Chapter 318: Aldin of the Great Garden (1) (Epilogue)
"Aldin, there's no need to be tense. Everything will turn out fine. We're going to win."
Aldin looked down at the short Human woman in front of her.
When stepping out of the Hall of Myriad Stars, this woman wore a comical and ludicrously designed lion mask, but inside the Hall of Myriad Stars, when standing before the Constellations and Apostles, she didnt insist on keeping such an appearance. Without the mask, she returned to her original species of a Human woman, stubbornly wearing casual clothes that didnt follow the trends of Avartin, sometimes even wearing clothes that seemed to be from Earth.
Considering many Constellations were quite satisfied with their newly chosen appearances, this Constellation seemed to hold onto her past, her time on Earth, unlike like anyone else.
"...Aldin, are you listening?"
"I am," Aldin replied to Jang-Wan. "It seems like you're the one who's nervous."
Jang-Wan briefly rolled her eyes before shifting her gaze back to the system window in front of her.
The data Jang-Wan was reviewing was all about Aldin. As a Constellation, her abilities were comparable to when she was a god, but considering people's faith continued to be consumed for the reconstruction of the Demon World, the efficiency had improved.
According to the Sanctuary, at some point, the Constellations would acquire even greater powers than they had in their past as gods. The Sanctuary had advanced further than the system created by the Returner. It grew on its own.
Of course, even now, seeing Jang-Wan's hands smoothly navigate through dozens of pages of documents almost instantly, Aldin thought it might not matter much.
Ignoring Aldin's comment, Jang-Wan said, "It looks like it's time. Let's go in."
Aldin nodded. Her resolution was already firm.
Jang-Wan and Aldin walked down the corridor of the Hall of Myriad Stars and entered through an ivory door. As they did, suddenly, they stepped from indoors to outdoors, into a vast garden bathed in light as bright as the sun itself. It was the Great Garden of the Hall of Myriad Stars.
The Great Garden fully reflected the Domain its Constellation managed. Entering one of the seventy-two doors located in the Great Garden, the garden, contrary to its grand name, seemed to pursue a minimalist aesthetic. The well-maintained bushes, planted in regular intervals and blocking the view, lead to a single path that seemed orderly yet somehow boring.
However, as one began to follow the path, it became evident that what was visible wasnt all there was to the Great Garden. The short, green grass, growing over a circular patch of earth, made each step enjoyable, and with every breeze, scents of lilac, vanilla, pear blossoms, coriander flowers, peach, and tangerine, along with the fragrance of Benjamin flowers, luxuriously tickled the nose in turns, and the melodies made by nameless birds singing of love intoxicated the mind, leading the walker to a new horizon of beauty upon reaching the hill at the end of the gentle uphill path.
"Have you arrived?"
Jang-Wan and Aldin met Eldar, the owner of the Great Garden, at the end of their short walk. Eldar was seated on a living tree chair, brewing tea for themself at a living tree table.
"You could have a cup before you leave."
Jang-Wan shook her head. "No, we're short on time. There's still a final review to do."
"Alright, then come after you're finished."
"Will do."
Jang-Wan looked back at Aldin. "Aldin, what about you? You have time, dont you?"
Aldin felt a sense of urgency internally but didn't show it. Jang-Wan seemed genuinely confident in their victory.
"Sure. I can come back."
Jang-Wan and Aldin passed by Eldar, who had begun to enjoy their tea alone, and walked across the flatland on top of the hill. Below the hill, the true beauty of the gardennot visible from belowwas revealed. Gardeners of the Great Garden were moving between trees, shrubs, flowers, and wild grasses, birds were mating, and butterflies fluttered by.
Other hills were visible in the distance. On the wide, open hilltop, the giant creature creations of the Constellations were taking a rest with the Hall of Myriad Stars in a state of peace. They were either in deep sleep, conversing with smaller friends, or stretching lazily.
After a long silence, Jang-Wan turned to Aldin. "We can win, you know."
Aldin, not continuing the conversation with Jang-Wan, asked another question. "I've always wondered something."
"What is it?" Jang-Wan asked back with a sense of anticipation.
Feeling slightly guilty for unintentionally creating that anticipation, Aldin posed the question she had in mind. "Why did Lakrak decide to hold my trial here?"
Jang-Wan hesitated for a moment at the unexpected question, but then accepted it and replied, "I don't know. Maybe Lakrak found it too bothersome to create a separate court. It wasn't requested by anyone, as far as I know. Lakrak just decided it, and Eldar happily lent the place."
"There must be more...appropriate spaces in the Hall of Myriad Stars."
"Would a conference room or a banquet hall have been better? We can still move the location now if you want."
"No, there's no need for that."
Aldin enjoyed what might be her last, brief walk with Jang-Wan. Jang-Wan had never mentioned it, but Aldin could infer why she became her defense attorney. Just as Aldin knew that Nebula was Choi Sung-Woon, she also knew Jang-Wan was Choi Seo-Yoon, Sung-Woon's cousin, and that Choi Seo-Yoon liked Choi Ji-Woo, Sung-Woon's little sister and Seo-Yoons older cousin.
