Chapter 10: Potion Digestion (Seeking Tuesday Follow-Up Reads)
Hantexi Dome, Magneto Steelworks.
Nimrod lay resting on his bed. Through his acting over this period, most of his potion had been consumed. He felt that he was only one step away from complete digestion.
Just then, the short-range vox-caster emitted a sharp buzzing sound.
Nimrod sprang up and answered. Rolfslev's respectful voice came through.
"Boss, the noble lord from the Fend family in the upper hive has come to see you. He says he's here to give you your reward."
"Please ask him to the meeting room. I'll be right there."
Nimrod got up, adjusted his somewhat tight armor, and then went to the newly built meeting room.
After the blond noble entered, he looked at the boy before him and exclaimed in amazement.
"I can hardly believe your men were once gang members."
"That's the power of order. I gave them hope and changed their lives."
"It's yours."
Howard handed the iron box in his hand to Nimrod.
As Nimrod took the long box, he already sensed the spirituality and Warp energy emanating from it. He opened the box.
"This psychic crystal isn't small. You've gone to a lot of trouble."
Howard didn't mind the boy's presumptuous address. He said,
"Besides bringing you your reward, I have a request for you this time."
"I would like to hire you as my defense lawyer to present my case in the Arbitratorium. You can name your conditions, even a few domes or factories in the upper hive would be acceptable."
"I'd like to see the case files first."
Nimrod didn't agree directly. Seeing that he wasn't blinded by profit, Howard was even more satisfied with his temporary decision. He took out a data-slate from the lining of his well-crafted power armor and handed it to the boy.
Nimrod swiped his fingers lightly, reviewed the case files, and asked some questions. After a moment, he understood the situation.
A summary of the case formed in his mind: Four days ago, Earl Saris Fend, the head of the Fend family, suddenly passed away.
Breton, the second in line to inherit, suddenly produced a will detailing Earl Saris's decision on the division of his property, granting him one-third of the Fend family's assets.
"One question, why me?"
"This will originally violated the Fend family's rules, but Breton obtained the support of a member of the royal family who holds a position in the Arbitratorium, named Estupinian."
"Therefore, no major lawyer dared to take the case. The identity of the Fifth Arbitrator wouldn't be intimidating, but a member of the Bolesław family's collateral line is different."
Howard said frankly. He still had time to continue searching, and at least he could send the family's ordinary lawyer to attend.
If Nimrod backed out when the Arbitratorium convened, it would be too late.
"No problem," Nimrod said casually, "but I'd like to choose a treasure from the Fend family's vault."
Nimrod realized that temporarily acting as Howard's lawyer and appearing in the Arbitratorium was a suitable stage to complete the final digestion.
Besides, he believed that the Fend family's vault should also contain potion ingredients.
"You..."
Although fearing Nimrod's strength, Yasin's loyalty to Howard still made him want to reprimand the other party.
Howard raised his hand to stop him. "I agree. You can choose one item from the Fend family's vault."
Although the collection was precious, no single item's value exceeded one-third of the wealth accumulated by generations of ancestors.
Nimrod asked Howard for a temporary pass to the upper hive, ordered his men to guard the factories and continue searching for traces of Lung Spiders, and then went to the upper hive alone.
Three days later, the Arbitratorium of the upper hive of Tetzvok.
Nobles in gorgeous attire and Tech-Priests in red robes walked into the Arbitratorium from the alloy metal passages on either side.
Influenced by the Martian ideology, red had always been the most revered color throughout Voss-Toria. All important places, without exception, used red as the main color, and the Arbitratorium was no different.
The Arbitrators wore gorgeous robes of different colors and family crests, but they all wore red sashes around their necks and sat on red metal seats. Their secretaries sat in the rows behind them.
On either side of the long red metal table on the presiding platform sat today's chief arbitrators: Estupinian Bolesław and Tech-Priest Kivior-39.
Estupinian, wearing a long red robe embroidered with golden suns, turned to look at Kivior-39. After the Tech-Priest's filter screen flashed green, he picked up the gavel and struck it heavily.
"Silence!"
The nobles' chatter abruptly stopped. Estupinian looked at the plaintiff's side, closer to him.
He met Breton's gaze for a moment and then spoke.
"Please let the plaintiff's lawyer make their opening statement."
After the lawyer wearing gold-rimmed glasses stood up, he bowed to the presiding platform and the surroundings.
"Gentlemen, ladies, I am honored to represent my client, Mr. Breton Fend, in making the opening statement."
His fingers slid across the data-slate. The cogitator suspended between the presiding platform and the plaintiff and defendant seats displayed a will. He spoke in a sorrowful tone.
