Side Story: Hell on Earth
Chapter 120
Court-martial
The perverted guy grinned with a mocking smile, glancing sideways at Liberte, who stood frozen in place. The shock, suspicion, and fury scorched his cold, icy face red. That chaotic emotion liquefied the heart that had been turned into stubborn stone by the years… had… become numb to tragedy and pain… cruelty… sin… guilt… yet they had long since ceased to trouble him, ceased to leave behind any lingering attachment, and there were no longer any thoughts of the person from the past.
This person who had murdered those memories could not believe this absurdity that would not even appear in a dream... at this moment... it was as if a soul-summoning ritual had taken place, calling back the dead and digging up the past he had buried forever—deep within the heart that had never known peace.
The perverted guy secretly smiled... watching... Liberte's expression turn as pale and gray as a corpse drowned and drifting in the river... but in a flash... fury ignited, the flames burning away all traces of the emotions that had just resurrected from the grave. The deserter realized that An did not care whether Tanya and Sonya lived or died, nor did she care what kind of humiliation they suffered.
She simply could not understand why Liberte remained motionless at that moment, facing the living man as if he were looking at the dead—the deserter seemed to be the shadow of the past entangled in Liberte's heart...
At this moment...
The lingering spirit refused to fade, haunting her mind. This woman who considered herself clever and cunning, who had always blindly believed that she was in the right and stopped at nothing, could now not understand her husband's chaotic state of mind. The deserter laughed wildly:
"What's with that expression, as if you've seen a ghost, Captain Liberte?"
Liberte remained silent. He stood rooted to the spot. He did not speak, nor did he react to the provocation. The deserter sneered:
"I know you don't love your wives at all. The Captain only treats the harem as tools for desire, as birth machines to gain rewards and promotions. But, Captain..." - The guy pinched Tanya's mouth— "If you don't save your wives, the monarch and the Hive will no longer trust you, because no one knows when a guy who can abandon those he sleeps with will betray them or stage a coup..."
Liberte gritted his teeth and interrupted:
"Enough talk..."
The deserter laughed smugly:
"If you want to save your wives, Captain, you must invert black and white and say I am not a deserter."
An, Tanya, and Sonya stared blankly and held their breath, but the man who was their husband remained coldly silent. The perverted guy waited patiently for the final decision. Liberte was calculating the pros and cons; urging him now would be counterproductive.
The guy believed he had the upper hand, confident that someone afraid of losing everything would not dare to defy his will. Liberte glanced at the soldier in the distance. He secretly forbade that person from acting rashly and signaled for him to quietly sneak behind the deserter.
The soldier understood, secretly delighted in his heart, silently thanking the God of Luck for granting this once-in-a-lifetime opportunity... when... Deputy Captain An ordered him to patrol the forest. At that time, he happened to bump into three of Liberte's subordinates who were searching. He hurriedly hid in the shadows, hearing them say excitedly:
"Catching the deserter this time will definitely make our careers skyrocket, with a limitless future ahead."
He took pride in his cleverness and wisely decided to find and capture the deserter alone, to monopolize the reward that would change his fate. Everything proceeded more smoothly than expected, and if he successfully captured the deserter holding the Captain's wives hostage, he would be one step closer to reaching the pinnacle of his life.
Just as he was one step away from the heaven of fame and fortune, the final stair suddenly collapsed... at that moment... the silver needle flew from the bamboo tube in Liberte's hand, piercing through the air... the moment he launched his surprise attack on the deserter, the weapon struck and buried itself deep into his neck.
An, Sonya, and Tanya stared blankly at the person unconscious on the ground. Liberte ordered the soldier to be carried into a nearby cave. The three women did not understand for the moment what Liberte was playing at; only the deserter saw through Liberte's intention. The deserter laughed with pleasure and "praised" him:
"Captain is truly decisive; I'm starting to like you."
They did not believe that a cold-blooded and cruel person like Liberte would save someone he did not care about at all. The three women used cunning thoughts to probe the silent fellow's heart, but protecting the hostages was certainly not the only reason.
Certainly... hidden behind this was some shocking secret that forced him to eliminate his colleague. This act violated the laws of the "Hive": those who harm their colleagues face life imprisonment at the very least, and death at the very worst.
The deserter did not care what the real reason was. He needed to ensure absolute safety:
"Hey, give me a reason to trust you, Captain."
