Chapter 209: Autumn Harvest Festival (6)
LBb4I was a fan of small animals just like many others and liked the images and videos of dogs and cats being uploaded on Youxube and Instargram.Z8MAM
u0pmSo when Navi came to me, I screamed, “At last! I was finally chosen as a butler!”M8g8usi
QxjAnd yet… that…A0d
JcBO6“That was you, Hua…?”g4yTQC
beqH3NO“W, wait… Like, it’s… this is not… like…”rENpw
5lzxAs if she wasn’t expecting this in the slightest, Hua mumbled and couldn’t properly finish her sentence.kjZBxb
5Nzac“How did you… do it?”8qck4
y5BK“At M, Mag Mell… Oengus…”OlL55
HpMDeeply embarrassed, her head was drooping low as she quietly mumbled her response.fUMoC1
ozpFEBasically, it went like this.JaI
IODKxVaIn the Treasure Island of Mag Mell, Marie, Alicia, and Hua Ran were each introduced to a goddess by Oengus.P7jH3Wm
pvzMLHThey were the Morrigans – the three goddesses of war: Badb, Macha, and Nemain.NqRRUi
fbKThe three goddesses of war, who supported the God of the Sun Nuada, each gave them a present. Alicia was given the red warhorse from Nemain; Marie the Curse of Macha and Hua Ran…WupD
jhca“The Shapeshift of Morrigans, huh…?”xjb
Fdv0uoC“…Yeah.”QhVMSo
60eAKrkThe Shapeshift of Morrigans was a unique skill that also appeared in the game. It was fairly useful in open fields and life skills because one was able to change into all sorts of animals.jXy
Wj3HxHowever, it was a skill that would have others questioning, “But why this instead of all the other treasures from Mag Mell?” because of how it fell short compared to other treasures, and was, therefore, a skill that was only occasionally picked by the game-enjoyers.Woe4w
hek“So you shapeshifted into Navi and… for all this time…”oU4YSW
AUrvBI was quite shocked. No wonder there was a cat that was following me so well. It was all an act, huh…?EZB6
RHGHcw“S, sorry… That wasn’t… my plan.”PIx
ofH5EHua was very fidgety, not knowing what to do. She looked quite adorable which made me want to pull a prank.ekb7ttE
D2eAtri“Can you do me a favor then?”n83dRw
ve1“What… is it?”PNHkM
95GHEp“Let me scratch your belly.”gKAkxvE
zFZ5x4“…!”QlwMy5i
BkRO2wv“Puhup…!”7USWT0h
oIwrpGShe responded immediately after realizing that I was teasing her. At a speed too fast for me to react, she swung her fist filled with demonic aura.ZqAu
NCzG“Wait—!”wAYRj8
dk1QdBThe punch that I couldn’t even react to in time stopped right before my nose. She then said with a rare pout on her face.l61834U
18IlnB4“Don’t tease me.”lramP4
Fj64“Sorry. My bad.”1p6PMZc
I0kHer face immediately returned to being indifferent as she flopped down onto the sofa. She seemed quite depressed so I sat next to her.Xx7e
3Iuz9“Cheer up. Embarrassment is only temporary.”7LBP8
Nmv– Bam!Rafi
wI4P“Uhk…”CcHvj
Yp4P“I told you not to tease me.”mvfnJJb
9UzG“This is such a precious opportunity so how can I… W, wait. I understand! I won’t tease you! Let me just hear the reason behind it though!”W3DvfgU
vVNQUV“…I’m not like Ran.”kvX8r
V7s73Hua wrapped her arms around her knees and quietly muttered.m5lGjuO
qppR1T“Ran is adorable. She’s cute and social. It’s natural for her to be loved.1UVzn
zhxj6Q0“But I’m different. I don’t talk. My face doesn’t change much, and I have a terrible personality.rO4BQ
FkfV“That’s why… I thought it would be difficult for me to be loved by you.”uk0
5ORq5d7She honestly revealed what she had been feeling while comparing herself to Ran. I had no idea she had been having such concerns.xHYhV9n
3s5mU“It’s the same for me,” I confessed.l65
a9QQ“What?”zJh6UM3
3wXyfwF“You, Ran, Senior Marie, Alicia, and even Saintess Estelle. They all like me, but am I worthy of all that? I’m a nobody. Who am I to receive all that love from everyone?”fcbp
tmy3n0j“…That’s not true.”7rnTu8T
t0kgKwHua Ran said calmly, as though none of her words were made up.4R6ui
lhM8VBR“You are nice, kind and cool. You deserve all the love.”cs4v4vz
J3HqCI“Same goes for you.”QK18Fi3
rmnKXEw“Me…?”giSC5aR
9gc“Yeah. You’re cute, adorable, and kind.”eXduuN
4y0“…Really?”0s0T04