"Everyone, Lord Saris was a respectable Earl who dedicated his life to the Fend family."
"He truly loved my client's mother, Madam Valine, and they conceived a child born of their love."
"Now that Lord Saris has passed away, my client, according to the will, inherits the gift of love left by his father and should receive the sympathy and support of all the Arbitrators."
"..."
Nimrod looked at the plaintiff's lawyer. His passionate delivery, combined with his highly infectious gestures, had already won the sympathy of most of the noble jurors. Coupled with the bias of one of the two chief arbitrators, it looked like a certain victory.
"Finally, I would like to conclude with Article Fifteen, 'Regulations on Inheritance,' Clause Eleven, of Chapter Two, 'Noble Regulations,' from the 'Omnissiah's Guide.'"
"'Noble illegitimate children, under special circumstances, possess the right of inheritance.'"
"In summary, my client meets the special circumstances and should inherit the property according to the will."
Estupinian looked at Tetzvok's top lawyer with satisfaction. All one hundred and sixty-three cases he had handled had been won.
The star lawyer's performance was as outstanding as ever, and victory was assured.
He turned to look disdainfully at the boy at the defense lawyer's seat and said with feigned impartiality,
"Defendant, your representative lawyer is too young. This Arbitrator grants you permission to replace him."
"Arbitrator, I insist on not replacing my representative lawyer. I believe in Nimrod."
Howard said decisively. After listening to Golovin's opening statement, the family lawyer was no match for him at all. It was better to trust Nimrod; perhaps this boy could still create a miracle.
"Please..." Estupinian drawled, "Let the defendant's lawyer present their defense."
Nimrod stood up calmly amidst the crowd's mocking gazes. "First, I must correct an omission by the plaintiff's lawyer. In the clause he cited, Sage Kivior lists all special circumstances in detail, such as 'direct heirs losing the ability to make decisions...'"
"Mr. Howard is healthy, shrewd, and capable. He does not fall under special circumstances."
Golovin's expression changed. It was the first time he had encountered a lawyer who could recall the appendix clauses on the spot.
Even a major lawyer like him, who had undergone intelligence enhancement surgery, couldn't memorize the over two hundred million words of the "Omnissiah's Guide." Only Tech-Priests could remember the clauses.
Just as he was about to speak, he saw Nimrod slide the data-slate, displaying a photo on the cogitator. His pupils constricted violently.
"Everyone, the plaintiff Breton's mother, Valine, was previously a dancer at the Nightshade Bar. After a fleeting romance with Earl Saris, she soared to the upper hive and lived in a villa."
"But she did not reform after giving birth. Just the day before yesterday, she was still visiting the wealthy merchant Julio during the Night Kay Shift."
"Breton himself is even more useless. He is a drunkard and owes various underhive gangs a total of over twelve million Martian credits."
Hearing this, the crowd gasped. Even for the noble families of the upper hive, this was a large sum of money.
Nimrod presented the evidence he had collected over three days one by one, finally looking at Kivior-39.
"Imagine, if a piece of trash like Breton, who has no right to inherit, were to receive property that doesn't belong to him, he would quickly squander it all after repaying his debts."
"This is a shameful waste, reducing the efficiency of the entire Tetzvok hive city."
Kivior-39 suddenly stood up. His voice crackled from the sonic resonator buried beneath his pale chest cavity.
"The defendant's lawyer has sufficient evidence and rigorous logic. The Omnissiah will not tolerate such blasphemous actions."
Estupinian felt the gavel in his hand unusually heavy. He remained silent for several seconds, finally deciding to abandon the large sum of Martian credits that was about to fall into his hands.
His gaze towards Nimrod was full of hatred. The gavel fell heavily.
"Upon unanimous agreement by this Arbitrator and Tech-Priest Kivior-39, the plaintiff Breton's case against the defendant Howard is dismissed."
Amidst the binary hymns to the Omnissiah chanted by the Mechanicus personnel, Breton and Golovin's faces were ashen. The nobles, seeing a rising star, all remembered the name Nimrod.
At the same time, chaotic, disordered black threads flickered in Nimrod's eyes. They rapidly combined and gradually coalesced into the symbol of the "Black Emperor" pathway in his pupils.
He also noticed that something within his body seemed to be dissolving, merging with his spirit.
[The potion is completely digested. I am now a true "Lawyer."]
He then looked at Howard, who was restraining his excitement and maintaining noble etiquette.
[And the potion ingredients that are about to be in my hands.]
(End of this chapter)