In the morning.
　On the couch where he was lying on his back, Ryoma slowly opens his eyes.
　Although the room had no windows and no clock, Ryoma's internal clock was quite accurate, so it was easy to tell whether or not a day and night had passed.
　Considering the sensation of waking up and the hunger in my stomach, it's probably the first thing I'm sure of.
(After all, it's been left for nearly a day...)
　When I call people to question them, I call them out and leave them alone.
　Moreover, there is no bed or other thoughtful furniture in this room.
　However, there is a sofa big enough to sleep on for the huge body of Ryoma, so it can be used in place of a bed.
　It's the same as sleeping in a reclining seat like those used in comic book cafes, so apart from the fact that my legs will stick out a little, I don't have any strong complaints about Ryoma himself.
　It's a good idea to have a blanket and pillow if you can.
　But it's only certain that this is not a treatment for the aristocracy.
　The question is whether this situation is a harassment of Ryoma by the House of Lords, or whether it is the result of something they didn't expect to happen.
(Well, either way, they'll make a move today in a quandary... but if there's no move... shall we use the Igazakishu?
　If they used the Igazakis who have infiltrated the interior of the House of Lords beforehand, they would be able to get them to bring in food, and they would certainly be able to find out a bit more details about the situation outside.
　However, if they were allowed to do work that wasn't part of the original plan, there would be a danger that Ryoma and the others' movements would be discovered by the House of Lords.
　It's not just that the wailing is a favorite of Ryoma, it's that it's the guardian sword of the Igazakis, so ordering the recovery was unavoidable, but we shouldn't take any more risks.
　Considering the success or failure of the operation, we should put up with it if it's only an empty stomach.
(But it's also a problem to be too perceptive.......it's a difficult balance to strike between the two.)
　If you pretend to be too much of a clever prisoner to avoid being suspected, it will make them feel unnatural.
　It's also necessary to show a moderate amount of defiance, or even if you know it's a useless request, you need to show your frustration.
　However, it seems that the House of Lords doesn't intend to let him starve to death, either.
　The sound of shoes reverberating down the corridor could be heard.
　Eventually, the sound of those shoes stopped in front of the door.
　And after the sound of fiddling with a bunch of keys, the door was slowly opened.
　Three fully equipped knights were standing there.
　One of them must have brought a meal, seeing that he was holding a tray in his hand.
　The two waiting behind them are probably guards.
　It's really an ostentatious thing to do.
　It seems that Ryoma is too untrustworthy.
　They put the tray on the table and left the room quickly without saying a word.
I see that you have finally served your food.
　Looking at the tray on the table, Ryoma smiled.
　It's actually his first meal in a whole day.
　However, since this is not a hotel, the level of food on the tray is terrible.
　The bread was baked a long time ago.
　The soup served in a deep dish was already cold.
　Rather than a meager meal, it was more like leftovers.
(Well, even if top quality food comes out, it's not palatable anyway, so it's rather comforting.......)
　While thinking about this, Ryoma threw the food into the empty urine bottle he had left in the corner of the room.
　It's not that he acted out of a childish temper tantrum, as if he didn't want to eat the food because it was of poor quality.
　For Ryoma, he is now in the middle of a battle.
　And this is the House of Lords.
　In other words, it could be called the middle of enemy territory.
　In such a place, Ryoma didn't have the guts to bite into the food provided by the enemy.
　Considering the possibility of poisoning, it was a natural decision.
　No, even if it doesn't go as far as poisoning, there is still the possibility that they will interfere with Ryoma's normal behavior and thinking by putting in numbing agents or something like drugs.
　Of course, using modern Japanese common sense, it would be crazy to think about the possibility of poisoning someone.
　If you tell someone else about it without proper evidence, you will be snickered at for being paranoid.
　However, from the point of view of a warrior's mindset, it is only the first step to avoid food and drink served by the enemy as a precaution against poisoning.
　It's something that should be acquired before practicing martial arts.
　In fact, poisoning is an effective way to eliminate the enemy.
　For example, the use of silverware in Western-style meals.
　It is true that silver tableware is beautiful and gorgeous, but it is also a remnant of the days when people were wary of arsenic poisoning.
　However, this is also a remnant of an era when people were wary of poisoning silverware because of its ability to darken when exposed to arsenic.
　The possibility of poisoning was a constant concern for those in power, not only in times of war and turmoil, but also for those in power.
　That is a historical fact in both the West and the West.
