Fermos nodded and opened his mouth.
“...”
Liene twisted her lips as if she had swallowed what she had written. The treaty the previous King had signed was a giant worm that was eating away at the royal family. It was quickly and indiscriminately eating away at this small kingdom and the royal family. Liene could not do anything even though she saw it every day. It was all her weakness. It was embarrassing and painful to reveal it in front of Black.
“Then let’s postpone the trial and resolve that first.”
Black intervened again.
“Find the culprit and find out that the Grand Chancellor ordered it. If the priests aren’t stupid, they’ll figure out which way to go.”
Fermos groaned.
“Ugh... That’s harder than I thought. The investigation isn’t making much progress. The priests and deacons all wear the same clothes and their work is all random... Anyway, we need more time.”
"How much?"
When Black raised his voice slightly, Fermos hesitated, threw back his shoulders, and shook his eyes.
“That’s... not yet well...”
"Well?"
“I don’t know... No, no, my lord. I will find out somehow. Actually, there was just one clue, but I was putting it off because I had a difficult way to confirm it. If you permit me, Princess, I will use it right now.”
“What is that?”
Before Fermos could finish speaking, Liene asked. Although she didn't know it, there was excitement in her voice.
"Princess."
Black called Liene.
"Yes?"
When she turned her head to look, he grabbed Liene's wrist and lifted it up.
“If you do this, it will hurt again.”
“...?”
Liene had been clenching her fist without realizing it. Black placed Liene’s clenched fist on his palm and opened her fingers one by one with his other hand.
“I hope that there will be no more wounds on the Princess’s body that I did not create.”
“...”
Fermos opened his mouth without saying a word. Liene was also slightly surprised.
“Are you going to hurt me?”
The wounds that lovers inflict on their lovers were of various kinds, and what Black was talking about was not a literal wound, but rather a metaphor for deep caresses. However, looking at Liene’s expression, it was obvious that she had no thoughts in that direction at all. Liene did not know what Fermos had understood, saying that he had no interest in affection between humans.
“Don’t you know what I’m talking about?”
“I think so. Common sense would tell you it’s a joke, but Lord Tiwakan’s expression doesn’t look like you're joking at all.”
“... I let my guard down again.”
Black let out a short sigh.
“I didn’t mean to cause any painful wounds. Please don’t misunderstand.”
“I know you would. I know you care about me a lot. Don’t misunderstand.”
“...”
Fermos turned his head to the side, unable to bear to watch Black's expression as he heard those words.
“Now tell me what I should allow.”
Fermos nodded his head reluctantly, trying not to look at Black.
“The clue I found was a bloodstain. Judging by the amount of blood that fell, the wound must not be very small.”
“Blood?”
“Yes. But when I examined the high priest’s body, there were no wounds that could have caused blood to flow.”
"Then..."
“It looks like the blood of the criminal. The criminal must have been wounded. And based on the circumstances, the criminal must be a member of the temple.”
“I guess so.”
“So, if you permit me, I will take off their priestly garb. If there is a wound on his body that is not fully healed, he may be the culprit. For now, that is the only clue we have.”
“We’ll have to take off their priestly robes and check each person one by one. That won’t be easy.”
“That’s right. I don’t know if those annoying people will take off their clothes obediently.”
Black blurted out a word.
“Then make them take it off.”
“That... Of course. I could take it off by force or threat... But this is a temple. If they were to do it on their own, it could easily turn ugly, so I wanted to ask the Princess in advance. Do you permit it?”
“It’s not something else, it’s just a matter of finding the culprit who killed the High Priest. Even if it’s awkward, I have to do it. So... Oh, by any chance?”
Suddenly, a thought crossed her mind. Blood seeping out from under the thick priest's robe. The child of God who had prayed a prayer of repentance, who had remained still despite being hit. It was Brother Klima.
“There was a brother who was bleeding yesterday.”
"Yes?"
Fermos was delighted. After all, he didn't really like the idea of taking off the priests' clothes. He couldn't help but feel glad that it wasn't necessary.
“Who is that?”
“Yes, as I said...”
“No, I should ask you before that. How did your face turn out like that?”