Jvepv6PShe tilted her head in disbelief, so I gave her a hug and reaffirmed it for her.tPzS3E
ljwVnR“…Yeah.”mwQ
CpDMI patted her head with a smile. She was a very cute and lovable girl – a girl that I saved myself; a girl who loved someone like me.XTsvdV
vEXg“Can I… actually ask you for a favor though?”7rU
ZnqJ“…What is it?”27mgC
uMyry“O, once in a while… Can you turn into Navi and…”qQ8V7
YgUEkk– Bam!yYYZ
q5i“Kuhum…! If you don’t want to, I don’t mind dogs either!”Lt0rHln
9mO4“No.”8iOh
bIIz98That can’t be! Was I unable to see Navi anymore?RSbds1c
2gkFiI was depressed beyond belief when Hua put her hands on my cheeks and forced my eyes to turn towards and remain looking at her.Tnq
VbHY0t“You have… me.”lXX
nLupeEB“Huh?”q3yi6
2pCRBnI“You said… I’m adorable. Just… touch me instead.”Bj0
CQaY“Umm…”WrSJr2
Su6It might be nothing new but… Hua was a very straightforward girl.6SM
bKlPq“Can I scratch your belly?”UqgB
xt2tG– Nod.pkZDcHA
mhQXiERecently, I was starting to notice that I was becoming more and more shameless.JJShZtZ
OsI***cIp
7cURh[Trials of Linton] was a small event that wasn’t even introduced in the game.Dip8YVM
PjgJGIAspiring students of Justice of the Peace were able to attend the contest and by having them partake in actual court cases from the past, they were assessed on whether their decisions were closer or even better than the precedent cases.xxJRvz
ZDS11zIt was basically a Mock Trial.XD1
381sePvA Justice of the Peace was essentially a judge with the power to enforce their orders.MpLUt
1A1BuMountain sides, islands, or villages close to borders without courts were like small closed-off societies. In those areas, the village chiefs or the nobles were the judges and the prosecutors.1jSr
kPIeCWhat would happen if an outside judge were to show up and give them a sentence they didn’t like? They wouldn’t give a crap about the decision and proceed to crash the head of the judge.OtLRxLH
kjcSThat was why a Justice of the Peace had to be powerful, hence why most of them were guardians that thugs or normal soldiers couldn’t dare contend against.16jgR
3xWV2gdA Justice of the Peace was like a walking courthouse.6uoW
nBuBThey had to take the role of the prosecutor, the scribe, and the judge all by themselves. Knowledge was something that could be enhanced and strength was generally not a problem for superhumans, but the biggest issue was in their ability to make sound judgments as a judge. It was very difficult to learn that.cVUL1
Ia0hlThat was why Professor Edgar, a former-JP, occasionally opened mock trials to teach students how to make impartial and informed judgments.JSOnJzw
hY6“Are you confident, Boss?” Ren voiced her concern. “Didn’t you like, get your license in an underhanded manner?”dSj1
awGL“That I cannot help but admit.”3W77q9
aDMI was able to become a Grade 1 JP thanks to Marie’s help, and I was able to make use of that very effectively when it mattered the most.pfZr
KRb22zHowever, that one experience during the Mound incident was my only experience as a Justice of the Peace, and fundamentally, I wasn’t much different from the other peers of the course.qAkyx5
odxL5fd“I had terrible marks for the written section, but I was still among the top students, you know?”kDGceyl
7L3h“…How is that even possible?”GkaIH
rnID“Well, I had full marks for the prac exams.”JiwAWm
XGchX“Prac exams?”sQC7uY
hjaAs I said, Professor Edgar liked hosting mock trials to teach students on how to effectively make decisions, and the results of those mock trials were also reflected in the final mark.xWObK
Hz4FOV“13 wins out of 13 trials. I have a 100% win rate.”BYvY
ICh“…How is that possible? Didn’t you say you were bad at theory?”h0PQ3
VuoV“Fufu. You see, the legal knowledge doesn’t really matter as long as you know the fundamentals.”4qdIu26
1peLeaving aside her skepticism, we went to the venue for the Mock Trial where Professor Edgar found me and said with a sigh.7arkAi
WBjzgp“Student Korin.”vyCTI
p09“Professor Edgar.”QsWz1Db
