Netori: Stealing The Hero's Party!

Chapter 794: Inktaus - The Hidden Theocratic Republic

The clock ticked for hours and hours, and Garcia hadn’t been seen. She tossed a coin and tested her luck, but it seemed that she hadn’t run out of her nine lives yet. One after the other, men and women walked into the office, leaving her behind in the waiting room, staring at a wall and doing absolutely nothing.

Her name hadn’t been called even though she’d made an appointment every day since last week. Commoners walked in and out, while she sat outside tossing her coin. The clang of her nail hitting the edge of the dime rang like it was part of the environment itself at this point. Those who’d been to the judge’s office more than once had already tuned her out of their minds. Still as an idol and as punctual as the clock with her toss, she kept on waiting until it was finally time.

”Garcia...” The judge sighed through the voice-carrying duct. ”Garcia Cointoss... You can come in.”

Hearing her name, Garcia rose from her seat without any change in her expression. She was tired of waiting and too frustrated to feel any joy after her name was finally called. Pushing past another person who was coming out, she walked into the judge’s office with pronounced, heavy boots.

Wearing armor under her suit and tie, she stared at the man who served a different goddess than her. Taking just a moment to adjust her tie, she turned around and locked the door behind her.

”Any particular reason you’re doing that?” Justice asked while tapping a finger on his desk to get her attention.

Turning to the tap of his nail–a sound that she was far too familiar with–Garcia folded her hands under her chest and began moving closer. Her chainmail rattled under her formal clothes, and the sheer intensity in her deep blue eyes was enough to make Justice adjust his collar.

”You slander me...” Silence befell the room with her words; only the sound of Garcia’s nail digging into her arm could be heard.

Frowning at her first, Justice’s eyes seemed a little lost. Staring at Garcia for quite a bit, he tried to feign ignorance, yet the sharp look in the elf’s eyes glanced past his bullshit. As the facade finally dropped, he shrugged his shoulders. Rolling his eyes at Garcia, he slammed his fingers against the edge of his table.

”I do not slander you; you slander yourself, elf.” Pointing angrily at her, he rose from his table. ”Horrors walk amongst us wearing the mask of our own people, our blood, our family! And yet you...”

Closing his eyes, Justice took a deep breath and exhaled to calm his anger. Grabbing the side of his chair, he lowered himself into it, though his hands kept shaking even as he settled back into it. Wiping his face with his hand, he looked through the gap between his fingers at the elf and, with a sigh, moved his hand away.

”It was your duty to bring such matter, or rather such individuals, to the seat of elects, but as far as I’m aware, you haven’t caught a single one of these beasts.”

Having remained quiet all this time, Garcia’s face had contorted with rage. Thus, while beating her chest, she rushed closer to Justice’s desk and slammed her hand on top of it.

”I’ve been wandering the streets every day trying to catch one of them, but do you know the problem, judge? Hmm??” Tilting her head with a crazed and hollow look in her eyes, Garcia’s hand was slowly reaching on the other side of the table. ”They can sense our emotions, they can see through our thoughts and worst of all, they have somehow found a way to look like us, ACT! Likes us... What am I supposed to do? Arrest the whole town? Everyone will start asking questions, questions for which we have no answers!”

Slamming her fist against the table instead of grabbing the old man by his collar, Garcia took a step back and began angrily chewing on the inside of her mouth.

”And why don’t you slander Ironheart or Eren, for that matter? I’m but an officer in charge of bringing victims, criminals, and witnesses to the court of elects. Because they serve the same goddess as you? Is that it, Justice Host? Is that why you keep trying to humiliate me in front of everyone else?”

Once again, there was silence on Justice’s part. He stared at the rage-wrinkled face of the elven woman. In turn, a grimace took over his face as well. He was partial to his goddess, and Garcia had hit the nail on the head.

”You can question my integrity in front of the court, Gracia. It’s only a few hours from now, so you won’t even have to wait for that long.”

”If Judge Dealer was as partial as you towards Fortuna, you would’ve burned her temple by now.”

”THAT’S ENOUGH!” Slamming his fist against the table, the old man broke into a fit of coughs. ”Ahh...you stupid youngster...G-get out now!”

”Gladly you, troglodyte.” As Justice continued to cough in the background with his voice getting drier and drier, Garcia made her way out into the empty hall. Silent as she’d left it for her name, even after being only called after so many days, was the very last.

Standing in the duty hall, she took the coin out of her pocket and placed it right above her thumb. Her fair skin glowed under the dust-sprinkled rays of the sun being filtered through the stained glass. Tossing her coin, she watched it spin. One side a skull, and the other an ace and a ten.

As the coin landed on her hand, she quickly covered it only to reveal it right after.

”Another hit,” a smile tugged at the end of her lips; she’d escaped death again. ”As always.”

And so with some assurance in mind, she walked towards the upper floors of the tower, hoping to gather enough material to get everyone on the seat of elects off her back. However, as always, fate had other plans.