The moment Fermos approached to answer, Liene was startled. One side of his face was bruised and bloodshot. It was a face that had been fine when she had dragged Linden Kleinfelter by the scruff of his neck and left the office.
“Are you sure you got it right? To whom?”
“Ah, this is...”
Fermos glanced at Black.
“I’m grateful it ended here.”
It was a situation where it was impossible to not know that the culprit was Black. Liene was surprised and grabbed Black's arm.
“Did you hit him? Why?”
Black glared at Fermos, but it was too late. While he hesitated to answer, Fermos quickly opened his mouth.
“I’m still sorry. It’s because I didn’t stop him in time. Because of that, the Princess’s wrist got a bruise, and it’s all my fault.”
“...”
Liene frowned and looked at Black.
“You don’t have to hit him though. That’s... well... not something to praise, though.”
There must have been a reason why Fermos was acting so stubborn, and Liene had already guessed. He probably didn’t want to be caught entering the office without permission. And he probably wanted to hear what Liene was talking about with Linden Kleinfelter. Thinking back, it was a dizzying moment. She didn’t even want to imagine what would have happened if she had shown cooperation instead of being threatened by the Kleinfelters.
“I didn’t mean to hit him either.”
Black spoke in his usual emotionless voice, but somehow he sounded a little embarrassed.
"Sure?"
“...”
Black's silence contained an explanation that when he came to his senses after listening to the story, he had already been hit once. Fermos, who had been looking at Black with his mouth open in curiosity, stepped in to sort things out.
“I’ll say it again, it’s my fault. I really appreciate that you only did this much. Of course, it was also the fault of the guys who tried to stop me... Oh, I’m not complaining.”
“Phew...”
Liene sighed and shook her head.
“I cannot judge the military discipline of Tiwakan, so I will stop here. However, Sir Fermos’s entry into the royal office without permission is something that cannot be tolerated. I will punish him appropriately later.”
“Oh, yes. I will wait humbly.”
“What were you doing in the office?”
“Well, um... I had something to look up in the royal records. There are things I need to know about Nauk to carry out the work you have entrusted to me. I don’t want to ask the Princess everything.”
It was not an unreasonable thing. The only thing of value in the office was the royal seal. That was not something that Linden Kleinfelter would have coveted, but it was not something that Fermos would have coveted.
“I understand that. Next time, please ask permission in advance. What happened to Linden Klinefelter?”
Fermos, who had been wearing a conscience-prickling expression the whole time, was relieved at the change in topic.
“We put him in the same room as an illegitimate child. The prison was noisy for quite some time because of the noblewoman who was so energetic.”
“It’s not hard to guess. He’s not the type of person to take it easy... What about the other Klinefelters?”
“He’s still quiet. I tried asking if he knew that it was evidence of the older man’s babbling, but he didn’t seem to know.”
"Yes."
“I think so, but I don’t think there’s any evidence. I think it was just a fake bait to lure the Princess.”
“I agree with you. If there really was evidence, he wouldn’t have held on to it so quietly until now.”
“That’s right. If there was something like that, he could have used it all he wanted. He could have even claimed that the engagement was invalid.”
“That’s true.”
Liene was quite surprised by the brief conversation. She had guessed that Fermos was smart, but she thought he was more than that. He seemed to have seen through Linden Kleinfelter's tendencies not long after arriving in Nauk.
“But it certainly seemed like there was some truth to it. He keeps talking about the Treaty of Liseberg. Do you happen to know about it?”
“Yes, unfortunately.”
“I’m sorry. That doesn’t sound good.”
“It is a peace treaty made with the elders and advisors of the Nauk Council during the previous King’s reign. Most of the rights that Kleinfelter enjoys now are due to that treaty.”
“A peace treaty... Was there a civil war?”
“As far as I know, yes. The drought has lasted too long, and there is only one person responsible: the King.”
Fermos clicked his tongue.
“It’s not just bad.”
