Chapter Thirty-One: The Courtroom

"It's fine. The more critical the situation, the more we need to be steady and methodical. The prosecution will pull through tomorrow," Shiraishi said calmly.

Unless it was an absolute last resort, Shiraishi would not intervene personally; otherwise...

Every case has its own importance. If Shiraishi had to handle everything himself, when would the officers in the station ever grow? If he only let them handle petty theft, they would never reach their full potential even by retirement. Unless Shiraishi felt that the criminal would truly go free without his intervention, he would, at most, offer a hint at a crucial moment.

As for now...

Doesn't the prosecution have "cannon fodder witnesses"?

"Chief." Gen, who had just taken a nap in the lounge, was summoned by the Chief again.

"Yes, sorry for the trouble. Just proceed at your own pace," Shiraishi instructed.

[Gen Seiji (Beika Precinct Detective):
Age: 26.
Overall Rating: R.
Mind: Justice (70), Principles (66), Gentleness (90), Subjectivity (69), Passion (65), Resilience (67).
Body: Dry eyes, naturally curly hair, healthy...
Skills: Interrogation (SR), Evidence Collection (N), Driving (N)...
Potential: Huge, inclined toward interrogation.]

After sleeping for three or four hours, Gen’s "lethargy" had vanished, but the "dry eyes" remained. However, "dry eyes" did not affect [Interrogation]; it primarily affected [Marksmanship]. His [Marksmanship] was only at an "N" level anyway—the kind where one can fire a gun but doesn't believe they can hit anything—and he wouldn't need to shoot now.

Furthermore...

Even "naturally curly hair" was listed before "healthy." It seemed he wasn't far from being sub-health!

However, this [Interrogation] skill was a genuine SR. It was just that because Gen’s [Gentleness] stat was as high as 90, his interrogations and inquiries were exceptionally effective against those who were "soft-hearted," often even surpassing a standard SR. But once he encountered someone who was "hard-headed," the effectiveness would drop significantly.

"Oh? You’ve replaced the previous officer with a little handsome guy to keep this old lady company?"

"Not at all, you still look very young, miss!"

Inside the soundproof room, Gen had already begun...

Shiraishi did not linger outside the interrogation room afterward. After all, he had heard that Gen’s "warm-up" was very slow; the first day was basically just making small talk, with nothing worth listening to.

Akasaka and Aoki also began to investigate other leads. The detectives in the Criminal Division were once again lamenting—if not for the interference of Shiraishi Man, they wouldn't be in such a passive position!

Before leaving for the day, Shiraishi specifically sought out Ebihara.

"Chief Ebihara, I'll leave the station to you tomorrow. I’ll be coming in later," Shiraishi instructed.

"Eh? Tomorrow... are you going to..." Ebihara guessed immediately upon hearing this.

"Yes, I managed to get a gallery pass. I'm going to court to listen in tomorrow," Shiraishi admitted directly.

At this point, the investigation was highly unfavorable for the police. Not only was the prosecution hiding witnesses due to a lack of trust, but the suspect, being in custody, was beyond the police's reach. Thus, Shiraishi decided to go see for himself. Even if he were only a spectator with no say, he could at least observe their demeanor and reactions—it was better than nothing.

Ebihara sighed, but knowing he couldn't dissuade Shiraishi, he simply told him not to worry about the station.

...

Early the next morning, to avoid reporters, Shiraishi arrived at the Toto High Court even earlier and waited in the lounge.

Shiraishi was dressed in a tailored suit—he couldn't have bought one otherwise! A month or so ago, when he was in a shootout, he had specifically avoided wearing a suit to save money.

The lounge was filled with people participating in various court hearings. Although many looked at Shiraishi with surprise, he didn't have to worry about reporters. Given his physique, anyone who knew him couldn't fail to recognize him, but even if the reporters recognized him, they held back from interviewing him, recording only the news that the "Beika Precinct Chief is attending as a spectator."

After all, while you can corner someone outside, once you step into the courthouse, you cannot act recklessly under the guise of a reporter. Disrupting order here would lead to being kicked out, causing them to miss the trial.

Just then, a middle-aged man wearing glasses and sporting a textbook "parted-down-the-middle" hairstyle walked over. "Chief Shiraishi, I presume?"

Although the man was standing while Shiraishi sat on the sofa, there wasn't much difference in height. Shiraishi noticed the "Autumn Frost and Burning Sun" badge on the man's lapel, indicating his status: a Public Prosecutor.

"And you are..."

"I am a First-Class Prosecutor of the Criminal Division of the Toto District Public Prosecutors Office... Auchi Takafumi! I will uphold the 99.9% conviction rate of the Prosecutor's Office and get the case back on track. Chief Shiraishi, you only need to worry about the internal disciplinary issues at your station," Auchi said smugly.

Although Shiraishi sensed the thick tone of provocation, he merely nodded. "I see. I hope Prosecutor Auchi can find the truth."

Just then, Shiraishi saw Komikado, with his signature side-parted hairstyle, standing at the courthouse entrance, instructing the young female lawyer to accept interviews from reporters to continue inciting public opinion.

At the same time, Komikado himself slipped inside while the reporters' attention was diverted.

It was evident that regarding "inciting public opinion," Komikado maintained a "victory-first" attitude. Lawyers who like to incite public opinion usually have two motives: one is to win, and the other is to increase their own fame. Komikado belonged to the former; he was never interested in cases concerning the "general public." He preferred to work with "big fat sheep," so he didn't value fame at the mass level.

Although Shiraishi didn't have a good impression of either type of lawyer, in all honesty, if he had to hire one, he would definitely choose someone like Komikado. At least he was in it for the "win," and would never be the type to stir up buzz for himself.

"Isn't this Prosecutor Auchi? I didn't expect my opponent this time to be you again. I really hope you can have some presence this time and not be left speechless after just a few questions, to the point where you can't even get the automatic doors to recognize you. Hahaha..." Komikado mocked Auchi Takafumi mercilessly as soon as he approached.

Then, noticing Shiraishi nearby, he recognized him as well.

"This must be Chief Shiraishi, right? My apologies. I have always admired your deeds. It must be difficult for you, having to deal with such unruly subordinates right after taking office. Are you here to see for yourself if your subordinates' actions have caused serious consequences? Don't worry, with me here, no innocent person will be wronged. See you inside." Komikado rattled off a string of words in front of Shiraishi before turning to leave.

Auchi Takafumi, clearly an old acquaintance of Komikado, was so frustrated he bit his handkerchief, looking utterly furious, muttering, "This time for sure... I'll make you look good this time..."

...

After being allowed into the courtroom, Shiraishi first found a bailiff. "Excuse me..."

"Ah! Y-yes, how can I help you?" The bailiff was startled, having heard a voice coming from behind and above him.

"Could you trouble yourself to find me a chair? This is my gallery pass." Shiraishi looked at the seating in the gallery, which resembled a university lecture hall, and felt he couldn't fit into the seats at all.

"Right, just a moment... Chief Shiraishi." The bailiff gave Shiraishi a second look, clearly having guessed who he was; his features were just too distinct.

Sitting at the very back, Shiraishi saw that in addition to the regular spectators, the courtroom was filled with reporters and people holding signs that read "Support Tsubokura."

However, Shiraishi simply sat there, arms crossed, looking unapproachable.