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Chapter 90: Failure Followed Them—Redemption Beside the Detective
しおりを挟む
Back at the harbor…
Ryo stared at the Amulet of Warding in his hand.
Now he questioned himself—would this relic be able to wake the victims of the cursed perfume?
He remembered that Madam Rosalind’s staff from her store in Evendelle had said the perfume was made by a distiller from Rosenthorn. But Carabosse had mentioned her grandmother… and that Petyr had helped create it.
It didn’t matter anymore.
He didn’t want to think about it.
What mattered was the present.
Right now, waking the racers trapped in cursed sleep was the priority.
Ryo was about to place it around one of the racers’ necks, but then he paused. There was something else he remembered—some of these racers might be the ones responsible for injuring Hamaestro’s paws.
Which meant he didn’t want to lift the curse on all of them just yet.
He needed to find out who was behind the incident first.
Ryo turned and explained his intention to Dodo, his men, Viking Fish, Viking Frog, and White Rabbit. He told them he wanted to identify who had thrown the barrel that injured Hamaestro. They immediately perked up, agreeing it was a good idea—but they also pointed out the obvious problem.
It would be extremely difficult to identify the culprit while all the suspects were asleep.
Ryo assured them not to worry. As a detective, finding the truth—even from silent or sleeping culprits—was part of his job.
He then approached the medical team and informed them that he needed time to investigate the sleeping racers. The medical staff hesitated, insisting that all victims required immediate treatment. Ryo countered by pointing out something they hadn’t fully considered.
The racers who were asleep showed only minor injuries—bruises and light impacts, likely from the rough conditions or snow shots during the Caucus Race. Meanwhile, the critically injured racers were fully awake and responsive.
The medical team examined both groups again and realized he was right.
And they stepped back.
Ryo walked forward and stopped directly in front of the line of sleeping racers, scanning each one carefully.
Everyone watched him, curious about what special detective technique he was about to use.
What he did next seemed almost mundane.
Ryo glanced at the pockets of each sleeping racer and noticed something. Every single one of them had a distinct lump in their pocket.
Smartphones.
Knowing that nearly everyone in Wonderland carried one, Ryo instructed the medical team to remove the phones from each racer’s pocket.
When asked why, he explained that coordinating an attack like the one on Hamaestro would be easiest through messaging. It allowed planning without risk of being overheard.
White Rabbit pointed out that they could have met face to face in secret instead, questioning the need for messages at all.
Ryo didn’t answer immediately. Instead, he scanned the teams again and pointed out a detail they had overlooked.
Each team consisted of members who clearly weren’t from the same realm.
In every group, there was at least one person of a different origin.
That observation caught everyone off guard.
Still, Dodo questioned how that explained the messaging.
Ryo clarified that since each participant might have been in their own realm before arriving in Mydrovith, messaging would have been the only way to coordinate plans—likely days in advance of taking action. Face-to-face meetings wouldn’t have been possible unless the suspects were willing to travel long distances, since Wonderland was vast.
To confirm this, Ryo asked Dodo’s men where they had been prior to the race.
They confirmed that all the racers—as well as themselves—had arrived from their respective realms early this morning. No one had come the day before. Preparations only began after everyone’s arrival on this day to ensure fairness.
The realization settled in.
Ryo’s deduction suddenly made complete sense.
The medical team took the phones from every pocket and began examining them, scrolling through the messages team by team—until they reached the final group.
What they found made everyone freeze.
The messages clearly discussed wanting to eliminate Hamaestro from Dodo’s team. They expressed jealousy and resentment, complaining that it was unfair Dodo’s team consistently remained in the top three of every Caucus Race.
Further messages detailed several plans: pushing Hamaestro into the frozen lake, temporarily kidnapping him, and finally settling on what they believed was the most subtle and effective option—injuring his paw with a barrel before the race began.
The very thing that had already happened.
Rage erupted among Dodo and his men. They were ready to lash out at the perpetrators immediately.
Ryo stopped them.
He insisted that the matter be handed over to proper law enforcement… if this realm even has one. Viking Fish confirmed that Mydrovith did indeed have such a force—the Shield Wardens.
Ryo nodded, satisfied.
Only then did he finally turn back to the sleeping racers and lift the Amulet of Warding.
He carefully placed it around an innocent racer’s neck as a test.
Almost instantly, the man’s eyes fluttered open. His body slowly drifted downward until his back met the ground.
The amulet worked.
Even Ryo hadn’t expected such a clean result. There were no flashes, no dramatic effects—just a quiet awakening.
Ryo instructed the medical team that he would awaken the innocent racers first and leave the perpetrators for last. They agreed.
The medical staff informed everyone that both the awakened racers and the critically injured would be transported immediately to Mydrovith’s medical sector.
Ryo removed the amulet from the awakened man and proceeded to repeat the process, one racer at a time. Each floated down, awakened, and was escorted away.
Soon, the harbor was quiet again.
Only one group remained.
The perpetrators.
Still floating.
Still asleep.
The Shield Wardens were then called in, and they arrived without delay.
Before using the amulet on them, Ryo stated that he needed to question the perpetrators before they were taken away. To ensure they could not escape, he instructed the Shield Wardens to tie up all five of them. Once he had finished questioning them, they would be taken into custody.
The Shield Wardens carried out the order immediately. All five perpetrators were tightly bound with ropes while they were still snoring, completely unaware of what was happening.
Then Ryo stepped forward and placed the amulet onto each of them one by one. After he was done, he pocketed the amulet.
The perpetrators slowly descended from their hovering positions. As they touched the ground in a seated position, their eyes began to open. Their vision was blurry at first, shapes and silhouettes blending together, but gradually it cleared.
And when it did, their eyes widened.
They were surrounded by people glaring at them with intense hatred in their eyes.
Still tied up and slightly panicking, the perpetrators asked what was going on.
Ryo told them they were about to get arrested.
That only made them panic even more.
They demanded to know why they would be arrested.
Ryo explained that they were being suspected of injuring Hamaestro’s paw by throwing a barrel at him.
The perpetrators felt as though they had been busted. For a brief moment, the tension showed on their faces. But they quickly pretended to be angry instead, loudly demanding proof of their crimes. With smug expressions, they declared that they were confident in their innocence, internally assuming that no evidence had been found.
But unfortunately for them, the evidence had already been obvious before they even woke up.
Ryo told the medical team to present the perpetrators’ smartphones. On the screens were their messages — conversations filled with jealousy toward Dodo’s team and clear plans to take Hamaestro out of the race.
That was more than enough proof of their guilt.
The culprits froze.
They could not come up with any excuses or tactics.
With no way out, they gave up.
With that, the Shield Wardens pulled them away by the ropes binding them. The five would be imprisoned for committing unfair acts and deliberately harming another racer.
Dodo and his men thanked Ryo for his help and suggested that he join their team on a permanent basis.
Ryo chuckled and explained that he could not linger in Wonderland forever. His role as Alice’s defense attorney was far more important than being a permanent Caucus Racer. He preferred to remain in the Upper World—in Japan—once his work in this kingdom was over.
Viking Fish and Viking Frog then pointed out that it was now 6:30 PM. They suggested that everyone visit Hamaestro now and told Ryo and White Rabbit that they could go to the Citadel later, when it was closer to 8 PM.
Dodo and his men gasped and immediately asked if Hamaestro was okay.
Viking Fish and Viking Frog reassured them that Hamaestro was fine. His treatment had been successful. His paw was wrapped neatly in linen bandages, and he was fully awake.
Dodo declared that they should visit him immediately.
And so they all headed straight toward the medical sector.
As they walked, Ryo rolled his eyes. White Rabbit asked why he was making that expression all of a sudden, even though he had seen it a few times before.
Ryo replied that ever since a certain cat had granted his wish, he had been flying through the sky far too often in all three of his strange cases. First, it was on a magic carpet with a man named Aladdin. Then it was on Santa’s sleigh with the Fairy Greatmother. And today, it was on a Viking ship pulled by the Snow Gryphon.
Flying, it seemed, had become an unavoidable routine for him.
White Rabbit chuckled and said he understood how the Snow Gryphon might be the strangest part, but he still found it hard to believe that Ryo had met Aladdin and this Fairy Godmother—with a different name.
Ryo was baffled by that response.
To him, having a talking storybook rabbit as a client instead of a human was the weirdest part of all, so he told White Rabbit to sing in a future Broadway show to see what was truly weirder.
Eventually, they arrived at the medical sector. It was filled with longhouses marked with large plus signs to indicate they were medical facilities.
They all entered one of the longhouses, where they were told where Hamaestro was. It was warmer inside, the air thick with the scent of herbs and clean linen. The interior was filled with critically injured racers lying on sickbeds, attended by medical staff moving quickly between them. Those with minor injuries were treated swiftly and allowed to leave almost immediately.
The group made their way toward Hamaestro’s sickbed.
Then Hamaestro saw them and perked up, relieved to see that his team was safe. Dodo and his men were just as happy to see that Hamaestro was doing well, and they asked how his paws were healing.
Hamaestro replied that they were fine. The recovery would take about two months, but he would be leaving in a few days. He added that he would be ready for the next Caucus once he was fully recovered.
Ryo felt a flicker of worry as he thought, “I hope you all can make it to the next Caucus Race in three months… but that depends on me defeating the Queen of Hearts’ Crown Prosecutors in the final trial four days from now…”
Because he feared that if he failed in the final trial, not only would Alice be executed, but executions in Wonderland would resume one by one—perhaps at an even faster pace. The Queen had sounded pent-up and restless, as though she had gone without her “playful” executions for far too long, especially after half of the Central Hub had been destroyed—something he had heard from Ra and from the radio that exploded on the bridge to Olyndora.
Then Hamaestro turned his head toward Ryo and gazed down, looking a bit awkward.
“Surface Man…” he said, glancing back up at him. “Thank you—for stepping in and taking over my role as strategist in the race. If it weren’t for you… I don’t know what would have become of my team.”
Ryo blinked, not expecting such sincerity from the hamster.
He smiled. “Glad I could help… though the race turned into a complete disaster.”
Then, more bluntly, he added, “And honestly? I’d rather not take part in anymore beyond-crazy races. I’m a detective—currently acting as Alice’s defense attorney—not a permanent member of Wonderland. And definitely not a sportsman.”
“As a reward, I shall give you tickets to a Bollywood festival taking place in Ashvanyara the evening after tomorrow!” Hamaestro said proudly.