The peace treaty that Liene had made long ago, which she could not even remember, was actually nothing more than a humiliation for the royal family, although it was called peace in name only. The previous King suffered from financial difficulties due to the continuous drought and tried to impose taxes on the nobles. The nobles who opposed this formed a power centered around the Kleinfelter family, and it came to the brink of rebellion, and the previous King, who could not endure it, had to sign a treaty that was nothing more than a gag for the royal family.
“Is it true that you are saying that to punish the Speaker according to that treaty, a unanimous verdict must be reached in the trial of the Grand Council?”
“I’m sorry, but yes, that’s true.”
“No, I should ask you before that. How did your face turn out like that?”
The moment Fermos approached to answer, Liene was startled. One side of his face was bruised and bloodshot. It was a face that had been fine when she had dragged Linden Kleinfelter by the scruff of his neck and left the office.
“Are you sure you got it right? To whom?”
“Ah, this is...”
Fermos glanced at Black.
“I’m grateful it ended here.”
It was a situation where it was impossible to not know that the culprit was Black. Liene was surprised and grabbed Black's arm.
“Did you hit him? Why?”
Black glared at Fermos, but it was too late. While he hesitated to answer, Fermos quickly opened his mouth.
“I’m still sorry. It’s because I didn’t stop him in time. Because of that, the Princess’s wrist got a bruise, and it’s all my fault.”
“...”
Liene frowned and looked at Black.
“You don’t have to hit him though. That’s... well... not something to praise, though.”
There must have been a reason why Fermos was acting so stubborn, and Liene had already guessed. He probably didn’t want to be caught entering the office without permission. And he probably wanted to hear what Liene was talking about with Linden Kleinfelter. Thinking back, it was a dizzying moment. She didn’t even want to imagine what would have happened if she had shown cooperation instead of being threatened by the Kleinfelters.
“I didn’t mean to hit him either.”
Black spoke in his usual emotionless voice, but somehow he sounded a little embarrassed.
"Sure?"
“...”
Black's silence contained an explanation that when he came to his senses after listening to the story, he had already been hit once. Fermos, who had been looking at Black with his mouth open in curiosity, stepped in to sort things out.
“I’ll say it again, it’s my fault. I really appreciate that you only did this much. Of course, it was also the fault of the guys who tried to stop me... Oh, I’m not complaining.”
“Phew...”
Liene sighed and shook her head.
“I cannot judge the military discipline of Tiwakan, so I will stop here. However, Sir Fermos’s entry into the royal office without permission is something that cannot be tolerated. I will punish him appropriately later.”
“Oh, yes. I will wait humbly.”
“What were you doing in the office?”
“Well, um... I had something to look up in the royal records. There are things I need to know about Nauk to carry out the work you have entrusted to me. I don’t want to ask the Princess everything.”
It was not an unreasonable thing. The only thing of value in the office was the royal seal. That was not something that Linden Kleinfelter would have coveted, but it was not something that Fermos would have coveted.
“I understand that. Next time, please ask permission in advance. What happened to Linden Klinefelter?”
Fermos, who had been wearing a conscience-prickling expression the whole time, was relieved at the change in topic.
“We put him in the same room as an illegitimate child. The prison was noisy for quite some time because of the noblewoman who was so energetic.”
“It’s not hard to guess. He’s not the type of person to take it easy... What about the other Klinefelters?”
“He’s still quiet. I tried asking if he knew that it was evidence of the older man’s babbling, but he didn’t seem to know.”
"Yes."
“I think so, but I don’t think there’s any evidence. I think it was just a fake bait to lure the Princess.”
“I agree with you. If there really was evidence, he wouldn’t have held on to it so quietly until now.”
“That’s right. If there was something like that, he could have used it all he wanted. He could have even claimed that the engagement was invalid.”
“That’s true.”
Liene was quite surprised by the brief conversation. She had guessed that Fermos was smart, but she thought he was more than that. He seemed to have seen through Linden Kleinfelter's tendencies not long after arriving in Nauk.
“But it certainly seemed like there was some truth to it. He keeps talking about the Treaty of Liseberg. Do you happen to know about it?”
“Yes, unfortunately.”
“I’m sorry. That doesn’t sound good.”
