Chapter 10: Potion Digestion (Seeking Tuesday Follow-up Reads)

Hantemanxi Dome, Magnieto Steel Mill.

Ninglu lay on his bed resting; through his role-playing during this period, his Potion had been mostly consumed, and he felt that he was only one final step away from complete digestion.

Just at this moment, the short-range intercom emitted a harsh buzzing sound.

Ninglu leaped up, and after connecting, the respectful voice of Luoersiliefu came through.

"Boss, a noble lord from the Finde Family in the Upper Hive has come to find you, saying he wants to give you your reward."

"Invite him to the meeting room; I am coming over now."

Ninglu rose, straightened his slightly tight Power Armor, and immediately went to the newly built meeting room.

After the blonde noble walked in, he looked at the youth before him and exclaimed.

"I simply cannot believe that your subordinates were once gang members."

"This is the power of order; I gave them hope and allowed their lives to be changed."

"It is yours."

Howard handed the iron box in his hand to Ninglu.

When Ninglu took the long box, he already sensed the Spirituality and Warp energy overflowing from the iron box, and he opened it.

"This Psionic Crystal is not small; you have gone to great lengths."

Howard did not mind the youth's presumptuous form of address, and he spoke.

"I have come this time not only to deliver your reward but also with a request."

"I would like to invite you to be my defense Lawyer and deliver my defense at the Arbitration Court; you set the terms—even a few Domes, or even factories in the Upper Hive, are all acceptable."

"I would like to see the case files first."

Ninglu did not agree directly. Seeing that he was not blinded by profit, Howard was even more satisfied with his temporary decision; he took a Data Slate from the lining of his Precision Power Armor and handed it to the youth.

Ninglu swiped his fingers, and after reviewing the files and asking questions, he understood the situation after a moment.

A summary of the case formed in his mind: four days ago, the Patriarch of the Finde Family, Count Sari, passed away suddenly.

As the second-in-line heir, Bulelong suddenly produced a will, which recorded Count Sari's decision on the division of property, granting him one-third of the Finde Family's assets.

"One question: why choose me?"

"This will does not originally conform to the Finde Family's house rules, but Bulelong has obtained the support of a member of the royal family who serves in the Arbitration Court, named Estupinian."

"Therefore, no major lawyer has the courage to take the case; the status of a Fifth Arbiter would not make people wary, but being a member of the Boleslaw Family's collateral line is different."

Howard said candidly; he still had time to continue searching, or at least could send one of the family's ordinary lawyers to attend.

If Ninglu were to back down when the court was in session at the Arbitration Court, it would be too late.

"No problem," Ninglu said indifferently, "but I want to choose one treasure from the Finde Family's treasury."

Ninglu realized that acting as Howard's lawyer and appearing at the Arbitration Court was a suitable stage to complete his final digestion.

Besides that, he believed that the Finde Family's treasury should also contain Potion Material.

"You..."

Although afraid of Ninglu's strength, loyalty to Howard still made Yasin want to open his mouth to rebuke the other party.

Howard raised a hand to stop him, "I agree; you may choose one item from the Finde Family's treasury."

Although the collection was precious, not a single item's value exceeded one-third of the family business built up by generations of ancestors.

Ninglu asked Howard for an Upper Hive temporary pass, ordered his subordinates to guard the factory and continue searching for traces of lung spiders, and then headed to the Upper Hive alone.

Three days later, the Arbitration Court of Teziwoke Hive City's Upper Hive.

Nobles wearing fine clothing and Tech-Priests wearing red robes walked into the Arbitration Court from metal corridors made of alloy on both sides.

Influenced by the trends of Mars, the most noble color in all of Vostonia had always been red; in all major venues, red was the primary color, and the Arbitration Court was no exception.

The Arbitrators wore fine clothing of different colors and wore different Family Emblems, but they all wore red sashes around their necks and sat on red metal chairs, with their secretaries sitting in the rows behind them.

On both sides of the red metal long table on the podium sat today's presiding Arbiters—Estupinian Boleslaw and the Tech-Priest Kivior-39.

Estupinian, wearing a red sun robe embroidered with gold thread, turned his head to look at Kivior-39. After green light flickered on the Tech-Priest's filter screen, he picked up the Gavel and struck it heavily.

"Order!"

The conversation among the noble Arbitrators stopped abruptly. Estupinian looked toward the plaintiff's side near him.

He locked eyes with Bulelong for a moment and spoke.

"Please, counsel for the plaintiff, proceed with the opening statement."

After the lawyer wearing gold-rimmed glasses stood up, he bowed to the podium and the surrounding area.

"Gentlemen, ladies, I am honored to deliver the opening statement on behalf of my client, Mr. Bulelong Finde."

