Chapter 19 - The Loyalty of Count Ezrin Renalt
The guards of Count Ezrin's official residence looked at each other.
One of the older ones cleared his throat and spoke the designated password once more.
"'Monster.'"
A question mark appeared on the face of the official messenger—no, the man claiming to be an official messenger—as he looked around at the faces of the guards present.
There was no longer any room for doubt.
Everyone leveled their spears, weapons they rarely used. Two aimed at his chest from the front, and two aimed at his waist from behind.
"Wh—"
The man surrounded by the four spears raised his voice.
"What is the meaning of this! To commit such violence against an official messenger of the Government Administration, just what kind of—"
"Silence, you insolent fool," the older guard who had recited the password spat out.
"To think you would go so far as to pose as an official messenger. But your schemes have long since been exposed."
"Pose as—wh-what are you all saying—"
The man panicked as he realized that this was neither a joke nor a false accusation, but that he was genuinely suspected of being a fake official messenger.
"Behave yourself!"
This was not a situation he could cut his way out of by drawing a sword, nor did it seem like he could have a rational conversation. He had no choice but to do as he was told.
He knelt as ordered, his bag was taken away, and his hands were tied behind his back.
Just what on earth is happening?
Forced to stand and led away with spears pointed at him, the official messenger thought desperately.
He had certainly left the Government Administration carrying a proclamation from the Ministry of Ceremonies. It had taken about two days to travel down the Mares Road by changing horses. He had delivered the proclamation to Lagansville, just west of here, without any trouble.
He couldn't understand at all why he had to be treated as a fake messenger here.
—But if they looked at the document.
A formal document with the signature of a scribe from the Ministry of Ceremonies. If they read that, they would surely understand that he was not an impostor, but a formal official messenger.
Convincing himself of this, the official messenger was dragged away to the dungeon.
Count Ezrin, Renalt Realdi, received the news in his office.
"Is it true?"
"Yes, the guards reported that he could not answer the password."
"And the rebel?"
"He is tied up in the dungeon."
At the butler's reply, Renalt nodded.
"Was he not carrying a letter?"
"Here it is. He claimed it was a proclamation from the Ministry of Ceremonies."
He broke the seal of the envelope handed to him and carefully took out the letter inside. After reading it once, Renalt frowned.
"To think it would go this far."
The letter stated two things in concise language.
First, in the name of the Regent, Crown Prince Eirik, the daughter of Marquess Mares, Ariarein Hazen, was to be sentenced to exile.
Second, following the exile, the engagement between Crown Prince Eirik and the daughter of Marquess Mares, Ariarein Hazen, was to be dissolved.
The format was certainly that of a proclamation from the Ministry of Ceremonies. However, if one read it closely, the name of the scribe who signed it and the handwriting were different from the usual. But then again, if one didn't have the awareness that it was a fake, one might not have cared much. Although the content was like a bad joke—no, because it was exactly that—it was terrifying just to think about what would have happened without the prior instructions from the Marquess's daughter.
"What does the letter say?"
To the questioning butler, Renalt silently handed over the letter.
"—This is..."
It seemed the content was shocking even to the butler. As the butler stood unable to find words, Renalt flashed a wry smile.
"Truly, the thoroughness of that young lady is nothing short of amazing."
"It is as if she had anticipated it."
"Yes. —You must have heard the rumors in the streets as well."
"That something smells fishy in the east, or some such?"
"The young lady's instructions, those rumors, and this letter—does something not strike you?"
"—Surely, Melzard..."
The butler spoke of the kingdom to the east—the country that had attempted to invade this nation countless times, only to be repelled each time by the Marquess Mares of the day. Renalt judged them to be the ones behind this plot.
"Indeed, it wouldn't be strange if they had a hand in it."
"If that's the case, it all makes sense."
"Interrogate the rebel. However, do not kill him. You must make him spit out who is behind this."
"Yes, I shall convey that strictly."
Taking a breath, Renalt spoke of another concern.
"If such things are happening, it may truly mean that war is near. How is the transport of supplies progressing?"
It was three days ago that information regarding the fake official messenger and instructions for the transport of supplies had been brought by the Marquess's daughter.
From that day, Ezrin and the surrounding territories had begun sending supplies toward Mares, effectively emptying out most of the stored provisions.
It was a large-scale transport that involved commandeering and mobilizing the carriages and packhorses of merchants, including those from the Ezrin trading houses.
"It is generally going smoothly. The number of carriages passing through the city gates is mostly within the expected range."
"How are the food prices in the city?"
"There are some price increases. However, since it is only the transport of stockpiled portions, it should be limited."
"Very well," Renalt nodded.
"Continue the transport as planned. Keep a close eye on the prices of goods in the city. Also, tell the guards to be even more vigilant."
The butler bowed silently, rang a bell to call a footman, and conveyed Renalt's instructions. Feeling satisfied that his orders were being carried out without delay, Renalt returned to his work.
Count Ezrin, Renalt Realdi, was a man of loyalty. As the head of a family that had sworn fealty to the royal family for generations, Renalt also swore his loyalty to the crown.
Because of his trust and loyalty to the royal family, Renalt trusted Marquess Mares and his family, whom the royal family trusted, just as much as he trusted the crown itself.
For that Renalt, the idea of the royal family discarding House Mares, or House Mares choosing to oppose the royal family, was something entirely beyond the scope of his imagination.
[Author's Note]
The official messenger who gets caught just for doing his job seriously, and the Count who catches him because he was doing his job seriously. In the author's mind, both are high up in the "pitiable ranking" of this work.