Chapter 357: The Spread of Rumors
I arrived at the castle’s main gate. As expected of a great nation, the sheer size of the gate was overwhelming. A deep moat lay before it, with a massive drawbridge spanning across. Once that bridge was raised, it seemed unlikely that an ordinary person could easily enter the castle.
Just then, a carriage approached, engaging in some sort of exchange with the guards. There appeared to be no issues, and as the carriage entered the castle, the area in front of the gate was left deserted.
“Alright, let’s go.”
Though the castle gate was open, armored guards stood at attention, glaring straight ahead. I strode confidently across the center of the drawbridge, but my destination was the guards. I changed my course toward the nearby guardhouse, and the gaze of the guard who had been standing still shifted toward me.
“What do you want?”
“I have a letter to deliver.”
“I see. Then proceed with the necessary paperwork inside.”
“Understood.”
Prompted by the guard, I entered the guardhouse. It seemed they hadn’t recognized me as an S Rank Adventurer marked as a criminal, and I was pleasantly surprised by their relatively normal response.
“Is the matter just the letter?”
It appeared the voice from outside had reached him. A man seated at a desk in the back turned to confirm.
“Yes.”
“Then I will take it here.”
The man said this as he placed a wooden box on the table in front of him, gesturing for me to put the letter inside. It seemed that letters addressed to individuals within the castle were quite common, and he handled it with the usual efficiency.
“Thank you for your assistance.”
I placed the bundle of letters into the wooden box and informed the man. The recipients included His Majesty the King and various important figures identified through Hinomaru’s extensive network. Among them were maids and butlers, those who served in the background. It was a broad selection, but I couldn’t help but admire the terrifying reach of Hinomaru’s information network.
I then handed over one last letter that I had kept aside.
“Hm? Is this for me?”
“No, it’s actually addressed to the guards here.”
I presented the letter, which had no recipient written on it, prepared for anyone to receive.
“Ah, I see. I’ll take it for now.”
He accepted it, albeit with some hesitation, which I took as a good sign.
“Well then, that’s all.”
“Wait a moment.”
Just as I was about to turn on my heel, I was called back. Had they discovered I was an S Rank Adventurer marked as a criminal?
“What is it?”
I turned my head back, curiosity piqued, and saw the man holding a pen, looking puzzled.
“…Aren’t you here on a delivery request? Don’t you need a completion signature?”
Ah, I see. He must have thought I was here for a letter delivery request from the Adventurer’s Guild. Indeed, if it were a request, a completion signature would be necessary.
“No, it’s not through the Guild, so it’s unnecessary.”
“I see.”
“Yes. Well then, I’ll take my leave.”
With that, I decided to make a quick exit.
“I managed to deliver the letter more smoothly than I expected…”
I pondered the fate of the letters still remaining in the Dimensional Box. I wanted to make effective use of them. Perhaps it would be worthwhile to inform the general public about our efforts to expose the Chancellor’s corruption, not just within the castle.
“This is exactly when the Adventurer’s Guild comes into play.”
As I had voiced, I arrived at the Adventurer’s Guild located in the Royal Capital. Given its location, this guild on the Main Street of the commoner district was nearly as grand as the one in Fortress City Satanis Garden, which bordered the Forest of Enchantment.
Upon entering, I found it surprisingly quiet. Many adventurers had likely gone to deal with the Stampede occurring in the neighboring town. I approached the empty counter and placed all the remaining letters atop it.
“I’d like to make a request to the Guild.”
“Ah, yes, a request, is it? …Is it for the delivery of those letters?”
The female staff member at the counter glanced at the letters I had placed.
“No, it’s not for delivery.”
I immediately denied it, opening one of the letters to show her its contents.
“What? …Huh? Eeeeeh!?”
The letter wasn’t particularly long. It contained a message stating that I intended to confront the King directly with evidence of the Chancellor’s corruption. As the staff member finished reading, her voice echoed loudly, drawing the attention of the adventurers present in the guild.
“I want this information spread among the citizens of the Royal Capital. —Along with the rumor that the Chancellor’s mansion was attacked by someone.”
“What’s going on?”
Adventurers, intrigued, gathered around, and I handed them the letter I had shown to the staff.
“The contents of that letter are all the same. Feel free to use as many adventurers as you need to spread the word. You can distribute the reward from here as you see fit.”
I placed five gold coins next to the letter and flashed a grin at the staff member. If it was just about spreading the word, even novice adventurers could handle it. A request that an F Rank adventurer could take on would often cost less than a single silver coin of a thousand Fron. By providing around five hundred thousand Fron, the guild would manage it well, including their share. I could leave all the troublesome details to them.
“W-What? You want to spread this information?”
“What is this!?”
“Evidence of corruption?”
“W-Wait, an S Rank Adventurer!?”
“Haha, is this the end for that damn Chancellor!?”
The letters I had distributed began to circulate among the adventurers, causing a commotion. It seemed some adventurers held personal grudges against the Chancellor.
“Ah, feel free to use that letter as you wish.”
Startled, I glanced down at my hands, where I picked up one of the letters and opened it.
“U-Understood… Is there a time limit?”
“Ah, let’s say ten days starting tomorrow.”
The letter also stated that the warning for the Stampede would be lifted ten days later, so that seemed reasonable. I hoped the rumors would spread sufficiently within that time.
“Ten days, got it. I’ll take on that request.”
“Then I’ll leave it to you.”
“Yes.”
With that, I set out to spread the rumors among the citizens of the Royal Capital, leaving the city behind.