The villain's side of the novel



The mention of curses sent a chill through the guests. Curses were ancient rituals that utilized the power of laws to unleash unnatural attacks and effects through mysterious rituals. However, the use of curses had long been banned, and all records and rituals associated with them had been destroyed. Curses had the potential to disrupt the laws and could lead to catastrophic consequences if the laws lost control over their power.

"It does explain why the law intervened in this matter. But why is the angel struggling to find the person who cursed him? It doesn't make sense," Luke voiced his confusion after hearing Lisa's theory. The tremendous power displayed by the law indicated that the angel possessed exceptional control over its law, making it difficult to comprehend how it couldn't detect the culprit who directly breached its control. At least, that's what Luke thought, but...

"No, it actually makes sense that the angel cannot identify the culprit. A curse powerful enough to break through a second-degree law would also have the ability to conceal its origin effectively," Lisa explained.

"So, what will the angel do now?" Loe, who sought to remain composed amidst the chaos, asked, ensuring Lisa's safety as her escort.

"Since the angel couldn't find the culprit, it has only one option remaining..." Lisa replied calmly.

"He's going to use us to find the culprit..." Aslan whispered, her voice barely audible, interrupting Lisa's words.

"Yes," Lisa affirmed.

As anticipated by Lisa, it didn't take long for multiple windows to appear before the guests, causing their mouths to drop open in horror.

[Trial Case Window

What is the trial about?

What is the purpose of this trial?

What are the stat restrictions?

What are the confidentiality restrictions?

...]

The windows provided answers and information about the trial. However, Fray, already familiar with the information, refrained from reading them, patiently awaiting the commencement of the trial's first stage.

After some time, the guests finished perusing the windows, gaining a clearer understanding of the angel's intentions. With no alternative available, they patiently awaited the appearance of the next window.

Observing that everyone had finished reading, the angel sent another window to the guests.

[The first stage, the voting stage, will now begin.]

[The building has been successfully surrounded by a barrier.]

[Pressure alleviated.]

"I feel the pressure dissipating."

"Oh, I thought I was going to pass out."

"Thank goodness, the pressure is gone."

As soon as the messages appeared, a sense of relief washed over the guests. The immense pressure that had been weighing them down vanished, granting them newfound freedom of movement. They hurried towards the hall's windows, seeking an escape from the entity's clutches. However...

"What... What is this? Where has the rest of the palace gone?"

"Oh my God, I can't see anything. What is this darkness?"

"The magic lamps have disappeared..."

"Even the moon is gone..."

"It must be a spatial distortion..."

As the guests turned their attention to the windows, anticipation and unease filled the air. They hoped to find a way to escape the confinements of the hall and the mysterious darkness that surrounded them. With bated breath, they peered out into the void beyond.

However, their hopeful expressions quickly turned to shock and dismay as they gazed upon a sight that defied logic and comprehension. The scene before them was a canvas of pitch-black darkness, stretching endlessly into the distance. There was no sign of the palace grounds or the familiar landmarks of the surrounding area. The once-illuminated night sky had vanished, leaving only an inky void in its wake.

Gasps of disbelief and confusion escaped the guests' lips, mingling with whispers of fear. The absence of any discernible features or reference points left them feeling disoriented and vulnerable. It was as if the hall had been transported to an alternate dimension, isolated from the known world.

Wide-eyed and trembling, they pressed closer to the windows, straining their eyes in a desperate attempt to pierce through the impenetrable darkness. Yet, no matter how hard they stared or how much they squinted, there was nothing to be seen—only an all-encompassing void that seemed to swallow the very essence of light.

A sense of claustrophobia and foreboding settled upon the guests as the weight of their predicament sank in. They realized that they were trapped, cut off from the outside world, and at the mercy of the enigmatic trial unfolding within the hall. The darkness served as a stark reminder of the power and influence wielded by the angelic law.

Whispers of uncertainty and speculation spread through the crowd, intertwining with their growing apprehension. Questions of how and why this darkness had come to be, what it meant for their fate, and what awaited them beyond its shrouded boundaries filled their thoughts.

Fear and tension hung heavily in the air, as the guests, their minds clouded with uncertainty, prepared themselves for the daunting task ahead—the voting stage that would determine the fate of their fellow attendees. The surreal and disconcerting backdrop outside the windows only heightened the gravity of the situation, instilling a sense of urgency within each individual.

In this surreal scene, where darkness reigned supreme, the guests found themselves at the mercy of the trial, their choices and actions holding the key to unravelling the mystery that had befallen them.

[Voting stage: Vote for the most suspected individual. The suspect with the highest vote will be eliminated.]

[Voting time: Three hours]

With these messages, everyone's attention shifted from the dark barrier to the windows before them. Reading the instructions carefully, they understood their task: to vote for the person they believed to be the culprit. If the suspect with the highest vote was indeed the true culprit,

 their elimination would revoke the curse. However, if the curse persisted even after the suspect's death, the trial would continue. To aid the guests in discovering the culprit, the angel provided a lengthy window containing random information the law had managed to uncover.

[Case File:

Crime: Attack on the law of war using an alpha curse

Location of the crime: Morial City

Objective of the curse: Unleashing undead soldiers within the kingdom

Number of perpetrators: Unknown

Suspects who benefitted most from the crime:

1/ Prada family

2/ Niram Empire

...]

"As expected, I'm the prime suspect," Fray thought coldly, his expression impassive as he read the information. Fray was not surprised to find the Prada family at the top of the list, given their violent history and strained relationship with the Lionar Kingdom. Fray wasn't the only one to notice this crucial detail; all the guests had picked up on it. Many of them had already decided whom they would vote for, based on their past encounters with Fray.