Chapter 3: The Truth Behind the Case

  David John Paul, aged fifty-four, was a married man with three children—two daughters and a son. The case stemmed from a chain of events that began on May 26th, when he formally accused Antonio Marcelo of abducting and violating his daughter. Given the severity of the allegations, the district prosecutor from the Prosecutor's Office of York City personally took charge of the investigation.

  Later, on July 19th, the second incident unfolded. According to testimony collected during the investigation, David had returned from work later than usual, having stopped purchasing household supplies and a birthday gift for his traumatized daughter. But when he stepped inside his home, he was met with a nightmare— his wife and three children were murdered.

  That day, David carried the bodies of his family to the Supreme Prosecutor's Office of York City and filed a formal accusation, which soon became headline news in every local newspaper.

  The district prosecutor in charge prepared the indictment, consolidating the two incidents into a single continuous chain of crimes, asserting that the homicide had been carried out to cover up the prior sexual assault while Antonio denied all allegations.

  The case proceeded to the witness examination hearing two weeks ago. However, all the witnesses scheduled to testify on that day — including David, the complainant — vanished without a trace. As a result, the prosecution was left with neither direct nor hearsay witnesses to support its case. Meanwhile, the defense presented numerous testimonies from external witnesses corroborating Antonio's whereabouts and supporting his claim of innocence.

  Nicholas had only just grasped the outline of the case, yet even that was enough to make him sense that something was wrong. He began reviewing the evidence more carefully, his attention drawn to the minutes of a private meeting between himself and Antonio, which had been kept in a confidential folder separate from the main file.

  …It did not take long for him to reach a disturbing conclusion.

  "The outcome was rigged from the start." Nicholas frowned, muttering to himself.

  The prosecution's evidence was insufficient to secure a conviction. The case file may have been tampered with during the initial police investigation. Two of the three judges had allegedly been bribed. As for the jury—if they hadn't been threatened, they had likely been paid off by the gang. He didn't need to attend tomorrow's verdict hearing to know the outcome.

  More heartbreaking still, the confidential meeting document records showed that Antonio calmly admitted to committing every crime as charged. Yet he remained beyond the reach of the law.

  Nicholas picked up the lawyer's license that belonged to this body and examined it in silence.

  Name: Nicholas Parlay

  Age: 28

  License Type: Permanent

  Licensed as an attorney since: May 15th, Year 548

  Office Name: Parlay Legal Attorney

  "What kind of person were you, 'Nicholas'?"

  Judging from the evidence and statements in the report, Antonio was no better than the worst kind of human scum. Nicholas couldn't understand why the original Nicholas had agreed to represent someone like him. Perhaps the man who once bore this name hadn't been particularly decent either.

  There were still many questions left unanswered. Taking everything into account, surviving in this world might not be as simple as he had thought. Even if he loathed the corruption of the courts and the filth that was Antonio, he could do nothing to change the outcome of this case. If he strayed from the course laid out by the original Nicholas, he might not live long enough to regret it.

  Nicholas felt a helplessness he couldn't quite put into words. His life now felt as though it was hanging by a thread. There was no turning back—only to keep moving forward.

  Nicholas spent the entire morning gathering information beyond the materials in the house, gradually piecing together a clearer understanding of this new world.

  He was currently on a continent called Ucus, and York was one of the cities under the rule of the Maureen Empire—one of the three great powers that governed the continent. The other two being the Republic of Alodia and the Orurian Union, a coalition formed by the southern nations.

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  Across the continent, two languages were widely spoken. The first was the Common Tongue, a language invented for general communication including those beyond the Maureen Empire. It was the language most people used in daily life, Nicholas included.

  The second language was called Ukati, a native language that had been in use for generations and was often referred to simply as the Ancient Language.

  Nicholas tried reading and writing in Ukati and found that it came naturally to him. Maybe the original Nicholas had been interested in studying the language. Around the house, he found practice notes and many books about languages, which showed that he had spent a lot of time learning them.

  He also discovered that the calendar in this world was almost the same as the one he used to know. A year still had twelve months, from January to December, and the seasons changed in the same order. The only difference was how years were recorded. Instead of one continuous number, time was divided into centuries and decades. For example, the current year was called 5th century, Year 50, which was equal to year 550 overall.

  Still, one question lingered in his mind. The books recorded that this was the 10th Era, implying that nine eras had already passed. Nicholas couldn't help but wonder what separated one era from the next. What kind of event was significant enough to reset the calendar each time?

  The monetary system on this continent varied from country to country, but in general, the most widely accepted and stable form of currency was the silver coin. It was considered the standard unit of exchange.

  For transactions worth less than one silver coin, a smaller copper coin called a penny was used, with 100 pennies equal to one silver coin.

  Banknotes, on the other hand, represented the highest-value currency and were typically used for large transactions. Their actual value could vary depending on the city or region in which they were issued.

