Academic gathering with Lich colleagues

"Of course it's incredibly cool! No wonder it's my club! No, from now on, the Literature Club is a true Literature Club!"

"This world! Everything in it! Will tremble before my mighty figure!"

Andrei's native chuunibyou (delusional) personality resonated strangely with that of another world.

Chapter 710 Laws and Regulations Concerning Evil Intent

Mr. Law tugged at his collar for the twelfth time, as if an invisible noose had been placed around his neck. All the listeners felt a strange sense of unease; Mr. Law, who held the power of discourse and the moral high ground, seemed to be at a disadvantage. Against his eloquent and erudite verbal attacks, Mr. Darkness's monotonous and stubborn repetitive statements possessed a direct and simplistic violence.

"The literary society destroyed the botanical garden, which contained nearly a hundred kinds of precious plants, and dozens of others that had long since become extinct elsewhere..."

"Delusion almost killed him."

"If the number of shattered lich skeletons they destroyed were pieced together, Andre Castle could have one more new tower..."

"Delusion almost killed him."

"Those colleagues ravaged by strange forces also face terrible mental problems; one lich, while being transported to the Soul Tower, shouted, 'I want to hyper-evolve!'"

"Delusion almost killed him."

Mr. Law began pressing his temples. This debate was so bizarre that he wondered if he was arguing with a gang leader or taming a parrot. Of course, the parrot wouldn't look at him with disdain, nor did it have the strength to easily defeat its owner.

“Darkness, and the danger yet to come, is not a panacea. I know that the complete disappearance of a companion is the last thing Andre can tolerate, but that did not happen, while the damage caused by the Literary Society has already been done.”

Mr. Parrot finally reacted; his head tilted slightly to the side, and wisps of black smoke seeped out from the gaps in his bandages.

"If it weren't for me, that delusional death would have already happened. Or were you saying that you had the ability to save him back then? I was the one who protected him, and you were the one who hurt him. My ability is not a tool to cover up your incompetence. If you consider my ability as part of Andre's protection, then why don't you consider the persecution by the Literary Society as part of Andre's daily life? You should know that this is a lich calamity, and Andre has precedents for it."

"Academic gatherings hold an important place in Andrei. The precedents of the Lich Bane can be understood because they themselves had no ill intentions towards Andrei; they were all unintentional, terrible consequences caused by the influence of the Salvation Society members. As for the Literary Society, well, they not only feel no remorse for restoring themselves to their former state, but they also approve of and are proud of their misdeeds. This kind of malice towards their own people must be punished."

Darkness raised its hand, pointing at the law and questioning the judge on the bench.

"Hey, hey? Did he say something wrong? I remember that only by committing a real evil deed can a person be convicted. Having malicious intent but not taking action is not a sin, right? What law is the Law Master reading? No way, the Code of Holy Light? I know that very well. You're using the laws of the Holy Light to punish the lich, are you not taking Andrei, that old thing, seriously? Hmm~ Andrei's enforcer."

The dean, his face ashen, slammed down his gavel.

"The defendant's beastly statement is valid."

Mr. Darkness, smug and self-satisfied, stood on his seat and twirled around, spreading his arms wide, transforming himself into a legal advocate.

“In Andrei’s Code, harboring malice towards someone is not a crime. Even if the object of hatred dies unexpectedly afterward, as long as the person is not directly or indirectly related to the death in a causal relationship, their crime is not established. For example…”

A dangerous red light emanated from Mr. Dark's eyes, and black energy surged from his bandages, transforming him into a dark cloud gathering a storm.

"For example, if I want to destroy the law right now, but it accidentally dies tomorrow, then it has nothing to do with me; I am innocent."

The dean's gavel fell once again.

"Warning to the defendant: Threatening and intimidation based on a power imbalance are not permitted in court. Furthermore, the rule that malice is not illegal only applies to liches. For members of Andrei's vengeful spirits, please remember the relevant dangerous laws concerning Andrei's vengeful spirits: malice is illegal for you."

Lyle nodded in agreement with the preceding text, but questioned the last sentence.

This is racial discrimination against vengeful spirits; they can't even have the thought of harming people. Isn't this idea too domineering?

Lyle glanced to his left and back, his gaze meeting Mr. Astonishment's pale eyes. The vengeful spirit's sinister and chaotic gaze pierced through the window to his soul, sending a chill through Lyle's mind.

Mr. Astonishment's lips curled up into a distorted smile, as if being torn apart by a fishhook.

The fact that the professors of the necromancy school had no complaints or questions about Andrei's laws once again piqued Lyle's curiosity.

