#Meta and Authority
Contents
Summary. Entry point for the ex3 Chapter 00 folder.
#Opening Vignette — The Black-Covered Ledger
On a rainy evening, the oil lamp in the shogunate's document vault flickered three times. Young records officer Shinohara stopped his brush and read the incident report he had just received once more. Three porters who had vanished from the ferry landing. Footprints that were not wet. A detail stating that every witness had used the same words.
"That old man was the warehouse owner from the start."
Shinohara looked up. "Did the witnesses agree on a lie?"
The aged inspector across from him set down his teacup. "No. They all saw the same thing."
"Then I must write it exactly as it stands."
"If you do, tomorrow morning crowds will gather at the ferry landing, the day after that people impersonating exorcists will gather, and three days later one of the domains will ask what the shogunate is hiding."
Shinohara tightened his grip on the brush. "Then is this ledger a lie?"
The aged inspector slid across a book with a black cover. "No. This ledger is the book that decides how far the truth is allowed onto the table."
Outside, the sound of rain was fading. Shinohara crossed out the report's title. The new title was short. Ferry Landing Disturbance. No casualties. Only then did he understand that the first chapter of this book was not a place for explaining incidents, but a place for defining the authority and scope by which incidents are handled.
#Scent — The Ledger That Opens the Book
The first chapter is not an incident; it is the book's handle. Here the reader confirms that Strange Tales of Edo is not a new code of law but a guide that makes existing law readable as scenes from another era.
#Law — Chapter Usage
- The full-volume index is kept at the root; scope and compatibility documents are managed in this folder.
- When deciding whether to add new rules, check this chapter first.
- When a conflict arises with an external volume, the default is to maintain the core rules and reinforce the ex3 era interpretation.
#Detailed Documents
- About This Book — Scope and new-data principles.
- Cross-Volume Reference and Authority — Priority of co and other volumes.
"The first chapter of a book is the key that opens the door, not a new lock."