Chapter 11: The Cold World

On the carriage ride home, Hobert eagerly opened the case file.

As Barton had said, the case was straightforward. The defendant, Mr. Robin, had borrowed 200 pounds in cash from his friend Mr. Henry to invest. However, Mr. Robin's investment failed, supposedly losing everything.

Mr. Henry urgently needed the money and, after unsuccessfully trying to get it back, had no choice but to take his former friend Mr. Robin to court.

Mr. Henry had an IOU, witnesses, and sufficient evidence to almost certainly secure a judgment as soon as the court opened.

Although it was just a formality, Hobert still took his first court appearance seriously, rehearsing in his mind the heated courtroom exchange with Mr. Robin, ending with his application for enforcement and Mr. Robin's eventual defeat.

During dinner, Christian had the maid pour Hobert a glass of wine. "Tomorrow you start your formal work. This is an important step in your life, let's have a toast."

Hobert didn't refuse. After a few sips of wine, he became more talkative. "Donna, even though I won't be at school to keep an eye on you, you're not allowed to date. Those boys are still too immature."

Donna pouted, "I don't need you to watch over me. Besides, there are many mature and humorous boys."

Hobert took another sip, "No, no, no. You don't understand. I'm a boy, I know what they're thinking."

Although Hobert felt somewhat estranged from this family, both the original Hobert and the current one did their best to fulfill the responsibilities of an older brother.

Especially since Hobert was always a grade ahead of Donna in school, he naturally felt protective of her.

Christian chuckled, "Listen to Hobert on this."

Donna stuck out her tongue in a not-so-graceful manner, seemingly taking Hobert's words to heart, though whether she'd follow them was another matter.

After dinner, Hobert returned to his room and reviewed the case file several more times, considering all possible scenarios and unexpected events. He didn't even visit the "Nation of Disorder" for further exploration.

However, what happened in the magistrate's court the next day far exceeded Hobart's expectations.

Hobert took the family's four-wheeled carriage to work, which first dropped Donna and Tyron off at school before heading to the magistrate's court.

Backlund had many magistrate's courts, and this case was handled by the one in the Chorwood district.

The court, despite having two large windows, was still poorly lit. Besides the judge's bench, the plaintiff's and defendant's seats, there was only a small public gallery with two rows of crude wooden benches.

Today's defendant, Mr. Robin, did not attempt to deny the debt as Hobert had imagined. He wore a worn-out coat and a patched hat.

Out of respect for the court, Mr. Robin removed his hat, holding it in his hands, and pleaded, "Your Honor, Mr. Lawyer, please give me a month. I will definitely repay the money then.

"Or allow me to pay in installments, 2 pounds per week, no, 3 pounds even. Please, don't sell my house. I don't want to lose my family or move us to the East End or Bridge district."

This was unexpected for Hobert. While reviewing the case, he had unconsciously sided with the plaintiff, always seeing the defendant as the villain. But Mr. Robin clearly didn't intend to renege on his debt and had his own troubles.

Hobert checked the file again. Mr. Robin's only asset was his modest house.

He tried to suppress his sympathy, "Mr. Robin, I sympathize with your situation. But if we don't auction your house to repay the debt, my client's family will go bankrupt. Should they move to the East End or Bridge district instead?"

Mr. Robin had no response and looked at his former good friend with shame.

Mr. Henry also seemed reluctant but remained silent. As Hobert said, if he softened, his entire family would suffer.

Hobert continued, "Mr. Robin, I see from the file that you have a steady job with a weekly salary of about 3 pounds and a house inherited from your father, which you don't need to pay rent for.

"3 pounds a week is enough for your family to live a near middle-class life. Why did you risk investing? You're an adult, and you must take responsibility for your choices.

"I suggest you rent a place in the East End, work hard, and in a few years, you might be able to buy back the house that's being auctioned."

Finally, he said, "Your Honor, I request enforcement."

The judge, already impatient, immediately agreed to Hobert's request.

After auctioning the defendant's assets, the court would receive a fee of no less than 10%, which was a primary source of income for the magistrate's court.

In civil economic cases at the Loen Kingdom's magistrate's courts, enforcement judgments were extremely common, causing many middle-class families to go bankrupt.

After the case between Mr. Henry and Mr. Robin ended, Hobert sat in the public gallery for over ten minutes before heading to the "Aslan-Barton" law firm by public carriage.

Hobert first reported the case result to Barton.

Sitting in his leather chair, Barton glanced at Hobert, "You look exhausted."

"I just…" Hobert smiled bitterly, "I just realized that I live in such a cold world."

Previously, he had only lived in the small world of Backlund's upper society and had forgotten that this was Loen, this was Backlund, a time of primitive capital accumulation.

"What do you think we are?" Barton sipped his coffee, "We are wolves of Backlund, biting off a piece of meat whenever we see a sheep."

Hobert was taken aback, "Is this what being a lawyer is?"

Barton smiled, "If you think lawyers are 'champions of justice,' you're very wrong. But if you don't have justice in your heart, you can never be a good lawyer."

He added, "You can go home and rest today. Come back tomorrow morning and join me in handling an economic dispute entrusted by Earl Hall."

Hobert nodded, "Alright."

On the carriage ride home, Hobert gradually understood some things. He shouldn't prematurely judge the character of the plaintiff and defendant. His clients wouldn't always be on the side of justice, and some might not stand on that side at all.

But as a lawyer, he still had to strive to protect and uphold his client's interests. That was the court's role. Outside the court, he could do his best to help those who deserved it.

During dinner, Hobert asked the maid for a glass of wine and told his adoptive parents, "Father, Mother, thank you for your protection in the past. Today, I saw what the world is like without it."

Christian patted Hobert's shoulder with satisfaction, "Time flies. In the blink of an eye, you've grown up."

Melisa was moved to tears by Hobert's sudden gratitude.

(End of Chapter)

50 Power stones = Extra Chapter