Fortunately, there was a coachman in the village tending to a carriage, so securing transportation wasn’t difficult. Ian traveled by carriage from Shiseta to a villa equipped with a personal transport gate. He had prepared it for times when he didn’t want to leave any trace, like today. Since emergencies for Ian almost exclusively involved matters concerning Bella, this was his first time utilizing it.
Jostled by the swift carriage ride, Ian leaned on the window, deep in thought.
That night, Ian had pulled out brandy and whiskey from a cupboard for Limon, who had been seeking alcohol. It was a relaxed effort to extract information, but Limon proved to be quite reserved.
“If you just make up your mind, wouldn’t it be better to go meet together? It’s a sensitive issue after all. Of course, I trust you, but there might be eyes on us that we’re unaware of.”
In the end, he never mentioned the person who was to open the new Bei, but from the nuances, it was clear that the person was a central noble in the capital. Someone with considerable influence, capable of reaching the emperor. While not as swift as Shubart Rivaho, the person mentioned could apparently establish Bei much quicker than expected, putting them within a shortlist of suspects. Surprisingly, throughout his conversation with Limon, Ian didn’t catch any news of Zerod, which he had anticipated.
Since Limon wasn’t talking, Ian had no choice but to find out in advance. He could have dived directly into dealing with Limon and the force, pretending to have made a decision, but that still carried a risk of danger.
Hiiiiek! The horses suddenly let out a loud neigh.
“Oh gosh,” the coachman exclaimed in surprise, and the carriage came to a halt.
Ian slightly opened the window to check. “What’s the matter?” \
At the same time, the coachman’s hurried voice was heard, followed by a knock on the door. When Ian opened the door, the coachman looked troubled.
“It seems the bridge repair wasn’t finished as I was told it would be. The very end isn’t done yet, so it might be passable by the afternoon. What should we do?”
What to do, indeed.
The coachman sighed heavily, looking towards the bridge. He had been elated to receive gold from Ian earlier, now contemplating whether he had to return it, his face clouded with dilemma.
Ian was about to get out of the carriage but hesitated. Before boarding the carriage that day, he had confirmed that Reynolz had left the North the next day after fixing his carriage. He had made sure the inn was empty before leaving, confirming Reynolz had passed by that day.
To use the only transport gate in the North, one had to pass by here. This meant the bridge had broken again in that short time.
It’s been three days since Limon returned.
Limon wasn’t in the village, so he must have passed by here too.
Irrespective of the season, this bridge was always a must-pass to enter or leave Shiseta. Previously, the water was shallow enough to cross easily, but with each winter, the bridge would break, or boulders would fall, necessitating repairs. Over the years, the land eroded, making it impossible to cross on horseback as the water level rose.
Ian’s gaze reached the end of the bridge. The damage looked extensive at a glance. As the coachman said, finishing by the afternoon seemed difficult, and even if luck allowed crossing, the lack of other transport meant walking to the transport gate, a considerable distance that made waiting likely faster.
Seeing a large log set beside the bridge, it seemed they were preparing something temporary for an extended construction period.
“I’ll check it out myself.”
Since he had to pass here anyway, he had opted for a carriage over riding a horse. Suspicious, Ian got out of the carriage to inspect the bridge.
“Have you ever come out here during this month?”
When Ian asked the coachman, he nodded. “Yes, the last passenger I took was last week, and today was my first time heading out. I was supposed to leave the day before yesterday, but I wanted to take a passenger out to make it worthwhile. I was assured by the innkeeper that there would be no issues…”
“…”
While the coachman went to check with the workers again, Ian, having inspected the bridge, furrowed his brow. Sharp marks were left all over the newly repaired bridge. Clearly, these were intentionally made marks. Having been tasked with similar deeds in the past, Ian could identify them quicker than anyone. But it seemed the coachman hadn’t noticed.
Limon. He could only think of one person who would do this. With three people brought along, it was feasible.
But why?
Limon had expressed his wish for Ian to make a decision soon, even specifying a date for their next meeting. There was no need for him to create such a situation.
“…”
Then who else?
No one else came to mind.
As a closer presence approached, Ian turned to find the coachman returning with a bow.
“It seems we’ll have to wait until late afternoon. They say it will definitely be finished by today. They’re going to join four logs so people can cross. There was a repair session a few days ago that the innkeeper must have forgotten. Should I take you back to the village? It seems we’ll need to wait at least a few more hours.”
Explaining the situation in more detail after inquiring with the workers, the coachman sighed, seemingly regretting not being able to keep the gold he thought he was lucky to earn that morning. However, with no other option, he seemed resigned to taking Ian back to the village.
Was it a coincidence, or was Ian’s hunch correct? Assuming Limon’s interference as a provisional conclusion, Ian handed the coachman a gold coin from his pocket. If so, there was no time to waste here. It implied something was planned after binding Ian here.
The coachman’s eyes widened. “Yes? Why are you giving this to me?”
“I’m going to borrow your horse for a bit. I’ll leave it at the inn for you to pick up later.”
“Yes? Do you mean now? But, how are you planning to…”
“If it’s not enough, I’ll give more.”
“Oh, no! You don’t have to give me this either.”
Despite his words, the coachman quickly pocketed the gold and unfastened the horse from the carriage.
“This one is a bit calmer and faster. If you leave it at the inn, I will pick it up later.” Happy to lend the horse for a gold coin, the coachman handed Ian the reins.
Ian mounted the horse and set off for the village.
* * *
“…”
After finishing my conversation with Marquis Schultz, I returned to the palace immediately. What Marquis Schultz had to say was unexpected but not a sensitive topic.
He merely expressed admiration for the welfare proposal I had proactively put forward, wanting to support it. However, I sensed that wasn’t the real conversation Marquis Schultz intended to have with me.
This is because he had deliberately shown me the ring, acting blatantly. The ring he wore was definitely the one Shubart Rivaho had possessed.
It seemed he deliberately wanted to show it to me…
Which meant he was essentially asking for a private meeting.
