Still the same simple and shabby palace along with the same young Emperor.Darsos is engaged in a battle of chess with his old friend and subordinate. But, looking at the lapses in judgement, missteps and how he was being forced to retreat continuously, his thoughts are clearly not on the chessboard.
On other days, he would swiftly wipe the floor with his old friend with his superior chess skills before talking about official matters while the other party is still wallowing in his depression. But this time, his usual calmness is absent.
"Hermit, have you found her yet?"
"Found? Oh, you mean that Princess Knight. They changed their dwelling and currently, they are living in the Church of the G.o.d of Law. Attacking the Church of a true G.o.d can bring about great troubles. For a woman, is it worth it?"
The one speaking is a brunette youngster with squinty eyes. With a monocle, he emits a scholarly feeling. Simply by looking at just his outer appearance, no one would suspect that he is the head of intelligence of the Auland Empire, as well as the private financial advisor of the Emperor, making him one of the most powerful man in the Empire.
"Stop joking with me, you know that I am not looking for that little la.s.s. I am looking for the girl with the bloodline of the Angels, the woman who singlehandedly subdued the demon sword using brute force."
With his attention to detail, Darsos could tell that Svina is a woman with one glance. After that day, he started that guess that the Princesses with the identical faces but totally different auras may be 2 different people.
"The Twin Stars, yet another ominous twins. No wonder the Mist Royalty would hide her existence."
Alright, corroborating with history, there is a foundation for the story Darsos came up with. At least, in Darsos"s eyes, they are definitely 2 different people.
The most obvious evidence is the behavior of the demon sword.
"Hermit, you should know the price I paid to awaken the third form of The Scarlet Conqueror. But, that woman could easily subdue the third form of the demon sword. What"s worse, when she returned the demon sword to me, the feelings that the demon sword transmitted back to me was actually "pity", "fear" and "relaxation". There could only be one explanation, the demon sword has actually submitted completely to her. It is very possible that she can even use the demon sword in its final form."
"Impossible! The Scarlet Conqueror that was forged by the Tyrant of the Blood Sea will crave for fresh blood eternally. In order to use this sword, almost ten thousand lives have disappeared under your hands. Even today, we have to prepare a few hundred death row prisoners to pay tribute to the sword. The girl is still so young, how could she subdue the demon sword?"
"But she still managed to do it, didn"t she?"
"Is that why you proposed to her? Not wavering in the least despite being rejected in public?"
"No, no. I had enough of those beautiful but fragile vases. I suddenly felt that a Blood Angel that is showered in fresh blood is also not bad. I am really smitten by her. However, I didn"t expect that she would actually like women, it is really such a pity."
"You intend to give up? Then why are you still looking for her?"
"Why do you think the Mist Royalty is hiding that trump card for? Do you think that they, who are holding such a chip in their hands, would obediently submit to me during my enthronement ceremony? Do you think that the proud Half-Angel who refuses to look me in my eye would kneel and swear loyalty to me on the day of the ceremony?"
Recalling the sight of the proud War Angel who refuses to even allow her feet to touch the ground, Hermit shakes his head.
"From birth, some people refuse to yield to others. I don"t think that she would ever submit to anyone."
"But, we don"t have any route to retreat to. It is either we carry this through or give up the plan and be reduced to a 2nd-rate power."
Yes, the enthronement ceremony that forces the countries to submit to Auland Emperor is an oppression towards the smaller countries as well as a challenge to the Auland Empire"s prestige and power. If they succeed, they could become a superpower at one go. But, if they were to fail, then the subordinate states under them originally will start to waver and falling straight to become a 2nd-rate power isn"t entirely impossible.
"This is a bet with great stakes at hand. It involves the fate of Auland 200 years from now. We can"t afford to lose."
"I understand, we can"t allow for any variables at this point. I will send spies to investigate the secret of the East Mist."
"No, hold it for a moment. Just send a few Magic Eagle Riders to keep an eye on them would be suffice. I have already sent out the Crows, it would be inconvenient for them to strike with our eyes firmly on them."
