Do you have a problem with necromancers?

Chapter 90: The whole thing got dragged into it (6k)

Ryan's first suspect was the former commander, Raylo Dacros, who had been ousted from his post.

Although this guy had the motive, he didn't seem to have the ability to do so. This is because nobles typically use rather traditional methods to harm people, such as poisoning, bribery, and framing.

Such a bizarre logic as "I may have committed a crime, but that doesn't mean you have the right to punish me" is something that a sane nobleman would hardly come up with, just as Professor Moriarty could never understand the Joker's way of thinking.

In other words, the search for suspects can be narrowed down to core members of the Amazon Institute who are experts in this field.

At this point, the investigation became more complicated, because Renn couldn't think of any noble ladies or young women in the association he had offended.

Apart from Martha Malone, I don't know any of the others, okay?
Of course, resolving the current crisis is more important than finding the mastermind behind it all.

The Amazon Association did not organize any marches or demonstrations because the capital city was now in the early stages of the election season, with campaign teams everywhere on the streets. Citizens were only concerned with which candidate was willing to pay a higher price for votes and had no time to care about whether Amazons had the right to be exempt from being searched by Imperials... But this did not mean that the mastermind behind the scenes did not have a corresponding backup plan.

"What do you think is the best way to handle this?" Ryan asked casually, his legs propped up on his desk.

“First, we need to find out the Queen’s attitude and position in this matter,” Ellina said calmly. “No matter what anyone in the Amazon Association does, they cannot bypass the Queen.”

The fairy princess had already guessed that the mastermind was most likely within the Amazon Society. Her solution was quite classic: directly target a key member, infiltrate her, and then focus fire on her.

“That’s right,” Bersalia agreed. “The reason they’re using this tactic to scheme against you is clearly to sow discord between you and the Queen. If you protect the Golden Robe, the Queen will inevitably be forced to step forward to maintain her authority within the Association; but if you severely punish the Golden Robe, it will only highlight your incompetence, and the Queen will still look down on you because of it.”

“Neither protecting you nor severely punishing you is the right answer,” Elrina said thoughtfully. “The Queen summoned you back to the capital to serve as the commander of the garrison, hoping you would quickly gain control of the Golden Robe's forces so that they could be used to her advantage in crucial moments.”

"Therefore, even if it offends the Amazon Association, you must secure this position as commander and not allow any factors that could shake your power."

The two elves have analyzed the situation very clearly: if there is no way to have the best of both worlds, then they can only prioritize protecting their own.

Ryan agreed with this view, but he suspected that the mastermind had probably also taken this into account and might even have prepared a countermeasure.

Never follow the other party's line of thinking.

"So, what do you plan to do?" Dia asked.

“I plan to check the legal provisions first,” Rein said slowly, “to see what the Imperial laws specifically stipulate.”

Everyone was stunned: No, someone is plotting against you, what's the use of you checking the law?
----------

After spending the entire afternoon in the Imperial Grand Library, the group finally found the specific laws of the Empire regarding theft, which indeed required "catching the perpetrator red-handed on the spot."

The drafter of the law was the renowned Norland Markjohn, father of the current Imperial Minister of Law, Harvey Markjohn, who had overseen the revision of the Imperial Law of the Peoples and passed away three years ago.

After borrowing the brand-new copy of "The Law of the Peoples of the Empire" from the library, Raine went to the door of 113 Riverview Street in the West End and presented his business card to the doorman of Law Minister Harvey.

“Raine Fahre?” Harvey was enjoying afternoon tea in his study when he saw the business card handed to him by the butler and was slightly taken aback.

“The Fahel family comes from the Reach,” the butler reminded him at the right moment. “They once served as the commander of the Imperial Capital Garrison, but were forced to resign after the assassination of Duke Dacros in the street. Recently, they were recalled by the royal family due to the election season and reinstated to their original court positions. They are probably following the route of currying favor with the Queen.”

“Oh,” Harvey said knowingly. “Refuse to see him.”

Rein, who was personally mentored by Queen Margarita, naturally bore the mark of royalty.

Now that election season has begun, Harvey, as the impartial and upright Minister of Law, usually doesn't get involved in factional struggles—if he had to take sides, he would lean more towards the aristocracy, since the Minister of Law's secretary is a royalist.

He has no intention of meeting with such sensitive factional figures at this juncture.

