Dia and the others filed into the Grandis Court of Noble Law. There were other similarly named courts too, like the Grandis Court of Common Law and the Grandis High Court, but the one that Farah was primarily concerned with right now was the Court of Noble Law. The nobles, as the foremost protectors and providers of the commonfolk, were held to a higher standard by the Emperor and his laws.

It was not all that different from the formal Grandis military, in which nobles would be prosecuted twice; once under noble law and again under common law. It was a shame that familial neglect wasn’t exactly a criminal act; it was, as the name of the issue suggested, tucked under the banner of family law.

Still, shouldn’t family law be distinct from noble or commoner law?

Dia mulled on that good question for a few seconds, and then decided to give her mind a break. It wasn’t her case, and Farah had already engaged a lawyer to begin with. Everyone was just here for moral support and everything, and to remind Farah about her resolve.

Reconciliation with her parents?

If she wasn’t a noble, Dia would have supported that, but Farah County could not afford to see a return of these profligates again. There was a reason why Farah had changed the name of the county, but even that wasn’t enough.

“Say, if you succeed, would you change the name of the county back?” Dia asked, looking at Farah.

“When I succeed?” Farah mulled over the issue, and then shook her head. “Probably not. Like never. I know my father; he’s a philander. He definitely has illegitimate children out there too. I can get rid of my parents, but there’s definitely going to be massive problems if I change the name of the county back and illegitimate children with these surnames start popping up.”

“Good call,” Risti replied. “Still, with the end of the world probably approaching and the divinities just going mad in general, is this really necessary? I mean, the existing power structures are probably going to disintegrate in a blink of an eye.”

“Who knows?” Farah shrugged. “But better be safe than sorry. And this way…I’ll have no more regrets, other than the absence of an heir.”

She looked at Dia, who glared back at her.

“You two are still tussling over Beth?” Risti asked. “Seriously. Just let the little kid be named inheritor to both territories. It’s definitely fine that way.”

“That’s a great idea!” Farah nodded. “Indeed, let’s do just that!”

“Screw off. My father’s not going to approve, and he’s going to boink a new sibling out if I ever do that,” Dia replied. “Don’t think I don’t know what you’re up to!”

“Your eminent father is going to live for millennia anyway. I don’t think retirement’s on the cards yet,” Farah replied dismissively. “Give up and hand Beth over to me.”

“No!”

Before their little dispute could continue, someone entered the reception room for the Court of Noble Law, and Dia zipped her mouth. Countess Farah walked towards the newcomer, who was a suave young lady with a suit and top hat — Dia didn’t know why this person was wearing Saran fashion, though — and exchanged a few words in silence.

The two shook hands a moment later, and Farah led the suited young lady over to them.

“May I introduce my lawyer, Miss Beverly.” Farah smiled. “These are the other members of the Seekers of Life. This is Princess Dia of the Lustre Dukedom, she is Risti Cadenza, and this man over here is Schwarz…”

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“Is that a first name or a last name?” Miss Beverly asked.

“That is a good question,” Farah replied. “None of us know.”

Schwarz chuckled. “Nice to meet you, miss. I am but a humble bartender. I make the strongest drinks on the continent, though. My track record includes knocking out the Blue Moon itself.”

“Eh?”

“He’s not kidding,” Farah supplied. “Anyhow, thank you for taking on my case.”

“No need to thank me. Top payment for top quality service; that’s my motto.” The dapper little lawyer nodded. “And I have a thing against nobles who abandon their duties, see? You might not know, but I am a big fan of Overseer Agni. I had the pleasure of meeting him not too long ago, and he actually mentioned your case.”

“He remembers me?” Farah asked, visibly shocked.

“Indeed. You are one of his success cases, after all,” Miss Beverly replied. “Hmm. Right. He is currently looking for someone to administer the Julan Barony, after the Julan family died in a mysterious explosion, and remembered the adjacent territories…”

“He told you that?” Dia tilted her head.

“Well, he did want me to take over.”

“…You’re part of the Julan family?” Farah asked, intrigued.

“I carry that name, but I left the family long ago. They were…problematic,” Miss Beverly replied. “Killing people and all…I know a few like me who left too, to strike out a path of their own.”

“Oh! You must know Lily, then. Lily Julan!”

“The erstwhile heiress of Julan? Yes. She’s quite fam—” Beverly Julan paused. “Hold up. Countess Farah. Who did you say these people were again?”

“Hehe.” Farah chuckled. “I was wondering when you’d notice. Yes. Lily is part of the Seekers of Life!”

“Ahh…” The dapper lawyer fiddled with her suit. “Well. Well. Hmm. Um. How is she? She’s actually very famous now, right? I heard that she and her…husband were the pioneers in taking down the first Distortion. How strong is my eldest cousin?’

“She’s a hexa-folder like us,” Dia replied.

“I’m not sure if I should be glad that you added those last two words, but…” Miss Beverly straightened up. “Your Excellencies.”

“No need to be so formal,” Farah replied, waving her hands airily. “You’re a relative of Lily’s. You’re therefore a relative of ours. Anyway, now that the discussion’s done, I would like to ask about this case.”

“Beget not worry, Countess Farah. You have supplied me with all the necessary evidence,” the lawyer replied. “I am confident in my victory here. I may not be a top-tier mid-ranked folder, but this is my domain, my expertise. With evidence, morality and logic on my side, this is a battle I cannot lose. Rather, the real danger lies with you.”

“Me?”

“Yes.” The lawyer mulled for a moment. “The defendant’s team knows that this is an unwinnable case. After all, there is extensive documentation on how your…parents neglected their county and threw it all on you while declaring bankruptcy. They will certainly seek to settle this out of court, and you cannot reject their applications for a meeting.”

“What?” Farah frowned. “Why?”

“There’s a section that allows for one last chance at reconciliation,” Beverly replied. “It is literally a law-mandated meeting between the litigant and the defendant. There’s no getting out of this. Their defenders will almost certainly advise your parents to pull out all stops and play the emotional card. They have nothing to lose and everything to gain, after all.”

“…And you’re worried I’m not hard-hearted enough.”

“Correct.” The lawyer paused. “And being too hard-hearted can reflect badly, even if you were in the right the whole time. I suggest that you earmark a small living wage for them and be done with it.”

“But they will certainly want more.”

Beverly Julan chuckled. “Well, you are a countess, who has negotiated more than her fair share of injustice, unfairness and business contracts. I believe you know better than I how to navigate this. Thankfully, you are allowed to bring your own entourage of up to six people during this meeting.”

She gestured at Dia and the others. “There seems to be quite a few people here. But be warned. Your parents will certainly grab your younger relatives. Maybe a baby or two. You should assume that they will emotionally manipulate you in their own ways. They may claim that they’ve grown, or that they’re cognizant of their mistakes, or that there are many dependents that rely on them.”

“Some of which are legitimate arguments,” Farah noted.

“Yes. Your job here is to cede as little ground as possible for each reason they give. But never let them touch your bottom line.”

Farah nodded. “Yeah. Don’t worry about that bit, at least.”

“Good. The court will be in session shortly. Your parents…well, they’ve already been informed.” The lawyer looked at her. “Stay calm.”

“Oh, you noticed me trembling?” Farah paused. “I assure you. This trembling comes from my desire to deck them. Nothing else.”