Chapter 25: Judgment

Brunilda's title was Guardian of the Scales. It came with four skills, three of which she's used before in their old world. The last skill she had never tried because of how skewed the description made it out to be. And potentially fatal.

"Weighing of the Heart." It passively increased Brunilda's ability to read another. When used as an active skill, it purportedly summoned and made Judgment if the balance of good and evil deeds were not equal.

And when one considered humanity, they weren't historically known to be perfectly neutral or good in their actions. There would have been a lot more Saints otherwise.

The description of Judgment was vague yet final. From Mattheus's knowledge of the three other skills, he figured it would summon a physical item like the rest.

Instead of a guillotine, gallows, or even a courtroom stand appearing, something completely unexpected happened.

Mattheus knew she used a skill because of the way the word "Judged" made the air heavy and almost seemed to echo with power. The sudden pressure only grew as the moving scenery around them faded.

Goosebumps ran up his arms as the world around them suddenly turned black, like someone decided to turn off the sun that had been shining on them just moments ago. Other than Mattheus himself, only Brunilda and Benjamin Michaels were perfectly visible.

He no longer saw the metal of the train car roof. In fact, he didn't even feel the rattling of the moving steam train running along its tracks anymore. The air was still as death.

Mattheus wasn't even sure if they were still atop the train car anymore.

"W-what is this! You… You warlock and your demon cat!" Benjamin Michael's eyes rolled frantically around the endless black space they were now in.

The spy tried to run toward Mattheus but hit a barrier almost immediately, not able to take even five steps from where he had been. Michaels banged his fists around the invisible barrier like a madman, his movements revealing it was a circle.

The youngest Crown felt his hair raise as there was a whisper-soft sound he couldn't quite name that seemed to drown out the panicking spy.

The noise was the signal to start the Judgment.

As he watched a giant balance scale rise up from the abyss below them, he felt slightly nervous. And it was only because he trusted Brunilda that he was just nervous—he would be horrified otherwise. The imagery reminded him of Ancient Egyptian mythology and the consequences if the person being judged was found wanting.

Seeing Benjamin Michaels on one of the plates of the scale, which was the exact circumference of the barrier the spy had been confined to, Mattheus hesitantly walked closer to Brunilda. He'd rather risk the discomfort of walking on nothingness than potentially be confronted by a monster in the dark that ate evil humans' hearts.

Michaels had switched to another language by this point. The vitriolic tone suggested the spy was cursing a blue streak at them.

Mattheus heard the soft noise again and, this time, he realized what it was. The sound of a feather as it slowly floated down toward the other plate. The feather was large enough he could barely conceive the scale of the bird it might belong to but the way it slowly drifted suggested it was still light despite the size.

The feather landed on the other plate.

The transmigrator felt as if his stomach dropped at the same pace the plate the spy was on moved down. Rather quickly.

Within this black abyss, the heavy and silent air suddenly changed.

There was an ethereal, almost ominous reverberation to Brunilda when she spoke. "You have been judged guilty of committing evil deeds. Your punishment is—"

Michaels, who had abruptly turned silent when the plate he was on fell (as if he realized his situation), suddenly started pleading. "Please! I was coerced. I was forced—!"

"Hm." Brunilda just made a small noise when the spy interrupted her. She wasn't annoyed. The sound was rather contemplative instead.

Mattheus jumped a little when Benjamin Michaels grabbed his head and suddenly started screaming. Then he watched as the man abruptly cut off and collapsed like a puppet with its strings cut.

He blinked, trying to figure out what happened, only to find himself back on the train car when he opened his eyes again.

Quickly darting his gaze around, he found the train was slowing down as it was arriving at a station in the near distance.

"That was weird," Brunilda remarked as she looked at the slumped form of the spy.

"What's weird, Brue?" Mattheus asked while he wondered if he should get down soon. Before or after the train arrived at the station, that was the question.

