Chapter 143

#143 Episode: The Tin Knight and the City of Scales (3)

“Cough, ugh, what the hell is this?!”

The young man grimaced in pain, possibly from the impact of falling, and vented his frustrations after noticing the food remnants on his back.

His flushed face indicated he had indulged in quite a bit of alcohol.

As he groaned and pushed himself up, his gaze met Adel, who was dazed, trying to process what had just happened.

Upon seeing her bright blonde hair and purple eyes, the young man jumped back in surprise.

“Whoa, so you’re one of them too!”

“Excuse me?”

There was no time for questions because the young man abruptly swung the sword he was holding.

Before she could comprehend the situation, Adel’s body instinctively reacted.

Pivoting on her left foot, she turned halfway to dodge the blade, grabbed the attacker’s wrist with her right hand, and thrust the fork held in her left hand into his neck.

“Oops.”

A moment too late, she regretted going too far, but what’s done is done.

Things escalated even further when the young man’s comrades, hearing the commotion from upstairs, came down to see him sprawled on the floor.

“Over here! There’s more of them!”

“Zhang’s been attacked!!”

Four or five men drew their swords simultaneously, surrounding Adel and her group.

At a glance, it was clear this wasn’t a situation where discussions would be entertained.

Just as Adel pondered whether to draw her sword, another shadow slipped through the hole in the ceiling where the young man had fallen.

With her blonde hair tied back, the newcomer gracefully moved through the space.

Swish!

Every time the intruder swung her sword, blood would spray, and the young men fell one by one.

Adel’s eyes sparkled with astonishment.

‘So beautiful.’

The swordplay was exceptionally swift and flashy.

The afterimages of the sword stroke left in the air resembled blooming flowers.

Before she could take a breath, the shadow had dispatched all the men and turned to face Adel.

The beauty, once cold and expressionless, now twisted in surprise.

“The Lenart Mask…!”

“Wait, wait, stop!”

Adel, forgetting even her usual tone, blurted out.

—

Maris von Lenart.

The Minister of Defense of the Empire. She was one of the direct daughters of Duke Lenart, a formidable background.

Her swordsmanship pursued versatility and speed, and her strategic depth was impressive for such a young age.

Countless men coveted her as a potential future leader of the Lion Duke’s bloodline, but none had yet to bear proper fruit.

Maris was renowned not just for her outstanding beauty but also for her cold and arrogant temperament. Suitors lamented that even offering riches would yield nothing more than a faint smile.

“Hmm? Oh, sorry, sorry. I mistook you for some ‘fan’ I saw last time because you look just like her.”

“Is that so? If it’s a mistake, then what can be done?”

“Yeah, yeah.”

And now, that cold beauty was playfully teasing Adel with an unusually friendly smile.

Anyone who knew the usual Maris would have rubbed their eyes in disbelief.

Of course, Maris had things to say too.

Could she really have the same response as her younger sister, who somehow elicited amusing reactions from the men who tried to get close?

Though she would have liked to continue teasing her, circumstances weren’t that accommodating.

“Lady, are you unharmed?”

Two knights emerged from the stairs connecting the fourth and third floors, approaching Maris.

They held blood-dripping swords, and their eyes bore a lingering menace from the battles they’d just fought.

Upon seeing Maris and Adel together, they exhibited puzzled looks before their expressions turned stiff upon noticing the Tin Knight.

“Lady, please do come this way.”

“Forget it. If these people were really affiliated with those guys, they wouldn’t have rushed over like this. If a single knight had come here, he would have swept them all away, so why make a fuss?”

“Nevertheless…”

“Enough.”

At the firm command that allowed no argument, the two knights lowered their heads in apology.

Maris, having silenced her subordinates, was about to speak again when sounds of commotion echoed from below, and a shopkeeper, along with a group of soldiers, made their entrance.

“They’re here sooner than expected.”

With a hint of annoyance in her words, Maris’s face turned ice-cold.

The man who appeared to be the guard captain approached Maris.

“We received reports of disturbances at the restaurant. We would like your cooperation in the investigation.”

Maris replied coolly, “Are you implying we are the culprits?”

“…It’s an investigation to make that determination. Would you like an explanation of the process?”

Though oddly polite for someone interrogating potential suspects, the guard captain and the entire guard unit seemed somewhat flustered, likely due to the two knights standing behind Maris, their eyes blazing with intensity.

“I’ve been through it enough times; I’m fine.”

“Then let’s begin.”

The guard captain pulled something from his waist.

What should have been a sword had instead transformed into a scale adorned with black and white plates.

“Did you kill these individuals?”

“Yeah.”

The black plate dropped significantly lower.

“Reason for the killing?”

“They kept pestering me to pour them drinks. I initially refused politely, but when they resorted to force, I countered.”

The black plate rose a bit.

“Which side drew their weapon first?”

“These guys.”

The plate shot back up.

“Did you feel your life was in danger during the scuffle?”

“I mean, they came at me with swords; of course I was in danger!”

Boom!

The scale trembled as if in agony.

The guard captain spoke in a monotone voice.

“Please refrain from making false statements. If you felt no real threat to your life, then why did you go beyond subduing them and kill?”

