Join patreon/KeyofStars for advance chapters
~~~
On Monday morning, Hobert did not go to work but instead took Barton's recomndation letter and rode a carriage to the Ministry of Justice located in the West Borough.
At this ti, there was no standardized system for civil service exams, and the ti for national lawyer exams was not unified.
One had to have a recomndation letter from a prominent lawyer like Barton, or a law professor, to be eligible to apply for the bar exam.
The Ministry of Justice had dedicated staff and a special area for the lawyer certification exam, where applicants could take the test individually. The written portion was not difficult, mainly requiring candidates to write out various legal statutes from mory.
The interview part, however, was harder. The candidates needed to quickly identify which legal statute applied to the scenarios presented by the examiners.
Fortunately, with Barton's endorsent, Hobert's exam went relatively smoothly, at least without any deliberate trouble.
As he walked out of the Ministry of Justice, Hobert sighed: "The Loen Kingdom really is a society that values connections and relationships. No wonder the laws regarding workplace injury compensation are so vague, because workers have no channels to establish laws that protect their own interests!"
When Hobert returned to the law firm, it was already around 11 a.m. The mont he stepped through the door, he was inford that Miss Xio had been waiting for him all morning.
Entering his office, sure enough, there was Xio, whose hair looked a bit rough, waiting by his desk. Beside her was a man in his forties who seed rather anxious.
As soon as Xio saw Hobert, she stood up imdiately. "Hobert, I've finally caught you. I'm here to ask for your help."
Hobert imdiately understood. This was Xio introducing him to so business. "Please wait in the parlor."
After sending Xio and the stranger to the parlor, Hobert first went to Barton's office, briefly explaining how his exam went and expressing his gratitude.
Only then did he pour two cups of coffee and head to the parlor.
After so conversation, Hobert learned that the man Xio brought was nad Sean, a rchant of general goods.
About three years ago, Sean had lent a friend 300 pounds in cash and received an IOU.
However, last year, when Mr. Sean went to collect the debt, his friend refused to repay it, citing that the IOU did not specify a repaynt date.
After about a year of back-and-forth disputes, the case finally reached court.
Sean had always thought that having the IOU in hand ant he would win the case. But just yesterday, during a conversation with a friend who knew a bit about law, Sean learned that because the IOU lacked a repaynt date, the outco of the case was uncertain.
The court hearing was scheduled for this Tuesday, which was tomorrow. Only then did Sean think of hiring a lawyer, but he lacked the necessary contacts and resources. Hence, he sought help from Miss Xio, a respected Arbiter in the area.
Xio knew her limits. She was good for arbitration but would likely make a fool of herself in court. That's why she brought Sean to ask for Hobert's assistance.
Hobert looked at Sean's IOU and said, "Your friend is focusing on the wrong thing. I guess if the other side hires a lawyer, they'll try to invalidate this IOU.
"The thod is simple. From a legal perspective, the IOU is only valid for three years. If the repaynt date is specified, the countdown starts from the repaynt date.
"This IOU doesn't have a repaynt date, and it has already been over three years. If the judge rules the IOU invalid, then you're in trouble."
Sean opened his mouth, "What should I do then?"
Xio, fiddling with her ssy hair, felt like a curly-haired baboon because, like Sean, she only vaguely understood Hobert's point and knew things didn't look good.
"Of course, you break their line of thought." Hobert smiled. "I already have a good idea. If you hire as your lawyer, please sign the retainer agreent, and I'll defend you in court tomorrow."
Sean reflexively asked, "Can I win?"
"According to the rules, I can't give you any guarantees," Hobert spread his hands. "I only know that if you don't hire a lawyer, you'll be at a great disadvantage tomorrow."
After considering for a dozen seconds, Sean ultimately signed the retainer.
Since the case was sowhat difficult, Hobert asked for a 12% commission: "The usual rate for such cases is 15%, but considering Miss Xio's influence, I'll only ask for 12%."
There wasn't really a "usual rate," but saying this made both Xio and Sean happy. Xio felt respected, and Sean thought he saved 3%.
After seeing Xio and Sean out, Hobert sighed, "Finally, a normal case."
Ever since his first case as a lawyer, things had been anything but normal. Not a single case could be fully resolved in court.
So much so that, as a legal assistant, he had beco unfamiliar with Sheriff Courts.
After lunch, Hobert first thought about how to defend Mr. Sean. It wasn't until around two o'clock that he left the office to "visit a client."
Hobert arrived at No. 192 Blanca Street. At exactly 3 p.m., his vision was engulfed by gray mist, and the Tarot Club officially comnced.
This ti, none of the three present had obtained Emperor Roselle's diary, so they moved directly to the trading session.
The Hanged Man, Alger, said to Hobert, "I need more information about the Elven race. What compensation do you want?"
Hobert was taken aback, "You've found the Elven ruins?"
Justice Audrey, quickly recalled the first ti the Emperor attended the gathering and traded with the Hanged Man: at that ti, the Emperor ntioned that there was a chance to find the potion formula for the Sailor Pathway in the Elven ruins.
Alger said, "I'm not yet certain if it's the Elven ruins, so I'd like to get more detailed information from you."
Hobert thought for a mont before saying, "Mr. Hanged Man, you should know that the Elven race belongs to the Second Epoch, and any detailed information about the Second Epoch is priceless in modern tis."
Alger's face darkened slightly as he nodded, "I know!"
"Don't be so serious. I just want to remind you that this information is very valuable, and you can't let these ssages leak out, or you'll be in danger," Hobert shifted his tone. "But rest assured, I'll offer a price you can afford."
He didn't plan to trade highly important Elven information with Hanged Man, anyway, since Hanged Man likely couldn't afford such a transaction.
Alger let out a sigh of relief, "Thank you. I know what to do."
Audrey was thrilled. She hadn't expected to hear so distant Second Epoch history! The Fool, Klein, also listened attentively.
Hobert organized his thoughts and said, "The Elves liked to turn animal blood into sothing that, well, resembles cheese or jelly and consud it in that state. Their utensils were quite different from the ones we use; they used two small wooden sticks to transfer food from the plate to their mouths. I rember Emperor Roselle once tried to popularize these utensils."
Reviews
All reviews (0)