He then pulled two tickets from within his fur and handed them to Ryo.
“It’s going to be an exciting festival! Bollywood artists from throughout my realm will be performing in grand singing and dancing events. It will be so much fun!”
The tickets were simple cream cards bordered in soft gold, decorated with delicate paisley patterns and tiny playing-card hearts in each corner.
Ryo examined them, then groaned sarcastically. “This is perfect. Exactly what I needed. Watching a Bollywood musical in the middle of a murder investigation. A totally normal development. And since I’ll already be in Ashvanyara in two days, this is totally not a coincidence at all.”
Hamaestro, not catching the sarcasm, looked immensely proud.
Ryo thought he might not need them—but who knows? He might eventually need them to gain access to places in Ashvanyara that were otherwise inaccessible for further investigation.
As he slipped them into his pocket, something else caught his attention.
A patient on a bed beside Hamaestro’s looked completely out of place.
The figure had a crocodile head with green scales and golden eyes, and a muscular human body wrapped in a dark green skirt with a gold belt, a Nile-blue sash crossing his chest. He had no tail—actually, it looked as if it had been cut off. Bruises marked his face, and he groaned faintly in pain.
Seated beside him was a tall man who also seemed out of place. He had a thick black beard, short black hair, and wore a charcoal wool tunic belted at the waist, along with a dark cloak fastened by an iron brooch. He looked deeply worried for the crocodile-headed patient.
“Why do these two remind me of figures I’ve read about in stories before?” Ryo wondered.
Ryo informed his group that he would be questioning someone. They told him to take his time. Viking Fish and Viking Frog bid everyone goodnight and departed, saying they needed to leave. White Rabbit, however, chose to accompany Ryo.
Ryo walked around Hamaestro’s bed and stopped before the two unusual figures.
“Excuse me,” he said, “you two don’t look like participants of the Caucus Race. May I ask who you both are?”
White Rabbit’s eyes widened in recognition.
“Sir…” he whispered, “these two are…”
Ryo glanced at him. “You know them?”
White Rabbit nodded. “The tall man… is Tyr.”
He then looked at the patient. “And this patient… is Sobek… who once represented Alice as her defense attorney.”
Ryo’s breath caught.
Now that he looked carefully, recognition struck instantly. In myth, Tyr was the god of law, and Sobek the god of justice.
And if Sobek had once been Alice’s defense attorney… then he must have been harmed by the Queen of Hearts after losing his trial.
Since Sobek originated from Egyptian mythology, Ryo assumed he was from the Ekhropolis realm, while Tyr belonged here in Mydrovith.
Sobek slowly opened his eyes and turned his head toward White Rabbit.
“C-c-chronos…” he muttered weakly.
White Rabbit suddenly dropped in a dramatic bow, his voice breaking as he offered an anguished apology.
“I’M SO SORRY, SIR SOBEK! I AM TRULY, DEEPLY SORRY FOR GETTING YOU INVOLVED IN ALICE’S MATTER! YOU STOOD IN HER DEFENSE DESPITE KNOWING THE TRIAL WAS RIGGED FROM THE START! YOU FACED THE QUEEN’S CROWN PROSECUTOR, WHO DID NOTHING BUT MOCK YOU AND ALICE WITH CHILDISH WORDPLAY WHILE TWISTING THE COURTROOM INTO A CIRCUS! AND AFTER YOU LOST — AFTER YOU DID EVERYTHING YOU COULD — THE QUEEN SLICED YOUR TAIL OFF AS IF IT WERE A TOY TO BE DISCARDED!
YOU DID NOT DESERVE THAT! YOU VOLUNTEERED OUT OF COURAGE, OUT OF BELIEF IN FAIRNESS, AND OUT OF JUSTICE! AND INSTEAD, YOU WERE HUMILIATED, MAIMED, AND LEFT TO SUFFER!
IF ONLY YOU HAD NOT STEPPED FORWARD WHEN ANUBIS NEEDED A DEFENSE ATTORNEY… IF ONLY YOU HADN’T TAKEN THAT BURDEN UPON YOURSELF… YOU WOULD HAVE BEEN SAFE! YOU WOULD HAVE BEEN WHOLE!
THIS IS MY FAULT — I BROUGHT THIS UPON YOU BY GUIDING ALICE THROUGHOUT THE REALMS IN WONDERLAND, ONLY FOR HER TO GET FRAMED! I DRAGGED YOU INTO THAT COURTROOM OF MADNESS!”
Getting his tail sliced after losing a trial?
Ryo began to wonder what the unfortunate fate had been for the other three attorneys who had defended Alice and lost, besides Sobek and Höðr.
Sobek whispered weakly, “stop… raise your head, Chronos…”
White Rabbit slowly lifted his head.
“It truly does not matter…” Sobek continued. “It really… does not matter whether I represented Alice or not.”
He struggled but managed to sit up.
“Citizens of Wonderland would have met their end regardless if no one stepped forward to oppose the Queen and her Crown Prosecutor — even though we all knew the trial was rigged.”
“Were you forced into being Alice’s attorney?” Ryo asked quietly.
Sobek shook his head.
“No… I volunteered. I knew I had no chance. I had seen everything—how that prosecutor, Petyr Pann, toys with words, mocks Alice, and twists the courtroom into something absurd and childish. I presented concrete evidence—the CCTV footage of Alice happily exploring Wonderland before she was wrongly accused. All five of us, the defending attorneys, did the same. And yet… we still lost. And as I said… it does not matter. People are bound to be executed by the Queen through her playful spectacles.”
Tyr suddenly spoke. “I should have volunteered too…”
Ryo turned to him. “Aren’t you one of the attorneys who refused to defend Alice and fled to the Central Hub along with the others from the legal sectors of all realms? I recall that Höðr was the only one here in Mydrovith who represented her—and failed—which caused the others to fear stepping forward. So why say you should have volunteered? You had every right to run. I don’t blame you. That ruthless Queen blinded Höðr after he lost.”
Tyr clenched his fists and slammed them onto his knees.
“IT WAS A HUMILIATION!” he roared.
The entire longhouse fell silent. Medical staff and patients stared in shock.
Ryo whispered urgently, “Easy, old man — no need to cause a scene!”
But Tyr continued, his voice shaking with fury and grief.
“I WAS ONCE A PROUD ATTORNEY OF THE MYDROVITH REALM! I STOOD IN CASES WHERE INNOCENT MEN WERE DRAGGED IN CHAINS AND WALKED OUT FREE BECAUSE I FOUGHT FOR THEM! I DEFENDED FATHERS ACCUSED OF TREASON, MOTHERS FRAMED FOR CRIMES THEY DID NOT COMMIT, AND SONS AND DAUGHTERS SILENCED BY THE POWERFUL! I PROTECTED ENTIRE FAMILIES FROM BEING TORN APART BY ALMOST FALSE VERDICTS—VERDICTS THAT SHOULD HAVE CONDEMNED THE INNOCENT!
I CHALLENGED CORRUPT OFFICIALS! I EXPOSED FABRICATED EVIDENCE! I STOOD BEFORE THOSE WHO THOUGHT THEMSELVES UNTOUCHABLE AND MADE THEM ANSWER TO THE LAW!
I DEFENDED THE WEAK WHEN THEY HAD NO VOICE! I RESTORED HONOR TO THOSE WHO HAD BEEN SHAMED! I FOUGHT SO THAT RIGHTEOUSNESS WOULD NOT BE A MERE WORD, BUT A LIVING PRINCIPLE!”
His chest heaved.
“I DID ALL THIS IN BOTH THE UPPER WORLD AND HERE IN WONDERLAND’S MYDROVITH REALM! HOWEVER… WE ALL FEARED THAT RUTHLESS QUEEN! WE FEARED BEING DISCARDED BACK INTO OUR EXTINCTION ERA! MY FEAR CONSUMED ME AFTER MY STUDENT, HÖÐR, LOST HIS TRIAL AND WAS BLINDED BY HER HAND!”
Ryo stared. “You’re… his mentor?”
Tyr’s voice cracked.
“Yes… though we may be of similar age, he was my student. I taught him never to run from challenges—even when the odds were impossible. I taught him to stand firm when justice demanded it.
And he… listened.
He volunteered to defend Alice because of my teachings. And when he lost… he paid the price.
I SHOULD HAVE REPRESENTED HER AFTER HIM EVEN WHEN LORD THOR THREATENED THE LEGAL SECTOR TO REPRESENT HER! I SHOULD HAVE TAKEN THE BURDEN MYSELF!
I ONCE PREACHED COURAGE… AND WHEN THE TIME CAME FOR ME TO PROVE IT, I RAN!
I ABANDONED MY OWN PRINCIPLES! I RAN AFTER MY STUDENT SUFFERED! I LET FEAR DICTATE MY ACTIONS!
WHAT KIND OF MENTOR TEACHES BRAVERY BUT EMBRACES COWARDICE?
WHAT KIND OF ATTORNEY SPEAKS OF RIGHTEOUSNESS BUT FLEES WHEN RIGHTEOUSNESS DEMANDS SACRIFICE?
I AM A FAILURE!!!!!”
His voice broke as he lowered his head, pressing his fingers against his forehead in anguish.
Sobek placed a gentle hand on Tyr’s shoulder. “Are you finally able to let it all out, my friend?”
Tyr nodded slowly, his head still bowed, the tension in him gradually loosening.
Ryo then asked them to explain everything in more detail — and to clarify what their relationship was with each other.
Sobek explained that he and Tyr were close friends. Just like Tyr, Sobek was also a mentor who trained others to become promising defense attorneys. He believed in nurturing advocates who would stand firm in the face of injustice, just as Tyr did in Mydrovith.
Ryo then asked how Sobek could possibly be a mentor within the Ekhropolis realm’s legal sector when that realm had only existed for two months.
Sobek explained that before he entered Wonderland through a rabbit hole, he had been a scribe in ancient Egypt, in the Fayoum Oasis of Crocodilopolis around 2686 BCE. While his main job was keeping records, he also acted like a lawyer in many ways — learning how trials worked, keeping careful records of what witnesses said, organizing arguments clearly, and understanding the usual ways courts operated. When he arrived in Wonderland’s Ekhropolis realm, he quickly adapted this old knowledge to modern legal systems, studying the law and learning how to use it in new ways.
He further explained that in the Upper World, he had students who were also scribes. He trained them in legal reasoning alongside their traditional lessons. When the era of their extinction approached, those students followed him into Wonderland to escape it — and they continued their legal education within Ekhropolis.
