I explained the rules of the mock trial right away, "We will split into roles. Dante and Rune will be our attorneys. Vice, you'll be the judge. Alice, you'll be the jury. Jasmine, you'll be the guard. I will give you two topics to argue. Vice will mediate, and Alice will be our impartial jury, so listen closely, Alice."
Alice's ears perked up. "Yes sir!" she exclaimed in a rather cute way. Jasmine chimed in, "What will I be doing?"
I smiled, "You'll make sure that Alice feels safe as she decides her verdict. Make her feel secure in her choice."
Jasmine nodded, a small smile on her lips. "Can do."
Dante asked, "So what's our first topic?"
I smirked, "This won't change what we do next, but I want you to argue if we should negotiate with Hank. Dante, you will argue for negotiation, and Rune, you will argue against negotiating. The second topic I will decide based on who wins. Make your statements now, please."
Dante adjusted his tie once more, taking a deep breath. He stepped forward, his expression serious. "Ladies and gentlemen of the jury," he began, his voice steady, "I understand the hesitation to negotiate with a man like Hank the Hyena. I know firsthand the kind of man he is. He is not someone you'd find tending to a nice flower shop on the corner market. No, this man is ruthless, brutal, and has no regard for those he exploits. However, we must consider that a man like Hank has been in this business for a very long time. He might be ruthless, but he isn't a man that can't be bought. Whether we want to negotiate for more time, or give him a bit of money to hold him over, we need to be smart about this. We can always outmaneuver him later, but right now, we need to be smart, not stubborn."
Rune stepped forward, looking a little more nervous. "Ladies and gentlemen... I, um, want to say that while Dante makes a good point, don't be swayed by fancy words. Hank is a man known for violence. We saw firsthand the kind of loan shark Hank was when he picked up Dante and threw him. Showing him we are willing to bend to him shows weakness. Once he smells weakness, he'll just keep wanting more. We should focus on paying him off as soon as possible. We can't afford to show weakness to a hyena like Hank."
Alice listened intently, her expression thoughtful. When both Dante and Rune had finished, she nodded, signaling that she was ready to make her judgment. Alice whispered a little to Jasmine. Jasmine whispered back, both of them giggling a bit.
I looked at Vice, "You can give your opinion on who you think won the argument. It might sway our jury."
Vice chuckled a bit, "Alright, you proved your point. As much as I think Rune was well-spoken, I have to hand it to Dante. In my opinion, his argument made more sense. We have time to spare, so why jump the gun and stir up trouble? He really painted a good picture; in my opinion, he made the better argument."
I turned to Alice, "Well, Alice? What's the verdict?"
Alice pointed at Rune with a pleased face, "Guilty!"
We all laughed as Rune blushed profusely at Alice's guilty verdict. I patted Rune on the back, "You did good, but you're up against a law student."
Rune stuttered, "I-It's not like I even believed in my own argument, dammit."
I cleared my throat, "I will sub for Rune for the next topic; he will instead mediate. You good with that, Rune?"
Rune said softly, still a bit embarrassed, "Got it."
I announced, "The next topic will be what we negotiate. Will we try to buy ourselves more time, or will we try to pay up front within the day time limit? Dante, you will take the 'buy ourselves more time' stance, and I will take the 'pay up front' stance. I will start with my statement."
Everyone went quiet as I began, "Ladies and gentlemen of the jury, I will start by saying paying up front is the only option that makes sense. Hank is a loan shark. Loan sharks respect on-time payment. This will stop him from pursuing us further as long as we stay in this town. He will have no reason to try his predatory tactics again. Additionally, paying him now could buy us peace of mind, allowing us to focus on our true objectives without the looming threat of Hank breathing down our necks. It's about taking control of the situation rather than letting it control us."
I had nothing else to add; I was confident Dante would strike down my argument.
