OLD-WORLD EXTRA

Chapter 178: Loss

Chapter 178: Loss

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"After careful consideration of all the evidence and testimony presented, it is clear that the allegations made by the plaintiff against the defendant, Prince Emporium, have not been sufficiently proven."

A murmur of disappointment spread among Hargrove and company, while Laura held her breath in anticipation.

"However," Mercer continued.

"The revelation of Elijah's disownment from the Moon Scribe family has raised doubts about his motivations and credibility as a witness."

Emir let out a scoff at his words, knowing that this was decided just as the announcement of Elijah's disownment was confirmed.

"As a result," he declared.

"I cannot definitively rule in favor of the defendant either. The lack of concrete evidence and the questionable credibility of both parties leave it up to me to decide the more credible source of information."

The courtroom was filled with a cacophony of murmurs and gasps from its attendees.

It was a stark contrast:

Hargrove almost celebrated, his face lit up with unhidden satisfaction, while Laura turned her gaze back to her son with teary eyes.

She understood the underlying message within Mercer's words.

However, Emir was an anomaly in the courtroom.

Amidst the chaos of emotions, he alone held his unmoving silence.

His cold gaze was fixed on Mercer, his dark eyes unblinking, like twin voids that seemed to absorb all the light around them.

Unbeknownst to the others, he was struggling mightily to restrain the overwhelming surge of killing intent that threatened to drown the entire place.

He knew that the consequences would be dire if he let go, and the responsibility for the resulting carnage would fall squarely on his shoulders.

So, with great effort, he suppressed his instincts and harnessed his rage, all while imagining Mercer's death on a ceaseless loop in his mind as a means of maintaining control.

Laura couldn't help but continue to look at her son, her mouth slightly agape at the transformation she was witnessing.

Emir's demeanor was otherworldly-his eyes, an endless abyss, and the Aether swirling around him grew darker, almost imperceptible to those who weren't paying close attention.

This unsettling atmosphere hung heavy for a moment as if time itself had been momentarily frozen by Emir's internal struggle.

And all of it was defused with a sudden, resounding finality as Mercer slammed his gavel onto his podium, its sharp crack slicing through the tension.

The sound echoed through the courtroom, effectively silencing the room once more, while the visible Aether around Emir slowly returned to its previous state as if nothing had transpired.

"This court rules in favor of the Plaintiff, Mr. Hargrove. The accusations made against the defendant are accepted. Prince Emporium will be shut down, all profits will be held by the UEF, and the company's assets will be liquidated to be held by the UEF as well."

"Mrs. Laura will be held accountable for the company's actions, and she will be facing jail time or, worse, specified at a later date..."

As Mercer's verdict was delivered, a sinister smile crept across the faces of Hargrove and Sebastian.

"Thank you, Your Honor, for recognizing our family's convection," Sebastian spoke, his words holding an undertone of a threat.

"We always trusted in the integrity of this court and its commitment to justice."

Mercer nodded, pleased with his own perceived impartiality.

"It is my duty to uphold the law and ensure a fair trial. Rest assured, justice will always prevail in this courtroom..."

"You're now all dismissed!"

Emir rose from his seat, paying no heed to the curious stares that bore into him from all around and took measured steps toward his mother.

"Mom..."

"I'm here. I'm here with you..." He spoke softly as he stood before her.

Laura seemed to awaken from her stunned state, and her eyes welled up with tears as she gazed into her son's worried face.

It was as if his words had broken the spell of despair that had momentarily enveloped her. "Sweetie... W-we tried our best, didn't we?" She managed to say, her voice trembling with a mixture of sorrow and regret.

"I only wanted to help you... but this..."

Her voice caught in her throat, with tears streaming down her cheeks as she was simply overwhelmed with emotion.

Emir's heart ached witnessing his mother's vulnerability, as if every one of her tears was a knife digging into his own chest.

Yet his features remained steadfast, his initial sorrow now giving way to a cold, resolute determination.

"Mom you'll be fine... we'll be fine, but for now, we need to leave."

