The carriage makes its way over the ruts carved into the cobblestones towards the royal castle.
(I haven't ridden in a carriage since my first visit to Count Salzberg's mansion... though I didn't have time to pay attention to it back then...)
　These thoughts passed through Ryoma's mind as he looked out the window.
　The wooden chairs on the carriage were uncomfortable.
　It's not very comfortable.
　There is a cushion on it, but it doesn't do much to reduce the impact.
　It is a shame, because it looks like an opulent piece of lace.
(I don't know if such a clever suspension doesn't exist in this world, or if it's just poor performance, but it hurts my ass and my back.
　Ryoma's hands involuntarily reach out to his hips at the different sensation of riding.
　For a person who belongs to the edge of the aristocracy, it can't be said to be a very good-looking figure.
　However, there is no one in this carriage who will see such a figure of Ryoma.
　Even the Malfist sisters, who usually don't leave Ryoma's side first, who act as guards and maids, are the same.
(Is it a formality or a harassment... well, either way, it's been a long time since I've been alone. Shall I let you stretch your wings until we arrive? As expected, they won't launch an attack at this time........)
　Thinking about the carriage in which the people who could be considered as his own one arm got into, Ryoma smiles as he thinks about the carriage.
　Of course, if it were normal, Ryoma would have considered an attack at this time as a possibility.　　　
　However, the farce that was about to take place was a farce, and because it was a farce, appearances were important.
　From the point of view of the House of Lords, as long as they were trying to impeach Ryojin, who was beginning to be touted as a "hero of the country," the unnecessary flaws in the system could strangle them later on.
　It's a good idea for the House of Lords to have Ryojin attacked in the middle of a convoy, even if it's to their advantage.
　This is because the rumors of a conspiracy to kill a hero will spread, and it may even lead to a situation where the security of the kingdom is getting worse and worse.
　That's why they want it. They want the result of a fair trial........
I suppose I'm the enemy of the House of Lords, especially to the powerful men in the House of Lords who killed their own people.
　Liang Shin understands that he is neglected by the nobles of this Roselia Kingdom.
　Although a good number of people gathered at the dinner party held the other day, but that is only an extremely small number compared to the entire aristocracy that belongs to the Roseria Kingdom.
　Also, the blood relationship that the aristocracy has is an element that cannot be fooled with.
　They don't mind killing each other even if they are related by blood.
　But on the other hand, they would suddenly join hands against foreign enemies.
　They have been related to the Count family of Salzberg, which has been in existence since the founding of the Kingdom of Roselia, regardless of whether their blood is thick or thin.
　There are two ways for such people to take revenge.
　There are two ways for them to take revenge: resort to force or face justice by law.
　However, the use of force is a very difficult choice for them.
　It's a good thing that you're able to get a good idea of what's going on in the world, but it's not going to be easy for you to cross paths with Ryoma, who is based in a natural stronghold called the Woltenia Peninsula, and who destroyed the Count of Salzberg and the faces of the northern ten families.
　Rather than risking such a risk, it's safer to condemn them through the state law that forbids private warfare between nobles.
　And the thinking of these noblemen is exactly what the king of this country, Lupus Roselianus, and his aide, Mertina Lecter, have been plotting to do.
(Well, I don't know how much of it was coincidence and how much of it was a conspiracy between Lupis and Mertina.　
　As can be seen from what Julia told me after the war, turning Count Salzberg against the Woltenia peninsula to carry out espionage activities is a typical move to deliberately create a confrontation structure.
　However, it's hard to imagine that Lupis and the others had even calculated to move the House of Lords at this time.
　At the very least, at the stage when Ryojin was forced to the Woltenia Peninsula, they probably didn't have that many vicious schemes in place.
　If he was a person with that much wisdom, he would not have evaded Ryojin as much as he did.
　At that time, Ryoma himself had nothing to do with Queen Lupis, and Queen Lupis wouldn't have been afraid of him and ostracized him without understanding his feelings.
　
　Although he gave them a frontier such as the Woltenia peninsula in the hope that it would wither away, Ryoma has gained solid ground and military power, contrary to the imagination of Lupis and others.
　But getting rid of it is not easy, even for the king.
　If Mikoshiba Ryoma tries to forcibly seize the territory that he had carved out with his brilliance by order of the king, he will make enemies of the nobles who are trying to protect their own vested interests.
　At a time when the domestic situation is still unstable, this could be a fatal wound.
　That's why Queen Lupis and others chose not to intentionally interfere in the conflict between the two families.
　And they wanted the Countess of Salzberg and Mikoshiba Ryoma to fight each other and become exhausted.
　While you are thinking about this, the carriage starts to slow down before you know it.
(Looks like it's on its way...)
　When the carriage came to a halt, Ryoma grabbed the demon wail that was propped up beside him and sat up from his chair.

''Your Majesty. Please excuse me.''
　Lupis Roselianus, who had been busy with paperwork in his office in the castle, stopped moving his hands at the sound of his aide, Mertina, and looked up from his desk.
　His neat face was thickly caked with fatigue from his daily hard work.
'I wonder what's wrong?'
　A voice that sounds vaguely pinched.
　At the voice, Mertina faintly frowns.
　However, right now, there's something I have to tell you first.
''Baron Mikoshiba arrived at the House of Lords just now.
　The moment she heard those words, a dark shadow passed over Queen Lupis' face.
　Then, after a long silence, she nodded a small nod in a thin voice.
''Yes........''
　It was full of conflict and guilt.
　And then he turned his gaze on Mertina as if to make some kind of appeal to her.
　But even though she understood the meaning of that gaze, Mertina didn't lose her clerical attitude.
　Because if she said any words to Queen Lupis here and now, she could expect to utter the word abort for sure.
　But such a thing is impossible now.
　The laying of roots in the House of Lords has already been completed.
　I've spent a considerable amount of time and money on this, and I can't just cancel it now.
(No, even if you were to cancel it in favor of His Majesty's wishes, what would happen then?
　The answer to that question had already been given in Mertina.
　Since it was, there was no choice but to let the conspiracy carry out as it was, even if it was a heartless one here.
　So, Mertina bowed deeply while looking straight back at Queen Lupis' eyes.
　Then, as if to ignore Queen Lupis who was about to say something, she turned on her heel.
(That person is already close to the limit........)
　What passes through Mertina's mind as she leaves the office is the exhausted face of Queen Lupis.
　In today's society, she might be diagnosed as one step ahead of depression due to the mental fatigue caused by overwork.
　Normally, Mertina would honestly want her to take a few days off to refresh her body and mind.
(But........that's impossible right now.......)
　Queen Lupis has been on the throne for several years now.
　I've gotten used to the job as king.
　But the trends of the Oltmere Empire are unpredictable, and with the domestic situation under fire, there are, in theory, too many matters for Queen Lupis to settle herself.
　On top of that, the rift between her and the Earl of Bergston, who was a key figure in the administration, has added to the situation.
(I suppose we should try to repair the relationship as soon as possible...)　
　Although it is true that we are aiming for a king-led government, it is physically impossible for Queen Lupis to handle the military, domestic and foreign affairs of the state all by herself.
　I'm sure that not only Mertina, who assisted in the day-to-day running of the affairs of state, but Queen Lupis herself is aware of such a thing.
　However, the relationship between Mikoshiba Ryoma and Count Bergston has made Queen Lupis and Mertina hesitant to take any concrete action to repair the relationship.
(But today everything will change........it should change........)
　It is a move that will blow away the dark cloud that hangs heavy over the heads of the Roselia Kingdom.
　That thought distracts Mertina's mind.