Therefore, she had no choice but to defend her, who shared the same soul as Choi Ji-Wooor a continuous personality.
'Unfortunately, Jang-Wan. We're going to lose.'
Aldin looked at the changing scenery with each step they took. There was a simple temporary courtroom.
In the center sat Lakrak, on a small wooden platform. This Constellation of Judgment, having successfully carried out the first trial, now sat there to deliver the second scheduled trial.
However, Lakrak, despite being aware of Aldin's approach, didnt look her way. He simply rested his elbow on the podium, propping his chin with a hand, and watched two blue butterflies dancing toward each other in the temporary courtroom. In fact, it seemed like he wasn't really watching them either. Occasionally, he irritably tapped the floor with the tip of his tail, which, according to Aldin's understanding of Lizardmen's body signals, indicated boredom.
'...Well, Lakrak isn't what's important here.'
Aldin looked to Lakrak's left. There was another podium on the left. Behind that podium stood a woman in a men's tailcoat, but without a head. Instead of a head, there was a black birdcage placed on the podium.
Inside the black cage perched a shrike, which said to Jang-Wan, "You're late, Jang-Wan."
Jang-Wan grabbed Aldin's wrist and walked quickly to the empty podium on the opposite side.
Jang-Wan addressed Lakrak, not the shrike, "Lakrak, is there any penalty or something?"
Lakrak let out a big yawn before replying, "Huh? No, there's nothing like that. Jang-Wan. There are no such detailed laws here yet."
"Will there be later?"
"Well, if needed?"
Jang-Wan defiantly looked at the shrike. The shrike, with its expressionless face, glared back at Jang-Wan.
With a winner's smile, Jang-Wan said, "Sorry for being late, Damien."
Player Damien spoke through the shrike in the cage, "...It doesn't matter. Let's start quickly. My plaintiff is waiting."
Damien pointed to a small glass orb next to the cage. Placed on a wooden stand, this glass orb looked like a galaxy formed inside it. However, the galaxy inside was slowly rotating, and warmth could be felt from each ray of light. This glass orb was projecting the Light of Eternity and Life, the plaintiff in this trial.
Damien was a player who started along with Male Chicken and Vladimir and formed the last three-strong formation in the first continent. Her ranking was also within the top 2000, indicating a high understanding of The Lost World's gameplay, but she lost her aggressive expansion's focal point when RD successfully escaped to the fourth continent, resulting in her defeat. However, Damien's gaming skills were not what mattered most to Aldin.
Damien was a social worker on Earth who later actively participated in a disability rights organization. Damien was the Constellation of the Voice of the Voiceless, the underprivileged. Damien stood in this courtroom as the advocate for the Light of Eternity and Life; Aldin considered Damien perfectly suitable to decide her fate.
Aldin then looked at the last seat in this temporary courtroom.
Some picnic.
In front of the temporary courtroom, various beings sat haphazardly on the grass. If it could be called a spectator area, it was one. There was a mix of Constellations and Apostles, some just sitting to watch the trial. There was no separate space for jurors and witnesses, so they were mingled together.
More importantly, it was the attitude of those sitting there. Some watched the temporary courtroom with concentration, but others seemed to forget Aldin had arrived, spreading picnic mats, eating prepared food, and continuing their own conversations.
Aldin thought maybe she had been wrong. It seemed like just a group of Constellations on a picnic in the Great Garden, coincidentally overlapping with the time and place of the temporary courtroom. Otherwise, it made no sense.
In the so-called spectator area, the Constellation of Enthusiasm, Crampus, with his face more flushed than usual, held up his drink and said, "Seriously, it was ridiculous. I definitely sent my encouragement, but they quit before even getting halfway."
The Constellation of Communism, Chistka, clinked glasses with him and downed their drink in one go. "Well, you really lack tactics. Some people get taken aback when being cheered on too much, even if they're doing well and working hard."
"Really? If you get encouraged, you should do better."
"For that, you should rather put them to the test. Isn't that right, Bolt?"
The Constellation of Survival, Bolt, dipped their gas mask's drinking tube into their glass and said, "Sometimes oppression is necessary. Otherwise, growth isn't recognized."
Crampus scratched his beard. "It's kind of perplexing."
"Let me give you an example..."
Aldin didn't get angry at this scene.
'Right. This level of attention suits me.'
Instead, it was Jang-Wan who got angry.
Pointing and scolding, Jang-Wan said, "Hey, if you're going to guzzle booze, get out!...Why is alcohol even permitted for Constellations? I don't get it."
Lakrak laughed, "It's an authorized rule, Jang-Wan."
"So you're just going to leave them be?"
"As long as it doesn't disturb the trial."
Before Jang-Wan could retort again, Lakrak made the first move. Without a gavel or any symbol of authority, Lakrak lightly tapped the podium with his hand to open the court. It was expected, in a way. After all, Lakrak was the judgment of Avartin itself.
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