The security forces and the prosecution headquarters had rounded up the perpetrators, but nothing useful had come of it.
It was because the ones who had commissioned the job had never revealed their identities from the very beginning.
So the case was closed simply by disbanding the Colmer gang, the underworld organization responsible.
Of course, it did not end there.
After all, it was a crime of setting fire to a ducal mansion.
I had prepared in advance, but if it had been any other territory, major damage would have followed.
Those gunpowder carriages were not cheap enough to stockpile in large quantities, after all.
“Your Honor, I will implement special measures to ensure incidents like this never happen again!”
Count Howell Pierre, head of the prosecution headquarters, shouted with eyes blazing with fervor.
There was no need for him to be that passionate.
All he had to do was calmly observe the underworld organizations and conduct a proper investigation into their actual conditions.
Must be because he received help from Viscount Jaren Burgess of Nordenark? In that case, it’s not too bad.
Of course, the Colmer gang that had pulled this stunt was truly a group of lowlife thugs.
Crushing them was the right thing to do.
However, if other underworld organizations were typical information brokers, I had planned to turn a blind eye to some extent.
Declaring war on crime did not mean smashing even legitimate detective agencies, after all.
“Don’t get too emotional. Just coldly check whether any crimes have been committed.”
“Ah… Yes.”
Perhaps because my response had been so calm, Count Pierre looked a bit sheepish.
It must have come across as somewhat sycophantic.
As if he were saying he would go this far for my sake.
“Proceed. I will not interfere. It would be best if the head of the headquarters does not go out to the scene either.”
“Yes!”
There was no need for the head of the prosecution headquarters to step in personally just to handle a few underworld gangs.
It was better to plant the image that attacking me was meaningless no matter what they tried.
That way, they would not dare to challenge me recklessly.
Of course, I would still need to prepare various defenses behind the scenes.
Besides, I was already so busy.
How could I afford to waste attention on something like this?
I left the prosecution headquarters immediately and headed to the courthouse.
Having spent half the week focused on city administration duties, quite a few trials had piled up in the meantime.
By the way, what should I do with this now?
I stared blankly at the Communication Rod lying on the desk in my office.
Ever since obtaining the Hector Punisher, I had always left it here.
Carrying two hammers around would only get in the way.
Besides, these days I used the Hector Punisher in trials as well.
The sound it made was far more satisfying than the Communication Rod.
“I cannot just leave it here forever. I should give it to someone else.”
Knock knock knock!
A knock suddenly sounded.
It was about time for the junior judges to bring the trial documents.
I spoke in a calm voice.
“Come in.”
“Good morning, Your Honor… Market… My mistake. With your reputation as mayor soaring so high these days, I slipped up. I apologize, presiding judge.”
The person who appeared early in the morning was Judge Josef Padiya.
Anyone could see he belonged to the Sierre noble faction, yet he himself insisted he absolutely was not.
This guy will not do.
I had thought of giving it away casually, but it was better to give something meaningful like this to someone who behaved nicely.
I could give an extra rice cake to someone I disliked, but not something this significant.
I could already picture how much he would boast about receiving the Communication Rod from the Chief Justice himself.
“Are those the trial documents?”
“Yes! I only skimmed the beginning, but they do not seem particularly difficult.”
“Are there no troublesome trials these days?”
“There are some occasionally, but they get resolved to a certain extent. It is all thanks to the many excellent precedents you have left behind.”
“That is good to hear.”
These days, the judges often based their trials on my rulings.
That way, even if high-status individuals were involved, there was less backlash.
If they appealed, I could handle it myself.
It was the proper flow of things.
I could not shoulder all the difficult trials forever.
Then could I just rest?
Eh, that is a bit…
As a superior, I had to set an example.
How could I dump all the work just because my position was higher?
“Thank you. I will see you at the trial later.”
“Ah, Your Honor?”
Just as I was about to focus on the trial documents, Judge Padiya called out to me with a meaningful look in his eyes.
I tilted my head and followed his gaze to the Communication Rod on the desk.
I had a feeling I knew what this guy was going to say.
“You have been carrying only the warhammer lately. Are you no longer using that Communication Rod?”
As expected, the anticipated words came out exactly.
I looked at Judge Padiya with an indifferent expression and replied.
“Yes. If there is a suitable junior, I plan to pass it on. It is a token of appreciation for your hard work so far and encouragement for the future.”
“Oh! I see. Understood, Your Honor.”
“I am planning to change the associate judges soon. Do your best.”
“Oh! Really?”
“Yes. Judge Emir has been here quite a while too, has he not? If you handle some solo trials, I will help you form a proper courtroom division.”
“Thank you! I will devote my entire mind and body to the trials!”
Josef Padiya bowed deeply, as if his head would touch the floor.
Then he cautiously backed out of the office.
—Hey. Boss.
I shook my head and turned my attention to the trial documents when Feltron raised his front paw.
The drooping, fluttering bat wings somehow looked cute, but I did not show it as I answered.
“What?”
—To me, that guy looks like a sycophant. Guys like him are good at saying pleasing things.
Of course I already knew that.
Just from the way Judge Padiya had acted so far, it was easy enough to guess.
But I nodded as if I had only just realized it.
“Is that so?”
—Ah, trust this body’s discerning eye. Do you know how many sycophants there were when I was rallying the northern nomads? It was beyond imagination.