“It is a peace treaty made with the elders and advisors of the Nauk Council during the previous King’s reign. Most of the rights that Kleinfelter enjoys now are due to that treaty.”
“A peace treaty... Was there a civil war?”
“As far as I know, yes. The drought has lasted too long, and there is only one person responsible: the King.”
Fermos clicked his tongue.
“It’s not just bad.”
The peace treaty that Liene had made long ago, which she could not even remember, was actually nothing more than a humiliation for the royal family, although it was called peace in name only. The previous King suffered from financial difficulties due to the continuous drought and tried to impose taxes on the nobles. The nobles who opposed this formed a power centered around the Kleinfelter family, and it came to the brink of rebellion, and the previous King, who could not endure it, had to sign a treaty that was nothing more than a gag for the royal family.
“Is it true that you are saying that to punish the Speaker according to that treaty, a unanimous verdict must be reached in the trial of the Grand Council?”
“I’m sorry, but yes, that’s true.”
“We will have to either crush all the nobles
belonging to the Great Council or abolish the treaty itself.”
“There will be no noble who will agree to abolish the treaty.”
“Oh, then would it be better to kill him?”
Liene, who thought it was a joke because it was nonsense, calmly shook her head.
“Then Nauk will be torn in half.”
“It’s not that many... Oh, dear. Nauk was a place where family ties were strong. I guess I have to consider the loyalty of the servants employed by noble families. Those servants probably have family and friends.”
"You're right."
Fermos sighed as if it wasn't a joke at all.
“I had forgotten how complicated politics was. I would rather have war.”
As Fermos continued muttering, Black spoke up.
"Right."
“...Oh, yes.”
Then Fermos quickly changed his attitude as if nothing had happened.
“I guess a trial by the House of Representatives would be useless. We need to find a way to change the treaty.”
That was something Liene had thought about for a long time. Liene just didn't have the strength to do it.
“The only exception is the temple.”
“A temple?”
“Yes. The temple has the power to overturn all judgments. It is a place that conveys the word of the gods.”
"Aha."
“The problem is that the Treaty of Liseberg gave the High Chancellor the power to nominate the next High Priest. Since then, the High Priest has been Kleinfelter’s man.”
"Ah."
Fermos' monocle gleamed.
“Isn’t the position of High Priest vacant now? Has the next High Priest been chosen?”
“Not yet.”
A shadow suddenly appeared in her calm eyes.
“It probably wasn’t done on purpose. Linden Klinefelter was determined to postpone the wedding.”
“Hmm... Then, do you think the High Priest was killed because of that?”
"Maybe."
“Ha! He's been diligently acting like a tyrant while there is no King.”
“There will be no noble who will agree to abolish the treaty.”
“Oh, then would it be better to kill him?”
Liene, who thought it was a joke because it was nonsense, calmly shook her head.
“Then Nauk will be torn in half.”
“It’s not that many... Oh, dear. Nauk was a place where family ties were strong. I guess I have to consider the loyalty of the servants employed by noble families. Those servants probably have family and friends.”
"You're right."
Fermos sighed as if it wasn't a joke at all.
“I had forgotten how complicated politics was. I would rather have war.”
As Fermos continued muttering, Black spoke up.
"Right."
“...Oh, yes.”
Then Fermos quickly changed his attitude as if nothing had happened.
“I guess a trial by the House of Representatives would be useless. We need to find a way to change the treaty.”
That was something Liene had thought about for a long time. Liene just didn't have the strength to do it.
“The only exception is the temple.”
“A temple?”
“Yes. The temple has the power to overturn all judgments. It is a place that conveys the word of the gods.”
"Aha."
“The problem is that the Treaty of Liseberg gave the High Chancellor the power to nominate the next High Priest. Since then, the High Priest has been Kleinfelter’s man.”
"Ah."
Fermos' monocle gleamed.
“Isn’t the position of High Priest vacant now? Has the next High Priest been chosen?”
“Not yet.”
A shadow suddenly appeared in her calm eyes.
“It probably wasn’t done on purpose. Linden Klinefelter was determined to postpone the wedding.”
“Hmm... Then, do you think the High Priest was killed because of that?”
