Chapter 97: No Special Treatment

Former colleague courtesy.

Just looking at the meaning, it was a very positive term.

It meant showing respect to a retired official.

But in modern Korean society, it was interpreted somewhat differently.

It referred to giving special treatment to a lawyer who was a former judge or prosecutor in their first case.

It was something that shouldn’t happen in Korea’s legal system.

But here, a note was boldly inserted into the trial documents.

“Who the hell wrote something like this?”

I glared with wide eyes, carefully examining the handwriting.

It seemed they hadn’t even thought of hiding it from the start.

It was obvious at a glance.

Surprisingly, the owner of the handwriting was Judge Colrund Emir.

Wasn’t he the one who even gained a loyalty stat toward me?

Since the system vouched for him, would he have written this note with bad intentions?

“Probably not.”

Frowning, I glared at the trial-related documents when suddenly a rustling sound was heard.

Noise coming from an empty office?

Then there was only one culprit.

“Ahaha! I didn’t mean to interrupt. I was moving carefully, but your senses are really sharp.”

A man sticking only his upper body out from the shadow of the desk, munching on cookies.

It was Cordell McNeil, the Black Agent of the imperial guard.

He was much weaker than me as an escort knight, but I couldn’t kick him out.

That guy was essentially the emperor’s eyes and ears.

“If you’re not going to help, don’t bother me.”

“What’s got you so fired up?”

Instead of answering, I showed him Judge Emir’s note.

Then Cordell tilted his head as if he couldn’t understand.

“Why is this a problem?”

“Why isn’t this a problem?”

“?”

“?”

We stared at each other with dumb expressions.

The parts we each thought were obvious were starkly different.

I absolutely refused to acknowledge former colleague privilege, but to Cordell, it was as natural as breathing.

In this world, there was even a separate term for former official privilege instead of former colleague courtesy.

“So you’re saying this has always been done?”

“Of course. Even if they’ve been in office for a long time, they’re a newbie in the lawyer field, right? So we give them that much concession.”

“Huh!”

It was so absurd that I let out an empty laugh, and Cordell McNeil added one more thing.

“Even a lowly knight like me knows this, so surely the Chief Justice isn’t unaware of this custom?”

He really had a knack for earning a beating.

When I pulled out the communication rod from my bosom, Cordell gasped and disappeared in an instant.

“Hup! It’s mealtime, so I’ll be going!”

After shamelessly stealing all the cookies on the table so far.

What? Mealtime?

Sigh! I should just smack him.

‘If he weren’t directly under His Majesty the Emperor, I would’ve dealt with him long ago.’

Anyway, it seemed former official privilege wasn’t just talk.

If even that clueless knight uncle knew about it.

“But do I really have to follow it?”

What had been my belief all along?

Not yielding to external pressure, judging solely based on revealed facts.

That was justice, wasn’t it?

I steeled my resolve and meticulously reviewed the trial documents.

During that, a quite irritating name suddenly caught my eye.

“Uh……. But the merchant head is from the Sierre noble faction?”

No, why does this person have to pop up?

The imperial capital, Perias.

The noble circles here were abuzz with one topic.

“About that contract breach trial this time. It should be quite interesting.”

“Ah, you mean the dispute between Ogden the farm owner and Harding Trading Company.”

“It seems the trading company side has a bit more advantage. But do you know who Ogden Baron’s lawyer is?”

“I don’t. But since you’re mentioning it, I get the feeling their skill is considerable.”

“The background is more important. It’s Count Roderick Quinn, who just retired. Plus, Baron Harding is from the Sierre noble faction.”

“That might be tricky? The judge doesn’t get along well with Duke Sierre.”

“But isn’t it the fair and just Duke of Carius?”

“Heh heh! I’m really looking forward to the verdict.”

In truth, it wasn’t a trial with much to see.

Normally, it would’ve ended with the farm owner gaining a slight advantage due to former official privilege.

Since the trading company side was making a legitimate demand.

But the judge handling this case was Abel Carius.

A figure evaluated for rendering all judgments fairly so far.

No matter whose side he took, there would be no avoiding backlash.

“If he acknowledges former official privilege, His Grace the Duke’s reputation will crumble.”

“But if he just shouts justice? He’ll get criticized from both seniors and juniors.”

Seniors would say, what about us who received the privilege?

While juniors would complain, why change it so we don’t get benefits?

It was truly a situation where neither choice was easy.

Of course, there wasn’t no way out.

“There’s a trick.”

“What is it?”

“Give an ambiguous ruling. So the farm owner gets just a tiny bit of advantage.”

“Aha! Logically, Harding Trading Company is right, but on humanitarian grounds, give Ogden the farm owner some time leeway. Something like that?”

“That’s the key.”

“Then ultimately, it’s acknowledging former official privilege?”

“But it can suppress Harding Trading Company’s dissatisfaction to some extent. They won’t have to pay an utterly ridiculous price.”

“Aha! Because as time passes, grain prices will drop little by little?”

“Exactly!”

