on Monday, February 26, 2018 ein zwei
16-37. [Judicial Nation] Sheriffald
※Previous Chapter has been slightly altered. For those who don't get what Yukel-kun is talking about here, please have a look.
Satou here. Trials take time and money, but I think willpower and stamina are what needed most in it. To say nothing of the day you're selected to be a juror...
The children are exchanging farewells in front of the Gate Inn.
"Next time, Pochi will come with Lyuryu nodesuyo. Let's all go on a stroll with Yuni together nodesu."
Pretty sure Yuni-chan hasn't realized that Lyuryu is the white dragon that came by during the divine punishment.
"You too lizard, be well."
Liza is talking with her old acquaintances, the beastkin slaves.
"Nanshamaa"
Nana looks reluctant to part ways with some unfamiliar looking children.
These children seem to be orphans who live in the same orphanage as Yuni-chan's.
"Brother-in-law--no, your excellency Pendragon. Please forgive me for my discourtesy last night."
Yukel-kun lowered his head.
"Please raise your head, you have already apologized so much."
I went to visit Zensan's house this morning, and Yukel-kun kept apologizing for his, "discourtesy at the banquet."
Apparently, he thought that I was a, "casanova who was just playing around with his elder sister" from what he gathered from the people around him, he was going to ask that when he came to pick me at the Handymen yesterday.
Well, in a nutshell, Yukel-kun is a siscon.
"Boy, take care of Zencchi, you hear me."
Miss Lilio, Zensan's co-worker, talked to me unreservedly.
"Lilio, call his excellency, Earl Pendragon or your excellency."
The three ladies from Zena Squad is encircling her.
"But I'm really worried~ Zencchi~"
Lilio clings to Zensan, reluctant to part.
"Master, we're ready to depart anytime."
We got on board the wagon.
"Zentan's parents and other nobles aren't coming to see us off, are they."
I had talked a bit with Zensan's mother when I visited their house this morning.
Zensan's father had already left this world, however I was able to see his portrait, drawn while he was alive. He was a strict-looking military man that didn't look like Yukel-kun and Zensan, he gave off this serious air about him.
"Satou-san, this is something from mom!"
I handed the lunchbox from Marthchan to the girls on the wagon, and made a promise to Marthchan after her farewell hug.
I instructed Lulu to depart the wagon while we waved our hands at the people who were seeing us off.
"Where were we going again now?"
Arisa asked a question right after we passed through Seryuu City's gate.
"The Judicial Nation Sheriffald where God Urion's main temple is located."
I stated the information I had investigated beforehand.
Considering God Urion gives [Eyes of Judgement] gift to their believers, I have a feeling that the trial will be like, "capture all evildoers in the country", or "rehabilitate all criminals."
Would be nice if it's something that can be finished quickly.
The moment we arrived at Judicial Nation Sheriffald, Arisa muttered so while looking around at the surroundings.
This country is located right between Saga Empire and the western countries.
"This place reminds me of Weasel Empire Parish."
Sera who had come with us muttered.
Princess Sistina declined to go there, saying, "I don't like the people of Judicial Nation Sheriffald."
"The atmosphere does feel similar. Like with the bland whitish attires the people wear."
Arisa pointed at the people of Judicial Nation Sheriffald who were walking on the street.
Not a lot of these people cracked a smile, they somehow look like Japanese in the commuter rush somehow.
"Something smells nice."
Arisa reacted to the scent of freshly made bread from beyond the street.
"--Stalker?"
There's a big man who's monitoring a building that seems to be a bakery.
I saw a feeble looking beautiful girl working at the counter as people went in and out of the bakery.
"Apparently, he's an officer of this country."
While I was having that conversation with Arisa, men who seemed to be his subordinates came and drag him along with them.
Well, leaving that aside--.
"Zensan, what's the matter?"
When I called Zensan who had been silent since awhile ago, she straightened her back in fluster.
"T-that! What is that I wonder!"
Zensan pointed at a nearby park after she looked around at the surroundings.
"I wonder if it's some kind of event?"
I try to listen carefully.
『The defendant concealed the fact that he was a beastkin, and lazed around during his works all the while deceiving his employer about that fact. This is an unjustified act of stealing wages.』
It seems to be some kind of trial.