"Didn't Ms. Helena teach you these basics?" Mr. Astonishment's expression returned to normal, and he nodded. "This can be considered a collective fault of the Soul Tower. Then let me give you a refresher course, Mr. Plague Doctor, on the common knowledge about ghosts, vengeful spirits, and other negative energy spirits."

"When the body of the deceased is damaged for various reasons or loses its protective function due to special circumstances, the soul with strong obsessions that leaves the body will become a vengeful spirit. Vengeful spirits are naturally proficient in the study of the soul, and we have a unique advantage in the spiritual realm."

"We are better able to absorb spiritual energy that exists outside the world, and we are also more easily influenced by external spiritual energy. The main manifestation of this spiritual energy is emotional impulses. A newly born lich is very fragile, and emotionally, he is impulsive and wild."

"The birth of vengeful spirits often stems from various accidents. When a newborn spirit regains the ability to think, its first feeling is unease about the unknown situation. Anger and fear, as the most primal emotions of intelligent beings, will instantly infect our consciousness. This also leads to the common impression among mystics that vengeful spirits are harsh, and that they are all dangerous and vicious monsters."

"Without the balance of the physical body, without the support of external objects, wraiths are the most capricious race. When they have an idea, they have already taken action. Therefore, wraiths are not allowed to have murderous intent. The social relationships of Andrei wraiths are much closer than those of liches. We are basically in a one-on-one master-apprentice relationship. Each mentor must supervise his apprentice and be responsible for his apprentice's behavior."

“Wraith Apprentices learn how to control their emotional impulses at the Soul Tower. We observe liches to better learn their indifference and apathy, which is of great benefit to us. Only when a wraith is deemed mature by the Soul Tower can he gain freedom and take responsibility for his own actions.”

"If you encounter a vengeful spirit in the wild, please go around it."

"Because even the calmest vengeful spirit is more dangerous than a madman."

Lyle nodded, somewhat wistfully.

"The professors seemed quite gentle to me, though they were a bit intimidating in appearance. Aside from the ghostly maids of Naslan, I didn't sense any danger from the vengeful spirits in Andrei at all."

Mr. Astonishment laughed, that same laugh that could be the most memorable moment in a nightmare.

"This is another reason why vengeful spirits and liches coexist peacefully."

"However, there is still a big difference between liches and vengeful spirits."

“A lich is not a vengeful spirit that possesses bones.”

"There are many indescribable differences and unique characteristics between the two species."

"There are many differences that you will have to explore on your own, but I can reveal a little bit."

"The fundamental ideas of vengeful spirits and liches are different."

Mr. Astonished looked back at his vengeful companions, their state resembling portraits of each other hanging on the wall of a room, a hundred years past their prime.

"If a vengeful spirit gets hold of a section of the spine and skull, we'll just invent a new sport: hockey."

Chapter 711 We still have to see what happens to us

Mr. Astonishment's explanation of vengeful spirits came to an end, and Lyle refocused his attention on the courtroom. He had initially thought that his momentary distraction would cause him to miss a long stretch of the witty and often veiled verbal sparring. But he was wrong. Mr. Darkness, as the president of the Andrei Literary Society and a terrorist figurehead, firmly controlled the pace of the prosecution. Lyle was surprised to find that Mr. Law was emphasizing the same points of contention as thirty minutes earlier, merely changing a few colloquial expressions and rhetorical styles. Lyle was still able to keep up with their pace without any difficulty.

Thirty minutes passed, and nothing changed except for the lawyer's inner frustration and outward irritability. Even the judge on the bench showed signs of fatigue, and the clerk, Mr. Jing, had long since put down his quill. His expression, like that of the audience around him, reflected a lack of interest and an anticipation of an unexpected surprise that would disrupt the status quo.

"I thought too highly of your literary society!" The sound of teeth grinding came from beneath Mr. Law's mask. He clenched his fists, as if wrestling with invisible grips that didn't exist on either side of the table. "You're still exactly the same as before, unreasonable. Do you really think Andrei is still the same organization that had to bow down to the Holy Light and compromise with your permission, Mr. Darkness?"

Lyle sensed that the once noisy courtroom had fallen silent; there were no more whispers or fidgeting. The fire of his soul burned quietly, and Lyle felt his own heartbeat becoming the only sound.

The silence was broken by the movement of darkness. Mr. Dark's shadow came to life, spreading beneath his feet, eroding the bricks, climbing the table legs, and creeping up the carved edges… With the moving shadow, a sense of oppression, like a heart attack, descended upon Lyle, making it hard for him to breathe. A divine light illuminated the courtroom, instantly transforming the somewhat ancient and worn court into a magnificent golden palace. The power of light suppressed the darkness, making it even more grand, yet without the oppressive feeling of forcing one to kneel. Raymond was reminding his somewhat agitated brother.

