The Legend of the Reclusive Princess Zuicho of the Rikan Empire ~She Escapes From The Palace Everyday and Works as a Capable Government Official.~ - Chapter 11

That afternoon, Saya stood in front of the main gate of the Ministry of Civil Affairs.

“Deputy Minister of the Ministry of Revenue, are you really alright going alone?”

One of the military officers from the Imperial Stables looked at her with concern.

He held a spear used for guarding and was doing the final check on the carriage that Saya had requested.

“Yes, it’s not a problem. I’m just going to ask some questions at a few shops in the castle town.”

“But in such light clothing… if something happens—”

“No need to worry. If I wear my official uniform, strange rumors might start. I don’t want to cause any trouble for the shops.”

Saya answered calmly.
She wore a light-colored outfit with a cloak, looking like an ordinary person from the city.

Of course, she hid her black hair under the cloth and let only a single, softly braided strand of blonde hair fall over her chest.

“Ahh… You’re thinking of the common people’s lives. That’s just like you, Deputy Minister.”

“All officials should do the same. … So, may I get in now?”

In front of her stood a fine carriage. The driver was already seated, ready to depart.

Another officer who had been adjusting the horse gear walked up and saluted.

“Yes, thank you for waiting! … Hey, driver, be sure to drive safely!”

“Of course, sir.”

While reminding the driver, the officer also opened the door, waiting to escort her.

Saya gave him a small nod and stepped into the carriage.

She sat deeply on the seat.
The cushion was thick, and the leather was stretched tightly over it, making it very comfortable. Delicate designs decorated the inside, making it far nicer than an average carriage.

She wanted to see things with her own eyes instead of just reading a report based on what His Majesty told her. Lacking time, she instructed her subordinates to arrange a carriage, which ended up being overly extravagant.

(…Maybe I should have just walked… but it would be dangerous if I stayed out after sunset…)

Even though she had changed into simple clothing to avoid attention, arriving in such a fancy carriage ruined the whole point…
While considering this, she heard the men outside talking again.

“Driver, stay here and wait until she returns. You’ll get the other half of the fare when we come back.”

“I don’t mind that… But if it takes too long, this half won’t be enough, you know?”

“What? The round trip to the main street of the castle town was recorded in the ledger, and—”

The officer scratched his head with the ledger in hand, while the driver frowned in displeasure.

“I can’t read, sir. However, if I am required to wait, I should also receive compensation for my time.

“No, no, the waiting time is already included… I think that number here means that…”

“Eh? That little? I’d earn more by waiting for random customers on the street…”

“Really? …Hmm, hold on.”

The officer stopped the driver and started flipping through the ledger with the other officer.
They frown at the pages, but it was obvious they were both confused and hoped the other had a solution.

In this world, literacy was very low.

Most people lived through farming or manual labor, so they didn’t need to read.
As long as they could do simple calculations to buy and sell goods, that was enough.
In remote villages, people didn’t even use money much. They usually traded goods.

That’s why situations like this were troublesome.

Even if a written contract was in the ledger, the driver couldn’t read it.
And even if the officers could read a few numbers, they couldn’t do the math to figure out the cost.

Saya had been quietly watching the situation. After thinking for a moment, she decided to step in, even if it seemed pushy.

“—Officer. Let me take a look.”