88: Chapter 88 Your Excellency Speaker, please take a look at this "Imperial Prosperity Chart"

The fanaticism on Hamilton's face rapidly cooled, as if doused by a basin of ice water from above, leaving only pallor and a trace of instinctive fear.

The smile on Levi's face also faded slightly, replaced by a deeper gravity.

He had read this name in Sylvie's intelligence briefing.

Soraka Morningstar, a woman without any family background, who had climbed to the pinnacle of the Imperial judicial system step by step, relying entirely on her own abilities and a near-religious loyalty to the law.

Her courtroom was the Empire's last, and most solid, fig leaf.

In Levi's mind, images of the impartial judges from his past life flashed by, but were quickly dismissed one by one.

This world was not the rule-of-law society of his past life; the law was more of a tool for the ruling class to maintain their own interests.

Soraka's existence was more like a totem enshrined to demonstrate the "justice" of the Empire.

A totem, no matter how hard, is not unshakable as long as one finds the right lever.

"A more challenging stage, isn't it?" Levi's voice broke the deathly silence in the tavern. He looked at the stiff-faced Hamilton, his eyes not retreating, but instead igniting with an even stronger interest. "If you can pry open even this hardest iron plate, then who in the entire Imperial Parliament can stop your words?"

This sentence was like a spark, reigniting the flame that had died out in Hamilton's eyes.

Fear was replaced by a stronger emotion called "desire for conquest."

Turning the "Iron-Faced Saintess's" courtroom into his own stage?

Just thinking about this challenge made his blood boil.

"Interesting... too interesting!" Hamilton whispered, a morbid light flickering once again in his grey eyes. "Mr. Upstart, you have successfully piqued my interest. However, I need all the case files, all the materials regarding Blackstone Territory's business model, and all the dirt on the hostile families. I want to have the entire Imperial Parliament inside my head before the trial begins."

"You will have them." Levi nodded and turned to Sylvie. "Arrange the best accommodation for him and satisfy all his requirements. Within ten days, I need him to become the person in the entire Empire who understands Blackstone Territory the best, and who understands our enemies the best."

Ten days passed in the blink of an eye.

The Imperial Supreme Court was as solemn and dignified as a temple built for the gods.

Above the dome, huge magic crystals emitted a soft and bright light, like daylight.

The light illuminated the faces of every noble on the circular stepped seating. They were dressed in finery with shining crests, and their whispers to one another merged into a low buzzing sound, like a beehive.

The air was filled with the mixed scent of high-grade spices, parchment, and aged wood, every wisp of which proclaimed the weight of power.

Levi sat in the defendant's seat, his posture straight and his expression composed.

He wore a well-tailored black velvet suit, with no crests symbolizing status on his chest, appearing somewhat incongruously simple among the cluster of flamboyant nobles.

His gaze swept calmly across the gallery. Many of the faces that had once clinked glasses with him at banquets now wore expressions of schadenfreude or cold observation.

Sitting opposite him was Victor August.

This former Grand Speaker was pale, his eye sockets sunken, as if he had been drained of all vitality within a mere ten days.

He wore the deep red robe symbolizing the accuser, but the luxurious garment looked like it was hanging on an empty coat rack, appearing unusually baggy.

His eyes darted around, not daring to meet Levi's gaze.

"Silence!"

A cold voice, like ice cubes striking a jade plate, rang out, instantly suppressing the buzzing of the entire hall.

Everyone's eyes turned in unison toward the highest judgment seat.

A woman wearing white gold-trimmed judicial robes sat upright upon it. Her face was as exquisite and stern as a marble statue, her long silver hair meticulously pinned back, and her azure eyes held no emotional fluctuation, as if they could pierce through all lies and disguises.

She was Soraka Morningstar.

Levi felt her gaze linger on him for a moment; it was a pure, unbiased scrutiny, like a surgeon examining a specimen on an operating table.

There was no sense of oppression, yet it made one feel a chill from the bottom of their heart.

This was a woman driven entirely by rationality.

The hearing officially began.

Victor stood up tremblingly with the support of two clerks.

He unfolded the parchment scroll in his hands and began to read the accusations against Blackstone Territory in a dry, hollow voice.

"...Third, Blackstone Territory, in the name of 'contracts,' practices 'slavery,' tricking a large number of free citizens in the territory into signing unequal terms, making them vassals of capital, severely impacting the Empire's traditional system based on noble enfeoffment and the loyalty of the populace..."

"...Fifth, Blackstone Territory's business model is like a greedy behemoth, ruthlessly devouring the living space of traditional artisans everywhere. The prosperity it creates is built upon the bankruptcy of countless minor nobles and small merchants. This beggar-thy-neighbor, self-serving model, if continued, will inevitably shake the social structure upon which the Empire relies for stability. Their hearts are punishable!"

