Chapter 605: The Imperial Court

"Amiya?" Little Frederick clutched the small rabbit tightly. The boy was very young, barely larger than the rabbit. Hearing his mother name the rabbit, he excitedly hugged it and kept shouting, "Great, Amiya! It's called Amiya now, and it's mine!"

Amelia frowned. The Duchess thought rabbits were smelly and hard to care for. Was her son really going to keep this thing?

Amelia wasn't an ordinary Imperial noble. During her years in exile, she had learned a lot of basic knowledge from the Blood Axe Mercenary Corps, including how to raise rabbits.

Why did Karl-Franz give this rabbit to her son?

Due to her experiences, Amelia trusted very few people, not even Karl-Franz completely. The Duchess didn't respond right away. Instead, she got up, freshened up, put on casual clothes, and applied light makeup. Then she called in her chief engineer, Wagner. "Where did this rabbit come from?"

Wagner explained that when they visited the palace, Emperor Karl-Franz had just gotten up and was preparing breakfast. The boy ran into the kitchen, saw the cute rabbit meant for cooking, and insisted on taking it. The palace chef, helpless, had to give it to him.

Before Amelia could decide what to do, little Devonshire, drooling on the floor, stood up unsteadily. He pointed at the rabbit in his brother's arms and shouted, "Donkey! Donkey! It's a donkey!"

"Huh?" Amelia felt strange. She glanced at Ryan and Sulia's son, thinking she needed to treat all children equally. She took the rabbit from Frederick's arms and smiled, saying, "Devonshire, this is clearly a rabbit, not a donkey."

"Donkey! Donkey!" Devonshire, five months old, insisted, pointing at the rabbit's long brown ears. "It's a donkey!"

"...This is a Rex rabbit, Devonshire," Amelia patiently explained. "This type of rabbit is a typical meat rabbit, a crossbreed between Imperial and Breton rabbits. It just has long, upright ears, which look a bit like donkey ears, but it's definitely not a donkey!"

"Donkey!" Little Devonshire stood up, grabbed the rabbit's ears, and pulled hard. "Donkey ears! Donkey!"

The rabbit squealed in pain, its cries attracting Ryan and Sulia. Sulia quickly picked up her son, cradling him in her arms. "Alright, Devonshire, that's a rabbit, Amiya. At most, it's an 'Ami rabbit.'"

"Donkey, Ami donkey!" The little boy seemed determined on this point.

"Haha, calling a rabbit a donkey," Ryan couldn't help but laugh, not interested in arguing with his son over the matter.

However, a frightening image flashed through the Duke's mind. Twenty years later, his two sons, grown up, argue endlessly over whether a rabbit is a donkey or not.

"It's Ami donkey!" Behind Devonshire stood Holy Grail Knights, old guards, and an army of knights.

"It's Ami rabbit!" Behind Frederick stood the Nuln Ironclad Army, steam tanks, and the Imperial Legion.

Imagining this, Ryan's smile faded. He quickly said, "Alright, stop arguing, it's pointless. Let's eat."

That's it, Ami rabbit has become Ami donkey! Amelia shook her head helplessly. Since Devonshire wasn't her biological son, she felt it wasn't her place to intervene. She signaled her Nuln Ironclad troops to take the rabbit away and decide later.

The next morning, Ryan and his group first visited the Imperial Court.

There were some differences between Imperial and Bretonnian laws, but there was no doubt that these two human nations, or rather the entire Old World, derived their laws from elven heritage: the "Elven Code" written by the Elven Empire.

This monumental code, so detailed that it would take dozens of carriages to transport, was so vast that no ordinary human could ever fully master it. Even elves, with their long lifespans, needed at least a century to completely read and understand this law book and become a qualified elven judge.

Humans couldn't achieve this. After Emperor Charlemagne established the Empire, he ordered his courtiers to spend an immense amount of time translating and condensing the works left by the elves. After the Age of Chaos, the Old World was largely illiterate, except for clerics, who often had limited education.