“Your Excellency,” the butler hesitated for a moment before reminding him, “the other party claims that the reason for his abrupt visit is to consult on legal matters. Moreover, he is, after all, the leader of the Golden Robe Gang in the capital. Even if you do not intend to develop a close relationship with him, shouldn’t you at least meet him before seeing him off to avoid directly offending him?”

The butler's reminder was not without reason. The security of all the streets in the capital was the responsibility of the Golden Robe Clan, so if you rashly offended them, the Golden Robe Clan could simply reduce the number of times they patrolled your area, naturally creating many security risks out of thin air.

Duke Dacros is the best example. A noble imperial duke was stoned to death in the street by a mob that outnumbered his guards by a hundredfold... This would be impossible anywhere in the world outside the capital. It just goes to show how terrifying the civic culture of the capital is. It can easily gather thousands of citizens, and it is impossible to control them unless the army is deployed.

Now that it's election season, there are more and more voter hooligans on the streets. They drink alcohol, vandalize, yell, and even engage in group fights. Many nobles in the capital don't even dare to walk at night anymore. They can only donate more money to the nearby guard camps and pay "security fees" so that the emperor will send more people to patrol and drive away these voter hooligans.

Harvey, reminded by the butler, realized that while he could look down on Fahre, this country nobleman, it was best not to offend the golden-robed officer. What was that saying again? Even someone as esteemed as the Imperial Prime Minister must respect his own cook, groom, and guards.

However, what truly made Harvey change his mind was the other party's stated purpose.

"You want to consult me ​​on legal matters?" He chuckled, his beard twitching smugly. "Country bumpkins never expected to have such knowledge. In the capital, no one knows more about the law than the Mark Jon family!"

“Your Excellency,” the butler said, utterly speechless, “this is likely just an excuse they concocted to curry favor with you in order to see you…”

“It’s alright,” Harvey said with a nonchalant wave of his hand. “Go tell him that I will only answer his legal questions during this meeting, and we won’t talk about anything else!”

"Yes." The butler hurriedly left the study and gave the order.

Raine was led into the mansion by a servant and calmly looked around.

The Minister of Law's residence wasn't large; after all, land in the capital was incredibly valuable, and it was impossible for everyone to live in a castle like the nobles of the river bends. The decor was also quite simple and understated, though large wooden bookshelves were everywhere, filled with all sorts of books, many of which were rare, out-of-print editions.

Harvey received Ryan in his study. He was a kind-looking middle-aged man with a slightly balding head and a thick beard, with traces of cream on his beard. There were no desserts on the table, presumably hidden away because of his unexpected visit.

Raine chuckled inwardly, exchanged a few pleasantries and compliments with the Minister of Law, and seeing that the other party seemed to be losing patience, he took out his personal belongings and placed them on the desk.

One is the "Civil Code of the Capital," and the other is a recent security report, which is a case in which a thief was caught red-handed by a guard, but then filed a counter-accusation against the guard for indecent assault.

"Please take a look at this case," Renn said calmly. "Our imperial guards, in order to ensure that the thief was caught red-handed, searched the thief brought in by the victimized shop owner. However, the victim counter-sued the guards for indecent assault. This seems to be due to a self-contradictory loophole in the Imperial Law of the People, which means that if we want to enforce the law, we must first break it..."

“Heh.” Harvey sneered dismissively and said, “Page 364, line 2, answers your question.”

Raine then turned to the corresponding page and position in the book, and sure enough, he saw that the law stated that "any contact between the sexes that inevitably occurs under special circumstances such as rescue, self-defense, or law enforcement shall not be considered a sufficient element to constitute indecent assault."

"Well?" Harvey said with a disdainful expression, "The Markjohn family has been experts in law for generations. Our family crest even has 72 scales embroidered on it, symbolizing that our family has produced 72 highly learned legal scholars throughout history. Do you think my father would have left such a basic loophole when he rewrote the Law of Peoples?"

“Indeed,” Raine sighed. “Thank you for your explanation, Minister.”

Harvey was about to see the guest out when he heard Ryan say:

"But this case has already aroused some public opinion in the capital, and many people seem to think that our guarding methods are also quite problematic."

"So what?" Harvey said dismissively. "Strict legal provisions cannot be forcibly reinterpreted just because of public pressure."

“In that case, I’m relieved.” Raine stood up. “If the Amazon Association files charges against us in this case, I will respond with your explanation. Thank you for your guidance, Minister.” Harvey waved lazily, indicating that he could leave.