Ryo then asked why Sobek and Tyr were now in the Mydrovith realm, since he clearly remembered meeting people from every realm’s legal sector in the Central Hub.
This time, Tyr lifted his head and gestured toward Sobek’s bruised face.
There were visible bruises across Sobek’s scaled cheeks.
Tyr explained that after fleeing to the Central Hub to avoid being forced into serving as Alice’s defense attorneys by their ruler, they had hoped to live quietly there. But earlier today, while walking through the hub, they encountered two blighted deities — Agnar and Nezha.
Those two had begun beating Sobek for their own amusement.
Tyr added bitterly that Sobek should have allowed him to fight those deities as well.
Sobek interrupted him calmly, stating that if he hadn’t taken the beating alone, both of them might have been critically injured while killing was temporarily forbidden.
Ryo could hardly believe what he was hearing; it sounded more like outright bullying.
He asked what had led to the assault.
Tyr explained that while they were walking through the Central Hub, the two blighted deities approached them and demanded that Sobek allow himself to be beaten while they recorded it on camera. The footage, they said, was to be sent to the Queen of Hearts — at her request.
Ryo felt his expression darken and thought, “That’s just going too far.”
Sobek explained that this was precisely why they had come to Mydrovith’s medical sector — to receive treatment for the injuries.
Ryo then asked whether it felt awkward returning to this realm after fleeing to the Central Hub, and if survival was their goal, shouldn’t they have sided with the Queen of Hearts to protect themselves, just like everyone else who had moved to the hub?
Tyr answered that fortunately, White Queen Frigg had granted them access to Mydrovith.
Unlike Thor, who had been overwhelmed and constantly overthinking Alice’s safety, Frigg, after taking his place as ruler, was far more composed. She did not pressure anyone to stand as Alice’s defense attorney, knowing full well that participating in a rigged system was futile. She even had the guards at the entrance welcome Sobek when Tyr accompanied him here.
Sobek then asked why Ryo was here. Ryo dropped the bombshell, telling them that he was here as Alice’s new defense attorney for the final trial. Sobek and Tyr gasped—they couldn’t believe what they had just heard and told Ryo that he was insane.
Ryo responded with an awkward chuckle, explaining that he had been hired by White Rabbit. Then his gaze sharpened as he told the two that he wasn’t the type to leave a child to die, even if the odds were against him.
That statement alone made Sobek and Tyr freeze.
Tyr said that those were the very principles he had taught Höðr — and Höðr still lost, even losing his eyes because of it.
Ryo responded that there are ways to challenge a rigged court system.
He revealed that instead of playing along with the theatrical nonsense, one could openly call out every act, every unfair move, every manipulative behavior from the courtroom staff and prosecutors during the trial—exposing the absurdity rather than silently enduring it. This is how professional and firm defense attorneys handle such situations in the present timeline of the Upper Worlds.
Sobek and Tyr exchanged stunned looks.
The thought had never once crossed their minds.
Ryo then asked who exactly staffed Wonderland’s courtroom.
He was curious about who served as judge, Court Clerk, Court Reporter, and Bailiff.
Tyr and Sobek explained that, unlike the Upper Worlds’ present timeline legal system, Wonderland’s system operated differently. There were no traditional courtroom staff, such as clerks, reporters, or bailiffs.
Instead, there were five judges.
Ryo was puzzled.
How could there be five judges and no other visible staff during courtroom battles?
Tyr explained that Wonderland, specifically at the central hub, had its own judicial system. The five judges led the trials together, while assistants handled background tasks to support them.
Sobek then named the judges.
Athena — formerly from Olyndora.
Hel — formerly from Mydrovith.
Longwang — formerly from Xianglura.
Ganyel — formerly from Ashvanyara.
And finally, at the center of it all —
Ma'at — formerly from Ekhropolis.
She was the one who passed the final judgment.
Together, they formed a group known as “The Fivefold Prism.”
Ryo was flabbergasted.
He recognized nearly all of them.
Athena — goddess of wisdom.
Hel — goddess of the underworld.
Longwang — Dragon King of the Seas.
Ma’at — goddess of balance and truth.
That left Ganyel.
Ryo said he had never heard of him and asked who he was.
Tyr explained that Ganyel had once been a Mediator in Ashvanyara but was recruited by the Queen of Hearts to join The Fivefold Prism. Moreover, Ganyel was said to be Ganesha’s unknown sibling — unrecorded in ancient Indian history — and, like Ganesha, elephant-headed but with green skin.
Ryo was quietly surprised that Ganesha had an unknown sibling named Ganyel, but he quickly brushed it off. He had met other figures—some from pantheons, some not—who had different genders and names and were completely unlike anyone he knew from myths. He often found himself imagining those very figures as anime spin-off versions—just as he did with Ganyel, whom he had only just learned about.
He pressed further.
How could a mediator become a judge in such a corrupt system?
And why would all five of them agree to serve the Queen?
He already suspected the answer.
But he needed confirmation.
Sobek confirmed it plainly.
They were being threatened by the Queen of Hearts.
Ryo absorbed the weight of that information.
Sobek continued. With five judges involved, there would be layered deliberations, multiple voices influencing the direction of the trial, before everything was ultimately handed to Ma’at — the central pillar of The Fivefold Prism — for the final verdict.
Ryo then asked whether Ma’at was a recent addition, since Ekhropolis had only existed for a few months.
Tyr confirmed that she was. The moment she entered Wonderland, she was immediately appointed as the central figure due to her vast legal expertise. She had a way of making everything sound perfectly logical and balanced.
Meanwhile, the other judges could pretend to be confused, bored, or fatigued — subtly destabilizing Alice and pushing her toward emotional breakdown — all before Ma’at delivered the final, polished judgment.
And with that realization, Ryo understood just how ruthless and psychologically calculated this system truly was.
And with that, the important conversations finally came to a close.
But before Ryo and White Rabbit headed to the Citadel to meet White Queen Frigg, Ryo decided he wanted to understand Sobek and Tyr a little more — especially their fields in legal work.
He asked them how they approached courtroom battles.
Sobek let out a hearty laugh and admitted that in the Upper World’s legal battles, he preferred an aggressive approach — pressing witnesses hard, cornering contradictions, and striking swiftly with evidence — all while maintaining strict logic. He enjoyed overwhelming the opposition through forceful reasoning.
However, that same aggressiveness did not work during Alice’s trial.
Instead, it earned him a severed tail.
Ryo stared at him in disbelief and told him he was insane for sounding so cheerful after having his crocodile tail cut off for losing a trial.
Sobek simply replied that if given another chance, he would defend Alice again without hesitation. Unfortunately, that opportunity was gone—Ryo was now Alice’s final defense attorney. Yet Sobek still called Ryo insane for taking the same job, which was rich coming from him.
Ryo asked why he would want to stand in again after what happened.
Before Sobek could answer, Tyr cut in.
Tyr said he understood exactly what Sobek was feeling. Yes, they both knew how ruthless the Queen of Hearts was. Yes, they understood how rigged and unbalanced everything in her courtroom had become. But losing — and worse, running away — was not part of their code as defense attorneys.
Their duty, as defense attorneys of their respective realms, was to protect the innocent, to bring peace to victims who were falsely accused, and to defend those who could not defend themselves.
Tyr explained that he once helped a family in Mydrovith prove their young son was not a thief, even though the true culprit had falsely accused him and most of the realm’s residents sided with the accuser, unaware of the truth. The child had been terrified, cornered, and voiceless.
That child reminded him of Alice.
Only this time, the accusation was far worse — murder.
Tyr admitted that when Lord Thor was desperately searching for someone to take on the role of Alice’s new defense attorney, he should have stepped forward—but instead, he ran. That act of cowardice disgusted him, because he had always been the type to step up bravely, even when the odds were impossible.
To Ryo, this implied that each realm likely had its own courthouse.
So he asked directly whether Mydrovith had one.
Tyr confirmed that it did — and that its procedures were fair and structured properly.
Sobek explained that Ekhropolis did not yet have a formal courthouse, since the realm was still new, but there were plans for Anubis to build one in the future. For now, verdicts were delivered directly before Anubis himself, conducted under fair legal procedures. Both of them added that every other realm in Wonderland had its own courthouse, all operating fairly.
The largest courthouse, however, was located in the Central Hub. It was the grandest of them all, though rarely used. According to envoys, trials there had once been fair.
But ever since the Queen of Hearts began developing a fascination with executions, everything changed. Even minor crimes could result in a death sentence.
That was when Ryo pieced it together.
It must have been sometime after the Duchess handed that axe to the Queen — the first execution long ago had changed something in her.
With that realization, Ryo decided to end the discussion.
At the palace…
Right after Ms. Loki left the Queen of Hearts’ office, she leaned back against the wall. Shame burned in her chest.
During the attack at the Caucus Race—alongside Carabosse and Petyr—she had been defeated by a mere human. Alice’s new attorney. He had hurled her down the cliffside of the Ruunholt Path, where she fell unconscious at the bottom.
She had never been humiliated like that in her life.
Now, she wanted revenge.
In four days, he would represent Alice at the final trial. Whether he wandered through Wonderland conducting an investigation or not did not matter to her. She needed a way to break him.
Footsteps approached.
Two other blighted deities — Agnar and Osiris — stepped into view and asked how she was feeling. Ms. Loki told them she was fine. Despite the fall, she had not been critically injured. Her body was resilient.
Osiris, however, was furious.
He criticized her for failing to kill any of the racers and for allowing herself to be defeated. He even called her unfit to lead the blighted deities.
Ms. Loki snapped at him, telling him to know his place. She insisted that without the interference of the new attorney and Dodo’s team, she would have succeeded.
Osiris dismissed her excuse. He admitted reluctantly that he respected the attorney’s strategy and quick thinking—but he would kill him without question if the Queen of Hearts commanded it.
Ignoring Osiris, Ms. Loki began devising ways to exact her revenge.
Then, an idea formed.
She explained her plan to Agnar and Osiris. Slowly, smiles spread across their faces.
It was cruel. Strategic. Effective.
Moments later, Carabosse exited the Queen’s office. She noticed the three of them but said nothing. She merely glanced aside and continued down the corridor. The tension from her earlier heated exchange with the Queen was obvious.
None of them stopped her.
Ms. Loki, Agnar, and Osiris entered the Queen of Hearts’ office.
