Totori took David and Niala on a small tour of the city, visiting some of the preeminent landmarks, trying to explain their significance in between Niala's unending questions.

  David had visited dozens of grand locales in his world, and yet none of them could rival the sheer scale of the Fairy's city. When he asked if this was the biggest city, Totori had shaken her head and said that, while none were as prestigious as the capital of Fairlilly, there were a few bigger ones, the biggest being the megalopolis of Sprinkletown.

  The idea that this one city, the population of which probably rivalled the entire population of the Amberfall kingdom, wasn't even the biggest, left his stomach hollow.

  A few bells later, they visited the Crystal Unicorn firm to hire Totori as their legal representative. The fairy's left leg twitched uncontrollably as she tried to restrain the manic grin on her face while signing the contract. Her first official paid assignment!

  No more restaurant dumpster diving for Totori! She'd be able to afford actual food!

  She brought them back to the Weldgate and out to their house, where they regained their normal sizes. With a date set a week from now, Totori would be staying with them for a few days to go over their case and prepare their defence.

  Their new lawyer did her best to assuage Niala's misgivings, promising her that Frizzy Pink Flowers just wanted money and that she was certain she could limit the amount they would have to pay, given the circumstances. After all, the Fairy law was quite adamant that punishing crimes performed unknowingly was not fair at all.

  David brought up the question of coinage, asking in which currency they would need to pay the company; Feretina had mentioned something about chocolate coins. Could they pay in actual chocolate?

  Totori had shaken her head before explaining. “Nobody pays in chocolate coins anymore; it's simply the reference currency. Most chocolate coins are held at the national chocolate reserve, in a deep, climate-controlled bunker. We mostly pay using manamints.”

  Manamints turned out to be processed and compressed mana, similar to mana pellets, but in flat round shapes, decorated with animals and flowers, and dyed and scented with herbal essences, often a variation of mint. The specific decorations and scent vary depending on which mintery pressed the manamints, with the prettiest and nicest-smelling ones being more highly sought after, and thus of higher value.

  She further told them how the minteries held national competitions every ten years, to present their new manamints to the public, with the winner determined by a popular vote. The Fairlilly mintery had won the last three competitions, Totori proudly informed them.

  When asked if they could exchange their own coinage for manamints, Totori answered that no fairy would want mundaneworld coinage, except maybe as novelty items. Instead, they could provide mana to the city's mana-grid and slowly repay whatever fine the court of fair would impose upon them.

  Over the following days, Totori gathered Niala's and David's depositions, instructed them on court proceedings, mostly on how not to insult the fairqueen, and left through the Weldtree to go prepare for the trial.

  Linzy might also have tried to flirt with Totori during her stay, if the blush the little woman displayed in the presence of the snarky goblin woman was any indication.

  With their daily activities consuming the next few days, the day of the trial was soon upon them.

  “All rise for the amazing and cute Fairqueen Lapozoli Cherrymish!”

  The bailiff fairy bellowed as the beehive wig-wearing fairqueen walked out a side door and up the podium, chairs screeching as the fairies in attendance rose.

  There were a few more fairies present this time; mostly Frizzy Pink Flowers employees, and a few junior members of the Crystal Unicorn firm here for training, as explained by Totori.

  Lapozoli motioned with her hand, prompting everyone to sit back down, before she spoke, her tone a single step up from boredom. “Defendant Niala, prosecutor Feretina, thank you for being on time. Please be respectful of the court and each other, and, above all, be fair in your dealings. Prosecutor, you have the floor.” She nodded towards Feretina.

  The case arrayed against them was simple; they were accused of having stolen Frizzy Pink Flowers' produce, which had been provided as part of a contract signed with Jasmund, expecting an agreed-upon value of mana, measured in Manawatts, plus additional lost opportunity value incurred by the company by not having received said payment.

  Totori countered by claiming several similar cases of mundaneworld dealings, citing that mundaneworlders were, by most definitions, simpletons that had trouble understanding and following fair contracts, and thus, the risks incurred by entities that dealt with them were not covered by fairy law, unless malicious intent could be proven.

  With Niala testifying that, had she known, she would have either paid back the herbs' value, or not taken them, the rest of the trial devolved in both sides arguing over fair law minutiae.

  David did his best to remain awake, dragging his eyes over to Niala, and being surprised despite himself, seeing the curious catkin leaning forward, ears at full mast. She had somehow retrieved a book of fair law from Totori's briefcase and had been busy perusing it, quietly flipping its pages as the court proceeded.

  He could almost hear her brain thrumming as she attempted to untangle the legal puzzle playing out in front of her.

  And then he saw one of her ears twitch, and she raised a hand, which caught the Fairqueen's attention.