Liberte replied coldly:
"I harmed a fellow soldier to cover up your crime of desertion. If you do not believe in this sincerity, then I will report you for killing a soldier and deserting. You will be forced into hard labor until you die."
Liberte did not wait for the other side to agree; he explained the method to deal with the Hive. The deserter and the four people discussed every possible scenario, every detail, and every variable that could arise with great care… and… ensured their testimonies were consistent when the superior investigated the case. Liberte coldly forced Tanya and Sonya:
"We are in the same boat; we must absolutely not capsize."
Tanya and Sonya hated the rapist who assaulted them to the bone... but... the situation of playing with fire did not allow them to be hostile to the culprit. The victims were forced to betray their emotions, cruelly treating themselves in order to weather this disaster with the perpetrator. Liberte said indifferently:
"Make peace for the sake of survival. Dissatisfaction will only lead to dying together."
Liberte never liked nonsense. At this moment, saying a sentence twice was already an exception, a concession to the victims' anger. They feared that if they pushed him too far, he would snap—becoming a completely different person.
Tanya and Sonya reluctantly let go of their cold-shoulder attitude toward the culprit. The perverted guy showed no extra expressions or movements, to avoid triggering a conflict. Everything was perfect, leaving only one problem: how to prove he was not a deserter. The "Hive" would surely question:
"Perhaps he is the deserter, and that soldier was responsible for capturing him. The soldier was killed to silence him, and the crime of desertion was framed on that soldier."
After deep thought, Liberte decided to make contact with that person. Both sides discussed and calculated, planning to deal with all possible variables.
Liberte, the person on the other end of the phone, and the deserter finalized the method to clear their names. Afterward, the deserter relaxed his body, letting Liberte slash his left arm, the blade grazing his face and leaving scratches.
The deserter greatly praised this stratagem of self-sacrifice. Everyone executed the plan rapidly. Liberte and An carried the soldier outside. The silent fellow drew his dagger and stabbed directly into the other's chest.
The soldier had used every trick in the book to monopolize the credit, but he did not expect that Liberte would strike a deadly blow against him.
He was afraid of dying from excessive blood loss and dared not pull out the knife that was stabbed deep into his chest. He coughed up blood, staring wide-eyed at Liberte. He wanted to open his mouth to ask why Liberte only stabbed him into critical condition instead of killing him... but... he could not make a sound, a muffled gurgling noise coming from his throat as if he were being choked.
The three women followed Liberte into the distance. He blew his whistle, emitting two long blasts to signal to his subordinates that the target had been found.
The subordinates rushed over, and what met their eyes was Liberte and his three wives rushing toward the deserter who was struggling with the soldier.
The deserter pretended to be full of openings and was grabbed by the throat by the soldier; the two rolled around, looking for an opportunity to kill the other.
"Stop it, all of you..."
The order descended almost at the same time as the blade stabbed deep into the soldier's chest. He coughed up blood for the second time, his eyes rolling back, unable to believe the reason he had to die, even in his final moments.
Liberte rebuked with a roar:
"Bastard, you dared to defy a superior's order. Damn you."
Liberte made a move to fire his gun, and An and the subordinates hurriedly stepped forward to block him.
"Please be calm. If you kill him, your credibility in the 'Hive' will be completely destroyed."
"That's right. The life of such a person is not even worth a dog's. Killing him will only dirty your hands."
The deserter trembled all over, kneeling on the ground in fear, lowering his head and not daring to look up, in reality hiding the smirk in his heart, silently praising Liberte's acting as more exquisite than a top-tier superstar.
Liberte was furious, because that guy dared to disrespect his superior. Under the repeated persuasion of An and several subordinates, he finally calmed his anger, and after weighing the pros and cons, he ordered the deserter to be locked up:
"Lock him in the camp cage, guard him day and night, and wait for judgement for his crimes."
Four soldiers immediately carried out the order. Two other soldiers carried away the corpse. The three women followed behind Liberte. An silently watched the man's back... she loved him deeply... yet... she was unable to grasp his thoughts, and it was difficult to predict how he would handle this mess?
***
On the day of the court-martial session, the monarch personally attended to preside over the trial. He listened with full attention to An's statement:
"Your Majesty, Presiding Judge, as the deputy captain that day, I ordered Kan to enter the forest for a fifteen-minute patrol, but he did not return to camp after more than half an hour."
