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Trial.
As expected, it's a very long, complicated and exhausting trial as it's a very delicate matter being treated.
After taking everything into account, thanks to the job BangSul did, the judges were left with no other choice than declaring the two indicted non-guilty.
Actually, 3 over 4 of the judges declared them innocent, the ones sent from the other 3 countries - since it's about international law - with only one, the Xhuanghen judge, opting for at least some years of detention for AeHee. But it was the majority to win and the two time-travelers get out of it clean and as free people.
After taking everything into account, thanks to the job BangSul did, the judges were left with no other choice than declaring the two indicted non-guilty.
Actually, 3 over 4 of the judges declared them innocent, the ones sent from the other 3 countries - since it's about international law - with only one, the Xhuanghen judge, opting for at least some years of detention for AeHee. But it was the majority to win and the two time-travelers get out of it clean and as free people.
Case.
"One of the most important features of our job consist in the professional secret. Everything a client shares with us is strictly confidential and shouldn't leave the office, unless strongly relevant during the trial. Understanding this rule is of great importance, as, if information spread, not just they could be used to your own damage during the trial, but will also expose you to several risk, including disciplinary actions", MinHo explains to his hoobaes.
"You also have to be prepared to every circumstances, because, regardless of your position within the Ministry, a day may come when you'll be called to do something else and you can't show yourself unprepared. For example, although I'm a prosecutor, the Crown Prince himself chose me as the defender lawyer. It's an extraordinary case, but it's something that could happen, especially if your reputation reaches a high rank." However it works in RL, if in Xhuanghen someone high rank says you are going to be the defender, you be the defender. u.u
"This said, I'm about to meet the clients today and I intend to allow you to witness. It's still a bit early, for your level of study, but I believe it can be a useful experience. You'll follow this case with me, from this first meeting to the trial."
He approaches the library and takes a book from it. "It's going to be particularly tough, as it's one of the two typologies of special trials: time-traveling and necromancy. Both are delicate cases, also due to how badly these practices are seen in our societies. The problem is not just the bias and the taboo against these subjects, but also the fact they are regulated by Sacred and International Laws, making them not just ordinary cases, regularised by our own juridical system. Priests and jurists from other countries will take part to the trial and influence the judge's final verdict."
He places the book on his own desk and prepares the writing tools for the meeting. "While the clients will be here, I expect utmost respect and professionalism from both of you. You may ask questions to them, that you think could be of use in trial, take note of what they say. When they will be gone, I'll test you both."
"You also have to be prepared to every circumstances, because, regardless of your position within the Ministry, a day may come when you'll be called to do something else and you can't show yourself unprepared. For example, although I'm a prosecutor, the Crown Prince himself chose me as the defender lawyer. It's an extraordinary case, but it's something that could happen, especially if your reputation reaches a high rank." However it works in RL, if in Xhuanghen someone high rank says you are going to be the defender, you be the defender. u.u
"This said, I'm about to meet the clients today and I intend to allow you to witness. It's still a bit early, for your level of study, but I believe it can be a useful experience. You'll follow this case with me, from this first meeting to the trial."
He approaches the library and takes a book from it. "It's going to be particularly tough, as it's one of the two typologies of special trials: time-traveling and necromancy. Both are delicate cases, also due to how badly these practices are seen in our societies. The problem is not just the bias and the taboo against these subjects, but also the fact they are regulated by Sacred and International Laws, making them not just ordinary cases, regularised by our own juridical system. Priests and jurists from other countries will take part to the trial and influence the judge's final verdict."
He places the book on his own desk and prepares the writing tools for the meeting. "While the clients will be here, I expect utmost respect and professionalism from both of you. You may ask questions to them, that you think could be of use in trial, take note of what they say. When they will be gone, I'll test you both."
Next.
After speaking with Boo the first time, he decides to go to take a look at the camp where he was taken to, along with the other ones.
He has to do some researches with the maps, but luckily HoSeok provided s rather good geographical description that makes the range of research much less wide.
MinHo goes alone to search for the camp, which is in an area that fell to the northern and thus is very dangerous, also because of its vicinity to the wilds.
With just a horse and a sword, he ventures in the area until he finds what seems to be his destination: a long abandoned camp, half covered by snow.