The Queen looked irritated — clearly still unsettled from her confrontation with Carabosse. She demanded to know what they wanted, stating she was not in the mood for conversation.
Ms. Loki presented her proposal: a new approach for Alice’s final trial. Though the court already favored the Crown, they would ensure the attorney’s absolute destruction in a way more effective than normally possible.
When the Queen demanded clarification, Ms. Loki revealed the plan — all five blighted deities would participate in the trial as a unified legal force.
The Queen’s expression shifted—she was delighted.
She declared the formation of The Gavel Dominion — a legal coalition composed of all five blighted deities, Petyr as sole Crown Prosecutor, and the five judges known as The Fivefold Prism — all against a single defense attorney.
To her, it was magnificent. Excessive. Deliciously unfair.
Carabosse, no longer the temporary Crown Prosecutor, was now nothing more than a discarded piece — irrelevant before she had ever truly served.
The Queen ordered a formal declaration to be written on a royal scroll and dispatched through every realm of Wonderland by the five realms’ envoys.
The blighted deities bowed and departed.
Left alone, the Queen walked to the window and gazed outward.
She whispered that this new defense attorney would fall far more brutally than the five failed ones who had once tried in vain to save Alice.
Back at the Medical Sector…
Ryo informed Sobek and Tyr that he and White Rabbit would now depart, as White Queen Frigg had requested to see him regarding both the Caucus Race incident and the disappearance of the previous lord, Thor.
Sobek and Tyr exchanged looks.
They believed Ryo was going above and beyond — not only serving as Alice’s defense attorney but also investigating the disappearance of Mydrovith’s former ruler.
They admitted they admired his courage for taking on such risky work. Playfully, they even said they wished they could form a legal team with him.
Ryo chuckled and told them that was not happening.
He then turned to Dodo’s group and informed them that he and White Rabbit would be leaving. Dodo’s group said they would remain with Hamaestro a while longer.
Ryo and White Rabbit waved them off and headed toward the exit of the medical longhouse.
But just as they were about to reach the door, a male envoy burst inside and collided directly into Ryo.
Ryo landed flat on his back.
“OH DEAR! Are you alright, sir?!” White Rabbit asked anxiously.
“Oooouch… yeah… I’m alright…” Ryo groaned.
The envoy scrambled up in panic. “AH! I’m very sorry, Surface Man!” He extended a hand.
Ryo grabbed it, and the envoy pulled him back to his feet.
The envoy looked extremely distressed.
Ryo noticed immediately. “Are you okay? Take a deep breath and exhale.”
The envoy inhaled deeply, exhaled, then repeated it once more — though he still looked shaken.
Before Ryo could question him further, Tyr approached.
“What seems to be the problem, Envoy of Mydrovith?” Tyr asked.
The envoy trembled. “I received a message… from the palace… at the Central Hub.”
He handed a scroll decorated with heart motifs.
Tyr unrolled it.
His breath caught.
Ryo glanced at it.
His eyes widened.
The message read:
“By my royal command,
‘The Gavel Dominion’ shall commence in my courtroom at the Central Hub in four days at 10 a.m. sharp. There, my fearsome enforcers—the Five Blighted Deities and the Crown Prosecutor—will strike without mercy against Alice and her new attorney in the final trial.
Let these fools tremble, for The Fivefold Prism gavel falls swift and deadly; their judgment is absolute, and no plea will save them. Alice’s head shall be mine, a prize of my iron will. And you, worthless defense attorney of the Upper World, should you falter, fail, or be late by even a single second, your head—and hers—shall fall without hesitation, a warning to all who dare oppose me.”
The envoy swallowed hard and said, “The Gavel Dominion is the format where the trial is conducted in legal teams… Her Majesty assumes Alice’s new defense attorney will face her entire legal team alone.”
Ryo stared at him, stunned. “Wait… is she saying the Five Blighted Deities are going to be part of her legal team too? Not just the Crown Prosecutor? How much more unfair can this final trial get? Oi oi… this is basically me alone versus twelve people, counting the judges as well.”
Tyr turned to him with determined eyes.
Sobek carefully stepped off his sickbed and approached as well, equally resolute.
They each placed a hand on one of Ryo’s shoulders.
Ryo blinked. “What are you guys doing?”
“We will not allow you to face this alone, young man,” Tyr said firmly.
“If the Queen intends to stack the trial against you so shamelessly,” Sobek added, “then I doubt she would object to us standing beside you. We shall surprise her with our attendance.”
Ryo looked between them. “So you’re saying… you two are…”
Sobek and Tyr nodded in unison. “Exactly. We shall fight alongside you in the final trial.”
White Rabbit’s eyes widened, glistening. “Really…?” he whispered.
Sobek and Tyr turned toward him and nodded with determined smiles.
This was their chance at redemption.
And they would seize it — alongside the detective.
The time in Wonderland was now 7:15 PM
Ryo and White Rabbit had left the medical sector as snowflakes began to drift from the sky. As they walked, Ryo admitted he still couldn’t believe that Tyr and Sobek had decided to join him and form a legal team. Of all the unpredictable turns this case had taken, that might have been the most shocking.
White Rabbit cried tears of joy. At first, he had been worried about them joining the legal team, fearing they might look down on him because of the outcome of Alice’s previous trials. But seeing Tyr and Sobek stand firm, unflinching in the face of the Queen’s overwhelmingly unfair challenge conveyed through the scroll’s message, White Rabbit felt nothing but relief. They did not seem like men who would ever lose or retreat again.
And truthfully, Ryo also felt relieved. He would not be facing twelve opponents alone in that rigged courtroom, even though he was ready to go at it by himself.
Still, he couldn’t wrap his head around the fact that the Blighted Deities were now part of the Queen’s legal team despite everything already being in her favor. It was as if she lacked confidence in her own guaranteed victory.
White Rabbit suggested that perhaps the Queen simply wanted to humiliate Ryo further before executing him.
Ryo responded that on the day of the trial, he would show no mercy. He would not back down, no matter what twisted games the Queen’s legal team, the Crown Prosecutors, or even the judges attempted to play against him.
And with that resolve burning quietly between them, they finally reached the Citadel.
They were greeted by a female guard clad in white armor trimmed with fur, a spear resting in her hand with its blade etched in intricate Nordic knotwork.
She asked if he was the new attorney.
Ryo answered that he was.
Bowing her head respectfully, she said she would escort him and White Rabbit inside.
They followed her through towering wooden doors, their iron bands carved with winding serpent designs.
Inside, the Citadel felt less like a palace and more like a sacred hall. The ceiling overhead was carved with scenes of forgotten Nordic battles and stars. Long hearths ran down the center, their fires crackling warmly. Shields and axes hung on the stone pillars, while stained glass windows showed ravens landing on them before taking flight over the snowy night skies.
It was regal — but steady. Powerful, yet serene.
The guard then gestured to the left.
“Before Her Majesty receives you, please make use of the royal hot spring in the chamber beyond that corridor. It is one of the Citadel’s most cherished havens. You will meet the White Queen after you have refreshed yourselves. She is currently preparing to receive you and will be ready in approximately 40 minutes.”
Ryo nodded. “No worries. She can take her time.”
Honestly, this was perfect. After everything that had happened today — the troublesome Caucus Race, battling his old enemies, and flying through the sky again — a moment of relaxation sounded heavenly.
The guard bowed and left.
Ryo and White Rabbit turned left and walked down a torch-lit hallway toward the hot spring chamber. Ryo was genuinely curious.
A Norse-style hot spring?
How different could it be from Japan’s onsen?
While the guard headed back to the Citadel’s entrance to resume her duty, she slowed mid-step.
She blinked. “Wait a minute… isn’t the White Queen currently bathi—”
She froze.
Her face darkened in realization. “Oh no…”
Meanwhile, completely unaware of the impending disaster, Ryo and White Rabbit entered the hot spring chamber and stepped into the changing room.
Ryo removed his backpack first, then his trench coat, folding it carefully. Next came his parka and inner clothes, which he placed neatly on the wooden shelves. Finally, he wrapped an available towel around his waist.
White Rabbit removed his waistcoat, carefully shelving it as well, and wrapped a small towel around himself.
Ahead of them stood a set of massive double timber gates carved with swirling frost patterns and twin ravens facing one another.
Clearly, this had to be the entrance to the hot spring.
Ryo pushed the gates open.
He and White Rabbit stepped inside.
And then—
They froze.
The Norse-style hot spring was breathtaking.
It wasn’t just a simple stone bath.
A circular geothermal pool sat in polished black rock, steam rising gently toward an open ceiling where the night sky showed through. Snowflakes drifted down, melting before they touched the water.
Around the pool stood carved pillars shaped like runes, glowing faintly with blue light. Crystal-clear mineral water flowed continuously from the mouths of sculpted wolf heads in the walls into the steaming pool.
The water shimmered with faint silver luminescence.
But it was not the scenery that made them freeze.
It was who was already inside the waters.
Within the steaming pool were Sekhora, Sif, Gureiha, Hou Yian…
…and at the center, serene and radiant, the White Queen Frigg.
All of them slowly turned their heads toward the two men standing at the entrance.
“Ah…” the ladies all muttered.
Ryo’s eye twitched.
This was a world-famous cliché moment…
He had seen it in anime, in manga, in light novels, and even in late-night comedy dramas.
And somehow, he had walked straight into it.
Without wasting a second, he let out a long, exhausted groan.
“OH GREAT! Of course! What’s a hot spring scene without the mandatory accidental walk-in?! This is it. This is how I die. Not in a courtroom battle. Not by execution—but beaten unconscious by a squad of angry, naked, beautiful women! I can already hear the dramatic background music! Someone cue the slow-motion punch to my face! I didn’t even trip—I just opened a door! Can I at least get a warning sign next time? Like, if this is a women’s bath—or a sign that says, ‘Danger: Plot Device Ahead!’ No?! Fantastic! I am SOOO ready to get launched into orbit around Wonderland!”
White Rabbit trembled beside him, whispering apologies to every deity he could think of.
However—
Sif rose from the water, steam conveniently veiling her private parts. She stepped out of the pool and walked straight toward him. Before he could react, she grabbed him by the arm.
Ryo’s eyes widened to the size of planets.
She pressed her chest against him.
His brain shut down.
Internally, he screamed loud enough to shatter mountains. “AAAAAAAAAAAAHHHHHHHHH!!!!!”
Sif, however, was blushing faintly, her gaze soft yet bold as she looked up at him admiringly.