The Presiding Judge questioned the witnesses. The soldiers confirmed that An was not lying:
"Usually, he always returns on time, but that day he disappeared without a trace; no matter how long we waited, we did not see him."
The Presiding Judge asked:
"When did you follow Liberte into the forest to search for the deserter?"
The soldiers shook their heads and said:
"We were focused on capturing the criminal at that time, so we do not remember the exact time."
The Presiding Judge asked:
"While executing the mission, did you discuss the matter of capturing the deserter?"
Everyone shook their heads firmly:
"Superiors forbid the leakage of top-secret intelligence; we do not dare to disobey orders."
The Presiding Judge's sharp gaze swept over everyone, scrutinizing every expression, finding no abnormalities. At this moment, the coroner entered and submitted the case file: the angle of fire, the direction from which the deserter was shot, the wounds on both individuals, signs of a struggle, and all relevant evidence were completely consistent and logical with the statements of the involved parties and witnesses in the interrogation room and the courtroom.
This verification result confirmed the accuracy and consistency of the statements, refuting the hypothesis that Kan had accidentally heard the soldiers talking about the deserter and, wanting to earn merit and monopolize the reward, had searched for the criminal alone.
The Presiding Judge turned to interrogate the defendant:
"Why did the defendant enter the forest that day?"
The deserter answered calmly:
"Your Honor, the Great General ordered the defendant to enter the forest to collect herbs for military medical use."
The Presiding Judge turned to the witness stand, requesting the Great General to verify the truth.
"I ordered him to enter the mountains to search for and collect herbs as reserve medicine for the front lines."
The Presiding Judge asked:
"Why did you not choose someone else, but specifically choose him?"
The Great General said calmly:
"He used to work in the medicine trade and is knowledgeable about various herbs. He is dedicated to the 'Hive,' has completed every task I have entrusted him with, and always returns to camp on schedule."
The Presiding Judge asked:
"Why did you not send someone to follow him?"
The Great General smiled slightly, understanding that the Presiding Judge meant that if someone had followed, not only could the herb-collecting progress be faster, but they could also monitor each other to prevent desertion.
"These herbs grow in rugged terrain and are extremely sensitive to people. They are like people with social anxiety, incompatible with those whose 'Energy' does not match. Interestingly, they happen to be in harmony with the defendant's 'Energy.' I have seen with my own eyes that as soon as a stranger approaches, they immediately wither and destroy themselves, and all efforts prove to be in vain."
The Great General sipped some hot tea, cleared his throat, and let out a slight laugh:
"A deserter? He has always been devoted and loyal to the monarch and the Hive, laboring and toiling, completing every task I have assigned to him like a dog or a horse, just to shed his slave status and low social standing. An ambitious person has no reason to be a deserter..."
Everyone was surprised by these vulgar, rude remarks, which were completely opposite to the Great General's usual gentle and gentlemanly demeanor. They widened their eyes, and countless faces wore the same expression: unable to understand why he had suddenly changed his way of handling things.
Liberte and the deserter felt that the Great General seemed to be intentionally... humiliating... the man he regarded as a hunting dog. Liberte silently observed the deserter secretly clenching his fist. The guy was madly... restraining the reins of his emotions... like a wounded beast wanting to rush forward and attack the Great General.
Liberte turned his attention to the Presiding Judge. The Presiding Judge nodded, understanding the deeper meaning behind the Great General's words: the deserter had not yet been able to prove his complete innocence. But if human and physical evidence were lacking, no one could convict him. The Presiding Judge consulted with the monarch.
The monarch approved the request and ordered the most advanced lie detector to be used for the second time directly at the court. Although they knew that using this method on these soldiers who had undergone harsh training and knew how to deal with lie detectors... was actually... meaningless...
But...
The evidence was insufficient...
Most of the witnesses had intricate connections with Liberte, and judging the authenticity of their testimonies... was as difficult as ascending to heaven...
The monarch and the Presiding Judge were at their wit's end and had no choice but to take this measure.
Liberte, An, the Great General, the defendant, and the soldiers passed this psychological battle with composure. The last person answered all the questions. He was confident in being able to overcome the final challenge...
Beep... beep... beep...
