Chapter 59

It's quite short, I apologize.

I've been getting busier as the year-end approaches…

I am now heading to the castle alone, without Luna and Yomi. The two insisted on coming as usual, but I deliberately declined.

I could have brought them, but I had a hunch that this might be troublesome, so I decided to go alone.

According to Irlia, there is something to discuss regarding the chancellor. Although we handed him over in a state of suspended animation, I have been a bit concerned about what happened afterward.

To be honest, Irlia seems to know very little about the king's business, and I didn't get any useful information.

It feels like she just came to serve some sweets. ...Well, kindness is not for others alone.

This world is undoubtedly starved for entertainment and sweets. Just like when I was a slave trader, it seems possible to negotiate with sweets in this world.

If this trend continues and spreads a bit more, I might be able to use sweets to my advantage when something happens. ...I think.

They say, "Lose to gain," and that's a good saying indeed.

So, I'm walking to the castle. By the way, the academy is on break today. Irlia came late, and the next day was also an academy day, so it's been three days since she came.

I was worried if it was okay to be so late, but Irlia said it wasn't a problem, so it should be fine.

...If that's the case, you shouldn't have said, "Come with me" in the first place. It was confusing. I thought I had to go immediately.

When I arrived at the castle gate and handed over the letter from Irlia to the guard, he let me through without any trouble.

It seems the information has been circulated.

Led by the guard, I walked through the castle and was taken to a reception room, not the audience chamber I had seen before.

"You will be seeing His Majesty soon. Please wait here for a moment."

The room had a very luxurious sofa and a heavy wooden table.

A maid came in immediately and served tea. The tea accompaniment was cookies.

Cookies are now being sold on a large scale by the Rebrant Trading Company, with two types available: one for the common people and one for the nobility.

The cookies served now are probably the most expensive ones from the Rebrant Trading Company. They are a special treat, generously using honey and fruit jam that are occasionally supplied.

After waiting for 30 minutes, the king and an elderly man I had never seen before entered.

"I'm sorry to have kept you waiting."

"No, the tea and cookies were delicious, so it didn't feel long at all."

"That's good. Recently, cookies have been sold in large quantities, so I often buy them. My wife eats sweets every day."

"The queen does too! That must be a great boost for the company."

Well, knowing Rebrant, he probably won't be satisfied with this and will aim even higher.

"Ah, I forgot to introduce him. The person next to me is the new chancellor, Agrom."

"I am Ormani von Agrom, the new chancellor. You must be Aul, the hero? Nice to meet you."

He seems very gentle, but the aura he gives off is not that of an elderly person.

He might be quite a sly one. Since he's the chancellor, I can't let my guard down.

"I am Aul. I'm not really a hero, it was just a coincidence."

"Ha ha ha ha, if a hero who is not in top form can defeat an S-rank, this world would be much more interesting."

I guess saying it was a coincidence was a bit of a stretch. But what does he mean by "interesting"? This guy seems to have some issues with his personality.

I don't like getting involved in troublesome matters, so I'll keep my nose out of this.

"So, what brings you here today?"

"I'll explain. The chancellor you captured and put into a state of suspended animation... was really killed by someone 7 days ago."

Killed, huh. So the case wasn't really over after all.

...Why do I always get dragged into such troublesome situations!

...No, maybe it's because I stick my nose in. I should have restrained myself. What an idiot I am!

"You seem surprised. To be honest, his death is a loss, but it's not a major problem. The problem is that he was killed inside the castle."

According to the king, they didn't just easily release him from the state of suspended animation. They had set up a barrier to completely seal his benefits before trying to talk to him.

However, after the chancellor's arrest, it took some time to hand over his duties and stabilize the country. Just as they were about to talk to him, this incident happened.

Moreover, since it happened inside the castle, there must have been someone who helped the killer, but they don't know who it was.

"...This seems to be quite a state secret. Why are you telling me this?"

"Well, he was saying a lot of things at the end. I thought he might have said something that could be a clue."

A clue... Indeed, I heard it through Luna and Yomi's magical devices.

There are a few points that caught my attention.

- When he became chancellor, he learned about the evolution gemstones, which only the royal family should know.

- He studied the benefits and conducted experiments on the possibilities of benefits in rural areas.

- Between the ages of 10 and 15, he traveled to various cities to study and gain knowledge.

"Is that all?"

"..."

When I mentioned the points that caught my attention, the two of them fell silent. They might have noticed the same things.

To be honest, I was concerned about the former chancellor's story. However, I thought it might be best not to get involved any further, and Luna and Yomi said they had reported everything to the knights and the Marquis Listenia, so I thought it was fine.

Judging from their reactions, it seems some important parts might have been omitted or their explanations were incomplete.

"Was there something in the report that wasn't mentioned?"

"Aye, there was one piece of information I didn't hear. When I heard it, I couldn't help but feel a sense of unease."

"That's true. It does seem odd."

When I asked the two for more details, it turned out that the points that made them feel uneasy were the same as mine.

So, where did the two feel the unease?

What are the three points that caught our attention?

I'll update bit by bit.

I'd be happy if you could rate and bookmark it.