Ming Dynasty and New Rome and Infinite Magic Machine

Chapter 1603 Litigation
"A lawsuit???" Hermanubis was taken aback. "You mean, you believe that Aru's judgment is wrong, so you want to initiate a trial?"

“I cannot let my friend suffer like this. Amun-Zeus is hiding, is he? Then I will appeal to Helios! I demand that Helios appear in court! If he does not appear, then I will automatically be found guilty.”

Yes! We're going to appeal! We're going to take it all the way to Helios!

"Wait a minute!" Hermanubis exclaimed in surprise. "I thought you two were going to threaten Aru with force, so I came here to persuade you. But you said you wanted to take it to court? Is that even possible?"

I think there are. And you just mentioned differences in semantic understanding, right? Could you elaborate on those differences?

“Here’s the situation,” Hermanubis explained, referring to the most famous part of Egyptian mythology.

In Egyptian mythology, the goddess Nut would swallow the sun god Ra every night, but would not digest it and would spit it out the next day, thus creating the cycle of day and night.

“We believe that eating is only eating if it is digested after it is ingested; if it is ingested but not digested, it is simply ‘swallowing’,” Hermanubis explained. “So, although I feel you are more right emotionally, according to Egyptian law, eating and swallowing are not the same.”

"Did you provide any prior notice? Did you fulfill your obligation to provide information? Even McDonald's straws are hot enough to be explained, and microwave ovens are labeled as not suitable for heating bombs. You didn't even explain something as important as eating and swallowing to outsiders?"

"It seems not."

"So you see, the problem lies with you—if you think there's a problem, then let's see each other in court!"

After saying that, Shangluo hung up the communication, leaving only Hermanubis and Karin sitting there.

"Your Excellency Hermanubis, do you have any other requests?"

“I have a meeting with the Roman Emperor, and I think this matter needs to be mediated. Lord Amun-Zeus is, after all, my superior. If he is involved in this matter and forced to appear in court, my fate will likely be grim.”

“But I think…” Karin hesitated.

She had already figured out Shangluo's meaning.

Since they couldn't find Amun-Zeus, they decided to sue him and force him to appear in court.

So even if he doesn't appear in court, he must appoint a representative. And regardless of whether he appears in court himself or appoints someone else to represent him, his position has already been exposed.

This was Shangluo's goal—he wanted Amun-Zeus to emerge from the mist on his own.

From this perspective, even if Hermanubis sought mediation from the Roman emperor, it would be of no use.

But since he made that request, as the library administrator, her duty was to provide contact information.

The call reached Victoria. "Hello," said Ms. Agatha, "Looking for Victoria? She's not here. You asked when she's available? You need an appointment. I can schedule it for you, and I might be able to give you an answer by the third Thursday of next month—yes, I'll give you an answer then, but I can't guarantee there will be an appointment by then. Yes, that's the final decision."

Ms. Agatha hung up the phone: "Is it okay now?"

She turned around and saw Victoria sitting on the sofa, listening intently, while Shangluo sat at the other end.

"Hehehe, finally someone's asking me!" Victoria grinned. "I just won't agree!"

“Don’t use strange words,” Ms. Agatha corrected her. “No 'hehehe'.”

"Oh, I see. Anyway, I won't see him. This is something we've been preparing for a long time. Now that we finally have a chance to lure Amun-Zeus out, we can't miss this opportunity."

“That makes sense. However, the matter of holding a trial requires Lord Helios’s decision.”

“My father has replied,” Phaethon said as he walked in from outside. “He said it’s fine! He will preside over the trial and make a fair judgment, which is what the God of Contracts should do. What happened in Cybernia was protected by the God of Contracts, and so is the contract in Aru. Since the two sides have a dispute over the ‘eating bread’ contract, he will hold a trial to adjudicate the matter. However, according to procedure, we have a pre-trial mediation process where the lawyers or representatives of both parties can meet.”

“Great! Great!” Victoria exclaimed excitedly. “Now we’ve finally steered the battlefield to our advantage! No matter where it is, whether it’s mediation or a formal trial, as long as he appears before us, that’s all that matters! And if he refuses to comply with the verdict, the most just and powerful Helios will join us—and then Amun-Zeus will surely be defeated!”

After all, although there were three sun gods, the sun in Cybernia was ultimately controlled by Helios, who held the principal position and was the embodiment of the sun. He was created by the Muses, the temple representing alchemy. Cybernia was the home of the Muses, and naturally, he was the most powerful there.

Previously, many within Rome, including the sages of the Muses, had opposed the campaign against Ammonius, as it would have been considered a civil war. But now, however, Ammonius's presence was unavoidable. For when Helios made his decision, even Ammonius had to listen attentively.

The first mediation session was held the following day.

The mediation was conducted online, presided over by Victoria herself—Shangluo was on the plaintiff's side. Hermanubis represented the defendant in the dock.

Hermanubis wore a worried expression. He had no desire to interfere in worldly affairs. As Anubis, a being without power, and as a werewolf, his life in Aru was normally quite peaceful. He only needed to guide those who accidentally fell into Aru and then ask them to leave. On ordinary days, he simply enjoyed the tranquility of the world amidst the golden waves of wheat.

“I…I really don’t know what to say,” Hermanubis said, rubbing his forehead. “I’m a werewolf, you know? I’ve never been to school, I don’t know how to defend myself in court. I really don’t know.”

“Aren’t you Anubis?” Victoria asked. “Isn’t Anubis a symbol of the laws of the underworld?”

“Your Majesty, I reiterate to you once again—I am not Anubis, but merely one of Anubis's companions. I have no legal authority whatsoever. In this age, divine power has been divided among the suns. I am but the gatekeeper of Aru; we know nothing, and I can do nothing.”

“Then we’ll have to see you in court.” Shangluo spread his hands. “Remember to bring your lawyer. Or, you could have Amon Zeus himself appear in court.”

(End of this chapter)