To the stage of the deciding battle

 
 
 ☆
 
 
 The discussions were reopened.
 
 Of the prosecution’s pieces of evidence placed upon the stand, only one remained.
 
 [It] was covered with a white cloth to maintain confidentiality during the discussions.
 
 If we can’t show a link between the duke and the dragons’ assault with this, our efforts up till now would have been all for nought.
 
 A decisive piece of evidence that the prosecution… no, that [we] will present.
 
 ——— right.
 
 It was that broken magic communications device.
 
 
 ☆
 
 
 Graham-nii-sama surveyed the assembly hall.
 
 ”As evidence that the defendant had ties with a foreign country, the prosecution presents this piece of evidence.”
 
 My brother took off the cloth covering it on the desk.
 
 There lay the exposed magic communications device ——— the main body, the telegraph key, the speaker, and the Mistreel wires wrapped around the wooden frame.
 Furthermore, next to that lay a notebook and several bundles of paper.
 
 THe judge, not to mention nearly everyone else in the assembly hall as well, tilted their heads at the sight.
 
 As for the Duke’s expression, it was the same as ever.
 
 Except for just a moment.
 It seemed like he took a big breath.
 
 ”…Hmm. So what is that?”
 
 In response to the judge’s question, my brother begins to speak.
 
 ”This here is the [mysterious magic tool] seized at the Duke’s mansion the day after the incident. Upon finding it, the magic circuit board inside was damaged, and was found to be in an unusable state.”
 
 ”A mysterious magic tool, eh? But how in the world can a broken thing, which we don’t even know what it is, be used as evidence?”
 
 ”The prosecution would like to make clear what exactly this magic tool is right here and now, and using that result, would like to prove the accused of the crime, is that alright?”
 
 ”Objection!”
 
 The moment my brother mentioned his suggestion, the advocate yelled out in objection.
 
 
 
 ”I really don’t get why you have to do things in such a roundabout manner… it just baffles me. If it truly was a [decisive piece of evidence], it should have been obvious to anyone at a glance. To complicate the story by calling it an [experiment] or whatever, I can’t help but suspect that you’re trying to befuddle everyone here!!”
 
 A counterattack after a long while.
 
 But if it’s only that much, Graham-nii-sama won’t be intimidated.
 
 ”Objection.”
 
 My brother calmly voiced his objection.
 
 ”This here magic tool has already been repaired, and restored, and is in working condition. But similar to the magic power transmitter that was mentioned earlier, this here magic tool also makes use of magic power which is imperceptible to people. In order to facilitate an intuitive understanding, the prosecution has decided it would be best to show its use in practice.”
 
 My brother thereupon turned his head, and looked this way.
 
 ——— our gazes met.
 
 I nodded.
 
 My brother turned back to the judge.
 
 
 ”The prosecution requests that Leticia Ainsworth, who was in charge of the restoration, be recalled as a witness, for the purpose of conducting and explaining a demonstration of this piece of evidence!”
 
 
 Once more, the assembly hall shook.
 
 
 ☆
 
 
 ”Letty, do your best!”
 
 ”Just be yourself.”
 
 Hubert-nii-sama and Otou-sama cheered me on.
 I nodded and smiled with a [yes], before leaving the visitor’s gallery.
 
 As I went down to the court, I heard various voices coming from here and there in the assembly hall.
 
 (“Did she repair that piece of evidence as well?”)
 
 (“She must be a genius, huh?”)
 
 (“No. You probably can’t explain it as being a simple [genius] anymore. ——— [The sweet goddess of magic^[1], descends upon the courtroom]. Alright. For tomorrow’s headline, we’ll go with that!”)
 
 ”Huh?!”
 
 Startled, I turned back and faced the visitor’s gallery.
 
 Just now, I thought I heard something absurd…
 
 ”Letty?”
 
 Graham-nii-sama, who was leading me by my hand, looked back at me.
 
 ”Uh, no, it’s nothing.”
 
