In the new district of Flondeck, numerous magnificent tall buildings stretch along the wide avenues paved with white pebbles. Rows of slender columns inlaid with magic crystals cover the streets and alleys, emitting soft light at night, driving away the dullness of the night. The hollow relief sculptures carefully crafted by sculptors on the column body are also works of art that embellish the streets during the day.
Almost every intersection has been built into a small square with gorgeous fountains, and the jumping water spray displays the wealth and vitality of Flondeck at all times.
The most famous one is the Mutu Fountain in front of the main entrance of the first noble court.
The Mutu statue several people high stands quietly on the bronze pedestal in the center of the circular pool, holding a short sword symbolizing judgment high in one hand and holding a balance representing justice in the other hand. Thirty-two jets of water rise and form a mist-like water curtain, making this stone giant even more sacred.
The Gothic building behind has multiple pairs of long spear-shaped tower tops that stretch beautifully towards the sky, as if to pierce the brilliant morning glow rolling in the sky. The majestic building, solemn statue, and the guards wearing black cloaks on the armor make everything in front of them appear solemn and rigorous.
The first court has always been a solemn and rigorous place.
Assistant prosecutor Albert Fraley is full of excitement.
To represent the highest law enforcement agency in Flondeck, standing in the spacious trial hall, under the gaze of the bigwigs, and sending one unworthy criminal after another to the bottomless abyss, isn't this what he has been pursuing?
Climbing up the thirty-two long steps, handing over the pass to the stationed guards for verification, Albert walked into the long arched gate.
On both ends of the arch, there are life-size figures in judge robes carved, some holy smiling, some closing their eyes with pity, and some glaring fiercely, seeming to never compromise.
They are all pioneers and builders of the law in human history. These people laid the foundation of the law, representing the history and tradition of the code of law.
On the monument at the end, there is a line of text,
"It is not sweet, but bitter, and it is not about facing officials and senators, nor about making everyone brothers. You must be mindful to act according to the law, to do what is right by the law, to swear by honor, to be loyal to justice, and never to slacken."
This is the oath of the first chief justice of Flondeck and also a warning and advice to later generations.
Passing through the archway and arriving at the front court, the giant clock on the tower had just struck. The ups and downs of the bell echoed in the air, long and loud, vibrating three times, each time bringing a long echo.
The first tone represents prosecution.
The second tone represents verdict.
The third tone represents never forgiving.
This is a long-standing tradition of the first court, which also represents the beginning of a new day of work.
"Let's begin," Albert said. "My new stage."
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A few weeks passed in the blink of an eye. Albert worked from early morning until late at night, checking testimonies, searching for details that the patrol had not investigated, and simulating scenarios where he would confront the defense.
For Albert, who was fighting alone, the complexity of the work made him feel pressures he had never experienced at the seventh street courthouse.
He had completed three trials, sending two murderers and one counterfeiter to prison, but it was far from enough.
The desk was still piled high with various types of case files. The robbers, swindlers, and unscrupulous businessmen seemed to be sneering at him through the documents, with a malicious grin that only he could see.
It is clear to everyone that the five trainee prosecutors are divided into three groups.
Leading the pack is Penny, who benefits from the glory and power of the Leinshman family, earning the care of important figures. She can even get intelligence officers from the Imperial City Security Bureau to put aside their work and use their resources to help her with a certain case.
During trials, she often uses fancy techniques to vividly display the entire process of the defendant's crime, making it seem like she was the defendant's accomplice.
Four times already, defense attorneys have lost the courage to continue their defense after Penny speaks and have instead advised their clients sitting in the defendant's seat to admit guilt to reduce their sentence.
The Al trio has also achieved excellent results. The group's division of labor allows for remarkable progress in each case. Although Al himself is not outstanding in any particular aspect, his organizational skills are the foundation of the team's smooth cooperation.
And in the First Court, efficiency is always highly valued.
Fatigue has made Albert's smoking habit several times worse. The small office assigned to him is often filled with the choking scent of smoke.
Albert lit another cigarette, and the starry light emitted a smokescreen in the dimly lit room. It was rolled by Jenny with tobacco and paper that she bought, which was much cheaper in price but didn't feel any worse than the high-end products sold in tobacco shops.
That lovely girl, while complaining that she won't let him kiss her if he smokes and has bad breath in the future, willingly rolled cigarettes for him until midnight.
With every puff, Albert could smell the scent of the little wildcat's fingers.
"For the spacious house with a small balcony, for a brighter future, for this girl, I must work harder," Albert encouraged himself every time he felt exhausted and wanted to give up everything and sleep for days.
Then he will gather his spirits and continue to fight against cunning lawyers and dangerous suspects in court.
