Arima finished speaking, and the hall was instantly enveloped in silence.
"...Hmm?"
A moment later, Aoto's puzzled "hmm" broke the silence.
"This... Lord Arima, is the news reliable?"
Arima nodded slightly with certainty.
Arima, known for his serious nature, showed such an expression, so Aoto had no choice but to believe him...
A glimmer of disbelief flickered in Aoto's eyes.
"Directly promoting me to the Third Squad Captain of the Arson and Theft Magistrate, and also the leader of the Advanced Bow Squad Seventh Squad... The leap in rank is quite substantial..."
The things Arima mentioned earlier: increasing the salary by 500-koku and elevating the family rank to "Hatamoto," were all within Aoto's expectations.
Aoto had long anticipated that, given the significant contributions he made this time, a salary increase was almost a given, and possibly a family rank elevation from "Imperial Family" to "Hatamoto."
But what Arima said afterward took Aoto completely by surprise...
