Chapter 456: Excited Crowd!
The Justice Division of the Royal capital is bustling today with a large crowd, due to the Justice Call sent by the Doom family.
King Ragnar led the Frost nation members with a stoic expression. Behind him, Lily walked closely to Kent with a bit of nervousness and tension.
Kent followed closely while carrying the baby dragon with him. Jabil, Kavi and Ruby walked beside him.
Behind them, a sea of followers from the Frost nation trailed: relatives, servants, the family's wizard soldiers, and the wealthy family heads, all walking in unison, their faces a mix of concern, curiosity, and unease.
While walking Kent observed everything happening around him. Royal Justice wizards, clad in polished armor and branded with the insignia of a sword crossed with a golden balance, moved through the streets with disciplined precision.
Court wizards moved in the sky, their dark robes fluttering with golden clocks as they moved between different courts. Everything about the Justice Division radiated order and control. Not a single stone out of place, not a single action wasted.
High above, a massive hourglass floated in the sky, slowly turning, its grains of time trickling down. The entire Justice division appeared more formal and classy.
The streets began to widen as they approached the central court which is in the shape of a big stadium, an enormous open structure that stretched out for nearly five miles. Towering spectator stands surrounded the stadium, filled with rows upon rows of seats, capable of holding over a million people.
At the entrance, a grand archway displayed the words: "Royal Court of Mighty Quinn" in bold, shining letters. Loud cries coming from inside the court spectator stands. The Justice Call was something that hadn't been invoked in decades, and no one, especially the powerful crest families, wanted to miss the spectacle.
As they neared the entrance, a circle of golden-cloaked wizards, each bearing the symbol of a lion's head on their shoulders, stood guard.
King Ragnar came to a halt before the gate. He pulled out the golden plate with the Emperor's seal and presented it to the head wizard. The wizard, with a nod of acknowledgment, examined the plate, verifying its authenticity.
After a brief moment, he stepped aside, allowing Ragnar, Lily, Kent, and his closest companions to pass through the main gate.
The rest of the entourage—relatives, servants, soldiers, and big family heads—were directed toward the side gate, where the spectator stands awaited them. They obeyed without question, though the murmurs among the crowd were growing louder. The stands, already packed to the brim, buzzed with excitement, as rumors spread like wildfire about the event that was about to unfold.
As Kent walked into the vast stadium, the sheer size of the crowd hit him. The spectator stands were filled with people from every corner of the 7th realm.
A total of 33 seats with family symbol were arranged in a semicircle and three carved high seats were placed at the head position for the Royal Court Judges.
The crest family heads already sat in their reserved places, dressed in their finest robes, exuding authority and pride.
In the spectator stands, their relatives, retainers, and various influential families, along with wealthy merchants, all of whom had come to witness the rare spectacle of a Justice Call. It was an event no one wanted to miss.
But dominating the stadium was the presence of the Doom nation. Their people filled nearly half of the stands, their voices rising in a cacophony of boos and jeers as King Ragnar and Kent made their way to the center of the court.
"Look who's finally arrived!" a voice shouted from the crowd.
"Doesn't matter what you do, Doom nation's already won this!"
"They'll see justice today, and King Ragnar will kneel before Doom Nation!"
Kent's eyes flicked towards the Doom section, where people were waving their banners and shouting insults. His gaze then shifted to the center of the stadium, where Hoon Doom, King of the Doom nation, stood alongside Princess Chuli. Both wore smug, self-satisfied expressions, as if the outcome was already decided.
Hoon Doom caught Ragnar's sight and smirked. "King Ragnar, I see you've brought the culprit to face his due punishment." He said, his voice carrying across the open space.
Princess Chuli, standing beside him, looked over at Kent, her eyes narrowed in disdain. "Get ready to touch my feet. As I said, I will make you crumble before my feet." Chuli announced loudly in a taunting tone.
Ragnar ignored the bait, keeping his focus on the task at hand. Kent, however, met Hoon Doom's gaze with a calm, steady look, offering no reaction to his provocations.
As they reached the center of the court, Ragnar led Kent to stand before the thirty-three wide stone thrones that formed a semicircle around the court's center. Each throne bore the crest of a different ruling family, their representatives already seated and watching with keen interest.
At the head of the court, three larger thrones loomed above the rest, each one adorned with the Lionhead symbol of the Royal Family. The seats were still empty, awaiting the arrival of the Royal Judges—the final arbiters of justice in the 7th Realm.
The atmosphere in the stadium was electric. A murmur swept through the crowd, and Kent could feel the weight of a million eyes on him. His every move was being scrutinized, his every breath watched. It would have been easy to feel overwhelmed, but Kent remained calm, his expression unreadable.
Lily, standing beside him, couldn't help but feel a growing knot of anxiety in her chest. She looked at Kent, who seemed almost unaffected by the intensity of the situation. How could he be so calm? Didn't he realize the gravity of the accusations against him? She wanted to say something, to remind him of what was at stake, but the words stuck in her throat.
Instead, she looked toward King Ragnar, who stood tall and unmoving, his face a mask of composed authority. She had seen him like this before, but never had the stakes felt so high.
The jeering from the Doom nation's side grew louder, and Hoon Doom, reveling in the attention, raised a hand to silence his people.
"The court will soon begin," Hoon announced with a sly grin, his voice dripping with malice. "And we will all witness the end of this farce. No one threatens the life of a princess and walks away unscathed."
As the justice is decided by voting of other kings, Hoon Doom is making intentional comments beforehand to manipulate other kings.
King Ragnar turned to face him, his expression cold and unyielding. "We will see what the Royal Court has to say about that, Hoon. Justice is not dictated by the whims of one nation."
The tension between the two kings was at peak. The crowd waited, eagerly anticipating the arrival of the Royal Judges. The hourglass in the sky continued to turn, its sands trickling down as the moment of truth approached.
As the sun began to rise fully over the horizon, the faint sound of bells echoed through the air. The Royal Judges were arriving.
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