Maris’s eyebrows twitched.

“…Because showing half-hearted mercy only leads to greater trouble.”

The scale’s black plate edged down again.

After mentioning the number of deceased and the damage to property, the guard captain assessed the scale’s position.

The scale had a measurement indicator to quantify how tilted it was.

“You will receive a sentence of 20 months in prison. Please decide whether you will serve the sentence or pay a fine.”

“There’s no one who works as leisurely as you lot in this world.”

With a sardonic remark, Maris flicked something with her finger.

Two gleaming imperial gold coins landed on the white plate, and before long, they began to dissolve into a cascade of light.

As the coins melted, the scale regained its balance, completely leveling out when one coin fully melted while the other had only a third remaining.

The guard captain handed Maris the remaining gold fragments.

“Why not take it as a tip?”

“Tampering with remaining fine deposits is strictly prohibited by law.”

After giving a typical bureaucratic farewell to Maris, the guard captain then turned to interrogate the shop owner using the scale again.

Adel and her group couldn’t tear their eyes away from the strange and fascinating spectacle.

Maris shrugged and said to Adel, “Shall we move to another place? It’s awkward to converse here in all this chaos, and you seem curious about many things. We didn’t exactly get to enjoy a proper meal either, so I can treat you to some food.”

“Um…”

Adel glanced sideways at the Tin Knight and Sophia.

[If ‘Tin Knight’ were Dorothea, she would say she’d rather not get entangled in unnecessary matters, but she’s cheering for it with open arms!]

“Adel says that’s fine.”

One in favor, one neutral.

The decision was now up to Adel.

Though she wasn’t an expert in politics, she at least understood that Maris held a notably high status within her family.

She was famous enough that related news would reach her even if she tried to ignore it.

Perhaps it was due to having heard the tales of the West Witch that sparked her interest in Maris’s family.

Adel nodded toward Maris.

—

The place they were invited to was a mansion on the outskirts of the city.

In terms of height, it was one thing, but it was easily six times bigger than the restaurant they had just visited when it came to sheer size.

“Do you live here?”

“Hmm? No, I just rented out the whole building for a while. It may seem excessive, but if we stayed somewhere ordinary, that would be a nuisance to the surroundings.”

The mansion had tight security.

Dozens of soldiers were visible, and among them were a few with blonde or purple eyes.

Adel instinctively sensed that a significant number, if not all, could wield the blade.

Normally, entering such a place would require disarming, but thanks to Maris’s assurance that it was alright, they were allowed unimpeded access inside.

While food was being prepared, the group formally greeted Maris.

The conversation was led by Adelheid.

Typically, when Dorothea was absent, Sophia would take the representative role, but in this instance, Adel was deemed more suitable, being a member of the Lion Duke’s bloodline.

“I am Maris von Lenart. I’m not in a public position yet, so I don’t have any formal title.”

“I am Adelheid von Lenart, the heir candidate of Friedel Territory in the Ionian Kingdom.”

Maris eyed the phrase “heir candidate” with an odd smile, glancing at the Tin Knight and Sophia.

As Adel paused, trying to figure out how to introduce the knight, she suddenly felt stuck.

‘…How should I refer to the knight?’

Dorothea called the Tin Knight something like “Hey, you, tin can,” while Sophia referred to him as “Tin Sir,” and Adel herself used “Knight.”

It was sufficient between companions, but an appropriate title didn’t readily come to mind for a formal introduction.

“Um, this is Sophia-san. And this is the knight. They are my travel companions.”

With a hesitant expression, that was all she could muster.

Fortunately, Maris didn’t press the issue further. Perhaps she wasn’t particularly interested, or maybe she was being considerate, realizing Adel was flustered.

“Regarding what happened earlier, I apologize for dragging you into it. They must have thought you were with me because of your appearance.”

“Is that so…?”

Adel tilted her head at Maris’s words.

She couldn’t help but wonder if there were really people brazen enough to provoke the daughter of the Minister of Defense.

Even if they didn’t know she was the Minister of Defense’s daughter, with bright blonde hair and purple eyes, it was hard not to recognize her as a member of the Lion Duke’s lineage.

At least around here, where the Lenart Dojo was one of the five cities in existence.

Seemingly guessing Adel’s thoughts from her expression, Maris let out a resigned laugh.

“Doesn’t make sense, does it? I thought so too until I experienced it myself. But this sort of thing actually happens in this city.”

“How’s that possible?”

“Because that’s the law in this town.”

─Crimes committed outside of Justitia will not be pursued within.

─Crimes committed within Justitia will not be pursued from outside.

─Crimes committed within Justitia will be punished by Justitia itself.

─All judgments are overseen by the ‘Scale’.

─All penalties can be compensated by a ‘value’ equivalent to restoring the balance of the Scale.

Adel furrowed her brow, too many things didn’t add up.

“So, if one commits a crime here, that means it cannot be punished from outside, and even for any offense as long as money is paid, it can all be resolved?”

“In principle, yes, though there are hidden paths. At least openly, no one can be punished.”

“Why is that?”

To Adel’s question, Maris replied.

“This is a Holy Kingdom. It’s the territory of the Holy Kingdom itself.”

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