She whispered, “Let us… wash each other.”
Ryo stared at the Amulet of Warding in his hand.
Now he questioned himself—would this relic be able to wake the victims of the cursed perfume?
He remembered that Madam Rosalind’s staff from her store in Evendelle had said the perfume was made by a distiller from Rosenthorn. But Carabosse had mentioned her grandmother… and that Petyr had helped create it.
It didn’t matter anymore.
He didn’t want to think about it.
What mattered was the present.
Right now, waking the racers trapped in cursed sleep was the priority.
Ryo was about to place it around one of the racers’ necks, but then he paused. There was something else he remembered—some of these racers might be the ones responsible for injuring Hamaestro’s paws.
Which meant he didn’t want to lift the curse on all of them just yet.
He needed to find out who was behind the incident first.
Ryo turned and explained his intention to Dodo, his men, Viking Fish, Viking Frog, and White Rabbit. He told them he wanted to identify who had thrown the barrel that injured Hamaestro. They immediately perked up, agreeing it was a good idea—but they also pointed out the obvious problem.
It would be extremely difficult to identify the culprit while all the suspects were asleep.
Ryo assured them not to worry. As a detective, finding the truth—even from silent or sleeping culprits—was part of his job.
He then approached the medical team and informed them that he needed time to investigate the sleeping racers. The medical staff hesitated, insisting that all victims required immediate treatment. Ryo countered by pointing out something they hadn’t fully considered.
The racers who were asleep showed only minor injuries—bruises and light impacts, likely from the rough conditions or snow shots during the Caucus Race. Meanwhile, the critically injured racers were fully awake and responsive.
The medical team examined both groups again and realized he was right.
And they stepped back.
Ryo walked forward and stopped directly in front of the line of sleeping racers, scanning each one carefully.
Everyone watched him, curious about what special detective technique he was about to use.
What he did next seemed almost mundane.
Ryo glanced at the pockets of each sleeping racer and noticed something. Every single one of them had a distinct lump in their pocket.
Smartphones.
Knowing that nearly everyone in Wonderland carried one, Ryo instructed the medical team to remove the phones from each racer’s pocket.
When asked why, he explained that coordinating an attack like the one on Hamaestro would be easiest through messaging. It allowed planning without risk of being overheard.
White Rabbit pointed out that they could have met face to face in secret instead, questioning the need for messages at all.
Ryo didn’t answer immediately. Instead, he scanned the teams again and pointed out a detail they had overlooked.
Each team consisted of members who clearly weren’t from the same realm.
In every group, there was at least one person of a different origin.
That observation caught everyone off guard.
Still, Dodo questioned how that explained the messaging.
Ryo clarified that since each participant might have been in their own realm before arriving in Mydrovith, messaging would have been the only way to coordinate plans—likely days in advance of taking action. Face-to-face meetings wouldn’t have been possible unless the suspects were willing to travel long distances, since Wonderland was vast.
To confirm this, Ryo asked Dodo’s men where they had been prior to the race.
They confirmed that all the racers—as well as themselves—had arrived from their respective realms early this morning. No one had come the day before. Preparations only began after everyone’s arrival on this day to ensure fairness.
The realization settled in.
Ryo’s deduction suddenly made complete sense.
The medical team took the phones from every pocket and began examining them, scrolling through the messages team by team—until they reached the final group.
What they found made everyone freeze.
The messages clearly discussed wanting to eliminate Hamaestro from Dodo’s team. They expressed jealousy and resentment, complaining that it was unfair Dodo’s team consistently remained in the top three of every Caucus Race.
Further messages detailed several plans: pushing Hamaestro into the frozen lake, temporarily kidnapping him, and finally settling on what they believed was the most subtle and effective option—injuring his paw with a barrel before the race began.
The very thing that had already happened.
Rage erupted among Dodo and his men. They were ready to lash out at the perpetrators immediately.
Ryo stopped them.
He insisted that the matter be handed over to proper law enforcement… if this realm even has one. Viking Fish confirmed that Mydrovith did indeed have such a force—the Shield Wardens.
Ryo nodded, satisfied.
Only then did he finally turn back to the sleeping racers and lift the Amulet of Warding.
He carefully placed it around an innocent racer’s neck as a test.
Almost instantly, the man’s eyes fluttered open. His body slowly drifted downward until his back met the ground.
The amulet worked.
Even Ryo hadn’t expected such a clean result. There were no flashes, no dramatic effects—just a quiet awakening.
Ryo instructed the medical team that he would awaken the innocent racers first and leave the perpetrators for last. They agreed.
The medical staff informed everyone that both the awakened racers and the critically injured would be transported immediately to Mydrovith’s medical sector.
Ryo removed the amulet from the awakened man and proceeded to repeat the process, one racer at a time. Each floated down, awakened, and was escorted away.
Soon, the harbor was quiet again.
Only one group remained.
The perpetrators.
Still floating.
Still asleep.
The Shield Wardens were then called in, and they arrived without delay.
Before using the amulet on them, Ryo stated that he needed to question the perpetrators before they were taken away. To ensure they could not escape, he instructed the Shield Wardens to tie up all five of them. Once he had finished questioning them, they would be taken into custody.
The Shield Wardens carried out the order immediately. All five perpetrators were tightly bound with ropes while they were still snoring, completely unaware of what was happening.
Then Ryo stepped forward and placed the amulet onto each of them one by one. After he was done, he pocketed the amulet.
The perpetrators slowly descended from their hovering positions. As they touched the ground in a seated position, their eyes began to open. Their vision was blurry at first, shapes and silhouettes blending together, but gradually it cleared.
And when it did, their eyes widened.
They were surrounded by people glaring at them with intense hatred in their eyes.
Still tied up and slightly panicking, the perpetrators asked what was going on.
Ryo told them they were about to get arrested.
That only made them panic even more.
They demanded to know why they would be arrested.
Ryo explained that they were being suspected of injuring Hamaestro’s paw by throwing a barrel at him.
The perpetrators felt as though they had been busted. For a brief moment, the tension showed on their faces. But they quickly pretended to be angry instead, loudly demanding proof of their crimes. With smug expressions, they declared that they were confident in their innocence, internally assuming that no evidence had been found.
But unfortunately for them, the evidence had already been obvious before they even woke up.
Ryo told the medical team to present the perpetrators’ smartphones. On the screens were their messages — conversations filled with jealousy toward Dodo’s team and clear plans to take Hamaestro out of the race.
That was more than enough proof of their guilt.
The culprits froze.
They could not come up with any excuses or tactics.
With no way out, they gave up.
With that, the Shield Wardens pulled them away by the ropes binding them. The five would be imprisoned for committing unfair acts and deliberately harming another racer.
Dodo and his men thanked Ryo for his help and suggested that he join their team on a permanent basis.
Ryo chuckled and explained that he could not linger in Wonderland forever. His role as Alice’s defense attorney was far more important than being a permanent Caucus Racer. He preferred to remain in the Upper World—in Japan—once his work in this kingdom was over.
Viking Fish and Viking Frog then pointed out that it was now 6:30 PM. They suggested that everyone visit Hamaestro now and told Ryo and White Rabbit that they could go to the Citadel later, when it was closer to 8 PM.
Dodo and his men gasped and immediately asked if Hamaestro was okay.
Viking Fish and Viking Frog reassured them that Hamaestro was fine. His treatment had been successful. His paw was wrapped neatly in linen bandages, and he was fully awake.
Dodo declared that they should visit him immediately.
And so they all headed straight toward the medical sector.
As they walked, Ryo rolled his eyes. White Rabbit asked why he was making that expression all of a sudden, even though he had seen it a few times before.
Ryo replied that ever since a certain cat had granted his wish, he had been flying through the sky far too often in all three of his strange cases. First, it was on a magic carpet with a man named Aladdin. Then it was on Santa’s sleigh with the Fairy Greatmother. And today, it was on a Viking ship pulled by the Snow Gryphon.
Flying, it seemed, had become an unavoidable routine for him.
White Rabbit chuckled and said he understood how the Snow Gryphon might be the strangest part, but he still found it hard to believe that Ryo had met Aladdin and this Fairy Godmother—with a different name.
Ryo was baffled by that response.
To him, having a talking storybook rabbit as a client instead of a human was the weirdest part of all, so he told White Rabbit to sing in a future Broadway show to see what was truly weirder.
Eventually, they arrived at the medical sector. It was filled with longhouses marked with large plus signs to indicate they were medical facilities.
They all entered one of the longhouses, where they were told where Hamaestro was. It was warmer inside, the air thick with the scent of herbs and clean linen. The interior was filled with critically injured racers lying on sickbeds, attended by medical staff moving quickly between them. Those with minor injuries were treated swiftly and allowed to leave almost immediately.
The group made their way toward Hamaestro’s sickbed.
Then Hamaestro saw them and perked up, relieved to see that his team was safe. Dodo and his men were just as happy to see that Hamaestro was doing well, and they asked how his paws were healing.
Hamaestro replied that they were fine. The recovery would take about two months, but he would be leaving in a few days. He added that he would be ready for the next Caucus once he was fully recovered.
Ryo felt a flicker of worry as he thought, “I hope you all can make it to the next Caucus Race in three months… but that depends on me defeating the Queen of Hearts’ Crown Prosecutors in the final trial four days from now…”
Because he feared that if he failed in the final trial, not only would Alice be executed, but executions in Wonderland would resume one by one—perhaps at an even faster pace. The Queen had sounded pent-up and restless, as though she had gone without her “playful” executions for far too long, especially after half of the Central Hub had been destroyed—something he had heard from Ra and from the radio that exploded on the bridge to Olyndora.
Then Hamaestro turned his head toward Ryo and gazed down, looking a bit awkward.
“Surface Man…” he said, glancing back up at him. “Thank you—for stepping in and taking over my role as strategist in the race. If it weren’t for you… I don’t know what would have become of my team.”
Ryo blinked, not expecting such sincerity from the hamster.
He smiled. “Glad I could help… though the race turned into a complete disaster.”
Then, more bluntly, he added, “And honestly? I’d rather not take part in anymore beyond-crazy races. I’m a detective—currently acting as Alice’s defense attorney—not a permanent member of Wonderland. And definitely not a sportsman.”
“As a reward, I shall give you tickets to a Bollywood festival taking place in Ashvanyara the evening after tomorrow!” Hamaestro said proudly.
He then pulled two tickets from within his fur and handed them to Ryo.
