Chapter 96: Poison
“That dish… it has been laced with poison…!”
“…What?”
Poisoning—since ancient times, it had been the most efficient method of assassination ever devised. Silent. Untraceable. Lethal.
Ryu, just to be safe, sent a warning to Axel as well.
(Axel. Do not put anything they serve into your mouth. It’s poisoned.)
The reply came back at once—Understood.
Ryu let out a quiet breath of relief.
High-ranking monsters generally possessed absurd resistance to toxins. At worst, they might suffer a slight stomachache. However, if by some chance poison were to enter Axel’s mouth… somewhere in this world, a certain dragon would likely erupt into a fury beyond imagination. The citizens of Hinomaru should be grateful for Ryu’s calm and measured judgment.
“Gyau.”
(Poison… you mean the kind that kills you if you eat it?)
“That’s right. Though for me, Homura, or Axel, poison used for killing humans wouldn’t be much of an issue. But… Esther is another matter.”
“If it’s the slow-acting type, I can brew an antidote myself and survive,” Esther replied, her small chest puffed out slightly. “But an instant-death level toxin is a different story. If I fail to notice it before eating… I would simply die.”
“…You picked it up by smell?”
“In pharmacology, one frequently handles toxic substances. I’ve grown quite sensitive to their particular scent.”
“As expected of Esther. Truly, Esth—”
“I will not let you finish that!!!”
Though the atmosphere in the room seemed strangely relaxed, Ryu’s mind was anything but calm. Beneath his composed exterior, anger simmered dangerously close to the surface.
(Hmm… judging by the mana signatures and movements of the servants in the guesthouse, they likely know nothing. The easiest party to slip poison into the meal would be the Tokugawa household… but they aren’t foolish enough to turn the Empire into an enemy under these circumstances. And that princess… she doesn’t have the nerve for something like this.)
“…By process of elimination, this was probably the work of enemy forces. An assassin—or perhaps a spy.”
“I agree,” Esther nodded gravely. “The Grand Duchy is particularly suspicious.”
“The fact that they targeted the Imperial Ambassador so precisely tells the whole story.”
Ryu slid open the fusuma door and called out to a servant passing along the veranda.
“Yes? How may I assist you?”
“The food was poisoned.”
“E-Excuse me!?”
The servant went pale, struck speechless.
Poisoning a foreign ambassador was no mere misstep—it was an act of staggering stupidity that could plunge nations into chaos.
“Spread the word to the entirety of Edo Castle immediately. Bring the princess and Sakai here as well. If they’re asleep, wake them up. That’s all.”
“…U-Understood!!! At once!!!”
Five minutes later, the guesthouse was filled with Tokugawa retainers, guards, and servants, all gathered in mounting panic.
“Imperial Ambassador-dono! We apologize for the delay! Are you unharmed!?”
Princess Kagura and Sakai arrived, breathless from rushing.
“We’re unharmed.”
“Thank goodness… truly, truly…”
An immediate confirmation of the facts began.
“We heard there was poison in the food—is that true!?”
“Yes. Though I don’t know what kind.”
“And how did you discover it?”
“I hadn’t mentioned it before, but our Imperial Ambassador’s aide, Esther, is a top-tier pharmacist. She detected the scent of poison.”
“…I see. Thank you, Aide-dono. Had you not been here… Edo would have been finished.”
The princess bowed deeply to Esther.
“Mm. You may rise. I am pleased to have been of use,” Esther replied loftily.
And at that moment—
A samurai of no particular distinction stepped forward aggressively.
“You there! How dare you speak to Lady Kagura in such a tone! Are you truly an ambassador sent by the Empire!?”
A stunned silence fell over the room.
Ryu’s voice dropped, heavy as iron.
“…Twice.”
“Tw-Twice? What are you talking about?”
“The number of times the life of an ambassador from the strongest nation on the continent—the Astoria Empire—has been threatened. The first was an attack by the wanted criminal Gorouemon. The second is this poisoning within your guesthouse. Either incident alone could escalate into an international crisis—perhaps even a great war. And yet we are choosing to settle both quietly. And you—what exactly did you just say to me?”
“Ugh…”
Ryu shifted his gaze to the princess.
“Princess. I believe it would be wise to discipline your retainers properly.”
“Y-Yes… my apologies…”
“It may be strange for me to say this, but every time something like this occurs, it increases the Empire’s bargaining leverage over Hinomaru.”
“…Yes.”
(If this is the caliber of retainer she keeps, it would hardly surprise me if an enemy spy had slipped into their ranks.)
The offending retainer was immediately ordered expelled on the spot. Meanwhile, the investigation into the culprit continued.
A few minutes later—
“Princess!!!”
One of the guards came running in, face drained of color.
“What is it!?”
“The head chef and several others… they’ve been killed by an unknown assailant!”
“Th-The head chef!?”
“When we arrived at the scene, the kitchen was a sea of blood. All of their hearts had stopped. The blood was still fresh—most likely they were assassinated shortly before the commotion began…!”
(As I thought. This wasn’t the Tokugawa’s doing. For a staged act, this would be excessive. The culprit is from the enemy side. Not a spy embedded here—but an assassin dispatched specifically to kill me.)
When someone commits such a conspicuous slaughter, the scent of thick blood clings to them. Residual mana would also make identification possible. They would have to leave the castle immediately.
If this had been the work of a spy, their absence would be noticed the next day, exposing them. No handler would issue such a reckless order to a mere informant.
Most likely, a professional assassin had infiltrated the castle.
“Before searching for the culprit, we must ensure the Imperial Ambassador’s safety,” Sakai said grimly. “We cannot have you remain in the guesthouse. What shall we do…?”
“We will stay at an inn in the castle town. No need to worry.”
“At least allow us to assign several guards—”
“That won’t be necessary. With respect, the possibility that someone from the Tokugawa household poisoned the food is not zero.”
“…You are correct. I spoke too subjectively. My apologies.”
“No matter. We shall withdraw for now.”
“Understood.”
Leaving the investigation to the Tokugawa, Ryu and his companions exited the castle.
“Ryu, was it wise not to assist in the search?” Esther asked.
“It would be pointless. They won’t find the culprit. It’s enough that we know this wasn’t the Tokugawa’s doing. We’ll continue supporting them as planned.”
“I wonder what the culprit is doing now.”
“Probably reporting back to their superior.”
Somewhere in Edo, at that very moment—
“—sama. The plan has succeeded.”
“Good work.”
“….”
“What is it?”
“I was thinking… it might have been faster had I eliminated the target personally.”
“You would not have been able to defeat him. Poison was the optimal solution.”
“And if the poison is discovered?”
“In this situation, he will have no choice but to cast suspicion upon the Tokugawa. That alone constitutes sufficient success.”
“…I see.”
“You will now return to —. If your trail is uncovered, all prior plans will be ruined.”
“Understood.”
In the end, the culprit was never apprehended.