Potion Digestion (Seeking Tuesday Readership)

Khanty-Mansi Dome, Magneto Steelworks.

Nimrod lay on his bed to rest. Through his role-playing over this period, he had consumed most of his potion, and he felt he was only one final step away from complete digestion.

Just then, the short-range intercom emitted a harsh buzzing sound.

Nimrod sprang to his feet. After connecting, Rawlslev's respectful voice came through.

"Boss, a noble lord from the House Finde of the Upper Hive is here to see you. He says he's here to deliver your payment."

"Invite him to the meeting room. I'll be there shortly."

Nimrod stood up, straightened his slightly tight armor, and walked to the newly built meeting room.

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

"I can hardly believe your subordinates were once gang members."

"That is the power of order. I gave them hope and allowed their lives to change."

"It is yours."

Howard handed the iron box in his hand to Nimrod.

As Nimrod took the long box, he could already sense the spirituality and Warp energy overflowing from it. He opened the lid.

"This piece of psychic crystal is quite substantial. You've gone to great lengths."

Howard did not mind the youth's overly familiar form of address. He spoke up.

"I came here this time not just to deliver your payment, but also to offer a commission."

"I would like to hire you as my defense lawyer to present my arguments at the Arbitration Court. You may name your terms—even a few domes or factories in the Upper Hive would be acceptable."

"I want to see the case files first."

Nimrod did not agree immediately. Seeing that he was not blinded by profit, Howard was even more satisfied with his impromptu decision. He took a data pad from the lining of his master-crafted power armor and handed it to the youth.

Nimrod swiped his fingers across the screen. By reviewing the files and asking questions, he grasped the situation within moments.

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

Brelon, the second in line for succession, suddenly produced a will detailing the division of Count Sari's assets, granting him one-third of the House Finde estate.

"One question: why choose me?"

"This will does not conform to the ancestral laws of House Finde, but Brelon has secured the support of a member of the Royal Family who serves in the Arbitration Court—a man named Estupinian."

"Because of this, no major lawyer has the courage to take the case. The status of a Fifth Arbiter is not enough to deter everyone, but being a member of a cadet branch of House Boleslaw is a different matter entirely."

Howard spoke candidly. He still had time to keep looking, or at least he could send one of the family's ordinary lawyers to attend.

If Nimrod were to back out when the court was in session, it would be too late.

"No problem," Nimrod said nonchalantly, "but I want to select one treasure from the House Finde vault."

Nimrod realized that acting as Howard's lawyer and stepping into the Arbitration Court was the perfect stage to complete his final digestion.

Beyond that, he believed the House Finde vault would likely contain potion ingredients.

"You..."

Although Yasin feared Nimrod's strength, his loyalty to Howard compelled him to speak out and rebuke the youth.

Howard raised a hand to stop him. "I agree. You may select one item from the House Finde vault."

Although the collection was precious, no single item was worth more than one-third of the fortune his ancestors had spent generations building.

Nimrod requested a temporary Upper Hive pass from Howard, ordered his subordinates to guard the factory and continue tracking the Lung Spider, and then headed to the Upper Hive alone.

Three days later, the Arbitration Court in the Upper Hive of Tezwork.

Nobles in fine robes and Tech-Priests in red vestments walked into the Arbitration Court from alloy metal corridors on either side.

Influenced by the Martian ideology, the most prestigious 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 arbiters wore robes of different colors and displayed various family crests, but they all wore red sashes around their necks and sat in red metal chairs, with their secretaries seated in the rows behind them.

On the dais, on either side of a long red metal table, sat the chief arbiters for the day: 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 a green light flickered on the Tech-Priest's filter screen, he picked up the gavel and struck it heavily.

"Order!"

The chatter of the noble arbiters ceased instantly. Estupinian looked toward the plaintiff's side near him.

He locked eyes with Brelon for a brief moment before speaking.

"The plaintiff's lawyer may now present the opening statement."

The lawyer, wearing gold-rimmed spectacles, stood up and bowed to the dais and the surrounding gallery.