“It’s going to be an exciting festival! Bollywood artists from throughout my realm will be performing in grand singing and dancing events. It will be so much fun!”
The tickets were simple cream cards bordered in soft gold, decorated with delicate paisley patterns and tiny playing-card hearts in each corner.
Ryo examined them, then groaned sarcastically. “This is perfect. Exactly what I needed. Watching a Bollywood musical in the middle of a murder investigation. A totally normal development. And since I’ll already be in Ashvanyara in two days, this is totally not a coincidence at all.”
Hamaestro, not catching the sarcasm, looked immensely proud.
Ryo thought he might not need them—but who knows? He might eventually need them to gain access to places in Ashvanyara that were otherwise inaccessible for further investigation.
As he slipped them into his pocket, something else caught his attention.
A patient on a bed beside Hamaestro’s looked completely out of place.
The figure had a crocodile head with green scales and golden eyes, and a muscular human body wrapped in a dark green skirt with a gold belt, a Nile-blue sash crossing his chest. He had no tail—actually, it looked as if it had been cut off. Bruises marked his face, and he groaned faintly in pain.
Seated beside him was a tall man who also seemed out of place. He had a thick black beard, short black hair, and wore a charcoal wool tunic belted at the waist, along with a dark cloak fastened by an iron brooch. He looked deeply worried for the crocodile-headed patient.
“Why do these two remind me of figures I’ve read about in stories before?” Ryo wondered.
Ryo informed his group that he would be questioning someone. They told him to take his time. Viking Fish and Viking Frog bid everyone goodnight and departed, saying they needed to leave. White Rabbit, however, chose to accompany Ryo.
Ryo walked around Hamaestro’s bed and stopped before the two unusual figures.
“Excuse me,” he said, “you two don’t look like participants of the Caucus Race. May I ask who you both are?”
White Rabbit’s eyes widened in recognition.
“Sir…” he whispered, “these two are…”
Ryo glanced at him. “You know them?”
White Rabbit nodded. “The tall man… is Tyr.”
He then looked at the patient. “And this patient… is Sobek… who once represented Alice as her defense attorney.”
Ryo’s breath caught.
Now that he looked carefully, recognition struck instantly. In myth, Tyr was the god of law, and Sobek the god of justice.
And if Sobek had once been Alice’s defense attorney… then he must have been harmed by the Queen of Hearts after losing his trial.
Since Sobek originated from Egyptian mythology, Ryo assumed he was from the Ekhropolis realm, while Tyr belonged here in Mydrovith.
Sobek slowly opened his eyes and turned his head toward White Rabbit.
“C-c-chronos…” he muttered weakly.
White Rabbit suddenly dropped in a dramatic bow, his voice breaking as he offered an anguished apology.
“I’M SO SORRY, SIR SOBEK! I AM TRULY, DEEPLY SORRY FOR GETTING YOU INVOLVED IN ALICE’S MATTER! YOU STOOD IN HER DEFENSE DESPITE KNOWING THE TRIAL WAS RIGGED FROM THE START! YOU FACED THE QUEEN’S CROWN PROSECUTOR, WHO DID NOTHING BUT MOCK YOU AND ALICE WITH CHILDISH WORDPLAY WHILE TWISTING THE COURTROOM INTO A CIRCUS! AND AFTER YOU LOST — AFTER YOU DID EVERYTHING YOU COULD — THE QUEEN SLICED YOUR TAIL OFF AS IF IT WERE A TOY TO BE DISCARDED!
YOU DID NOT DESERVE THAT! YOU VOLUNTEERED OUT OF COURAGE, OUT OF BELIEF IN FAIRNESS, AND OUT OF JUSTICE! AND INSTEAD, YOU WERE HUMILIATED, MAIMED, AND LEFT TO SUFFER!
IF ONLY YOU HAD NOT STEPPED FORWARD WHEN ANUBIS NEEDED A DEFENSE ATTORNEY… IF ONLY YOU HADN’T TAKEN THAT BURDEN UPON YOURSELF… YOU WOULD HAVE BEEN SAFE! YOU WOULD HAVE BEEN WHOLE!
THIS IS MY FAULT — I BROUGHT THIS UPON YOU BY GUIDING ALICE THROUGHOUT THE REALMS IN WONDERLAND, ONLY FOR HER TO GET FRAMED! I DRAGGED YOU INTO THAT COURTROOM OF MADNESS!”
Getting his tail sliced after losing a trial?
Ryo began to wonder what the unfortunate fate had been for the other three attorneys who had defended Alice and lost, besides Sobek and Höðr.
Sobek whispered weakly, “stop… raise your head, Chronos…”
White Rabbit slowly lifted his head.
“It truly does not matter…” Sobek continued. “It really… does not matter whether I represented Alice or not.”
He struggled but managed to sit up.
“Citizens of Wonderland would have met their end regardless if no one stepped forward to oppose the Queen and her Crown Prosecutor — even though we all knew the trial was rigged.”
“Were you forced into being Alice’s attorney?” Ryo asked quietly.
Sobek shook his head.
“No… I volunteered. I knew I had no chance. I had seen everything—how that prosecutor, Petyr Pann, toys with words, mocks Alice, and twists the courtroom into something absurd and childish. I presented concrete evidence—the CCTV footage of Alice happily exploring Wonderland before she was wrongly accused. All five of us, the defending attorneys, did the same. And yet… we still lost. And as I said… it does not matter. People are bound to be executed by the Queen through her playful spectacles.”
Tyr suddenly spoke. “I should have volunteered too…”
Ryo turned to him. “Aren’t you one of the attorneys who refused to defend Alice and fled to the Central Hub along with the others from the legal sectors of all realms? I recall that Höðr was the only one here in Mydrovith who represented her—and failed—which caused the others to fear stepping forward. So why say you should have volunteered? You had every right to run. I don’t blame you. That ruthless Queen blinded Höðr after he lost.”
Tyr clenched his fists and slammed them onto his knees.
“IT WAS A HUMILIATION!” he roared.
The entire longhouse fell silent. Medical staff and patients stared in shock.
Ryo whispered urgently, “Easy, old man — no need to cause a scene!”
But Tyr continued, his voice shaking with fury and grief.
“I WAS ONCE A PROUD ATTORNEY OF THE MYDROVITH REALM! I STOOD IN CASES WHERE INNOCENT MEN WERE DRAGGED IN CHAINS AND WALKED OUT FREE BECAUSE I FOUGHT FOR THEM! I DEFENDED FATHERS ACCUSED OF TREASON, MOTHERS FRAMED FOR CRIMES THEY DID NOT COMMIT, AND SONS AND DAUGHTERS SILENCED BY THE POWERFUL! I PROTECTED ENTIRE FAMILIES FROM BEING TORN APART BY ALMOST FALSE VERDICTS—VERDICTS THAT SHOULD HAVE CONDEMNED THE INNOCENT!
I CHALLENGED CORRUPT OFFICIALS! I EXPOSED FABRICATED EVIDENCE! I STOOD BEFORE THOSE WHO THOUGHT THEMSELVES UNTOUCHABLE AND MADE THEM ANSWER TO THE LAW!
I DEFENDED THE WEAK WHEN THEY HAD NO VOICE! I RESTORED HONOR TO THOSE WHO HAD BEEN SHAMED! I FOUGHT SO THAT RIGHTEOUSNESS WOULD NOT BE A MERE WORD, BUT A LIVING PRINCIPLE!”
His chest heaved.
“I DID ALL THIS IN BOTH THE UPPER WORLD AND HERE IN WONDERLAND’S MYDROVITH REALM! HOWEVER… WE ALL FEARED THAT RUTHLESS QUEEN! WE FEARED BEING DISCARDED BACK INTO OUR EXTINCTION ERA! MY FEAR CONSUMED ME AFTER MY STUDENT, HÖÐR, LOST HIS TRIAL AND WAS BLINDED BY HER HAND!”
Ryo stared. “You’re… his mentor?”
Tyr’s voice cracked.
“Yes… though we may be of similar age, he was my student. I taught him never to run from challenges—even when the odds were impossible. I taught him to stand firm when justice demanded it.
And he… listened.
He volunteered to defend Alice because of my teachings. And when he lost… he paid the price.
I SHOULD HAVE REPRESENTED HER AFTER HIM EVEN WHEN LORD THOR THREATENED THE LEGAL SECTOR TO REPRESENT HER! I SHOULD HAVE TAKEN THE BURDEN MYSELF!
I ONCE PREACHED COURAGE… AND WHEN THE TIME CAME FOR ME TO PROVE IT, I RAN!
I ABANDONED MY OWN PRINCIPLES! I RAN AFTER MY STUDENT SUFFERED! I LET FEAR DICTATE MY ACTIONS!
WHAT KIND OF MENTOR TEACHES BRAVERY BUT EMBRACES COWARDICE?
WHAT KIND OF ATTORNEY SPEAKS OF RIGHTEOUSNESS BUT FLEES WHEN RIGHTEOUSNESS DEMANDS SACRIFICE?
I AM A FAILURE!!!!!”
His voice broke as he lowered his head, pressing his fingers against his forehead in anguish.
Sobek placed a gentle hand on Tyr’s shoulder. “Are you finally able to let it all out, my friend?”
Tyr nodded slowly, his head still bowed, the tension in him gradually loosening.
Ryo then asked them to explain everything in more detail — and to clarify what their relationship was with each other.
Sobek explained that he and Tyr were close friends. Just like Tyr, Sobek was also a mentor who trained others to become promising defense attorneys. He believed in nurturing advocates who would stand firm in the face of injustice, just as Tyr did in Mydrovith.
Ryo then asked how Sobek could possibly be a mentor within the Ekhropolis realm’s legal sector when that realm had only existed for two months.
Sobek explained that before he entered Wonderland through a rabbit hole, he had been a scribe in ancient Egypt, in the Fayoum Oasis of Crocodilopolis around 2686 BCE. While his main job was keeping records, he also acted like a lawyer in many ways — learning how trials worked, keeping careful records of what witnesses said, organizing arguments clearly, and understanding the usual ways courts operated. When he arrived in Wonderland’s Ekhropolis realm, he quickly adapted this old knowledge to modern legal systems, studying the law and learning how to use it in new ways.
He further explained that in the Upper World, he had students who were also scribes. He trained them in legal reasoning alongside their traditional lessons. When the era of their extinction approached, those students followed him into Wonderland to escape it — and they continued their legal education within Ekhropolis.
