When Keith, accompanied by Hans, returned to the outer court room - the room that the court had secretly secured in order to solve this case in secret - he found it in a dreadful state.

"Is this all the treasures that Madame Maris got her hands on?　Any takers?
Let's see, the former matriarch's embezzlement of court expenses: ......
Who the hell put this paper over here?　This one's over there. If it gets mixed up, we'll never know!
Can you confirm the supplier who made the counterfeit goods?
Yeah, there's a pile of papers over there somewhere, .......

The not-so-large room was crammed with people from the outer court, related documents, and some of the evidence, and it looked like it was in a state of disrepair where they had to seriously worry about getting lost. Keith fixed his glasses and sighed, as was his habit.

I was gone for a few hours, what the hell happened?
"Oh, Mr. Keith!　No, His Majesty told me to find out the whole truth about this matter at all costs.
"So what kind of idiot would cram all the relevant stuff into this room? It's not very efficient, is it?
You see, Orion, you see, ......

The root of all evil is the most sketchy man in the outer court, who hates trouble. As much as I would like to complain to him, unfortunately, Orion is buried under a pile of paper and cannot be seen. I guess I'll have to wait until this is over before I can give him a lecture.
Behind Keith, Hans, who was looking at the room with an indescribable look in his eyes, muttered to himself.

I'm not sure who's going to clean up this ...... mess.
You can run for office if you want.
You can run for office if you want. - No, no, no, that's not a good idea.
It's a saying of the outer court. It's a saying in the outer court.
What, are you serious?
"Unfortunately, the Outer Palace is always short-staffed.

Keith pulled out some of the unprocessed documents from the pile and pushed them to Hans, along with an ink pot and a pen.

I'd like to see a list of all these documents in a clear and concise format.
"What?
You can't leave without it.

While sorting through the unprocessed documents at a frightening speed, Keith said without hesitation. Hans, who has an excellent ability to judge the situation, gave up on the common-sense retort, "I'm a commoner," and "On the contrary, I'm from the dark side. This department called the Outer Court Office is quite unusual, as if it were in league with the Cresta family.

If it's okay with me, I'll do it. I'll do it if it's okay with you.
......, but you'll have to.
I have a question, though. How many extra crimes does that woman ......, the former chief of police, have?
There may be no end to it if you ...... break it down.

I'm not sure what to do.

I'm not sure what to make of that.　That king is talking out of his ass. That'll be the end of the year.
Isn't it necessary to find out the crime?
There are limits. I didn't ask for details about the purpose of ...... this time, but in short, if you can deprive the lady of her job and nobility, that's all that matters, right?　In the event that you've got a lot of money to spend, you'll be able to take advantage of it.

He lives "behind the scenes" and doesn't like to waste. Achieving the maximum effect with the minimum effort and achieving the goal is the common sense of the world he lives in. To be honest, the disastrous state of this room gives the impression of a reversal of means and ends.
At Hans' point, Keith blinked behind his glasses. It was a rare look of disbelief on his calm face.

You're right, ......, you're right.
And what's the point of finding out the whole story now?　I'm sure you'll be happy to hear that.　Including the ...... crown?

The last thing that Hans added was that while he was ostensibly brisk as usual, he actually had the power to immediately shake Keith's brain, which had been dulled by lack of sleep.
Slightly flustered, Keith turned to the chamberlain who was working near the entrance.

"You said earlier that this was your order, didn't you?
"What?　Yes, Your Majesty's orders. Since you've been falsely accused so far, I'm sure His Majesty would like to make all of the Chief Magistrate's crimes known and punish her justly.

I'm not joking. If you do that, you won't know why you went to so much trouble to get the crown back. Hans next to me shrugged his shoulders.

"Where is ...... His Majesty?
"Where?　Well, he's probably in the next room. He's been going over all the documents we've compiled.

From here, it's faster to go around the corridor than to use the inner door.
As he looked at Keith, who had silently gotten up and left the room, Hans thought.

Great people have a lot of work to do, don't they?



As he walked around the corridor and stood in front of the next room, he was first surprised to see that there were no knights of the guard at the door. It seems that the King is moving unnoticed for now.

