On the last day of his internship, Albert received a private letter from Count Hotchkiss.
In the letter, he was described as an unparalleled strategist, and the flowery language and titles made Albert feel a bit uncomfortable. At the end of the letter, the Count warmly invited him to visit Prus, the Hotchkiss family's estate, in his free time.
Albert casually tossed the letter into a drawer, considering whether or not to reply. However, the whole thought process only took him five seconds, and he decided to give up.
For nobles, such thank-you letters were just a matter of courtesy, and invitations to visit their estates were mere formalities.
The letter didn't even have the Count's personal seal, indicating it was likely written by a steward or servant.To nobles, being noble and having a long and distinguished bloodline were more important than anything else.
A small family that had only been noble for three generations and had seen their titles decrease with each generation was considered to have no taste by the nobility.
As a mere baron, Albert was not even on the radar of the aristocratic social circle.
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The moon rose high in the sky and the night grew deeper.
Albert lay in bed, unable to sleep.
Jenny didn't stay overnight today, and Albert, who was used to falling asleep with a little wild cat in his arms, felt a bit uncomfortable for a while. More importantly, what position would he be taking on? The anticipation and slight nervousness stirred up his thoughts like the paws of a kitten.
"Everything will depend on tomorrow," Albert murmured to himself in the darkness.
If there was a mirror, Albert would be surprised to see that his reflection was filled with hope and longing.
The next morning, as soon as Albert stepped into the office, he received a notice to assemble in the swearing-in hall.
The swearing-in hall was probably the least used part of the first court. Every year, many assistant prosecutors and probationary judges come to report, but very few can pass the three-month probation period.
The swearing-in hall was a courtyard between the corridors and buildings, covered in black pebbles. There were no common flowers or shrubs in the garden, but instead a half-human-sized legal code sculpture carved from marble in the center.
The five assistant prosecutors had already assembled, and except for Penny, the others all looked very nervous.
Everyone wanted to stay in the first court because the promotion opportunities, salaries, and benefits were much better than those of the smaller district courts.
The first court had two vacancies in the first half of the year.
Excluding Penny, the young lady of the Leinshman family, would definitely take one of the vacancies.That meant that currently, of the four men standing in the swearing-in court, three would be eliminated.
Thinking about this, there is a hint of hostility in the men's eyes towards each other.
The one presiding over the swearing-in ceremony is the chief prosecutor Milan.
He is a middle-aged man wearing gold-rimmed glasses, with a high nose and prominent cheekbones. He has a serious and old-fashioned expression, but his slightly sunken eyes always reveal a disdainful look that no one can match.
It seemed that everyone holding an important position had this kind of face.
If a painter wanted to paint an oil painting with bureaucracy as the theme, Milan would be the most suitable model.
"Now, please make your oath," said Milan.
Albert put his hand on the stone code and closed his eyes, reciting in a low voice, "I, Albert Freely, solemnly swear to remain loyal to justice and never slack off."
Taking a deep breath, Albert felt a strange warmth flowing through his entire body, causing him to tremble uncontrollably. His lips felt like they were burning, and with each syllable he spoke, a piercing, burning sensation followed.
It had taken him nearly eight years of hard work, but he had finally become a real prosecutor.
Perhaps for true dignitaries, the position of prosecutor was just an ordinary mid-level civil servant position. But for a fallen aristocrat like him, it represented a bright future and the dream of life.
At the end of the oath ceremony, Milan revealed the answer that all the men were eager to know.
"The solemn Noble First Court will welcome two new colleagues today. They are..." Milan paused and looked at Al, The son of the court's chief legal officer straightened his chest eagerly, hoping Milan would continue speaking.
But the chief prosecutor soon shifted his gaze and continued, "Penny Leinshman and Albert Fraley, please don't let the Noble First Court down."
Albert's head felt a little dizzy as he carefully took the badge representing the First Court's direct prosecutor with trembling hands.
The exquisitely crafted purple badge, with the carefully carved scales pattern, looked like a work of art and seemed to be smiling at him.
In this moment, all of his dreams had become a reality.
