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Chapter 395 From the Trial 20 Years Ago (Part 1)
Mansacinth High Court, Military Tribunal.

The institution, dormant for 20 years, was reopened on this overcast night. A judge's bench, two long tables facing each other, a jury below the judge, an empty witness stand, and two rows of audience seats behind the statue of the Buddha of Thorns—this was the entire setup inside the military court.

At this moment, all members were in place. Chu Hengkong, Violet, and Ji Huaisu sat in the audience; this was not their place as judges. The military personnel, including Silaien, who had been urgently summoned, sat at the jury table, recalling the courtroom of that year with mixed feelings.

Former court clerk Parryman appeared in court representing the prosecution. Opposite him in the defendant's dock, former commander Trek stood beside his daughter, dressed in military uniform. Former Supreme Court Justice Benningtik ascended to the judge's bench at the top and brought down his gavel.

"The retrial of the case concerning the defendant Just Trek's 'major command error' is about to begin. Before it officially begins, this court would like to make one point."

His gaze swept over everyone present: "This case originated from the last battle 20 years ago. Those involved include the current Third Captain of the Divine Guard and the current Speaker of the Upper House of the city-state. It is no exaggeration to say that the outcome of the trial in this case has influenced the development of the city-state of Jingsha in every aspect over the next 20 years... It can even be said that this judgment is closely related to the life of every citizen in the city-state."

"Given the significant implications of this case, and to ensure that every citizen of the city-state has the right to know the details of the case, and to supervise the fair and impartial trial, the entire process of this judgment will be broadcast live throughout the entire territory of Jingsha. Every word you utter will reach the ears of 17 billion citizens of the city-state!"

Lico nervously fidgeted with her fingers, while Parriman's expression remained unchanged. Scenes of the military court replaced the live broadcast, appearing on every water screen of the city-state.

Banningtik struck the gavel again and announced, "That's enough of the unnecessary words. Now, in the name of the Tree of Thorns, this court declares the court in session!"

Parriman touched his mask: "The prosecution is ready."

Lico nodded emphatically, flashing her lawyer's badge: "The defense is ready!"

Lico was also Trek's defense attorney; after all, in the entire city-state, there was no one more concerned about the case than her. Parryman picked up the documents and read fluently, "Then, let the prosecution give a brief introduction to the case."

"Twenty years ago, during the transition of the battle lines, many outside forces launched surprise attacks on the desperate front. At that time, the outside forces mobilized a large number of troops and had a wide range of attacks. If the front line was lost, it could affect many shipping routes behind Jingsha and endanger the garrison of Longquan Township who were on their way."

"After a comprehensive assessment of the battle situation, the then-commander Jas Trek issued an order to hold the line to the death. After suffering heavy casualties, they successfully withstood the outer offensive and held out until the main force arrived at Longquan Township, thus completing a smooth handover of the front line."

"Commander Jas Trek's judgment was a comprehensive assessment made after weighing the strength of the Jingsha forces and the Allied war situation, to which the prosecution had no objection. However, Commander Trek made a major mistake in the tactical deployment of local battles."

Commander Trek overemphasized the main battlefront in this battle, neglecting the coastal defense behind Jingsha, resulting in an uneven distribution of troops across the front. Specifically, he deployed the low-quality troops of the Fifth, Seventh, and Fourteenth Corps to the desperate frontline instead of the Jingsha border defense, directly causing unnecessary casualties among a large number of soldiers who had a chance of survival.

The prosecution considered this decision a major tactical error and filed charges after the war. He was found guilty by the Thorns Military Court. Subsequently, Jassy Trek resigned as commander-in-chief and became the third commander of the Thorns Guard. That concludes the case presentation.

Parryman's account was fluent and clear, and even civilians unfamiliar with military affairs could understand the core of the case. Although public opinion held that the problem lay in the military order to hold the line, the court-martial's verdict actually supported Trek's grand strategy, and the core of the case focused on command errors in the local battle—namely, the three corps that instinctively survived.

The families of the fallen soldiers stared indifferently at the water curtain; many families still kept black-and-white portraits of their loved ones. Twenty years was far too short for Jing Sha, as short as yesterday. Those gazes transformed into a real pressure weighing on the shoulders of everyone present, making it difficult for many to even breathe.