With every point Victor read, the commotion in the gallery grew.

Those traditional feudal nobles deeply affected by Blackstone Territory showed indignation one after another, nodding in agreement.

They feared Levi, they feared that way of making money which they could neither understand nor replicate, which was eroding the world they had ruled for thousands of years like a plague.

Levi listened quietly, with a polite smile on his face, as if Victor were not accusing him, but a stranger who had nothing to do with him.

Finally, Victor finished reading the last charge, and his whole body seemed to collapse as he fell back into his chair.

Soraka's cold gaze turned to the defendant's seat: "Defense, it is now your time for the defense."

The eyes of the entire hall instantly focused on the slovenly man beside Levi.

Hamilton had spent the last ten days well; at least he had changed into new clothes and shaved his beard, but that cynical, lazy air about him remained unchanged.

He yawned, stood up slowly, and sauntered into the center of the courtroom.

He did not look at Victor, nor did he look at the indignant nobles; instead, he surveyed the entire hall and spoke in a tone bordering on a dream-like mumble.

"Respected Judge, respected gentlemen of the Parliament. Today, I stand here feeling incredibly honored." His voice was not loud, but it had a strange penetrating power, clearly reaching everyone's ears. "Because I am witnessing history. A great trial, one worthy of being recorded in history."

The crowd was stunned, not understanding what he was up to.

Hamilton's mouth curled into an exaggerated smile, and he suddenly raised his voice, waving his arm forcefully in the air: "Yes, a trial! A solemn trial conducted by a group of the finest carriage drivers against the world's first Steam Engine!"

With a "boom," the entire courtroom exploded into chaos.

"Nonsense!"

"What the hell is a Steam Engine?"

"Drag him out! This is a blasphemy against the court!"

Hamilton completely ignored the angry roars, his eyes burning as he stared fixedly at the most conservative feudal nobles who had been the first to protest.

"Look at you!" He pointed at them, his voice filled with passion and mockery. "The carriage drivers are angry! They accuse the Steam Engine of running too fast and damaging the roads! They accuse the Steam Engine of being too loud and startling their horses! They accuse the Steam Engine of burning black coal and polluting the noble air! They use all their ancient laws and morals, trying to prove that the appearance of this steel monster is a complete and utter mistake!"

His voice grew increasingly high-pitched, like a heavy hammer, striking the heart of everyone present.

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"But there is one thing they dare not admit! What they truly fear is that this rumbling monster will make their beloved carriages, their vaunted driving skills, and everything they depend on for a living completely worthless! They aren't defending order, Your Excellencies! They are afraid of the future! Afraid of being ruthlessly crushed by the wheels of the era!"

The entire courtroom fell into an eerie silence.

The nobles who had originally intended to retort were now flushed red, yet unable to utter a single word.

Because Hamilton's words had accurately struck their deepest inner fears.

They didn't understand what a 'Steam Engine' was, but they understood 'worthless' and 'crushed by the era.'

Soraka's brow furrowed imperceptibly as she struck the gavel. "Defense, please restrict your arguments to the charges and refrain from making irrelevant statements."

"How could these be irrelevant statements, respected Judge?" Hamilton immediately dropped his exaggerated expression, replacing it with a look of utmost sincerity. "My client, Lord Levi Byron, and his Blackstone Territory, are that Steam Engine. And these charges," he picked up the indictment from the table and gave it a light toss, "are nothing more than the final wails of the carriage drivers. The wheels of history roll forward; they will not stop for anyone's fear. Everyone, do you wish to sit crying in a carriage about to be obsolete, or do you want to jump onto that Steam Engine bound for a new era to see a vaster landscape? I have finished speaking."

Having finished, he gave a debonair bow and walked calmly back to his seat amidst the complex gazes of the nobles—some shocked, some angry, and some thoughtful.

He hadn't refuted a single specific legal clause, yet he had successfully shifted the nature of the entire hearing from a legal trial to a struggle between paths concerning the 'future' and 'obsolescence'.

Anxiety, like an invisible virus, began to spread through the hearts of the parliament members.

Right then, Levi stood up calmly.

He walked slowly to the center of the court, bowed slightly to Soraka on the presiding bench, and then turned to the gallery.

He carried no written defense; he simply nodded to Sylvie behind him.

Sylvie and several other attendants immediately stepped forward, unfurling a massive magic chart that was ten meters long.

As magic power was infused, the chart lit up with dense, multicolored lines and light points, instantly capturing everyone's attention.

"Everyone," Levi's voice was clear and steady, carrying an indisputable persuasiveness. "Before I present my defense, I would like to invite you all to look at something more interesting. I have titled it—the 'Imperial Noble Common Interests Map'."