『T-that's wrong! I was told by my employer to hide my face!』
I've got the impressions that the beastkin has been set up by his employer somehow.
『False testimony in a Trial before God is a crime. As a judge who watches over the scales, I declare the defendant crime be raised by one class.』
He was the judge, I thought he was a prosecutor.
『P-please wait! I'm not lying!』
The male judge put a stone onto one side of a huge balance scale beside him.
『Well then, as a penalty for the crime of sloth and perjury, you have to return 80% of your wages back to your employer. And for the Trial before God's--』
The judge looked back at the employer and men who seemed to be other employees, but no one did anything drastic besides some who awkwardly averted their gazes.
Well, looking at their behaviors, it all but proves the beastkin's innocence.
『It doesn't seem like anyone can attest for you.』
The judge then put another stone, and the scale tilted toward the employer.
『N-no way! I worked the hardest! Those guys lazed around while they made me do their job! I worked for real!』
Really, what a sickening one-sided trial.
"This is all nothing but a kangaroo court. Master, aren't there magic to go back in time and show the past or something?"
It'd be easy to prove for him if there were.
"I wonder why they couldn't interrogate him with a Truth Discerner?"
Sera muttered so.
Oh right. I forgot because this looked like a trial, but this world had Truth Discerners who could see through lies in an interrogation.
Looking around at the Map, there's no Truth Discerner at this place.
『I shall pass your judgment! The defendant shall reimburse his employer with 200 emir, and pay the same amount to the court for the crime of perjury. In case you cannot pay right here and now, you will be detained as a debt slave.』
The currency of this country, emir is silver coin, thus even converted to Shiga Kingdom's, that's still 40 gold coins.
"SSatou-san..."
I nod to Zensan and Sersan, I step forward before these guys.
"Foreigner, you'd do well not to trespass upon a Trial before God."
I silenced the unfair judge with the brand power of a large kingdom and my peerage.
"Allow me to pay the penalty for that beastkin."
I try to behave as haughtily as I could.
『Master, you're not gonna kick them hard in the guts?』
Arisa talked to me through space magic [Telephone].
『Don't worry, I'm still laying the groundwork, hold on a bit okay.』
I wait for the judge's reply after responding to Arisa.
"V-very well."
Since I got his agreement, I paid for the beastkin's penalty.
Of course, the beastkin looks really anxious.
I talk to the employer who's counting silver coins while chuckling to himself.
"The employer over there. Was this beastkin good at his works?"
He was so engrossed he forgot to use polite speech against a noble.
"Has he been working under you long?"
Now that I've got the employer's words, I talk to an employee who seems like a senior.
"I presume you've been working at his store for a long time."
The senior employee who got ahead of himself noticed his verbal slip.
"No, wai--"
I called the judge before the senior employee could correct himself.
For some reason, Arisa shouted while striking a pose from a famous trial and tribulation game.
"What is it, Earl-sama."
Arisa shouted at the stunned judge.
I contested to the shrinking judge, that if a diligent long serving worker only got paid 6 emir a month, there is no way that a lazy beastkin who had only worked for half a year got more than six times that amount at 40 emir.
As it was right after a careless remark by him, the judge readily accepted my point.
"Since he tried to fraud Earl-sama, he'd be punished into becoming a crime slave, wouldn't he?"
Toward the still vainly struggling employer, I whispered, "if you still have a problem, would you like to bring this case to the Truth Discerner at the capital?"
"N-noble-sama, thank you very much."
I hand over the money, that the judge gave me, to the beastkin.
This is different from the money I paid out earlier.
I handed over all of it to him.
We parted ways with the ape beastkin who was bowing repeatedly, and got back to our city tour.
We entered the first diner we saw because we were starving, but the cuisine left a lot to be desired.
"Even forgetting the dry texture, the sour aftertaste was just too much."
I conveyed the info from AR reading to the wincing Arisa.
"Hello, I'm here for your delivery."
A familiar looking beautiful girl entered the door.
"Oh my? This aroma is--"
I remember this aroma.
"Oh you're late, I was waiting for you."
The feeble-looking girl nodded at the worried landlady and went toward her next stop.
