Grand architecture of the office building of the central prefecture bureau could be intimidating, but it wasn’t the only reason why Dan shivered. They barely entered the capital, and already what they saw on the way exceeded his expectations. His confidence melted as the imperial roads changed from hardened dirt roads into cobbled streets, wide enough for two carts to pass each other. Then, villages got richer, towns more populous, inns cleaner. And the most important - they served wine instead of vodka. The most glorious buildings of his homeland looked like decrepit shacks compared to the grandeur of the capital’s outskirts.
What they saw in the government district was mind-boggling. It was a center of culture and civilization. Only now, confronted with all that splendor he realized that he had lived a life of a country bumpkin. Worse, a barbarian! All his knowledge, books he had read - and he used to be so proud of his own literacy - mattered not. Here, reading and writing were considered basic skills, owning books wasn’t a luxury. There were public schools where even commoners could learn letters and numbers for free; founded by the Emperor as stated on tables by doors.
Dan had always considered himself lucky for getting a chance at education, but what was seen as a stroke of good fortune in the province was a basic right in the Capital. Who was he next to the specialists who worked in imperial offices? Would he dare to speak to them? They will see through his manipulations in a blink of an eye if he tries to be dishonest about anything. Even worse, he felt judgmental stares of passersby as if the locals could recognize their countryside origins at once. Or, maybe they stared at Yew, who with her braids, military uniform, and weapons made an unusual sight even for such a cosmopolitan city. Dan instructed her to change into something more conservative, but the warrior replied with such a scathing stare that for a moment he feared for his life.
“It’s your idea,” she pointed out. “I’m telling you now, it won’t work the way you think it should.”
“We’ll see.”
She shrugged and followed him to the government district.
In comparison to the wonders of ancient architecture, the building of Prefecture in the capital looked surprisingly unimpressive. Plain walls, with no ornaments, no paintings other than plates with names and ranks of resident officials. Dan remembered reading that the importance of different institutions in the capital was expressed by their location in relation to the main entrance to the royal palace, and if so the imperial prefecture seemed to be pretty influential. Either way, the utilitarian presence took nothing of the intimidating feeling the building exuded. The power didn’t need riches to terrify. In the end, what mattered was whose commands were followed and who had a prerogative to orders whose execution.
Maybe coming here wasn’t such a great idea? Imperial prefectures could decree their execution for nothing more than wasting their time. Withdrawing, however, would deem the whole trip pointless.
Before he had even realized, Dan crossed the threshold and entered the hall for supplicants.
“I’d like to report corruption!” he bellowed.
No one even cared to raise their heads. There were four clerks sitting by their respective desks, filling forms with elegant letters. Over a dozen people were waiting in a queue.
“I’d like to report corruption!”
This earned him a bored gaze from one of the clerks. “End of the queue.”
“But…” Dan didn’t know what to say. “But I’d like to report a serious corruption case!”
The official returned to writing and replied without looking at him. “Like everyone here.”
Dan heard a sound of muffled laughter behind his back; Yew, apparently, enjoyed watching him making a fool out of himself. Other patents didn’t even care to give him a shred of attention. No one was surprised by the mechanics of the heartless bureaucracy. The accountant turned to the end of the queue, followed by the still chuckling warrior maiden.
The process of writing down testimonies in various cases seemed to be never-ending. An evil baker sells low-quality bread while demanding prices like for a good one. A tax collector calculated a tribute for a herd of a hundred cows as for a herd of one hundred and two… terrible crimes! Why aren’t gods sending their holy thunders to punish the sinners!
When their turn came, Dan was almost ashamed that the case he was to present would turn out so much more serious than most of the minor reports.
The clerk reached for a clean piece of paper and started with a regular phrase.
“Name?”
“Dan.”
“Citizen?”
“Yes, I'm a free man.”
“Where are you from?”
“Eastern Trakos.”
“Ach? What are you doing here then instead of reporting in the local office of our prefecture?”
“I’d like to report corruption. I suspect officials working for the local office of the prefecture may be involved in a series of corruption and abuse of power cases.”
The official sighed and gestured at him to continue. Dan didn’t waste time, using all his eloquence he explained what happened to Yew’s younger sister, how imperial officials closed their eyes to the blatant disregard of the law. He stressed the governor’s role in the whole incident and recounted the other side’s attempts at manipulating the rules of dueling in the arena. In the end, he mentioned they feared a personal vendetta.
The clerk looked at him with an open mouth. He kept silent for a moment, then sighed, then wrote something on a piece of paper. “Actually…” he asked with genuine curiosity. “What do you expect?”
“Well,” Dan scratched his head in embarrassment.
Now, after watching how the office worked, his hopes looked rather ludicrous.
“Doesn’t the law obligate the government to protect witnesses from harm?”
“You know that I have to fill the report. Send it to the head of our prefecture who needs to assess its credibility. Then, we’ll issue a special summons for the governor of your town, chief of the local prefecture, commander of guards… and many other individuals that may be involved. Only then you’ll be owed personal protection from imperial forces. Until then…”
Dan swallowed; he was almost sure he could guess what the official meant. He looked at Yew, who stood there completely undisturbed and with a silly grin glued to her face.
“But we… Isn't the witness protection program meant to prevent perpetrators from eliminating potential witnesses? Especially when the suspect is in a position of power? This is precisely our case!”