"Maybe."
“Ha! He's been diligently acting like a tyrant while there is no King.”
“...”
Liene twisted her lips as if she had swallowed what she had written. The treaty the previous King had signed was a giant worm that was eating away at the royal family. It was quickly and indiscriminately eating away at this small kingdom and the royal family. Liene could not do anything even though she saw it every day. It was all her weakness. It was embarrassing and painful to reveal it in front of Black.
“Then let’s postpone the trial and resolve that first.”
Black intervened again.
“Find the culprit and find out that the Grand Chancellor ordered it. If the priests aren’t stupid, they’ll figure out which way to go.”
Fermos groaned.
“Ugh... That’s harder than I thought. The investigation isn’t making much progress. The priests and deacons all wear the same clothes and their work is all random... Anyway, we need more time.”
"How much?"
When Black raised his voice slightly, Fermos hesitated, threw back his shoulders, and shook his eyes.
“That’s... not yet well...”
"Well?"
“I don’t know... No, no, my lord. I will find out somehow. Actually, there was just one clue, but I was putting it off because I had a difficult way to confirm it. If you permit me, Princess, I will use it right now.”
“What is that?”
Before Fermos could finish speaking, Liene asked. Although she didn't know it, there was excitement in her voice.
"Princess."
Black called Liene.
"Yes?"
When she turned her head to look, he grabbed Liene's wrist and lifted it up.
“If you do this, it will hurt again.”
“...?”
Liene had been clenching her fist without realizing it. Black placed Liene’s clenched fist on his palm and opened her fingers one by one with his other hand.
“I hope that there will be no more wounds on the Princess’s body that I did not create.”
“...”
Fermos opened his mouth without saying a word. Liene was also slightly surprised.
“Are you going to hurt me?”
The wounds that lovers inflict on their lovers were of various kinds, and what Black was talking about was not a literal wound, but rather a metaphor for deep caresses. However, looking at Liene’s expression, it was obvious that she had no thoughts in that direction at all. Liene did not know what Fermos had understood, saying that he had no interest in affection between humans.
“Don’t you know what I’m talking about?”
“I think so. Common sense would tell you it’s a joke, but Lord Tiwakan’s expression doesn’t look like you're joking at all.”
“... I let my guard down again.”
Black let out a short sigh.
“I didn’t mean to cause any painful wounds. Please don’t misunderstand.”
“I know you would. I know you care about me a lot. Don’t misunderstand.”
“...”
Fermos turned his head to the side, unable to bear to watch Black's expression as he heard those words.
“Now tell me what I should allow.”
Fermos nodded his head reluctantly, trying not to look at Black.
“The clue I found was a bloodstain. Judging by the amount of blood that fell, the wound must not be very small.”
“Blood?”
“Yes. But when I examined the high priest’s body, there were no wounds that could have caused blood to flow.”
"Then..."
“It looks like the blood of the criminal. The criminal must have been wounded. And based on the circumstances, the criminal must be a member of the temple.”
“I guess so.”
“So, if you permit me, I will take off their priestly garb. If there is a wound on his body that is not fully healed, he may be the culprit. For now, that is the only clue we have.”
“We’ll have to take off their priestly robes and check each person one by one. That won’t be easy.”
“That’s right. I don’t know if those annoying people will take off their clothes obediently.”
Black blurted out a word.
“Then make them take it off.”
“That... Of course. I could take it off by force or threat... But this is a temple. If they were to do it on their own, it could easily turn ugly, so I wanted to ask the Princess in advance. Do you permit it?”
“It’s not something else, it’s just a matter of finding the culprit who killed the High Priest. Even if it’s awkward, I have to do it. So... Oh, by any chance?”
Suddenly, a thought crossed her mind. Blood seeping out from under the thick priest's robe. The child of God who had prayed a prayer of repentance, who had remained still despite being hit. It was Brother Klima.
“There was a brother who was bleeding yesterday.”
"Yes?"
Fermos was delighted. After all, he didn't really like the idea of taking off the priests' clothes. He couldn't help but feel glad that it wasn't necessary.
“Who is that?”
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