“Th-there are no apprenticeships, and the exam is structured so that those who pass can register as attorneys and prosecutors depending on their scores. We planned to have the person with the top score become a judge, but we ran into some issues with that…”
Ileana looked nervous. Her ears were twitching as she answered.
“Tsukasa, isn’t it pretty amazing that people in another world are studying Japanese law? Why don’t you go a little easier on them?” I said, hoping to cool the conversation.
“Oh… Mr. Akuto, you are too kind! Thank you so very much!”
“Hmm… Maybe, but…” Tsukasa groaned. “You said you’re a prosecutor, right?”
“Yes, indeed! And I have this beautiful pin as proof!” Ileana took the pin off her collar and handed it over to Tsukasa. “This signifies the owner as a prosecutor. Its design combines the sun with chrysanthemum petals, which symbolizes my strict duty—as harsh as the blazing summer sun and the autumn frost!”
I was pretty sure I’d seen that same pin on a TV show once.
“With me acting as prosecutor and you as judge, surely our trials and the Judgment Spell will finally know stability!” Just as Ileana was starting to get carried away…
…Click. I could almost hear Tsukasa switch over to “on mode.”
“Long ears. Tell me, what do you see before you?”
“I’m…not sure I follow.”
“Your attitude has done a total about-face since our time in the courtroom. The only difference is that you saw my courthouse staff ID. You suddenly revere me as a judge despite only being given a superficial piece of information. Seems like you blindly accept anything as long as it’s Japanese. Such a shallow way of thinking does not befit your occupation.”
“Wha—? Whaaa…?” Ileana started to panic.
“Come on, Tsukasa,” I said. “She’s your courtroom colleague, can’t you try to get alo—?”
“That buddy-buddy attitude between judges and prosecutors is a thing of the past. Nowadays, you risk getting flamed if you post something as innocent as a judge and a prosecutor getting a drink together on social media. Sorry, but I have no plans to make friends in the courtroom.” Tsukasa stood as she firmly stated her point. “The proof of a prosecutor isn’t the pin. It lies in the righteousness in their heart. It’s the conviction to achieve social justice for your kingdom’s people day after day.”
“Y-yes!! Y-you’re exactly right…Miss Jud—”
“Don’t grovel! Stand up!” Tsukasa took Ileana’s arm.
“Y-yes, ma’am!” The woman stood at attention.
“A judge is not superior to a prosecutor! The prosecution must face the presumption of innocence and persuade the judge otherwise. You must never show such a pitiful attitude to a judge again!”
My sister’s vigorous scolding echoed through the little room.
“I-I’ve never heard anyone…speak so passionately…” Ileana had begun to sob. “No one ever…bothered to…scold me properly!” The half-elf trembled as tears fell from behind her glasses. “I always…worked my hardest for the sake of the kingdom…but I had a feeling…we were getting nowhere…that something was off…,” she said between sobs.
“Even if you aren’t confident in yourself, you can’t pass off your tasks to others. Before you believe in others, you must first believe in yourself. It’s okay to make mistakes. You’re still young, long ears. Face your cases head-on and use your own intuition, without fear of mistakes. As long as you give it your all, the road will surely open to you,” Tsukasa declared.
“I’m so grateful for your guidance… You’re right; I’m young—I can still change!”
“Today is a weekday… Is it okay for you to take a day off, prosecutor?”
“If it means proving myself to you, Miss Judge, I’ll go out right now and look for a case to work on!” Ileana dashed away while shouting to rile herself up.
“Wait! Don’t forget your pin!” The little thing was still in Tsukasa’s hand.
“Please give it back after I’ve proven myseeelf…!”
Her voice trailed into the distance. In her haste, the prosecutor had already gotten in the magical elevator and was riding away.
“An aloof attitude yet passionate leadership! I’d expect no less from you, Miss Judge. You’re like the new hero of our kingdom! I love that!” the princess praised.
“I’m not sure those were the right selections for that dialogue tree…,” I muttered. The flow of the conversation didn’t match with what I expected from the beginning of a fantasy story.
However, I decided to trust Tsukasa when it came to the legal business.
“Hey, Akky. That might have been enough to ignite her passion, but…I still have some doubts. Do you really think it’s okay to enforce modern Japanese laws here?”
I sensed she was torn between wanting to oversee trials and doubting if she really should.
Her reaction makes sense if we consider this place as its own society and not something from a video game. But…
After sitting in the princess’s room full of Japanese things, and hearing her side of the story… I couldn’t help but take interest in this world. I wanted to do what I could to help its people.
“Usually, in this kind of story, the character who gets summoned to another world plays their part by employing a unique skill…” I tried considering our situation from the perspective of a game. “But I’m not sure if that means it’ll be okay for us to hold trials… I can’t think of any previous examples like this, so it’s hard to decide…”
Using superstrong skills to defeat monsters? That’s an easy one. Conducting Japanese-style court trials is another story.
“Princess Ecstasia. I believe our guests are becoming overwhelmed,” Shiro remarked.
“It’s getting late, so why don’t we take a break and have some relaxation time?” the princess in pink suggested excitedly. “My villa has its own hot spring!”