"The Crows? Why, they aren"t trustworthy at all. They are just a bunch of oversensitive lunatics who keep prophesying about the ludicrous end of the world all day long."
"But, irrational mad dogs tend to bite the hardest."
Saying these, Darsos burst into laughter. Naturally, he knows that the Crows aren"t reliable. But, even mad dogs have their own use. If it is just releasing them out in the public to bite others, then there is no need for them to have any rationality.
"I think I understand why you called me here."
"Un, with the East Mist Communal Country as a variable at the core, do a few more emergency contingency plans."
"Do we have to prepare for the worst? The East Mist Communal Country being removed from the alliance."
"No, the worst possibility is the East Mist Communal Country along with the other countries declaring war on us while our military forces are being kept in check."
Hermit nods his head. He understands Darsos. Preparing for the worst in all scenarios is his die-hard habit but this doesn"t mean that he doesn"t have the confidence to follow through with the enthronement ceremony.
On the other hand, preparing so many contingency plans in advance means that he has his eyes firmly set on the success of the alliance.
Other people might think that he is a crude ambitious man who pays no attention to little details but only the companion who he grew up with comprehends that the greatest strength of Darsos is his attentiveness to details. Perhaps, it is because he is always prepared for the worst situation that he is able to climb his way up a step at a time to the top.
"Don"t panic, even chess requires one to move step by step to claim victory. Let"s first use the mad dogs to test their might. Hah, looks like you got distracted. Check, I won!"
-------------
Making the amba.s.sadors of the East Mist Communal Country live with us wasn"t an aimless sudden inspiration on my part.
It is still 3 months away from the enthronement ceremony. It isn"t a long period of time but it couldn"t be considered short as well. Being in the capital, his own field, it would be inconceivable if Darsos doesn"t play some little tricks to rebuild the reputation he lost.
Besides, our connection with the amba.s.sadors would grow more and more intimate. Rather than being looked with gazes of suspicion by others, we might as well directly link up together. This way, not only is it more convenient and safer, I can also discipline that little la.s.s.
As for the Church of the G.o.d of Law, it can only be said to be an unexpected surprise.
Initially, we only intend to build a Court to allow those of the Law jobs to train and learn in. Without the support of the ruler of the territory, we are unable to conduct judgement on others. We could only engage in arbitration work.
Judgement requires the support of the ruler, and involves someone using the clauses of law from a higher position to judge the criminals of a lower position and force a verdict on them. On the other hand, arbitration is a process where the arbitrator is of equal position as the two people involved in the contract and a ruling would be made by the arbitrator.
Indubitably, in places where Law isn"t recognized by the ruler of the territory, the Law jobs can only do arbitration jobs. Due to the lack of authority in an arbitration, arbitrators require significantly deeper understanding of the law. In a certain world, one has to work at least 8 years in the law industry before there is a possibility of them conducting an arbitration.
Of course, we are talking about bigger affairs in that sense. In actuality, most of them involve insignificant little matters.
"Aunt Lee, Uncle Lee only owes you 3 silver coins, right? Since he said he will be returning to you in 2 months, calm down.
"2 months? Considering the interest, he has to pay me at least 4 silver coins 2 months later!"
"3 and a half!"
"4."
"Alright, let me be the middleman. Give him a little bit more time, Auntie Lee, then Uncle Lee can pay a little bit more on the interest. How about 4 silver coins for 3 months?"
"Deal." "Okay!"
Although it may seem lame, this is basically what arbitrators do. The only difference is the sum of money involved in the settlement and that whether the both parties are an individual, merchant guild or organization.
Of course, if both parties are still unable to come to a compromise, then the arbitrator can conduct a forced arbitration in front of idol of G.o.d Wumianzhe. If so, there would definitely be one side whose interest would be harmed. Under such circ.u.mstances, the decision of the arbitration will be enforced by Wumianzhe"s G.o.d Powers.