"The skill. It took way too long and, in the end… Well, anyway, it's as we guessed. The judgment is hugely skewed in favor of punishment considering humans tend to be inherently selfish creatures."

"You think you'd get a backlash if they're actually more 'good' than 'evil'?" Mattheus asked.

"Probably not. I think it'd just be a reward rather than a punishment." Brunilda then started walking to the back of the car. "Come on, let's head down."

"Uh." Mattheus couldn't help but glance at Benjamin Michaels. Did that mean he was dead?

"I got it, don't worry. Just get down first. We still need to head back to the Capital since I got some information while I was reviewing his memories for Judgment."

Mattheus startled and started following Brunilda. "It's not over?"

"Don't worry, it's not as exciting as being chased through a moving train."

That was only a bit reassuring.

…

In the early evening, the young man and his cat arrived back at the capital of New Albion.

They headed straight for the palace after sending a message to his family, just in case Edgar was at the townhome instead.

Mattheus was running on automatic by this point, thankful that at least Brunilda was keeping calm about the situation.

The two had left Benjamin Michaels at the stop after Noll's Hill, Brunilda reassuring Mattheus that the spy wouldn't be able to reveal anything.

Then, once they got onto the passenger car nearer to the front, where there were private compartments, the cat told the youngest Crown what she could gather.

Benjamin Michaels was part of a group that had conspired to poison General Grant and there were still some conspirators at the castle. She hadn't seen any immediate plans that would make it urgent for them to tell the authorities in charge since Michaels had run because Mattheus had spooked him.

But it was better for them to head over as the last communication had been before the royal ball where the assassination nearly succeeded.

And, as far as Mattheus knew, tomorrow would be the start of the negotiations unless a schedule changed happened while he was in the countryside. The talks themselves would take at least a week, possibly longer.

Tonight would be the last chance for people to try to ruin the alliance talks. Then there would be a few days (or weeks) before there would be another opening, about the midway point of the negotiations.

Mattheus arrived with all this on his mind.

Edgar was waiting for him while still in uniform, so a message probably came from the Crown residence to the eldest sibling when he was still at the palace.

"I am glad you are safe, Mattheus," Edgar greeted. "Why did you come straight here after arriving at the Capital? If it's because of Benjamin Michaels, we received a communication from the General's aide a few hours ago."

"Oh, that's a relief," Mattheus sighed. If it were a few hours ago, they must have gone to the next town over or similar to borrow a telephone or sent a telegram.

Edgar looked a bit grim as he informed, "Michaels hasn't shown his face at all, so we are thinking he used the fake orders to disappear. A search party is sent out to try to find him."

Mattheus hummed appropriately to the "dire news."

"So… you never answered why you came here directly from the station, Mattheus."

"Oh, yes. I wanted to reassure General Grant about his daughter's health so that he could focus on the talks without worry. I also wanted to know if you guys caught the one who tried to poison the General while I was away in the countryside?"

"Guests have been restricted due to the alliance talk starting tomorrow and the small dinner tonight. So is it possible I just pass on a message to General Grant?"

"Mn. Yes, that's fine, Brother. Just tell him that I healed her. He can call for me if he wants more details another time," Mattheus replied easily.

He wanted to ask again about whether they caught anyone but thought it might be suspicious to be that curious about such information.

Thankfully, Edgar answered the question after getting Mattheus's agreement about the older brother being a messenger. "As for what happened at the ball, we did find the assistant cook that disappeared that night. There are also a few servants we're holding prisoner while trying to verify if they were involved or not. With the information we got from the Grant estate, it should be easier for us to spot a foreign plant."

"Oh. That's a relief." Mattheus shifted slightly. "I guess I should head back now."

As Edgar commented about having Mattheus wait a bit while procuring a carriage, the youngest Crown tried to reassure himself the unease he still felt was because everything happened too fast and he still hadn't had the chance to digest the latest news.

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