It seemed they had completely set their line of argument to blaming the North.
As the mediator read through the preparatory briefs that had gone back and forth, one of his eyelids narrowed.
“Hmm, if you do this, mediation will not be possible.”
“In that case, we will mediate without a statement of remorse if ten billion gold is paid in damages.”
Perhaps flustered by such an unorthodox stance, the mediator awkwardly rubbed his chin.
“Defendant. This amount is very different from the claim amount sent in the initial content-certified notice, is it not?”
“The damage is that severe. We intend to additionally file a claim for damages due to breach of contract, on top of compensation related to losses from subjugations in the border regions.”
It was a threatening remark implying that they should comply on their own if they didn’t want to face additional lawsuits.
In effect, it was a declaration that they had no desire to mediate.
The amount had doubled compared to when the lawsuit was first filed. At this point, it could be said they had created something out of nothing.
She had already been curious when a new god was suddenly mentioned, but this was a remarkable move that could be taught in the usury world as a miraculous method of calculation.
‘Are they performing miracles now? Even religions do not multiply money like this.’
Miro, for his part, shamelessly let out a pitiful complaint.
“The plaintiff has taken charge exclusively of lawsuits related to the defendant and, using their own position, is forcibly tarnishing the honor of the defendant’s House.”
“I understand the intent, but is that not unrelated to this case?”
“It is not unrelated. Now, because of this lawsuit, will they not spread rumors that the defendant’s House has even abandoned responsibility for subjugations? Until now, the defendant has faithfully upheld the duties of a ruling House and done their utmost.”
‘As a society, we have agreed to call this self-introduction.’
Who was the one spreading rumors?
Was this not an open trial for all to see?
The spectators had not illegally occupied the court, and Liselotte had never gone so far as to single out something as a rumor.
Without once turning her head toward Miro, Liselotte smiled brightly and responded gently.
“Presiding Mediator, the one who has disgraced the Imperial Family is actually the defendant’s side. I did not add this to the preparatory brief because I believed it to be unrelated, but if the defendant confirms that this, too, is part of the trial, then I can submit additional evidence by the end of today.
“Ah, is that so? Defendant, what would you like to do?”
At the words “additional evidence,” Miro, who had been speaking so well, snapped his mouth shut.
Even though it was now his turn to respond, he stubbornly maintained his silence.
“Defendant, will you be proceeding further on this matter?”
Smiling faintly, Miro acted shamelessly, as if he had heard nothing at all.
The mediator pressed at the corners of his eyes with his fingers, openly showing his discomfort.
“Then we will consider there to be no related matters, and as for the plaintiff’s statement of remorse…”
Liselotte, smiling with her eyes curved, replied firmly yet gently.
“One needs something to be remorseful about in order to write a statement of remorse.”
“Right, I understand. In that case, we will set a hearing date.”
The mediation ended cleanly in a breakdown.
***
“Seriously, how do you even come up with a calculation of ten billion gold? Did they just throw out a random number?”
Inside the carriage returning to the Keilos estate.
As Liselotte poured out her questions, Eren answered quietly.
“House Gloria is likely short on funds, so it may be a ploy to secure a large sum.”
“Even so, there should be limits. I have no idea how much money they are pouring into that incompetent lawyer.”
“I looked into their legal counsel.”
At the unexpected remark, Liselotte, who had been talking almost nonstop since getting into the carriage, fell silent.
In the first silence to arrive, Eren continued his explanation in a level voice.
“He is someone who has never taken on a lawsuit before.”
“Then what has he been doing all this time?”
“Providing consultations and charging consultation fees and acting as a proxy to draft rebuttal briefs or content-certified notices. That sort of work.”
In other words, he did everything that made money.
A lawyer who had never actually litigated.
“Not even as an assistant?”
“Yes. All of the cases he has taken on are from House Gloria.”
“Do you know roughly how much they are paying him as a vassal?”
“Just a moment.”
After rummaging through his inner pocket, Eren held out a small note.
