Volume 6, 34

Volume 6, Chapter 34

「I’ve heard you conversation, but I feel your unjust suspicions are too much to bear. I suppose you have hard evidence to back your claims?」

A voice full of solemnity resounded in the room. The voice of a man overflowing with confidence, who found it natural to rule over other people.

And carrying that voice a man with clever, steady eyes, sharp as a blade, who turned his gaze towards Ryouma.

A normal person facing this, with only average grit, would surely end up shrivelling, unable to even speak his opinion, and in reality, this man had opened his mouth precisely to overpower Ryouma and end his questioning.

Surely a bad turn of luck.

But, in this case, the other party had nothing of an “average” grit.

「And you are?」

In contrast to what the man was expecting, however, Ryouma simply turned towards the man without breaking his relaxed look.

「Forgive my rudeness. I’m David Hamilton, head of the Hamilton family, and currently serving Marquis Halcyon at the House of Lords as his aid along with Earl Aizenbach」

He seemed to be quite proud and confident in himself and his family name. After saying this, the man bended his chest slightly in a somewhat boastful manner.

Facing that man, Ryouma lightly bowed down while a secret smile appeared in his face.

（I see… Earl Hamilton. So this is the appearance of that clerk’s head of family, is it? Anyway, I was planning on turning towards my spearhead argument, but this is actually convenient）

「Is that so…? So it’s you…」

「It seems you have heard of me, right?」

「Yes, I’ve heard you manage the squads of clerks and attendants that do all the actual work, as one of the leaders of the House of Lords」

Earl Hamilton smiled with complacency at that reply, as he followed his words. They seemed to arouse his own self-esteem.

「Really? Then this will be quick. Certainly, there might have been various imperfections, but I can guarantee Marquis Halcyon’s character and fairness」

After announcing this, Earl Hamilton waved his hand in dismissal, as if the subject was over.

That had no rationality or logic. It would be as if in a trial, the culprit’s lawyer would claim his client was inoccent, without showing any evidence, because he could guarantee it. It had no connection or persuasion at all.

In a normal case, such a thing would probably be laugh at and dismissed as an ordinary joke.

But from Earl Hamilton’s point of view, himself being number three in the House of Lords, plainly putting into words his guarantee regarding the fairness of Marquis Halcyon as Director should be enough to end the topic.

Ryouma was dumbfounded for an instant by Earl Hamilton’s attitude. Something that could be said to be an unusual state for him, ever so carefully calculating. Of course, Hamilton’s words and attitude were within expectations. But, at the same time, he had considered this to be among the least likely possibilities.

It was a speech that couldn’t even be found in novels, except eccentric ones maybe, but it seemed to be the real thing now.

（He has the nerve to seriously believe I will sheath my sword if he uses his family name as a shield… amazing self-confidence really… No, to be accurate, I’d say too much confidence…? But, either way, to believe in oneself to this point… it’s significant.）

It is said that self confidence is believing you have power and skills that will allow you to achieve the future you desire. And with the exception of oneself, with no place for the intervention of any other party.

Ultimately, it’s a matter of believing or not in oneself. When you think about it that way, it seems very easy to look like you possess self-confidence when everything always goes according to your wishes.

But, in reality, the story is not so easy to put into words.

For example, in the case of taking an exam, it seems easy to understand that it’s hard to have confidence no matter how. There are many students that, when preparing to take their entrance examinations to elite schools, study every single day to be accepted into their first choice, with thick manuals piling up while they struggle diligently. They do that, because every one of them believes he is doing the “best” use of his time.

Of course, it’s impossible to know if what was judged as the “best” was actually right or not until after the examination is over. But at least it should be what they believed to be the best for themselves.

However, among the many who did their best, they are those who visit a temple to pay their homage and ask for a blessing, and even buy an amulet of sorts. Well, actually this is considered a common conduct, even outside of people preparing for an exam.

But, it’s a fact nobody would need divine intervention if they truly had confidence in themselves. At least, because they had done the hard work to achieve what they thought was their best. But there are people that want to have something else to cling to.

All of this should be evidence of the fact that it is not easy to put into words what trusting in oneself actually means.

Thinking like that, it is possible to understand the extent of Earl Hamilton’s behaviour. For you see, facing a person holding antipathy and hostility, just because he said he “guaranteed” it, he earnestly believed it would restrain Ryouma’s animosity.

（If it was in Japan, this would be an unthinkable scene to begin with…）

The majority of the people living in present day Japan would probably find Earl Hamilton to be a presumptuous man, to the point they might think he’s rather crazy and keep their distance. But, in the end, that is only due to the sense of values in present day Japan.