Excuse me, sir.
"...... Keith?
Yes.

The sound of a knob turning. The door opens from the inside and I see Alford's face.

I knew you'd be here.


"Yeah, yeah. ...... Anyway, come on in.

As expected, His Majesty the King was there as well. He was reading the documents piled up on his old desk, one by one, with a serious expression.
To his dismay, there were no other knights of the Kingsguard in the room besides Alford. Keith let out a deep breath.

"Aren't you being too cautious?
I think so, too. We can't use anyone other than the Kingsguard to wash Master Maris and the surrounding area right now.
Are you saying they're already working on it?
No?　I've ordered you to check the facts first. If we get ahead of ourselves, it'll be troublesome if they counterattack.

It was fortunate for all of us that Alford was chosen as the commander of the current king's Kingsguard. He always avoids the worst situation at the last minute.

...... By the way, I heard that His Majesty has ordered the Outer Court to reveal all the charges against Master Maris.
Oh, it's necessary, isn't it?
You mean you're going to make her crimes public?
If we don't, she can't be formally removed. ...... Hey, hey, Keith, what's up?
I'd like to ask you if the theft of the crown is part of the things you're going public with.

I'm sure you'll be able to understand why.

I'm not sure if you're aware of that.
I'm sure you're aware of that. This is also the advice of a certain person, but it will take a terrible amount of time to uncover all the bad things about the former headmistress. I think we should prioritize getting rid of her and publicize as much of her crimes as we can.
...... You've got a point.

Keith nodded broadly.

Of course, it is necessary to find out as much as possible about those who illegally bought the treasure from Mrs. Maris and those who were complicit in her misdeeds. But is it really important to do that at the same time?
If we make a big deal out of it, we'll get a lot of backlash. ......
As long as we have the evidence, we can punish him at any time. For now, shouldn't we target the former headmistress and her collaborators?
I think you've made your point. ...... Keith.

Alford glares at me with a bit of a swarthy look in his eyes.

I've got a question for you. I'm sure you're aware of that.
If I didn't know, I wouldn't have prepared so well.
I knew it!　Why didn't you tell me?

This time, the outer court and the Crester family's main objective was to 'expose the crimes of Mrs. Maris' and 'make the matter of the crown less important'. ...... In order to do so.

I'm sure you'll agree with me.　I'm sure you'll be pleased to know that I'm not the only one who's a little concerned about this.
"...... Even Miss Deanna?　I didn't see her like that.
You know better than I do how adept they are at hiding their true intentions.
That's right, that's right. ....... Oh, I've been set up.

He scratched his head and turned his body around.

Well, let's check with His Majesty.
"Please, sir.
What are you talking about? You're the one who should be doing the talking.
"Me?

Alford pointed his finger at Keith, who looked at him suspiciously.

You're the one who said it. You're the one who said it.
It's not exactly us, but ......
Did you say something?
No, sir. I'll tell you.

Alford is right, it's only logical that the initiator should speak up. Keith quietly approached the desk where the king was seated. The conversation between Keith and Alford was taking place in a slightly secluded area near the door, so the king did not seem to notice.
He looked up when he noticed the presence of people, and when he saw Keith, he looked at him strangely.

"Assistant Manager Hi-Zed, I presume. What's up?
I'd like to ask you something, Your Majesty.
"Me?　I'll tell him.

I'm sure you'll be able to tell me more about it. I'm sure you'll understand.

I'm sure you're aware of that. How do you intend to deal with this matter?
How can you be so sure? All those involved, including the ringleader, Master Maris, will be found guilty and dealt with severely.
...... So you're saying you're going to bring this to light?
I don't think this is something that can be kept private.

--"Certainly," Keith thought. It would be treasonous for a woman in the position of chief minister to sell off a national treasure. Under normal circumstances, the matter should not be concealed, and the Mediation Bureau should be brought in to investigate the matter and thoroughly investigate the truth.


But that's . But that's only when the royal family has absolute authority.

