Kaidan Game Train: Abide Rule or Die!
Chapter 852: Before the Trial

Chapter 852: Chapter 852: Before the Trial

Leyton Mi Lai’er, due to his unique identity, required an open trial to definitively convict him. The Black Epaulettes dared to confront him directly, obviously not intending to let the Holy Sword Society’s "human evidence" be easily killed.

Lady Lily was convinced that Ashis Verna would stumble because of this, regardless of her backup plans, but she clearly did not rely on Xu Huo’s assassination attempt this time.

Therefore, Xu Huo did not intercept midway.

Firstly, the success rate was very low. Not to mention confronting that Rank-C Player directly, even breaking through the protection of the Black Epaulettes was as difficult as ascending to heaven.

Secondly, this person was more valuable alive to him.

He had watched two public trials and roughly understood the layout of the courtroom. He estimated the likely position of the accused and took out a bag of powder, gently blowing it inside the courtroom.

The dust-like substance evenly scattered across the floor, and Xu Huo bent down to check before he quietly retreated from the courtroom.

He did not use a prop, but a special type of powder.

The Black Epaulettes would thoroughly inspect inside and outside the courtroom before the trial began. The likelihood of placing a prop undetected was slim; this powder was a type of plant pollen, easily tracked on foot and the pollen had attractive properties. It wasn’t very useful, only able to detect the short-range movements of those who stepped on it, but it was inconspicuous.

Under such strict surveillance, unless possessing overwhelming combat power, the chances of success for sneaky maneuvers were minute, so after completing these small actions, Xu Huo followed the team patrolling the second shift and left the courthouse, finding a nearby place to settle.

Storing the Communicator in the luggage compartment, he patiently awaited the next morning.

Sure enough, before the accused arrived, a large number of Black Epaulettes and a few White Epaulettes entered the courthouse for inspections after identity verification.

Identity verification used on-site genetic testing; everyone had a unique match that was impossible to forge, making it incredibly unlikely to infiltrate by altering appearances.

However, when entering, the White Epaulettes clashed with Black Epaulettes. All crucial areas within the courthouse were controlled by the Black Epaulettes, while the White Epaulettes were assigned to locations like temporary resting rooms or changing rooms for the support staff—before significant trials, most of the courthouse’s staff would be on vacation.

"What’s there worth checking here?" the White Epaulettes complained. "Might as well ask us to check the toilets!"

"The bathrooms are vital, Captain Ran specifically mentioned it beforehand, entrusted to you for inspection; you wish!" retorted the Black Epaulettes.

This was merely a verbal skirmish; after a few exchanges, both sides hastened to fulfill their duties.

Members of the Enforcement Department moved in and out, and the Black Epaulette responsible for verification momentarily left alone.

Xu Huo maintained a distance and followed, but unexpectedly the man deviated from the Enforcement Department team and disposed of all the collected blood samples into a trash bin.

Upon witnessing this, Xu Huo’s brows slightly twitched. For players, blood was akin to a true name—not typically exposed under normal circumstances, especially since genetic verification wasn’t entirely foolproof. It was unlikely for an Enforcement Department’s member to make such a basic error.

Even if treated as waste, it wouldn’t be disposed of in such a manner.

He increased the distance and placed a miniature camera at a far interval, later retreating to an even farther location to observe the situation near the trash bin through binoculars.

A middle-aged woman soon approached with a basket, sorting and disposing of the trash by category before seemingly tapping the bin with her basket.

As she tapped the basket, Xu Huo noticed his nearby camera wobble. He switched on the connected display, which had gone dark, whereas the technically unsophisticated binoculars he held remained intact.

Seeing the woman take away the blood, he leaped to a rooftop of another building, keeping watch as she entered a residential building.

Due to the distance, he couldn’t determine which floor she entered, but she soon reappeared in his line of sight—greeting a neighbor in the hallway before entering the living room, leaving the curtains open, and exiting with some dirty laundry.

It seemed she was headed to the laundry room, but she didn’t return.

After waiting outside for ten minutes, believing the time was about right, Xu Huo placed a photic camera atop the roof facing the opposite room, then headed back towards the courthouse.

The ruse in the cleaning staff’s changing room had been discovered by the White Epaulettes; all involved in the final cleaning before the hearing were apprehended, with the White Epaulettes refusing to interrogate jointly with Black Epaulettes and took the suspects away themselves.

The Black Epaulettes, too, were not idle, having inspected the external surveillance and then removing some surveillance props per plan to deploy guards.

A leaking water pipe in the men’s restroom was also discovered, but maintenance personnel suggested it was due to aging and couldn’t be fixed quickly. After consulting Ran Ying, the Black Epaulettes sealed the men’s restroom, temporarily designating the women’s restroom for mixed use.

Each restroom was also scrutinized using props prior to this.

By mid-morning, the Rank-C Holy Sword Society Player was finally brought to the courtroom, his head covered in a mask, hands, and feet pierced by shackles—not ordinary ones either. Besides physical torment, these shackles released a toxin that induced bodily fatigue to prevent his escape, and his hands were separately secured by props that prevented his fingers from clasping or gripping.

The Black Epaulettes escorting him maintained a certain distance, all equipped with suits and helmets that blocked mental interference.

The player was wrapped tightly, his face, hands, and feet not exposed; other than his approximate height and build, this Holy Sword Society player did not reveal any other personal traits. He paused in front of the courthouse door, seemingly asking something of the Black Epaulettes beside him. After receiving confirmation from Ran Ying, one of them spoke to him, and then the group formally entered the courthouse building.

Following them was Leyton Mi Lai’er, this somewhat older nobleman appeared a bit listless but otherwise fine.

Besides him, individuals including Ashis Verna, Kage Herta, Lady Lily, and other nobles or players who came to witness the trial entered the building after their identities were verified.

While they arrived, Xu Huo had to descend from his high spot and blend into the crowd gathered for the spectacle.

The entire perimeter of the courthouse was secured by the Black Epaulettes; once the trial started, no one was allowed to exit or enter, even the few White Epaulettes, who wanted to re-examine the changing rooms, were barred.

These particularly troublesome White Epaulettes clamored about discovering crucial evidence, threatening that if the Black Epaulettes did not allow them through and something amiss occurred, the responsibility would rest entirely on the Black Epaulettes. They also refused the proposal to hand over the evidence for transfer, arguing for a while before deciding to let the Black Epaulettes accompany them.