The Druid Who Swallowed Mother Nature - Chapter 37



Only Noblemtl

Episode 37. It’s a shame

It is not common for a trial to take place on the roof of a building.

To be exact, that is not the case very often.

Wizards are of the highest class.

The elites who came to the rooftop may not have been close to each other, but they had a strong sense of belonging, and this became the practice of trying to get through most things amicably.

However, cases that could not be overlooked were usually dealt with summarily, not through trial.

The general punishment was the extermination or expulsion of professional troops.

However, it is not possible to treat even the head of the school in that way.

Even if a crime is committed in the first place, it is usually covered up in the political realm.

However, the presence of the exception called the wanderer Colin and the existence of Galen who detested him made this happen.

Bam!

The door to the underground courtroom of the tower opened.

We were roughly shoved into it like objects.

“Ugh!”

Unlike Colin who fell over with a bang, I looked around while keeping my balance.

Although he was the judge, he was far from the typical judge.

In the center there was a platform on which the sinners would stand.

Around him, the staff and audience members sat without distinction.

The structure of the Magistrate’s Court was such that it was natural for such confusion to occur.

In fact, it was difficult to clearly divide them into those involved and those in the audience.

Since trials are not easy to hold and the suspect is a scholar, the number of people in attendance was impressive.

“Colin, you look terrible.”

“Tsk tsk, I knew it would end up like this. If you were to point out the current top leader’s flaws, no matter what anyone says, it would be that guy.”

“Who is next to you?”

“You said you were the guardian of a new disciple. What a pitiful person.”

“Poor thing, he must have contributed to all the shame Colin has caused so far.”

The atmosphere among those sitting around was not very good.

Criticism and ridicule poured out without any intention of hiding it.

‘All the people I saw this morning are here.’

It is a total mobilization of the school leaders and elders.

Celebrities who are each treated as VIPs of the city.

Even without necessarily thinking about their influence on society, they were objects of fear here.

This is because their expression of opinion will have a great impact on the trial’s verdict.

“I don’t know what fun it is that so many heavy-assed people have gathered here.”

Colin, who had gotten up awkwardly, muttered in displeasure.

“Gallen replied with a laugh.

“Isn’t it because I can finally give a stern judgment to you, the troublemaker of the Magic Tower?”

“It looks like that. Those people who hate me have made up their minds.”

Colin ground his teeth, his temper rising.

This is because the composition of the magicians present was obvious even to outsiders.

‘The Elders, the Galen faction, and the neutral faction.’

The elders will support Galen.

They won’t like Colin because they are a bunch of closed-minded old farts.

Not to mention Galen’s faction.

The neutral school leaders are the key, but their number is smaller than the former two combined.

They were neutral from the beginning.

Even if you were optimistic, half of those who supported Colin were.

‘It’s almost as if the verdict was already made before the trial even started.’

At this point, Colin had no choice but to be kicked out.

It would have been merciful if he had not kicked me out and made me a wreck, just like the conversation I had with Galen on the way here.

“… … I don’t know how I’ll handle it when the Master returns. If I take a step back now, I’ll readily admit my sins and become a martyr.”

Colin also had a corner of his heart that he believed in.

His teacher is Matapju.

If the Matapju exercises his authority, such hasty trials will be abolished and the disciplinary action will end with the removal of the position of school leader as in the existing story.

But no one responded to his threats.

Unfortunately, the top seat was empty.

‘At this point, Matapju often went on overseas trips.’

I thought he was enjoying traveling in his later years, but I heard from Colin that he was exploring the ruins of the Druids.

Anyway, coincidentally he wasn’t there, so Colin’s best option was to use the threat as a threat.

And such hasty threats were not likely to work.

“Do you think I would be afraid of a toothless magician?”

“……what?”

“Your next is Matapjuya.”

Perhaps because he thought he had already caught all the fish, Galen did not hide his ambition.

He wanted the highest seat on the tower.

He is a noble and proud descendant of a fallen noble family who leads the greatest school in the Magic Tower.

So even at this early point, there would still be evidence that would lead me to send him to Hell.

“Be quiet.”

The courtroom, which had been like a marketplace, became quiet.

The hostility towards us has become more open and unconcealed.

“The trial begins.”

The stage that will send Colin to the abyss.

Galen and his faction would know that.

It won’t be long before you realize that this was a mistake.

‘This is your grave.’

I watched the trial unfold leisurely.

***

The trial proceeded at a rapid pace.

Galen poured out all the materials he had prepared, hoping Colin would return, and denounced him.

He brought up the abandonment of the duty of the head of the school as the main proposition, and pointed out the customary special privileges such as the diversion of research funds.

In fact, the latter was expressed as a custom, so not all high-ranking officials were free from guilt.

But Galen limited this to Colin and exaggerated it into a horrific crime.

They portrayed small mistakes as intentional crimes and exaggerated the severity of the situation by giving excessive meaning to each number.

Colin immediately made excuses, but they were just excuses in the face of thoroughly prepared evidence.

Even before the trial was over, Colin had already become a heinous criminal who had tarnished the reputation of the Tower.

