Curse Return: Swordsmith Start

Chapter 90 Becoming a Sorcerer

"Miura Bussan is backed by a member of parliament, and the victim's family has already received compensation."

""

"I know."

The Yue man continued his story.

"You won't get anything out of this. If you overturn the verdict, she'll have to refund the money and go through another trial. And you should know best what the outcome of a second trial will be in this country."

Of course, the Japanese car knows this.

The defense can only operate with limited budget and manpower, while the prosecution can invest taxes and a lot of manpower to search for evidence. That's understandable, since that's how the system works. However, the reality is that in the second instance, even if the prosecution does not present new evidence, it can overturn the grounds for retrial on very absurd reasons. The Supreme Court in the third instance is a narrow gate, and appeals are almost always rejected directly, making it very difficult to get a formal trial.

The overturning of the first-instance judgment was a huge embarrassment for the judge who made the ruling. In a society where sycophancy is rampant, it is not surprising that the judicial system has developed such a distorted system.

He turned around, but this time his face had lost its lawyer's composure, replaced by a more difficult-to-understand emotion, like sadness or helplessness.

"Her husband was the sole breadwinner of the family, but now there is no income, and her children are still in school, plus the funeral arrangements... she needs money."

"So the final outcome of this lawsuit will not change. Everything you are prepared to do will only make everyone, the plaintiff and the defendant, resentful."

The scenery outside the window flashed by quickly. Although Yue Ren's words were light, they were like an iron hammer, repeatedly questioning Ri Che's rationality.

"Vulnerable groups are pushed to their limits both economically and mentally, so it's understandable that they might vent their anger on me."

"Wanting to help the weak...that's a wonderful idea, but..."

'

He paused.

"How long can you keep going like this, only to end up with despairing persistence?" said the Japanese lawyer.

The sun sank a little further into the sunset, and the streetlights came on.

"I... am not based on the ideal of helping the weak, but I just can't stand by and do nothing when I see something I think is wrong. It's just my personality."

"The goddess of justice has closed her eyes to ensure equality before the law, and people can turn a blind eye to everything in order to protect themselves. I... just hope that I won't turn away the hands that ask me for help in this situation."

"This world may be filthy, but I still want to open my eyes."

The Yue man looked at the man's face; he had a straight nose, small eyes, and dark pupils.

There was no grand pronouncements or righteous indignation; it was simply stating a fact in a very ordinary way.

These words, if spoken in a specific place with specific emotions, would have been so passionate and stirring. But here, spoken in such an extremely calm tone, they inexplicably evoke a feeling that is hard to refuse. The other person is silently reaffirming something, perhaps an obsession, or perhaps an ideal.

In this man's heart, some things are not about winning, but about what he should do.

After understanding the man's thoughts, Yue Ren smiled.

The subway had arrived at the station, and the two left the station one after the other.

"Attorney Nissan, you are a respectable person."

"Then, could you give me any information you might have? If what I just asked is what you want."

The man from Yue smiled slightly.

"No rush. You seem tired too, don't you? Would you mind treating me to a cup of tea at your office?"

Nichiche did not answer immediately; he simply took his hand out of his pocket, straightened his tie, and then strode away.

"bring it on."

Dusk had passed, and the streetlights lit up one by one, gradually illuminating the entire street. The light fell on the gray paving stones, on the shoulders of pedestrians, and on the leather texture of Nichisha briefcases.

Hiromi Nichisha's office is located on the second floor of an old building on the outskirts of Shibuya.

There is no elevator, and the lights in the stairwell are voice-activated; you have to step on them firmly to turn them on.

Riche walked ahead with steady steps, each step firm and solid, seemingly a habit ingrained from his long career as a lawyer.

Yue Ren was right behind him. He was still familiar with Yue Ren, since he had run into Yue Ren's assistant here just a few hours ago. It seemed that Yue Ren had already left work, which was perfect.

Arriving at the iron gate, he took out his key from his briefcase, searched for it, inserted it, and turned it twice.

The Yue people followed them inside.

The room is a little over 20 square meters, with two desks, two computers, and a filing cabinet that takes up an entire wall, crammed full. Some of the folders have split backs, revealing the pages inside.