Laura nodded through her tears, hastily wiping them away, her bursting emotions in the process of slowly calming down.

Together, they cast one last glance toward Elijah, the MoonScribe heir, caught in his own turmoil, who, like Laura moments before, remained frozen in his seat, his gaze locked onto the spot where Mercer had stood.

Emir approached Elijah and gently tapped his shoulder, silently signaling his intention to speak outside.

Startled, Elijah flinched, but upon realizing it was Emir, he slowly nodded and followed them as they exited the courtroom.

-

"So... Your name is Elijah, right? Why did you come through as our witness? We only heard from someone that we'd get help, but we didn't expect it to be an Elite..." Emir said while heading towards the academy with Laura to his left and Elijah to his right.

"Ex Elite, you mean?" Elijah asked, with his blue eyes downcast.

"Yeah... But I expected you to react a bit more to the news... I mean, you lost everything, and it was for nothing; we didn't even manage to clear our innocence."

"Heh. I'm sorry for that. I tried my best..."

Emir lightly chuckled and patted Elijah's back a few times.

"It's fine; I didn't expect us to win, and it doesn't matter now; our family needs to focus on what we can do; we don't have time to grieve, while you must do the same, so I have to ask

again. What will you do now?"

Letting out a sigh, Elijah looked up at the sky for a moment and then answered:

"I've repaid my dues; my friend should be safe now, and since I'm no longer a part of the

family, I don't really have a home to go back to..."

'Tell me why your reaction was so subdued, goddammit!' Emir inwardly bellowed.

And as if reading his thoughts, Elijah added:

"Oh, and about that, I'm the third child you see..."

"I don't have much backing in the family, especially compared to my older brother and sister,

so we've had constant tension between us, and I can easily bet that they immediately took

this opportunity to kick me out... So yeah, it isn't a surprise."

'I see, I expected this, but damn the butterfly effect... Just a single action from me caused the entirety of Elijah's future to change from his premeditated storyline.'

'The whole goddamn plot changed before it even began...'

'It doesn't matter much though; I never relied on it... and besides, my existence itself would've changed everything whether I massively interfered or not.'

Nodding his head, Emir consoled him:

"I see... I'm not one to take pity, especially on an Elite, but I can safely say that you've gone

through a lot for a kid."

Emir paused momentarily, gazing at his mother, who had been silently listening from the

outset.

It was as if he and Laura communicated their intentions through unspoken cues, and sensing the question forming in his eyes, she preemptively asked:

"Why don't you live with us for a while? It's only me and my son that live there; my daughter visits sometimes, but that's about it; we have an extra room for you."

Elijah stared at her for a while, his mouth agape, but he quickly composed himself.

"Are you sure? And wait... Am I the only one who heard that Mercer bastard say that you'd be

jailed? Actually, just why are guys acting so composed?!"

Laura shrugged.

"I calmed down somehow... You know, just seeing Emir's face makes me think that I'll be fine.

I won't ask him what his plans are, but I know that he'll take care of me..."

Emir nodded to Elijah's questioning gaze and hit his back harder this time. "Don't worry about that, and of course, you're welcome home! That's the least we can do for

you!"

'An ex-Elite and a Reaper class on top of that, who would say no to having them on their team? I've got to nab him before anyone else does!' He added in his mind.

Almost stumbling forward, Elijah caught himself and looked at the man who towered over

him with a bright smile. "Alright. Thank you both... Seriously. I'll go get my stuff; can I get your ID?"

Emir nodded, and as they brought their terminals close to each other, both devices emitted a

soft chime to confirm the successful ID transfer.

After this, Emir swiped through his terminal a few times, speaking as he did so:

"It's done. I'll send it to my mother so she can help you out, and I can't join you guys for now

since I've got work, so I'll meet you guys there later."

Laura looked at Emir with a knowing gaze, while Elijah obliviously asked:

"A job request?"

Shaking his head, Emir tapped his terminal and said:

"Kinda... I've got an Elite to save."