Never touch Eldmia Egga - Episode 114
There are two types of nobles in the capital of Itisel. Nobles who belong to the House of Lords and nobles who do not belong to the House of Lords.
Although it is not unconditional, Cheryl said that usually, people with money and status who own fiefdoms and have mansions in the capital and engage in political activities belong to the House of Nobles, while those who only have families and mansions without fiefdoms tend to be classified as other nobles..
And this is where the noble faction and the king faction diverge..
It wasn't like that in the beginning, but as time passed, those who wanted to prioritize their own territory and interests as much as possible began to gather and take control of the Noble House, and those who had no territory or did have it but prioritized loyalty left the Noble House and joined the king's faction. There may be some who were swayed by the flow and chose one side, but that's as much as I can give a simple explanation to someone who knows nothing..
We were leaving the mansion while asking Cheryl, who, unlike me, had some knowledge of these matters as a noblewoman..
Since there was nothing left to do in the mansion, Asili came along as if it were natural, but Cheryl didn't seem to care much and began explaining the current situation one by one to my mind, which was full of speculations. And since Nana Asilier was almost ignorant of these noble laws, she quietly listened to the story and walked along..
"Of course, no matter how powerful the nobles are, they cannot put nobles in prison for quite a few crimes. Even though the power of the royal family has been diminished due to the long war, there is a justification. The only exception that can be made is when dealing with those who cause harm on a national scale or those who rebel against the royal family. So, it seems like what the Noble House chose was treason... Even if you look through the entire history of the kingdom, this is the first time that the Noble House chose and implemented such a reckless method.."
One of the few options where reporting after prior action is permitted. An action that originated from the idea that there was no way to say something about the urgent action for the country and not for the benefit of the noble house..
Now that we have caught the man suspected of treason, let us all gather together, the king and the nobles, and hold a trial for the future of the country to confirm the truth..
As she left the mansion through the back door as usual, Cheryl continued her explanation with her brows furrowed as if she was unhappy with everything in the world..
"In my opinion, the benefits of becoming associated with Ragnis through this visit to the empire are enormous. Because it is no different from being truly reborn from a mere margrave whose territory and power had collapsed. For those who have been fighting hard for the past several years while considering practical benefits during a long war, the benefits they see are likely to be much more diverse and numerous. The same goes for what would happen if it were taken over by the King faction. Taking that into account, there is a possibility that he acted with the belief that he had to forcibly nip Ragnis in the bud before his position was solidified, no matter what method was used.."
good. I think it can be said that the principle behind the Noble House's operation is roughly similar to my guess. Only they will know the detailed calculation results of the gains and losses..
But just listening to Cheryl's explanation did not solve all my questions..
"But is it really okay to just arrest someone and accuse them of being a traitor? This happened, but there is no legal problem.?"
Something I couldn't figure out with my own guesses.
Unless the royal family and the king's faction are idiots, there is no way things will go according to the nobles' wishes, but there is a lack of answers to the situation that seems to be going that way..
So, in response to the question I posed, Cheryl paused for a moment, frowned her pickled radish eyebrows, gathered her thoughts, and spoke..
"I think the explanation was a bit lacking. Of course there is a problem."
"uh? There is?"
"If it weren't for it, more than half of the nobles in the capital would have accused each other of treason, and the guillotine would never have dried up.."
Cheryl let out a deep sigh, but with a slightly bright expression on her face, as if she had managed to control her growing irritation, she continued her explanation slowly..
"Eldmia. Let's say there's a cool sword you'd like to have. But that sword belongs to someone else, and you definitely want it. Of course there are various options.?"
"suddenly? Well, okay. I guess so."
I thought it was just an analogy for explanation, and when I answered, Cheryl nodded and said, as if she understood what I was thinking..
"Generally, you might think of a financial transaction or a negotiation using various conditions, but another way is to steal while the other party is weak, or even kill the other party. Do you agree??"
"Okay. Because I said it was optional. There's no real reason to choose that, but it's an option.."
"That's it."
"...what?"
"That's what the Noble House is trying now. This means that they kicked away all the usual options and suddenly came up with the idea of killing and stealing other people's things.."
Fortunately, it seems that Itisel's nobility laws are not infinitely lax and full of holes. It wasn't resolved neatly, but thanks to her analogy, I felt like the situation was somewhat organized in her head..
"So, the method is a method, but it is illegal.?"