DEKI must be a strange student for him, considering how I failed the written exam and yet I was strong at mock trials. Plus, there was also how I suddenly became a Grade 1 Justice of the Peace in the middle of the semester.6mvZyZH
qzurHe appeared slightly hesitant after seeing me.fOrssq
hkDDnn“To be frank,” he said, “I was considering stopping your entry because you are a Grade 1 JP, but that wouldn’t be fair in an event that is supposed to be for every student.”0NRc18
fWpB“I’m pretty much just a Grade 1 JP in name only, so please let it slide.”Vz4Kw
GKbuZV“Others won’t be thinking the same thing.”M2pE
xdCqProfessor Edgar adjusted his glasses with a frown.yaSfpc
4pAcLo3“A more difficult set of court cases will be assigned for you, Student Korin. You won all the mock trials during the course anyway, so that should set the balance.”6BxF
y3f“Uhm… Are they very difficult?”ElENvZ
oo94E“We have only taken actual cases that were personally dealt with by myself and my peers. There will be a way out in all of them.”JojYU
stZSomehow, I was starting to get some bad vibes about this.ML4rHjx
UO2“I guess there’s no other choice. But please, don’t be too strict on me. I do need that golden ribbon.”evj
CAdQy3“Ah~. I heard it from others. Marrying into the Dunareff does have its hardships, I assume.”MkHh1Ut
7BIM2Y6“Uhk… It breaks my heart that even a professor like you is saying that.”Ah3
X5aZBsV“Anyway, Student Korin. You are a great fit for the position of a Justice of the Peace. I wish you all the best.”TXz
6GMg0uLeaving those words behind (it was hard to tell whether he was trying to console or reprimand me), Professor Edgar returned to his seat. The small auditorium, where the Auction Contest was held, was once again the venue for this Mock Trial but this time, the host was Professor Edgar himself.6w2t
GGOKSN5– Thank you very much for attending the 9th [Trials of Linton] today.LjP
uFp– I would, first off, like to convey my words of gratitude to former Justice of the Peace, Sir Claud, and Justice of the Peace, Madame Samantha for providing us with various court cases today. Please give them a round of applause.MdNvd
WK9nwrClap clap clap clap!K3Y5nj
1RTnNAlthough it wasn’t a big event with a large number of contestants, this contest was still a very legitimate one. It was because a lot of important figures in the industry would come visit to build a connection with former Grade 1 JP, Professor Edgar, and the future JPs.1jQ4wB
UOydWfThey would mostly just be officers of the Public Security Department or some former JPs, but it was still a great opportunity to see seniors in the field.ogWIL
tfB0VW– Today, we are joined by the Deputy Minister of the Public Security Department, Mr. Ronan, Superintendent Sir Barohk, Minister of Public Security Sir Dorman, Deputy Minister Gerald, and Minister Magar of the Department of Justice.BTx
RR2Igq– Wow! That’s all the big shots of the Public Security and the Department of Justice!AMhM
wObL– But like, why?eDsMa
moGwG9Uhh… This was weird. I heard the guests two years ago were just some former JPs and a team leader of the Public Security Department…toK0
07nARlxLooking around the small auditorium, I couldn’t help but feel even more skeptical. It was because most of the people here appeared to be officers of Public Security and the Department of Justice.31yvr
sCfPThe big shots on the stage must have been the ones that brought them here.QRiCC3g
9JW9rvEven though it might be a fairly important event to meet potential JPs of the future, for them it shouldn’t be anything more than a playhouse of little kids, so why were these guys here?eZE
yJrWT8– Well then… Before we begin, let me invite Minister Dorman of Public Security to have a word for us.tWVO
g733FProfessor Edgar also seemed to be finding it odd but handed the microphone over to the minister, as he couldn’t ignore the current powerhouses.Qhw
5ARat– Hello. I am Dorman, Minister of the Public Security Department. Haha, there’s no need to be nervous, everyone. I’m just an old man and a human like everyone else.oeBfG
