EPISODE 182: AGE’S DAWN 4
— GREAT EDRYAN, YEAR 7291. SEASON: COLOR FADING.
Carine Holmes took a deep breath and released it with a forceful burst—white mist quickly evaporated—the chill of the Final Ending approached.
“Today will be great,” Carine cheerily voiced. “I can’t wait to get started!”
The sky above was cloudy, and the first snow threatened to fall any day now. Carine entered a large hall on the grounds of War Throne Palace. He observed the high amount of activity taking place for a few moments. The country of Great Edryan was experiencing a rapid shift in its governmental operations—a shift that quickly spread to the ordinary citizens. Carine’s cheer as the winter approached was the norm seen in the capital city. Everyone was busy doing their part to bring forth the Class-Based Constitutional Monarchy—even if they didn’t understand what their actions would lead to.
A Golden Age.
Not many understood what a [Golden Age] represented or exactly how it would function. Carine counted himself lucky not to be amongst them. He’d jump onto the opportunity when his lord, Prince Tendra Dioni, offered to help accelerate his career and gain a position in the Justiciary. Originally, Carine wasn’t happy, as he felt his opportunity to become a [District Overseer] was slipping away.
“Good morning Carine, [Supreme Judge] Cobra Cabal is on the third floor doing a survey of…”
His dissatisfaction quickly dispersed as his lord granted him the opportunity to work with one of the highest levels of law in the country. In Carine’s opinion, this branch would become the most important branch of the new government. They didn’t have soft power like the Overseer Branch, which controls a vast number of resources. Each branch would have to make a request to the Overseer Branch for the resources they needed—whether it be steel, foodstuff, or small necessities.
The Justiciary didn’t have hard power—not like the Bellum would possess—military might was a certain way to express power and get things done the way you wanted. Nor did the Justiciary possess the same right and finesse the Templum held as the church’s official branch in the government. The Templum would ensure everything was in divine regulations, but they were also in charge of the banks.
What the Justiciary held was the Power of Law—a formless, seamless power like a [Wind Mage] magic. The Power of Law allowed the [Judge], [Lawyer], and similar classes to use their words to do battle. Princess Carina was able to restrict the strongest of high-levelers, platinum-ranked knights, with her words alone. It was rumored she could go beyond even that.
Carine paused, his polished black leather shoes echoing softly as he halted just past the entrance to the third floor—a space both silent and industrious. He gazed around in admiration at the packed hall, where over a thousand aides and officials worked with voices never rising above a murmur. Despite the large numbers, there was no commotion; each conversation was contained, carried only to those nearby. Carine couldn’t help but feel a quiet fascination at the seamless order here—a testament to the power a [Supreme Judge] held.
This was the Power of Law.
“Carine! Working hard or hardly working? [Supreme Judge] Cabal is waiting for you.”
Carine jumped, his scattered thoughts reorganized as one of the floor’s aides spoke to him. He turned and gave her a sheepish smile; her eyebrows arched in amusement. The young woman gestured to the end of the hall where the fifth [Supreme Judge] worked. Carine took another deep breath, it was not the first and certainly would not be the last. He walked forward, carefully dodging busy staff and greeting familiar faces. His steps swiftly approached the large, grand doors at the end of the floor. He halted just before the guards, who gave him a recognizable nod. After a quick once over, Carine brought forth his [Mark of the Citizen]. He silently watched as the medallion was scanned and his unique mana signature was confirmed. Once done, he immediately returned the medallion to his left hand—a fashion much of the capital followed after their prince.
“Holmes! Get ya ass in here—I needed ya yesterday!” a gruff, cigar-stained voice barked.
The two guards chuckled before sharing a knowing glance with Carine as they opened the doors. He nodded politely, sheepishly rubbing the back of his head, before he straightened his posture and entered the room.
[Supreme Judge] Cobra Cabal rifled through documents, signing off on some while stamping a large DENIED on others. Cigar ash threatened to burst from an overfilled tray, while a blazing fireplace provided warmth from the day’s chill. Cobra’s sharp eyes pulled away from the documents, their hawk-like glare landing on Carine.
