EP.46
As the revelation that a criminal was wearing someone else’s skin hit home, the seriousness of the situation surged dramatically.
Originally, these individuals had been apprehended for illegal operations and were merely considered petty criminals. Though violating the Doctrine by not earning money through honest means was an issue, it could easily be brushed off with a few sessions of massage from the wooden Doctrine Injector.
That was the plan—to release them after a light scolding.
However, once murder and skin peeling were brought into the equation, the narrative changed entirely.
“I apologize, but this matter falls under the jurisdiction of the Inspection Team.”
Members from the Holy Kingdom’s judiciary, including Inquisition Officers who offered doctrinal and legal interpretations, arrived. Their presence indicated that there was little we could do from here on out.
That was quite the predicament.
Word had undoubtedly spread like wildfire in the underworld. If proceedings hadn’t progressed so quickly, there might have been an opportunity to seek another target in a casino, but now everyone would be laying low, waiting for the storm of arrests to pass.
This made it challenging to find someone to assist with our exploration of the underground sewage.
While I pondered, Maria asked me, “Isn’t the Inspection Team lower-ranked than the Security Department? We should just go and ask for help.”
Maria’s question made sense.
No matter where you go, departments usually hold more power than agencies. However, there were always exceptions.
“The Inspection Team is directly under the Pope.”
“Oh…”
Once involved with the highest authority, the power hierarchy could easily flip upside down. Since there wasn’t really a constitution to speak of, things could change according to the whims of whichever power broker was in charge.
The Inspection Team had always held a ranking above usual departments since its inception.
In any case, it wouldn’t matter how much help the Security Department could provide when dealing with those entangled in a grotesque crime involving murder and skin peeling for fraudulent purposes.
“Damn.”
This was a situation I had not anticipated. Well, I knew they had likely been involved in appalling crimes like human trafficking and kidnapping behind the scenes, but I hadn’t expected them to be caught.
After all, things had gotten to this point precisely because they were struggling to handle it properly, which was why the request had come to me.
However, if the trial proceeded in the usual manner, I would face problems carrying out the request too.
Still, both individuals needed to face consequences. One was indeed a heinous criminal, while the other had participated in that crime.
What should I do?
As I deliberated, Maria called me.
“Bill.”
“Yeah?”
“Let’s make a deal.”
“What kind of deal?”
She seemed baffled at my confusion.
“Haven’t you ever engaged in a judicial transaction?”
“A judicial transaction?”
As far as I understood, a judicial transaction involved cooperating actively with an investigation in exchange for a reduced sentence. Yet, we weren’t criminals.
Maria shook her head at me.
“Sometimes I really wonder what your common sense is like.”
She then headed towards the Inspection Team’s office.
After all, we were currently in a position to carry out a request from the Holy Kingdom, and even though I had concealed Maria’s identity, mine wasn’t exactly inconspicuous. Therefore, it didn’t take long for us to meet a high-ranking official from the Inspection Team.
“What brings you here?”
With slicked-back hair and such a stern expression that it could take your breath away, the impeccably neat Inquisition Officer greeted us, his attire so spotless that it bordered on obsessive cleanliness.
In this situation, Maria took the lead on my behalf. With an indifferent demeanor, holding a cup of tea, she inquired of the officer.
“I have a proposal regarding the recent capture of the grotesque murderer.”
“I’m sorry, but the investigation falls entirely under our jurisdiction.”
“Yes, I understand.”
Although the officer rejected her proposal without even a moment’s hesitation, Maria brushed it aside as if it were of no concern.
“However, we need a bit of assistance in carrying out this request.”
“A request, you say?”
The officer, who had been exhibiting a firmness that suggested he would refuse no matter what, seemed to soften slightly at the mention of a request. After all, being a public officer of the Holy Kingdom meant he couldn’t completely ignore a request from the Security Department.
“It is not permissible for us to extract anyone, but we can certainly provide some level of cooperation. What can we assist with?”
Maria brought up what we had discussed on our way there.
“First, could you interrogate the employee out of the two?”
The officer frowned for a moment.
“That would not be impossible. Since I can direct the investigation as I wish. However, if the criminal facts are revealed, there will be no escaping punishment.”
Yes, that was the issue.
Even if we made a request, once the criminal facts were established and punishment confirmed, no matter how authoritative the Security Department was, there was no way to extract a convict. We might manage to bargain our way out if it were fines or community service, but if any prison sentences or severe penalties were delivered, we would be out of options.
I too was curious how Maria planned to resolve this.