Gradually, the audience in Courtroom 21 of the First Court, presided over by Albert, grew larger and larger. Because compared to the other prosecutors' routine trial methods, Albert's style was clearly more interesting.
He always explores some seemingly irrelevant topics with great imagination, which provokes constant protests from the lawyers, and makes the audience burst into laughter, causing the judge to constantly hammer the gavel and call for order.
But soon everyone would realize that those seemingly absurd words, with the progress of the case, turned into a wonderful weapon to point out the charges and made people unable to deny them.
For example, in a futures fraud case, the prosecution had no evidence at all, but as the trial approached, they had to rush to conduct the trial.
The defendant is a cunning and wealthy tycoon who has always claimed that his exploration team discovered a gem mine in the distant Black Continent, possessing the world's finest and impeccable agate.
"Old Peter's fleet will bring back a ship full of agate, enough to make all the noblewomen in the city feel ashamed that their own jewelry is not precious enough. But Old Peter needs to hire miners and sailors, and maintain the ships. If anyone can invest a little money, wait a few months for Old Peter to come back, then they can get their profit." That's how Peter claimed it from the beginning.
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So bit by bit, small amounts of money flowed into his pockets.
A month passed, half a year passed, a year passed. The promised ship full of agate seemed to never appear.
Several nobles among the victims sued the swindler together.
But there was no evidence to prove that the merchant was lying, and even whether he really owned a certain gem mine on the black continent could not be confirmed.
Neither the plaintiff nor the first court has the time or willingness to take a sum of money to conduct an on-site investigation.
Apart from a few nominal feudal lands, the Black Continent is so barren that only slave-catching ships would venture there. The only valuable place there is the savage orc tribe, a primitive subhuman species that once established a great empire, but was destroyed by the human kingdom a hundred years ago.
Strong orcs and charming fox women are the only wealth on the barren continent, and they are quite competent as tools or playthings.
Albert spoke slowly, telling stories of how the sailors of slave-catching ships battled orcs and how the primitive tribes on the grasslands even practiced cannibalism.
As he spoke, the audience imagined bloodthirsty savages everywhere on the scorched earth under the scorching sun, and every seemingly safe place hid deadly dangers; every small bush lurked with the claws and blood-red eyes of wild beasts.
"Dear Mr. Peter, please tell us how your great adventure team was able to defeat the orcs and even seize a rich mine; and how your brave fleet was able to deliver goods despite the harassment of the indigenous people."
The merchant's lawyer stood up and said, "Your Honor, my client is a wealthy merchant. His guard is well-equipped and well-trained, even more so than seasoned veterans. The prosecutor has described this earlier," the lawyer paused intentionally, seemingly mocking Albert for his slip-up, "The Black Continent is full of bloodthirsty primitives. Ten orcs with wooden clubs cannot defeat a warrior clad in steel armor wielding a sharp sword."
"A hundred years ago, human soldiers destroyed the empire of the primitives; a hundred years later, private guards can still defeat them. Humans will always be the proudest race under the sun."
The lawyer is well-known in the circle, and his language is very provocative, arousing a sense of pride in the audience as humans, earning him warm applause.
"So, Mr. Peter conquered and plundered that black land, rather than engaging in simple trade?"
"Of course, who would be foolish enough to do business with orcs."
"Mr. Peter's private guard, really well-trained and fearless?"
"Of course!"
"How many mercenaries can a merchant's wealth afford? I doubt..."
"Your Honor, my client is a very successful businessman," the lawyer interrupted Albert. "He even holds the title of Honorary Baron and has no problem supporting thousands of mercenaries"
Peter sat proudly in the defendant's seat, nodding repeatedly. He even wanted to kiss the cute lawyer who not only silenced the prosecutor but also boasted about his wealth and status.
"Ah, I see. If these mercenaries were to be deployed, it wouldn't be a problem for them to occupy Flondeck, right?" Albert suddenly said.
"Your Honor, the prosecutor has been making baseless speculations and even unjustifiably..." the lawyer protested.
"Enough!" This time it was Albert who interrupted the lawyer, "Thousands of soldiers looted the noble's land, seized his mines without any reason, this is betrayal! This is a rebellion!"
"Noble's land? I don't understand what you're talking about."
"Have you all forgotten? A hundred years ago, the great King Komo, the founder of Byron, after commanding his fleet to destroy the Orc Empire, gave the Black Continent as spoils of war to his several princes."
This is indeed true, but both Komo the conqueror and the princes who received the rewards simply regarded it as a show of victory. That land, full of barbarians, had no value in terms of occupation and development.
Until now, the heirs have almost forgotten that they still own such barren land.
"Mr. Peter, are you planning a rebellion?" Albert asked sarcastically, and the object of ridicule was sweating profusely, squirming anxiously." Where did your private fleet land? Which territory did you conquer?"