Penny casually played with her chest badge, tilted her head to look at Albert, and gave a faint smile.
"Congratulations," she took the initiative to extend her hand to Albert, and in the moment of shaking hands, she leaned forward and whispered,
"Stay calm and don't let those outdated monkeys laugh at you."
From Al's perspective, the two of them looked like a young couple in love, embracing each other in a somewhat restrained posture.
"A wanton bitch." Al muttered in his heart with resentment. He spent a lot of money, and a senior prosecutor from the first court had already agreed to recommend him, but unfortunately, the position was given to Albert.
Al believed that Penny was behind it all.
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He wondered how that guy named Fraley had managed to seduce this wealthy lady and make her spare no effort to promote his career.
"Maybe he fed her well in bed." Albert cast a malicious glance at Penny, and helplessly accepted the letter of appointment.
He would go to the Thirteenth Court of the old district as a temporary chief judge, which was a pretty good position - if the word "temporary" could be removed.
Of course, this would also cost him a lot of money, and the person who signs this appointment letter has really mastered the art of making money.
The ability of bureaucrats to accumulate wealth is no less than that of businessmen.
When leaving, the temporary judge glared at Albert viciously, swearing that one day, at the right opportunity, he would take revenge fiercely.
Albert looked at the back of Al Duna, feeling as if he had sensed something.
"What are you looking at?" Penny asked. She had just made plans with Albert to celebrate at a fancy restaurant on the Diamond Street.
"Al Duna seems a bit dissatisfied. The way he was staring at me just now was cold and full of hatred," Albert frowned. He couldn't remember when he had offended him.
"Oh, it's just jealousy from a monkey. This position was originally his," Penny said nonchalantly. "But I think you're more suitable, so I greeted the higher-ups for you."
Albert looked at Penny in surprise for a while. "Who gave you the right to intervene in my life?"
"I told you, The Leinshman never let their loyal supporters down." Penny said.
"But I never agreed to anything," Albert protested.
"Others don't think so. They've already classified you as part of the Leinshman faction."," Penny said.
"You..." Albert gritted his teeth and trembled with anger.
"Okay, okay, at least capable people get appropriate positions, and the monkey can go back to eating bananas in the small court. Everything is perfect, isn't it?" Penny shrugged indifferently. "Remember our date tonight. You've already offended quite a few people, so don't bring any more resentment from the Leinshman family."
Albert hates this tone of superiority, as if coming from a ruler.
Although the young lady's capricious behavior made him very unhappy, he had to thank Penny for one thing.
The salary of a direct prosecutor in the First Court made the dream of a house with a small balcony no longer a dream.
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After careful consideration, Albert selected a new apartment on the fourth floor of number 37 Ram Street.
The street outside the apartment was bustling, and from his window, he could see the famous fountain in the center of the street just a few meters away.
Albert rented the duplex from the third to the fourth floor, which had six windows and a balcony with an arch.
"Mr. Fraley, your eye for detail is amazing. This apartment is only three years old, and the furnishings and furniture are nearly new. You don't even have to buy a chair when you move in," the real estate agent exclaimed, patting the tan-colored sofa under his butt. "If I had 5,000 gold coins, I would definitely buy it instead of renting."
"Oh, I actually think a manor would be better than an apartment, at least it's quieter," Jenny slyly winked at Albert, motioning for him to stay quiet. "How about this? We'll rent it if you reduce the monthly rent by fifty silver coins."
"Mrs. Fraley, what's so good about a manor? You can't manage it without hiring a few servants," the real estate agent said. "Besides, your husband works in the city, if you rent a country manor, you'll have to buy a carriage, which is an unnecessary expense."
Referred to as Mrs. Fraley, Jenny blushed with a tempting flush on her cheeks, and suddenly the chubby real estate agent's plump face seemed much cuter to her. She quickly glanced at Albert and continued to bargain enthusiastically, "Fine, then at least change the carpet to a new one, and you can keep the old one. Reduce the rent by twenty silver coins."
