District 42-Chapter 145: Final decision
The judgment lasted for a few more hours. The Princess was being very strict as to dissect every part of Casper’s statement in Halden, the reasons why he got there, the culprits, the crimes committed inside there... She was willing to note down every detail she could, and make his lies be the most trustful.
Also, Casper said about his plan to change Halden, which left the Princess amazed by how far he planned his actions just to leave that place. She felt the empathy the soldier held inside as well, or the empathy he learned to have when in Halden, since mostly the reason to change that prison and the Third Lab itself so radically, was due to the prisoner’s safety somehow.
Rolvur tried to argue a lot of times, but Casper would never let him take control. Anyway, there was nothing he could control there. As he didn’t know much about the White warrior except for his value to District 42, there wasn’t any valid argument in his protests.
Besides, the only person that could do something to turn the tables was Catrina, but she wasn’t present at that moment, and it looked like she would not be showing off in the General Court so soon.
Even so, Casper had asked for Katarina to make false proofs for him about the Third Lab’s trap, as well as testify some things for him, acting as a proof herself. Adam did the same, not with the same animation, but being so eloquent and relentless in his arguments that even Vick, who knew that it was a lie, wouldn’t be able to argue back in a real judgment.
Alfar and Olaf were important pieces in that game since they were both concrete proofs of the cruel experiments that happened in Halden.
Casper was sure that everyone there knew about each project going on, and their widened eyes probably were because of the successful subject of Project Svartalfheim, who was before just a bunch of papers of reports, but now was in person in front of them. Somewhat, they feared Alfar, being cautious around him, and some whispered among themselves if a monster should be participating in a judgment without handcuffs and a collar to prevent him to go crazy.
Olaf was someone they discarded as a threaten and just dealt with him how they would do with anyone else. However, there were two points that Casper had about him, that could serve as an unbreakable argument.
"I know that most of you here are Jarls, right?" Most of them nodded, the ones that didn’t nod had not disagreed as well, which Casper found to be a very good thing. "Ok, then, I will suppose so. Now, look to this man here. He isn’t as dangerous and offers potential risk for everyone’s life here as Alfar does. That’s because he is what they call in Halden as ’Failure’. Most of the ’guinea pigs’ in that ’prison’ end up as failures. The experiments are inconsistent and totally irresponsible.
"Now, you must have been thinking: what does it have to do with me? It’s not of my business at all. But, for this, I will warn you something. This guy right here was, indeed, a Frelsi, but before that, he was the son of a Jarl family with a huge prestige and fame."
The advisors, Rolvur, and whatever the Jarl there, looked to Olaf in disbelief. They were wondering in what family that guy belonged.
"Imagine if the one committing a mistake was a child of yours. Would you like that they went to a legitimate prison to learn their lesson while they are treated as they should be treated, or do you want to have the slightest chance to have your own children going to Halden and gaining irreparable debilitations like these!?" He pointed to the debilitated limbs of Olaf, who tried his best to maintain a dejected and pitiful look on his face.
"You are a grown woman, Your Highness, I know that you understand the feeling and responsibility of being a mother, even though you are not. That’s something natural for human beings to know instinctively, after all. So, think about how you would feel seeing the individual you gave birth have his body ending up like this."
The others started to whisper among themselves, seemingly terrified, concerned.
With arguments like that, playing with their minds, changing their perspective of Halden and the Third Lab, with Vick constantly helping secretly to gave more basis to what he said, Casper could take control of that judgment, and make everyone agree with his plan to build a new Third Lab, and a different Halden.
The end of the judgment was marked by the hands of the Princess clapping, drawing the attention of everyone there, silencing the ones that were whispering, and ending the hopes of the others who wanted to still talk and try to sort things out.
"This session is ended. I heard everything that I needed and wanted to. The decision will be made now, taking into consideration the opinions that my advisors just gave to me, and the points said for everyone present today. That’s the first judgment in the General Court with this many people, lasting so many hours, and with so many different perspectives, by the way, which is amazing itself and can mark a huge change in our judgment methods. I want to thank you all."
They kept silent, looking to the princess. They couldn’t stand gazing at her eyes for too much time, though. The look on her face, the feeling it gave, was completely unbearable.
"That said, my decision is..."
The advisors closed their eyes, just listening to what she would say. Most of them held the same opinions, and probably that would be what Vick concluded. The others remained restless in their places, their hearts racing. They nearly gave a step forward, as if it would make the princess be quicker in her speech.
The pause, though, didn’t last more than some seconds. It was just the time for her to straighten her back and clean the throat.
"I decide that Casper will be absolved for his previous actions since all of them were plotted for the selfish reasons of Catrina. Even if the culprit is not here to defend herself, we do have lots of concrete proofs and witnesses, and that’s enough for me and the advisors.
"Also, I decide to take part, and support, together with the Jarls and in name of the King, Leaf, and mine’s, Vick, the total reformulation of Halden and the Third Lab."
Casper bowed to Vick, who joyfully giggled to him, but discreetly, so nobody could notice.
"This guy just utilized a secret tool of the government against the own government, and is willing to change it as he pleases... that can be easy on theory, but not when you do it basing your argument in lies, too. Everything was built minutely to make this lie the more believable as possible." She was until then admiring how cunning the White warrior could be. During those weeks, he was doing exactly what she supposed: something crazy.
The more Vick thought about his actions and all the way he needed to go to finally get to that point, the more amazing Casper seemed to be. The influence he needed to build in a world that was strange to him, the intelligence he should have to make such detailed plans, calculated actions, risk and loss management... Just to bear the psychological pressure to do all those things at once was very hard.
However, along with the joy of a woman who had feelings hide in her heart, Vick thought in the perspective of a Noble, someone who needed to manage a whole folk and be attentive with everything.
In that perspective, he wasn’t just an amazing man, but also a potential threat. Someone who could do things that others surely couldn’t, and that would do it as long as he needed or wanted. And, no matter the person, as long as a huge power was held, it was someone to worry about, to fear, and to keep watching all the time.
Casper didn’t know, but he had possibilities inside District 42 that could trigger something big.
"He isn’t just an ordinary person with more power than he can understand or control... He is a skillful and smart individual, that knows how to use what he has in his hands, and transform the slightest hint of strength he had into something big. If he can get this far just with that, I wonder what he would do if great power befell on his shoulders..."
With the noises of everyone present in that hall celebrating or complaining in the background, Vick stared at Casper, giving a meaningful look, as if she was trying to discover something inside him. Their eyes met, and differently from what she expected, Casper was the first one to look away.
"What are you hiding from me, White warrior?"
