Proof of the Demon Lord's Innocence - Chapter 1

Demon Lords are always destined to be defeated by heroes.

This was true even in the world of Flower Mail. In the hallway of the International Court, Prosecutor Borga Buttercup thought. This case was trivial, just another common event in this world.

In this peaceful, resource-rich world, demon lords showed up every few years, trying to take over. But it always ended the same—they were defeated by heroes. If they survived, they were usually put on trial and executed, with only a rare few getting life sentences instead. It was nothing out of the ordinary. This time, the case had been about Trias Marigold, a demon lord said to have been the strongest in recent years. He had tried to conquer the world but was taken down by the hero Keny Cockscomb, captured, and dragged to court. The evidence against him had been overwhelming, with loads of witnesses and circumstantial proof. Not surprisingly, almost no lawyers had wanted to defend someone so clearly guilty.

As usual, a disinterested court-appointed lawyer was expected to handle the case, secure a quick guilty verdict, and led the way for the death penalty. Borga had been completely at ease about the whole situation.

But then, a red-haired young man stepped forward, firmly blocking Borga’s path. He wore the badge of a Lotus Federation lawyer and spoke with unwavering confidence.

“Sorry, old man. I’ll be defending Demon Lord Trias,” he declared. “Trias Marigold is innocent. I’ll prove it.”

Borga immediately recognized him—a maverick lawyer with a white mage job, known for taking on hopeless criminal cases that nobody else wanted. A genius who graduated from university at just eighteen.

Freya Blossom.

Also known as the Rebel of Justice, Freya.

***

The world of Flower Mail is vast, but the areas where humans live are shockingly small.

According to history, this world was once teeming with humans. But after a series of devastating natural disasters and wars, the population dropped to less than one-tenth of its original size.

Now, humanity survived on a small part of the continent, living modestly. They ventured into unexplored lands and ancient ruins left behind by their ancestors, seeking resources and lost technologies. The world was no longer ruled by humans but by monsters that roamed freely in the wild territories. People worked to protect their cities from monster threats while slowly expanding their land and uncovering the mysteries of the past. Adventurers, who used their innate “Jobs” to aid others and explore the unknown, were highly respected.

In this world, every person was born with a unique talent called a “Job”. It could be a swordsman, thief, minstrel, or user of black or white magic. These Jobs were innate and unchangeable. For example, those with the talent of a swordsman were usually unable to use magic.

Normally, people worked in jobs that align with their born talents. Not everyone became an adventurer. Building structures, delivering mail, a police officer, or selling tomatoes at a greengrocer—these are all respectable jobs.

“Selling tomatoes at a greengrocer is something anyone can do! Being an adventurer is way cooler!” a young girl complained in the park.

The other children agreed. Freya, explaining the world’s system through a picture story, gently patted the girl’s head and laughed.

“That’s not true. Job talents are useful in all kinds of work.”

“For example?”

“When you’re selling fruits and veggies at a greengrocer, the key is knowing when they’re at their best. I mean, who’s gonna buy a sour mandarin orange, right? People with magic or minstrel jobs are especially good at picking up on those little details.”

“Seriously!? No way!”

“Yep, totally true.”

Freya thought about how children always reacted with surprise to this explanation. Many young people believed job talents exist only for becoming adventurers. This was because adventurers were always in short supply due to the dangerous job, and adults often teach in schools that “being an adventurer is the most wonderful job” to increase their numbers.

However, in reality, there were countless ways to contribute to society without becoming an adventurer. Selling food in shops was a prime example. After all, without food, nobody would survive.

“Magic user jobs aren’t just about casting spells. They’re also skilled at observing the flow of magical energy emitted by people and living things. Magical energy flows weakly even in harvested vegetables. By carefully observing these magical energy flows, you can determine the best time for deliciousness and how to improve it. For minstrels, instead of magical energy, they listen to the “voices” of things. While minstrels can use songs to provide supplementary effects, they also have the ability to hear voices that ordinary people can’t. By listening to what the tomatoes are saying, the best tomatoes will reach everyone’s tables. Got it?”

“Whoa…!”

“Thieves are also good at sales jobs. They’re excellent at identifying treasures and negotiating to acquire them. Business is about communication, and many weapon or tool shops are run by people with thief job talents.”

Children were adorable. When he explained things like this, they always listened with sparkling eyes. He was not a pedophile, but he couldn’t help grinding his face. He wished this moment could last forever, knowing no work would come to his office anyway.

“Hey, Freya! What are you doing!!”

Ah, he triggered a flag, he thought, and sure enough, someone arrived. At the high-pitched voice, Freya gave a sideways glance. A baby-faced young man in an unfamiliar suit was running towards him—Techno Orchid, a paralegal known for being talkative and Freya’s partner.

“You’re slacking during work hours again! You haven’t even finished cleaning the office!”

“Shut up, Techno. Don’t make me do cleaning! It’s the worst job for me. Nobody’s coming to the office anyway, it’s like we’re always closed.”

“That’s because you refuse every case except criminal trials! Even with your father’s inheritance, you’ll be broke in no time! Do you have any idea how much it costs to maintain this office!?”

“Ugh, can you stop lecturing me in front of the kids…”

Reluctantly, Freya began packing up the picture story. Yes, Freya was a lawyer with his own law office. Even though there was no work, he knew he should be at the office during business hours—but he was bored and had snuck out to the nearby park.

After all, at the office, he and Techno would just end up cleaning. Thanks to his father’s inheritance and occasional case payments, they weren’t struggling financially but essentially, the office was as quiet as a graveyard.

This was partly because Freya only took criminal cases, and partly because he was thoroughly disliked in certain circles. Techno, the only person who stuck around as his partner, was also quite an eccentric.

“Sorry guys, this noisy guy showed up, so story time is over! See you later, kids!”

“Aww… you’re leaving?”

“Come back and tell us more stories, Mr. Lawyer!”

“Sure thing!”

Waving to the children, Freya left the park. Walking down a street lined with stylish cafes and turning the corner by the post office, he soon arrived at their Blossom office. The building was so old and small that it looked like it might collapse in an earthquake.

“A client came,” Freya said doubtfully.

Techno, walking ahead, initially shook his head without turning around. “However,” he continued, “the person you’ve been waiting for might have arrived.”

He opened the office door and picked up a newspaper from the desk in the reception room. When he spread it out to show Freya, the young lawyer’s eyes widened at the name on the front page.

“Demon Lord Trias Arrested After Defeated by Hero… Is this the person you’ve been searching for all this time?” Techno asked.

The name was one Freya could never forget.