Seven days after Count Bergston's messenger disappeared, a carriage guarded by knights in rich armor ducks under the gates of the citadel city of Ipyros.
　A chariot guarded by knights in luxurious armor ducks under the gates of the Citadel of Ipylos.
　The group holds up the emblem of the Roserian royal family, the rulers of this country.
　To be honest, I don't need to tell you why they went to Ipyros.
　The reason why they went to Iphiroth is not only obvious to those who live in this town, but also to those who live in the northern part of Roseria.
　It's not just a matter of time before you'll be able to find your way to the former Count Salzberg's mansion in the middle of the city, but also the residents of Iphiroth are watching with a mixture of anxiety and fear.
　I'm praying that a new disaster of war will not come upon me.　


　Rionne around the round table reads the letter in her hand.
　It's pure white, high-quality paper.
　The smooth feel of the smoothness that comes through my fingertips feels good.
(And even so, this is quite........more than a silver coin per sheet. The same is true for parchment, if it can be understood by the other party. I guess they valued formality, right?
　In a world where tanned leather-like parchment is commonly used as a writing instrument, it's rare to see paper of such high quality.
　Parchment is not as good as parchment, but it's still a good quality paper.
　Depending on the location and economic situation, it is not uncommon for people to substitute wood strips made from thin sheets of wood and bundled together as a substitute for paper.
　That's exactly why it would be difficult to use paper on a daily basis if you don't have immense economic power like a guild that has prices all over the western continent.　
''But this guy doesn't have any charges or anything listed on it.
　Bortz, who was peeking over Rionne's shoulder, tilted his head.
　The only thing written on the letter is the date and time and the words ordering him to appear before the House of Lords.
　There is no description of the charges that would normally be listed on the document.
　That's exactly what the seal of the Roserian Kingdom is stamped on, and it can be said that if the people who brought it in were not the proud and elite troops of the House of Lords, they would doubt its authenticity.
　You will be able to find a lot of people who have a lot of experience in this field. Are there any?
　To Bolz's point, Rionne nodded her head slightly and tilted her head.
　As a mercenary, Rionne has undertaken various requests, not just on the battlefield.
　He has experience in patrolling the territory and escorting noblemen, and he also has experience in dangerous work, such as being hired as a private soldier for a nobleman who was tricked into plotting treason.
　But even though he has knowledge about the dangerous behind-the-scenes work as it is commonly called, he doesn't have any knowledge about the country's legal system.
　The only thing I remember that relates to these documents is the warrant of execution that was thrust upon me by the tax collector when I was a child because my parents couldn't pay their taxes.
　What I remember clearly is not what was written in the document, but the tax collector's greedy grimace and the anguished expression of my parents.
　In the end, Rionne and her family, deprived of their home and all their savings for many years, abandoned their homeland and became exiles, and she eventually chose to become a mercenary.
　The legal system is unknown to Rionne, who has never settled in any city since then.
　After all, he's never even registered as a resident before.
　However, in response to Rionne's doubts, Signis Garbeira slowly opens his mouth.
'It's only because this summons is in the form of an appearance to a witness.
　Bolz nodded his head at those words.
'Does that mean you don't intend to judge the young man as a criminal?　The Earl of Bergston sent me a letter the other day saying that the House of Lords is looking at the young man as an enemy in this war?
　The meaning of being asked to appear in court as a guilty person and being asked to appear as a witness are completely different.
　Needless to say, it goes without saying which is more beneficial to Ryoma by comparing the two.
　But in response to Bolz's question, Roberto Beltran, sitting next to Signis, shook his head with a sigh.
'Don't make me laugh. After all that, there's no reason for that.''
　I'm sure you'll be able to find out what's going on.
　It's not just a matter of time before you're ready to go.
　In fact, it's only natural considering the actions he took after Mikoshiba Ryoma defeated Count Salzberg and took over the entire northern region of Roselia.
　After all, nearly half of the houses that were called the Ten Northern Families, including Baron Galveira, Signis' family home, and Baron Bertrand, Robert's family home, have literally disappeared from the world.
　This is extremely rare even in this war-torn western continent, considering the scale of the war, a struggle for power between local lords.
''It's just as Robert says, the House of Lords won't be able to keep their fingers crossed as it is... that's why the nobility value blood ties above all else. You can't say this, but Miyakata-sama is an upstart who has no idea where he came from. No nobleman would remain silent after having many of his relatives killed by such a person and having his family name cut off. Even if they are cowards who are good at defending themselves........
　I'm not sure if he's so resentful of the nobles.
　It's a very good idea to be able to have a good time with them.
　Well, it could be said that this is a natural reaction for Signis, who has been sneaking through the battlefield for many years as a warrior, and the majority of noblemen who have enjoyed the luxury of the safety of their own fiefdoms and royal capitals.
''So, the aim of this letter is to lure the young man to the royal capital?
'As Lord Bolz said, it is reasonable to think so. If we summoned Oyagata-sama as a defendant from the beginning, we should consider the possibility of resorting to force. If that were to happen, this time it would not be able to be done with just a skirmish between the regional lords. And Queen Lupis didn't want that to happen. If that's the case.......
　After saying that much, Signis turns his gaze to his new master, who has been silent since the meeting began.
''You call him as a witness in King's Landing and then kill him as a criminal........''
Perhaps...
　Signis nodded slowly at Ryouma's words.
　Speaking of the House of Lords, it's an organization like a court-cum-prosecutor's office in Japan combined.
　In other words, it is the pinnacle of the Roseria Kingdom's judicial system.
　The only person who can compete with this is the king, Queen Lupis.
　And there is no justice or fairness in this organization.
　If a trial were to take place, Mikoshiba Ryoma's excuses would mean nothing, and he would be found guilty.
　But in spite of the seriousness of the situation, neither Ryoma nor Signis showed any signs of anxiety.
''Well, the move was as we expected........''
　The men and women around the round table nodded in unison at the question.
　Ryoma slowly looked around at his friends around the round table.
　I'm sure you'll find a lot of people who have been working for him since he came to this world, like Laura and her friends, and others who worked for him after he defeated Count Salzberg, like Signis and his friends.
　But there is an equally strong will power in their eyes.
''Fine ... then the theft of the country can begin.
　It was a flat tone of voice with no emotion compared to the content of the words.
　It was as if it was so routine as to tell him he was going out for a bit....