Ryouma checked his surroundings to find that, in reality, it looked like the the majority of the nobles agreed with Earl Hamilton’s words. There didn’t seem to be anyone who would throw some doubt at that rationality, at least openly.

Besides, not only was an Earl a noble with a court rank above the middle of nobility, but also because he was a supervisor of the squads that did the actual work at the House of Lords, Earl Hamilton posessed a military force greater than the average noble, and so the people here that could oppose his ideas were probably only two: Earl Aizenbach, of his same rank, and their superior Marquis Halcyon.

（Well… I suppose even in Japan it wouldn’t be completely unconceivable… But to be this open about it now… that’s noble society I guess…）

That’s not to say one shouldn’t cater to the powerful and superior, and it is also said it’s common to bend our own opinions as we speak to someone and look at their face expressions.

Of course, if asked if such a thing was bad, it would be hard to say exactly to what extent, because it is evident that if everybody decided to persistenly stick by their views, nothing would ever advance smoothly.

Nevertheless, Ryouma looked at the expression in their faces and saw no need to sheath his sword.

「In your statement you ask if I have evidence, but that clerk was a staff member of the House of Lords. It was that clerk who placed me under house arrest for a whole day in that gloomy room, that is an evident fact. If that is so, isn’t it reasonable to think he was doing it under the instruction of someone in the House of Lords? And then a short while ago, it was Earl Aizenbach who declared that everything related to this hearing was under the control of the Director of the House of Lords, Marquis Halcyon. Naturally, the conclusion one can surmise from those words is?」

An attitude that could be considered bold, or even truly impudent depending on the point of view. But to the nobles that held antagonism towards Ryouma, that always naturally kept his cool, it was truly irritating. To put an example, it would be like a low-grade employee objecting to the company president’s decision right in front of him.

It was natural for a group of nobles to antagonize such a youngster who couldn’t understand his position.

But Ryouma had also taken in consideration such antipathy.

「That’s why I’m telling you again, those are only your unjust suspicions…」

Earl Hamilton opened his mouth, but his voice only held a shadow of the solemnity it was full of a short while ago. A testament, clearly, that he hadn’t expected Ryouma to refute his statement right in front of him.

「Which reminds me, I’m certain that the clerk who guided me here also said his name was Hamilton… am I to think he’s a relative of your excellency the Earl… perhaps? 」

And by saying that Ryouma changed his questioning, shifting his spearhead from Marquis Halcyon to Earl Hamilton.

He was being evasive, but there wasn’t a single person in this place that couldn’t grasp the real meaning contained in those words.

An awkward silence dominated the room.

From Earl Hamilton’s point of view, he had intended to quickly reach out and lend a helping hand, only to end up caught in a dilemma. He seemed to be thinking desperately how to patch things up.

But Ryouma wasn’t as indulgent as to overlook an opponent’s dilemma in silence.

「As expected, there seems to be major doubts regarding the fairness of this hearing…」

Ryouma said, shrugging his shoulders, shaking his head and looking disappointed. The behaviour of someone looking down on another person.

But, nobody in this place reproached that rudeness. Well, it would probably be better to say they were simply unable to reproach him. The doubt Ryouma had spoken aloud was logical in itself at least.

Of course everyone in this place understood that there was probably no fairness or imparciality in a hearing such as this. It could be said that both Ryouma, who was the subject of this hearing, and the House of Lords who was presiding it were in mutual understanding regarding this.

It was also a fact that a youngster, displeased with the lack of fairness or imparciality, couldn’t just for whatever reason denounce the whole hearing.

In the end, Marquis Halcyon, who was keeping silent, let out a small sigh and looking at Ryouma suddenly opened his mouth.

「I believe that’s enough… right? Regardless of intentions, it seems certain there were problems with our reception. It would be natural for Baron Mikoshiba to hold some doubts after that」

Those words caused a commotion around the room,

The Director of the House of Lords had recognized that, although unintentional, there had been mistakes in their handling of affairs. Considering the difference in court rank, it was an unthinkable scene.

Then, ignoring the reaction around him, Marquis Halcyon continued talking.

「So then… what can we do to appease your doubts, I wonder?」

That was the moment that the Director of the House of Lords raised a white flag towards the man known as Mikoshiba Ryouma, and that was the particular moment that Ryouma had been looking forward to.

「I see… Then…」

Looking like he was thinking lightly about it, Ryouma looked at Marquis Halcyon and spoke his request.