Ryo then asked why Sobek and Tyr were now in the Mydrovith realm, since he clearly remembered meeting people from every realm’s legal sector in the Central Hub.
This time, Tyr lifted his head and gestured toward Sobek’s bruised face.
There were visible bruises across Sobek’s scaled cheeks.
Tyr explained that after fleeing to the Central Hub to avoid being forced into serving as Alice’s defense attorneys by their ruler, they had hoped to live quietly there. But earlier today, while walking through the hub, they encountered two blighted deities — Agnar and Nezha.
Those two had begun beating Sobek for their own amusement.
Tyr added bitterly that Sobek should have allowed him to fight those deities as well.
Sobek interrupted him calmly, stating that if he hadn’t taken the beating alone, both of them might have been critically injured while killing was temporarily forbidden.
Ryo could hardly believe what he was hearing; it sounded more like outright bullying.
He asked what had led to the assault.
Tyr explained that while they were walking through the Central Hub, the two blighted deities approached them and demanded that Sobek allow himself to be beaten while they recorded it on camera. The footage, they said, was to be sent to the Queen of Hearts — at her request.
Ryo felt his expression darken and thought, “That’s just going too far.”
Sobek explained that this was precisely why they had come to Mydrovith’s medical sector — to receive treatment for the injuries.
Ryo then asked whether it felt awkward returning to this realm after fleeing to the Central Hub, and if survival was their goal, shouldn’t they have sided with the Queen of Hearts to protect themselves, just like everyone else who had moved to the hub?
Tyr answered that fortunately, White Queen Frigg had granted them access to Mydrovith.
Unlike Thor, who had been overwhelmed and constantly overthinking Alice’s safety, Frigg, after taking his place as ruler, was far more composed. She did not pressure anyone to stand as Alice’s defense attorney, knowing full well that participating in a rigged system was futile. She even had the guards at the entrance welcome Sobek when Tyr accompanied him here.
Sobek then asked why Ryo was here. Ryo dropped the bombshell, telling them that he was here as Alice’s new defense attorney for the final trial. Sobek and Tyr gasped—they couldn’t believe what they had just heard and told Ryo that he was insane.
Ryo responded with an awkward chuckle, explaining that he had been hired by White Rabbit. Then his gaze sharpened as he told the two that he wasn’t the type to leave a child to die, even if the odds were against him.
That statement alone made Sobek and Tyr freeze.
Tyr said that those were the very principles he had taught Höðr — and Höðr still lost, even losing his eyes because of it.
Ryo responded that there are ways to challenge a rigged court system.
He revealed that instead of playing along with the theatrical nonsense, one could openly call out every act, every unfair move, every manipulative behavior from the courtroom staff and prosecutors during the trial—exposing the absurdity rather than silently enduring it. This is how professional and firm defense attorneys handle such situations in the present timeline of the Upper Worlds.
Sobek and Tyr exchanged stunned looks.
The thought had never once crossed their minds.
Ryo then asked who exactly staffed Wonderland’s courtroom.
He was curious about who served as judge, Court Clerk, Court Reporter, and Bailiff.
Tyr and Sobek explained that, unlike the Upper Worlds’ present timeline legal system, Wonderland’s system operated differently. There were no traditional courtroom staff, such as clerks, reporters, or bailiffs.
Instead, there were five judges.
Ryo was puzzled.
How could there be five judges and no other visible staff during courtroom battles?
Tyr explained that Wonderland, specifically at the central hub, had its own judicial system. The five judges led the trials together, while assistants handled background tasks to support them.
Sobek then named the judges.
Athena — formerly from Olyndora.
Hel — formerly from Mydrovith.
Longwang — formerly from Xianglura.
Ganyel — formerly from Ashvanyara.
And finally, at the center of it all —
Ma'at — formerly from Ekhropolis.
She was the one who passed the final judgment.
Together, they formed a group known as “The Fivefold Prism.”
Ryo was flabbergasted.
He recognized nearly all of them.
Athena — goddess of wisdom.
Hel — goddess of the underworld.
Longwang — Dragon King of the Seas.
Ma’at — goddess of balance and truth.
That left Ganyel.
Ryo said he had never heard of him and asked who he was.
Tyr explained that Ganyel had once been a Mediator in Ashvanyara but was recruited by the Queen of Hearts to join The Fivefold Prism. Moreover, Ganyel was said to be Ganesha’s unknown sibling — unrecorded in ancient Indian history — and, like Ganesha, elephant-headed but with green skin.
Ryo was quietly surprised that Ganesha had an unknown sibling named Ganyel, but he quickly brushed it off. He had met other figures—some from pantheons, some not—who had different genders and names and were completely unlike anyone he knew from myths. He often found himself imagining those very figures as anime spin-off versions—just as he did with Ganyel, whom he had only just learned about.
He pressed further.
How could a mediator become a judge in such a corrupt system?
And why would all five of them agree to serve the Queen?
He already suspected the answer.
But he needed confirmation.
Sobek confirmed it plainly.
They were being threatened by the Queen of Hearts.
Ryo absorbed the weight of that information.
Sobek continued. With five judges involved, there would be layered deliberations, multiple voices influencing the direction of the trial, before everything was ultimately handed to Ma’at — the central pillar of The Fivefold Prism — for the final verdict.
Ryo then asked whether Ma’at was a recent addition, since Ekhropolis had only existed for a few months.
Tyr confirmed that she was. The moment she entered Wonderland, she was immediately appointed as the central figure due to her vast legal expertise. She had a way of making everything sound perfectly logical and balanced.
Meanwhile, the other judges could pretend to be confused, bored, or fatigued — subtly destabilizing Alice and pushing her toward emotional breakdown — all before Ma’at delivered the final, polished judgment.
And with that realization, Ryo understood just how ruthless and psychologically calculated this system truly was.
And with that, the important conversations finally came to a close.
But before Ryo and White Rabbit headed to the Citadel to meet White Queen Frigg, Ryo decided he wanted to understand Sobek and Tyr a little more — especially their fields in legal work.
He asked them how they approached courtroom battles.
Sobek let out a hearty laugh and admitted that in the Upper World’s legal battles, he preferred an aggressive approach — pressing witnesses hard, cornering contradictions, and striking swiftly with evidence — all while maintaining strict logic. He enjoyed overwhelming the opposition through forceful reasoning.
However, that same aggressiveness did not work during Alice’s trial.
Instead, it earned him a severed tail.
Ryo stared at him in disbelief and told him he was insane for sounding so cheerful after having his crocodile tail cut off for losing a trial.
Sobek simply replied that if given another chance, he would defend Alice again without hesitation. Unfortunately, that opportunity was gone—Ryo was now Alice’s final defense attorney. Yet Sobek still called Ryo insane for taking the same job, which was rich coming from him.
Ryo asked why he would want to stand in again after what happened.
Before Sobek could answer, Tyr cut in.
Tyr said he understood exactly what Sobek was feeling. Yes, they both knew how ruthless the Queen of Hearts was. Yes, they understood how rigged and unbalanced everything in her courtroom had become. But losing — and worse, running away — was not part of their code as defense attorneys.
Their duty, as defense attorneys of their respective realms, was to protect the innocent, to bring peace to victims who were falsely accused, and to defend those who could not defend themselves.
Tyr explained that he once helped a family in Mydrovith prove their young son was not a thief, even though the true culprit had falsely accused him and most of the realm’s residents sided with the accuser, unaware of the truth. The child had been terrified, cornered, and voiceless.
That child reminded him of Alice.
Only this time, the accusation was far worse — murder.
Tyr admitted that when Lord Thor was desperately searching for someone to take on the role of Alice’s new defense attorney, he should have stepped forward—but instead, he ran. That act of cowardice disgusted him, because he had always been the type to step up bravely, even when the odds were impossible.
To Ryo, this implied that each realm likely had its own courthouse.
So he asked directly whether Mydrovith had one.
Tyr confirmed that it did — and that its procedures were fair and structured properly.
Sobek explained that Ekhropolis did not yet have a formal courthouse, since the realm was still new, but there were plans for Anubis to build one in the future. For now, verdicts were delivered directly before Anubis himself, conducted under fair legal procedures. Both of them added that every other realm in Wonderland had its own courthouse, all operating fairly.
The largest courthouse, however, was located in the Central Hub. It was the grandest of them all, though rarely used. According to envoys, trials there had once been fair.
But ever since the Queen of Hearts began developing a fascination with executions, everything changed. Even minor crimes could result in a death sentence.
That was when Ryo pieced it together.
It must have been sometime after the Duchess handed that axe to the Queen — the first execution long ago had changed something in her.
With that realization, Ryo decided to end the discussion.
At the palace…
Right after Ms. Loki left the Queen of Hearts’ office, she leaned back against the wall. Shame burned in her chest.
During the attack at the Caucus Race—alongside Carabosse and Petyr—she had been defeated by a mere human. Alice’s new attorney. He had hurled her down the cliffside of the Ruunholt Path, where she fell unconscious at the bottom.
She had never been humiliated like that in her life.
Now, she wanted revenge.
In four days, he would represent Alice at the final trial. Whether he wandered through Wonderland conducting an investigation or not did not matter to her. She needed a way to break him.
Footsteps approached.
Two other blighted deities — Agnar and Osiris — stepped into view and asked how she was feeling. Ms. Loki told them she was fine. Despite the fall, she had not been critically injured. Her body was resilient.
Osiris, however, was furious.
He criticized her for failing to kill any of the racers and for allowing herself to be defeated. He even called her unfit to lead the blighted deities.
Ms. Loki snapped at him, telling him to know his place. She insisted that without the interference of the new attorney and Dodo’s team, she would have succeeded.
Osiris dismissed her excuse. He admitted reluctantly that he respected the attorney’s strategy and quick thinking—but he would kill him without question if the Queen of Hearts commanded it.
Ignoring Osiris, Ms. Loki began devising ways to exact her revenge.
Then, an idea formed.
She explained her plan to Agnar and Osiris. Slowly, smiles spread across their faces.
It was cruel. Strategic. Effective.
Moments later, Carabosse exited the Queen’s office. She noticed the three of them but said nothing. She merely glanced aside and continued down the corridor. The tension from her earlier heated exchange with the Queen was obvious.
None of them stopped her.
Ms. Loki, Agnar, and Osiris entered the Queen of Hearts’ office.
The Queen looked irritated — clearly still unsettled from her confrontation with Carabosse. She demanded to know what they wanted, stating she was not in the mood for conversation.
