The Last Dragon Shifter

Chapter Thirty-One

"You will state your cases in turn and the Speculator will help us better determine your scores," Judge Wren said.

"I seriously don't like the sound of that," Oliver muttered.

Naomi previously perceived the senior as a scholar in political relations, but his queasy expression gave her second thoughts. If even the older students were daunted by this task and psychic bubble thing, Naomi and Malcolm's odds were even more precarious.

She didn't have more time for doubts as Judge Kingsley set the timer. Sitting at the round table in a group meant it would be easy to overhear each others' plans. Yet, Malcolm's frenetic energy quickly overshadowed her worry over eavesdroppers. She only vaguely followed along as he rambled to her.

"This is a trap. It has to be a trap."

"What do you mean? The Speculator thingie?" she asked.

"Yes!" he hissed. "By itself, it's a trick question. With all the clauses in the treaty, the haggling that was involved in creating it, there's no good answer. Add in this fortune-telling hellhole, and our demise is even more likely."

"What does it do exactly?" Naomi said, peering into the circle's murky abyss. "How does it even score us?"

"We'll worry about that later. First, we have to decide how we would change it. Should we change it? How so?"

Damn straight, they should change it. That was Naomi's first impulse. She wanted to point out how those laws had basically okayed her kind's genocide. Not to mention the classism that still existed due to the elective monarchy and having an upper elite society. But how could she explain that to the prince of the realm? A person whose very livelihood and existence were protected through the treaty? Malcolm had known these privileges all his life. Would he really choose her opinions over his own upbringing? Especially during the competition? Given how they fought on a typical day, delving into this would definitely extend past their allotted twenty minutes.

"Well, I think the bans towards tribute magic could still stand. But maybe there could have been better judicial terms for people accused of supporting Tragon," Naomi tried to tiptoe around the legal minefield as best she could. Thankfully, Malcolm didn't turn her down flat. He hopped on the idea of improving the court system for fairer trials. Probably to seem more benevolent after all the other casualties during the war. Overall, they focused on minor changes that could be made without completely overhauling everything. It felt like the safe choice, but with so many other unpredictable factors, it was probably for the best.

After the timer buzzed, the judges wasted no time in hearing their arguments. Oliver and Olivia were up first. Despite the droplets of sweat creasing her brow, Olivia laid out their stance in a calm manner. She cited the overall success of the treaty and the wise decision to ban the tribute magic that Tragon had used. Yet, she faltered as she came to the later part of her speech.

"While Tragon's death proved useful to ending the war, in terms of the other dragon shifters who were captured..." Olivia's eyes, full of guilt, shifted to Naomi. "Well, we feel that exile to Nivea would have been a better alternative in the long run."

Naomi kept her expression as neutral as possible. So, instead of outright extermination, the dragon shifters would have been sentenced to life on the icy tundra in Tyrra's northern hemisphere. After the war, some dragon shifters that were standing trial were jailed on Nivea, then eventually executed. However, a long-term concentration camp or community there didn't sound much better. Naomi couldn't even picture growing up there as she likely would have. Nevertheless, she kept her objections to herself and waited for this peculiar Speculator to have its say.

"Well, that's an interesting take. Why don't we see how it could have played out?" Judge Kingsley said, a gleam of excitement in her smile.

They focused in on the Speculator as shadowy figures began to rise up from the mist. Naomi jumped when the animation was accompanied by an anonymous, droll voice.