"Customers, we've got some freshly baked bread here, want some?"
Arisa swiftly jumped on the landlady's offer.
"Still, this country sure loves its trials."
Arisa grumbled while relishing on the bread.
"But I'm glad that they were all ordinary trials, besides that one time."
Zensan muttered so while drinking the palate cleanser tea.
"What's this, are you guys here to attend the Trial of Scales at the capital's Judicial Bureau too?"
The landlady who seemed like she had nothing to do call out to us.
"-Trial of Scales?"
Come to think of it, the tour guidebook did mention that [Judicial Nation] Sheriffald had a peculiar trial.
"Yeap. It's a trial that makes use of God Urion's sacred treasure 『Golden Scale』 Ulrirab."
I see, the golden series this time is a scale huh.
"Libra, which means it's the old man... But the younger version and the genderbent version might be available too right now."
Arisa's inner voice leaked out in low voice.
"How does it work?"
The landlady folded her arms like she was done with the explanation.
"That sounds amazing."
I made some random agreeable response.
I don't really get it but it must be some kind of complicated trial when [Fathom] can't be used to tell lies, and [Eye of Judgment] can't distinguish wrongdoings.
"Yea, it really is! But that's also exactly why the waiting time is so long..."
According to the landlady, even nobles have to wait for three months, while commoners three years.
"So if you want to have a trial quickly, you should go to the capital Judicial Bureau and ask Saga Empire hero-sama to be the judge. Apparently, that Hero Seigi-sama also has the power to distinguish evils, you see."
The successor of Hero Meiko who almost became a cripple at the Weasel Empire huh....
"Aren't you, like, getting a bad feeling about this?"
Arisa, stop setting up that kind of flags please.
◇
"Pochi-chan, Tamchan, come and visit us again okay."
"Aye aye sir~"
"Yes nanodesu."
"Un! I can't wait!"
And by stroll, Pochi must mean flying in the sky.
"Bear, call me Liza."
"Should I call you Lizsama, considering you're a noble now?"
"No, Rat. Just call me Liza."
"We cannot possibly call noble-sama without honorifics."
"Leopard..."
In half a month, these girls will migrate to a town where the population is mostly of beastkin at Muno Marquisdom. It's a town governed under Liza.
"I'm going with Nanshama!"
"Me too!"
"...Young organisms."
Just when did she get along with them.
Since I can't even remember what he did, I really am not sure how to deal with his excessive apology.
Due to that misunderstanding, and also for the sake of his elder sister, he agreed to Zensan getting engaged to Earl Seryuu's oldest son, Badowald-dono.
"That's rite'. Though I guess inept Lilio just can't help it."
"Ruu... That's too much."
Personally, I'm convinced that these girls are the source of information that gave birth to Yukel-kun's misunderstanding.
"Please don't worry about me, Lilio. I'll make sure to come back once in a while too."
"Thank you Lulu."
"Ah, I already visited them earlier."
She was a calm madam and looked like her daughter.
"Thank you, Marthchan. Give my thanks to the landlady too."
"Un! Come again okay."
"Yeah, I'll make sure to."
"Religious country?"
"Nope, it seems to be a peculiar judicial based country."
"Is the social system similar to ancient Greece, where the government is directly ruled by the people?"
"Apparently, only people who passed the bar examination have the right to cast votes."
◇
"Whoa, everything's white in this country."
The building color here being predominantly white is probably because of the building materials taken from a nearby mountain.
This time I'm only accompanied by Arisa, Sera and Zensan.
In addition, since demi-humans are discriminated against here, Liza, Mia and Lulu aren't coming either.
Nana, Pochi, and Tama need to go to school, so they're not here.
They consist of plain-looking white shirts and slacks, but maybe because the practice of ironing clothes is well known here, there's not even a wrinkle on their clothes.
And despite the fairly cold climate, few people wear thick clothing.
"I wonder what, bakery?"
Arisa's eyes wandered toward the scent and stopped at one of the alleys.
According to AR readings, looks like he's an officer of this country. His post seems to be a commanding officer of a 100-man platoon.
Both the girl and the 100-man platoon commander are single, maybe it's like a boyfriend who's watching over his lover working from the shadow?