Ms. Loki presented her proposal: a new approach for Alice’s final trial. Though the court already favored the Crown, they would ensure the attorney’s absolute destruction in a way more effective than normally possible.
When the Queen demanded clarification, Ms. Loki revealed the plan — all five blighted deities would participate in the trial as a unified legal force.
The Queen’s expression shifted—she was delighted.
She declared the formation of The Gavel Dominion — a legal coalition composed of all five blighted deities, Petyr as sole Crown Prosecutor, and the five judges known as The Fivefold Prism — all against a single defense attorney.
To her, it was magnificent. Excessive. Deliciously unfair.
Carabosse, no longer the temporary Crown Prosecutor, was now nothing more than a discarded piece — irrelevant before she had ever truly served.
The Queen ordered a formal declaration to be written on a royal scroll and dispatched through every realm of Wonderland by the five realms’ envoys.
The blighted deities bowed and departed.
Left alone, the Queen walked to the window and gazed outward.
She whispered that this new defense attorney would fall far more brutally than the five failed ones who had once tried in vain to save Alice.
Back at the Medical Sector…
Ryo informed Sobek and Tyr that he and White Rabbit would now depart, as White Queen Frigg had requested to see him regarding both the Caucus Race incident and the disappearance of the previous lord, Thor.
Sobek and Tyr exchanged looks.
They believed Ryo was going above and beyond — not only serving as Alice’s defense attorney but also investigating the disappearance of Mydrovith’s former ruler.
They admitted they admired his courage for taking on such risky work. Playfully, they even said they wished they could form a legal team with him.
Ryo chuckled and told them that was not happening.
He then turned to Dodo’s group and informed them that he and White Rabbit would be leaving. Dodo’s group said they would remain with Hamaestro a while longer.
Ryo and White Rabbit waved them off and headed toward the exit of the medical longhouse.
But just as they were about to reach the door, a male envoy burst inside and collided directly into Ryo.
Ryo landed flat on his back.
“OH DEAR! Are you alright, sir?!” White Rabbit asked anxiously.
“Oooouch… yeah… I’m alright…” Ryo groaned.
The envoy scrambled up in panic. “AH! I’m very sorry, Surface Man!” He extended a hand.
Ryo grabbed it, and the envoy pulled him back to his feet.
The envoy looked extremely distressed.
Ryo noticed immediately. “Are you okay? Take a deep breath and exhale.”
The envoy inhaled deeply, exhaled, then repeated it once more — though he still looked shaken.
Before Ryo could question him further, Tyr approached.
“What seems to be the problem, Envoy of Mydrovith?” Tyr asked.
The envoy trembled. “I received a message… from the palace… at the Central Hub.”
He handed a scroll decorated with heart motifs.
Tyr unrolled it.
His breath caught.
Ryo glanced at it.
His eyes widened.
The message read:
“By my royal command,
‘The Gavel Dominion’ shall commence in my courtroom at the Central Hub in four days at 10 a.m. sharp. There, my fearsome enforcers—the Five Blighted Deities and the Crown Prosecutor—will strike without mercy against Alice and her new attorney in the final trial.
Let these fools tremble, for The Fivefold Prism gavel falls swift and deadly; their judgment is absolute, and no plea will save them. Alice’s head shall be mine, a prize of my iron will. And you, worthless defense attorney of the Upper World, should you falter, fail, or be late by even a single second, your head—and hers—shall fall without hesitation, a warning to all who dare oppose me.”
The envoy swallowed hard and said, “The Gavel Dominion is the format where the trial is conducted in legal teams… Her Majesty assumes Alice’s new defense attorney will face her entire legal team alone.”
Ryo stared at him, stunned. “Wait… is she saying the Five Blighted Deities are going to be part of her legal team too? Not just the Crown Prosecutor? How much more unfair can this final trial get? Oi oi… this is basically me alone versus twelve people, counting the judges as well.”
Tyr turned to him with determined eyes.
Sobek carefully stepped off his sickbed and approached as well, equally resolute.
They each placed a hand on one of Ryo’s shoulders.
Ryo blinked. “What are you guys doing?”
“We will not allow you to face this alone, young man,” Tyr said firmly.
“If the Queen intends to stack the trial against you so shamelessly,” Sobek added, “then I doubt she would object to us standing beside you. We shall surprise her with our attendance.”
Ryo looked between them. “So you’re saying… you two are…”
Sobek and Tyr nodded in unison. “Exactly. We shall fight alongside you in the final trial.”
White Rabbit’s eyes widened, glistening. “Really…?” he whispered.
Sobek and Tyr turned toward him and nodded with determined smiles.
This was their chance at redemption.
And they would seize it — alongside the detective.
The time in Wonderland was now 7:15 PM
Ryo and White Rabbit had left the medical sector as snowflakes began to drift from the sky. As they walked, Ryo admitted he still couldn’t believe that Tyr and Sobek had decided to join him and form a legal team. Of all the unpredictable turns this case had taken, that might have been the most shocking.
White Rabbit cried tears of joy. At first, he had been worried about them joining the legal team, fearing they might look down on him because of the outcome of Alice’s previous trials. But seeing Tyr and Sobek stand firm, unflinching in the face of the Queen’s overwhelmingly unfair challenge conveyed through the scroll’s message, White Rabbit felt nothing but relief. They did not seem like men who would ever lose or retreat again.
And truthfully, Ryo also felt relieved. He would not be facing twelve opponents alone in that rigged courtroom, even though he was ready to go at it by himself.
Still, he couldn’t wrap his head around the fact that the Blighted Deities were now part of the Queen’s legal team despite everything already being in her favor. It was as if she lacked confidence in her own guaranteed victory.
White Rabbit suggested that perhaps the Queen simply wanted to humiliate Ryo further before executing him.
Ryo responded that on the day of the trial, he would show no mercy. He would not back down, no matter what twisted games the Queen’s legal team, the Crown Prosecutors, or even the judges attempted to play against him.
And with that resolve burning quietly between them, they finally reached the Citadel.
They were greeted by a female guard clad in white armor trimmed with fur, a spear resting in her hand with its blade etched in intricate Nordic knotwork.
She asked if he was the new attorney.
Ryo answered that he was.
Bowing her head respectfully, she said she would escort him and White Rabbit inside.
They followed her through towering wooden doors, their iron bands carved with winding serpent designs.
Inside, the Citadel felt less like a palace and more like a sacred hall. The ceiling overhead was carved with scenes of forgotten Nordic battles and stars. Long hearths ran down the center, their fires crackling warmly. Shields and axes hung on the stone pillars, while stained glass windows showed ravens landing on them before taking flight over the snowy night skies.
It was regal — but steady. Powerful, yet serene.
The guard then gestured to the left.
“Before Her Majesty receives you, please make use of the royal hot spring in the chamber beyond that corridor. It is one of the Citadel’s most cherished havens. You will meet the White Queen after you have refreshed yourselves. She is currently preparing to receive you and will be ready in approximately 40 minutes.”
Ryo nodded. “No worries. She can take her time.”
Honestly, this was perfect. After everything that had happened today — the troublesome Caucus Race, battling his old enemies, and flying through the sky again — a moment of relaxation sounded heavenly.
The guard bowed and left.
Ryo and White Rabbit turned left and walked down a torch-lit hallway toward the hot spring chamber. Ryo was genuinely curious.
A Norse-style hot spring?
How different could it be from Japan’s onsen?
While the guard headed back to the Citadel’s entrance to resume her duty, she slowed mid-step.
She blinked. “Wait a minute… isn’t the White Queen currently bathi—”
She froze.
Her face darkened in realization. “Oh no…”
Meanwhile, completely unaware of the impending disaster, Ryo and White Rabbit entered the hot spring chamber and stepped into the changing room.
Ryo removed his backpack first, then his trench coat, folding it carefully. Next came his parka and inner clothes, which he placed neatly on the wooden shelves. Finally, he wrapped an available towel around his waist.
White Rabbit removed his waistcoat, carefully shelving it as well, and wrapped a small towel around himself.
Ahead of them stood a set of massive double timber gates carved with swirling frost patterns and twin ravens facing one another.
Clearly, this had to be the entrance to the hot spring.
Ryo pushed the gates open.
He and White Rabbit stepped inside.
And then—
They froze.
The Norse-style hot spring was breathtaking.
It wasn’t just a simple stone bath.
A circular geothermal pool sat in polished black rock, steam rising gently toward an open ceiling where the night sky showed through. Snowflakes drifted down, melting before they touched the water.
Around the pool stood carved pillars shaped like runes, glowing faintly with blue light. Crystal-clear mineral water flowed continuously from the mouths of sculpted wolf heads in the walls into the steaming pool.
The water shimmered with faint silver luminescence.
But it was not the scenery that made them freeze.
It was who was already inside the waters.
Within the steaming pool were Sekhora, Sif, Gureiha, Hou Yian…
…and at the center, serene and radiant, the White Queen Frigg.
All of them slowly turned their heads toward the two men standing at the entrance.
“Ah…” the ladies all muttered.
Ryo’s eye twitched.
This was a world-famous cliché moment…
He had seen it in anime, in manga, in light novels, and even in late-night comedy dramas.
And somehow, he had walked straight into it.
Without wasting a second, he let out a long, exhausted groan.
“OH GREAT! Of course! What’s a hot spring scene without the mandatory accidental walk-in?! This is it. This is how I die. Not in a courtroom battle. Not by execution—but beaten unconscious by a squad of angry, naked, beautiful women! I can already hear the dramatic background music! Someone cue the slow-motion punch to my face! I didn’t even trip—I just opened a door! Can I at least get a warning sign next time? Like, if this is a women’s bath—or a sign that says, ‘Danger: Plot Device Ahead!’ No?! Fantastic! I am SOOO ready to get launched into orbit around Wonderland!”
White Rabbit trembled beside him, whispering apologies to every deity he could think of.
However—
Sif rose from the water, steam conveniently veiling her private parts. She stepped out of the pool and walked straight toward him. Before he could react, she grabbed him by the arm.
Ryo’s eyes widened to the size of planets.
She pressed her chest against him.
His brain shut down.
Internally, he screamed loud enough to shatter mountains. “AAAAAAAAAAAAHHHHHHHHH!!!!!”
Sif, however, was blushing faintly, her gaze soft yet bold as she looked up at him admiringly.
She whispered, “Let us… wash each other.”
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