After Ryouma's voice dissipated into the void, silence dominated the hall.
　Everyone closed their mouths.
　Every face remained calm on the surface.
　But what about their innermost thoughts?
　Are they thinking of a way to counterattack in the face of a surprise attack that flew in from unexpected places?
　And the silence is soon broken by the nobles present here.
''Foolish ... what are you saying?''
It's mostly just a bunch of broken rabbits.
'Well, well, gentlemen. I have no recollection of it either, but you should ask Mikoshiba-dono to explain to you what in the world you are calling evidence.
Anyway, I'd like to see what was written on that paper first. Then we can question the truth of the matter, or else...
　Most of the words released one after another were tinted with denial and confusion.
　Do they really think they have no memory of what happened to them, or are they acting like it?
　I'm sure you'll be able to find a way to make the most of it.
　It's a good thing that the aristocrats of the Roserian kingdom are so well known for their specters.
　Although Ryoushin's words were unexpected, they do not show any signs of dismay, nor do they assert their righteousness in an unnatural voice.
　It seems that they don't want the easy development of a villain who is upset with the evidence, which is often seen in historical drama settings.
(To be sure, some of them are second-rate actors, though...)
　On the surface, he's doing a good job of mending his composure.
　But Ryoma's eyes could see that some people's faces were twitching with tension.
　It's probably a sign that they haven't been able to completely suppress the turmoil in their hearts with their own Ise City.　
(Well, just say it doesn't matter because it's not evidence for the trial...)
　The problem was those who showed complete restraint in their upset over Ryoma's words.
　A politician is a profession that requires a distinction between lies and true intentions, and it seems to be the same thing in other worlds.
　A powerful politician, in a sense, requires more acting skills than a top-notch actor.
　Naturally, that would require complete control of one's mind.
　In such a situation, the Marquis Halcyon, who had been keeping the most calm, made a quick movement.
''Your Majesty, I'm afraid I have to.......''
　As he said this, the Marquis Halcyon turned his head to Queen Lupis and quickly ran his eyes over to the paper that Queen Lupis was holding.
　The Marquis of Halcyon then sniffed and showed her a mocking smile.
　It would be different if it was a document that was also used as the seal of the Marquis Halcyon's family, but as far as I could see, it was really just a mere substitute for a piece of paper with numbers and names written on it.
　Although on the surface he was trying to regain his composure, the truth was that the Marquis of Halcyon was also upset when he heard Ryojin's words.
　However, now that he understands that this is a groundless fear, there are no more matters to worry about.
　That's probably why.
　To calm his buzzing mind and condemn the upstart who showed his last ill-advised move, the Marquis Halcyon let out one deep sigh.
　Then he slowly opened his mouth.
''Your Majesty, we must not be deceived. That man is only playing a bad game to trick us. If you calm down and think about it, I'm sure Your Majesty will understand.
　In order to remove the seeds of suspicion stirring up Queen Lupis' heart, the Marquis Halcyon spun his words in an extraordinarily methodical manner.
　He understands from years of experience that a poorly worded emotional rebuttal in such a case would have the opposite effect.
The man presented this as proof to His Majesty, but from what I've seen, it's just a substitute with a list of numbers on it. Moreover, this piece of paper has neither a signature nor a seal on it. What could such a thing be proof of?　What do you think, Your Majesty?
　As he said this, the Marquis Halcyon asked as a reminder.
''That may be so... but... but...''
　Queen Lupis was at a loss for words to return.
　As a matter of fact, what is written on this paper is nothing more than a list of names and numbers.
　It's not much different from the scribbles on the back of a piece of rubbish paper, if you don't know who wrote it.
　It is not much different from a child's scribbles.
　It's too weak to be called evidence.
　But even so, Queen Lupis still feels trapped in the one point that Ryoma produced at this hearing.
　It's not surprising, considering that the person who submitted this paper was Mikoshiba Ryoma.
　At the very least, as far as Queen Lupis knows, Mikoshiba Ryoma, the man is basically averse to useless things.
　It's a good thing that you're not going to have to worry about the fact that you're not going to be able to get a lot of money out of it.
　I'm sure you'll be able to find a good deal more than you think.
''Falling for it is a bad thing to hear. Well, I'll admit it's pretty weak in terms of evidence.''
　After saying that, Ryoma laughs leisurely.
　Then he slowly opens his mouth towards the confused Queen Lupis.
''The paper itself doesn't have much meaning. But the numbers written on the paper do have meaning.''
What do you mean?
The figures were cross-checked with the data collected by a man who was concerned about the corruption of the nobility and wanted to rebuild the country, and the data provided by the Countess of Salzberg, and they were transcribed to show the number of gold coins that the Count of Salzberg gave to each family as an annual bribe.
　Queen Lupis nodded her head, not understanding the meaning of Liangma's words.
　Of course, she could understand what Ryouma wanted to say.
　The question is, why did you go to the trouble of producing a transcript on a piece of paper like this...?
Then why do you do such a roundabout thing without submitting those original materials?
　That's a natural question.