He dismounts and accesses what is left of the barricades. The tents are still there and so are two skeletons. He removes the snow from those and sees they were dressed in normal clothes when they died, no amour and just some low quality weapons on them.
The whole place is chilling, but he doesn't let it stop him. He wants to find out all that he can, since there is no chance to get the cooperation of the Ministry of War.
He approaches the main tent, that of the commander, hoping to find some clues inside. By the entrance of it, there is a skull impaled in a spear.
"JayQi..." he murmurs, shutting his eyes. He gently removes the skull from the spear and places it down, near the other two skeletons. "May the Gods take better care of you than your nation..."
Inside the commander's tent, he finds much less than he hoped. There is a register, but only the names of the regular adult soldiers and officers are there, the 'extras' were just marked as numbers that were periodically decreased as they died. "They didn't even bother to write our names..." he murmurs, quoting what Boo told him.
Needless to say, his blood is boiling so much the sky is black and full of lightnings already.
Once made certain there isn't anything useful in the tents, he returns out, to take a look at the surroundings of that ghost-camp.
All the signs of its final battle are there, the whole ground is scattered with skeletons in armours.
MinHo approaches to take a look and notices that beside the eastern soldier, it's full of northern ones. "Why didn't they take their fallen men back if they won?" he wonders thoughtfully. Northern aren't the type to disrespect their fighters.
Even more confused by the matter, he approaches a corpse of a northern and notices an hilt of a weapon stuck in the armour. He pulls it to try to study it, but it literally fades away as he looks at it in disbelief.
He recoils, starting to get scared for real by this matter.
All he does, before returning, is to bury the remains of the people in the camp. By the sizes of the skeletons, they weren't adult auriold for certain.
Once back to the city, he returns to the training camp, wanting to ask Boo how things exactly went in that last battle, but there he finds out that the boy disappeared without track.
He has to do some researches with the maps, but luckily HoSeok provided s rather good geographical description that makes the range of research much less wide.
MinHo goes alone to search for the camp, which is in an area that fell to the northern and thus is very dangerous, also because of its vicinity to the wilds.
With just a horse and a sword, he ventures in the area until he finds what seems to be his destination: a long abandoned camp, half covered by snow.
He dismounts and accesses what is left of the barricades. The tents are still there and so are two skeletons. He removes the snow from those and sees they were dressed in normal clothes when they died, no amour and just some low quality weapons on them.
The whole place is chilling, but he doesn't let it stop him. He wants to find out all that he can, since there is no chance to get the cooperation of the Ministry of War.
He approaches the main tent, that of the commander, hoping to find some clues inside. By the entrance of it, there is a skull impaled in a spear.
"JayQi..." he murmurs, shutting his eyes. He gently removes the skull from the spear and places it down, near the other two skeletons. "May the Gods take better care of you than your nation..."
Inside the commander's tent, he finds much less than he hoped. There is a register, but only the names of the regular adult soldiers and officers are there, the 'extras' were just marked as numbers that were periodically decreased as they died. "They didn't even bother to write our names..." he murmurs, quoting what Boo told him.
Needless to say, his blood is boiling so much the sky is black and full of lightnings already.
Once made certain there isn't anything useful in the tents, he returns out, to take a look at the surroundings of that ghost-camp.
All the signs of its final battle are there, the whole ground is scattered with skeletons in armours.
MinHo approaches to take a look and notices that beside the eastern soldier, it's full of northern ones. "Why didn't they take their fallen men back if they won?" he wonders thoughtfully. Northern aren't the type to disrespect their fighters.
Even more confused by the matter, he approaches a corpse of a northern and notices an hilt of a weapon stuck in the armour. He pulls it to try to study it, but it literally fades away as he looks at it in disbelief.
He recoils, starting to get scared for real by this matter.
All he does, before returning, is to bury the remains of the people in the camp. By the sizes of the skeletons, they weren't adult auriold for certain.
Once back to the city, he returns to the training camp, wanting to ask Boo how things exactly went in that last battle, but there he finds out that the boy disappeared without track.
Choi HoSeok.
After meeting with Yichuan, since he received MoonBin's approval to do so, he heads to the training camp to meet with Boo.
He finds him training with the other recruits and JaeMinJong, looking rather unwell and sickly.
