Chapter 80: When Mountains Become Borders

The trials that followed were particularly troublesome.

They were similar to the second case I’d handled after possessing Abel Carius’s body.

You know the one.

The incident where the land between Count Titus’s territory and Count Brayden’s territory had somehow shifted.

It was temporarily reverted to an imperial directly governed domain, then handed back to me.

That place was now the Midias region.

“Territorial disputes are the worst.”

They were a field where judges could hardly dictate terms.

Originally, disputes between nobles that couldn’t be resolved ended in duels.

If things escalated too far, they turned into full-scale territorial wars.

Eventually, the Emperor issued a Trial Priority Decree.

Sounds complicated, but it’s really not. It just means ‘come to court and settle it here.’

The reason was simple.

They’d pretend to quarrel, gather troops, then spark rebellions.

In the Empire, the Emperor’s word was law, so lawsuits poured in nonstop.

But if even the capital struggled to resolve them, how could local courts manage?

As a result, countless territorial disputes remained improperly assigned.

“So this is basically something only I can handle.”

No matter how seasoned a judge was, at best they were counts.

And not even powerful ones—usually single-heir nobles clinging to a tiny manor.

Since they couldn’t produce heirs, their actual authority was pitifully weak.

The title existed to elevate the status of judges, but in practice, they were often ignored.

In territorial disputes or cases with massive social repercussions, they were largely powerless.

It couldn’t be helped.

That was precisely why I’d been given the position of Chief Judge.

“Why does this have to turn into a territorial war?”

The witness examination began in the meeting chamber.

I’d only asked a single question.

As if they’d been waiting for it, both sides immediately lunged at each other.

“They dug a mine in the mountain behind our territory.”

“That’s a lie. We only dug tunnels within our own land. We never trespassed.”

“What nonsense! We can hear your rat bastards swinging pickaxes underground.”

“Rocks echo. Even a child knows that. Hard to believe someone with your intelligence doesn’t.”

“What did you say, you bastard?”

“Who do you think you are, spouting insults in here?”

“You’re the one making absurd accusations!”

“Absurd? Even nonsense has limits.”

“How about we settle this right now?”

“Come on. Come on, you bastard.”

Grabbing each other by the collar was the bare minimum.

It looked like fists would fly any second.

I struck the gavel with a stern expression.

BANG! BANG! BANG!

“Order. This is a witness examination. What do you think you’re doing?”

“Ahem!”

“Hmph!”

Only then did both sides quiet down, clearing their throats.

This case centered on a mine between Count Valdei’s territory and Count Yustino’s territory.

But I had already reviewed the documents and knew the root cause.

Even without the mine, they would’ve fought anyway.

An imperial count’s territory was about the size of a small western nation.

In other words, it was effectively a country.

For example—does South Korea get along perfectly with its neighbors?

Of course not.

Wherever borders meet, disputes arise.

This place was no different.

People were people, no matter the world.

Count Valdei and Count Yustino were long-standing nemeses.

Their feud spanned over ten generations.

Honestly, there was no way to truly resolve that.

You could only mediate and keep things from boiling over.

The problem was that I had to play that role now.

Reconciliation is unrealistic. I just need them to ignore each other.

Staring at the two counts made my head throb.

Then, suddenly, a brilliant idea struck me.

It happened just as I absentmindedly grabbed Shugle to wipe sweat from my forehead.

— Hey! You rotten bastard! I told you not to do that!

“Your fur absorbs sweat really well. Perfect size, too.”

Carry a handkerchief!

“I have one, but I use you—wait. What if I use that?”

…

The mountain on the territorial border.

If I blocked that off completely, the two houses wouldn’t have much reason to interact.

Looks like this requires an on-site visit.

Fortunately, the destination wasn’t very far.

It was a bit farther than the Erset Mine I’d visited before.

Even so, it was still close enough to be considered near the capital.

A single day was enough to reach it.

I could treat it as an overnight trip without affecting my work.

“We’re deeply grateful that you’d go this far for us.”

“Please stay the night at Valdei Castle.”

“Hah! You’d host His Grace in such a shabby place? Yustino Castle has a top-class guest chamber prepared. I guarantee it will please you.”

The two counts constantly showered me with flattery.

They were desperately trying to secure a favorable ruling.

But I had no intention of indulging them.

“That won’t be necessary. I’ll arrange my own lodging.”

“What? Ah, yes.”

“At least tell us where you’ll be staying—”

Count Yustino finally shut up after one glare from me.

He must’ve sensed a thunderous scolding coming.

In fact, I was ready to deliver one.

At least they weren’t completely clueless—both counts finally fell silent.

After some time, we arrived at the mine, the root of the dispute.

“This is the place. But I heard Valdei’s territory also has tunnels?”

“Yes. That bastard—no, the other side—keeps digging holes everywhere.”

…

“They’re working multiple sites at once?”