Without the monarch backing it the law, the law enforcers won"t have the authority to judge criminals and naturally, they won"t have the right to enforce verdicts on others. However, as one has the freedom to make contracts and promises, the Law jobs could borrow Wumianzhe"s G.o.d Powers and his Obligation to serve as an arbitrator for the affairs of the mortal world.
The arbitration system has already been operating for decades in Sulfur Mountain City. But on the surface, it is something new. Very quickly, the sensitive merchants realized the superiority of such a system.
Its greatest advantage that it is fast, very fast. On other days, heading to the local jurisdiction to file a complaint about a contract or settle a disagreement over goods would take at least 1 or 2 years to settle. Even if they were to earn the settlement sum after winning the battle, they might very well be bankrupt by then. That is the typical case of winning the lawsuit but losing one"s livelihood.
Furthermore, if it involves a certain n.o.ble or official in the lawsuit... Then you just have to give in to your misfortune.
An arbitration only involves the 3 sides who are involved in the case and an agreement can be struck very swiftly, often in a few days. To merchants, time is life itself, not to mention that no one would dare to refuse to carry out a contract that has been made in front of Wumianzhe. That bizarre Incantation of Law: Obligatory Enforcement leaves those who intend to go against their promise nowhere to hide.
Kagersi City, which was built along the river, is extremely accessible, one of the reason why it is able to become a famous commercial city. In a place where merchants gather, this new way of settling conflicts immediately spread rapidly within the industry.
"To think that there would be a G.o.d to ensure the fairness of a contract, now I don"t have to worry about those ruffians withholding payment. This is great!"
Thus, when new contracts involving trades are signed, they will make sure to add in a line "If a disagreement occurs, then arbitration will be held in xx Church of Law".
Thus, in less than a week, the Court found itself gaining a few thousand new wors.h.i.+pers, making it a regional religion.
Alright, going by the rules of G.o.ds, when sufficient wors.h.i.+pers appear in a land, the true G.o.d Wumianzhe will start to notice that land. It will come under his sacred jurisdiction -- Kagersi City Branch Church of Law is born as a result.
When the "Laws of Human" still require a long time before it would acquire the support of the local landlords and walk onto the stage of history, this new rising arbitration system will become a powerful weapon to expand the faith of the true G.o.d of Law Wumianzhe.
Such an occurrence is appearing in many different corners of Eich Continent. Thus, in the Realm of G.o.ds, Wumianzhe received the first derivative of his Obligation -- The G.o.d of Contracts.
As the essence of fairness is weaved into the contents of a free contract, having weak G.o.d Powers now, he is gradually evolving to become a mid-tier G.o.d.
"Ah, I totally didn"t expect it."
Adding the system of arbitration into the law system, I was just casually imitating the law system of my previous world. I didn"t expect that the arbitration system that wasn"t really significant there would bear flowers in this foreign world.
"Un, in this chaotic world reminiscent of the Middle Age, there is indeed a great need for a neutral party to guarantee, enforce and settle the disputes of agreements. The reason why it isn"t that popular in that is because it still lacks an authoritative power to guarantee that it would be carried out. Even if the result of the arbitration is hard to enforce, in this magical world where true G.o.ds that could guarantee the enforcement of the contract exist, arbitration becomes something much more impressive.
Such an unexpected outcome is of course beneficial to me. This accident also made me realize the significance of the bloodline of my physical body as The Arbitrator...
"Chaos on the left, Order on the right, so I am standing in the middle as the Arbitrator? In the end, I would just offend both sides at once. System, are you trying to remind me that my goal is something which my efforts will not reap proportionate rewards?"
Attacking a regional Church, a land where true G.o.d gazes upon (The G.o.d of Law not setting up Church refers to it not being like other true G.o.ds who throw Churches everywhere for the sake of spreading their teachings), is no different from slapping the face of a G.o.d. Naturally, as the people staying in it, we would be in a much safer position.
Even so, I can still see dozens of spies among the wors.h.i.+pers coming to visit.
