Episode 34.10 (2/2)
”That's a whole different matter. Fine, I'll ask something else. The agreement to keep appraisal results confidential is shared between who and whom?”
”Eh? Of course between the client and the appraiser.”
”Then the appraisal payment belongs to the appraiser then.”
”No, how could that be. That belongs to his excellency the marquis of course.”
”Yeah, thought so. The acts of appraising may be carried out by appraisers, but they do that in their capacity as servants or employees of the marquis.”
”That is not wrong, yes.”
”And the sitting observer themselves aren't there out of self interest. They're there as a representative of the marquis. Both appraisers and observers work under the marquis's name, and the trust people hold toward their work is the trust directed toward the marquis.”
”That is only natural.”
”Which means the agreement in the Secret Appraisal was done by the marquis himself. The marquis violated that agreement on his own volition. No, the whole thing is a lie from the very start. Would any self-respecting appraiser be willing to work under such a marquis?”
Eliza fell silent. She's trying to digest the words thrown at her.
”The job of a townlord is to set up rules for the people to follow. Yet so many times they end up believing that those rules don't apply to them. But a facade can only work if you keep it up.”
”Facade?”
”Yeah. If Secret Appraisals are nothing more than a facade, you should have never torn it down. You boasted about my secret appraisal result to me. That the observer saw it clearly. But that was the one word you must have never let out of your mouth. You should have done everything you could to keep it shut.”
”I merely showed the proof since you tried to worm your way out. How would I overcome your attempt if I kept the fact that Gwislan saw it unspoken.”
”You should have never said it out loud even if you knew the truth from Gwislan's report. If you want proof, just gather them on your own with that knowledge as a clue, then you could tell me 'you must have gotten this and that', 'you must have reached this floor'. The word you were boasting is the very word that affirmed yourself as a shitty human who can't be trusted to keep their word.”
Eliza turned downcast and fell silent. After quite a long while, Zoltan spoke up.
”Young miss. You should understand what to apologize to elder Termin now. Go tell him right away.”
”But I have yet to receive Lecan-dono's forgiveness.”
”It's not something you can easily acquire either way. You should truthfully tell him about your dialogue with Lecan-dono, what you said, what he told you. After which make a sincere apology. Do not try to sugarcoat it. Just apologize. Only then you can start thinking what comes next.”
”I got it.”
Eliza stood up and thanked Lecan.
”I am grateful for the enlightenment you gave me. But still, Lecan-dono, you're really familiar with how an adventurer thinks and behaves. It even felt like I'm talking with a real adventurer for a moment there. Truly impressive. Well then.”
”Ah, young miss. I shall remain here.”
”Eh? Ah. You want to catch up with the innkeeper, are you not. I got it.”
”Hold it. Almost forgot one thing.”
”What would it be, Lecan-dono.”
”The old man returned one big gold coin I paid him. That likely came out of his own pocket. Go check it, if it is, then you should pay him back.”
”Understood. Thank you.”
As Eliza left, Zoltan stayed.