　So unless you are in a situation where you are at risk of starving to death, Ryoma would never eat the food provided by them.
　That said, the fact that he couldn't eat the food didn't make him angry or frustrated.
　No, on the contrary, he was honestly happy about what he was served.
(Finally showing some movement........)
　Even though it was of the lowest quality, the fact that they served the meal means that there was a move on the part of the House of Lords.
　If Ryouma's prediction was correct, a knight should be coming to open the door in a little while.
　The question is whether they came to call for an inquest or whether they were determined to execute him without a second thought.
(Well, I don't mind either way...)
　Ryoma lightly stroked his right wrist as he lay on the couch.
　Then, after confirming the feeling transmitted through his left palm, he gave a small nod of satisfaction and closed his eyes again.

　A short time later, Ryoma felt the presence of someone released from outside the door, except for the knights in guard, and he slowly opened his eyes.
　Immediately, with a jangling sound of a bunch of keys, there was the sound of a lock being removed.
　The person who appeared was someone that Ryoma knew.　
'Ah, Mr. Hamilton. Good morning. It's been a day, hasn't it?
　Ryojin greets his acquaintances with guarded knights on either side of him in the morning.
　Of course, originally, there was no need for Ryoma, who belonged to the baronial rank, to greet Hamilton.
　But Ryoma knew that and broke it without a care in the world.
　However, since he was lying on the sofa, it was nowhere near as bad as it was in terms of rudeness.
　However, to such Ryoma, Hamilton returned the greeting without showing any anger while stammering.
''Oh, good morning........sorry for the wait.......''
　It must be quite uncomfortable.
　It's really an awkward move.
　But Ryoma sensed that Hamilton's attitude contained fear.
(I see........you've done it with a lot of panache.)
　The Igazakishu followed Ryoma's instructions and threatened Hamilton.
　From the looks of it, he's probably taking his family hostage.
　It's the Igazakis, the shinobi.
　They won't hesitate to torture you if it's to accomplish their goal.
(If he hadn't been greedy and didn't do something lickety-split, he wouldn't have had to go through this.)
　Certainly not a very desirable measure.
　No, from the perspective of Ryojin's right and wrong, it is completely evil.
　But since it's also true that it's an extremely effective tool for greedy people like Hamilton, there's no choice but to not do it.
　Most of them have little empathy for others and are surprisingly arrogant and lacking in compassion for the weak, while they are often very vulnerable to pain and fear for themselves and their families.
　Besides, as far as Hamilton's demeanor is concerned, he's clearly on the enemy's side.
　Ryoma would hesitate to threaten a serious person who works in public service, but to hesitate to go after an enemy's family would just be a fool or a hypocrite.
(Just have to draw the line as a caution...)
　On the other hand, assassination and intimidation are effective and efficient ways to solve problems, but they are also extremely difficult to handle.
　To put it plainly, surgical methods such as removal of lesions and suturing are assassination and intimidation, while medical treatment such as medication is the other way to treat a disease.
　It is true that medication is milder and much less intimidating than surgery.
　On the other hand, the surgical method seems to be more difficult.
　However, this does not mean that it is rational to avoid surgical solutions at all costs.
　What is important in medicine is to save lives, and it does not matter whether we use surgical or medical means to do so.
　Assassination and intimidation are similar to that.
　But we need to be careful.
　Human beings are often prone to jumping on the success bandwagon.
　And once they overstep the boundaries, they are often unstoppable.
　Above all, the use of assassination and intimidation is a sure way to lower your rank as a human being and create unnecessary friction with the people around you.
　There aren't many people who are as capable of separating them as Ryouma.
　At the very least, one should be careful not to let such rumors spread.　　
(Well, that all depends on my vessel........)
　The ability to drink both clean and muddy water.
　Because Ryojin believes that one of the qualities of a king is to be able to drink both clean and muddy water.
'So, which errand did you come on, Mr Hamilton?
　After exchanging greetings, Ryoma calls out to Hamilton, who has been standing around the door for hours, not moving.
　That is to say, it is a question and a provocation, whether he came to call for him or whether he came to kill him.
　Hamilton's shoulders trembled slightly for a moment at Ryoma's question.
　Then, he opens his mouth with an odds and ends attitude that is a change from the other day.
''Of course........I'm here to pick you up.......''
Well then, let's get going.
　Hearing his reply, Ryoma gave a satisfied smile and slowly raised himself up from the couch.