A potted green ivy sits on the windowsill. It's very long, with vines hanging down from the edge of the pot, casting a fine, dense shadow on the wall under the light from outside.

Nichisha placed his briefcase on the table at the back, turned around to boil water, and did so with practiced ease, as if he had done it countless times.

"Sit down." He gestured with his chin toward the chair opposite him.

Yue Ren casually grabbed the chair opposite the desk. It was a very ordinary office chair with a slightly worn cushion, but it was clean and tidy, making it easy to tell that it was an old, frequently used item.

He sat there, watching the car pour hot water into his cup, and it even thoughtfully added some tea bags of some unknown brand.

"There's no teapot." Nichisha pushed the cup towards him. "I don't usually drink tea, please understand."

The man from Yue took it, blew on it, and then took a sip. The taste was so-so, nothing special.

Nissan sat down on the office chair opposite him, unhurriedly, with his back straight, but not in a deliberate way; it was a habit he had developed over a long period of time.

He placed another cup in front of him, but didn't drink from it. He clasped his hands together on the table and looked at the Yue people.

"Now you can tell me, the first thing that's more important is, who are you?"

The Yue man put down his cup, without any preamble or pleasantries, and simply looked into Ri Che's eyes with a faint smile.

"Sorry, I forgot to introduce myself. My name is Kawasaki Koshito, and I'm a second-year student at the Jujutsu High School."

The car didn't move, the eyebrows didn't twitch, the chin didn't lift, and the interlaced fingers didn't even loosen.

This is his habit when gathering intelligence: he listens carefully, like listening to the other party's statement in court, without interrupting or commenting, and makes a judgment only after all the information is on the table.

A college student...how did they know about my case? Are they involved? Also...what exactly is a "Jujutsu College"? Is it some kind of religious school? Should we rule out the possibility of them being colleagues? Or is it due to personal reasons...?

With too little information and his thoughts racing, the Japanese car couldn't draw any useful conclusions. Since that's the case, let's continue with O.

"What is your connection to this case? What kind of intelligence and evidence do you possess? Can you tell me now?"

Upon hearing this, Yue Ren did not speak first, but instead conjured a file bag out of thin air in his hand. It was made of kraft paper, sealed with white thread, and was a thick stack.

Seeing the change in Riche's gaze, he placed the file bag on the table and pushed it in front of the other person.

"The original data from the formatted dashcam, the complete surveillance footage from the repair shop that day, and all the information from that case ten years ago. Also, the transportation section chief owns three properties, all registered under his wife and son's names, purchased after the accident ten years ago, and there are records of related fund transfers."

Riche looked at the file bag, but did not immediately reach out to open it. He only glanced at it before looking at Yue Ren.

The latter picked up his teacup and responded with a "please go ahead" gesture.

Only then did the car reach out and pick up the document bag.

I untied the white thread, pulled out the material inside, and looked at it page by page, very slowly.

Yue Ren didn't urge him, but just continued drinking tea, refilling it himself when it ran out, or casually glancing around at his surroundings.

Twenty minutes, or longer.

The car put down the last sheet of paper, closed the file bag, and rewound the white thread.

The item was correct, and it was indeed a very precious original, but this only fueled his greater doubts.

What was that technique just now? Magic?

Moreover, collecting such complete intelligence would require a considerable amount of resources, including manpower and materials. The key point is that some information cannot be collected unless one's identity reaches a certain level. Who exactly is this guy, and why is he doing this?

He placed the file bag on the table and folded his hands back into place.

"Thank you for the information, Kawasaki-kun, but please allow me to be curious: who exactly are you, why are you here, and why did you give me this information?"

Doubts and wariness remained. He didn't quite believe in such a good thing as a free lunch. The other party's offer of such a bargaining chip gave the impression that they had ulterior motives, and he had experienced this kind of thing many times before.

He had witnessed plenty of the ugliness and weakness of human nature: bribes that sought to distort the verdict, pleas that sought to favor one side.

However, the boy opposite him just looked indifferent.

"As I said, this is your payment, Attorney Nissan. Your choice just now deserves this. I admire your sense of 'justice.' It's because of people like you that the world isn't filled with despair."

"To me, you are a like-minded person, so I don't mind helping you within my capabilities."