To change this situation, Emperor Charlemagne gathered the Empire's best clerics to revive and establish schools and libraries, desperately seeking knowledge from the remnants of elven and dwarven civilizations. Religious educational institutions began to emerge, and human civilization gradually developed.

This period of history is known as the "Carolingian Renaissance."

Imperial law incorporates elements of both elven (civil law) and dwarven (common law) traditions. Bretonnian law, on the other hand, mostly copies elven law with "improvements" (leaning more towards civil law), but overall, they are similar. The core of Bretonnian law is the "Knight's Code," which strictly defines the distinctions between knights and serfs, with corresponding legal obligations.

The core of Imperial law is "Each citizen of the Empire serves in their role, fighting to protect the nation!"

However, under the supervision of the Lady of the Lake, knights have adhered to the chivalric spirit for over a thousand years. The Empire, after nearly a millennium of upholding this principle, collapsed, leading to the well-known and widely recounted Great Civil War, the Vampire Wars, and the famous Great Crusade.

After the Great Crusade, the new Imperial Emperor Ludwig the Savior revised Imperial law, adding a clause: "Everyone has the right to be compensated for their labor."

Today, Ryan and his companions observed an Imperial court session. The accused were Imperial citizens who had committed crimes.

A man was sentenced to twenty lashes for theft and assault and was ordered to pay compensation.

A male noble, after getting drunk and causing trouble in the streets, including blasphemous remarks, was sentenced to fifty lashes. However, because he paid bail and a hefty fine, his punishment was changed to being put in the "sinner's sack" for public display for two hours and being denied food for a whole day, allowed only water.

Several cultists, found worshipping Chaos gods, were sentenced to death and immediately executed without bail. As soon as the judgment was passed, axemen swiftly beheaded them, and their bodies were burned to ashes.

After watching a series of sentences, Ryan asked the attendant sent by Emperor Karl-Franz, "Now that we know how the Imperial court operates in Altdorf, what about outside the cities?"

"That's handled by the circuit courts, Sir Ryan, Lady Sulia," the attendant respectfully replied. "In the countryside, where there are no resident judges, circuit judges are dispatched regularly with a team of guards to adjudicate cases. Until a resident judge is appointed, this remains their responsibility, though I must say, it's not a desirable position."

"Not a desirable position?" Ryan pondered this and asked, "Why?"

"Too dangerous, Sir Ryan." The attendant eagerly shared everything he knew, "Circuit judges travel in the wild, holding trials in various places. Even in the Reikland, it's a perilous job. After all, no one knows what's lurking in the dark forests. Moreover, despite the significant risks and arduous journeys, the pay for circuit judges isn't particularly generous. They are often seen soliciting bribes from local nobles and peasants, who, in turn, get to join the jury."

"Hmm." Amelia grunted softly but said nothing.

"How could it be like this!" The Lady of the Lake, controlling Sulia, was displeased. She habitually wanted to speak out but quickly realized this was the Empire. She huffed and said instead, "So many crimes can be forgiven just by paying fines?"

"Yes, except for a few unforgivable crimes, almost all offenses can be mitigated or pardoned by paying hefty fines," the attendant confirmed. "In fact, fines are a significant source of income for these circuit judges."

"This is still better than us relying entirely on village elders and local leaders to resolve issues," Ryan said with a wry smile. "Who typically becomes a circuit judge?"

"Mostly unsuccessful lawyers or those who have fallen out of favor with the local law society," the attendant continued. "There are also devout followers of the Lady of Justice, but without a doubt, anyone with the chance would prefer to return to the city."

The Lady of Justice, Varenna, is commonly known as the Lady of Fairness and Law. She and her followers oppose tyranny and oppression, representing true fairness, not just legal fairness that serves certain interests. Just as Varenna symbolizes wisdom and education, her priests are more actively engaged in studying magic than clergy from other Imperial religions.