After repeated questioning, Peter reluctantly squeezed out two words from his throat, "Alexander Port." It's so remote that even wild dogs don't want to roam around. It shouldn't be the territory of any Duke.
If anyone had the chance to visit the Black Continent, they would be surprised to find that the famous Alexander Port was as shabby as a fishing village. It was originally a temporary camp for slave-catching ships and was deserted for most of the year like a ruin.
"Let me check." Albert took out a tattered book that seemed like it would crumble into pieces at the slightest touch.
This was an old version of the Noble Hereditary Encyclopedia that he found in the First Chamber's data room. It had a history of at least fifty years. In the new version, there was no information on hereditary rights in the Black Continent. The editors and related nobles were too lazy to include it.
"Uh-huh, here it is, Alexander Port, formerly known as Cape Halley. This seaport and the surrounding six thousand miles of land belong to the third prince at that time. After several generations of inheritance, it should be... Oh, Mr. Peter, you're really unlucky," Albert said regretfully, "The Leinshman family has produced several empresses and is a famous aristocratic family."
As expected of the Golden Sparrow Flower that blooms forever, those with some status present began wiping the sweat off their foreheads.
"Okay, I don't want to play anymore." After letting the defendant struggle in despair for a while, Albert continued, "I'll give you a chance. You can find evidence to prove that your private guards, powerful fleet, and gem mines on the Leinshman family's land don't exist. Dear Sir, choose between the charge of treason or fraud."
Even a fool knows how to choose now.
As they were leaving the courtroom, the judge curiously stopped Albert and asked, "What if the defendant - no, the prisoner now - mentions another port name？ As far as I know, there is another place called Tera Port on the Black Continent."
"That's even more ridiculous. That piece of land and the Carmen family have some history with our Chief Justice," Albert chuckled.
A few days later, when Penny met Albert unexpectedly in the hallway, she stopped and stared at him for a long time.
"Arrogance should have limits. Shouldn't someone who uses a certain family as a tool for the victory of a lawsuit be punished?"
When Albert began to regret not considering the situation thoroughly and prepared to apologize to the young lady, Penny suddenly smiled, "Perhaps I will forgive you for a meal. You're a childish and interesting man who knows how to use the power of superiors to achieve your goals, but doesn't know how to handle the aftermath."
With the arrival of Carnival, the citizens of Flondeck have a new great place to visit after participating in costume parties and running with the bulls in the streets.
The 21st courtroom of the First Court often stages wonderful dramas, where the presiding judge, as the leading actor, impeccably brings despair to the faces of one criminal after another.
People in Flondeck love celebrities. If there are none, they will create one.
Albert is their choice.
In private, the chief prosecutor Camilo tells Albert that after his internship is over, his name may very well appear on the list of prosecutors directly under the First Court.
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The night of the carnival is boiling, the sound waves made up of noise and laughter, even the gods sleeping among the stars will be awakened from their eternal slumber, curiously peering down at this world full of desires.
The straw man party is in full swing. On the central square of the new district, more than a dozen straw men representing evil and misfortune turn into ashes in the raging fire. Every time a pile of ashes' sparks completely extinguish, the square erupts into cheers.
Then everyone rushes to smear the straw ashes on their hands and touch the people next to them.
This is the custom of the Flondeck Carnival. The more palm prints on one's body, the more likely they will be visited by misfortune this year. The more misfortune others have, the more lucky one will be.
In the blink of an eye, the cries and laughter on the square rise and fall, including the cries of a poor guy whose wallet got stolen.
Albert regretted coming to watch the scarecrow party.
His new coat was covered in countless handprints and even his face had been inexplicably slapped, leaving a black and gray straw scent.
Jenny was held tightly in his arms, protected until they broke through the crazy crowd, and her dress remained spotless. She happily hugged Albert's neck, mocking his pitiful appearance.
"Now you don't need makeup to attend a masked ball." The girl smiled, her fingers tracing the dirt on Albert's face, highlighting a few white swirls amidst the black.
"Darling, if you could be a bit lighter, I think I would be less awkward." Albert took off his coat and went to the side to dust off the dirt on his clothes. He joked, predicting that the girl would transform into a wild cat and pounce on him with bared teeth and claws.
Weight is every woman's taboo, and the assistant prosecutor looked around, ready to find the best escape route.
Jenny looked at her clean dress and then at her lover's vest that had lost its original color.
That pair of green agate stones inlaid on the beautiful face, was stained with a little more shiny things.
Then she pounced.
Albert, who didn't have time to dodge, closed his eyes, preparing himself for the baptism of the kitten's teeth and nails. The girl loved this kind of intimate contact.
"There's a good restaurant on the street, and the food inside is much tastier than my meat," Albert attempted to change the subject.
She answered him with a lingering kiss.
The midnight carnival became hazy.