The world is broken and dilapidated, but there are people who keep patching it up. They have different identities, but they are making the world a better place in ways they believe are feasible. People like to be around such people.

Having the necessary skills and qualifications is one thing, but what truly moved him to come and meet the lawyer was the deep-seated passion he felt in their heart during their conversation. Otherwise, why would he choose to find a lawyer when so many swimmers perish and try to return? Just because he's a genius? How could it be so superficial?

"At the same time, I also want to explain to you..."

"illustrate?"

Nichiche raised his head, his eyes were calm, like the stillness of water at its deepest point, but with a hint of doubt in them.

"The 'justice' you uphold is not wrong, but perhaps you should try a different approach to achieve it."

"What do you mean?"

Yue Ren paused for a moment, then turned to look at the bright lights outside the glass window. He could hear the distant sound of trams passing by, like the echo of receding tides.

"In this country controlled by capital, the law exists to protect the interests of those in power."

It has never been a friend of the vulnerable. Perhaps it was when it was being drafted, but at the implementation level, money and power will tip the scales in their favor.

"As a junior defense lawyer, there's nothing you can do about these systemic issues. If you really want to resolve the problem, there are two paths you can take."

The Yue man held up two fingers.

"First, abandon your current status, which can't change anything, climb to the highest level of this country's judicial system, and push for judicial reform to change this obviously unreasonable system. That way, you'll have hope, and you won't only see ugly results after giving everything."

"Procedural justice and substantive justice are equally important. To achieve both, both people and the law must be 'fair'; otherwise, it's just nonsense."

"And you should know this too, but you didn't choose to do it."

Upon hearing this, Nichisha did not deny it, but instead pondered quietly.

He knew, of course, the first point the other party mentioned, which he could easily achieve if he wanted to: become a judge, climb to the top, and do something. However, that would take time, and there were always people below him reaching out for help. He couldn't bear to give them up.

After a long while.

"I'm curious, what's the second path besides this?"

Yue Ren stood up and, under the questioning gaze of the other party, went to an open space in the room. With a flick of his hand, a katana appeared in his hand.

"To have the power to make others act according to your 'justice,' and to physically eliminate what shouldn't exist in the law."

"For example, if the court is unfair, just switch to a fair court."

He tossed the katana to the still-shocked Higurashi, who caught it instinctively.

The feeling in my hand is correct; it's a real object, not some illusion. But how is this possible? How did it conjure up like that, and what did it say...?

"I wanted to show you something better, but then I remembered you're still an ordinary person, without sight—meaning you can't see creations made of magical power."

Yue Ren slapped his forehead, feeling somewhat embarrassed.

What is he saying? An ordinary person, magical power? What does that mean?

After a long while, the car spoke again, in the same steady tone.

"Are you trying to tell me that there are special forces in this world capable of easily breaking the rules?"

"Yes, the power is called 'Cursed Power,' and from this power, humanity has also created an enemy it must face: 'Cursed Spirits.'"

"Why did you contact me?"

The man from Yue smiled slightly.

"The revelation of fate, in the future I foresee, reveals that you possess exceptional sorcery skills, and your 'justice' ensures that this power is used appropriately."

"These are all charlatan-like statements, and besides, is it really possible to predict the future?"

'

"I don't deny it, but I'm asking you, do you want to see what's called the truth of the world?"

'

'

Looking at the gleaming blade in his hand, Nichisha was processing these unbelievable explanations.

Ultimately, curiosity led him to make his choice.

"What should I do?"

"It's very simple, just shake my hand."

The Japanese car remained silent.

"Come on, give it a try. It's not like you'll get hurt. Or is it that this esteemed Japanese lawyer is too afraid to even shake hands?"

The provocation seemed to have an effect beyond expectations; a second later, Riche raised his hand.

However, his words suggest that he was not simply provoked.

"Forget it, if you wanted to harm me, you wouldn't need to go to such lengths."

That's more like it.

The two shook hands, and Yue praised the other for his courage.

"Well then, Mr. Riche, welcome to the world of sorcery."

"Non-action transformation"

It was a magical feeling, like water flowing over my whole body. There was no discomfort, it was just as if my body and everything in front of me had been completely refreshed.