Hunter x Hunter: From Obtaining the World to Beyond Heaven

“There was no reason. The original clerk had a problem, and a replacement needed to be elected at the last minute. Just then, you called, so I vouched for you to the judge as the clerk.”

This is a lie; in reality, the clerk played a more important role in the trial than Dia imagined.

Because judges and legal scholars are not allowed to take any written records in secret courts, all court proceedings are archived afterward based on the written records of the court clerk.

If the records are incorrect, it will have a significant impact.

Unexpectedly, the originally designated clerk encountered an emergency, and the judge felt he could not find a trustworthy candidate, so he wanted Qiduo to make a recommendation.

She considered many people, all of whom were capable and trustworthy, but few would be willing to leave their jobs and come here in such a short time.

Just then, Dia called.

In a very short time, she considered the rationale for appointing Dia as a scribe and concluded that it was worth a try.

She had been watching Dia since he enrolled, and after taking him in as a student, she knew him even better. This led Qiduo to trust Dia and appoint him as the scribe for this occasion.

In this way, the secret court can continue, and at the same time, it can provide some help to Dia, a student with extraordinary talent but a pitiful background.

Kill two birds with one stone.

Of course, Dia was unaware of the cause and effect. He marveled at the fact that there was a hidden world beneath Hundred Rings Island, and that the location of the secret court was indeed extraordinary.

The two walked through a long corridor, and when they reached the end, they were suddenly greeted by a room the size of a basketball court.

There was a passageway blocked by iron gates around the room, and in the center of the room was a small courtroom that had obviously been set up temporarily.

This courtroom has no jury or public gallery.

Facing the entrance is a long table, which should be the judge's bench. To the left are two tables, one for the clerk and the other for the legal scholar.

To the right of the room is the bailiff area, which can probably accommodate three people at a time. Opposite the judge's bench, near the entrance, there is a prisoner standing area enclosed by iron railings.

The courtroom was still empty. Qiduo directed Dia to sit in the clerk's seat, then, seemingly noticing Dia's curiosity about the space, explained:

"This is a relic left by an ancient kingdom. It has not been officially disclosed yet. Dangerous species and valuable ancient artifacts have now been cleared away. Its existence should be made public after this trial concludes."

Looking curiously at the iron gates on the other three walls, Diya asked:

What's behind those doors?

"I don't know either. It might be another entrance. I only heard about this place from a colleague who studies ancient ruins."

Qiduo shook her head, as if recalling something unpleasant, and then spoke:

"The trial in the secret court is different from laboratory recording. When you are recording, you must strictly follow the facts. The format is as I told you on the airship. This should not be difficult for you."

No sooner had the words left his mouth than footsteps could be heard coming from the entrance of the room.

Several people then filed in, led by an elderly man, behind whom was a burly man wearing strange shackles, and two armed bailiffs stood on either side.

The old man went straight to Qiduo as soon as he entered, extending his hand with a smile:

"Miss Qiduo, how have you been? This time, we'll have to rely on you for legal oversight."

Qiduo shook hands politely, exchanged a few meaningless words, and then changed the subject to introduce Dia, who was standing to the side:

“This is the clerk I recommended over the phone, who is also my student, Dia Diego.”

Qiduo turned to Dia and said:

“Dia, this is Judge Bell Connor.”

Diya smiled and stepped forward to shake hands, expressing her pleasure at the meeting.

Judge Bell then handed Chido a bound booklet and turned to call the bailiffs to prepare for the court session.

Dia saw the words "B-11" written on the cover of the booklet, but nothing else.

Splash!

Kido opened the booklet and began flipping through it at an astonishing speed.

Just as Dia was wondering if she could read the words clearly at this speed, Qiduo had already finished flipping through the booklet and handed it back to Dia.

Judge Bell paused for a moment when he saw Qi Duo hand over the booklet:

'Miss Kita seems to trust this student quite a bit.'

He thinks this way mainly because court clerks are only responsible for taking notes and generally do not read the trial files, as this could lead to subjective recording by irrational court clerks.

Qiduo's actions demonstrate that she believes Dia can keep a rational record.

Dia remained completely unaware of Qiduo's trust in him; he had no idea that his student actually held considerable weight with Qiduo.

After all, in Diego's memory, he just buried himself in experiments every day for four years, and then he just didn't want to do it anymore after graduation.