After telling JMJ about the matter, he approaches Boo. "You look terribly pale. Are you feeling unwell?"
"It's nothing new."
"Still, you should go to the nursery and have this issue checked."
"Let's just go to my dorm and say what you have to. I don't want to have to do hundreds of pushups to recover the training I miss right now." Boo leads the way towards his dormitory, that is currently empty of course. He sighs in relief once inside, already feeling a bit better when not under the sun.
"Boo... what is causing you so much pain?"
"It doesn't matter! Nothing can be done about it. It has always been so, don't suddenly pretend as if it matters now. Faking care won't make my answers any sweeter." Boo sits on his bed. "How is QinShi?"
MinHo is surprised by the question. "He is doing very well. He learnt to walk and seems a very clever and promising child. He just... refuses to speak, still."
"Maybe he just doesn't have anything to say."
"It must be so, ye." But he is a bit worried. He is still overprotective towards his little brother.
HoSeok stands up and takes his yo-yo, he keeps it hidden in the room, then hands it to MinHo. "A gift for your little brother."
He looks at the toy, then at Boo. "It's yours, you should keep it with you. I remember you always had it with you back then..."
Boo doesn't move the item back. "It was gifted to me by someone really special, whom I could never even gift back in some way. It was the first toy I had ever been gifted. And now I want QinShi to have it."
MinHo eventually takes it. "Why don't you give it to him yourself, though? You could come in visit during the free time..."
"I won't. Now say what you have to." Boo goes to lie on his bed and covers his eyes with arm.
"I will get straight to the point: did you say something to Tero, the other night? I've seen you."
"I've told him what probably happened to his human brother and to Carlie's human friend."
MinHo nods. "I thought as much. Now... could you repeat to me what you told to him?"
"I've told him that his brother was probably kidnapped and brought to the borders, to serve as a meat shield for the exhausted troups."
"Where did you hear of this?"
HoSeok let's out a snorts. "I didn't hear of this, it happened to me."
MinHo's eyes widen. "What...?" he gasps. "Do tell me..."
"It was almost three years ago, in the place where I and my abeoji lived before moving here. One night, a bunch of soldiers came to our house and said it was for an inspection, that they needed to check if there was someone in the age for military service who was escaping it. My appa tried to tell them that I was much younger than the minimum age, but probably because of my looks never helped, or maybe because they simply couldn't care less, they didn't even listen and forced me to go with them." He makes a short pause. "They didn't take just me, but all the other boys of the village. Beside me and an half-auriold boy, all the others were humans." It suddenly starts to rain, out of nowhere. A second before it was sunny.
"Unlike it should be, we weren't brought to be visited by physicians, they just teleported us all away to a place far. It must have been quite North, since the other boys were shaking in cold.
We weren't even given uniforms, they just pushed us all inside a barely standing barricade, leading to a desolation of broken men. Auriold who could barely stand on their own feet. Very few of them, more of us." He clenches his free fist so tight when saying that.
MinHo shuts his eyes, quite sickened by the matter already. The rain turns into a very bad storm. "How did it go? How did you... manage to return?"
"Everyone died."
"Everyone...?"
HoSeok sits up, with his gaze lost in some very dreadful memory. "Every. Single. One." He shuts his eyes. "Talu got killed by wolves while getting wood for the camp. They ripped him to shreds..." He shivers. "AhnSeok, YeoSul, MinShik and FanMi froze to death. YoonSeo, Chun and Tao starved to death. XiYun, HaoRi, Siun, FeiDo, PyoSuk, NaOn, JiWu, TaeYan, EunGom, RoShin, SeoHwa, JoRyeo, KaRon, SaHwan... they all died in the missions they were sent to." Lightinings start to fall like crazy.
Boo takes a very long break and starts to cry before saying the next name. "JayQi... he... got executed... for trying to run away... they cut his head off... he was begging and crying, he only wanted to live... th-they killed someone just because he didn't want to die..." he sobs, finding it hard to control himself. "He was only 11 years old..." And he was his half-auriold friend.
MinHo looks totally devastated by the tale. "How did it end...?" he murmurs, struggling not to cry himself.
