Chapter 149

#149 Episode: The Tin Knight and the City of Scales (9)

As Dorothea and Adelheid headed to their respective destinations,

You were walking down the street with Sophia.

Sophia’s pace was leisurely, and she occasionally paused to admire the scenery or picked up odd items from shops that were hard to tell what they were meant for.

Naturally, a conversation bloomed between you and Sophia.

[The ‘Tin Knight’ admires that Dorothea’s staff attacks are becoming increasingly threatening!]

[The ‘Tin Knight’ puffs up with pride mentioning that Adelheid has been training on her own without being told lately!]

You did most of the talking, while Sophia listened attentively.

Your words were a jumbled stream of consciousness without a specific topic, something you couldn’t enjoy when with Dorothea.

That was because Dorothea would often interrupt your runaway thoughts with her physical objections.

The brooch you possessed communicated messages indiscriminately to anyone nearby, making it impossible to talk to just one specific person unless you were physically separated.

To an outsider, it might have looked like you were silent with Sophia nodding along, and several passersby shot you curious glances, but none dared to approach.

Perhaps they felt intimidated by your fully armored appearance under the blazing sun, or maybe it was Sophia’s inexplicable detached vibe.

After walking for some time, a strange procession entered your sight.

“Please, please….”

“It’s alright, it’s alright, it’ll be fine. It can’t not be.”

“Oh, great Lord, please lead me to the heavens…”

Before the emerald scales used for yesterday’s trial,

dozens of people were lined up fervently praying for something.

“Hey, no cutting in line!”

“Stand in line properly! Anyone not following the rules will be disqualified from the trial!”

Guards were stationed around the queue, controlling people, and despite their rather oppressive demeanor, not a single soul expressed discontent or rebellion.

You sharpened your senses, observing the happenings at the front of the line.

There were chairs and desks set up under an outdoor tent.

One of the territory managers sitting there spoke in a bored tone.

“Next!”

“It’s finally my turn.”

A young man, appearing fairly well-off based on his attire and demeanor, stepped forward.

The manager, with a business-like attitude, continued.

“Touch the scales and pray to the great Lord.”

The young man complied, placing his hand on the scales and closing his eyes.

1, 5, 10 seconds passed.

Seeing that nothing was happening, the manager spoke.

“It’s over. Step aside.”

The young man’s face contorted strangely when he opened his eyes.

“Wait, just a moment! Could you check once more? I traveled over a week to come to this city just for this!”

“I’ll say it once more. Step aside. No more warnings.”

As if to back up the manager’s words, nearby soldiers closed in on the young man intimidatingly.

The young man attempted to argue but ultimately couldn’t withstand their pressure and complied.

Though the young man couldn’t be called spineless, even if you could easily take down a common soldier, to an average person, regular city guards were nearly like death itself.

After stepping away from the scales, the best rebellion he could muster was a muttered curse.

The manager, as if used to the routine, didn’t even spare the young man a glance and shouted again.

“Next!”

“Y-yes…”

The next person to respond quietly was a girl who looked quite shabby.

Her clothing was tattered, and her small frame made her seem even more fragile.

Some members of the waiting crowd, close to guards, wrinkled their noses as a foul scent wafted from her, which sparked a brief look of disgust among them.

The manager appeared to want to sigh for a moment but quickly resumed his cold professional demeanor.

“Touch the scales and pray to the great Lord.”

The girl placed her hand on the scales and closed her eyes.

About 9 seconds passed before the manager was about to speak.

-Whirrrrr!

The scales trembled slightly, and a faint glow appeared and dissipated from the girl’s body.

The people around murmured in surprise, and the manager’s eyes widened in interest.

The girl, oblivious to what had just happened, merely looked around nervously.

“Congratulations, you are blessed by the divine. From now on, you will receive education as a candidate priestess, and based on your achievements, residency in the heavens will be granted to you.”

Any hint of reluctance that was on display moments ago vanished, replaced by an exceedingly polite demeanor from the manager.

At first, the girl seemed dazed, not comprehending the words, but soon she began to tremble with emotion and cried.

The manager sent someone to guide her, and the crowd watched enviously.

[The ‘Tin Knight’ asks if they are selecting divine power holders!]

“Yes. Holy Power responds to prayers, but just having a yearning doesn’t mean everyone can manifest it.”

Sophia replied to your question, her deep pinkish-red eyes fixated on the emerald scales.

“Thus, those with Holy Power are rare, and the Holy Kingdom actively nurtures them. After all, the very existence of the Holy Kingdom is that purpose. It’s much more efficient to have a fixed base and let people come to seek them rather than wandering around randomly.”

[The ‘Tin Knight’ observes that based on the people’s reactions, it seems they are treated quite well!]

“Holy Power users on the ground are exceedingly rare, which is why they are treated as esteemed guests in every nation, and moreover, they can obtain residency in the Holy Kingdom.”

In a soft, sing-song voice, Sophia continued.