T7U2mmYThe middle-aged man with graying hair introduced himself like a gentleman. This guy… he didn’t even show up much during the game so why was he here?fXm
vVWN– Using this opportunity, I would love to send praises to one specific Justice of the Peace. Grade 1 JP Korin Lork! The hero of the kingdom and a treasure to the legal industry!Be1dsx
nEikaFl“Ehk?”Bmr
w5QHnZMe? Why me?5GDft
OCcFKbBefore I could say anything, the minister walked down the stage towards where I was sitting and gave me a hug as if we were close.4E4
Lcqm“Everyone!” he then shouted at the crowd. “Please remember this amazing Justice of the Peace! He is a legendary JP who has caught numerous heinous wanted criminals!”057
Kb2dUmm… Sorry? Did I?CL9X
WGXolfI didn’t catch anyone though…FD9mm
KCEwAfter finishing his shout, Minister Dorman whispered in a voice that no one else could hear.af45aCF
RZ6a“Please convey my greetings to Lady Marie Dunareff, Sir Baron.”RPv9
2QjHoh…WxcLU
TgUI see. Now I understand why all these big shots are here.W1x7x4
Sr5v6uzThey were trying to make connections with Marie through me, and that’s why they were giving me empty praises.0hY
d8yONAt this point… I couldn’t even deny the rumors that I was a playboy marrying into Marie’s family…irJ
Qlvr3The big shots of the industry took turns giving me praises to no end. Only when it became excessively long did Professor Edgar chime in to put a stop. Finally, the event went on and I was the first to go.Redkm
WjB1r– Good luck, Sir Lork!J7hPNal
Nwh4– So coooool!z9PjFAq
H7S01n– I love you! Korin Lork!kAumCb
2k5The officers, who must have been told to do that by their superiors, cheered out loud in voices that didn’t sound very genuine.vaAlS
w2kzWIs this… the sweet taste of authority?49V6SEy
hL2XNormally, I would have joked around to enliven up the mood but I was afraid of the excessive reaction they might make so I decided to refrain for today. Thankfully, Professor Edgar also sensed the mood and quickly proceeded with the event.AmvOue
lLDE“Well then, here comes the first trial. Student Muller, you will be the Justice of the Peace this time and Student Korin will be the defendant.”3vzBb6y
zZ1FA trial held by a Justice of the Peace was very special.n9o
tOuz8zThe JP took the role of the prosecutor and the judge, and the defendant didn’t have a lawyer.n4e
1lHThat was normal considering how difficult it was to find lawyers in countryside towns and villages. Besides, time was of the essence in most cases so the defendants had to defend themselves.a3C8W
BGEThis was also why JPs were unproportionally overpowered. They were the judge and the prosecutor and yet the defendant didn’t even have access to a lawyer.JkNG
vTS4KSystematically, it was heavily unfavorable for the defendant.rI2wQ
QdHsW7In mock trials that took the form of Best of 3, what mattered the most was thus how you responded as a defendant. If one could win in a situation that should be unfavorable for yourself, it was highly likely that would lead to your overall victory in the mock trial.95P8w
7fh6f1ZThat’s why the case is important. I need to at least find a way to prove my innocence.7mE0nwX
wLEOCoNaturally, most of the cases here would be examples of the JP winning the trial. However, that didn’t mean the judge had a definitive chance of winning in the mock trial between students.TbTlZ
b0AStSoBoth the judge and the defendant in this case were newbies of the same level. As long as I could dig in through the logical gaps, I could flip the case as easily as a coin!jpJB
TQt“Defendant Korin Lork. You were prosecuted for allegations of immorality.”iSM2s
zAlWT3LEasy. Sexual crimes don’t have much evidence. As unfortunate as it is, it is going to be favorable for the defendant.ICJ
A36There weren’t any DNA tests in this world. As long as I could find where the gap was in logic—9l2V
vdV“Defend yourself for the wicked act of bestiality you have committed by raping a goat.”PluHFlD
qk2afH“…Dafuq did you say?!”lbBmyT8
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