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

His fingers slid across his data pad, and the cogitator suspended between the dais and the plaintiff/defendant tables displayed a will on both sides. He spoke in a mournful tone.

"Ladies and gentlemen, Lord Sari was a respected Count who gave his life to House Finde."

"He was truly in love with my client's mother, Lady Hualin, and together they brought forth the fruit of their love."

"Now that Count Sari has passed, my client, in accordance with the will, inherits the gift of love left by his father. It is only right that he receives the sympathy and support of you esteemed arbitrators."

"..."

Nimrod watched the plaintiff's lawyer. With his emotive delivery and highly infectious gestures, he had already won the sympathy of the majority of the noble jurors. Coupled with the bias of one of the two chief arbitrators, the case seemed all but won.

"Finally, I wish to conclude by citing the Guide of the Omnissiah, Chapter Two, 'Noble Regulations,' Article 15, 'Inheritance Regulations,' Subsection 11."

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

"In summary, my client meets these special circumstances and should inherit the property as stipulated in the will."

Estupinian looked with satisfaction at the lead lawyer, Golovin, who had won every one of the one hundred and sixty-three cases he had handled.

The gold-medal lawyer's performance was as outstanding as ever; the victory was sealed.

He turned his head to look disdainfully at the youth at the defense counsel table, speaking with a feigned sense of fairness.

"Defendant, your defense lawyer is too young. This Arbitrator grants you special permission to replace him."

"Arbitrator, I insist on not changing my defense lawyer. I believe in Nimrod."

Howard said this decisively. Having just listened to Golovin's opening statement, he knew his family lawyer couldn't compare to him at all. It was better to trust Nimrod; perhaps this youth could still create a miracle.

"Please..." Estupinian drew out the word, "the defense counsel may present their rebuttal."

Amidst the mocking gazes of the crowd, Nimrod stood up calmly. "First, I must correct an omission by the plaintiff's lawyer. In the subsections he listed, Sage Kivior detailed all special circumstances, for example, 'if the direct heir loses the capacity for judgment...'"

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

Golovin's expression shifted. This was the first time he had encountered a lawyer who could improvise on the spot and recall the appendix of the statutes.

Even a top-tier lawyer like him, who had undergone intelligence-enhancing surgery, could not memorize the over two hundred million words of the Guide of the Omnissiah. Only Tech-Priests could memorize the subsections in their entirety.

Just as he was about to speak, he saw Nimrod swipe his data-slate, and the photo displayed on the cogitator caused his pupils to dilate violently.

"Everyone, the plaintiff Brelon's mother, Hualin, was previously a dancer at the Nightshade Bar. After a brief tryst with Count Sari, she ascended to the heavens and moved into a villa in the Upper Hive."

"But after giving birth to the child, she did not turn over a new leaf. Just the day before yesterday, she was still visiting the home of the wealthy merchant Julio with the Nightfall Troupe."

"Brelon himself is even more useless. He is a drunkard and owes a total of over twelve million Mars Credits to various gangs throughout the Hive City."

Upon hearing this, the crowd gasped. Even for an Upper Hive noble family, this was a staggering sum of money.

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

"Imagine, if scum like Brelon, 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 Tezwork Hive City."

Kivior-39 stood up abruptly. His voice crackled from the sonic resonator embedded beneath his pale chest.

"The defense lawyer has sufficient evidence and rigorous logic. The Omnissiah will never tolerate such acts of blasphemy."

Estupinian felt the gavel in his hand grow exceptionally heavy. He remained silent for several seconds, ultimately deciding to abandon the large sum of Mars Credits he was about to receive.

He looked at Nimrod with eyes full of hatred and brought the gavel down heavily.

"As determined by this Arbitrator and Tech-Priest Kivior-39, the plaintiff Brelon's lawsuit against the defendant Howard is dismissed."

Amidst the binary hymns to the Omnissiah chanted by the Adeptus Mechanicus personnel, Brelon and Golovin looked ashen. The nobles saw a new star rising, and they all remembered the name Nimrod.

At the same time, chaotic, disordered black threads flickered within Nimrod's pupils. They combined rapidly, gradually coalescing into 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 ingredients are within reach.]