  Nicholas flipped an imperial silver coin into the air with his thumb and caught it in his palm. When he opened his hand, it had landed on tails. His thoughts drifted to the money he had earned from Antonio's case.

  "1,000 silver coins."

  That was the payment 'Nicholas' had received — blood-stained money earned by allowing a guilty man, one who should have faced justice, to walk free without consequence.

  To clear his head, Nicholas picked up the fedora hanging on the rack by the door, placed it on his head, and stepped out into the street.

  The afternoon in York City felt entirely different from the night. The streets were alive with movement, especially along Road No. 5, one of the busiest areas in the commercial district. Earlier, while studying general information about the Empire, Nicholas had learned that at the beginning of the 10th Era, ideas of human equality had begun spreading across the continent, gradually bringing changes to systems of governance.

  Currently, 2 out of 3 countries controlling most of the continent's territory use a system resembling the democracy of the world Nicholas had come from. Only the Maureen Empire remained under the rule of imperial family and nobility but due to pressure from neighboring countries, the Empire had enacted legal reforms related to human rights and equality over the past several decades, allowing commoners to play greater roles in industry, business, and governance. Nevertheless, the deeply ingrained belief that nobles held rights superior to ordinary people persisted.

  Nicholas himself was one of the commoners who had clawed his way into high society. Perhaps his current actions were exactly what had secured his place there, even if it meant selling his soul to the devil.

  He spent the entire afternoon walking and exploring the streets. Road No. 5 was on the eastern side of York City. From his home, it would take about thirty minutes to walk to the York Central Criminal Court on Road No. 1. Alternatively, he could also hire a horse carriage for 2 silver coins. It seemed that people still traveled by horse or carriage, as technology in this era had not yet advanced enough to produce automobiles.

  Around Road No. 8, slightly south of the city center, the atmosphere felt more like a commoners' district. The roads were in poor condition, full of cracks and small puddles. Nicholas walked until he reached the market, where he planned to buy food and other necessities. Street vendors lined both sides of the road, each calling out to attract customers.

  He wandered through the market with interest, taking in sights unfamiliar to him. For a moment, he thought that if he had arrived here as a traveler on holiday—rather than being thrown into another person's body, it might have been an enjoyable experience.

  "Hey! Nicholas!"

  The voice snapped him out of his daydream. When he turned around, he saw a large, middle-aged man standing in front of a bakery. The way the man called out to him so casually suggested that the original Nicholas must have visited this place often.

  Nicholas walked over slowly, doing his best to remain calm while his mind raced for a way to respond. As he got closer, he glanced at the shop sign. It read, 'Hugh's Bakery'

  "Good afternoon, Hugh. How's business today?" Nicholas smiled and asked.

  "It's as quiet as usual," Hugh replied. "But with the economy like this, who can you blame? Anyway, how about you? Want some bread? If you get it with ham and cheese, I'll give you a special discount."

  "In that case, I'll take two pounds."

  "Alright, just a moment."

  Hugh went back into the shop and returned shortly after with the bread wrapped in a paper bag.

  "Here you go. With the discount, that'll be 87 pennies."

  Nicholas reached into his trouser pocket, took out a silver coin, and handed it to Hugh.

  "No need for change. Thank you."

  "Well, aren't you generous? And polite, too. You've changed a lot in just a few days… almost like you're someone else entirely."

  Nicholas felt his heart skip a beat before replying calmly.

  "You can thank the etiquette classes for that."

  Luckily, he had a perfectly reasonable excuse ready.

  "You seem to be doing quite well for yourself. Hard to believe you've managed to squeeze yourself up there among those people... Just be careful, alright."

  "Got it, I should get going now. See you next time."

  "Alright, take care. If you need fresh bread, just stop by anytime"

  Nicholas moved farther south until he came to an alley connected to Road No. 12. He sensed hostile gazes surrounding him. The area looked like a slum and was clearly unsafe. So, he decided to end his exploration for the day.

  After returning home, Nicholas had his meal, bathed, and spent the evening reviewing the case file in preparation for tomorrow. He did not notice the time passing until midnight arrived which marked his second night in this world.

  He went to his bedroom and lay back on the bed. Reaching into the bedside drawer, he took out the pentagonal mirror that had been with him ever since he crossed into this world.

  Every time he looked at the mirror, he felt as though something was calling to him. He believed that Nicholas's death must be connected to this mirror in some way. So, he decided to always keep it with him—at least until he found more clues.

  Finally, ready to confront whatever awaited him the next day.

  ....

  York Central Criminal Court, Road No. 1 — Monday, October 12th, 5th Century, Year 50, 8:15 AM.

  Nicholas stood before a large building with a wide staircase leading up to its entrance. Massive marble columns supported the structure, giving it the look of ancient Greek architecture.

  Nicholas gazed at the building in silence before muttering to himself,

  "Alright… let's get this over with."

  His first case in another world was about to begin.

  12.10.550

  Nicholas Parlay

  Crooked Attorney