As soon as he finished speaking, the light on the chart grew even brighter.

The family crests of all the parliament members present clearly surfaced on the chart.

From the large words 'Blackstone Territory' at the very center, countless colored lines of varying thickness extended out like a giant spiderweb, precisely connecting to the crests of over eighty percent of the nobles present.

Red lines represented raw material supplies, blue lines represented commodity distribution channels, green lines represented financial bill transactions, and gold lines represented the most direct secret investments and dividends...

In an instant, the entire courtroom went silent; one could have heard a pin drop.

Everyone stared at the chart in stunned silence, as if they were looking at some incredible demonic creation.

Many of them had cooperated with Blackstone Territory through various frontmen and hidden channels, believing they were being completely discreet.

But now, on this chart, all their secrets were stripped bare, exposed nakedly in the light of day.

A sense of being controlled gripped the hearts of every noble connected by those lines.

"As you can see, the prosperity of Blackstone Territory is not built upon your ruins. On the contrary, it has long been deeply tied to the interests of the vast majority of you here."

Before Levi's voice could fade, the attendants behind him had already swung into action.

With exquisite folders in hand, they began moving along the tiers of the gallery, precisely distributing them to the nobles connected by the lines.

"This is the first quarter cooperation dividend report for Blackstone Territory, and... an advance payment." Levi's voice held a perfectly measured smile. "Since the hearing has taken up your time, we have decided to pay a portion of the second quarter's profits to our 'business partners' in advance as a gesture of apology. The specific amounts have already been transferred to your designated secret accounts through the Imperial Central Bill Exchange."

A commotion began.

It started as suppressed gasps, followed by the rustling sound of paper being flipped.

When the parliament members opened the folders and saw the outrageously detailed financial statements—and the golden dividend figure at the end that was enough to make their entire family's annual income pale in comparison—their breathing instantly grew heavy.

Greed was the final straw that crushed fear.

While the representatives of the six ancient families in Victor's camp were still reeling in shock and anger at this unheard-of trial tactic, a loud voice suddenly rang out from the gallery.

A Marquis, who had previously been a clear supporter of Victor, suddenly stood up.

His face was flushed as he held the dividend report high, as if waving a flag of victory.

"I object to Lord Victor's accusations!" he shouted, his voice trembling slightly with excitement. "This is simply slander! Cooperation with Blackstone Territory has revitalized the wool textile industry in my territory! My tax revenue has tripled in just half a year! For the first time, my subjects have stored enough grain for the winter before it even arrived! This is unprecedented prosperity!"

He looked around excitedly, his gaze burning as he looked at the other parliament members also holding reports.

"Any attempt to destroy this prosperity is an open betrayal of the Empire's interests!"

These words seemed to flip a switch.

"Exactly! Marquis Martin is right!"

"Blackstone Territory's goods have increased our territory's trade volume by fifty percent!"

"To destroy Blackstone Territory is to smash all of our rice bowls! I absolutely do not agree!"

Cries of agreement rose one after another, instantly merging into a massive wave that completely submerged Victor and his allies.

The nobles who had been filled with righteous indignation just a moment ago now turned their guns, glaring at Victor as if he were the eternal sinner who was cutting off their livelihood.

Victor's face was as pale as paper. He trembled violently, watching in disbelief as his camp disintegrated under the onslaught of money.

He opened his mouth, wanting to say something, but only a few desperate, wheezing gasps came out.

The entire courtroom had completely transformed into a Blackstone Territory shareholders' meeting.

Levi remained deaf to the clamor around him.

He walked through the chaotic crowd directly to the base of the judge's bench.

He ignored the fanatical 'business partners' and the slumped Victor; in his eyes, there was only the woman at the highest point who had remained expressionless from beginning to end.

He took an exquisitely bound book from his coat; on the deep blue cover, a line of large words was written in gold foil.

He held the book high with both hands, presenting it to the court clerk.

"Your Honor," Levi's voice wasn't loud, yet it clearly overrode all the noise. He looked up at Soraka with a gentle and sincere smile. "My code of conduct, my business logic, and all my visions for the Empire's future are written in this book."

The clerk took the book and respectfully presented it to Soraka.

Soraka's azure gaze fell upon the cover of the book.

The Five-Year Development Plan Outline for Blackstone Territory.

"I firmly believe," Levi's voice echoed in the solemn courtroom, "that it can not only prove my innocence but also bring true prosperity to the Empire."

In Soraka Morningstar's placid eyes, for the first time, a slight, imperceptible flicker of wavering appeared.

She reached out her fair, slender hand and slowly placed it on the cover of the book.