"The charges are as follows: theft of a national treasure, crimes against humanity, attempted overthrow of the throne..."The man paused.
"...and suspicion of being the new Black Calamity."
A murmur rippled through the hall like a restrained storm. The nobles leaned toward one another. The word had been spoken. Calamity.
Samuel, still kneeling on the platform, chained, shirtless, felt sweat running down his neck. But he said nothing.
The man at the center of the room resumed, solemnly:
"Samuel Butler. You have the floor. Do you have anything to say in your defense?"
Samuel slowly lifted his eyes. King Elyndar Silmaris remained silent, unmoving on his throne, his piercing blue eyes fixed on him. The four golden-armored knights hadn't moved either, yet their presence weighed on him like an anvil.
He took a deep breath.
"I never stole the Heart of Aethril. I don't even know where it is."
A tense silence followed.
"And you didn't try to obtain it?" the man pressed.
Samuel hesitated.
"I... I wanted to find it. Yes. But I didn't plan to steal it. Not to sell, not for power. I just thought... that artifact might send me home."
Whispers rose again. One of the golden knights — Baldrek Grimhorn, second of "Attack" — let out a dry chuckle.
"So you admit you were searching for a sacred treasure, classified as a divine relic, for personal gain?" the man continued.
Samuel frowned.
"That's not what I said."
"Really? Because we have proof that you were actively searching for it."
He snapped his fingers. An assistant stepped forward, holding a rolled-up paper. The man unrolled it.
"A quest posted at the Adventurer's Guild, titled Find the Heart of Aethril. It explicitly states that if someone finds it, they must deliver it to a certain 'Samuel' at the Split Shield Inn."
Samuel was speechless.
"That wasn't—"
"You claim you didn't order this search? Yet you stayed at that inn. That very room. Your name is on the record."
Samuel tried to speak, but was interrupted.
"Your involvement is thus established. The Heart of Aethril is missing. And you... you were tracking it."
A chilling reaction came from Vaekas Drelnor, second of "Espionage". He crossed his arms, a smirk stretching his thin lips. His sharp eyes pierced Samuel like a predator sizing up its prey.
"And this title... 'Black Calamity'?" the man continued. "What do you have to say about that?"
Samuel slowly raised his head.
"I don't know what it is. When I reached level 30, that class... it just appeared. I didn't ask for it. I don't even understand what it means."
Seyra Vanyrel, the young second of "Exploration", tilted her head slightly. A flicker of doubt flashed in her bright eyes.
"Classes don't appear by accident. And yours is one of the most feared in this world. There are never more than seven Calamities at once. And one of them died three months ago, didn't they?" the man said.
The whispers grew louder. Samuel felt his knees weaken.
"Right after that death... you arrived in this world."
"It's just a coincidence..." Samuel muttered.
Relia Luminus, second of "Protection", briefly closed her eyes, as if pained. But she said nothing. After all, she was the one who had arrested him.
"You are a reincarnate. That's undeniable. You yourself admitted it. And this world knows what Calamities are: beings from beyond, wielding powers capable of toppling kingdoms."
The man stepped slowly toward the platform, looking down on Samuel.
"A being searching for the Heart of Aethril. An artifact that can bend reality. A being with unknown power. And who bears the very title of destruction."
He turned to the nobles, raising his hand.
"Your intentions do not matter. The truth... is what you are."
Samuel clenched his teeth.
"I just wanted to go home..."
"And you were willing to steal a sacred artifact to do it?"
"I didn't know it was that... dangerous. I just thought—"
"And that, Mr. Butler, is what we call a crime against humanity: seeking to use a divine weapon, even unknowingly, is to endanger this world."
A heavy silence fell. Then, one noble in the stands stood up.
"How can we trust a man who bears the very mark of a Calamity?"
Others followed. Voices rose, demanding justice, speaking of threat, protection, and prevention.
Samuel closed his eyes.
The king, until then silent, rose.
The room immediately fell still. Everyone froze.
Elyndar Silmaris slowly descended the steps of his throne. His white cape flowed behind him like a sacred cloud. He said nothing. He approached the platform.
His eyes met Samuel's. Cold. Impenetrable.
And in a calm, grave, solemn voice, he declared:
"Samuel Butler, for your crimes… for the danger you represent… and for the uncertainty you cast upon our world…"
He paused.
"You are sentenced... to death."
A chill swept the room.And Samuel, alone, kneeling… had not even been truly allowed to defend himself.