　An original or a copy.
　If one is asked which has the greater evidentiary value, the original will naturally win out.
　Of course, when it comes to photocopies, if you took a picture or made a color copy, as is the case in today's society, even a photocopy would be sufficient as evidence, but in the world of the earth, that is unpardonable.
　Inevitably, even if it was a photocopy, it was a literal copy of a human being's handwriting.
　If you think about the possibility of tampering or mistaken copying, it's unreasonable to ask for it to be used as evidence.
　Considering various factors, if Ryoma had secured the original, there was no reason not to submit it as evidence.
　On the contrary, it would be more damaging to the impression that he was giving poor evidence.
　However, that is only true if the decision to have a fair trial is established.　
Isn't that obvious?
　Saying that, Ryoma showed his shoulders cowering with a small, mocking smile.
　Then he turned his sharp gaze to the surrounding nobles.
　The most frightening and poorest quality of people who commit crimes are those who wear the mask of justice.
　In today's society, it would be law enforcement officers, prosecutors, or judges, or people from law enforcement agencies and their affiliated agencies.
　Or is it akin to bribing the referees at a sporting event to give you a favorable decision?
　Either way, everything in this world is meaningless if it isn't guaranteed to be fair.
(Well, I know there is no such thing as a truly fair and equitable society........ (Well, I know there is no truly fair and equitable society, but.......that's what human beings are.)
　To use a sports analogy, hometown decisions in football or boxing matches, in which the decision is made in favor of the host city or a player from the host country, are the best examples of such decisions.
　However, it is not so easy to say that they are all bad.
　We are creatures that gain a sense of security and solidarity by belonging to something.
　That's why living in human society is a fight against injustice.
　The question is what to do in the face of this unfair reality.
　We can either lose by foul-mouthed cursing because it's unfair, or we can use every means possible to not lose to injustice and win.
(So now it's just a matter of who's stronger, my justice or theirs...)
　What we are doing now with the Marquis of Halcyon is a verbal battle.
　It's essentially the same as a battle, only without the sword.
　The one who makes the opponent succumb wins.
　And in warfare with words, undermining the opponent's justice is very effective.
　Yes, especially when you expose corruption such as bribery and tax evasion....
"I don't believe in the justice or neutrality of the House of Lords. I don't believe in justice or neutrality. These are the people in the House of Lords who have overlooked the injustice of Count Salzberg, who has been lining his pockets by smuggling the salt from the peninsula since the Wolterns were under the direct control of the House of Roserian, in exchange for a large sum of money and goods. ...Hey. Even if you ask me to bring important proof of the injustices such people have committed over the years to this den of evil.......hey?
　It was the biggest bomb that Ryoushin had saved.
　The moment they heard those words, the complexion of the Marquis de Halcyon and the others who had been watching the course of events with an easygoing attitude changed.
(This is the aspect that they didn't think I was investigating that much.......well, it's a different thing than a mere bribe.)
　In modern Japan and other developed countries, it is illegal to give and receive bribes.　
　However, it is true that there are still regions of the world, such as Africa and South America, where it is still an everyday occurrence, such as handing out bribes under the sleeve.
　The same is true on modern Earth.
　Not to mention the far less civilized level of the land world.
　Certainly, the nobles, including the Marquis of Halcyon, would have the perception that this was not a laudable act.
　But it is not something that can be denounced to that extent if longstanding customs are shielded.
　However, if you're a bribery payoff, it's a different story when it comes to Count Salzberg's longtime embezzlement of the salt mine.
　The national law of the Kingdom of Roselia stipulates that all resources calculated from the royal family's possessions belong to the royal family, and violating that law could be punished with death for disrespecting the royal family.
I'm sure you'll be pleased to know that I'm not the only one.
　If this happens to be rock salt, the head of the family will be guilty of death and the family name will be severed from the family, even if the family has been a prestigious noble family since the founding of the country.
(The question is whether or not this woman understands what I'm talking about.......well, is her reaction as expected....
　Ryouma lightly turned his gaze to Queen Lupis.
　As expected, it was probably information that he hadn't heard in his sleep.
　It was easy to see that she was unsure of how to judge Ryouma's words.
''After all, judging from the color of your face, it seems that His Majesty Lupis didn't know about the rock salt mine in the Woltenia Peninsula. 　
　I'm sure you'll be able to find out more about the benefits of the rock salt mine from Julia's wife, who told me that she had nearly 10,000 gold coins a year.
　I'm sure you'll be happy to know that I'm not going to be able to get any more than five thousand gold coins back from Queen Lupis when Ryoma took over the Woltenia peninsula.
　And moreover, 10,000 gold coins are only for the Countess of Salzberg's benefit.
　Since there are several trading partner trade associations in between, the size of the market will be several times larger when the final end price is considered.
　What's more, the fact that the vein is still undiminished is quite impressive.
　If Queen Lupis had known about the existence of this vein, she would have tried to put it under the control of the royal family, no matter what.　
　The truth is that there is no amount of gold in the reign of the Roserian kingdom.