Hmm, what, the Amazon Association?
The Minister of Justice, who had been reclining in an armchair, suddenly straightened up as if by some unseen force, and his back began to feel numb.

Nowadays, few nobles in the capital are unaware of the Amazon Society. After all, they once organized a mob to kill Duke Darkros, a duke without any court official position, yet still capable of shocking and drawing the attention of the nobles. Rumor has it that the core members of this society are all the wives and daughters of powerful nobles, and the true chairman behind them is a high-ranking figure in the court. This is why the society itself was able to remain unscathed during the duke's death, with the blame falling entirely on the powerless commoners below.

If they swarm and attack me...

Harvey dared not think any further. His mind began to race through all sorts of laws and interpretations, attempting to completely overturn the previous explanation.

He dared not make enemies of so many noble ladies and young women!

“By the way,” Ryan continued, “I heard they’ve been reviewing past precedents for similar cases, and as you just told me, special circumstances don’t apply to this crime. Although it’s explicitly stated in the Law of Civil Law, they don’t seem willing to accept that. They plan to use demonstrations to demand a revised law, a re-examination of sentencing in all similar cases where there were previous wrongful convictions, and appropriate compensation for the victims…”

With each additional word Ryan spoke, Harvey's forehead became more drenched in sweat, until finally his entire forehead was glistening with perspiration.

His keen intuition as a minister made him realize that this was already a sign of a palace intrigue. If the Amazon Association used this as a pretext to organize a large number of people to widely discuss and publicly attack the Imperial Law of All Nations, it would inevitably deal a huge blow to the reputation of the Markjoon family, who were revising the law, and he himself would probably lose his position as Minister of Law.

His father, Norland Sr., once said, "Imperial laws are not to be questioned." Because as long as you bring them up for discussion, people will inevitably be divided into "supporters" and "opponents." But if there is no discussion, everyone will accept the authority of the law, and no opposition will raise any questions... So, if it sparks widespread discussion, it will be a major defeat for him.

Regardless of whether what Ryan said was true or false, Harvey had to treat it as true. Because the Amazon Society really did possess this power, he couldn't afford to gamble that Ryan was deliberately bluffing or spreading alarmist rumors.

“Hmm, Your Excellency Fahr… no, Renne.” Harvey’s minister’s mind began to race, but his expression grew increasingly amiable. “I’m happy to answer any legal questions you may have, but some issues cannot be explained in a few words. For example, the case you mentioned, although there are explicit legal provisions, it has indeed infringed upon the rights of the victim…”

"Excuse me for interrupting you, but it should be the prisoner's right," Ryan corrected him. "Caught red-handed, there is no doubt that it was theft."

“Even if the evidence is conclusive, without a formal legal trial, she can only be considered a suspect, not a criminal,” Harvey said righteously.

“Indeed, perhaps if we revise the Imperial Law of the People and correct all the past erroneous judgments, this thief… no, this respectable lady will indeed become the victim.” Renn sighed with a frustrated expression. “We also need to prepare an apology and pay a large sum of compensation. Hopefully, it won’t bankrupt our finances.”

Harvey felt like his clothes were almost soaked through. Revising the law was absolutely out of the question, and as for "correcting past erroneous rulings," that was a completely taboo topic; just thinking about it made his blood pressure rise.

A large number of people will be implicated as a result, and these people will inevitably try to drag themselves down with them...

“I understand that the public has doubts about this.” The Minister of Law finally figured out “who our enemies are” and “who our allies are,” and spoke quickly and fluently. “But before things are fully clarified, for the sake of rigor and impartiality, I ask that you, as the commander of the Imperial Capital Garrison, refrain from making any explanations to the outside world to avoid unnecessary misunderstandings and negative impacts. As for how the law should be judged, I will give you an answer as soon as possible.”

He summoned the butler who was waiting outside the study and led Ryan to the adjacent dining room to enjoy a sumptuous afternoon tea specially prepared by the Minister of Law's chef.

He hurriedly got up, quickly arranged for a carriage to leave the mansion, and made an appointment to meet the secretary of the Minister of Law in the salon of a nearby tavern.

The relationship between the Minister of Law and his secretary is roughly equivalent to that between an official and a clerk. Ministers may change positions at any time due to appointments by the royal family, while secretaries are excellent imperial civil servants who have worked in their respective fields for many years and can ensure that even if the minister in charge is not capable, the situation will not become too bad.