"But, still, he must be a stalker right? I mean, he's breathing roughly, and I can't think of any reason why a military officer would be interested in a bakery."
"N-no! I-It's nothing!"
Her eyes feel like they're turning round and round.
People are gathering at a wisteria trellis in the center of the park.
I asked Zensan to use 『Whisper Wind』 magic to let everyone observe the situation.
『Any objection to what the defendant said?』
『Naw, I never did that. This guy had been hiding his face rite' from the start, ya know?』
『Is there anyone who can attest to that?』
『My store's employees and the store regulars can.』
Looks like the format of trials in this world differs from my former world.
『Then do you know anyone who can attest to your testimony?』
『...No.』
『P-please wait!』
『What is it? Interrupting the judge's decree, have you no shame?』
『I've been working harder than anyone! Crime of sloth can't be right!』
『Do you know anyone who can attest to that?』
『Other folks who worked with me should know it.』
『Can anyone attest to his labor?』
『It appears that the defendant has a habit of lying.』
『I-I'm not lying!』
"Magic that can manipulate time doesn't exist, you know."
They seem to be serving under the country, a great majority of them is inside a building called Judicial Bureau, while the several remaining ones are in the Main Temple.
Lots of them seem overworked and with Stamina gauge nearing zero, I'm guessing that they can't afford to send them to trivial trials.
『M-my wage wasn't that much! My entire pay is 3 emir!』
If you just think about it, that's an abnormal amount for a common worker's wages.
"Could you do something about it?"
"Leave it to me."
"Please excuse me. I am Earl Pendragon of Shiga Kingdom."
"You will?"
"Yes."
"Are you acquainted with this beastkin?"
"What good is in telling you that?"
These types of people tend to be weak with social ranks after all.
Please endure it for a bit, I'll explain to you later.
Might as well use this chance to use two mind magic to loosen his wariness.
"Naw, he was useless, always skipped out on works."
"Since half a year ago--you have a problem?"
"Nah, it just piqued my interest a bit."
These employees seem to have been promised shares by the employer, they're focusing on the silver coins he's counting.
"Yeah, been there for 10 years."
"Hee, you must be very skilled. Your wages must be quite high too."
"There's no way that stingy manager woulda pay much."
"Was it 20 emir a month?"
"The heck, yer' one digit off. At most I got 6 emir a month--"
"Judge!"
"Objection!"
She must have been waiting for this timing, no doubt about it.
"This guy just confessed to his crime. He's caught red-handed in a fraud."
"--Fraud? Don't be foolish."
"Who do you think you are making fools of earl-sama!"
"Y-yeah..."
"P-please wait, judge!"
Additionally, it appears that the other employees have to pay for penalty for the crime of perjury, but since they're only reaping what they sow, I'm not going to defend them.
"Don't mind it, it was just a whim of mine."
I'm told that 20% of the lawsuit sum had to be deposited before the trial, and I got 40 emir out of that deposit as a consolation.
It's higher than what he originally would have got, but I think the amount is just right to compensate for the trouble.
◇
"--Eww."
"This was a local specialty wasn't it."
"But it does taste better than Gabo fruit."
Zensan was the only one who continued to eat even while smiling wryly, Arisa and Sera quickly threw in the towel.
"This seems to be called Sheriffa Potato."
According to the Map, there's lots of gallete-like cuisines made from Sheriffa Potato and flour made from it.
"Bread."
It's the bakery girl whom Arisa claimed to have a stalker.
"I'm sorry, landlady-san."
"Is anything wrong? You're not looking well, you know."
"It's nothing. I just couldn't sleep well lately..."
I ended up imagining things thanks to Arisa and her stalker stuff.
"We do, we do!"
It might not be as good as Lulu-made bread, but it was so good, Sheriffa Potato dish had nothing against it.
I took this chance to ask for the landlady's permission and got some jam and butter out for the bread.
Most of the parks we happened to see on our way here had ongoing trials under the blue sky.
I know the reference, but control yourself a bit.
"It can see through sins that a Truth Discener's 『Fathom』 and the gift 『Eye of Judgment』 can't recognize."
I should ask the details when we visit Urion Main Temple.