 Seeing me like that, my brother burst out laughing.
 
 ”I think I’ll buy a few copies of tomorrow’s paper, cut them out and frame them, hm.”
 
 ”Hey, I thought you didn’t hear that, Onii-sama!”
 
 ”Haha! ——— Now, let’s go, Letty. It’s the final battle.”
 
 ”Yes!!”
 
 And so, we went up to the stage of the deciding battle.
 
 
 ☆
 
 
 While the officials prepared the [experiment], I began the explanation of the piece of evidence.
 
 ”As the prosecutor explained earlier, when I first saw this here magic tool, the internal magic circuit had been burnt out. ——— however, this damage did not occur naturally due to time-related deterioration. It was artificially caused by pressing a [self-destruct switch] on the back of the main unit.”
 
 In response to my explanation, the crowd in the assembly hall gasped or began murmuring.
 
 ”In other words, someone deliberately destroyed it, is what you’re saying?”
 
 ”Yes. The likelihood that [someone who knew of the self-destruct switch on the back of the main unit] had turned on the switch and damaged the magic tool [with the intention of destroying evidence] is likely.”
 
 As I answered the judge’s question, immediately, the advocate raised his voice.
 
 ”Irrelevant! There should also be the possibility of a maid accidentally pressing the switch while cleaning. Besides, though you say the switch on the back is a [self-destruct switch], it’s no more than your personal opinion. Let’s have you stop saying irresponsible things!!”
 
 With the advocate falsely accusing me in a fluster, the people in the assembly hall focused their suspecting gazes upon him.
 
 My brother then retorted.
 
 ”The Royal Magic Armoury’s^[2] opinion on the [self-destruct switch] just mentioned is that it is [presumed to be a switch for destroying the magic circuit board]. Here is the written opinion.”
 
 ”… I see. It certainly is written so. I acknowledge the prosecution’s claim.”
 
 The advocate grit his teeth at the judge’s ruling.
 However, it wasn’t over yet.
 
 
 
 I glanced at the advocate, and looked, then asked Graham-nii a question.
 
 ”In the first place, would a magic tool with such high confidentiality that it was designed with a [self-destruct switch] really be left in a place where a maid could carelessly press it while cleaning?”
 
 ”No. The aforementioned magic tool was placed in the Duke’s treasury found in the basement of the mansion. Those who have the key would only be the Duke, some relatives, and the butler. This is according to the Duke’s own testimony.”
 
 The assembly hall’s gaze was then focused on Duke Oswell in the defendant’s seat.
 
 The Duke’s expression was unchanging, and he just sat there like an ornament.
 
 My brother then cut in.
 
 ”I would certainly like the defendant to explain in his own words what exactly this magic tool is.”
 
 That one sentence was the trigger.
 
 ”𝙵𝚞𝚌𝚔 off! You bastards from a lowly Family forcibly broke into the Duke’s mansion, and went and confiscated things of your own accord, didn’t you!! Why should the Duke———”
 
 The Duke grabbed the indignant attorney’s shoulder from behind.
 And then, said a word or two.
 
 ”B-, but…”
 
 The Duke then told the persistent attorney something again.
 
 ”U-, understood…”
 
 Blue in the face, the advocate falls back.
 
 The Duke glanced this way, and turned to the judge’s direction.
 Then he spoke.
 
 
 ”From this point on, I shall conduct my own defence.”
 
 
 ———at last, we’ve dragged out the mastermind.
 

TL Notes:

[1]I’m bothered that JP has two different ways of writing “magic”. In case it’s necessary for context later, as well as a general explanation, the term used here is normally differentiated as “sorcery” instead, and this same “sorcery” term is what is used when talking about magic tools (meaning magic tools are actually “sorcery tools”). The JP word I assume to be explicitly for “magic” is used when talking about spells, which I have tried translating as such previously (see ch24 and co.). Hopefully I can continue doing so without needing to resort to using the word “sorcery” ↩

[2]previously translated as the Royal Magic Armament ↩