Nevertheless, it would be foolish to sit around doing nothing. Kyle decided to start with what he could control. His first priority was guaranteeing Sei’s safety. He recommended that the Saint’s party return to Salutania right away, though he regretted having to do it since she had been looking forward to sightseeing.
However, this plan was soon interrupted. As if in anticipation of what they would do, the ports surrounding the imperial capital were closed to foreign travel. The timing was such that Kyle imagined this was a tactic to detain the Saint and the panacea in Zaidera.
However, he soon adjusted his suspicions when his agents reported that they were unsure as to whether this was premeditated or pure coincidence. It was dangerous to act on assumptions. He knew this all too well, given his past mistakes.
So, Kyle gave the order for his people to investigate the reason for the border closure—and, separately, who had sent the letter.
Their investigation of the letter yielded immediate results, as they had a clue: the seal upon the letter itself.
Prominent members of the delegation found time amidst their hectic investigation into the border situation to gather in the room Kyle used as his office. They had come to share what progress they had made in regards to the letter.
In addition to Kyle, his aides, and investigators, Yuri, Albert, and Oscar, were also present. As, of course, was the owner of the seal.
This individual was a viscount, and he had clearly already learned what had happened to his seal, because he looked pale and was trembling.
“So, this is the owner of the seal?” Kyle asked.
“That is correct, Your Highness.”
When Kyle’s aide answered, the viscount trembled even harder.
“So, did he send that letter?”
“No, Your Highness. He has no recollection of doing so,” the aide continued; he had already asked the viscount these same questions.
“Then why did the sender use his seal?”
“According to him, the seal went missing not long before we believe that letter was sent.”
Seals were extremely important, as they were not only a means of self-identification but also a means of legally validating documents. If it became known that a bureaucrat had lost theirs, they would be openly condemned and disdained for their lack of managerial ability. It could even affect the ability of a palace official to rise in the ranks.
Because of this, the viscount had told no one that his seal was missing and continued searching every last nook and cranny it might have vanished into.
“And he still hasn’t found it?”
“No, Your Highness. He has been searching ever since its loss but has yet to locate it. A number of our people are searching for it as well.”
Now other members of the delegation were searching for the missing seal too. There was a chance that it had been pawned, so they had begun with a covert investigation to see if it had turned up at any stores. However, they still hadn’t recovered it, partially because they had only just begun to look.
The seal used on the letter had likely been the one they were searching for. It was also highly likely that the person who had sent the letter was still in possession of it. This was the conclusion those gathered quietly reached after hearing that the viscount himself had found no traces of it anywhere during his initial searches.
“Was it just a coincidence that the seal went missing?” Oscar wondered out loud, a hand on his chin. Though Sei wasn’t here, the Special Services agent had come to lend his prowess in intelligence gathering and analyzing situations.
Kyle heard his mumbling. “What do you mean?”
“It sounds to me like it might have been stolen for the express purpose of sending that letter—especially when you consider the location where we must assume he first lost track of it.”
“Oh? You mean you assume the tavern is the point of interest?”
“Yes, exactly. In a place like that, where so many people are coming and going, strangers blend in with all the rest. It’s the perfect scene for stealing a seal, if you ask me.”
Some of the gathered nodded, as they had come to the same conclusion at some point.
Around the time that they speculated the viscount had lost his seal, he had been working inside the manor. He had only ever gone out to the tavern that Kyle had mentioned.
The viscount was a lifelong foodie, and even in Zaidera he enjoyed trying all manner of different restaurants. This tavern was known for delicious food on a budget, so it was a favorite of the viscount’s. As an ordinary establishment, it was easy to gain entrance. The viscount had eaten there several times and had recently even become friendly with the proprietor.
Oscar didn’t say so out loud, but it was known that the restaurant served alcohol as well. The viscount didn’t drink to the point of blacking out, but, having grown comfortable with the establishment, he had on occasion drunk enough to impair his judgment.
It was no great feat for a sober man to steal from a drunk one. If someone had been aiming to steal the viscount’s seal, then the tavern would have been the best place to do it.
The truth was that on the day the viscount believed he lost the seal, he had drunk a bit too much, encouraged by a waitress. He had barely been standing by the time he returned to the manor. He realized his seal was missing the very next morning. This was another reason why the viscount had kept the incident to himself.
“If it’s been stolen, then there’s little chance that we’ll actually recover it.”
“You speak truly, Your Highness. We can continue our search, but if we take that possibility into account, perhaps it would be wise to look into whether any suspicious individuals have been in contact with the viscount.”
Kyle nodded his agreement. If the seal had been stolen with specific intent, they could assume that the thief was still in possession of it, and their chances of finding it would be vanishingly small. Therefore, he agreed with his aide’s proposal to focus on finding the person who had used the seal to send the letter.
As their discussion wrapped up, the viscount was promptly relieved of his post and informed that he would be returning to Salutania with Sei and her delegation. Until then, he was detained under house arrest within the manor.
This was the viscount’s punishment for losing his seal and allowing it to be used on a forgery, but it was also for the viscount’s safety, as well as to deprive the seal of value.
“That sums up all we know about the current state of the matter. There are far too many things that we don’t yet know. You must continue your investigations.”
At Kyle’s command, the meeting came to a close.
“Yes, Your Highness,” the people in the room responded as one, before filing out of the office to carry out his orders.