Was Parriman using his powers again? Or was it merely a psychological effect on everyone? The truth was impossible to discern, but Banningtik's words abruptly cut short the chaotic thoughts: "Please provide the basis for your application for a retrial."

Li Ke nodded slightly and said loudly, "The defense argues that the grounds for conviction in this case are unreasonable. Because the three legions, who were fighting on the front lines at the time, did not actually have the objective conditions to return to Jing Sha to defend the city!"

"Raise an objection."

Parryman interlaced his fingers: "Indeed, the front line in the desperate situation is extremely wide, and there are unpredictable external interferences during the march. However, Jas Trek is an extremely excellent commander. The military believes that his deployment at the time took into account the option of retreat, and his Holy Grail has the ability to teleport across a wide area instantly. The conditions for the tactical transfer of the three legions objectively exist."

Parryman pointed to the opposite side: "If you deny this, it's tantamount to assuming that Commander Trek also made strategic mistakes... If the trial is conducted based on this premise, it won't be a case that ends with a mere demotion!"

Exaggerating the issue and obscuring the facts—politicians' common tactics—still work in court. Fortunately, the defense lawyers here are never short of bravado: "The armchair strategists' theoretical discussions are meaningless in the face of real conflict; the defense requests to question the defendant, who is the client!"

"license."

The live broadcast then shifted its focus, directing the viewers' attention toward Trek standing in the dock. Lico's voice came from off-screen: "The prosecution claims you have the capability to simultaneously relocate three legions, amounting to a force of millions, to the rear of the thorns. Is this true?"

“That’s true,” Trek replied calmly. “Under normal circumstances, this would be beyond my capabilities. But during my time as commander, I had the divine power of the Thorn Tree, so the transfer of a million people was theoretically feasible.”

Lico nodded: "So, were you aware of the defensive gaps behind the thorns during the war?"

"I realize it."

"Why didn't you choose to transfer the low-quality soldiers?"

Upon hearing this, the citizens watching the trial were almost red with anger, and the families of the fallen trembled with rage.

Trek scratched his head and replied, "Because I was leading the main force in battle at that time. The opponent was..."

"A fragment of a delusional demon, along with numerous mad demons, an imperial fleet led by the Think Tank Fortress, and a virgin angel of mass 6."

The city and its surroundings were completely silent.

Those who had never been on the battlefield were rendered speechless by the weight of those words. Rico nodded and said, "I'm sorry, we're not professional combatants and don't know much about the power of the Outer Path. I remember the current Captain-General is a 6-point mass; can a 6-point ethereal angel be considered to have the same combat strength?"

"They are basically at the same level."

"The contractors of the delusional demon spirit division and the Think Tank Fortress both possess combat strength of 5 or higher. Most of the Divine Guard captains in our Thorn City-State are only 5 in terms of mass. The enemy army led by these two powerful enemies is actually equivalent to the combined combat strength of two Divine Guard squads!"

Lico clapped her hands: "A captain and two divine guards, what terrifying power that is! It's practically half the strength of our city-state. And even with the support of the Divine Tree, Commander Trek only has a mere 5 points!"

"It is a miracle that he could remain undefeated under such a huge disparity in combat strength, yet Commander Trek achieved victory on the main battlefield! This is not only without mistakes, but also a remarkable achievement. This hard-won victory is inseparable from Commander Trek's flexible use of his personal abilities and the sacrifices of the soldiers who fought alongside him! It was they who won this victory together."

Facing the judge, Li Ke spoke passionately: "With the situation on the front lines so critical, to demand that the commander simultaneously fight the enemy and evacuate a large number of friendly troops is objectively an impossible task. The prosecution's evidence is based on wishful thinking and is completely unfeasible!"

"—The prosecution raised objections."

Unlike the inflammatory lawyers, Parryman remained completely unmoved. He took out the old records and said slowly, "If the defense lawyers had seen the old trial records, they would know that the prosecution had already laid ample evidence 20 years ago: the divine power of the Thorn Tree simulated a battle situation similar to the actual one, testing Commander Trek's ability to make extreme maneuvers under high pressure."