Feltron shrugged his shoulders with a smug expression.
As if he were giving some great advice.
I let out a small chuckle and replied.
“So what do you want?”
…Treat me twice as well as that guy.
The dainty bat paw pointed to where Shugl was sprawled out.
After feeding him plenty of vitality on the way to work, the little guy was sleeping contentedly with a satisfied expression.
It would take quite a while for him to properly digest it.
Seeming envious of the sight, Feltron was earnestly making his case.
He wanted recognition for his own contributions.
But it would not be that easy.
If I pamper him too much, he will develop bad habits.
I had not forgotten.
All the schemes this guy had pulled in the past.
“You are not ready yet. Work harder at bowing your head!”
—Uwaaeng!
Feltron flailed about while lying on the desk.
I smiled faintly and stood up.
A domination demon who had existed for at least thousands of years as a mass of demonic power.
It was endlessly amusing that such a being was acting so obediently.
The vitality must be that good.
“I will head to the trial, so stay quiet.”
—Got it, boss.
I picked up the trial documents and left the office with leisurely steps.
In truth, there was still some time left, but I wanted to walk alone in the garden.
The weather was exceptionally nice.
Reading documents under the warm sunlight somehow filled me with an inexplicable sense of benevolence.
But I soon frowned.
“What is this about?”
It was a case where a woodworking shop employee had been beaten by the owner.
However, the investigation had not been conducted properly.
This was because the suspect had a speech impediment, making communication extremely difficult.
As a result, the case had dragged on vaguely until it reached the trial.
Of course, as Judge Padiya had said, it was not a particularly difficult case.
There were several witnesses who had seen the assault scene.
Looking at the circumstances, the woodworking shop owner’s fault was clear.
Still, we cannot skip the statement.
Even if he could not speak, they could communicate through writing, right?
They could just have him write it down.
Cursing the prosecutor’s incompetence inwardly, I entered the courtroom.
“The trial for the Jalen Woodshop assault case will now begin. Salute toward the presiding judge.”
Clack clack clack clack!
The trial procedures proceeded with Judge Padiya’s voice.
The prosecutor was Viscount Wyatt Monahan.
It was the first time I had seen him in this case.
On the surface, he gave off quite a decent impression.
He had a tall stature, handsome features, and an impressive physique that suited a modern-style suit well.
Did he spend all his time grooming his appearance, leaving his abilities lacking? Why on earth did he conduct the suspect’s investigation like this?
I hid my discomfort and quietly observed Prosecutor Monahan.
However, there was nothing particularly strange.
He had only been sloppy with the suspect’s interrogation.
Everything else was nearly perfect.
“The witness examination ends here.”
There were three people who had witnessed the Jalen Woodshop owner beating the victim, Gordon.
Their statements matched perfectly.
“The owner often could not control his temper and resorted to violence. This time, Gordon was the one who got caught up in it.”
“He seemed frustrated. It happens often when things do not go his way.”
The wooden club used to strike at the time had also been submitted as evidence.
To anyone looking, the Jalen Woodshop owner was clearly in the wrong.
However, the defendant’s statement could not be skipped.
“Defendant?”
“You may write it down. Please explain the situation at the time.”
But I soon realized.
Why Prosecutor Monahan had no choice but to conduct the investigation that way.
Shop owner Jalen shook his head with a troubled expression.
His hands were trembling severely.
In that state, any writing would be nearly impossible to read.
There is no helping it. I will have to move on.
It was not a severe assault, so I could issue a judgment with some leniency for the circumstances.
How frustrating it must have been for a normal person to suddenly suffer from aphasia and paralysis.
His insides must have been boiling because the employees were not doing their jobs properly.
But why do I feel this sense of unease?
I had been about to take out the Hector Punisher but withdrew my hand from my pocket.
Then I quietly scanned the courtroom.
I wanted to figure out exactly what was bothering me.
In a secluded location within the inner mansion district of Perias.
Planger Sierre and Diandre Giovanni had gathered once again.
“You said you would use the underworld, but it only created unnecessary complications.”
“Hmm-hmm! I did not expect them to have imported so many of those gunpowder carriages.”
Duke Sierre stroked his beard with an awkward expression.
If they had mobilized their own troops, the results would have been disastrous.
Abel Carius would have gained even more momentum than now.
The two dukes who had lost their honor would not be able to show their faces in public.
“For the time being, we must lie low. Let us hold our breath while the underworld organizations are being cleaned out.”
“But you saw it this time as well. That man keeps creating things and earns His Majesty’s favor and the people’s popularity. If we leave him be like this…”
“We will not even be able to lay a hand on him later.”
“Precisely.”
“Then what exactly do you plan to do?”
Duke Sierre showed a meaningful smile.
It seemed he had prepared the next move as a contingency for failure.
“We must first tarnish that fellow’s honor. Duke Giovanni, you just need to lend a bit of your strength.”
“You are not suggesting we use the underworld again, are you?”
“Of course not. Just prepare one business entity that has no connection to us.”
“That is not difficult.”
Duke Giovanni was the person who owned the most land in Perias after the emperor.
Many properties were under his sons’ or grandsons’ names, so setting up one business for identity laundering was a simple matter.
But questions remained.
“So what exactly are you going to do?”
“I have set a trap. No matter who it is, even Duke Carius will not be able to escape this time. Ahahaha!”
Duke Sierre’s wicked laughter filled the dark room.