Mr. Dark glanced at the audience, then refocused his gaze on the somewhat stiff Law. He straightened his back, recovering from his strange, feline-like posture, and coldly answered with a hint of ferocity.

"Don't presume to interpret history you haven't experienced. You're just a brat basking in a rosy tale. The changes you see are merely tiny adjustments in an unchanging world; the migration of a single grain of sand won't alter the entirety of the desert." Darkness covered its mouth and let out an unexpected, wicked laugh. "Even though I possess the power to break the rules, this time, I'm willing to show mercy and engage you in what you call a 'debate' unrelated to strength, based solely on the rules."

"This will prove to everyone that the literary society I lead is a perfect organization that is both literary and martial, one in a million."

"Come out, my legal team!"

The tightly closed door suddenly opened, and three figures posing in strange positions attracted everyone's attention.

"Who's so wicked as to cast a light spell in a dimly lit room..." A muttered voice rose, and the three men stepped into the dock in rhythmic, synchronized steps, amidst the applause of the only darkness. They turned to look at the dean, revealing bright smiles.

"Wherever there is injustice, there we will be."

"Invincible and never at a disadvantage, the sharpest sword is always at the heart of Andre Academy."

"My name is War Cry."

"My name is Wind Fury."

My name is Mockery.

"Fight for the Literary Society!"

They held hands and danced in circles.

"Today, we, the Three Musketeers of Andre, will act as champions of justice, restoring peace and prosperity to the world! We are going to sue Andre!!!"

Lyle looked at the three men in black robes, the Dean looked at the three men, the Law looked at the three men, and the Lich Andrei looked at the three men.

Who would have thought that these three super lawyers from Andre would now be going against their former employer? I get so angry that I even sue myself.

They looked at their companions through the holes in their black robes and encouraged each other.

"Let's work hard, and once we pull off this job, we'll truly be invincible! Who in the entire legal profession can rival us? We can even beat ourselves!"

The three were excited for less than ten seconds.

"I protest!" The roar of the law was deafening. He climbed onto the plaintiff's table, pointing a trembling finger at the three mysterious men in black robes. "Gentlemen! Journalists! And delusions! You three worthless bastards dare to appear in the Court of Final Jurisdiction of Andrea! And try to justify your crimes, Your Honor! The order of Andrea will not tolerate the infringement of these lawbreakers!!!"

"They are criminal suspects awaiting trial! They are not qualified to defend the literary society! Because they are the parties involved!"

There's no reason for a criminal to exonerate himself; such an obvious thing wouldn't escape the Dean's discerning eye.

However... the dean wore a smile, but his face showed a gloomy expression similar to indigestion.

"I object, Your Honor!" Having shed their black robes, Andrei and his two companions abandoned their entertaining disguises and immersed themselves in the work that the Dean was all too familiar with.

"I wonder if you all remember that Andre had a rule."

“When a member of Andrei is in a state of mental abnormality such as soul damage or bewitching control, under Andrei’s law, his soul in a state of mental abnormality and his normal state registered by the Soul Tower should be regarded as two independent conscious individuals.”

Mr. Delusional directly grasped the crux of the problem, which made Mr. Law's face turn ashen upon hearing this, even though he was wearing an iron mask.

"Could it be..." His tone was filled with resentment, that the legal code he had painstakingly written would become his stumbling block.

The gentleman laughed heartily.

"That's right! It's that 'could it be'!"

"Our Literary Society's Four Heavenly Kings have returned from the Tower of Souls. The ritual personnel there can testify that during the Lich Bane, we did indeed fall into a mental state caused by Mr. Plague Doctor, the president of the Necromancer Figurine Club! In other words, all those sins you mentioned! We didn't do them! They were done by another 'me'!"

I just had a mental breakdown, I am innocent!

"Debts, personal grudges, and other conflicts of interest between two mentally unstable individuals will not be inherited. In other words, I, the gentleman, am innocent of the crime committed by Edward Alphonse! Therefore, as someone unrelated to the Lich Bane, I can become the lawyer for the Literary Society and defend them. And for this reason, our Literary Society is innocent!"

"If you really want to arrest someone, then arrest another one of me!"

The reporter delivered the final blow. He pointed a finger directly at the staggering lawyer.

"The law! The real reason for your failure..."

"That means you've messed with our literary society!"

"You are dead!"

Beneath Mr. Dark's arrogant black wings, the three members of the Literature Club utterly defeated Andre's enforcers. Amidst the chaotic and arrogant laughter, true darkness descended.

"The defense attorney's defense is effective."