"If I pass her trial, your organization drops this entire investigation and leaves me alone," Solomon stated.

The Inquisitor nodded. "You have my word."

"I refuse to trust verbal promises," Solomon said. He pointed at the dormant broadcast drone resting on his shoulder. "I wanted to force you to state those terms on my live stream. We currently have a deactivated camera."

Solomon reconsidered the idea entirely. Digital clips provided very little actual security. The footage could be deleted or publicly declare the broadcast a fabricated illusion.

"We need to draft a binding contract," Solomon demanded.

The Inquisitor crossed his arms. "My personal signature holds zero power over the Church’s operations. I operate as a basic employee. The Church pursues their goals whenever they deem a situation necessary, and they will easily mobilize the Holy Empire and deploy battalions of holy knights to handle major cases regardless of any minor paperwork I sign."

Solomon adapted his approach. "Then I will issue a formal statement outlining my own terms."

The Inquisitor scoffed. "You lack the required status to dictate anything. An unregistered student possesses zero authority to override the will of the Church."

The Grandmaster stepped directly into the center of the room and placed his hands flat against his crystal desk.

"Solomon holds full backing from this institution," the Grandmaster declared with a booming voice. "His stipulations will be officially ratified as a Sovereign Clause of House Nova, which he is the part of.. This academy answers to no external kingdom. If the Church violates the boundaries of this trial and continues to harass my student, the administration will classify your actions as a formal siege on our jurisdiction. We will respond with the full retaliatory power of the Live Streaming Academy."

The Inquisitor let out a long sigh and looked between the protective professors.

"You are all trying exceptionally hard to protect a teenager as if he is already guilty of a crime," the Inquisitor remarked. He turned his attention back to the student. "State your terms."

Solomon crossed his arms and met the man’s gaze. "If I somehow fail this trial due to a shady trick, your organization cannot simply confiscate my property. Any holy knight who wants the sword must challenge me directly to a formal duel. I retain the full right to kill any challengers. Furthermore, the winner automatically claims all the equipment of the losing side or its equivalent monetary value."

Solomon offered a mocking smile. "After all, you just stated that even the lowest holy knights could easily defeat the paladin. A simple duel should pose no problem for them."

The Inquisitor tightened his jaw beneath the geometric mask.

"However, if I pass this trial, the Church leaves me alone entirely," Solomon continued. "If anyone from your organization violates this agreement and pursues me, I reserve the right to use necessary violence to defend myself. I will hold zero liability for whatever consequences those actions bring."

The Inquisitor stared at the confident student. He slowly shifted his gaze toward Balzac and the Grandmaster.

"You are giving a child far too much freedom," the Inquisitor warned them. "He will drag you into a disastrous political conflict. The Church will utilize alternative methods—political or otherwise—to contain, reestablish, and forcibly reform this entire academy if you allow this insolence to continue."

The Grandmaster stood perfectly still behind his desk. "Your organization is free to attempt whatever tactics they deem necessary. The founder of this institution will gladly deal with any forceful reformations you bring to our doorstep." 𝐟𝐫𝕖𝗲𝘄𝚎𝗯𝕟𝐨𝕧𝐞𝚕.𝕔𝕠𝐦

The Grandmaster dragged his finger across his desk.

A large, translucent holographic parchment projected directly into the center of the office. Golden runes ignited along the edges of the display to represent the Sovereign Constitution of House Nova.

The newly agreed stipulations burned themselves line by line into the official academy records. The glowing document rolled up and vanished into the digital network. The contract was officially sealed.

And that was the beginning of the Solomon Accords.

Melina stepped forward and struck the base of her polished wooden staff against the floorboards.

A spectral entity composed of radiant golden light materialized directly behind her. The phantom figure wore a flowing robe and a blindfold mirroring Melina’s own attire. The entity raised a glowing, perfectly balanced scale in its right hand.

"The trial of divine justice commences now," Melina announced. "You are permitted exactly three questions."

Solomon kept his eyes on the spectral scale. He needed to understand the underlying mechanics of her ability to formulate a reliable loophole.

’What exact metric defines the truth for that scale?’ Solomon wondered. ’If a delusional person genuinely believes a fabrication, does the talent register their statement as the truth? Perspective dictates reality. A specific event can be an undisputed fact to one person and a complete lie to another. If this power judges my answers based entirely on my own internal belief system rather than an objective universal reality, I can easily manipulate the outcome.’

The Inquisitor crossed his arms. "Let us begin with the first question. Who was the giant, winged entity captured in your broadcast?"

"He called himself Uriel," Solomon replied casually.

The spectral entity behind Melina lowered its arm. The golden scale remained perfectly even.

"That is the truth," Melina confirmed.

The Inquisitor narrowed his eyes behind his geometric mask. "Second question. What exactly happened to him, and where did he go?"

Solomon thought about the decapitation and the angel’s dissipating body turning to ash. "He went back to where he came from."

The golden scale glowed brightly and held its horizontal balance.

"That is also the truth," Melina stated.

The Inquisitor leaned forward. "Third and final question. Did you kill the angel?"

Solomon pondered the question. He had swung the blade, yet the Paladin’s rage played the primary role in the execution. To him, it was the paladin who swung the last strike that killed the angel.

"No," Solomon answered.

The room fell completely silent. The Grandmaster and Lonard turned their attention directly to Melina.

Balzac watched the blindfolded girl closely. He was the only person in the room who actually knew the terrifying details of what transpired inside the anomaly.

Everyone else waited anxiously for the verdict.