The nobles believed without doubt that the Duke of Carius would choose the third method.

It was the most reasonable to anyone.

Time flew like an arrow, and the trial date arrived.

“We will now begin the trial regarding the contract non-fulfillment between Ogden the farm owner and Harding Trading Company. Salute to the judge.”

The face of Abel Carius entering the courtroom was no different from usual.

However, people didn’t believe what they saw at face value.

Where else was there such a headache-inducing trial in the world?

They thought he was pretending to be calm because it was in front of many people.

Even though in reality, he’d worried all night.

“Plaintiff’s side, present your argument first.”

The trial procedure was no different from usual.

Since it wasn’t a trial with much to debate, Harding Trading Company hadn’t even hired a lawyer.

In fact, that was the right judgment in such cases.

The merchant head coming out personally to plead had a higher chance of being accepted.

Viscount Harding opened his mouth with an unconfident expression.

“I submit the contract written at the time as evidence, and request to call the person who notarized it as a witness.”

“Who is the notary?”

“It’s Baron Vasheu.”

“You had plenty of time, yet you didn’t apply for the witness in advance?”

The Duke of Carius’s question flew like a sharp dagger.

Then Viscount Harding sweated profusely and answered.

“Baron Vasheu also runs a trading company, so he was away for a long time. He just came to the capital, so I’m requesting now.”

Whether to accept the witness or not was at the judge’s discretion.

If Baron Vasheu seemed suspicious, he could refuse as much as he wanted.

Moreover, now he was claiming something not at all in the preliminary evidence investigation.

“He’ll obviously refuse.”

“Baron Vasheu isn’t from the Sierre noble faction, but he’s quite close to them. Not very credible.”

Negative reactions erupted from the gallery.

But the Duke of Carius’s answer was quite unexpected.

“I accept. Bring Baron Vasheu.”

“……!”

Viscount Harding, who had a resigned expression, lifted his head sharply.

He never dreamed it would be accepted so easily.

The gallery also began to murmur.

“No way, he’s allowing it?”

“He doesn’t get along with the Sierre noble faction, but maybe he’s just going to listen and see.”

“I think so too.”

Soon, Baron Vasheu came out as a witness and explained the situation at the time.

I thought he’d nitpick something, but the Duke of Carius just listened silently.

Then he asked a few questions and ended the witness examination.

“Now, defendant’s side, present your argument.”

“Ahem!”

As the next procedure continued, the controversial figure, Count Roderick Quinn, stood up.

Slender build with a straight-trimmed mustache.

He was dressed in a neat suit, perhaps newly tailored at a Midias clothing store.

Outwardly a perfect gentleman, but his statements were quite filthy.

“It’s not that we’re refusing to hand over the traded goods at all. The situation is difficult, so we’re asking for some leniency.”

“Don’t you think Ogden the farm owner created that difficult situation?”

“No, frankly, who would blow such a good opportunity? Other places are begging to sell even at high prices.”

It was truly logic no different from throwing a tantrum.

But Count Roderick Quinn seemed to think it was fine.

Since he’d receive former official privilege anyway, it felt like he was arguing half-heartedly.

“Will the farm owner side really win?”

“Anyone can see Baron Ogden is at fault.”

“Shh! If you keep talking, the court knight will kick you out.”

The gallery only watched the Duke of Carius’s reactions.

The verdict would change based on the judge’s attitude.

But the one sitting on the bench maintained an expressionless face.

An aloof gaze that revealed absolutely nothing.

An emotionless look swept over Count Roderick Quinn.

“Is that all for your argument?”

“Yes, it is.”

“Understood.”

The claims of both sides were completely opposite.

But there wasn’t no part where they matched.

It was that they both wanted to end the trial procedure quickly.

The plaintiff, Viscount Harding, had a resigned feel, and farm owner Baron Ogden was full of confidence.

Soon, having made up his mind, the Duke of Carius raised the communication rod.

“I will pronounce the verdict.”

Gulp! Swallow!

Sounds of dry swallowing echoed here and there.

It meant that many were focused on the trial outcome.

Especially, members of the Sierre noble faction watched with anxious eyes.

If they lost this trial, it wouldn’t just be a matter of losing face.

If a conclusion favorable to the farm owner came out, similar incidents would keep happening in the future.

Those trading with the Sierre noble faction would start weighing the timing of delivering goods.

They couldn’t help but have tense expressions.

Soon, the Duke of Carius’s mouth opened.

“I order the enforcement procedure against farm owner Baron Ogden. If the goods are insufficient, they will be paid in cash. The penalty is 1,000 goldens as per the contract.”

“!”

For a while, the courtroom was enveloped in silence.

That’s how surprising the result was.

The ambiguous ruling everyone expected was nowhere to be found.

The Duke of Carius had sided with the Sierre noble faction.

Not a speck of the former official privilege that Count Roderick Quinn and Baron Ogden expected was visible.

Then, a tearing scream soon rang through the courtroom.

“This can’t be!”

The one who shouted convulsively was Count Roderick Quinn.