“… …Based on the above evidence, I, I, the Illeman Schoolmaster, Galen Busting, hereby declare that it is the right decision to banish Juggernaut Schoolmaster Colin Sieghar from the Tower.”

Galen smiled inwardly as he finished speaking.

‘It’s going smoothly.’

The atmosphere has completely changed.

When Galen presented his evidence and made his argument, everyone listened attentively, but when Colin protested, everyone clicked their tongues or shook their heads.

Even within the neutral faction, there was a noticeable tendency to follow the trend, as it was so one-sided.

‘Have I finally gotten that thorn in my eye out?’

Of course, this is evidence that took years to collect, manipulate, and prepare.

It was impossible for someone as careless as Colin to refute that.

‘I was lucky.’

Colin’s return and the absence of Matapju were two conditions that coincided at the same time.

Thanks to this, it became easier to ascend to the next level of the Great Order, the Magic Tower.

If you link this to harm, the old man in the back room, Ma-Tap-Ju, will have no choice but to step down.

‘That guy did a great job.’

I think your name was Allen.

He was an impressive man with a round face.

That was all.

Despite his aristocratic appearance, his true identity was merely that of a guardian for a child whom Colin was to take in as his disciple.

An appearance like that would be memorable, but since he didn’t know her, she must not have been of any great status.

‘I thought I’d show mercy and let him go unharmed since he was involved in an incident… … What an insolent bastard.’

You will regret it.

Remembering Allen’s remark, Galen shook his poodle beard.

How dare you, a scholar and nobleman, say such outrageous things?

I guess I acted with guts without knowing the circumstances, but regret always comes too late.

Galen had no intention of forgiving him.

“And finally, I will reveal that Colin has been studying black magic and has tarnished the honor of the Magic Tower.”

“Gallen! What nonsense are you talking about!”

Even Colin, who was already close to giving up, immediately opposed that claim.

Black magic is an evil that is not tolerated in the Magic Tower, despite its usefulness recognized by the city’s upper echelons.

If it was revealed that the leader of the school at the top of the tower had fallen into this, it would be a fatal scandal that could not be compared to the leader’s dereliction of duty.

“The evidence is here, so take a look.”

Photos, documents, testimony, physical evidence.

It was so cleverly manipulated that it was impossible to detect it in an instant.

Above all else.

“Do you remember this thing, Colin?”

At Galen’s gesture, the subordinate took an item out of the bag.

Colin frowned, his expression showing that he didn’t understand English.

“… … The necklace of clarity, isn’t that the thing you gave me as a gift?”

“I passed it off to you as an artifact that would clear your mind, but as you know, its real effect is something else.”

It’s Hwa-ryong-jeom-jeong.

“Detection of dark magic.”

The bright blue jewel embedded in the center was stained cloudy.

Colin opened his eyes wide.

“It’s a mother ship!”

“If it’s a conspiracy, how do you explain this evidence? It’s something I brought directly from your lab.”

“I left the tower five years ago and haven’t set foot in the lab since!”

“So you’ve been dabbling in black magic for the past five years? If I may give you a word of advice, it would be best to keep quiet and not increase your sins.”

Colin looked defeated.

It was a spider web.

The more you struggle, the tighter the spider web tightens around your limbs.

By the time I realized I was trapped, it was already too late.

Boom boom!

“Quiet!”

As the wizards present began to make a fuss and the commotion spread, the elders leading the trial took control of the atmosphere.

He asked with an even more subdued look in his eyes than at the beginning of the trial.

“Galen, can you swear that what you are saying is true?”

“I have been investigating this for a long time. I can guarantee it on my honor.”

“Hmm.”

The betrayal of the school leader.

It is a serious crime that cannot be dealt with through a summary trial.

Galen’s response, which had been prepared for a long time, was experienced.

He wanted to take advantage of the confusion and get the trial over with quickly.

He even handed it over to the magicians present to confirm that it was black magic.

There were some opinions that we should carefully verify it, but the majority opinion was that there was no need to waste time when clear evidence was at hand.

“Unfortunately, it is difficult for you to escape the suspicion that you are in league with a criminal. You will have a hard time until the charges are confirmed, but if you are innocent, it will be revealed. Don’t hold grudges and endure.”

Allen, he’s going to be kicked out as a wreck.

I know he is innocent, but where is the person who shakes his hair and doesn’t have a speck of dust on him?

This is the end.

Galen hid his low-level excitement and waited for the cheeky brat to shed tears of regret.

“… … Necklace of Clarity.”

Allen, who had been silent, spoke up.

It was calm and quiet, as if it was disconnected from the seriousness of the current situation.

“As you said, it is an item that detects black magic, but its accuracy is low.”

He slowly got up from his seat.

The blue eyes with a greenish glow were a gaze that looked down with a sense of pride.

Are you aware of your own situation?

Allen leisurely walked out of his seat and approached the wizards seated there.

As he reached out, the possessed sorceress handed Allen a necklace.

Galen’s eyes lit up immediately.

“What are you doing now! Why are you handing that over to a sinner… …!”

