Chapter 170 (1): Now What

Lando Estate.

The black luxury car slowly pulled over.

“Young Master, Master is waiting for you in the study. Please follow me.”

Wayne nodded, following Megan with the briefcase. He wondered if he was overthinking, but her usually expressionless face seemed grave.

In the study, Auston stood before the window with his hands behind his back. Unlike usual, he wasn’t playing with his antique silver coin.

Wayne entered the study with the briefcase. Megan closed the door and stood watch outside, making sure to set up a soundproofing barrier without delay. Auston turned around, frowning silently at the briefcase Wayne was holding.

“Auston, what is the trouble you mentioned in the call?” Wayne placed the briefcase on the desk, revealing the four items inside.

“The Ministry of Magic,” Auston said bluntly. Taking two steps toward the desk, he named the treasures one by one. “

Book of Moon Shadow

,

Manuscript of the Forgotten

, Ring of Fire Element, dragon blood...”

He gave Wayne a weird look, taking his silver coin from his breast pocket and fidgeting with it for a moment. “So they are in your possession. How did you do it?”

“What do you mean? Didn’t you have the exact information?” Wayne huffed. Damn the old man for cheating the truth out of him.

“My information came from the Church of Moonlight. High Reverend Filomina Ursula’s experience that night enraged the church. They demanded that the Ministry of Magic surrender the culprits.”

“According to the High Reverend, it was a dire situation where the Church of Moonlight suffered great casualties from the ambush. If not for a Gold-rank mage from the Church of Heavenly Father named Isaac, she would’ve died too.”

“While Isaac is strong, the Ministry of Magic had sent too many people, so the briefcase still ended up taken away.”

Wayne scratched his head. What the hell? If he hadn’t been there, he would’ve been confused. Who was Isaac? Him? If so, the older lady was a nice woman who took care of her man.

Still...

Heart pounding, he gulped and said, “What does that have to do with the Ministry of Magic? Luzerbourg is a territory of the Church of Heavenly Father, not part of the Windsor Ministry of Magic’s jurisdiction. The Church of Moonlight should suspect the Church of Death and the Church of Darkness.”

“You don’t know anything?” Auston asked in surprise. His expression turned even more complicated when it seemed that Wayne was truly in the dark. “You robbed both sides without knowing anything? It seems I should reevaluate your ignorance and boldness.”

“Ignorance aside, I’ll admit I’m bold. But just tell me, what’s going on?”

“The High Reverend of the Church of Moonlight was attacked by the Ministry of Magic in Luzerbourg. The ministry possesses anti-magic domains, mirror space projection barriers, and modified dragon-blooded soldiers, and going through the inventory, we found that some of the stocks are missing. The missing amounts match the High Reverend’s statement, too.”

“The Church of Moonlight is right. Our Ministry of Magic ambushed them. In other words, you killed those on our side for these treasures.”

He glanced at Wayne’s shocked face and explained everything while pointing at the briefcase.

“These are items demanded by the Ministry of Magic for the trade with the Church of Moonlight. A vice minister asked for the

Book of Moon Shadow

. Director Planck asked for the Manuscript of the Forgotten. I asked for the dragon blood. Another Tulip Family asked for the Ring of Fire Element...”

“There was also the flesh of an Astral Beast, but according to the High Reverend of the Church of Moonlight, she used it to save herself.”

Auston sighed, picking up the bottle that sealed the dragon blood. Although things unfolded in an unexpected way, the dragon blood still ended up in his hand.

Wayne’s eyes widened. Going over the information in his head, he concluded that the Ministry of Magic had tried to take the wares and kill the carriers.

𝚏𝗿𝗲𝐞𝐰𝚎𝕓𝐧𝚘𝘃𝗲𝐥.𝐜𝚘𝕞

“Figured out what trouble you got yourself into?” Auston snorted, glancing at him. “The Ministry of Magic’s deed shouldn’t have been exposed, but because of you, it’s now put in a difficult situation. The Minister is furious. All of us got scolded.”

“Who is the Minister?”

Auston had addressed each of the five people who demanded bribery. Two were of the Tulip Families. Then there were Director Planck and the Vice Minister.

Planck wasn’t the Vice Minister of Magic, but only a high-ranking member. The Vice Minister had to be stronger than Planck, meaning they were near the peak of a legendary mage. How amazing must the Minister be, then?

“The Minister is Her Majesty the Queen.”

...Right, the queen is the commander-in-chief. It fits Windsor’s political structure.

Wayne had many questions. “So, the Ministry of Magic never lifted the restrictions on the Church of Moonlight and never intended to allow them to expand. The blank check was meant to lure them to Luzerbourg so that the ministry could kill them and take the wares, framing the Church of Heavenly Father for the crime?”

“No, the Church of Moonlight can expand. It’s a done deal. Since there was no deception involved, I demanded bribery with a clean conscience.” Auston frowned. “However, someone lied to the Church of Moonlight in the name of the Ministry of Magic, drawing the High Reverend to Luzerbourg to kill her. The investigation is ongoing. The culprit covered their tracks well and hasn’t left any useful clues.”

Wayne said with realization, “Right, that’s the official story to shift the blame. Nothing has anything to do with the Ministry of Magic.”

“It’s not about shifting blame. Someone did betray us,” Auston explained. “The Ministry of Magic agreed to let the Church of Moonlight expand. No matter both sides’ motives, we are in our honeymoon phase where we each get what we need. It makes no sense for the Ministry of Magic to aim to kill. It won’t do us any good.”

Their demand for bribery wasn’t a dirty secret. It was a good thing for the Church of Moonlight, in fact. The higher-ups of the Ministry of Magic taking bribes would put the church at ease since it was essentially a declaration of their stance. Such was the art of politics.

Wayne couldn’t believe it. “Do you mean that one of the higher-ups coveted all five treasures, so they set up everything and framed the ministry?”

“That seems to be the case, given the current information. That’s why the Minister is so furious.”

Auston glanced at Wayne. “The royal family has always operated under the principle of checks and balances regarding the world of magic. Supporting and suppressing different factions while never antagonizing any. There is no war, only business. This attack against the Church of Moonlight will have terrible implications, and the other churches are waiting to see our response. If we can’t give a reasonable explanation... can you imagine the consequences?”

Wayne could. The verbal battle would translate into violence. If Windsor broke the truce first, the other churches would follow, and the world would never see a peaceful day again.

He had to ask, “Is it really not a decision of the Ministry of Magic, but an act of treason from one of the high-ranking members?”

“I like the word ‘treason’. It’ll be a nice criminal charge.” Auston mused.

Wayne couldn’t believe him. The fire was burning the house down, yet he still had the time to think about how he should frame his political enemy!

“According to what the High Reverend of the Church of Moonlight said, the four items were taken by the Ministry of Magic. Yet here they are, in your hand... or mine. You’re making things difficult for me!”

Auston sat down on the sofa with his silver coin. “What a headache. Why don’t I turn you in? As the heir of the family, wouldn’t you sacrifice yourself for us?”

Wayne scoffed and retorted sarcastically, “That’s fine for me, but please give me a one-month grace period so that I can fulfill my duty of producing the next heir. I’ll go to my death once Veronica’s pregnant.”

(눈言눈) (눈益눈)

Auston shot Wayne a withering glare, and Wayne glared back.