Published: July 4, 2025
Ryo had declared his determination to practice riding, but the next day, he went out for a little while.
This was because a letter had arrived from an acquaintance the previous evening.
"Among the things that Ryo-san showed interest in, I found some materials related to the administrative organization of Darwei. If it's for Ryo-san, who is being sponsored by Sue Koo-sama, I received permission from my superior to provide you with a [transcription]. I will be at the Censorate tomorrow morning."
That was the content of the letter.
As is clear from the content, it was from Boffo, the person in charge of Ryo's interrogation at the Censorate the other day.
"To think Boffo-san would go out of his way to send a letter, what a nice person."
"No, what on earth did Ryo talk about during the interrogation...?"
Ryo walked with a happy expression as he received the [transcription] from Boffo at the Censorate.
Beside him, for some reason, Abel followed, looking exasperated.
"Boffo-san is really a nice person and easy to talk to. During our casual chat, we discussed subjects of interest... The administrative organization of Darwei was one of them. You know, unless we leave Darwei, we can't return to the Central Nations, right? And it's the same with the Bosunta Kingdom. The names related to administration are quite different from those in the Central Nations and the Western Nations. For instance, the Censorate didn't even exist, did it?"
"Well, that's certainly true... But you wouldn't have casual conversations during an interrogation..."
Just as Abel said that, he suddenly had a thought.
Could it be that the interrogation itself was a ploy by Boffo?
From the interests of the subject being interrogated, he could infer what kind of interference or information theft might be possible...
Thinking that way, it seemed that Boffo might be surprisingly competent.
After all, the subject of interrogation had the impression that he was "really a nice person."
At the very least, he wasn't incompetent.
Indeed, the appearance of the person who had brought Ryo the materials at the Censorate just now looked like a very kind person...
"People are not as they appear."
Abel murmured.
Daimyo Sue Koo was riding in a carriage towards Lord Kan's mansion.
Since the day he arrived in Capital Johnjohn, he had been requesting an audience with Lord Kan, but had received no satisfactory response.
He knew that Lord Kan was unable to meet due to ill health... and he knew Lord Kan had gone out for a long ride that day. So that was a lie.
He also knew there was no schedule preventing him from visiting the royal palace. Hence, that was a lie too.
In other words, it was clear that there was a reason Lord Kan absolutely did not want to meet him.
"I have no choice but to go."
Daimyo Sue Koo sighed as he got into the carriage.
Lord Kan was the younger brother of the previous king.
The current king's uncle.
In the Bosunta Kingdom, he held a very high status.
Depending on one's perspective, he might be the second highest status after the current king.
It was something Sue Koo certainly did not want to do, to go barging in like this... but it couldn't be helped.
After all, it was something that absolutely no one else could do, which is precisely why only Sue Koo could manage it.
As the elder sister-in-law, only Sue Koo could.
"Still... carriages are really uncomfortable to ride in."
Inside the carriage, Sue Koo muttered for the umpteenth time.
After all, he was going to the mansion of the uncle of the current king.
Riding in a carriage was necessary.
That was a matter of etiquette.
Normally, whether moving within Mifasoshi or elsewhere, Sue Koo would either walk or ride a horse, so he deeply hated the uncomfortable carriage ride.
In the first place, you cannot see the scenery outside from a carriage.
It's boring.
And it dulls your reactions when something happens.
After all, they were on a fairly major road in Capital Johnjohn.
A thoroughfare of the realm.
He didn't think something would happen... There was a sense of carelessness about that...