  The presiding fairy quirked an eyebrow and interrupted the two lawyers flinging legalese at each other. “Defendant Niala, you have something to say?”

  Everyone turned their head towards the catkin, who shrivelled somewhat before finding her words.

  “Ah, hum, yes... I mean, yes, your Amazingness. Miss Feretina just referred to fair law fourteen, section four, point three, Non-Fairlands residents who have commercial interests with a Fairlands resident, must inform themselves of all pertinent Fairlands fair laws regarding their dealings. However, on the same fair law, section six, point nine, it states that any Fairlands entities that have commercial interests or dealings with a political entity must provide them with all relevant fair laws. Point ten: failure to do so precludes the Fairlands entity from pursuing legal means against the political entity.”

  Lapozoli creased her brow, eyes narrowing. “That is correct. Did you simply want clarification, or...?”

  Niala shook her head. “Oh, no, your amazingness. Please allow me to continue.”

  She turned to another page, putting her finger down on it. “According to fair law fifty-two, section four, point two, Weldtrees are considered an embassy of Fairlands, as is the land two meters around the trunk of said tree.”

  She flipped to another page. “Fair law thirty-eight, section one, point one; Fairlands embassies, when not actively operated by a state-designated Fairlands representative, and if not specifically assigned to any one party, defaults to the mundaneworld's laws of ownership, referred to as inadvertent caretakers.”

  If you come across this story on Amazon, be aware that it has been stolen from Royal Road. Please report it.

  She looked up from the book. “By my understanding, this means that I, being the mundaneworld owner of the land upon which that specific Weldtree sits, would be the inadvertent caretaker of that particular Fairlands embassy. Is that correct?”

  The Fairqueen pulled at her collar. “That is... I believe that is correct, pending verification that there are indeed no parties designated or assigned to that parcel of land. I-”

  “Objection!” Feretina exclaimed.

  The Fairqueen looked at her saviour. “Yes, fairmaster Feretina, please explain.”

  “A signed contract already existed between the previous mundaneworlder and caretaker of Weldtree 1429, to the name of Jasmund of Riverwall, with all relevant Fairlands fair law provided. According to fair law fifty-two, section three, point two, mundaneworld authorities are expected to ensure the proper passing of ownership of embassy land, including relevant knowledge of applicable fair laws.”

  Niala's ears wiggled as she turned her own law book to another page. “Fair law fifty-six. Embassy lands overseen by a mundaneworlder caretaker must be contacted every fifteen mundaneworlder years. Failure to do so requires a review of the active contract to determine if they are still valid.”

  David saw Feretina bent toward the Frizzy Pink Flowers representative, both fairies whispering back and forth, before hearing the representative mutter something about “Stupid cross-world synchronicity” and being shushed by Feretina, who straightened back up and looked at the fairqueen, who frowned before speaking up.

  “Fairmaster Feretina, does your objection still hold?”

  “It does not. The contract would appear to be under the review phase.”

  Lapozoli sighed and addressed Niala. “Defendant Niala, did you have more to add? It appears the case might need to be reported to a later date, pending the contract's review.”

  The catkin shook her head, not yet done with dismantling this case. “I have more to say, your amazingness. Fair law eighty-one, section two, point five. Fairlands entities dealing with embassy caretakers must provide a copy of the relevant trade documents for any shipment of goods. Fair law eighty-one, section two, point six; said documents must be signed by the relevant trade authorities as they are considered diplomatic in nature, and must be co-signed by the caretakers before delivery of goods can proceed.”

  The fairqueen stared at Niala, eyes wide.

  The catkin stood up, fully in the swing of things now, flipping the book further in and holding it up, pointing at one of its pages. “Fair law one hundred and one, section three, point three, any goods with a declared monetary value provided to a diplomatic entity without trade authorities' oversight are considered smuggled”

  She swirled her arm, pointing at the Frizzy Pink Flowers representative. “You, sir, have committed smuggling, against the fair laws of the Fairlands!”

  The business fairy stood up, shouting. “And you accepted it! Aren't you just as guilty?!”

  Niala's smile turned toothy. She flipped the book to one of its last pages. “Fair law two hundred and five, section three, point eight. Inadvertent caretakers, who have had no prior contact with any Fairlands resident or entities, have first-offence immunity from fair laws relating to criminal activities by Fairlands residents or entities.”

  She looked up from the fair law book and counted on her fingers. “To resume, first, Frizzy Pink Flowers failed to provide a summary of relevant Fairlands fair laws to a political entity, barring the Fairlands entity from taking any legal actions against them. Second, Frizzy Pink Flowers has provided goods to a caretaker of embassy lands without a signed declaration of trade, which is criminal. And lastly, due to my nature as an inadvertent caretaker of embassy lands, I have first-offence immunity from implications in any criminal activities by a registered Fairlands entity.”

