Max was sitting peacefully in his cell, contemplating his next move when a system notification alarmed him.
[ System Notification - Player ' Ravan ' , you have been summoned to the Universal Court under clause ' Habeas Corpus ' where the True Elites have claimed that you have been wrongfully imprisoned.
You are mandated to appear in court and shall hence be teleported in 10 seconds ]
Max barely had any time to read the notification when suddenly his body was forcefully teleported out of the most secure cell inside the Vampire Monarchy as if it were not isolated with hundreds of runes.
Shortly afterwards, Max found himself standing in the centre of the Universal Court, his senses momentarily disoriented by the sudden teleportation as his vision doubled and his ears buzzed.
A few seconds later as clarity returned, he noticed the grandeur of his surroundings.
The universal court itself was vast, far more expansive than any hall or chamber Max had ever seen.
The ceiling soared high above, crafted from a shimmering, translucent material that emitted a soft, radiant glow, giving one illusion that it was endlessly high.
The floor beneath him was a tapestry of intertwining patterns and symbols, representing the intricate weavings of truth and moral balance which was funny as Max knew that this was the last place where he would find such notions.
As Max focused on the floor below, the patterns seemed to move, adjusting and rearranging in response to the presence of those standing on them, a reflection of the ever-shifting nature of justice and the stories it bore witness to.
At the far end of the court was a raised dais, upon which sat the Judge.
It only took Max one glance to be sure that the man seated on the position of the judge was none other than the god of death Hades himself as Max could not help but chuckle at the irony.
Back on Earth, there was a prominent belief in the greek religion that when individuals died their souls were judged in the kingdom of death by Hades and given Elysium or Tartarus ( Heaven or Hell ) depending on their life's Karma.
Max knew that he wasn't being judged for a place in the afterlife today but still the irony got him to chuckle.
To the sides of the courtroom were translucent platforms where the other parties involved in the case would stand, visible yet separate, ensuring that each voice would be heard, yet no influence would be exerted unduly.
There were no extra points for guessing as to who was supposed to fill these side stands as moments after Max was teleported into the courtroom, Regus and Neatwit also showed up.
Max waved tauntingly at Regus, who immediately flared his aura to remind the boy as to their difference in power, but the isolation barriers placed between each party ensured that despite Regus's best effort, he could not pressurise or influence Max.
This feature was especially important because if the party being judged was placed under a mind control spell or duress then the integrity of the trial could be compromised, hence it was imperative that all involved parties be appropriately segregated.
Max also acknowledged Neatwit's presence in the courtroom, but instead of communicating with Max directly, Neatwit conveyed through actions that Max needed to notice something placed on Regus's chest.
Understanding Neatwit's gesture, Max turned and inspected Regus's attire and noticed that the King was wearing a dwarven simulcast device that would capture both audio and video and transmit it across the universe to various channels.
The grin on Max's face widened when he realised that Regus was aiming to make a political play at this trial.
Had Max not been aware, he would have acted like a prick around Regus and say whatever he wanted thinking nobody would know, but now that he knew, he would make sure to also adopt the noble aura befitting a Lord.
" Alright, since everyone is here let's start with today's proceedings.
Before we start, I want to make it clear that my decision on this matter is final and non-compliance by any monarch will lead to forceful intervention by the queen and the rest of the council.
Both of you have voted for me to be here as the presiding judge, so have faith in my integrity to pass an unbiased judgement.
Today's matter as listed by Guildmaster Neatwit, who is the challenging party in this case, reads out like this-
Max Rajput, younger brother of True Elites founder and Patriarch Rudra Rajput, A.k.a Shakuni The Terrifying, has been wrongfully imprisoned by Regus Aurelius the Vampire Monarch.
Despite showing no signs of betraying the Vampire Society and performing several meritorious deeds for them, Max has been subjected to discrimination because Regus Aurelius fears his influence to be a challenge to his rule as a Monarch.
We the True Elites will not stand for such bullying and will resort to war against the Vampire Monarchy should justice not be served
What I understand from this statement is that the Elites believe that the Vampire Monarch is petty in his decision to imprison Max who is a great contributor to his fiefdom.
To these allegations the Vampire Monarch responds by saying
During the Dimensional war, the vampire society was shocked to discover that the first division commander of the Bloodfall clan Max Rajput and their Lord Ravan Bloodfall were one and the same.
Not only did Max blatantly deceive and break the trust vested in him by the monarch, he also cheated his way through a system contract to ensure that no eyebrows were raised to his activity.
There is an age-old prophecy within the vampire society which believes that the return of the primordial vampire will lead to ruin of the vampire society as a whole.
Max, who is a primordial vampire, has hence been detained by the vampire monarchy under conspiracy to cause severe harm to the very fabric of vampire society.
I, Regus Aurelius, strongly believe in dealing with internal threats to my kingdom with an iron fist even if it means risking war with the True Elites
The response from Monarch Regus tells me that he believes that Max Rajput is a threat to his kingdom and that he should be given the right to deal with internal matters of his kingdom without having to worry about external pressure.
I believe I have understood the gist of this case and while the proceedings are pending, let me make this clear.
If the claims of the vampire monarch are proven to be true, I will rule in favour of this being an internal matter of the vampire monarchy.
However, if this turns out to be a petty act, you will pay appropriate reparations for your petty conduct monarch Regus " Hades said as he read out the introduction of the case and stated his opinion on the matter.
The good news for both sides was that for now Hades seemed to be genuinely neutral and unbiased while also seemingly taking his job as the judge seriously.
If his temperament remained open-minded and patient, then both sides would have a chance to sway his opinion in their favour which could prove decisive in this case.
" So, the first question I have is for Max Rajput.
Explain to me the circumstances surrounding your dual identity and how you lied on the system contract? " Hades demanded in a cold and impassionate voice as it was Max's cue to speak.
This was a critical question, not only for the case but also for Max to restore the faith of the common masses in him after his dual identity scandal.
Since billions across the vampire society might be watching the proceedings live, Max needed to make sure that he made the most of this opportunity.
***********
( Meanwhile in several parts across vampire monarchy )
The commoners were all taken by surprise when their king suddenly sent Aurelius clan officials to set up simulcast projectors in shopping districts and areas of high footfall in every major city across the vampire monarchy.
Their curious and idle minds had many questions as to why such an action was being taken by the king, but all doubts were answered when they witnessed the simulcast of a trial setting in the universal court.
Contrary to popular belief, it turned out that Max was not being tried in a vampire court where Regus Aurelius decided his fate, but was rather being tried in a higher court where Regus himself was the defendant.
As Hades described the gist of the case, more and more commoners gathered around the screen as the case was seemingly going to address many doubts and rumours that were floating about Max and their King.
Max was the rising star within the vampire society whereas Regus was the god they worshipped.
Max's tales of war heroics had become borderline legendary and for such a figure to be slandered with viscous conspiracy theories caused a lot of controversy in the vampire society.
Some hated him, some loved him, but most individuals were on the fence waiting to see whether Max was truly a primordial vampire or whether he was being framed in a demon driven conspiracy.
If it turned out that Max was innocent the support for him was sure to skyrocket as the sentiment against the demons was strong.
However, if he turned out to be guilty then he would undoubtedly be ostracised and painted as the villain within vampire society.
Thankfully, the commoners no longer needed to debate amongst themselves as to what was Max Rajput's true nature, for today it would all become clear.