The monarch paid attention to every subtle behavior and expression of the soldiers. The leader remained calm and composed, his gaze sharp as a razor, peeling away layer after layer of emotions...disguised...the nonchalant demeanor that had been painstakingly forged by the "Hive" into a multi-faceted mask and worn upon the expressions of those who should have always remained as silent as a bottomless abyss, harboring inner demons...now...they were startled upon hearing the noisy, rustling disturbance. It was merely a normal reaction... but... for those who valued power above their own lives, this instinctive reaction... was... noteworthy.
The courtroom crowd was in an uproar, with whispers echoing everywhere. The volume of the discussion grew increasingly intense, trapping the group of soldiers in an atmosphere of skepticism.
"Why does the lie detector indicate a lie in the second test?"
"There must be something shady going on…"
"This case has too many anomalies..."
The crowd demanded an investigation and a retrial, which caused the tense atmosphere to... tighten its grip... on the mental state of the involved parties. Those in the officialdom who stood in opposition to the Great General and Liberte immediately erupted in accusations and constant condemnation:
"Your Majesty, Presiding Judge, please conduct a thorough reinvestigation and trial; we must not leave behind an ambiguous ending that leads to mutual suspicion."
"That's right, everyone. The 'Hive' upholds and promotes fairness for all. We must bring the truth into the light of justice, avoid punishing the innocent, and prevent criminals from going unpunished."
These questioning words were like handcuffs, locking the abnormal attitude of this group of soldiers dead in place. The opposing side was triumphant, believing that this time they would finally be able to pull out the thorn in their side.
The monarch raised his hand to signal silence, ordering the technicians to inspect the machine. The adversaries, like vultures circling a rotting corpse, greedily waited for the result. The facial expressions of Liberte, the Great General, the deserter, An, and the soldiers... began to waver.
The monarch did not believe that those present were simply surprised by the malfunction. Their demand for a meticulous inspection of every detail, and the tension and worry in their tone as they urged for it, were perfectly normal expressions for everyone...
The monarch still carefully memorized every action, behavior, and expression of the involved parties as well as the crowd.
The psychological pressure on the involved parties was pushed to a tense peak, and the anxiety of failure faintly emerged beneath their still-calm expressions... but... for those who were suspicious by nature, this calmness was no longer normal.
The adversaries gloated, waiting for the moment to celebrate victory... as... the technicians finished the inspection. The team leader bowed and reported:
"Reporting to the monarch and the Presiding Judge, the machine malfunctioned, hence it reported an erroneous warning..."
Instead of breathing a sigh of relief, the person involved laughed inwardly at how dumbfounded the opposing enemies were; unable to accept the truth, they began clamoring for another round of testing. The monarch gave a mysterious smile and ordered:
"Everyone present in the courtroom, answer all questions truthfully to verify if the lie detector really malfunctioned."
Everyone agreed to this reasonable plan. The crowd took turns answering simple questions truthfully, but in every instance, the machine beeped to indicate a lie. The truth was as clear as daylight; the adversaries were filled with inner resentment but could not invert black and white.
They all performed a one-hundred-and-eighty-degree turn, sincerely apologizing for their unreasonable suspicions and congratulating the involved parties on proving their innocence.
They bowed to the monarch and left the courtroom in groups. An, the defendant, and the soldiers cheered excitedly. The Great General and Liberte smiled slightly, shook hands, and turned to salute the monarch:
"Thank you, Your Majesty; thank you, Presiding Judge, for the fair trial!"
The Presiding Judge said with a smile:
"I merely fulfilled my duty."
The monarch smiled slightly:
"The innocent need not thank anyone!"
The Great General and Liberte could not explain why... that smile... and those ordinary words... had produced a strange feeling in them. The involved parties left the courtroom in confusion, carrying uninterpretable question marks.
The monarch waved his hand, ordering the staff to put the machine into the collection room. They were puzzled by this decision. The monarch loved to collect items related to significant events. The problem was that the machine could be like new with just a simple repair, yet the monarch had it placed early into the 'Hive' historical relic vault.
The monarch always made such sudden and bizarre decisions, so the soldiers did not dare to utter even half a sentence of questioning. They executed the order immediately, placing it neatly on a table inlaid with gems, bowed to the monarch, and requested to withdraw.
The monarch leaned back into the velvet chair, crossed his legs, turned a screw, picked up the tweezers, and snapped a tiny connection point. The monarch reassembled the machine, poured half a glass of wine, took a few light sips, put on some music, closed his eyes, and enjoyed the classical melody... psychological warfare...