421 Witness (1/2)

In the silence, Bastian chose a picture from the stack and showed it to Ye Qingxuan. The picture showed a barren village. Haphazardly piled stones and rotten wood managed to form things like homes on the cracked earth. Sallow-faced farmers clad in rags smoked some type of curled plants and showed their toothless gums.

”Ye Qingxuan, do you remember where this is?”

”Oz,” Ye Qingxuan answered. ”It's the village closest to Auschwitz and the last supply stop before entering Auschwitz. I was there before. I remember it. Sam…before he died, he had wanted to dig a well for them. He even wanted to borrow money from me.”

”Did you agree?” Bastian asked.

Ye Qingxuan nodded.

”Congratulations, you can keep the money,” Bastian said nonchalantly. ”They do not need it anymore.” He took out a second and third picture for Ye Qingxuan. It was devastation. The village did not exist anymore. The buildings had collapsed and the earth was in ruins. There was only a tanned kid searching through the rubble.

”Because of your fallacy, the battle reached the surroundings,” Bastian said. ”Including Oz, six villages are uninhabitable now. They had lost their last bit of land and now wander the world. This kid here is the last inhabitant. His mother abandoned him and fled. His father was buried by the ruins and died. If Heaven's Gate opened half an hour earlier, they would be alive.”

Ye Qingxuan was silent.

”And look at this.” A broken ship was pictured. ”One month ago, the ship Mick was attacked. It is our first known attack on Colt.” Bastian's voice was coldly monotonous as if he was reading the news. ”Sixteen suffered light injuries while one sailor was gravely injured. One pregnant woman had a miscarriage and lost her child. Her family fell apart and the doctor said she will never be able to become pregnant again.

”The ship's company fell into debt due to this and was bought by another company. Two directors went bankrupt. The son of one had just been accepted by the First National University of Burgundy but decided to drop out. He could have become an actuary.”

”Objection!” Aldrich roared. ”This has nothing to do with the case!”

”Objection invalid.” Borja pounded the gavel. ”Continue.”

Thus, Bastian continued.

”The third one.” Bastian picked out another picture. ”There was a mysterious disaster at the Bades chain motel. Six hundred workers became unemployed due to this. Most of them come from the slums and have nowhere else to go.

”The fourth, the Burgundy Rail Company…

”The fifth, the precious metal exchange of the Asgardian National Bank…”

Ye Qingxuan stared at the picture in silence. Veins bulged on the back of his hand.

”And this one…” Bastian displayed the picture in his hand. ”Half a month ago, sixteen members of the Witch Hammer died in your attack before the Sacred City gates, as well as six musicians who had great futures.

”These are their bodies… Their families could not even recognize their fathers or husbands from the melted iron and ashes. A total of ninety-one innocent people lost a family member due to this.

”Some of them are sitting behind you right now. You can look back at them.” Bastian pointed behind Ye Qingxuan. ”Tell them that you are innocent.”

Ye Qingxuan hung his head for a long while before looking back stiffly. In the back of the room, an old woman in a black veil curled in the corner with her head lowered. Beside her, a fourteen-year-old girl hugged her mother and glared at Ye Qingxuan. Her eyes were red but she definitely kept her tears from falling. Those eyes were familiar. It was as if he was looking at himself from seven years ago.

Ye Qingxuan stared before finally lowering his eyes.

Seeing his paling face, Bastian didn't show any animosity or scorn. His expression was still calm as if waiting for a reply.

After a long while, Ye Qingxuan said, ”C-can I look at it again?”

”Yes.” Slightly arching an eyebrow, Bastian handed all the pictures to Ye Qingxuan. Watching him look through the pictures carefully, the coldness and disdain in Bastian's heart grew.

Everyone had weaknesses.

Everyone.

Pathos—this was the strategy that the sixteen examiners had concluded after a month of case studies. These sixteen examiners had sent countless villains, perverts, and psychotic killers into jail over the years and this was the weakness they found.

It was also Ye Qingxuan's biggest weakness.

According to his personality profile created by Mind musicians, this d*mn criminal seemed to be normal most of the time but from certain aspects, he was an extremely paranoid psycho. From the way he acted, he also had a strong feeling of moral cleanliness and sense of mission. He sympathized with those who had suffered similar experiences, even more than he valued his own life.

This type of person only cared for his own ideals and thoughts. One could not use threats for these people. Temptation was ineffective as well because nothing could tempt them. Pain and suffering were only food for the mind that could strengthen him. Bastian had to admit that Ye Qingxuan truly was strong. He was very strong…almost to the point of being a saint.

However, saints had weaknesses too. Great weaknesses…

Bastian sneered subtly. If you think you're right, then let me show you the evils you created and the sins of pursuing your ideals! Look at the disaster that resulted from the thing you gave everything to protect! When saints realize their original sin, they fall. What about you?

”Ye Qingxuan?” Bastian gazed at him. ”Are you truly okay with this?”

”Objection!” Aldrich roared. ”The prosecutor's words are inducing! Bastian, stop your despicable traps! Do not taint the law—”

”It's okay, Mr. Aldrich,” Ye Qingxuan uttered with his head lowered.

Aldrich froze and looked back at his side profile. Ye Qingxuan was looking at the pictures. He studied them one by one, not letting any details go. Staring at those crying faces, his expression darkened.

His eyes were sad.

Aldrich felt a chill. He yanked the pictures away and tore them up furiously before throwing the pieces into the trash. Rather than stopping him, Bastian looked mockingly.

”My party is mentally unstable. He cannot continue,” Aldrich said. ”Your Honor, I request to end this session!”

”I'm very clearheaded.” Ye Qingxuan lowered his head and said something that Aldrich could not believe. ”I feel fortunate for being able to see these pictures.”

Bastian smiled. ”Then what are your thoughts?”

After a pause, Ye Qingxuan uttered, ”I feel…sorry.”

Bastian stepped forward and studied the young man. He saw the dark gloominess and tears in those eyes. He was overjoyed as if seeing the last straw break the camel's back!

He had finally made a breakthrough!

It was just as predicted. Ye Qingxuan's heart had caved in from the evil feeling! No matter how Anglo got in the way, Bastian would just need to guide him a little and no one would stop him from walking to the gallows! But before Bastian could utter the words he had prepared carefully, his expression stiffened.

”—Because I wasn't the one who made sacrifices and suffered.”

Wait! Bastian started feeling that something…was not right! Ye Qingxuan's voice continued. It was filled with sadness but devoid of any regret.