"The northern attacked the camp. I managed to run away. I was the only one left... of over 30 boys they took from our village..." He takes a breath. "Nobody came to look for me to punish me for my disertion, since they didn't bother to even just write our names up somewhere... because it didn't matter... we weren't supposed to be remembered... just serve our purposes..." He sobs for some time. "And now they have come to take me again, after moving here..."
After trying to comfort Boo a little, MinHo walks out of the dormitory and approaches JaeMinJong, still training the boys under that bad storm. "Recruit Choi shouldn't continue the training for today. In truth, I'll see for him to suspend the military service as soon as possible. You'll hear from the Ministry." He actually can't promise that, but he sure would like to get Boo out of any military organization.
*Anyone could have heard them talking in the dorm.
He finds him training with the other recruits and JaeMinJong, looking rather unwell and sickly.
After telling JMJ about the matter, he approaches Boo. "You look terribly pale. Are you feeling unwell?"
"It's nothing new."
"Still, you should go to the nursery and have this issue checked."
"Let's just go to my dorm and say what you have to. I don't want to have to do hundreds of pushups to recover the training I miss right now." Boo leads the way towards his dormitory, that is currently empty of course. He sighs in relief once inside, already feeling a bit better when not under the sun.
"Boo... what is causing you so much pain?"
"It doesn't matter! Nothing can be done about it. It has always been so, don't suddenly pretend as if it matters now. Faking care won't make my answers any sweeter." Boo sits on his bed. "How is QinShi?"
MinHo is surprised by the question. "He is doing very well. He learnt to walk and seems a very clever and promising child. He just... refuses to speak, still."
"Maybe he just doesn't have anything to say."
"It must be so, ye." But he is a bit worried. He is still overprotective towards his little brother.
HoSeok stands up and takes his yo-yo, he keeps it hidden in the room, then hands it to MinHo. "A gift for your little brother."
He looks at the toy, then at Boo. "It's yours, you should keep it with you. I remember you always had it with you back then..."
Boo doesn't move the item back. "It was gifted to me by someone really special, whom I could never even gift back in some way. It was the first toy I had ever been gifted. And now I want QinShi to have it."
MinHo eventually takes it. "Why don't you give it to him yourself, though? You could come in visit during the free time..."
"I won't. Now say what you have to." Boo goes to lie on his bed and covers his eyes with arm.
"I will get straight to the point: did you say something to Tero, the other night? I've seen you."
"I've told him what probably happened to his human brother and to Carlie's human friend."
MinHo nods. "I thought as much. Now... could you repeat to me what you told to him?"
"I've told him that his brother was probably kidnapped and brought to the borders, to serve as a meat shield for the exhausted troups."
"Where did you hear of this?"
HoSeok let's out a snorts. "I didn't hear of this, it happened to me."
MinHo's eyes widen. "What...?" he gasps. "Do tell me..."
"It was almost three years ago, in the place where I and my abeoji lived before moving here. One night, a bunch of soldiers came to our house and said it was for an inspection, that they needed to check if there was someone in the age for military service who was escaping it. My appa tried to tell them that I was much younger than the minimum age, but probably because of my looks never helped, or maybe because they simply couldn't care less, they didn't even listen and forced me to go with them." He makes a short pause. "They didn't take just me, but all the other boys of the village. Beside me and an half-auriold boy, all the others were humans." It suddenly starts to rain, out of nowhere. A second before it was sunny.
"Unlike it should be, we weren't brought to be visited by physicians, they just teleported us all away to a place far. It must have been quite North, since the other boys were shaking in cold.
We weren't even given uniforms, they just pushed us all inside a barely standing barricade, leading to a desolation of broken men. Auriold who could barely stand on their own feet. Very few of them, more of us." He clenches his free fist so tight when saying that.
MinHo shuts his eyes, quite sickened by the matter already. The rain turns into a very bad storm. "How did it go? How did you... manage to return?"
"Everyone died."
"Everyone...?"
HoSeok sits up, with his gaze lost in some very dreadful memory. "Every. Single. One." He shuts his eyes. "Talu got killed by wolves while getting wood for the camp. They ripped him to shreds..." He shivers. "AhnSeok, YeoSul, MinShik and FanMi froze to death. YoonSeo, Chun and Tao starved to death. XiYun, HaoRi, Siun, FeiDo, PyoSuk, NaOn, JiWu, TaeYan, EunGom, RoShin, SeoHwa, JoRyeo, KaRon, SaHwan... they all died in the missions they were sent to." Lightinings start to fall like crazy.
