I folded the glowing slip into a tight little square, creasing it until the mana trace buzzed like static against my fingers. Then I carefully placed it into Mei's wooden chest when it came my turn, careful not to glance at Hailie. Because no one needed to know what I wrote, not her, not Olga, not anyone…

Less guilty this way, it is dehumanizing to practice democracy because you feel like your voice matter, but if the worst actually came, you don't feel like you're the one that turned on the electric chair.

The chest swallowed the vote with a dull clack, and just like that the weight in my palm was gone. I sighed and sat back down.

Pearl said that everyone was free to leave at anytime because when votes are concluded, they do not need to stick around to watch the final verdicts, but if they wish to, please continue to stay quiet for the next few minutes like they have been.

A few people began drifting toward the door, some stretching like recess had ended, others whispering their theories and frustrations under their breath.

Mei, the witchesque-accountant with her floppy hat bobbing like it had a mind of its own, dragged the box back to the bar where Pearl was. They sat together, pulling slips out one by one, lining them up, writing up tallies with furrowed brows.

Hailie tugged gently at my sleeve.

"Oh… Um, Cory? What time is it?"

"Uh… Oh, I have the wristwatch still." I flicked my wrist, the faint glow of the interface reflecting against the cheap watch I most definitely didn't steal from LyraBell. "Twelve thirty, shy past high noon."

"Then we'll have to leave in half an hour. If we don't, Eirlys will be… mad." She said, blinking fast.

She put just enough weight on "mad" to make me picture the girl's polite smile curdling into something scarier, I snorted.

"Yeah. Don't worry, counting slips can't take that long."

That optimism lasted about a minute.

Pearl and Mei hunched over the pile, whispering, checking and re-checking, their pens scratching against paper. Then I noticed their faces. Both froze halfway through a slip, exchanging glances that weren't just confusion, they were shock.

Which, of course, rippled instantly through the room, players craned their necks, murmurs spreading like static, trying to get a glance of what made the siblings break.

Finally, Mei popped up, all dramatic flair and twitching hat.

"All right, my dear darlings," she sang, "before we get to the serious stuff, I'd like to personally scold a handful of you misbehaving students."

She then waved several slips in the air, around four or five from what I've seen down here.

"You are not cool for writing… well, let's see… 'Spank,' 'Crab walk,' and…" she squinted, "…something I'm not even legally allowed to repeat, you jokers are disqualified, don't make me track you down."

A wave of laughter and groans rolled through the hall. Olga, across the room, shifted her weight and let her eyes rest on someone she suspected of writing those disgusting stuff.

That certain someone was, of course, me.

She crossed her arms and squint, probably thinking about all the stuff I said on the forum and got banned for.

My jaw dropped, I mouthed across the tables, What? Not me! My finger jabbed at my chest, then at the discarded slips in Mei's hands while shaking my head. Totally offended, of all the things I'd do for chaos, writing 'Crab walk' wasn't one of them. Maybe I'll write "wearing diaper" but come on it's a new low.

Mei cleared her throat, theatrically flicking the joke votes aside.

"Now, for the actual verdict tally."

The room hushed.

"Permanent expulsion: ten (10) votes."

A few sharp intakes of breath, some muttered curses.

"Temporary expulsion: eleven (11) votes."

I leaned back in my chair, crunching quick math in my head. Fifty people, give or take. That left twenty-nine-ish slips unaccounted for, minus the jokes one… Probably around 24 or something left?

Mei's grin tilted sharper.

"Stripping of rank… fourteen (14) votes."

Murmurs surged like a wave, players started to rise, already assuming that was the nail in the coffin.

No way the 'Nothing' crowd could match that. Right? There was only around 10 votes left in the pile, and disappointment was at an all-time high

Mei let the silence stretch, savoring it. Then she dramatically announce:

"And now, for your final decision "Nothing" We got… Drumroll please." She took a deep breathe, "Fourteen (14) votes."

The room exploded, some laughed in disbelief, others cursed, a few stomped toward the doors muttering about wasted time. Excitement, annoyance, panic, every reaction possible in one messy uproar.

Pearl, ever the calm twin, raised his hand.

"Ladies and gentlemen, keep it down, this is a very common problem that can easily be fixed, we shall hold a second vote, only between stripping of rank and nothing, the chance of it being tied will be reduced significantly."

But then, I let out a smirk.

"Wait." I said.

The whole hall quieted again, eyes turning on me.

"I folded my paper really small, please check the bottom of the box, make sure you didn't miss it."

Mei blinked. Then, with a flourish of her hat, she flipped the chest over and shook, sure enough, she stuck her entire head and arm in to fish out one singular piece that was folded very small.

"Oh ho!" she cried, unfolding it with exaggerated care. Her eyes scanned the scribbled words. "Well, well… looks like someone wrote 'Strip leadership rank,' but then scribbled it out. And replaced it with…" she paused, grin widening, "…'Nothing.'"

Gasps, groans, more mutters, a handful of people laughed, half-mad with the absurdity of it.

Mei spread her arms like a magician revealing her final trick. "Which means… Nothing WINS! By one vote, fifteen over fourteen, congratulations! Hooaaaahh."

"You're showing favoritism, Mei." Pearl pushed his glasses and reminded his sister.

"Hooooaaaaaaaaaaaaaaah" But she just celebrated louder at his face.

"Both sides are welcome to check the tally," Pearl sighed and turned around to the people on trial. "Every slip accounted for."

Olga's jaw set, unreadable, the seven who had testified against her scowled and whispered among themselves. And they did as Pearl suggested, Olga and two of the seven leaned over the table, flipping through the pile under Pearl's steady eye. After several tense minutes, they pulled back, both sides grim but quiet, no objections.

Pearl rose. His voice carried like a judge delivering a sentence. "By vote of the guild, Olga, username Eolga, is subjected to no disclipinary action. Have a good evening, guild members, the details of the court will be posted and pinned on the guild's chat in the evening."

And just like that, the trial was over.

I was standing in a prideful daze, before Hailie tapped me on my shoulder, pulling me back into reality with a whispering, "Psst, lunch time."

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