Nowaru

Members of the inner council began to appear one by one, taking their prepared seats — comfortable chairs set up on a specific "stage" from which one could easily survey the square and all those gathered upon it. Observant spectators might have noticed that there were only six chairs, whereas the council consisted of seven people. It later turned out that Arabette Ghostdrain would be absent — she had expressed no desire to appear at the namkhani's trial. Arabette was not a favorite of the people; however, common folk far removed from power always sought reasons to complain about something, and so it was now — dissatisfaction with the absence of one council member, as well as an acute desire to hear the death sentence as soon as possible, erupted into a loud roar that prevented the council members from beginning the judicial process. To stop this once and for all, Lutros clapped his hands a couple of times, which caused not only the air to shudder but the ground to tremble throughout the entire city. Fortunately, the sorcerer calculated his strength very precisely, and the city suffered no damage. The residents and guests of Covellie calmed down instantly.
— We begin the trial of Ea. — He spoke in a businesslike tone. — First of all, we shall hear the opinion of our country's Justiciar. A man who presides over judgment for the residents and guests of Ilinar understands better than anyone what decision should be just.
— I believe that the prisoner should remain in custody until the end of the conflict between Teos and Ilinar. Since Ea is not a subject of the Republic and all her offenses against it were committed on the field of battle, we must not judge a prisoner of war as a criminal.
— Allow me to disagree. — Welt Esford rose from his seat and walked along the stage, pointing with his palm toward the captive. — This woman is no ordinary person; she is nothing less than a killing machine. A war machine. And war means money. If she does not atone for her atrocities against the Republic by working for it against her former comrades, then the most reasonable decision would be execution. — It seemed that as soon as the kaistr uttered this single word, the crowd became animated once more. — How many resources and men will have to be spent to keep her in a cage until the end of the war? What if she escapes?
— I beg you, kaistr, this is but one person. — This time it was Tadiel speaking. — No colossal funds will be required to maintain one person. How often have prison breaks occurred in Covellie since the establishment of the Republic? I cannot recall a single one. Even if she is an unfortunate namkhani, a human remains a human.
— In a society as civilized as ours, the death penalty should be a last resort. — An interesting fact: the economic and legislative reforms of Sartos Aliesir contributed to a sharp decrease in executions in Ilinar, but at the same time, more and more people fell into debt traps with no way to pay them off, condemning them to own black labor. — I agree with the justiciar and the marshal.
— I assume my vote will be the deciding one? — Mizua addressed Lutros as if knowing in advance how he would vote. — I believe that Ea should be executed this very moment. We deliberate much on what we should do, how we should do it, but what we truly must not do is subject citizens to even the slightest threat for the sake of principles and contrived morale.
— Well, it seems the Inner Council has failed to resolve this matter unanimously. — The Grandmaster did not even voice his own opinion; it was clear to everyone after his words. — And what say you, residents and guests of Ilinar?

-People! People of glorious Ilinar! -Adilika struggled to push her way forward through the silenced crowd. -Look at yourselves now! I, as one of the many travelers and wanderers who recently arrived in the capital of this glorious state, lured by rumors of its culture, morale, justice, and highly developed society, cannot believe my eyes! What is this wild, maddened crowd, driven by a thirst for revenge and unrestrained animal rage, that has gathered today on the main square? Can these people truly call themselves a model of world morale and morality with a straight face? I see savages from the northern islands here, but certainly not those proud Ilinarians I have heard so much about! Look around! Look to your sides! Look at these wonderful clean streets, the calm, welcoming atmosphere, the fountains spewing rainbow streams of crystal water, the neat parks and alleys, the luxurious palaces and well-kept houses nestled in the shadow of majestic state structures. Here everyone feels peaceful and safe; is this not what we fought for a few years ago? Is this not what we strove to achieve? Yes, difficult times have come; war has arrived at the gates of our common home. -the tilian continued sadly. -I think many of you have lost loved ones, many have seen the horrors and inhuman masks of fear and grief, emptied souls and hearts bleeding with sorrow and despair, the darkness of hopelessness and the madness into which all this devolved. I too lost everything in this war; it is painful, unbearably painful. But that is no reason to sink to the level of the beasts that glorious Ilinar pledged to fight. To fight honestly and justly, to battle in the name of our ideology, our culture, our morale, in the name of our freedom, and the laws we pledged to uphold. Should we become savages who destroy everything but create nothing? Once, I too thought this was the way out. But no, it is not. Revenge, anger, and despair only breed greater madness, spreading like a fever from person to person, plunging the state into chaos, destroying the very foundations of the order and prosperity toward which we so long strove and which we spent so long building. This woman must certainly be judged for the crimes she committed. But she must be judged by our laws, by our orders, as a prisoner of war, as a forced opponent in the clash of ideologies between two states. By executing her now, we achieve nothing. Do you think it will make things easier? Believe me, this will only plunge our cultured people into an abyss of malice and revenge, forcing us to seek ever-new culprits, ever-new enemies, ever-new scapegoats. You have already made a show of this execution, like cavemen gathered around a fire. To be honest, I am disappointed in the glorious Ilinarian people. A war machine, you say? I will show you a war machine. -with these words, Adilika pointed to the dark knight. -Your hero, right? The strongest man in Ertenia. The embodiment of the power and invincibility of our kingdom. A role model. But tell me, why then do you shrink away from him in fear and hunch your shoulders every time he passes by? Why do you avert your eyes, why do you not thank him, meeting him with jubilation after every successful mission? Why are you afraid even to speak his name, as if he were your enemy? What is the matter, brave Ilinarians? How dare you boastfully speak of our enemies when in reality you cannot even find your own heroes? Is this the path we should follow? The path of malice, despair, and chaos? The path of darkness, suffering, and madness? I do not believe that is our path. Our path is where the light of justice, honor, and valor shines. Where justice dispels evil. Where culture, development, and law-abidingness prevail over vice, filth, and lawlessness. Where prisoners are judged within the framework of the law, as befits a civilized society that strives to rise and set an example for the other states of Ertenia. Look at her. Do you want one of your loved ones to be in her place one day? And I want no one to ever be in her place. War must become a relic of the past, and Ilinar must strive to achieve this glorious goal. Of course, difficult times await us, and similar opportunities to break and sink will arise again. But I want us all to overcome them with honor, drawing closer time and again to the fulfillment of our great mission. Such is my opinion. Forward, great Ilinar! Toward a glorious future! Awake from this grim madness, people! Let us show the council members an example of how a truly civilized and highly developed cultured people should act! Hurrah!

Ha, failed, didn't put points into the oratory skill!