The simulation results from 20 years ago were projected onto the water screen at the opportune moment, showing a silver line drawn from the distant, darkly painted battle line area, approaching the city-state. The end of that line was about a two-hour march from the city-state's border.

"Although the number of troops in this battle was large, a two-hour march was not a long distance, and there have been several precedents in the history of Jingsha for marching on the scale of a million people. Based on the simulation results, the prosecution concluded that it was feasible for the low-quality troops at that time to be safely evacuated."

"I object!" Lico slammed her hand on the table. "The battlefield situation was unclear at the time, and there might be ambushes behind the lines. A hasty retreat would be—"

“Objection overruled,” Banningtik said.

He looked at the prosecutors: "Twenty years ago, the prosecutors provided two crucial pieces of evidence to prove Commander Trek's decision-making errors. The first was the simulation results of the Sacred Tree of Thorns; the second was the eyewitness testimony confirming the feasibility of the retreat."

"Twenty years ago, a young officer led a large number of surviving soldiers back to the city-state. He led his remaining troops on a half-day march, crossing several layers of outer passes and obstacles, and finally succeeded in saving the lives of about 1400 soldiers... For this achievement, he was known as the 'hero' of the city-state of Thorn Robe!"

This story is known to every household in Jingsha, a legend even children who have just learned to read have heard. That is the origin of the title "hero," and the hero who saved the life was none other than the current Speaker of the Parliament, Parriman.

Banningtik said seriously, "Commander Parryman was not even an Ascended at the time, yet he still managed to complete the operation successfully. This Court believes that this is precisely the counter-evidence against the claim that the evacuation was not feasible."

Lico looked up and stared directly at Parryman across from her: "The defense has doubts about this and requests that the hero Parryman himself, that is, the prosecution clerk, be called to testify."

What are the prosecution's comments?

“It’s alright.” Parryman stepped onto the witness stand. “I testified about this 20 years ago, and I will give the same testimony again. This witness stand is protected by the divine power of the Tree of Thorns, and it is absolutely impossible for it to utter a ‘lie’.”

He greeted the crowd with composure: "Twenty years ago, the remnants of the 35th Regiment of the Fifth Army to which I belonged received orders from headquarters to patrol the rear, clear the way for the main force, and then return to the city to provide support. After receiving the order, my unit was teleported to the rear of the battle line, where we fought the enemy while gathering the remaining troops nearby. In the end, we successfully broke through the outer route of the offensive and returned to the nearest Fourth Vein."

As for the details, I cannot elaborate now. Due to the severity of my injuries at the time, I was delirious and have almost no clear memory of anything except the battle and the return journey… However, there were many witnesses on the return trip, and my fellow soldiers can all testify to this. End of testimony.”

The lack of divine intervention confirms the veracity of his statement. The latter half of Parriman's testimony is vague and ambiguous, but this very ambiguity underscores the truthfulness of his account.

In the intense atmosphere of the battlefield, memories become extremely ambiguous, and injuries and battles become even more blurred. Many soldiers believe they "fought in their dreams," and numerous others have experienced "forgetting the course of the battle." Memory distortions and gaps are commonplace in the military, not to mention the various forms of psychological attacks from external forces. Anyone who has personally experienced combat can attest to the veracity of Parriman's testimony.

Banningtik nodded slowly and asked, "Does the defense need to call any other witnesses?"

“No need. The defense wants to begin questioning immediately,” Lico said. “Since I was not a witness at the time, I request permission to ask the defendant to begin questioning.”

"license."

After receiving permission, Trek walked toward the witness stand. His expression was quite distressed, as if he himself was hesitant about whether he should speak next.

“I have no objection to Speaker Parryman’s testimony… In my experience, what he described was undoubtedly the ‘true’ situation. However, this truth is a castle in the air; its logical basis does not exist.”

Banningtik frowned: "Please watch your wording, defendant."

Trek scratched his head: "Simply put, it's 'impossible'."

“It is impossible for Parriman to return to the city-state smoothly.”

"Because his unit was sent to their deaths 20 years ago."

(End of this chapter)