When Liselotte saw the number written on it, her eyes widened.
“They are giving this much to someone with no experience?!”
It was three times the weekly pay Hedmilton had received when he was in the East.
Even for a chief aide, it was an excessively large sum, and it was double the amount paid to a knight commander with the capability and experience to lead subjugations.
Which meant they were hiring someone who had never even tried a case and paying them a vassal fee to entrust everything to him…
Little by little, a bright arc curved at the corners of Liselotte’s lips.
‘Anyone could tell he had no professional ethics to speak of, couldn’t they?’
And yet Duke Gloria was pouring a huge sum into someone like that, even while suffering from a shortage of funds.
Normally, she would have grabbed the back of her neck and collapsed, but given who the opponent was, she didn’t feel bad about it.
If anything, she felt a little amused.
As if she had never been surprised at all, Liselotte smiled brightly, neatly folded the note, and placed it with a tap into Eren’s palm.
Holding his hand carefully, Liselotte clasped Eren’s fist, which was easily twice the size of her own palm, with both of her hands.
“That is a lawyer I like very much. Excellent.”
Though it would have been natural to raise questions, Eren simply stared blankly at the hand she was holding and nodded as if bewitched.
After tapping the back of his hand a couple of times, Liselotte looked out the window at the Keilos estate coming into view.
Perhaps they had already arrived, as attendants who recognized the carriage were gathering in small clusters at the entrance.
There seemed to be more of them than usual.
‘Why are there so many people today?’
Hedmilton or Ail alone should have been sufficient.
If there were any incidents likely to occur in the North, it would only be something like another attack or a subjugation issue caused by monsters.
‘In the original story, I don’t think anything special happened around this time…’
Around this point in the original story, Liselotte had died and her name didn’t even appear.
Subjugations were described as something that always happened, so they didn’t stand out in her memory.
As Liselotte rolled her eyes while thinking, she tapped Eren’s leg.
“Eren, Eren. There are no problems related to subjugations, right?”
“Th-that… yes.”
At the slightly delayed answer, she raised her head and saw that Eren’s ear, turned away, had turned bright red.
Rolling her eyes downward, Liselotte let her gaze settle on the area of his thigh where her hand had touched.
She hadn’t attached much meaning to it but seeing Eren react so sensitively made her feel her face heat up for no reason.
“Uh… s-sorry.”
“No. It is fine.”
‘Your face does not look fine at all.’
As she grew awkward and tried to quietly withdraw her hand, a large hand grabbed her wrist.
“It is really fine.”
‘No, but then continuing to touch is even stranger…’
While she was stuck, unable to do anything either way, clatter. The carriage came to a stop.
She had never been so grateful.
Before Eren could even escort her, Liselotte flung open the carriage door and got out, holding the hem of her skirt as she stepped down and shouting loudly for no reason.
“Ahem, why is everyone out here like this? Being suddenly welcomed makes me wonder if something happened.”
Marsha, who had been waiting, rushed over at full speed and blocked her path.
“P-Princess Liselotte. Please wait outside for a moment.”
Something had happened.
For Marsha to stand there blocking her like this in fear meant it was something serious.
Only then did Liselotte look around and notice that there were more knights waiting in front of the main gate than usual.
Eren, who had gotten out of the carriage late, asked.
“The security has increased suddenly.”
Unlike inside the carriage, he had long since returned to his usual blunt demeanor.
Marsha glanced sideways toward a spot a little distance from the main gate.
Guards were swarming densely in that particular area.
“Th-that is… the Magic Tower Master…”
Before Marsha could continue, Virki’s tearful, plaintive voice rang out like a wail.
“Hhuuuk, hic… I am… really wronged… ngh… I truly think of Lise as a friend, waaaaah!”
Over his crying, Marsha continued speaking in a fluster.
“The Tower Master tried to bring the completed magic tools into the manor, but during the inspection process, a magic tool containing an impure power rather than magic was discovered.”
