Sumeru is a nation that reveres wisdom, and accordingly, scholars who possess knowledge always enjoy various privileges that are difficult for ordinary people to obtain.
This includes a relatively tolerant attitude towards scholars who break the law, not to mention figures like Azar, who holds a high position and great power. Even when arrested by the matra, he can still enjoy unusual preferential treatment in prison.
The saying 'punishment does not extend to high-ranking officials' is perfectly embodied in Sumeru.
Although there is the supervision of the matra, not every matra can be as unyielding as Cyno, nor does every matra have the authority to arrest and judge sages. Therefore, Cyno's position as General Mahamatra has actually become somewhat independent of the matra system.
If it weren't for Azar's actions being so outrageous this time, prompting Lesser Lord Kusanali, a god, to personally intervene, even then, other scholars from the Akademiya had already begun to plead with Lesser Lord Kusanali.
After all, a sage being sentenced to capital punishment is a first in the history of Sumeru. If this precedent is set, it could have a different impact on the situation of scholars in Sumeru in the future.
If sages can be sentenced to capital punishment, what about those who are not yet sages? Will they also face harsher penalties for their transgressions in the future?
So, they were not actually pleading for Azar, but for their own future.
Unexpectedly, Lesser Lord Kusanali agreed to the scholars' tentative request. Thus, the judgment for Azar and others was changed from capital punishment to life imprisonment.
Upon hearing this result, those scholars were overjoyed, quickly praising Lesser Lord Kusanali for her generosity and benevolence. Since Lesser Lord Kusanali had already taken a step back, they could not object to the subsequent requirements for imprisonment.
The place of imprisonment was not the Mawtiyima Forest, which is depicted as having singing birds, fragrant flowers, and pleasant weather in the original work, but rather Aaru Village, located in the arid and harsh Desert region.
Aaru Village has historically been a place where the Akademiya exiled mad scholars. Coupled with the Akademiya's long-standing discrimination and blockade of the Desert region, the villagers there deeply detest the sages of the Akademiya. Setting the place of imprisonment in Aaru Village can truly be called a move to crush their spirits.
Furthermore, due to the barren soil and scarce resources in Aaru Village, to prevent these prisoners from becoming a burden on the village, Azar and others will need to perform physical labor such as farming, carrying water, and fertilizing during their imprisonment.
Farming is not like cultivating flowers for self-cultivation, especially growing food in the barren soil of the Desert region. Without hard labor, there would be no good harvest. Making Azar, who was originally high-ranking and never had to do manual labor, perform such crude physical tasks was even more a blow to his spirit.
Most importantly, during the journey from Sumeru City to Aaru Village, Azar and others were publicly transported in a prisoner cart.
If the previous two aspects were merely physical torment, then being publicly transported in a prisoner cart was a mental assault on Azar and his companions!
They were all respected scholars who valued their reputation most and cherished their own standing. Lesser Lord Kusanali's actions undoubtedly trampled their dignity as scholars completely.
Although Miyashiro, who proposed this idea, had anticipated it, after Greater Lord Rukkhadevata's existence was erased by Irminsul, the faith of the people of Sumeru was entirely bestowed upon Lesser Lord Kusanali. This not only caused Nahida's strength to advance by leaps and bounds but also gave her a unique status in the hearts of the people of Sumeru.
Moreover, Lesser Lord Kusanali had just defeated Balladeer, saved Irminsul from crisis, cured the Eleazar that had plagued the people of Sumeru for five hundred years, and returned dreams to all the people of Sumeru.
At this time, Lesser Lord Kusanali's prestige was soaring. For such a god beloved by the people of Sumeru, the more Lesser Lord Kusanali was loved, the more Azar and others, who had acted in a rebellious manner against Lesser Lord Kusanali, would be reviled.
Indeed, on the day Azar was escorted to Aaru Village, the scene, to use Teacher Dandan's words, was one of 'gongs and drums clanging, firecrackers exploding, red flags fluttering, and a sea of people.' It seemed as if all the people of Sumeru had come to watch the spectacle.
However, while coming to watch the spectacle, those people did not forget to bring some items, such as rotten vegetable leaves and stinky eggs. As the prisoner cart passed by, an overwhelming amount of garbage continuously pelted Azar and others.
The matra and mercenaries responsible for the escort did not intervene to stop the people of Sumeru from throwing garbage; they merely watched with cold eyes. Soon, an endless stream of garbage completely engulfed Azar and others, emitting a nauseating stench.
Faced with such humiliation, some scholars with strong personalities chose to bite their tongues and commit suicide on the spot, ending their lives decisively. This included the second-in-command of the God Creation Project, Khajeh, the former sage of the Haravatat.
When the prisoner cart finally arrived at Aaru Village, after confirmation by the escorting matra, five people had chosen to commit suicide, two had directly suffered mental breakdowns, and the remaining people were like walking corpses, the light in their eyes having disappeared.
When this news reached the Akademiya, those who had previously pleaded for Azar couldn't help but tremble and break out in cold sweat, and a hint of awe seemed to appear in their eyes when they looked at Lesser Lord Kusanali.
This was too ruthless! If they had to endure such humiliation, it would be better to simply die quickly. This was simply worse than death.
As expected of the God of Wisdom, she could devise such a cruel method, gaining a reputation for benevolence while making those evildoers suffer torment worse than death. This was far more cunning than simply killing them.
However, they soon had no time to ponder this matter, because there was an even more important issue at the Akademiya that they needed to contend for.
This time, four sages from the Minglun Faction, Spantamad School, Haravatat, and Kshahrewar School, as well as dozens of Kōbanḍa from various schools, had fallen. The Akademiya had been largely gutted, lacking its core leadership and responsible personnel. The daily work of each school could be said to be in complete disarray.
As for Naphis, the sage of the Amurta School, and Isild, the sage of the Logic School, they had been held under house arrest by the four sages for a long time, and their bodies and minds were very weak, requiring time to recover. Although it would not lead to direct retirement, it was something to consider.
This meant that essentially all six sage positions would be replaced. The top priority now was to quickly elect new sages and a Grand Sage according to regulations, to restore the Akademiya's functionality.
And no one was willing to miss this feast of power.
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