Chapter 356: Crime and Punishment (1)

The lines Vikir left last night were featured prominently on the front page of every newspaper the next day.

[Headline] Night Hound Apprehended!

[Breaking News] Identity of Night Hound Revealed… a First-Year at Colosseo Academy!?

[Exclusive] “I am Night Hound.” The Villain who plunged Venetior into terror, the identity of Night Hound revealed!

[Additional] The Night Hound, revealed to be the illegitimate child of the Baskerville Clan, sending shockwaves after shockwaves…!

Night Hound. His identity: Vikir van Baskerville, the illegitimate child of the Ironblooded Sword Clan, Baskervilles!

Officially disclosed accusations against Vikir were as follows:

1. Involvement in internal affairs of the Baskerville Clan, including murder and escape.

2. Attempted assassination of Archbishop Humbert from the Quovadis Clan and Murger of Quilt Indulgentia.

3. Assassination of Bartolomeo from the Bourgeois Clan.

4. Implicated in numerous assassinations and disappearances of prominent figures.

.

.

Even just a selection of the key accusations carries significant weight.

The terrifying villain who had shaken Venetior for so long, Night Hound.

The revelation of his identity caused the most uproar at Colosseo Academy.

Whenever three or more students gathered, it was inevitable that they would discuss it.

“I can’t believe it… that terrifying monster was our classmate. Unbelievable.”

“How could he have hidden so casually? The world is truly frightening.”

“But wait, I remember he helped me when I was trapped in the Abyss tree. Was it just a coincidence? Or is it the duality of a killer? The world is unknowable, really.”

“Anyway, it’s too dreadful, seriously. If he was writing columns condemning himself in the newspaper, was that all just deception?”

“Hey, I was his neighbor~ It gives me goosebumps! I used to hear sounds like knives going next door all the time…”

“Me too! I even had lunch with him once during group work! He seemed so expressionless, it felt eerie.”

“Ugh, I bumped into him all the time during workouts~ I almost got murdered too!”

Generally, the public opinion was negative. Well, that’s to be expected.

The image of Night Hound, steadily formed through the newspapers, was a villain threatening the peace of the empire itself.

However, there were also those who opposed the majority opinion, albeit few in number.

Tudor, Sancho, Figgy, Bianca, and others were among them.

“Have they already forgotten what happened in the abyss? They owe their lives to Vikir… ungrateful bunch.”

Sancho nodded silently upon hearing Tudor’s muttered words.

Sancho, always deep in thought, was not forgetting yesterday’s events with Vikir.

“Vikir drew the line first, calmly. He probably unloaded the little burden of his heart. He’s a truly profound guy till the end.”

“Yeah. Vikir took measures to ensure sparks wouldn’t fly to us. It was partly deliberate.”

Figgy also murmured with a gloomy voice.

At that moment, Bianca sitting beside them let out a snort.

“Hmph. If you act so obviously, who’s going to believe it? Both Vikir, and Sinclaire. It’s really immature to hide your true feelings.”

“Immature? How can you say that, at that moment weren’t you shedding tears and snot, calling someone a traitor?”

“What!? When did I—!”

As Tudor grumbled, Bianca snapped in anger.

But what would have normally escalated into hours of argument between them died down within seconds.

None of them had the energy to fight anymore.

Even Tudor, usually spirited, sounded completely drained.

“What can we do for Vikir?”

“…One thing’s for sure, we can’t just sit here.”

“Right. We have to do something! The trial is coming up! Should we attend as spectators and shout slogans?”

” Wouldn’t we just get kicked out immediately? We need something more realistic and effective…”

Tudor, Sancho, Figgy, and Bianca began to brainstorm with their arms linked, their heads together.

Just then.

“Let us help too.”

A quiet voice came from behind.

Turning their heads, they saw several students standing awkwardly.

Gordon. Dogma. Granola. Highbro, Middlebro. Lowbro.

They were people who had been involved with Vikir in some way inside the Tower of Abyss.

“I, no, all of us survived thanks to Vikir. We have to repay that kindness.”

“I was able to repent for my sins because of him. If it weren’t for Vikir, I would’ve become a demon’s puppet forever.”

“I don’t like Vikir, but… there’s a girl I care about who seems really worried about him.”

“We’ll protect him.”

“We’ll protect him.”

“Protect him.”

Besides Tudor, Sancho, Figgy, and Bianca, there were others thinking about Vikir.

And from the back of that group, one person stepped forward.

Student Council President Dolores.

She had secretly supported Night Hound for a long time. Everyone, even Tudor, Sancho, Figgy, and Bianca, had cursed Night Hound back in the day.

As fellow members of the newspaper, Tudor, Sancho, Figgy, and Bianca’s faces brightened knowing this fact.

Meanwhile, Dolores spoke in a calm voice, “The current situation is very dire, everyone.”