“Not my prerogative.”
“But we…”
“What do you expect me to do? Prefecture does not have resources to guard everyone who claims the need. You're on your own. For now.”
“For how long?”
The official shrugged. “Few weeks? Months? Someone needs to take the case and assess whether it's worth the time?”
“Weeks? Months?” Dan repeated dumbfounded. “So what are we to do in the meanwhile?”
“Well, since you have already reported, you cannot leave the capital,”
Yew started to laugh quite openly, as if the whole thing did not matter to her at all.
“I'd recommend you get a room in the inn opposite a guard station in the public district and wait there. It's as safe as it could be, and I can write a paper for the innkeeper guaranteeing a full coverage of costs if your claims turn out to be true.”
“But…” Dan started, ready to argue.
However, the official raised his arm pointing out at the growing line of people behind them. The queue had managed to stretch beyond the door, and only a silent presence of a single guard by the entrance was curbing the dissatisfaction in the crowd.
“What more do you expect me to do? Can't you see what circus we must deal with here?”
Dan really didn't know what to say.
Surprisingly, Yew did.
“So you're saying we must stay in the city until the case is finished?” The woman asked.
“Until the documents are analyzed by a designated prosecutor,” the official corrected the nuance in the regulation. ”Then, the prosecutor will decree whether your stay, where, under what conditions is to be extended.“
“Understood. And until then, I have a right to protect my life and honor against attackers? To what extent? What if I need to use brutal force?“
The official behind the desk and Dan gasped in unison. It was such a natural question!
“Well, you'll get arrested and punished if you harm another citizen,” the official replied with caution. ”We follow the law here, so please, restrain yourself.” He paused for a moment, then added, ”but, I guess, if I put in the report that you feared for your life, it may be an argument to grant you mercy in case some incidents occur? Especially if the incident can be proven to have a connection to the case you have reported?”
A wide smile revealed a set of white teeth on the warrior's face.
“Good.”
“But we can't…” Dan tried again.
Yew grabbed him by the shoulder and squeezed, “thank you, sir.” She said and gave a short stare to her companion, and somehow he understood what she wanted.
“Can we get that on paper?!” he shot out and immediately felt a wave of disdain for himself. He could guess where the conversation was going and he would have never imagined he may ever take part in anything so morally doubtful.
The official blinked. He didn’t have a clue. Yet.
“What?”
Dan thought of a way to explain what they needed without making it sound too unlawful.
“I need to have it on paper that we give our testimonies here and are permitted to defend our lives against attempts at silencing us.”
“And why do you need such a document?”
“For city guards. We aren’t qualified for the witness protection program, but maybe if we have the document, they will pay more attention to our safety while we stay in the inn you’ve recommended?”
And we’ll have a document to show as a justification if Yew kills someone, Dan thought, but didn’t voice the real argument.
The official sighed.
“The investigation will be started, of course,” he mumbled. “Maybe in a week, someone will read the report…”
“I know, I know, there’s nothing we can do.” Dan shook his head with resignation. ”But I need the paper, just in case.”
“Alright.” The official reached for a new piece of paper. ”I can’t write anything that I have not witnessed, but… hmm, ‘Today, in the central prefecture, the citizens testified that they had fallen victim to a corrupt…’ hmm…”
Dan tried to look as innocent and resigned as possible while the official wrote down a shortened version of everything that had been put in the full report. Then, he put a red seal at the end of the note and signed. Then, he prepared a separate note for the innkeper.
"This will serve as a record of your testimony and the circumstances you've mentioned," the official stated. "However, remember, it doesn't grant you any extraordinary rights. It's just a statement of what you've reported today."
Dan nodded, understanding the limitations of the document. It wasn't a shield, but at least it was something.
"Thank you," Yew said with a curt nod. "We'll make sure to stay out of trouble, but having this might deter potential troublemakers."
The official sighed again, seemingly fatigued by the bureaucratic processes.
"Just be cautious and try not to stir more trouble. The wheels of justice turn slowly, but they do turn."
With the paper in hand, Dan and Yew exited the governmental hall. The bustling city outside seemed to have lost some of its enchantment. The reality of their situation sank in.
"What now?" Yew asked, glancing at the paper in Dan's hand.
"Now," Dan replied, "we find that inn, follow the official's advice, and wait. We play it safe until this mess gets sorted out. Hopefully, justice prevails."
As they navigated the crowded streets, the weight of the capital's sophistication pressed on Dan. The grandeur that once inspired awe now felt like a complex web of rules and regulations. He couldn't help but think about the challenges ahead. The innkeeper accepted the paper with a nod, though not without a skeptical glance at Yew's military attire. Once settled in their room, Dan contemplated their next moves.
"We need to gather more information about how these investigations proceed," he mused, pacing the room. "And we should keep a low profile. No unnecessary confrontations."
Yew leaned against the wall, her arms crossed.
"You know, this waiting game doesn't suit me. But fine, I'll play along. We need allies in this city, people who understand its intricacies."
Dan nodded.
"True, we can't navigate this alone. Let's be cautious, observe, and when the time is right, we act. For now, though, we wait."
Little did they know, the shadows of political intrigue loomed over them, and the city held secrets that would challenge their every notion of justice. The wheels of fate had begun to turn, slowly but with an undeniable momentum, carrying Dan and Yew into the heart of the capital's mysteries.