“Let’s discuss that.”
Clack.
Setting her cup down, Maria lifted her gaze and stared intently at the Inquisition Officer. Though it wasn’t an outright glare, the chilly atmosphere melded with her piercing gaze caused the officer to flinch slightly.
“I’m planning to go deep into the sewage facility.”
“Is that so?”
“However, there are quite a few criminals, and since it has been remodeled for a long time, we face the issue of not knowing the way.”
“I understand. We have attempted to enter a few times to apprehend the criminals, but we never made it there before they could escape.”
“So, I was looking for people who might know the way by digging around places related to them, but of all times, this happened.”
“Hmmm….”
The Inquisition Officer crossed his arms, contemplating whether he understood Maria’s explanation.
“So, you’re asking if, instead of a death sentence or life imprisonment, the punishment could be redirected towards guiding us?”
Maria nodded. The officer let out a groan and returned to his deliberation.
The conversation flowed smoothly between the two. The one struggling to keep up was, oddly enough, me.
“Maria, is that even possible?”
“What do you mean?”
“I mean, changing the punishment at will.”
Law wasn’t my specialty back on Earth, and I had never been involved in litigation or crime, so I wasn’t well-versed in legal matters. On top of that, there was no way that Korean law would apply in this world.
However, I knew enough to understand that laws, especially criminal laws, stipulate punishments based on types and severity. So, this judicial transaction Maria mentioned, frankly, sounded like bribery to me.
That didn’t really sit well with me. But Maria questioned me instead.
“What do you mean by changing the punishment?”
“Uh?”
“The judge determines the verdict. Aside from cases where a death penalty is mandated, there aren’t strict rules for other punishments.”
What in the world….
“Oh.”
Just as I was about to argue, it hit me.
Considering it, the Empire was fundamentally a feudal state. They spoke of an independent judiciary, yet in many territories, the lord often issued judgments according to their whims. Most places only handed down verdicts when the circuit judge visited, like finishing overdue homework.
Moreover, the Holy Kingdom heavily intertwined legal penalties with doctrine. The interpretation of scripture phrases by judges could lead to different verdicts.
It was a system that allowed for significant judicial discretion.
“Does Brandenburg specify every single punishment? Fascinating.”
“Umm….”
To be honest, I wasn’t clear on that part. I’d never witnessed how trials were conducted in our town, so I brushed her words aside.
Just then, the Inquisition Officer spoke up.
“Very well. Let’s proceed with that.”
Maria nodded her head, smiling.
“Thank you.”
She looked at me with a triumphant expression, wiggling her eyebrows at me. She discreetly gave me a thumbs-up, making sure the officer didn’t see.
Thanks to Maria, we managed to secure the release of the employee.
―――
Mia was originally a child born into a normal family in the Holy Kingdom.
Her mother worked as a seamstress, altering clothes for others, while her father made a living by delivering goods ordered by the Holy Kingdom’s government office.
They weren’t exactly wealthy, but associated with the government office of the continent’s richest nation, the Holy Kingdom, so they were relatively well-off in the neighborhood.
At least, that was the case until Mia turned five.
“Ahhh!”
The scream of her mother that day remained vividly etched in Mia’s memory. It was the day her peaceful life came to an abrupt end, making it impossible to forget.
Startled by her mother’s scream, when she rushed outside, her mother hastily ran to cover Mia’s eyes. But Mia had already seen everything clearly.
Her father lay sprawled on the floor, lifeless. In his arms was a bag.
At the time, she didn’t understand, but now she did.
That bag contained a document detailing how much debt her father had.
Mia’s father had borrowed a significant sum of money under the pretext of making investments. Unfortunately, the lender wasn’t a reputable entity like the Merchant Guild but rather a loan shark.
Then, as the investment that he had borrowed heavily for failed spectacularly, he became unable to repay the money and took his own life.
Irresponsibly.
“Hey, do you think his death makes the debt disappear?”
“If you borrowed money, you have to repay it!”
And all the debt was passed onto Mia’s mother. However, the amount her father owed was far too large to be repaid just by sewing clothes. Her mother liquidated all their belongings, including the house, and handed over every last penny to the loan sharks without saving a dime.
Yet, it wasn’t nearly enough.
Ultimately, her mother worked day and night, both sewing and secretly leaving the house at night. Though she never disclosed to Mia what her nighttime work was, Mia was perceptive.
Even with that, it wasn’t enough to cover the debt. Eventually, her mother left Mia with another family, continuing her “nighttime work” all day long.