Albert climbed up to the fourth floor from the small staircase against the left wall and opened the window facing the street. The air on the fourth floor was much better than on the ground floor, and it was extremely comfortable to watch the night scene from this window when the streetlights came on.
From downstairs, the sound of Jenny and the real estate agent haggling over the rent could be heard, but everyone knew it would end with Jenny's compromise.
Everyone could hear the love in Jenny's voice for this room.
The cool breeze brushed the curtains on either side of the window.
"Forget it." Albert said to himself. He really wanted to give up or apply to the chief prosecutor to be transferred back to the district court.
Penny's actions had made him very angry.
No one wants to have their fate manipulated, even if it's beneficial for themselves.
But this also meant that he had to continue living in the old apartment in the rundown area.
"Love someone, give them a big house filled with roses." Many third-rate poets said so.
At least they didn't say this sentence wrong.
"Looks like I'm just a monkey who can't resist temptation and would do anything for a banana." Albert said with a bitter smile as he slammed his hand against the wall. The sturdy bricks resonated, causing his hand to ache.
Footsteps could be heard coming up the stairs. "Ah, the rent still hasn't gone down. That real estate developer is so good at bargaining," Jenny muttered as she walked up.
Adjusting his expression, Albert took a deep breath and tried to clear his jumbled thoughts. He turned around, ready to give his lover a big hug.
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The Odyllian Mountains, the Heretic Tribunal, the Square.
The faint breeze dissipated the morning mist, and the sun lazily emitted its gentle rays, indicating a pleasant day.
However, for the person about to be executed, it was not a good day.
Leo Angertes squinted his eyes, having spent half a year in the dark and gloomy water dungeon. Even the faint light was a big stimulus to his eyes, which had already adapted to the darkness.
The stake for burning at the square had just been erected, and a tall wooden cross stood in the pile of oil-soaked firewood.
Leo stopped and gazed at the flag depicting a sword and hammer covering the pile, which was a gift from the Holy See. This is a ceremony that is only used when burning fallen high-ranking priests to signify their former elevated status.
"The sinner, stop dawdling, may the holy flames make you repent." The escorting holy warrior looked at Leo with disgust and scolded him.
Leo was tightly bound to the pillar with an oil-soaked hemp rope, and then his body was coated with tar and rosin. To prevent the prisoner from breaking free from the burning rope during the execution and rushing out of the bonfire due to unbearable pain, several shiny steel nails were also hammered into his joints.
The nails didn't pierce Leo's flesh and bones as easily as one might think. With a grating metallic sound, some of the slightly bent nails reluctantly connected his limbs to the wooden frame.
"Look at the body of this sinner, how blasphemous it is. It will take thousands of years of torment in purgatory to atone for your sins." The holy warrior was secretly shocked as well. The skin of this fallen one completely violated the laws of nature, as if it were made of metal from hell.
This alone was the irrefutable evidence that he had made a pact with the devil.
As the scorching flames engulfed Leo's body, turning him into a blazing fireball, the former precursor archbishop did not show any signs of pain on his face.
Through the red and golden curtains of fire, Leo gazed eastward with indifference.
In the farthest east, beyond his line of sight, lay a city named Flondeck.
In that place, his loyal servants were hiding, as well as the relic known as the Eternal Reliquary, which was once enshrined in the Holy City and bestowed upon the first pope of the church by the Seal of Light according to the records.
It is estimated that the Holy See had already sent out several teams in secret, sweeping through the streets and alleys of Flondeck like cleaning a carpet.
He believed that even if the Pope himself came to perform divine magic, he would not be able to find the deeply hidden relic.
And it would be the key to his resurrection.
No, not just resurrection, at that time, he would have a body that even the gods would envy, perfect, never wearing out, with an immortal body that froze time within it.
The flames seemed to be getting bigger, and Leo Angertes suddenly felt a little impatient. Although he had long removed the dull sensation of pain from his body, it also meant that he would not lose consciousness so quickly because of severe pain.
Watching his body gradually turn into a smoking charred mass was really disgusting.
He closed his eyes and sighed silently.
"Let the fire burn even more fiercely," he thought.