"Hey, this big brother here, it is indeed a good idea for you disguise as a travelling merchant with your big bag. But, can you change your military boots, there is still the insignia of the Flying Dragon Knight Order on it."
"Hehe, your family uses such superior horses to s.h.i.+p gra.s.s forage? Is the money you earn sufficient to pay for the oat they eat?"
"That mark of n.o.ble on your sword... Can you be more professional? To think that you can still laugh about it."
Alright, regardless of whether it is those who are interested in the East Mist Communal Country who shone brightly on that day or those who are interested in this rising true G.o.d Church, the way this city expresses its pa.s.sion to its guests is really hard to take.
"Lord Oracle! If you have the time to play with them, you might as well come help us!"
After the Court became a regional Church, the most senior Krose once again takes the blow and got forced to become the regional archbishop. However, despite being promoted, not only did she not get a pay raise or new subordinates, on the other hand, her workload exploded.
Despite being a small Church, the merchants are all rus.h.i.+ng here to settle their disputes over their contracts. The average visitors that come each day numbers over a hundred and the queue extends all the way to Beifeng"s small booth outside the mansion. As for the people who are receiving them and the arbitrators... 2 Gray Elves, Krose and her two subordinates, 5 people in total, that"s all.
Although Krose is trying her best to groom the first batch of Divine Art users, they are all starting from scratch and there is still a long way before they are able to handle the situation. Right now, Krose and the rest can only work overtime to try their best to handle the situation.
So, even though the respect Krose had for me soared significantly after that lecture, but looking at how I wander about leisurely despite having deep understanding of the law, her rage comes pouring out on me.
"Lord Oracle, if you are free, can you help look at the contract of the goblin merchants? There are a few parts which I am unsure of and require your a.s.sistance."
"Haha, I am busy today. Let"s talk about it after I"m back."
After throwing those words, I turn around and escape without any hesitation. Krose wanted to chase me but the crowd in front of her makes her stop helplessly.
This time, I really am not trying to s.h.i.+rk responsibility, I really have something on. Today, I have an appointment with someone.
The location isn"t too far away, a plot of empty land where people are scarce. Standing under a rotting old tree, I lean on it and pour a little wine on the floor. The gray mist gathers to form a silver specter. However, the usual coldness and aggressiveness of a specter is absent. This is someone who is between the existence of a specter and a Heroic Spirit.
"Hey, Uncle Kane, I"m here again. I have already settled the problem with your granddaughter. The amount of money I left for her school fees is sufficient for her to use for 10 years. You can give that sword to me now."
After receiving Harloys"s hints, I would be too useless if I can"t even find my target. In the first day, I found Kane"s soul. But, it is a pity that even though I conversed with him over many matters these few days and even helped him on several accounts, Kane still remained silent on the whereabouts of his own sword.
"Un, little fellow. I can see your sincerity. Let me tell you one last story."
If there is a mirror here, my face would definitely be 囧. This specter really acts just like the NPCs in games. I had to do a few missions for him first before he tells me about his background story. Most probably, this story would be about his story and in the end, I would have to enlighten him so that he could move on.
"...The village was threatened by Magic Beasts. The enemy would overrun his own outpost at any moment. That young Knight faced 2 difficult choices. One is to fulfill his duty to his king by defending his post and watch as the threatened village is destroyed or he could go against his orders and his pride as a Knight to protect the village. Youngster, if it was you, how would you choose?"
Alright, I knew that it would be this kind of problem. This kind of question is as unsolvable as the one about who to save when one"s wife and mother falls into the water. Not answering might instead be the best answer.
However, I have done too many of this kind of questions. From the start, the answer isn"t of the options given.
"I will act first. Either finish my mission before going to protect the village or to get rid of those Magic Beasts who are threatening the villagers first then pull the villagers to help me accomplish my orders. Un, the better option would be to pull all the villagers with me to guard my outpost."
"This... This doesn"t fit the prerequisites."