“Oh, I didn’t even realize it.”

He tried to retrieve the item, but Allen verbally stopped him.

“The Necklace of Mingling changes color when it detects dark magic within a 500m radius, not just to its owner. Is that correct, Master Juggernet?”

“Yeah, yeah.”

The lords of artifacts are the Juggernaut school.

Even during the trial, there was no doubt about the professionalism of Colin’s answers.

“Then it doesn’t necessarily mean that the head of the school is the culprit.”

“If it’s the author’s stuff, then whose dark magic did you detect?”

“I’m going to find out about that from now on.”

Allen smiled broadly.

Creepy!

Galen felt an ominous feeling running up his spine.

You can’t leave him alone.

Just before Galen, overcome by an instinctive premonition, sabotages the plan.

Plop!

The necklace of clarity was broken.

***

Necklace of clarity.

There was no lie in its effect of detecting black magic.

And the true utility of the Necklace of Mingjing does not end there.

Hwaaaa!

The dark magic detected by the necklace dispersed into the air.

The moment my impulsive action broke the silence, the commotion reached the realm of noise.

“What the hell are you doing…! Destroying the evidence! I see what kind of evil intentions you have!”

“Just watch.”

Galen screamed loudly.

He still didn’t know he was trapped.

It’s my turn to wake you up.

Woohoo!

The visible magical power is not a characteristic of the wizard, but rather an innate talent bestowed upon the individual.

The oxidizing black magic could not be seen.

So people don’t know.

The real utility of the Necklace of Clarity is tracking, not detection.

Hurrruk!

The spirit was attached to the black magic that was oxidizing.

The opposing energies soon clashed violently and ignited flames.

The line of flames, emitting hot heat, shot upwards, not towards Colin.

“Just follow me.”

“What the heck is this… … .”

“I guess you didn’t know. The Necklace of Mingling was created for the purpose of tracking, not discovering, dark magic.”

“No way! The Juggernaut School didn’t reveal this! Who knew you would lie to avoid this position… …!”

“I guess no one knew why the leader of the Juggernaut School was wandering around.”

I said calmly.

“The Master of the School studied the analysis and destruction of black magic. Here is the evidence.”

That’s a lie.

Even though he knew it, Galen couldn’t open his mouth.

Because the person responsible was right next to me.

If you’ve laid out the groundwork this far, you should be able to play the janggu on your own.

Colin quickly picked up the beat without me even noticing.

“… … That’s true. So I invited the author’s relative who helped me with my research to the Magic Tower as my disciple.”

“While the Master of the School was away, the necklace of clarity reacted, so it seems there is a traitor in the Magic Tower. I wonder if the Master of the School was suspicious and set a trap… … .”

“You have completely figured out my intentions.”

“As expected, you are the disciple of the Lord of the Tower. You have great insight.”

“You’re amazing for noticing that.”

Colin, who realized what this flow meant, hit it off with me.

On the other hand, Galen’s eyes shook violently.

“Hey, don’t lie!”

“If you follow the traces, whether it is false or not, you will be able to find out where it came from.”

I could be confident.

He won’t be able to follow the trail.

Because the black magic must have originated from his laboratory.

Colin is not a warlock.

But how did Galen prepare the evidence?

Because he was a warlock.

‘It was like I fell for my own trick.’

In the previous episode, he also held a trial for me, falsely accusing me of studying black magic.

But at that time, the manipulation of evidence was sloppy, so it was easy to clear one’s name.

Perhaps because the manipulation was aimed at Colin, not me.

However, he could not admit his guilt, so he broke the necklace of clarity and claimed that he was a black magician.

This time it was much easier than before.

There was no need to force him to use black magic, the spirits alone were enough.

“Why are you just sitting there? If you want to secure decisive evidence that the head of the Juggernet School is studying black magic, you need to move quickly.”

“… … .”

Galen ground his teeth.

You must be worried.

Should I push my argument forward or should I go back and destroy the evidence?

I decided to ease the old wizard’s worries.

“If your butt is too heavy to move, I can help you.”

I moved the spirit to burn all the evidence.

Boom!

The door to the courtroom opened almost simultaneously.

“Emergency! There’s a chimera in the laboratory of the Illeman Schoolmaster…!”

“… … !”

Galen couldn’t hide his defeated expression.

‘One of those was the artifact that controlled the chimera?’

Even though it is a private space, it is very bold of you to study black magic in the magic tower.

I knew that he had reached the limit of his talents and had sought another path.

It might have been because of his inferiority complex towards Colin.

It wasn’t a pity.

Where in the world is there a person without circumstances?

“It’s too bad.”

The mood has already changed.

The wizards, realizing that something was wrong, began to take out their wands.

I spoke softly to Galen, who was backing away.

“You shouldn’t have dared to do something so out of line.”

“… … !”

It is a mockery that attacks one’s pride.

Galen, his eyes rolled back, roared like an animal and rushed at me.

“The World Tree roars that it is time to counterattack.”

I wasn’t scared at all.

For a Druid, the toughest opponent was a traditional wizard, not a fallen wizard who had fallen into black magic.