The owner of the Rikaner Glory Newspaper Office was a man of considerable standing. The paper represented the Kingdom's reputation, and only a member of the Royal Family could hold that position: Tono Montreal. Even the young King had to call him cousin.
The Nobles had little faith in Young Miss Olmedo. They thought he was about to get his head cracked open. Not that it stopped them from watching. If Young Miss Olmedo lost, that irritating man would be out of their way. If the King's cousin lost... it would mean the winds had shifted in the New Royal Capital, and a second Council Chairman was on the rise.
Tono Montreal did not appear. The man who came out to receive Annan was the deputy director, Reginald Barr—another man of considerable standing, and a Marquis.
"Young Miss Olmedo, I've heard of you..." The elegant middle-aged man wore a haughty smile. "Is there anything I can help you with?"
"I need you to suspend your work and cooperate with the Purification Court's investigation," Annan said in an official tone.
Marquis Barr's smile did not waver. "Do you have evidence?"
"The fact that I brought people here means I do." Annan tilted his head, signaling his subordinates to search the Newspaper Office.
Marquis Barr let Annan's people enter, but could not resist a barbed remark. "Be careful. These are all stories scheduled for publication. If anything goes missing, someone will be in trouble..."
"I'd call that a good thing." Annan walked over to Marquis Barr.
Unaccustomed to having anyone so close, Marquis Barr frowned almost imperceptibly. "Why?"
"Publish those articles and the Voice of Freedom will tear them apart. It's hard not to suspect someone inside is colluding with the Blade of Freedom. They'd be better off going back to the