House Alminus was not one of the great houses that had risen to power when the Rafdonian royal family first ascended the throne.
Alminus Central Exchange – Banco Alminus
However, as the person who ran the Alminus Warehouse brand, Count Alminus was not far from the palace in terms of influence. His status as a supporter of one of the city's largest clans, the Sawtooth Clan, allowed his reach to extend even into the labyrinth.
«I imagined they were going to do something, but I never imagined they would involve Mozlan and make it public», Amelia lamented in a low voice, as if she were talking to herself. «That count has more guts than I thought. I didn't expect him to make it so public, especially since they were clearly trying to take down a Soil Lord without his approval.»
«Emily, it's not your fault, so you don't have to feel guilty».
«...Guilty? Why should I feel guilty?»
«Oh...» I said that because it seemed like it was the right thing to say in a situation like that... but I guess I shouldn't have done it. Feeling uncomfortable, I hurried to change the subject. «But why are you giving me this letter now, two days after it arrived?».
«We knew you were busy, and there were a few things I had to check first. If you didn't get home today, I was thinking of going to look for you».
«Things you needed to check?»
Amelia began to list the things she had been researching in the past few days. Unfortunately, it was all bad news.
«First of all, it seems that they have already started sending their people to taverns to influence the general public».
So Count Alminus was trying to make this a battle of public opinion.
«I expected it, but what are they saying?»
«It depends on who you ask, but ultimately it comes down to us stealing the loot from the Lord of the Ground right under his nose. Plus, they're implying that we could have been the ones who summoned Riakis in the first place».
«Just what I thought...»
«Still, quite a few people are refuting the claims, saying they are just rumors. Fortunately for us, the work you have done to build your reputation has not been in vain.»
Yes, it seems like the reputation statistic I've been looking after is coming in handy now. I guess I should be proud that...
«But you have to hurry.»
"¿What?
«I already saw them approaching the adventurers you saved in the maze. It seemed to me that they were trying to convince them to testify on their behalf».
«...How? Verification magic eliminates any lies, so they will not be able to bear false witness».
«Didn't you know? In a Mozlan trial, you can exercise your right to remain silent. They will probably refuse to answer difficult questions and simply tell vague truths that make the other party look better.»
«...But still, don't we have many more people on our side than they do on theirs?».
«In a trial like this, that won't matter. It's a matter of conflicting narratives, so they're probably going to limit the total number of witnesses. It is a common strategy».
I sighed. So that's how they were going to play...
«But... how do you know all that?».
«I spent the last two days eavesdropping and reading about it».
Maybe she was the real genius here. Since I was nervous about the coming judgment, I asked him for advice impatiently. «What do you think I should do?»
«There is no way around the trial, so the best thing you can do is find people who testify that you saved them in the maze».
«¿Y?»
«Ask Melbeth for help. They must have been through disputes like this before, given how long they've been around. I'm sure they must have at least one good lawyer».
«Okay, then what?»
As I looked at her expectantly, Amelia awkwardly avoided my gaze, seeming overwhelmed. «...What I'm good at is figuring things out, not coming up with solutions».
In other words, nothing else had occurred to him.
«Sir, can I do something for you?». asked Erwen, who had been listening all this time but had not been able to contribute to the conversation. The offer filled me with gratitude.
«If I need help, I will come to you first. For now, I'll take care of this myself».
I had done more than enough boss work these past few days, so now was the time to fulfill my role as clan leader.
***
Four days had passed since my last visit to the sacred land. Although what I really wanted to do was sleep in, I was forced to leave the house and head to Mozlan's main office. I needed to gather information before starting to work on a strategy. Until now, none of that was a big problem, other than one thing.
...Why did they have to call me at headquarters?
When Dwalkie was arrested, I had to go to the District Seven branch, but now they were asking me to go to the main office, which was in Karnon.
...Should I spend some money to use the military transport platform?
I was tempted to use a teleportation circle to get there faster, but as a clan leader, I had to resist those temptations. On the other hand, how much money would a single trip end up costing me? It wouldn't be a waste if I took advantage of the trip to catch up on sleep...
«It is an honor that you visit our headquarters, Baron Yandel. Let me show you inside».
Shortly after arriving at Mozlan headquarters, I was courteously greeted by guards and guided inside the facility. Was this the kind of deal he should expect now that he was a baron? When I tried to enter the District Seven branch to save Dwalkie, they wouldn't even let me set foot in the building.
En fin, no era el momento de remorar.
«I'm Christina Bealon». The elegant middle-aged woman who welcomed me inside was none other than Mozlan's boss herself. Although she was dressed in civilian clothes, she knew she had to be a gentleman, since she was part of Mozlan.
«Bealon? Are you related to Count Bealon?»
«Yeah. Count Bealon is my brother-in-law».
«I see. But is it normal for the head of Mozlan to come personally to deal with a case?»
«Normally, that wouldn't be the case, no. However, disputes between nobles are quite delicate in nature, so I decided to take it upon myself to supervise the process and make sure that no mistakes are made.»
«Is that so? Then you can start with an explanation. You wrote in your letter that they would occupy me once I arrived».
«Of course. After all, there is not much that can be said in a letter. Where do I start?». He looked me up and down, with a cautious look, and started slowly. However, as the noblewoman that she was, she spoke in a decidedly eloquent and totally indirect manner. After a long series of compliments, he finally filled in the missing gaps.
«...Normally, in these cases, I would advise them to reach an out-of-court settlement. Count Alminus has agreed to reduce the amount owed if you, Baron Yandel, agree to his request, but...» He looked me in the eyes. «I guess he doesn't want to do that».
He was absolutely right.
«Of course not.»
«So it can't be helped. Your case will be brought before the Royal Court of Justice».