However, fairness does not equate to justice. The Lady of Justice's clergy might seek fair wages or redress for the common folk from nobles but would also punish commoners for breaking the law, even if they are unjustly accused or innocent. There is no concept of mercy or leniency outside the law in her faith. The same penalties apply to all, but the wealthy can often mitigate or avoid punishment by paying fines, a principle the Lady of Justice upholds.

The Empire is more liberal in this regard, meaning many things can be resolved with money. Generally, almost all charges can be settled with fines; if not, it means the fine wasn't high enough. The gods, whether dealing with nobles or commoners, are impartial, but it depends on whether you can pay.

The same goes for the cult of Morr, the god of death. When Morr's priests perform funerals, the more you pay, the better the service. For a few copper coins, the priest might mumble a quick prayer before

 cremation. For two silver coins, the deceased gets a small grave. For two gold coins, the deceased gets a corner in Morr's Garden. For twenty gold coins, there's even a sarcophagus. The service quality often depends not on the priest but on how much the family is willing to pay.

Ryan understood, recognizing that even religious institutions need income. The Cult of Morr rarely collects tithes, relying primarily on funeral fees and noble donations.

The most followers of the Lady of Justice are in Altdorf and Nuln, including upright officials, enlightened nobles, scholars, mages, and literate citizens. Varenna is also the wife of Morr, the god of death.

"Hmm." Ryan also planned to implement the circuit court system and felt he had gained valuable insights. He decided not to say more.

After the court visit, Ryan and his party entered the Imperial Palace for lunch with the Emperor's family.

In the snowy afternoon, along the snow-covered stone path, the Emperor and his Reiksguard led Ryan and the others to the Altdorf Royal Zoo.

Emperor Karl-Franz wore a purple and gold shirt and breeches, with a luxurious imperial robe over it. The Reikland Rune Fang hung at his waist, symbolizing his status as the Grand Prince of Reikland. The hammer Ghal-Maraz was not present, as it was said to be kept in the Cathedral of Sigmar when the Emperor was not at war or affirming his imperial authority.

"Last time you visited Altdorf, you mentioned wanting to see the Royal Zoo," Emperor Karl-Franz smiled. "But when I had everything arranged, you were in a hurry to leave, and we didn't get to visit. Why were you in such a rush then? It seemed like you had something urgent."

"Haha, at that time, Teclis mentioned he was preparing to return," Ryan replied, a bit embarrassed, quickly using Teclis as an excuse. "He said he had been in the Old World for quite some time, and the Council of Hoeth in the High Elf Kingdom of Saphery couldn't do without him, their Supreme Loremaster. With him leaving, I thought it was time for me to go as well."

"I see." The Emperor, who naturally admired and respected Teclis, didn't press further. After all, Teclis's contributions during the Great War and the founding of the Colleges of Magic brought great benefits to the Empire. Hearing this was Teclis's idea, the Emperor changed the subject to the history of the Imperial Royal Zoo. "The zoo was established by Emperor Dieter IV, long before the Great War and the founding of the New Empire. It's home to many of the Old World's most dangerous animals and serves as a breeding ground for mounts for the Imperial forces."

The Emperor then smiled meaningfully, "The zoo is also a primary source of Imperial warhorses, mostly from Averland. It's a region rich in warhorses. Ryan, Lady Sulia, did you both ride your own mounts here? Would you be interested in bringing them to see some of our beautiful mares?"

"As long as Grape is interested, I have no objections," Ryan laughed, "But I wouldn't force my mount to do anything. I should warn you, Grape has quite a temper."

"Good mounts are always scarce," the Emperor noted Ryan's underlying meaning and shrugged. "Of course, my mount, Deathclaw, is also here."

"Emperor Karl-Franz," Sulia, who was holding Ryan's arm, asked with great interest, "I've heard that the Imperial Zoo has a dragon?"

"Well..."

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