The debt dwindled quickly. But along with it, Mia’s mother rapidly deteriorated as well.
“…”
Finally gazing upon her mother, who would never open her eyes again, Mia came to a realization. It was now her turn.
But Mia thought.
“Why should I be the one to repay this debt?”
Mia had to repay the debt because her father borrowed money, and since her parents couldn’t pay it back, it fell to her. As someone who was now in the unfavorable position of a debtor, she had no choice but to settle all the debts as claimed by the lenders. Yet, those lenders were relentless, constantly tightening their grip on her by raising interest rates, intending to torment her indefinitely.
In that moment, Mia had a thought.
“If I don’t repay the debt, wouldn’t it mean I could just find someone advantageous to me and not pay it back?”
Even though she was only ten years old, Mia was perceptive enough to understand the dynamics at play just by watching her mother and the debt collectors.
Maria sought out those who frequently argued with the lenders.
“I owe money to those people.”
When a ten-year-old kid walks up and says that, those members of the crime organization couldn’t help but be taken aback.
“If you accept me, I can make sure those people suffer just as much as I owe.”
It was a naive thought. But at the same time, it was a statement that clearly pierced through to what would be beneficial for her.
“Ha.”
A young man who looked absurdly old for his age laughed as he looked at her.
“A bold little brat, aren’t you? Alright then, I’ll take you under my wing.”
That was how Mia first stepped into the underground world.
The young man, or rather, the ‘store manager,’ accepted Mia as a lowly errand runner in the organization. Naturally, a crime organization wouldn’t value the life of a little girl that highly. In fact, one might even question if they valued her life at all.
They tasked her with simple navigation and plenty of menial tasks. But, of course, Mia, who didn’t know any shortcuts or hidden routes, often struggled to complete her errands on time.
“Hey, why aren’t you hurrying up?”
“I’ll deduct your losses from your pay.”
What followed was a relentless barrage of violence and pay cuts. Yet, Mia quickly adapted to it all.
Initially hesitant, she soon stole without hesitation to make up for her meager wages. Not knowing the way, she learned to observe people and pick up the routes just by hiding and watching.
By the time she turned sixteen, Mia had become the organization’s best courier. She was entrusted with the most important and difficult tasks. At times, she even earned as much as the senior members, and her success rate steadily improved.
And then, she found herself face-to-face with the ‘store manager’ once again.
He wasn’t the boss, but it was clear that even the boss couldn’t treat him lightly.
Recognizing Mia’s abilities, the ‘store manager’ made her a proposition.
“Would you like to work under me?”
Of course, there was no way she would refuse.
Mia was sharp. She quickly calculated what she needed to do to earn more money and rise higher in status.
Eight years passed working beside the ‘store manager,’ and Mia had now climbed to just below him, commanding others with a mere gesture.
Throughout this time, she had seen a lot. The store manager’s appearance changed every few months. How, she had no idea—nor did she care to know. She watched as those who questioned him disappeared shortly thereafter, nurturing a sense of curiosity in her.
Then one day, disaster struck.
The store, which served as a communication conduit between the organization and the surface, was annihilated by incredibly powerful men and women, and Mia along with the ‘store manager’ ended up captured.
It was then that Mia finally learned how the ‘store manager’ altered his appearance.
She realized it.
From that moment, Mia gave up on life.
She knew the organization would inevitably come to kill her for knowing the ‘store manager’s’ secret. Thus, she cooperated willingly with the inquiries from the Inspection Team. There was no point in resisting. Death was already a certainty. There was no need to expend energy resisting torture.
With her remaining days, it would be more beneficial to live comfortably.
And so, the day of judgment arrived.
“Though you haven’t committed direct murder, assisting in the organization’s criminal activities makes it difficult to absolve your crimes. Moreover, given the duration of your activity, a heavy sentence would typically apply, but…”
The judge arched an eyebrow, glancing at the notes on the edge of the documents.
“Very well, this seems fitting.”
The judge summoned the guards.
“The convict must assist in identifying and dismantling the organization she was a part of.”
Mia’s eyes trembled at the thunderous news. The guards wasted no time dragging her off to an unfamiliar luxurious room. They composed themselves respectfully before entering.
“Oh, you’ve come.”
Inside sat the two individuals who had obliterated the ‘store manager’s’ establishment.
“You will assist these individuals until the matter is resolved.”
Sharp Mia immediately lowered her head and prostrated herself.
“I will do my utmost to serve, prepared for death!”
It seemed that fate still wasn’t ready to take Mia’s life just yet.
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