Bab 15: Erset mine [1]
"We will now begin the trial of the Erset mine non-payment of wages case. Salute to your honor."
"Everyone Bow your head!"
As usual, everyone bowed their heads toward me.
The moment I was about to sit down with a blank expression, I felt a strange feeling.
'I think I heard some really annoying words?'
As I slowly leafed through the documents on the podium, I figured out the reason.
"Non-payment of wages, is that you again?"
"Yes?"
Josef reacted immediately to what he was saying to himself.
There was no need to listen to what a treacherous bastard said anyway, so I just ignored it.
By the way.
'Why aren't they reviewed in advance? I make sure to come to the court and find out what the case is.'
It was absurd.
If I don't even know how things are going, how can I make a proper ruling?
I asked a question to Justice Emir Kolund, who was sitting on my left. The answer came right away.
"This is to eliminate preconceptions and external interference. If judges find out about the case in advance, their hearts may be swayed."
What kind of nonsense is this? I couldn't understand it at all. But soon, I had to nod because Judge Emir showed me the provisions of the law.
"So the ruling is also made on the same day?"
"Not necessarily, but it has to be as fast as possible. It was very rare for the trial date to be extended."
I liked how the law code was comprehensive, but to my surprise, it was clear here. I furrowed my eyebrows as I noticed a serious problem that could affect judgment.
"In this case, everything depends on the prosecutor's intention and ability, right?" I recalled the previous incident. Didn't the prosecutor, who was part of the Sierra aristocracy, blame Paul, a wage worker?
If it weren't for my keen intuition, it would have ended in an ordinary injury. Paul would have been forced to work for several years without pay. This incident was no different.
Sure enough, the prosecutor claimed blackmail from the victim's family.
"The people in question were working in the mine and ran away as soon as they received their wages. Ten people disappeared overnight."
"You mentioned that false accusations wouldn't be questioned. Are you just claiming innocence?"
"We won't claim any losses resulting from the workers running away."
At first glance, it seemed like the Erset mine owners were very generous. But I didn't think so.
"Of course not. Even if you listen roughly, you can figure that out right away."
Disappearances of mine workers were frequent. If the tunnel collapses, it's as if the worker never existed. How could you find someone buried deep underground? Besides, now that they knew the ground was weak, they would never dig there again.
It was truly complete destruction of evidence.
But it wasn't impossible to prove the mine owner had lied, just as we found out that Baron Parviant's arm was fine. Or we could secure a witness. Of course, a proper reinvestigation would require the prosecutor's cooperation.
"Justice Kolund Emir."
"Yes, Your Honor. Please speak."
"What is the reputation of that prosecutor?"
"Why are you suddenly asking that?"
"I'm just curious. Is he from the Sierra aristocracy?"
"No. Prosecutor Carls Avery is from Giovanni's side. He joined recently."
It was a name I had heard before.
Giovanni's faction was one of the two major powerhouses in the empire, along with Sierra.
"Is this damn noble faction the problem?"
I couldn't understand why the emperor would leave those guys alone. With his charisma, he could have wiped out everything. But then a thought occurred to me.
"What if I was put in this position to do that in the first place?"
Abel Carriers, known as the Berserker of the North, was a member of the imperial family with great power and authority.
Wasn't I the perfect tool for this? A person who wouldn't give in to external pressure.
Even after an attack, I remained calm.
"So he handed over that crappy land to me?"
They gave me a hastily named place. I felt like I understood the emperor's plan.
In that case, I would have to play my part. Pleasing the emperor with the right decision was an opportunity I couldn't pass up.
"Today again, I will establish justice."
"Yes?"
I heard Josef's voice on my right but ignored it. I immediately got up from my seat. Soon, the prosecutor continued.
"This happened because the worker escaped, so please find the owner not guilty."
"Look, Prosecutor."
"Yes, Your Honor."
"This is the first time in my life that I have seen a prosecutor claim innocence in court. Isn't your role to expose sin?"
"We conducted a thorough investigation but found no evidence."
"Then they shouldn't have been prosecuted in the first place."
"That is…"
Prosecutor Avery frowned.
I could guess what happened just by observing. Probably Giovanni's faction tried to appease him. For the sake of face, they couldn't withdraw a case already handed over to the court.
So it became a funny situation where the prosecutor claimed innocence. The evidence must have been completely destroyed.
But there was still a way to find out.
I looked around the audience and spoke with a solemn expression.
"There are so many things unclear about this case. So I'm going to check it out properly. You are beginning a re-investigation of the Erset mine under the court's authority."
"Then it will be too late. The principle of a speedy trial will be broken."
If they do it all over again, it will be a lot of work. Prosecutor Carls Avery won't cooperate either.
Everyone in the audience shook their heads, thinking it was an unreasonable push. But everyone gaped at my next declaration.
"Why it will be late? I will conduct the re-investigation myself."
"What? When do you mean?"
"Right now."
"… …"
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