His fingers slid across the Data Slate, and the Cogitator hanging between the podium and the plaintiff/defendant benches displayed a will on both sides; he spoke in a mournful tone.

"Everyone, Lord Sari was a respectable Count who gave his life to the Finde Family."

"He truly loved my client's mother, Lady Hualin, and they gave birth to the fruit of their love."

"Now that Lord Sari has passed away, my client, in accordance with the will, inherits the gift of love left by his father and deserves the sympathy and support of all you Arbitrators."

"..."

Ninglu watched the plaintiff's lawyer; with his impassioned speech and highly infectious gestures, he had already won the sympathy of most of the noble jurors, and coupled with the bias of one of the two presiding Arbiters, it looked like he was certain to win.

"Finally, I would like to conclude with the 'Omnissiah's Guidance', Chapter 2, 'Noble Regulations', Article 15 on inheritance regulations, and Article 11 of the detailed rules."

"'Noble illegitimate offspring, under special circumstances, possess the right of inheritance.'"

"In summary, my client meets the special circumstances and should inherit the property in accordance with the will."

Estupinian looked with satisfaction at the number one Jinpai Lüshi of Teziwoke, who had won all one hundred and sixty-three cases he had handled.

The Jinpai Lüshi had performed as excellently as always; the victory was already decided.

He turned his head to look disdainfully at the youth at the defense lawyer's table and said with feigned impartiality.

"Defendant, your defense lawyer is too young; this Arbiter grants you permission to replace them."

"Arbitrator, I insist on not changing my Lawyer; I trust Ninglu."

Howard said decisively. He had just finished listening to Golowen's opening statement, and his family lawyer could not compare to him at all. It was better to trust Ninglu; perhaps this youth could still create a miracle.

"Please..." Estupinian drew out his voice, "the defense lawyer may present their response."

Amidst the mocking gazes of the crowd, Ninglu stood up calmly. "First, I must correct an omission by the plaintiff's lawyer. In the detailed rules he listed, Sage Kivior detailed all special circumstances, such as 'direct heir losing the capacity for decision-making...'"

"Mr. Howard is in good health, shrewd and capable, and does not fall under special circumstances."

Golowen's expression changed. It was the first time he had encountered a lawyer who could adapt on the spot and recall the appendix of the legal code.

Even a high-profile lawyer like him, who had undergone intelligence-enhancing surgery, could not memorize the over two hundred million words of the Omnissiah's Guidance. Only a Tech-Priest could memorize the detailed rules.

Just as he was about to speak, he saw Ninglu slide the Data Slate, displaying a photo on the Cogitator, and his pupils shook violently.

"Everyone, the plaintiff Bulelong's mother, Hualin, was previously a dancer at the Night Bar. After a brief affair with Count Sari, she rose to the top and lived in a villa in the Upper Hive."

"But after giving birth to the child, she did not mend her ways. Just the day before yesterday, she even went to the home of the wealthy merchant Julio during the Yekai Shift."

"Bulelong himself is even more useless. He is a drunkard and owes various gangs in the Hive City a total of over twelve million Mars Currency."

Hearing this, the crowd gasped. Even for an Upper Hive noble family, this was a huge sum of money.

Ninglu displayed the evidence he had gathered over three days one by one, finally looking toward Tech-Priest Kivior-39.

"Imagine, if scum like Bulelong, who has no right of inheritance, were to obtain property that does not belong to him, he would squander it all shortly after paying off his debts."

"This is a shameful waste that lowers the efficiency of the entire Teziwoke Hive City."

Tech-Priest Kivior-39 stood up abruptly. His voice crackled and popped from the sonic resonator buried beneath his pale chest cavity.

"The defense lawyer's evidence is sufficient and the logic is rigorous. The Omnissiah will never tolerate such an act of blasphemy."

Estupinian felt the Gavel in his hand was unusually heavy. He remained silent for several seconds, yet decided to give up the large sum of Mars Currency he was about to receive.

His gaze toward Ninglu was full of hatred as the Gavel fell heavily.

"As determined by this Arbitrator and Tech-Priest Kivior-39, the plaintiff Bulelong loses the case against the defendant Howard."

Amidst the Binary Chant of the Omnissiah intoned by the Adeptus Mechanicus personnel, Bulelong and Golowen's faces turned ashen. The nobles saw a new star rising, and they all remembered the name Ninglu.

At the same time, chaotic, disordered black threads flickered within Ninglu's eyes. They combined rapidly, gradually aggregating in his eyes to form the symbol of the "Black Emperor" pathway.

He simultaneously discovered that something within his body seemed to be dissolving, merging with his own spirit.

【The Potion is completely digested; I am now a true "Lawyer".】

He looked again at Howard, who was restraining his excitement and maintaining noble etiquette.

【And the Potion Material is about to be obtained.】

(End of chapter)