Then he started explaining to me the legal procedures and what I would have to do. One of those things was writing an affidavit.
«I can call a notary to write one for you now if you wish».
However, I decided to postpone it. It was a document that would be used during the trial. It would be best to meet with an attorney to ensure it served its purpose. So after leaving Mozlan, the first place I visited was Baroness Rabbit's house.
«Baron Yandel...? My mother hadn't mentioned that she was coming to visit».
The baroness's daughter greeted me at the door. Apparently, Baroness Rabbit was away on business. I decided to stay here until I got back, but the time I spent waiting quickly piled up.
«Baron Yandel, what brings you here? I found out from Minia that she has been waiting for me for half a day...»
«Baroness Lirivia, I need your help.»
«My help...? Tell me what you mean.»
After being away all day, Baroness Rabbit finally arrived home. Unfortunately for her, she now had to sit and listen to my story instead of resting. As he explained what had happened to him, he let out a loud sigh.
«I hope you are not offended, but... the storms really follow in your wake, Baron Yandel. Well, don't worry too much. I know a man versed in law who can help. Unfortunately, it's a little late to call him tonight, so I'll schedule a meeting for tomorrow».
«Thank you for your help. By the way, do you happen to have an empty room?»
«An empty room...?»
«Coming home now only to come back tomorrow would be a hassle».
«...It's true, you said you lived in Ravigion. I'll have one of my maids prepare a room for you».
«Thank you.»
Great, they even gave me free accommodation for tonight. After dinner with Baroness Rabbit's family, I borrowed a crystal ball to let Amelia and Erwen know I was staying the night.
«Nice to meet you, Baron Yandel. My name is James Elk».
Early the next morning, I was able to consult with a legal professional thanks to Lirivia. When I told him my side of the story, his expression only darkened.
«...This is quite a problem. Just to clarify, Mozlan officially accuses you of unfair distribution of loot based on contribution. It's right?»
«Sí.»
The clan also went around calling me a piece of trash who did other horrendous things, like summoning the Lord of Chaos on purpose, but that wasn't important right now.
«Unfortunately, since it is clear that Dientes de Sierra contributed to the battle, they have the legal right to seek compensation».
The basis of this lawsuit was the Labyrinth Disaster Act. The minutes established that, in the event of a disaster, all adventurers were obliged to collaborate to overcome it, and the resulting loot would be distributed equally after the fact. Therefore, the Sawtooth Clan had clear reasons to receive compensation.
«This is a pretty difficult case...»
«... Is that the opposite?»
«Yeah. Your demand for your share of the reward is completely legitimate under the Labyrinth Disaster Act. Not only that, but their trust means they must have proof of their contribution». He sounded sorry for not being able to offer much more help than this. «I must ask, how about accepting Count Alminus' offer? We could reduce the amount you have to pay if this is taken to court, but at the same time, there is a much greater risk that things will turn out even worse for you.»
«...Even if we have enough circumstantial evidence to suspect that the Lord of the Soil has been summoned without permission?».
My tone was much sharper than I had intended, but he continued to speak to me in the same calm, business tone. «Unfortunately, that has nothing to do with this case. It is a completely different matter that will have to be dealt with in another court. Even if you could prove it in court, that doesn't change the fact that the Sawtooth Clan contributed to the battle and yet returned without their share of the loot.»
In other words, whatever fines Count Alminus had to pay or jail time he had to serve, he would still have to pay restitution regardless.
«I'm just giving you the facts as I understand them so you can make an informed decision, you know what I mean. I hope you don't suspect otherwise».
Suspired.
Yes I know. It's not like he's the one screwing me here.
«James, is there anything else I can do?».
«Once again, my recommendation is that you reconsider Count Alminus' offer. Of course, you have the option of taking this matter to court to lower the payment, but the risk is too great. It would be safer for you to simply accept the agreement».
«What if I don't care about the risk? Is there anything else I can do?»
Despite my insistence, James did not change his position.
«Unfortunately, this is your best option. You will most likely have to pay compensation, whether you accept his offer or not. Unless Count Alminus completely withdraws the petition he sent to Mozlan, I see no better alternative.»
So that's it.
My consultation came to an end, and all I had learned was that I had no legal basis in this case. But thanks to James, he was still able to come up with a plan of action.
I just had to get him to drop the lawsuit.
My goal now was to get Count Alminus to drop the lawsuit on his own. In other words, I had to aim it at his head.
***
After meeting with my legal counsel, I went directly to Mozlan to write my affidavit. I planned not to go to trial in the first place, but just in case, I prepared the necessary documents.
They told me that the trial would not take place for two or three months.
There was plenty of time between then and now, so I decided to postpone my meeting with Count Alminus until later. What difference would it make to meet him now?
Ring!
Instead, I stopped by the Adventurer's Guild on my way back and immediately filled out a raid request. The form was filled out under the supervision of the branch manager and not a normal employee, of course.
The target of my next raid would be the Lord of the Floor on the first floor: the Lord of Terror, Dreadfear.
«...It's been a while since anyone applied for this one.»
That made sense. A rank five clan had several avenues open if they wanted to advance to rank four. Most of the clans that had just been founded, but were composed of highly qualified members, attempted to raise the rank of their clan as quickly as possible through various means. But the best way to do it was to take that guy down.
«Your raid will take place the next time the maze opens, hm... I'll have to hurry up and send an official statement to the other branches».
Fortunately, I received permission without any problems.
«But Baron Yandel, you should know that once the official statement is published, there is going to be a commotion».
How could I not know? In fact, that was exactly what I expected.
«Attempt a raid with only five participants... If you succeed, it will be the tenth time since the era of the Last Great Sage».
This would be my first shot at Count Alminus.