“Finally decided to show up, did ya? Thought I’d have to dig up these relics on ma own. Now, get that brilliant ,” Cobra scoffed, “mind of yas over here and make ya’self useful.”
Yup, today will be great.
Carine rushed over, politely nodding to the two other aides of Judge Cabal. The Justiciary had reached near-peak productivity. Nearly two months had passed since the CBCM cleared the Council of Nobles, and a [Prime Overseer] had been selected. Five [Supreme Judges] now represented the law at Edryan's highest level. Amongst them, [Supreme Judge] Cobra Cabal’s duty was to parse the oldest documents and interpret Edryan’s early and sometimes obscure laws. Carine couldn’t decide whether it was a privilege or a misfortune to serve under such a… colorful personality.
Still, it could be worse. Carine had heard about the other Supreme Judges and their responsibilities. Establishing the three tiers of the Justiciary fell to them, along with selecting [Chief Judges] to oversee each region and ensure legal compliance in all factors. These same judges would oversee the establishment of local judges and courts—a place for civil tribunals, criminals, commerce and trade disputes, and so much more. This didn’t mention dealing with irregular and more magical disputes that may occur—should it not be resolved in blood.
“Holmes! Pay attention! We’ve still got to get through the Legendary Era and those messes they called laws after. So stop daydreaming and get to work!”
Carine snapped out of it. The giggles of Judge Cabal’s other aides brought a hot flush to his face. He quickly moved to his desk and swallowed at the large pile of old tomes, papers, and more that covered it.
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“Well… let’s organize this before we start,” he muttered to himself as he rolled up his sleeves.
Carine’s desk held an assortment of documents—old tomes, yellowed parchments that hadn’t seen the light of day in years, and crusty sealed scrolls. His responsibility was documenting those ancient laws into a concise, eligible form for the Supreme Judge. It was Judge Cabal’s responsibility to consolidate that further, as they, the five Supreme Judges, established a constitution that would make its way to a meeting between all branch heads of the new government. Edrya held countless laws, some were obscure and would rarely be called upon in the modern period. The new government would have a fresh start and a baseline for all future citizens to understand.
Carine silently worked, methodically using his passive [Lawyer] skill (Ledgor Lore), which allowed him to quickly interpret, organize, and recall vast amounts of information. It was a skill that held similarities with the [Scholar] version (Scholar’s Library), except tailored to his specific practice. The crackle of fire dimmed—flames burning as its fuel was consumed. The constant flip of pages and scribbling slowed, hands flexed from exhausted writing as disgruntled murmurs sounded.
“Holmes, Adel, Gloria—it’s break time. Drop yar finished work on my desk and give me a quick rundown,” Judge Jonah barked, his tone softening on the final name.
Carine stacked his documents together and let out a breath of relief. He was beginning to get a mental strain, and his stamina and mana were slightly drained from other skill usage. The thick stack of papers was nearly a meter thick, and the numerous documents on his desk dwindled by half. The Legendary Era was when Edrya was still in a state of city-states not completely aligned with the Edryani. It was King Darius who began to bring the loose territories into a cohesive whole. Plenty of strange and obscure laws were put into place when the Edryani unified the country igniting the Legendary Era—Carine was even surprised to find laws specific to the Wild Magi tribes of the country.
He watched Loria Adel set her documents down and still couldn’t believe his fortune—Carine was actually working with some of the highest powers in the country. Ever since the Edryan Fair, Carine’s life changed from a steady pace to an upward trajectory—his gratefulness to His Highness Lawruthian could never be clearly expressed.
“Holmes! Stop daydreaming and bring yar documents over,” Judge Cabal barked—sternly staring at Carine.
The young man jumped, startled, but quickly followed the example set by Loria and placed his documents before the judge. Afterward, he took a step back and waited next to the young woman. Gloria fumbled around, but Judge Cabal only began to rifle through the documents. The man’s thick bushy mustache wrinkled as he moved his mouth in consternation.
“Here are my documents, Daddy,” Gloria finally arrived—setting her documents to the left of Carine’s before standing next to him.
Cobra Cabal barely glanced at them before he gave his daughter a brilliant smile. “Good work today, Gloria—it won’t be long before ya have yar old man’s job,” he dotingly said. “Adel, report!”