Therefore, many secretaries naturally resist involving ministers in specific matters, because "these illiterate nobles will only destroy the mature framework we have painstakingly built."

But Harvey was certain that his incredibly smooth and unyielding secretary, Grand, was absolutely on his side on this matter.

"Re-amend the law? Correct past erroneous judgments?" After listening to Harvey's explanation of the whole story, Grand smiled, holding his teacup, and leisurely shook his head. "My dear minister, you must have been deceived by his exaggerated claims."

"This is the most heated election season right now. Even if the Amazon Association organizes people and holds large-scale demonstrations in the streets, how can they drown out the loud voices of those election campaigns? In normal times, they might have the power to threaten you, but definitely not now."

“How could I forget about the election season?” Harvey slapped his forehead and laughed. “Right, let them attack us if they want. Let’s see who has time to deal with them during the election season.”

"However, while he may have exaggerated, it wasn't entirely baseless." Grand took a sip of tea and continued, "Although they can't mobilize the lower classes, simply having those noble ladies and young women cause trouble for their husbands and fathers would still have a considerable negative impact on you. Forgive my bluntness, but many nobles in the capital don't have a sufficient understanding of the current imperial laws..."

Harvey's expression immediately turned serious.

This is precisely why he didn't want to offend the Amazon Association. In this world without cell phones, the circle of aristocratic women formed by the Amazon Association is almost equivalent to sending mass text messages—given their generally gossipy and talkative nature, their ability to spread information is actually terrifying.

“Even if I come up with a corresponding interpretation for this case, it won’t be able to overturn the verdicts in similar previous cases,” the Minister of Justice said gravely. “They probably won’t let this go easily.”

“Therefore, we cannot agree to any of their requests.” Grand pondered for a moment and said, “I propose that we form a ‘Historical Case Review Committee’ to bring together all the relevant personnel involved in past cases to carefully review the specific details of each historical case and check for any errors or omissions.”

Harvey immediately thought to himself, "Wow, that's amazing!"

Would the personnel involved in past cases ever admit to making a mistake? They would definitely find every piece of evidence they could to prove that their initial judgment was correct.

If things really fall apart with the Amazon Association, then this evidence will be the best defense!

After a long discussion with Grand, the composed Minister of Law finally took his leave, got into his carriage, and returned home, where he summoned Renn over.

“While you were enjoying your afternoon tea, I consulted with several other legal experts,” Harvey said slowly. “The law clearly states that unavoidable contact with the opposite sex during law enforcement will not involve any related criminal charges.”

"Your men are innocent. Thank you for their efforts and sacrifices in maintaining order in the capital."

“I understand, thank you very much.” Ryan immediately showed a relieved expression. “With your personal clarification, even if the Amazon Association accuses me, the commander, of protecting my subordinates, I have nothing to worry about.”

After chatting casually with Harvey for a few minutes, and seeing that he didn't seem to have retained any of his previous panic, Renn guessed that this minister had probably already found a very influential ally and felt that he no longer needed to be wary of the Amazon Association.

This was exactly the outcome that Rennes had anticipated before his trip.

In the capital, those who fight alone die the fastest. The key to turning defeat into victory lies in dragging down the largest number of people at once and greatly increasing the strength of one's own camp.

Raine returned to the commander's office at the guard camp, summoned Berthalia, and asked:
"Has the association been discussing this matter frequently lately?"

“People were still talking about it this morning,” Berthalia said with a smile. “Everyone thinks it’s terrifying to be stripped naked in the street. In the future, if someone suspects you of being a thief, you’ll most likely have to undergo a forced body search to ‘clear the name of the suspect,’ and everyone claims they absolutely cannot accept that.”

“Anyone who puts themselves in the thief’s shoes to figure out what to do is probably mentally unstable,” Renn finally said after careful consideration. “Besalia.”

"Your next task is to incite as many Amazon Association members as possible to organize a demonstration. As for the specific slogans..."

“Taking this incident as an example, we call for ‘revising the Imperial Law of the People’ and ‘correcting past erroneous precedents’.”

"Are you sure?" Bersalia asked, puzzled. Wasn't this just asking for trouble?

But she soon realized that Ryan wasn't the type to make empty promises or take things on haphazardly; he was probably brewing some bad idea.

Ideally, we could kill another Duke Darkros.

(End of this chapter)