  A fly flew through the courtroom. Everyone heard it.

  Fairqueen Lapozoli blinked several times, erasing the shock from her face. “...Defendant Niala, I find it hard to believe you have had no prior contact with us, seeing your apparent mastery of the fair laws.” She said, levelling her gaze.

  Niala's cheeks tinted pink. “I, huh, read really fast... your amazingness!” She replied, fidgeting.

  “Hmmm. Feretina, please take a book out of your briefcase and hand it to defendant Niala.”

  The prosecutor did so.

  “Defendant Niala, please read the first ten pages of that book, as fast as you can and still remember its content, and bring me the book.”

  The catkin did so, flipping through the pages so fast that David would have been hard-pressed to read more than a single paragraph, and brought the book up to the Fairqueen, who narrowed her eyes.

  Lapozoli then randomly opened the book to one of the first ten pages and asked questions about its content. Niala answered each one with clear confidence.

  They repeated the process a few times, the Fairqueen's creased brow deepening with each correct answers before she sighed and handed the book back to the Bailiff.

  She looked up at Niala, a small amount of incredulity in her eyes. “It appears, defendant Niala, that you have a truly monstrous ability to acquire and retain knowledge. Very well, under the laws you so valiantly referenced, it would indeed seem you are exempt from fair law reprisal in the current case.”

  Lapozoli brought up a magic wand and began to lay her ruling. “I am dismissing this case in the defendant's favour. Case clo-”

  “Wait!” A voice rang out.

  The Fairqueen flinched before snapping an angry glare at the offending person.

  Niala shrank under her stare. “I mean, please wait, your amazingness. I don't want to hide behind the law. I still want to pay back Frizzy Pink Flowers for the plants they provided. Just, not the extra stuff, because it wasn't my fault... your amazingness.”

  David facepalmed, Lapozoli blinked, Feretina, Totori and the executive stared wide-eyed. The rest of the attendees were holding up glass slates in their direction, pointing them towards the court proceedings.

  The Fairqueen slowly enunciated her following question, as if unsure she had heard correctly. “You want to pay them back. Even though the fair law clearly states you owe them nothing.”

  Niala nodded. “Yes, your amazingness. It's only fair.”

  Lapozoli snorted, the tiniest of smiles straining at the corner of her lips.

  “Very well, defendant Niala. As is only fair, you are free to reimburse the market value of the goods that Frizzy Pink Flowers smuggled to you.” She scanned the rest of the crowd. “Now, does anyone else have something to add?”

  They all shook their heads.

  “Good. Case dismissed.” Lapozoli declared, hammering the magic wand onto the podium and walking out the side door.

  Feretina, her mask of professionalism completely shattered as she stared at Niala, slack-jawed, broke the ensuing silence.

  “What just happened?”

  David inspected the device embedded in the wall. It had two metallic handles, one for each hand, two lights, and little else apart from two circles painted on the floor, with a foot symbol in each. He turned to Totori.

  “So, to pour mana into the grid, I just... step into the circles and grab the handles?”

  The fairy nodded. “Yes, as simple as that, and then push in your mana, hard as you can! Stop when you start feeling dizzy.”

  He returned his gaze to the machine.

  “I don't see a counter anywhere. How do I know I put in enough?”

  “Oh, don't worry. When you grasp the handle, the machine will detect your signature and tally your contribution automatically. You can check how much you've pushed into the grid at the front desk.” She answered, pointing back from where they came.

  “Ok, but why no counter?”

  “Well... the same sort of machine is used in our fair prisons, where the inmates have to pay back their fines in the same way. We find that having a counter gives them hope, since they get a sense of progression.”

  He stared at the fairy, waiting for the next part of her explanation. She only smiled back at him.

  He shook his head in dismay, returning his attention to the machine. This society was completely unhinged.

  Although Niala had insisted she should be the one paying back the price of the herbs in mana, David had convinced her to let him do it, saying it wouldn't take too long.

  Totori had snickered, explaining that most people had at most a few tens of thousands of manawatts available to give daily. Given that the herbs' value came out to a few million manawatts worth, they would need to come back and offer payments in several instalments.

  David had shrugged.

  He grasped the handles, planted his feet, closed his eyes and felt for his reserve of mana.

  It came up within his perception. A puddle, a lake, a sea, an ocean. An ocean without horizon, bottomless, stretching in all directions endlessly.

  Grinning, he reached for the spigot, opened it, and pushed.

  The city is NOT ready!