Villain With The Strongest System

"It was Uncle Xerxes, Uncle Dominic and Uncle Ratius all denied me troops or support when I specifically requested them for it and it is because of this lack of support from our own kin during our hour of need that Olympus had to face this humiliating defeat..." Escanor said with passion, as he passed on the blame to his relatives.

"This is blasphemous! Anyone in my position would have denied you help. You requested my entire contingent.

I rule Planet Aqua, nephew, I cannot just randomly lend you my troops" Ratius said, as the entire hall burst into commotion.

From how Escanor phrased his defense, it seemed like he was the innocent party in all of this mess and it was rather his uncle's who were to blame for Olympus's defeat.

"Stop spouting nonsense, Escanor, if you requested Monarch Ares for help and he denied it. Would you now hold him accountable for your defeat?"

"I don't think he's spouting nonsense, I think Escanor is right to blame his uncles.

After the attack by the mad-dog Liam, Escanor did not have the strength to defend against another floor raid by himself.

He needed help, it's only reasonable that it should have been provided"

"Huh! Escanor is trying to weave a web of lies. If he needed help, he should have come to the council, not to his kin, I had men to spare, I would have gladly given him some if he wanted ...."

Escanor's words caused the entire council to fall into disarray.

While there were those who hated Escanor, the ones who hated Xerxes, Ratius and Dominic were also not less in number and hence when the blame was shifted to them, there were a few who jumped ships and joined Escanor in condemning them.

"Silence!" Athena said, demanding that order be restored to the council as she pondered deeper about Escanor's words.

"Monarch Athena, I request that you ask Uncle Xerxes and Uncle Dominic as to why they denied me aid, because the official reason that they gave me was extremely petty.

They refused to help me, not because they could not, but because they were angry that they did not get a piece of Floor 21.

Out of sheer pettiness and spite, they refused to help me in my hour of need and that is the true reason behind our defeat" Escanor said, as all eyes turned towards Athena, who summoned Ratius, Dominic and Xerxes to the center of the Council room for questioning.

Athena looked sternly at the three men standing before her. "Xerxes, Dominic, Ratius," she began, her voice resonating through the hall, "Is it true that you denied Escanor aid out of pettiness and spite? Did you refuse him help because you did not get a piece of Floor 21?"

The three men exchanged glances, a mixture of frustration and defiance in their eyes, as it was Xerxes who stepped forward first. "Monarch Athena, it's true that we had grievances regarding the distribution of Floor 21. We felt our contributions in capturing it were overlooked when rewards were being distributed previously.

However, to say that our refusal to help Escanor was purely out of pettiness is an oversimplification. We had our reasons."

"And what were those reasons?" Athena pressed, her gaze turning sterner as she could smell the bullshit.

"We were already stretched thin with our own defenses and commitments. Lending troops to Escanor would have weakened our positions significantly. It wasn't just about pettiness; it was about ensuring the safety and stability of our own realms." Dominic replied, as murmurs spread throughout the hall listening to his response.

"Just how difficult were the situations on your planets that you could not even spare a few thousand troops to aid Escanor? If the situation was indeed so dire, why hasn't it been reported to the council already?" Athena asked, as she left the three men no room for lying.

The hall fell silent as Athena's questions hung in the air. The three men exchanged uneasy glances, struggling to find a response.

Ratius sighed, unable to meet Athena's gaze. "Monarch Athena, the situations on our planets were... manageable, but perhaps we prioritized our own security more than we should have."

"So, you admit that there were troops you could have spared? Do you realize that your failure to do so may have contributed to our defeat?" Athena said, clenching her fist as the anger was now evident in her voice.

Faced with her wrath, Xerxes, Dominic and Ratius all lowered their heads, avoiding her piercing stare.

Athena continued, "Should I make an independent audit of the situation on your planets to get to the bottom of why you could not spare even a few thousand troops? How did you not feel that you have a defensive commitment towards Olympus as a whole? Defending Floor 21 was a collective duty, not just Escanor's alone."

Faced with Athena's relentless questioning, the three men had no response, as they could only stand there in silence, with their heads hanging in shame as the murmurs around them grew louder.

Observing things unfold this way,Escanor's eyes gleamed with a mixture of satisfaction and glee as he watched his uncles stand defenseless, unable to absolve themselves of the crimes that Escanor was pinning on them.

By this point the council had heard enough to know where the fault lay, and Athena's last words echoed the sentiment that personal vendettas should never have compromised their collective strength.

In such a situation, it seemed like Escanor was going to walk out scot-free, while his three uncle's were going to take the fall for him instead, being sentenced heavily for the defeat of floor21 which was never really their fault.

"Very well, I have heard enough and I have reached a verdict regarding Escanor's 'Not Guilty' plea.

After examining the proofs….. I indeed find Escanor to be 'Not Guilty'.

And determine that he had no role in the loss of floor21.

However, instead I find Ratius, Dominic and Xerxes to blame for the defeat and I hereby punish them by stripping them of their reign as planet masters.

The three of them will not longer rule over planets on behalf of Olympus and will be instead replaced by younger gods waiting for a chance to prove themselves–" Athena said, as with that she concluded Escanor's sentencing.