"Whose prerequisites? The one coming up with the question? Or the ones you set yourself? As long as the endpoint is good, why should one care so much about the process?"
"No, that is impossible. I can"t do those that you just said."
"I can do what you can"t do. To tell you the truth, if I was in your position, the moment signs of a threat from Magic Beasts appear, I would have thought of ideas to get rid of it as soon as possible before it becomes dangerous. Besides, if you can"t do it, you could have asked for others to help you right?"
"They have their own missions. How can I use my own private matters to soil the honor of other knights?"
"That is an outdated idea. No wonder you still aren"t enlightened even a few decades later."
"I... I will test if you are capable of doing what I can"t do!" The old Knight rages from embarra.s.sment.
Alright, as expected, I had to fight him in the end.
19 seconds. Including the time required to draw and sheath my sword. The Undead Binding Formation that I have long set activates and I immediately followed up with a standard Holy Knight skill, Turn Undead. Afterwards, I raise my sword and knocks him, causing Kane who had his movements sealed to fall.
"This is unfair..."
"Why? You thought that I would be like those foolish Knights and compete in swordsmans.h.i.+p against you who have once reached the realm of Legends? Being killed by you after crossing 300 blows, why don"t you talk about how unfair it is for a Legend to bully a Bronze rookie. Look, isn"t this way much simpler?"
"I... Young man, was I really wrong?"
I hesitated for a moment before giving my answer.
"No, you aren"t wrong. The decision you made is worthy of the respect of future generations. The one that is wrong is this cruel world who forced you to make a decision."
The old Knight saved the village, thus failing to accomplish his own mission. As a result, he lost his honor and prestige as a Knight, implicating his family. In his later life, he kept questioning himself whether what he did was correct and in the end, he died with that thought lingering in his mind.
"Pale Justice", that is the name of the soulsword, as well as the questioning screams he directs towards himself.
"Am I wrong? Is the justice that I insisted on a mistake? Should I have watched as the village get annihilated?"
"Locar Town, that is the village you saved back then. It has been 70 years since and it has turned from a village of 300 into a small town with a population numbering ten thousand. You did well."
"Is that so? That is great."
With a smile on his face, Kane"s soul starts to disperse and the only thing that remains is a teardrop gem that scatters ice-cold white light.
[Soul Gemstone of Pale Justice: A portion of Kane"s fragmented soul and power is embedded within. A complete "Pale Justice" would be formed when it is merged together with Kane"s personal sword.]
"Whether justice is pale white or not, is that really important? As long as the things you do doesn"t go against your conscience, what does the sounds of the external world matters?"
That is what I wanted to say but I couldn"t. To old Kane, the evaluation of the future generations wasn"t important. Just the prosperity of the village that was saved is sufficient to show that his choice wasn"t wrong. If so, what else has to be said?
But reality is often much more cruel than fairy tales.
"Locar Town? Indeed, there used to be such a town. But, it has long disappeared once again in the annals of history. Back then, when the different kings were vying for the throne, war was rife and the people living on the land would have underwent 5 devastating war, at the very least. Even if the villagers survived the a.s.sault of the Magic Beasts, they probably would have died in the war that followed suit." This is the answer that I received from the Civil Affairs Department.
Stroking the soul gemstone that was emitting a pale radiance, I shake my head.
"There is still a long road ahead, let"s just take it slow."
Suddenly, I recalled something.
"Wait, that"s not right. Don"t I have to look for the sword Kane used back then? Who knew where he threw it to. Have I been tricked again? The village has already disappeared in the annals of history, so where the h.e.l.l should I go looking for a sword? Old man, are you still there? Can you show me the location first before pa.s.sing on?"
ps: This story about the Pale Justice isn"t my own creation. It is just that I liked it a lot, that"s why I put it together. Just treat it as a homage to the cla.s.sics.
Pale Justice
Pale -> It has the idea of sickness/ lacking in liveliness. In my own opinion, it refers to the rigidness of justice, whether there really is only one justice.