As for his teacher, Qiduo, he only knew that she was academically brilliant and took good care of him, nothing more.

To put it simply, hunters and ordinary people have different understandings of the term "master and apprentice".

Dia frowned as she flipped through the booklet page by page.

Much of the classified information in the document was covered by black stripes, so very little information was actually available.

First, there is the criminal, named Sanli, a high-ranking officer in the Minbo Republic's National Defense Force, who was arrested for stealing important state secrets and disseminating them to foreign powers.

Regarding the state secrets mentioned in the article...

The document only states that it is the location of an ancient ruin.

Secondly, the prisoner was a nationally recognized "combat hero" before his arrest, which is why he was not given a public trial.

Finally, regarding the motive, it is suspected that the inability to get promoted for a long time led to resentment, and the large amount of money spent on gambling made him take the risk.

The reason he wasn't promoted was also clearly stated—he had a prior record of embezzling public funds and failed the political vetting.

Bang bang bang!

With Judge Bell striking the gavel, preparations for the trial were complete.

Qiduo sat upright with her hands on the book, while Dia picked up a pen and began to record the current time on the paper.

Judge Bell then cleared his throat twice and began reading the charges:

"Next, a secret public trial will be held against the prisoner, former senior officer of the Minbo Republic's National Defense Force, Sangli Wyndam, on charges of tax evasion!"

Hmm? Is this correct?

Dia looked up at the judge with a puzzled expression.

Chapter Nine: Sudden Incident × Trapped

Tax evasion?

Colluding with enemy countries and selling secrets—which of these two crimes isn't more serious than this?

Besides, none of the things he did required him to pay taxes, like selling state secrets.

In her previous life, Diya was also a law graduate, and she felt something was wrong when she heard this charge.

Despite her doubts, Dia's pen never stopped moving.

At this moment, Qiduo remained completely calm, still sitting upright with a smile, and began to explain the legal provision:

"According to Article 402 of the Criminal Code of the Republic of Minbo, taxpayers..."

"...citing a case from a public hearing at the Calbilla City Court on July 18, 1978, and..."

"The above is the main text of the law and the cited precedents. Please examine and verify them, judge."

Judge Bell took out the documents and began reading the evidence:

"The prisoner, a former officer of the National Defense Force of the Republic of Minbo, organized a mahjong gambling session with three others at his home on April 15, 1987... The prisoner won 4 jenny from a foreign trade businessman named Laka Buzir, but did not report the incident to the relevant authorities and pay the corresponding taxes afterward..."

Diya calmly and quickly took notes on the court proceedings.

He had a feeling that the trial would probably end in less than half an hour.

The reason lies in the "4-3-1" principle.

At this point, the judge has completed the two steps of raising a claim and supervising the examination of evidence. If everything proceeds quickly, the next step will basically be to announce the verdict.

Some might ask, then what about all the evidence and claims, and no defense?

Dia glanced discreetly at the short-haired, muscular man.

He hadn't uttered a word since he came in, his head bowed, making it almost impossible for Dia to see his expression.

If he wasn't mistaken, the prisoner's tongue had probably been cut off, or his vocal cords had been destroyed.

After all, secret court trials are for highly sensitive "criminals," not "criminal suspects."

Who knows what they might say in court that they can't let others know?

"...The verdict is pronounced in court—the death penalty will be carried out immediately!"

With Judge Bell's gavel falling, it seemed that everything had been settled.

Seeing this, Qiduo skillfully put away the legal documents and tilted her head to watch Dia write furiously.

Judge Bell breathed a sigh of relief and was about to smile.

Just then, a sudden voice rang out—

"Hehehe... You lackeys have no idea what happened..."

Officer Sanley, the prisoner who hadn't uttered a sound from beginning to end, suddenly let out a cold laugh!

Bell's pupils contracted, and his recently relaxed nerves tensed up abruptly:

"You, you are not..."

"Your tongue wasn't cut off? Heh... You can't speak without a tongue?"

Officer Sanli opened his mouth in a show of bravado, only to find that where his tongue should have been, a strange, thick slug had taken its place!

A maniacal smile spread across his face as he raved:

"Kakin gave me far more than you did! I fought to the death for this country over a hundred times, and you cut out my tongue!!!"

His demeanor shifted abruptly, becoming cold and desperate, and he spoke in a low voice:

"I'm definitely not going to survive, but you lackeys won't escape either!"