Boo takes a very long break and starts to cry before saying the next name. "JayQi... he... got executed... for trying to run away... they cut his head off... he was begging and crying, he only wanted to live... th-they killed someone just because he didn't want to die..." he sobs, finding it hard to control himself. "He was only 11 years old..." And he was his half-auriold friend.
MinHo looks totally devastated by the tale. "How did it end...?" he murmurs, struggling not to cry himself.
"The northern attacked the camp. I managed to run away. I was the only one left... of over 30 boys they took from our village..." He takes a breath. "Nobody came to look for me to punish me for my disertion, since they didn't bother to even just write our names up somewhere... because it didn't matter... we weren't supposed to be remembered... just serve our purposes..." He sobs for some time. "And now they have come to take me again, after moving here..."
After trying to comfort Boo a little, MinHo walks out of the dormitory and approaches JaeMinJong, still training the boys under that bad storm. "Recruit Choi shouldn't continue the training for today. In truth, I'll see for him to suspend the military service as soon as possible. You'll hear from the Ministry." He actually can't promise that, but he sure would like to get Boo out of any military organization.
*Anyone could have heard them talking in the dorm.
Life.
The reason why they never met him in Mortian's home was that he was kept in the Royal Castle as a political hostage.
The King tried to use him to pressure the Emperor, threaten and blackmail him.
At one point, the King was determined to kill MinHo and send his head to the Emperor. Mortian wasn't of the same opinion and the end that ended up rolling on the floor was that of the King.
Mortian rose to the throne right away, and actually nobody questioned or blamed him for his kingslaying. On the contrary, the whole court seemed to be on the side of the new King even before he became one.
With Mortian on the throne, sending MinHo back was only a matter of coming up with a formality and it was easy to get: the eastern still had Meredith, Mortian's mother.
The exchange was made from both sides without any complications, Meredith was gladly taken back and MinHo, as well as QinShi, were sent back to their homeland.
MinHo was bitter from the start about the fact the others seemed to have forgotten about his little brother when they left Heinmenhos and for that reason, after returning to Xhuanghen, he didn't even contact Haru and the others, didn't return to the ruins ever. Instead, he moved to live with TianSi, in the huge manor in the countryside where he and his closest consorts went.
Needless to say, when the Emperor told him about the combined marriage with Tero, he was utterly angry and unwilling, but dared not to contest the decision of the Emperor.
He is now 19 years old and is working as a high ranked member of the Ministry of Justice. (He is not the Minister himself but could become eventually.)
He still lives with his grandfather and is taking care of QinShi with them (who is 5 right now.).
While not daring to annoy the Emperor about it, he keeps pressuring Tero about giving up on that nonsense combined marriage.
The King tried to use him to pressure the Emperor, threaten and blackmail him.
At one point, the King was determined to kill MinHo and send his head to the Emperor. Mortian wasn't of the same opinion and the end that ended up rolling on the floor was that of the King.
Mortian rose to the throne right away, and actually nobody questioned or blamed him for his kingslaying. On the contrary, the whole court seemed to be on the side of the new King even before he became one.
With Mortian on the throne, sending MinHo back was only a matter of coming up with a formality and it was easy to get: the eastern still had Meredith, Mortian's mother.
The exchange was made from both sides without any complications, Meredith was gladly taken back and MinHo, as well as QinShi, were sent back to their homeland.
MinHo was bitter from the start about the fact the others seemed to have forgotten about his little brother when they left Heinmenhos and for that reason, after returning to Xhuanghen, he didn't even contact Haru and the others, didn't return to the ruins ever. Instead, he moved to live with TianSi, in the huge manor in the countryside where he and his closest consorts went.
Needless to say, when the Emperor told him about the combined marriage with Tero, he was utterly angry and unwilling, but dared not to contest the decision of the Emperor.
He is now 19 years old and is working as a high ranked member of the Ministry of Justice. (He is not the Minister himself but could become eventually.)
He still lives with his grandfather and is taking care of QinShi with them (who is 5 right now.).
While not daring to annoy the Emperor about it, he keeps pressuring Tero about giving up on that nonsense combined marriage.