Ming Dynasty and New Rome and Infinite Magic Machine

Chapter 1674 Trial
"Is this my fault? I'm just too hungry!" Han Xingzhi was still starving. Although he could indeed use some "technical means" to feed himself, the problem now was that he had to act as a victim as possible to be convincing in court.

The purpose of this trial was to defeat Amun-Zeus.

Because no matter what, once a case is lost, the court has to enforce the judgment.

For any action to be carried out, there must be an object. Regardless of the type of compensation paid, as long as there is an act of payment, Amun-Zeus must appear.

Therefore, this time, although there is no need to consider how much compensation can be obtained from Amun-Zeus, the act of obtaining compensation itself should be something we strive for.

Han Xingzhi knew that he had to try his best to remain hungry in order to be convincing enough.

He's been so hungry he's been working really hard. As for not being able to memorize his lines, well, that's just how it is.

"How is it going?" Shang Luo walked in from outside. "Everything is ready outside. You can go out once you're all ready."

Han Xingzhi was about to explain when Wen Yuan interrupted him, saying, "He probably can't memorize a single word."

"Really?" Shangluo looked at him. "You really can't memorize it?"

"I tried my best. But I was so hungry, I was dizzy with hunger."

"Oh." Shangluo nodded. "Good, very good."

"???" Han Xingzhi was taken aback. "Was this within your expectations?"

"It wasn't entirely what I expected. But whether you memorize it or not is actually up to you—and then again, if you do memorize it, I'll start to doubt your acting skills."

"Then why are you making me memorize all this?"

“I told you before, I wanted you to look lost and forlorn. I see you're confused right now, that's right, that's the state you should be in. Come on, we can start the court proceedings now. Wen Yuan, help him up.”

"I really need to help him up; he looks like he's about to faint." He noticed this when he went to grab the notes earlier; Han Xingzhi was so hungry he was seeing stars. Although he couldn't memorize his lines, his condition was already very convincing.

Han Xingzhi remained dizzy all the way to the courtroom.

He sat down in the plaintiff's seat and looked up at the judge's bench. There sat a man with jet-black, curly hair and eyes that burned with fire. That was Alexander.

Unsurprisingly, the Palace of the Muses directly intervened in the trial. As usual, the presiding judge was a citizen who had volunteered. However, as the governing body, the Palace of the Muses could also appoint a judge if neither party objected.

"I, Alexander III of Macedon, protector of mankind, conqueror of Persia, Egypt, Parthia, and the Eastern kingdoms, shall preside over this trial. Do either of you have any objection to my presiding over this trial?"

“We have no objections,” Shang Luo said, standing up. Alexander’s appearance could be considered a form of tacit approval from the Muse Palace. If the outcome could gain the support of the Muse Palace, that would be a good thing.

“Very well, and what about you?” He looked towards the defendant's dock, where Hermanubis sat. “We…” Hermanubis was about to speak when Alexander interrupted him:
“You are not qualified to speak on behalf of the defendant here,” Alexander said. “You did not submit a warrant for sleep representation until the trial began, so we will treat it as the defendant’s absence until then. Because the defendant is absent, he cannot object, so I will assume he acquiesces—”

After quickly completing the lengthy ceremony, in Viduri and witnessed by a host of onlookers, Alexander immediately questioned the dog-headed Hermanubis:
"In the last ruling, we reached a consensus on one thing: you need to provide evidence to prove that you are the agent of Amun-Zeus. You failed to do so before the trial began, so I think you may want to submit it after the trial begins—now, if you have anything you want to submit, you can submit it now."

This was the result already reached during the previous court hearing.

The civil trial system in Rome had two phases. The first phase focused on identifying the central issue in the trial. Because civil disputes often involve complex relationships of interest, subsequent trials could not proceed without first determining a central issue.

The focus established last time was precisely the issue of Hermanubis's agency over Amun-Zeus. If Hermanubis could not produce documents personally approved by Amun-Zeus, then he would actually have no connection to the case.

“I don’t have any.”

"Of course you don't."

“I want to say,” Alexander smiled, “that you could not possibly have, because our people have been watching you. You seem to have never made contact with Amun-Zeus—of course, this is not a violation of the rules, just a reasonable investigation.”

"Your Excellency Alexander, may I request a postponement of this trial?" Hermanubis stood up. "For well-known reasons, Lord Agassocles has not yet returned!"

Agassiz has not returned yet, something we knew before the trial began.

When Shang Luo arrived, it seemed he had just left on a business trip. Until the trial, there was no word from Agassiz, so shouting at his doorstep for three trading days would naturally yield no results.

“I know about this,” Alexander said. “The trial can be postponed in principle, but you are not an agent, so your application is meaningless.”

"I," Hermanubis clutched his head, "Oh God! Lord Agathocles! I tried my best! I tried my best! Why did this happen! I didn't do anything wrong, why did this have to happen to me!"

"Finally, finally, is it okay?" Han Xingzhi's face was filled with hope. "I can finally eat!"

“Ahem.” Alexander coughed. “Your Excellency Hermanubis, since you cannot submit any documents sufficient to prove that you have the authority to act as an agent, you may leave now and take a seat in the audience.”

Hermanubis didn't dwell on the matter. He stood up and walked to the stands, where a seat had been reserved for him. He was about to witness the defeat of Amun-Zeus.

"Alright, now that all irrelevant personnel have left, we will officially begin the trial. Defendant, please take your seat in the dock."

“???” Shang Luo looked at Alexander, who looked completely at ease.

“Defendant,” he said, gazing down, “please take your seat in the dock, Lord Amun-Zeus. Now that you’ve arrived, why don’t you sit down?”

(End of this chapter)