Her words made everyone tense up.

Since Vikir had cut off all ties just before turning himself in, no one around him had been harmed. However, this meant that no one had defended or supported Vikir, and he had to bear all the punishment alone.

Dolores continued in a subdued tone, “From Baskerville’s perspective, they’ve brushed off the incident as the actions of a rogue son who murdered and fled. They even claimed that Crimson Whistle was stolen. Initially, the Order had been dispatched to recover that whistle.”

Tail-cutting. Baskerville officially released a statement denying any connection to Vikir.

The only faction that somewhat diverted attention to treating Vikir as a noble and sparing him from execution turned a blind eye.

Dolores bit her lip.

“Vikir will likely receive a death sentence with a high probability. So, we need to persuade the jury for this trial as much as possible beforehand.”

The judge presiding over the trial of Night Hound is either the Emperor or the Emperor’s delegate.

The jury consists of seven members sent by the seven noble families or their representatives to uphold the empire.

Dolores scanned the surroundings.

Fortunately, the social status of the students here was generally high.

Dolores gathered students with the same goal and assigned tasks.

“Tudor, persuade the head of the Donquixote Clan. Bianca, convince the head of the Usher Clan. Sancho, appeal to the mercenary guild in the north, and Figgy, join me in producing the newspaper. Of course, I will also inform and beseech Her Holiness, the Pope of the Quovadis Clan with all the truth. Gordon, Dogma, persuade the nobles, aristocrats, commoners, and student council executives respectively. Highbro, Middlebro, Lowbro, gather as much information as possible from Baskerville. There might be a chance for a pardon….”

After finishing her words, Dolores closed her eyes tightly and bowed her head.

“Please, everyone!”

At that, Tudor, Sancho, Figgy, Bianca, and everyone else nodded with determined expressions.

“No need to ask. We also earnestly desire this. We’ll do everything we can.”

Students gathered around Dolores in a circle, their voices united.

“…Thank you.”

Dolores looked around with moist eyes.

Though there was nothing they could do immediately, she felt a slight sense of relief in her heavy and frustrated heart.

A feeling of moving forward, even if only a little.

…And at that moment.

“Well, well. Quite an interesting idea you guys have.”

A grumbling voice came from behind.

All eyes turned to see a Red-haired female student, smiling as if mocking them.

“Hello? Vikir told me to come here since he’s close with you guys.”

Her name tag read ‘Camus Morg’.

“…?”

Dolores squinted at Camus, as if demanding an explanation for her previous statement.

Sure enough, Camus got straight to the point.

“It’s a good intention to persuade the jurors to reduce Vikir’s sentence. But does Vikir really want that?”

“What do you mean?”

Representing everyone’s curiosity, Dolores spoke up.

Camus shook her head and tapped her temple with her finger.

“Use your head a bit.”

“….”

Everyone swallowed their confusion at Camus’s words. It was unheard of for someone to speak to the renowned Dolores like this. But Dolores remained unfazed.

“I thought this was the best I could do… Do you have a different opinion?”

“Of course. What you’re doing isn’t the best, nor is it what Vikir wants.”

Dolores’s expression hardened at the continued provocation.

She asked firmly, “What does Vikir want? And what’s your plan?”

Camus smiled even more intensely than before.

“I used to be like you guys before. I didn’t know anything. I didn’t know what Vikir wanted.”

“…?”

“But now I think I know. What he’s preparing for, what he’s waiting for, what he’s fighting for. All of it.”

“…!”

For a moment, Camus’s smile faded.

“Just leave Vikir alone. He’s not a man who needs your concern.”

“How… How do you know?”

When Tudor asked, Camus sent him a disdainful look as if he were pitiful. “Don’t you know? He’s incredibly smart. And he’s carrying a burden so heavy that ordinary people wouldn’t dare to comprehend.”

“…”

Everyone understood that point. They had witnessed Vikir’s numerous achievements at the Colosseo Academy and within the Tower of Abyss.

Camus continued, “Vikir’s every move is probably thoroughly calculated. It’s likely a plan he’s been working on his whole life. It’s beyond our realm to worry about or interfere with.”

“…I acknowledge that point. But does that mean there’s nothing we can do?” Dolores asked, and Camus shook her head.

“We should do what we can.”

“What’s that?”

“It’s simple. We’re now doing what Vikir has been doing all along. Blocking.”

“…Blocking? Are you saying Vikir’s actions so far have been about blocking something? What?” Dolores’s question resonated with everyone, and in front of those gazes, Camus pulled something out of her pocket and placed it on the table.

Thunk-

The expressions of everyone froze as they looked at what was placed on the table.

It was a mask with dried bloodstains, the symbol of Night Hound, the Raven mask

As everyone looked on in shock, Camus spoke up.

“The gate that’s about to open… It’s called the ‘Gate of Destruction’.”