Loria Adel straightened her posture and adjusted her rectangular magical spectacles—a method mages used to quickly parse through magical documents and more. Her straight black hair was tied in a high ponytail, and the woman kept a clipboard with written notes in her arms. She was a meticulous woman, a trait Carine noticed early on, but she still knew how to have fun.
Her words were crisp and efficient, showing her dedication to the job. “Yes, Judge. I’ve focused on the taxation laws set during the Legendary Era, the Judge Era, and the current laws in effect in the Iron-Blooded Era.”
Her face was direct as she spoke, and she occasionally glanced at the clipboard in her hands. “Much of it involved re-evaluating local tariffs to streamline trade between the former city-states—before evolving into the current territories of Great Edryan. I’ve annotated parts that might cause friction in the modern constitution draft, especially around the border zones where trade agreements were based on outdated fealties and are commonly practiced.”
Judge Cabal nodded slowly, the creases around his eyes deepening in thought as he sifted through her detailed notes. The notes went in-depth into the laws Loria Adel researched with specific annotations and insights on their validity in today’s time.
“Good, very good, Adel. Have ya noted the recent laws with the Rail System and their impact on cross-territory trade?” Judge Cabal asked, leaning forward with interest.
Adel nodded, flipping through her notes until she found the relevant section. “Yes, Judge. I documented the rail tariffs imposed just recently, along with regulations around rail expansion into rural territories—House Consus was especially worried about such impacts and did not allow rails to be built within their territory,” she sighed, slightly shaking her head. “They are worried about the impact such movement will have on nature, claiming it would disrupt the local ecosystem and damage their agricultural practices.”
“Good. I’m certain we’ll have a resolution with the Consus as the expansion of the Rail Systems begins. The Overseer Branch wishes for a connected Edryan—expanding the vision our Chosen held,” Cobra said as he grabbed a cigar. He rolled it around his fingers for a few moments, deep in thought.
“ Daddy ,” Gloria said warningly, her voice laced with concern. Alcohol, smoking, and other habits gave de-buffs but also positive effects some just couldn’t let go off.
“I know, I know,” Cobra responded. He sighed and returned the cigar to its case. “Holmes, report!”
Carine straightened, feeling the weight of the Judge's gaze upon him. “I focused on the ancient civil laws, Judge—the ones from the Legendary Era that still hold some relevance today.” He paused, gathering his thoughts. He hadn’t taken notes like Loria, but only because he trusted the strength of his skills.
“The Forlorn Law is one of-“
Carine paused, this time not of his accord, as a loud knock came from the door. Judge Cabal waved them to the side and the three stared curiously at the entrance.
“Enter,” Cobra ordered; his eyebrows arched in a stern frown at the interruption. His staff knew not to interrupt them while they were deceiving the old laws of the state.
An aide quickly entered, their eyes bright with excitement as they brought a document to the judge. The judge’s stern expression lessoned—this aide was not from his people, their uniform the same, but the insignia on their chest showed they were a messenger sent by the first judge.
Judge Cabal quickly waved away the aid and undid the scroll’s seal. His eyes scanned it quickly; his expression became one of concern before abruptly switching. Gloria peered at her father curiously before shooting her fellow workers a look—her eyes mainly traveled to Loria Adel as her status would allow her to know secrets far faster.
“We’re done for today—take the rest of the day off and return tomorrow at dawn,” Cobra stated, the shock of his expression was still present, and his words came slow.
“Daddy is everything…,” Gloria asked, her interest piqued by her father’s expression.
“Everything is fine,” he sighed, before grabbing his cigar case and removing the one from earlier. Gloria frowned but waited for her father to continue. Judge Cobra carefully inhaled the scent of the cigar before noticing the glare of his daughter. He cleared his throat, putting the item down before finishing his earlier words. “Y’all find this out eventually, but the opening of the Golden Age will be delayed. It won’t affect the work we’re doing here. Return home for now—all of ya.”
Judge Cobal glanced at the three as he said his last words and the three nodded, gave their goodbyes, and left the judge quietly sitting in his office. There was only one thought on Carine’s mind—one thought on all of their minds.
Why was the Golden Age delayed?