'So you took revenge with Count Salzberg?
''Yes ... well, there are many other reasons ... but I think my assertion that I can't trust the House of Lords to receive money from the Countess of Salzberg like that is quite natural. But what do you think, Your Majesty?
　That was for Queen Lupis, who wanted to get rid of Mikoshiba Ryoma on this occasion. But at those words, Queen Lupis could only nod her head.
''Well ... if it's as Baron Mikoshiba said ...''
Thank you.
　Ryoma bowed deeply to Queen Lupis.
　I'm sure you'll find a lot of people who have a lot of questions about it.
　I'm sure you're not going to be able to get away with it.
　You will find that you will be able to get a lot more than just a small amount of money for your own personal use.
(The only question is whether that anger is against me or against the nobles who were embezzling.......)
　Depending on which way the anger is directed, the outcome will vary greatly.
　To such Queen Lupis, Mertina, who is standing by her side, is looking at her with a worried look.
　This is because Mertina also understands Queen Lupis's character well.
(After all, she's troubled...)
　Even in Ryouma's eyes, Queen Lupis was trapped.
　Normally, Ryouma's words were quite natural and natural.
　Queen Lupis must have understood that.
　If she had any political sense at all, she would have ended the hearing on Ryojin here and now, and ordered Mertina to denounce the corruption in the House of Lords thoroughly.
　At the very least, they should have temporarily suspended the hearing and had him submit the documents that prove that he had Ryojin's evidence.
　However, Queen Lupis is again silent, keeping her mouth shut.
　Two hearts are swirling in her mind.
　One is the negative feelings of hatred and anger towards the man Mikoshiba Ryoma.
　The other is the justice of the king.
　However, Queen Lupis's conflict comes to an abrupt end.
''So much for the farce,''
　As he said that, the Marquis of Halcyon stood up from his chair and snapped his fingers.
　With that signal, the rear door was opened vigorously and a group of knights wearing armor came avalanching into the room with drawn swords in their hands.
　There were probably about ten of them.
　They circled around Ryoma in silence.
　I'm sure you'll be able to find a way to get the best out of it.
　That's also quite an elite soldier, judging by the way he carries himself.
　Even compared to the guards standing by the walls of this room, they are probably a few levels above the level of skillfulness.
　However, while looking around at such a boisterous uninvited guest, Ryoma smiles happily.
''What does this guy mean again?　From the emblem on that armor, it looks like a knight guarding the House of Lords?
　There is no fear in that voice.
　It's just an attitude that seems to confirm the facts as facts.
　The Marquis Halcyon gave a small cluck of his tongue as he looked at Liangzhen's attitude beside him.
　Considering that this is an official venue for the king's sitting, this is a very unpolite attitude.
　However, he must have been irritated by Liangzhen's attitude, which did not break his composure.
　He has no intention of answering Ryouma's question either.
　Towards such Marquis Halcyon, Queen Lupis could not hide her confusion.
''Marquis Halcyon.......what is this all about?''
　A trembling voice.
　It's a voice filled with trepidation and confusion.
　However, to such Queen Lupis, the Marquis of Halcyon shows him howling with ease.
''No, I thought that further inquisition was pointless. If you continue like this, that man will continue to insist on his legitimacy.... But I'm not busy enough to stay involved in this case forever. I really want to reach a conclusion today.
'But ... it's worth looking at the documentary evidence ...'　　　　
'So, do you believe that man's claim and start all over again?　Of course, His Majesty is the king of this country. I would not deny it if I were ordered to do so by my royal authority, but.......　
　As he said this, the Marquis Halcyon smiled darkly.
　That is the karma and darkness of a person who has been sitting in a position of power for many years.
　Already, he doesn't even intend to make a minimum appearance.
　His tone is the one that speaks his share as a vassal, but his intentions are clear.
　He must have understood what the Marquis Halcyon wanted to say.
　Queen Lupis bites down on her lip in frustration.
　To such Queen Lupis, Mertina, who was standing by her side, quickly rushes over to her.
　And then bent over to the side of Queen Lupis so that those around her could not hear.
''Your Majesty, I think we should obey the Marquis Halcyon here.......''
But....
'No, this is where we should definitely get rid of that man. It's true that there will be an investigation regarding the Countess Salzberg's embezzlement, but that's it. At the very least, it is not worth pursuing the Marquis Halcyon and the others against them here.
　From the point of view of right and wrong, of course Mertina understands that we should get to the bottom of it.
　But if we do that, it is certain to turn the House of Lords against us.
　Depending on the situation, it may even affect the entire House of Lords.
　There's no need to cancel this inquisition even if you have to take that risk.
(Rather, this is the time to stop that man from breathing.)
　Mertina is paying no small price for this ploy.
　And it's the same for Queen Lupis.
　All of this is to protect our country from the man Mikoshiba Ryoma.
　It's impossible to make a mistake in that final moment.
　Such thoughts of Mertina must have been conveyed to her.
　As if to avoid Mertina's gaze, Queen Lupis gave a small nod.
　As if to turn away from her own conscience.