"It would be more accurate to say that this is an extreme situation where illegal and legal are divided depending on the outcome. Unless Ragnis' charges of treason are completely proven, the minimum punishment for the noble who first raised the issue is deprivation of his title, and in some cases, he will be executed on charges of rebellion for causing internal chaos during wartime.."
What was thought to be irrational law enforcement unilaterally wielded by a foully concentrated power was in fact Makgora. That's at the level of a unilateral move with grandiose irrational measures..
"No wait. Then isn't it even weirder? Now, this is a fight that the nobles will lose no matter what they do, right? Why is everyone so serious??"
"Rather, that's why everyone, including your father, takes this seriously.."
Cheryl looked back at me with a much calmer expression than before, and only after making eye contact with me for a moment did she respond..
"Because noblemen do not fight battles they have no chance of winning. How would you react if an enemy you've never lost a fight with suddenly appears in front of you with an obvious move that will inevitably lead you to lose??"
Cheryl started walking again as if she didn't need to hear an answer, and I knew I didn't need to answer, so I followed her in silence..
Of course, it's obvious that I'll be thinking about whether there's something else I don't know about..
"Cheryl? If it's okay, can I ask you something??"
"yes. Asilier. If I can answer."
Asilier, who had been silently contemplating while walking with us, opened her mouth while massaging her ears..
"If proven innocent at trial, the House of Lords loses. If proven guilty, it would obviously be Ragnis' loss, but what happens if a situation is created where there is only suspicion and lack of physical evidence? Of course, I don't think Ragnis would have done that, but behind-the-scenes maneuvering is common in political fights, right? You can either fabricate facts that don't exist or commit perjury.."
"There may be differences in degree, but honestly, it is difficult to get a sense because there has never been a case in which treason charges were presented with such flimsy evidence. Usually, it tends to lean towards one side.."
Cheryl's gait, which did not stop walking but clearly slowed down, seems to indicate the depth of her worries..
"Still, if you really look at it... I don't think either side will receive any serious punishment. However, given that it is already difficult to erase his misgivings, there will be great restrictions on Ragnis' actions. And it is believed that the case will be re-trialed after examining the circumstances more closely. If it goes to that point, even if Ragnis's innocence is proven, I think there was enough room for misunderstanding that the noble who reported it would not receive any particular punishment. Fines and alimony?"
It makes me wonder what on earth he learned in school so that such information is already in his head. Does the Kingdom Academy teach something like that??
Asilier raised her hand that was massaging her ear to her mouth and asked with a slight frown, receiving Cheryl's gaze as if she had more questions and my gaze as if she was wondering what to ask..
"What would happen if such a conclusion were reached in a situation where the empire was trying to establish friendship with the kingdom through Ragnis??"
"Of course... of course..."
"Normally, to avoid being suspected of being involved in treason, I would keep my distance until a clear conclusion is reached. What do you think?"
Cheryl, who stopped walking and froze in the middle of the street, answered with a serious expression again..
"If we keep that distance... the threat of imperial intervention that the Noble House felt due to this incident... will be postponed for now. That alone gives political reprieve to the House of Lords. It's a very possible story. I didn't think that would apply even under the serious charge of treason, but from the perspective of buying time with much less damage than the original... But who volunteered to act as a shield?..?"
After muttering a little, Asilier, who was quietly looking at Sheryl who was thinking hard about something, nodded slightly and said to me..
"huh. As expected, it is similar to LED."
"Why again this time?"
"I heard you’re the same age as L.D.? But it feels like I'm talking to a nobleman in his mid-20s.."
There are things about him that are a bit overly smart and unpredictable. If I felt similar in that regard, I didn't have anything to say this time..
"If that's what the Noble House is aiming for, then surprisingly, some problems can be solved just by LDI stepping forward.?"
"I thought that might be the case too, so I prayed like that earlier... but we'll have to wait and see.."
I will be able to sort out the parts related to Delt and the Empire's cooperation, but that can't be everything. Deciding not to be overly optimistic, we headed back to the guild..
I arrived at the guild later than expected due to repeated stories and concerns, but in the end, I had to leave without much benefit..
Excluding the attack on Mandeli Port, the only information that could be said to be related to the demons was the Favaeri main operation incident in which Cheryl and I participated together, and the secret quest for the abandoned dungeon in which I participated alone..
I was able to find out that the Favaeri incident was also related because I received a secret request. The only information the receptionist at the desk gave me was about Mandeli Port..
In the end, Cheryl was very discouraged, and it was up to me to console her..
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