After Li En entered the capital, he led the Papacy to immediately submit to Li En.

In Damir's eyes, Li En was his most talented student and the papacy he wanted to groom. Although he faced pressure from all sides and sided with the royal family, he made a decision immediately when he saw Li En lead his men into Yalong City. This is why he is now sitting high on the judge's bench.

Augulas refused to look at Damir, even though he had once been his teacher, Damir's betrayal chilled him to the bone.

“Auguras Frank, the eleventh emperor of the Holy Empire, you have committed thirteen crimes during your reign.”

"First, he plotted to start a war for his own selfish desires, attempting to exchange the lives of all knights and soldiers for the right to use the Azure Dragon Whip. He launched two expeditions to the Azure Dragon Court, which wasted resources and manpower."

"Secondly, he ignored divine pronouncements and blasphemed the gods. He was crowned emperor with the approval of the angel Soraya, yet he slandered the Son of God, Lyon Moria, as a heretic and spread rumors."

"Third, allowing the Empress to become pregnant with the child of an evil god endangers the safety of the entire empire."

"Fourth, colluding with the heretic Randall..."

"Fifth, with Zenobia Frankstone..."

"Sixth, persecuting witches..."

Pope Damir listed thirteen of Augustus's sins at length.

The common people stared at Pope Damir with disbelief.

Their eyes were filled with astonishment, as if they couldn't believe what they were seeing.

A surge of grief and anger welled up within them, as if the whole world had suddenly become distorted.

Their ears listened as Pope Damir recounted Augulas's crimes, each word striking their hearts like a hammer blow. Their hearts trembled, as if overwhelmed by waves of sorrow and rage. Their breaths quickened, their voices trembled with sobs, falling to the ground like tears.

The space was filled with all sorts of sounds: whispers, sobs, sighs, and even angry roars.

They couldn't believe that their once-admired and trusted Emperor Augulas had committed so many crimes, so heinous and unforgivable!
"Augusta Frank, do you plead guilty?"

Lord Hall asked.

When Augulas Frank saw Earl Hall, he suddenly tried to find Dorothy in the crowd, but after looking around, he couldn't find any familiar faces except for the distorted faces of the onlookers.

Dorothy Hall isn't coming.

The woman who once haunted his dreams and later made him hate her to the core will never appear again.

He looked at Li En and said calmly,

"Let's proceed with the trial; stop with the pointless communication."

There is no greater sorrow than a broken heart; this probably describes Augustus Frank's current state.

Lee En had given him the most dignified way to die, but his family dragged him into the abyss again. His tragedy was inextricably linked to the Frank family from the very beginning.

The family of origin is really important. Even royalty, if it is a distorted family, is destined to produce distorted children, such as Mary Frank, Zenobia Frank, and Augula Frank.

“According to the laws of the Holy Empire, Augulas Frank should be stripped of his imperial title and sentenced to beheading.”

As soon as Li En finished speaking, a clergyman stepped forward and personally removed the crown from Augustus Frank's head.

Augulas Frank's dark hair fell messily, obscuring his handsome features. He lowered his head, knowing that everything was beyond repair, and let others take away the crown.

"According to the laws of the Holy Empire, Cosent Frank is sentenced to beheading."

“According to the laws of the Holy Empire, Lor Jackson is sentenced to beheading.”

"According to the laws of the Holy Empire, the Frank family has been demoted to commoners, all their lands and people have been confiscated, their privileges have been abolished, and all criminals are subject to punishment."

"According to the laws of the Holy Empire, the Edward family has been demoted to commoners, all their lands and people have been confiscated, their privileges have been abolished, and all criminals are subject to punishment."

"According to the laws of the Holy Empire, the Bock family has been demoted to commoners, all of their lands and people have been confiscated, their privileges have been abolished, and all criminals are subject to punishment."

"According to the laws of the Holy Empire, the Rhine family has been demoted to commoners, all of its territories and people have been confiscated, its privileges have been abolished, and all criminals are subject to punishment."

Hall and Damir then announced the crimes and verdicts of all those on trial, and the revolutionaries, witches, knights, and civilians watching erupted in enthusiastic cheers.

The common people have broken free from despair and understand that the Son of God, Li En, is the hope for the future of the empire, while Augulas is nothing but the dark side of the empire.

On the third day after the trial ended, Augulas, Lor, Coscent, and others were sent to the guillotine.

With their heads falling to the ground, the Tenet family was declared dissolved. Apart from the Simmons family, which surrendered early on, the decline of the other four families brought this chapter of history to a close, and the empire began a new chapter.

On the fourth day after the trial ended, the Empire convened its Supreme Council.

Pope Damir engaged in a heated discussion with Count Hall, Leam Moria, and others.

Damir did not want Lien to become the emperor of the Holy Empire, because he hoped that Lien would follow God's guidance and become the next pope.

Lyam Moria and others hoped that Lyon would follow Alex Moria's last wish and become the new emperor of the empire.

The two sides were arguing fiercely, wishing they could fight again.

(End of this chapter)