“Blinded by greed. The ground will become unstable at this rate.”

Count Yustino sneered.

Count Valdei immediately shot back.

“We’re only working one tunnel now. We dug several before because the yield was low.”

“And it’s stable now?”

“Yes. That’s why we’ve concentrated our miners in one location.”

I hadn’t verified it yet, but it didn’t sound like a lie.

Valdei spoke with confidence.

But truthfully, it didn’t matter either way.

I walked around the mine, pretending to inspect things.

“Other than this mountain, there’s no point where your territories meet, correct?”

“Yes. Mount Valdei stretches long across the border.”

“What nonsense? This is Mount Yustino, Your Grace.”

It was a simple question, yet it sparked another fight.

Their resentment ran so deep they even argued over the mountain’s name.

Shaking my head, I circled the mountain toward the opposite mine.

Surprisingly organized.

Even though Valdei had begun mining later, the entrance was immaculate.

The miners worked energetically.

There were no signs of recent accidents.

After thoroughly inspecting the tunnels, I gathered the two counts.

“Listen carefully.”

“Yes!”

“Understood!”

At this moment, a single sentence could decide mining rights.

Even men treated like kings in their domains couldn’t help but tense up.

Hope and anxiety mixed on their faces.

But I had no intention of giving them what they wanted.

“Effective today, both the Yustino Mine and the Valdei Mine are closed. This mountain will be designated a restricted zone.”

“That is most wise—what?”

“Your Grace! What do you mean? There hasn’t been a single accident so far!”

Naturally, both counts jumped in protest.

The mines were highly profitable, after all.

But my words weren’t baseless.

Just moments earlier, Shugle had thoroughly surveyed the ground.

— You’ve been lucky so far. Expand any further, and it’ll collapse completely.

“How long until that happens?”

Judging by their pace, less than half a year.

“Why would that suddenly occur?”

— The underground water flow shifted, creating a massive cavity inside. It’s extremely unstable.

I got the gist.

A sinkhole.

I relayed Shugle’s explanation verbatim.

“You expect us to believe you can see inside the mountain just by looking?”

“Nothing has gone wrong so far. This is hard to accept.”

Even after hearing the explanation, the counts resisted.

But I had no intention of backing down.

“Cease all operations immediately and evacuate the tunnels completely. This is an order from the Chief Judge.”

…

“U-Understood.”

They clearly didn’t understand, but they nodded anyway.

My rank and position were too high to defy.

Soon, mining operations on both sides were halted.

The miners exited the tunnels with bewildered expressions.

“Let’s begin.”

— Yeah.

Using Shugle’s power, I planned to collapse the tunnels.

Then I’d designate the entire mountain as off-limits.

That would erase the shared border altogether.

Less contact meant fewer fights.

I sent Shugle ahead and boarded a carriage.

I’d observe leisurely, as if sightseeing.

Together with the two counts.

This should convince them.

The mines would’ve collapsed eventually anyway, and this saved countless lives.

They wouldn’t resent me for closing them early.

Not after seeing the mountain sink with their own eyes.

Soon, heavy tremors began.

RUMBLE—!

“W-What is this?”

“No way… are the tunnels really collapsing?”

The two counts were aghast.

It hadn’t even been half a day since my warning.

Yet the entire mountain began to sink.

BOOM! BOOM! CRASH!

A thunderous roar followed.

It wasn’t a catastrophic chasm.

Just a massive quake, with parts of the mountain sliding and sinking inward.

Unless there were deeper cavities, it wasn’t immediately lethal.

But it’s more than enough justification.

A place this dangerous couldn’t be accessed.

Blocking noble exploitation alone was sufficient.

Of course, I couldn’t bar civilians entirely.

But one thing was certain.

They can’t build gates, forts, or station troops here anymore.

I turned to the two counts.

“That was close. Any later, and a major disaster would’ve occurred.”

“Y-Yes…”

“Astonishing. How could you know the mountain’s condition so precisely…?”

Count Valdei accepted it readily.

Count Yustino, however, remained skeptical.

He’d been muttering strange things all along.

A suspicious personality, perhaps.

But I calmly delivered the answer I’d prepared.

“Do you recall the Erset Mine case I once presided over?”

“Of course. You persuaded a monster to testify as a witness.”

“It wasn’t an ordinary monster. It was the God of Earth—something akin to a demi-god.”

“Ah! I’ve heard of that.”

“I learned ground-survey techniques from him. Just in case I ever needed them.”

“I see. Now I understand why you acted so swiftly, Your Grace.”

Once even the skeptic was convinced, the case ended instantly.

The territorial dispute trial was canceled, and both counts lost any reason to fight.

It seemed everything would return to normal—

Until, unexpectedly, priests from the church arrived.

“Your Grace?”

“Yes?”

“W-Would you perhaps… offer us a prophecy?”

What the hell were these people saying?

Why were they asking me that?