Dante was quick to start, his voice calm and measured. "Ladies and gentlemen, I understand the urgency of dealing with Hank. However, buying ourselves more time is the smarter option here. Hank might be ruthless, but he's also a businessman. He knows that getting some payment now and the rest later is better than getting nothing at all. By negotiating for more time, we keep our funds intact for a little longer, allowing us to plan and gather the resources we need without acting in haste. Rushing to pay him upfront could leave us vulnerable, short on funds, and at a disadvantage when other challenges arise. It's about playing the long game and keeping our options open. Key would have you believe the situation would be out of control if we negotiated, but I am here to tell you he has it backwards. My colleague would have you believe that it looks weak to pay for more time, but it's actually the opposite. Paying it all up front shows fear; it shows that Hank forced our hands. Worst of all, it shows how spineless we are as a group. I rest my case, Vice."
Vice smiled a bit, "Very well then, I will give my opinion. I want to say first that I misjudged you. You really have a way with words, Ki—Dante. Sorry, boss, I think he wins flawlessly. I mean, what is there to say? He shot down your argument and made his own stance convincing. I think a show of strength makes sense for dealing with a loan shark like Hank. Being a loan shark myself, personally, I think paying in full shows cowardice. That is exactly what I would want to see if I were Hank. I think Dante makes a good point that paying in full is the wrong move when dealing with someone like Hank."
I smirked, "Jury, do we have a decision?"
Jasmine whispered to Alice. Jasmine pointed Alice's finger towards me, and Alice smiled again, "Guilty."
I laughed, "Yeah, I guess I am guilty. Serves me right for my half-assed argument."
Vice nodded, "I guess I see your point. There really was no need to test him. He is a lawyer and a good one at that."
Dante, clearly pleased with his victory, offered a gracious nod. "It was a good debate, Key. You made solid points. But I've spent years studying this kind of thing, so don't beat yourself up too much."
I smirked, "From the beginning, I never expected to win anyway."
Alice clapped, "That was fun."
Rune added, "It was interesting, to say the least, but what are we gonna do about this Hank guy for real?"
Jasmine chimed in, "It would be easier just to beat him up, wouldn't it? I mean, maybe break an arm or two?"
I chastised her, "Now, now, let's not get in trouble in this town already. Dante, give us the details. How much did you borrow, and how many days ago?"
Dante responded, "I borrowed 25 gold 5 days ago."
I was surprised, "Only 5 days ago? How did we get to 50? Isn't that a high-interest rate? I mean, we're talking double what you borrowed in just 5 days."
Dante rubbed his arm a bit insecurely and looked down at the ground. "Yes, hence his nickname as the hyena. He charges extremely high interest rates and will bother you every day until the debt is paid back."
I added, "Sounds like a scam."
Dante sighed, "That's because it is."
I asked, "Why borrow from such a shady guy?"
Dante explained, "Nobody official would loan to me. They say I am risky business and didn't want to take a chance."
I laughed, "Well, you're in luck. My newly formed group here is called Key to Wonderland. I specialize in scams, which is why we need your help as our newest official member."
Dante looked defensive, "Scams? I haven't heard of this. Are you serious? You can forget me helping you if you're gonna be scamming people."
Vice chuckled, "Relax, lawyer boy, we aren't scamming innocents or anything."
Dante looked confused, "Huh? Isn't the whole point of scamming people to target the vulnerable?"
Rune patted him on the back, "So you would think. I thought the same way until recently. Key only scams people that are already black of heart. People like Hank."
I nodded, "Exactly, just as Rune said, Dante."
Dante asked, "But why? Isn't there a better way to make money? I mean, you could just sell stuff normally."
I pointed to my ears, "That's assuming anyone would buy it. To tell you the truth, I used to scam normal people until recently. I'm done with that life now."
Rune added, "Plus, if there's one thing he's reliable at, it's scamming."
I scoffed, "Jeez, thanks, Rune."
Rune chuckled, "You're welcome."
Dante sighed, "Alright, fine. If it's people like Hank, I guess I have no objections."
Vice grinned, "Now that's settled. We should come up with a game plan for dealing with this guy."