“That place is a distant heaven. A land without hunger, poverty, or disease. Regardless of its true nature, based on the rumors here on the ground, the Holy Kingdom is paradise itself. It would be understandable for those who do not lead stable lives here to yearn for it.”

[The ‘Tin Knight’ asks about Sophia’s view on it!]

“I dislike it.”

Her answer was immediate, without the slightest hesitation.

“I don’t deny the necessity of control, regulation, or oppression. Sometimes they do create order. But it’s just not my taste.”

[The ‘Tin Knight’ agrees that a chaotic and free lifestyle is more fun!]

“Yes, in that sense, dear Tin Knight. I have a small request.”

You looked at Sophia thoughtfully.

She subtly lifted the cone-shaped device she had purchased earlier in the street and said,

“I’d like to cause a little trouble, could you help?”

***

The manager of Justitia, Posher, thought under his ever-blank public servant expression.

‘…Today’s not so bad after all.’

The reason he thought so was simple.

It was a day he’d unearthed a dearly rare Holy Power holder.

Having handled the selection work for nearly three years, Posher had discovered roughly a hundred Holy Power holders.

While that seems like a lot at first glance, when considering he examines dozens to hundreds of candidates daily, the success rate was abysmal.

And out of those hundred found, only a handful had developed Holy Magic to a practical level, making the situation even worse.

Though he didn’t get any benefits for finding a Holy Power holder, accomplishing something felt better than wasting a day meaninglessly.

‘The light of the Holy Power was faint, but she seems young enough that with some training, she could turn into someone worthwhile. …I hope I didn’t act too strangely? I’ve been treating candidates as fairly as possible before the exam.’

While Posher was lost in thought, absently reducing the queue, he suddenly heard strange noises from nearby.

“What are they doing over there?”

“Are they part of a circus?”

“There are only two of them, what kind of circus is that?”

People around him murmured, all eyes fixed on one spot.

Posher turned his gaze in that direction, and, without thinking, he blurted out,

“What the heck is that?”

Despite the hot weather, there stood a knight fully armored from head to toe.

The knight was holding a long pole in one hand, with a chair leg tied at the end with ropes. Closer inspection showed that not only was it tied up, but it also seemed to be nailed for extra security.

Perched upon the chair was a beautiful woman with green hair, looking extremely calm despite the precarious setup.

Thinking back, there was a furniture store nearby, Posher’s mind wandered to that thought as he temporarily escaped reality.

While the surrounding crowd was enraptured by this bizarre sight, the woman raised a cone-shaped magical device.

To put it in Tin Knight terms, she began to speak into what you might call a ‘megaphone’.

《Hello, residents of Justitia. And travelers visiting from afar. This time I’ve arranged this gathering to share some thoughts with you.》

《It’s nothing grand, just a personal inquiry sparked by the very existence of the scales, and I’d be grateful if you could listen.》

《Everybody, I want to ask you.》

《─Is the scale truly just? Is it truly necessary for this city?》

The surroundings went silent for a moment.

Posher doubted his own ears.

The woman, seemingly unaware of the shock she caused, continued nonchalantly.

《The guilty must be punished. That’s a given. Not because it’s good, but because without it, society crumbles.》

《In that sense, the scales are a handy tool and system. I won’t deny that. Justice is dictated by who judges the same crime; the scales at least guarantee a semblance of ‘fairness’, or in other words, ‘trust’.》

《However, I can’t shake the feeling that this ‘fairness’ is anything but just and true.》

《For instance, taking the idea that crime is quantified by value. Extremes aside, if there exists a fabulously rich wizard who decides to cast a large-scale spell right here in this square, killing you all, they would walk free. They could throw away merely one percent of their wealth and go off to sleep comfortably.》

Now snapping back to reality, Posher hastily commanded the soldiers nearby.

“What, what are you doing! Stop her! Hurry up!”

The soldiers rushed toward her hesitantly, but stopping the woman’s words was impossible.

The knight holding the chair was effortlessly dodging their attacks, making it seem as though they were dancing around.

Even amidst all this, she showed the composure to ensure the woman didn’t fall or lose her balance.

《‘Justitia’s sins are not judged from the outside’ and ‘Outside sins are not judged by Justitia’ — that clause is frankly questionable. If someone were to use a massive catapult to break down the walls of Justitia and crush its residents inside, would that count as an inside crime or an outside one?》

《Many offenders hide in Justitia for fear of being captured outside and end up committing new crimes within. This means the city is, in essence, inviting potential criminals on a systemic level.》

《Of course, I might be emphasizing the faults while ignoring the merits. Even if the law has its issues, it could improve with amendments.》

《But here I wish to ask.》

《If we can modify the law at will, is it truly absolute?》

《Conversely, if we leave the law’s absoluteness intact while neglecting the issues it causes, can we call it just?》

《I’d be grateful to hear your thoughts on this, residents and travelers.》

《Ah, don’t worry! There is no part in the laws of Justitia that states ‘one must not doubt the scales’!》