She tried to straighten herself and look proud as she accused the child of the plane.
"On the day 47th of the year 4th in the 13027th origin cycle of the sage calendar, you Soverick Ghastorix killed 11,289 transcendents and more. You injured 2,018 lords of law, and injured 453 kings of law."
Then she became silent. All the transcendents that came to challenge him that day died. Some lords of law also died but no kings of law died.
Soverick smiled and asked. "What is my offense?"
He asked her to state her grievances and she began talking of his kill count. So what? What does it matter that he killed that many people on that day? Is that day a holiday and the racial council said no one must kill on that day?
What offense has he committed? He would very much like to know. Or is she helping him in boosting? If that is the case then he doesn't need her help. He is already proud of himself and he doesn't need external assistance to raise his ego. He might just burst from having too much ego.
She continued. This time she spoke with more confidence, "Such casual murder is unbecoming of the child of the plane. I find it callous and heartless. The child of the plane should not act like that."
They both know that she is half to blame for what happened that day. She might not know that he knows. He does know but he won't point fingers. He won't shift blame because there is nothing to blame. Trying to shift blame means there is something to be blamed for.
He doesn't feel that he has done anything wrong in killing those people. And he won't blame the person who used those people as bait to draw him out to kill him and who is currently using their death to besmirch him. Everyone can do whatever they want. That includes killing thousands without care.
So he said, "I see.
Then he asked with undisguised disdain. "But so what? What are you going to do about it?" I think you should take a look at
On what ground do they even dare to judge him? Those that will judge must have power over the ones that they judge. He has all the power here so who will dare to assume themselves worthy of judging him?
It will be another thing if the first sage is the one berating him for how he acted that day. He will have to listen in that case. It will be another thing entirely if the first sage himself had not killed thousands of battle sage monkeys himself. What he did will be unprecedented in that case.
All those things didn't happen. But some unknown lady that he can snap like a twig is so full of themselves as to judge him. He didn't say anything about what the sage did or didn't do. He just made sure to let it known through his mental transmissions that he is not sorry and he will not apologize for his actions.
He made his feelings known. Within them are his thoughts about the threat of her judgment. He let everyone know that she can bring on whatever it is she thinks she can use to reprimand him. He is ready to accept the consequences of his actions. And he smiled through it all. It is not feigned calmness. He is truly calm and amused.
Lady Amari tried not to frown but her body shifted uncomfortably. She is not comfortable being put in the spotlight like this. The stares of people as they all look at her are like a burden on her emotions. But that is the least of her current problems. This was not the way that things were supposed to go. She had poisoned the mind of others and arrayed them to fight Soverick. They were supposed to fight and not engage in chit-chat.
From what she knows, Soverick has always been a warrior of little words and more actions. He doesn't speak much. He just acts and lets his actions speak for themselves. That's how he convinced millions of Vitality core stage refiners to follow him into battle. He crushed the bickering leaders and broke the will of others to resist. She expected that, not this exchange of rhetoric.
This conversation is making her look like a fool. It is making her reason for assembling her opposition seem foolish but she has to continue. Because if she does not, Soverick would have proven his point. And yet, she is smart enough to know that she is being manipulated. She will get what she wants but it will not be in the way she wants it or envisioned it. A fight might still happen but she will have lost her moral high ground. So she tried to regain that superiority.
She gestured at the people around them and said, "That is what we are here for. We are here to judge you. It is the people that give you your power as the child of the plane and it is the people that must show you the errors of your ways."
She appealed to the pride and ego within everyone listening to her. She made it seem like they are all important as opposed to Soverick's imperious gaze as he looks down on them. She is trying to Stoke their indignance at his behavior and turn public opinion against him. Public opinion is the weapon that she can wield readily. It is also the right weapon to wield if she is to damage Soverick's image and prestige.
Soverick clapped excitedly and said to her. "That is right. This is jungle justice. I like it. Might make right. I have done something you don't like and you have assembled your might in the form of a mob in hopes that it will make me see the error of my ways. I quite like that. Let's do it then."