Do you really think that's for the best, Your Majesty?
"Whether it is the best or not is irrelevant. This is a matter of principle that needs to be corrected.
"Then let me ask you, as the king, don't you have a 'reason' to decide on a queen right now?

I'm not sure what to make of it, but I'm sure it's worth it. As a civil servant, he was not well versed in martial arts, but the power of his strength that he did not back down at the critical moment was something that could be seen in the men who went into battle.
--And Juke was not so stupid as to not be able to see that at all.

That may be so, but ......!
If His Majesty had chosen a queen at the time of his accession to the throne, this incident would not have occurred. I'm not sure what to make of that.
"...... What are you trying to say? What are you trying to say, you and the rest of the Ministry of the Interior, is that the lack of a queen is causing chaos in the country?
I'm just wondering if being 'reasonable' has become a mere stubbornness. If my fears are unfounded, then they are superfluous.

Not long ago, the King would have said, "Your fears are unfounded! The king of a few years ago would have ended the conversation with a single word. However, he decided to accept the painful words and think for himself, and he looked Keith straight in the eye.

"Are you telling me that I'm trying to get to the bottom of this ...... thing out of spite?
"I'm saying that you need to stop and think about it calmly.
I'm calm!
It's common knowledge that people who shout like that are not calm.

I am calm! It's a good idea to have a good idea of what you're talking about.
Alford is silently watching the exchange between the two. Rather than clinging to the answers given by others, he thinks for himself and chooses the best. --He will not interfere with the king's choice, because he believes that is what Juke needs most right now.

He does not interfere with the king's choices, because he believes that is what Juke needs most right now. "--...... what is best for the kingdom. That's what's best for the kingdom, and that's the path I should choose, I suppose.
"Your Majesty ......
I'd like to ask Assistant Director Hi-Zed. ...... For example, if that 'best' were to deviate from the true path, would you say that the choice was the right one?

There is a common belief that an indecisive king can be underestimated, but Keith didn't think it was shameful to see the king in front of him right now, troubled, lost and struggling. He was a hundred times better than the king who was cloaked in baseless confidence and had no self-esteem.

We don't know what the 'right' choice is in national politics.
Is that ......?
The only thing we can do is to accurately assess the current situation and figure out what we can do to benefit the country and its people. We have to be flexible and sincere in dealing with issues on the spot. If the result is good, then the choice was right. If it is bad, then it was wrong. That's how I see it. ...... Just...

The king looks straight back at Keith, who has stopped speaking.

"Just ...... what?
I'm not sure if you've heard of it or not, but I'm sure you've heard of it. I personally believe that if you keep in mind that your first priority should be your people, you will be able to find many answers.

The king opened his eyes wide. The king opened his eyes wide, thought about something, and then gave a wry, troubled smile.

"They all say the same thing: ......
"Your Majesty?
It's nothing. You're right-- 'the people'.

The king shook his head and turned his gaze to Alford.

What is now known of Master Maris' crimes?
"Embezzlement of public funds, misappropriation of court property, and dereliction of duty, I suppose?
What about the ...... national treasure?
There's no doubt from the circumstantial evidence, but they haven't left any physical evidence in this case. Unless we can get a confession, the Ministry of the Interior and the Arbitration Bureau will be very cautious in dealing with this case.
What about the people who may have been connected to her?
We've already identified the people who bought the palace equipment. We've already identified those who bought the equipment for the palace, but we're still speculating about who ...... knew about her misdeeds, missed them, and benefited from them.

In fact, Alford, who seemed to be just standing by the king's side, was actually making sure that he reported back to him frequently and kept him informed. He replied easily, like water without stagnation.

"I see...
"Your Majesty, what should we do?

Juke gave Keith a resolute look as he asked.

I'm sorry to bother you again and again. I'm sorry to keep bothering you, but can you hurry up and get the evidence for what Alford just said?
"Embezzlement of public funds and misappropriation of court property?　My successor, Madame Magnum, is already investigating the former headmistress' dereliction of duty.
All right, I'll leave that to you.

The king seemed to have made up his mind about something. The king seemed to have made up his mind. Keith bowed deeply to his gaze.