Chapter 172 (1): The Organization Wants You to Be the Frontman

“Auston, I don’t think I heard that right. Please repeat what you said. What am I gonna be again?” Wayne picked his ears, suspecting that he was hearing things. Perhaps Veronica’s increased strength had managed to give him a hemorrhage.

𝙛𝓻𝒆𝒆𝒘𝙚𝓫𝙣𝙤𝒗𝙚𝓵.𝙘𝙤𝙢

“Ambass—”

“Pfft!”

Wayne laughed before Auston could finish. He pointed at himself and said proudly, “Me? Ambassador? Is there no one else in Windsor to play that role? Or do you just need a human?”

Megan nodded. It was absurd.

Auston rolled his eyes. “I find it ridiculous as well, but it is the Minister’s order. Since you’ve saved the High Reverend of the Church of Moonlight, you’re the only one who can salvage the Ministry of Magic’s image.”

“I get that much, but...” Wayne broke into a sweat when it seemed that Auston wasn’t kidding. “Satisfy all her needs? Isn’t that too much? If she wants my body, do I just lie back and think of Windsor?”

“If that’ll appease her, your sacrifice will be worth it,” Auston said with a scowl. “The Minister will award you an order of chivalry.”

How annoying! He had publicly implied that Wayne was the heir of the Lando family, which the Queen had to have gotten wind of. The offer of an award made it clear that she was dissatisfied with the Lando family, and Auston knew why.

To Windsor, while the traitor in the Ministry of Magic was the unforgivable primary culprit of this debacle, deserving the worst punishment, Wayne came right after for exposing the Ministry of Magic’s immoral deeds to the churches.

No matter what terrible crimes the ministry had committed, it should’ve been addressed behind closed doors. It was Wayne’s mistake to air their dirty laundry.

Now, the Church of Moonlight wanted an explanation from the Ministry of Magic, demanding they turn over the culprit for punishment. The other churches were fueling the flames as well, giving the Queen a severe headache. She thus wanted Wayne to clean up the mess he had created.

“We’re still investigating who the traitor is, which will take some time,” Auston huffed. “The priority is to appease the Church of Moonlight. Only then will the other churches calm down as well.”

It would telegraph Windsor’s attitude to the churches, emphasizing that they never meant to start a conflict, and that what had happened was an isolated incident.

They would be lowering their stance, but that was how politics worked. The churches were banding together and brewing something, so Windsor had to make compromises, even if it was only a pretense. They had to make the churches feel respected.

“To put it bluntly, these things would’ve never happened if you hadn’t saved her,” Auston said. “You have to take responsibility for your actions.”

Wayne made a face. “Really? I’m the good guy here. Why should I be punished for saving people?”

“Don’t play dumb. There are no good guys and bad guys in the world. Morality is a restriction that the powerful place on the weak. The powerful never restrict themselves, and interests are all that matter.” It was a simple truth that Auston knew Wayne understood. Moreover, it wouldn’t work for him to fish for sympathy from Auston. He was welcome to try to appeal to the Queen and see if she bought his nonsense!

Wayne sighed. The world was rotten. Thankfully, he had the foresight to go down the path of a scum long ago, or the lessons he had to learn would cost him a fortune.

“Anything else?”

“Yes.” Thinking of High Reverend Filomina’s stunning face, Wayne said worriedly, “To tell you the truth, I saved her for the briefcase. To conceal my ulterior motives, I put on a noble act while saving her. I can tell that I’ve left a good impression on her.”

He had introduced himself as Jack, yet Filomina named an Isaac instead. That was the best proof of her benevolent feelings for him.

If they never saw each other again, Filomina would continue to put him on a pedestal. Jack would be a hero stumbling upon her and offering his aid. His taking the spoils wouldn’t have dampened her feelings for her savior. Perhaps Filomina might even fantasize about him late at night.

If they met in Londan, however, Jack, the Gold-rank mage of the Church of Heavenly Father and a local Luzerbourger, would be revealed as the ambassador of the Windsor Ministry of Magic. The humiliation would erase whatever goodwill Filomina had for him.

If he had to satisfy her demands under the circumstances...

Wayne felt his scalp tingle. The Queen was cruel. He wasn’t giving away his body for Windsor, but becoming a body!

He explained his predicament to Auston, who responded with a darker expression, “You feel wronged, but it’s the same for me. You’re the heir of the Lando family. You being ordered around will be akin to me being ordered around...”

Auston got annoyed again, blaming Wayne for being nosy. After his discontent grumbling, he waved his hand dismissively. “The Minister has made up her mind, and no one can change that. Besides, you are the best candidate.”

Wayne nodded. That much was true.

“The Ministry of Magic ambushed the Church of Moonlight. Originally, no one would’ve known if nothing went wrong. But you saved the High Reverend of the church and put the ministry in a difficult position, giving the church leverage against the ministry to negotiate for more benefits in Windsor...”

Auston finished the summary and concluded, “You being the one to service the High Reverend will prove that Windsor’s stance has never changed. We’ve always treated the churches well, and this time, we aren’t shirking our responsibility. It’s just that a traitor among us has acted out. Simple as that.”

Wayne nodded as he listened. He understood the situation, but he had to emphasize that he had lied to the woman before, and if he volunteered to entertain her, he would most likely be broken as a toy.

“Aren’t you an expert in fooling women? Why not do that again?” Auston laughed, but then he realized the problem and warned, “Don’t mess around. She’s old enough to be your mother.”

“I’m not the one who may mess around, but her,” Wayne grumbled. Auston had a strange confidence in his ability to deceive people. The High Reverend was an auntie rather than a college girl; she wouldn’t be so easy to fool.

Auston couldn’t bear to talk about the possibility. He warned that Wayne should watch out with his deception; he would never forgive him if he hurt Veronica.

“I understand, Father-in-law.”

“Father—piss off!”

***

Auston kicked Wayne out and left the study after him. Outside, Megan dissolved the soundproofing barrier, trailing after the master and the young master. Her eyes were disapproving as she stared at the two men in black.

She had heard everything!

The three of them got into a black luxury car. Since Auston refused to sit with Wayne, he sat in the back with Megan.

Wayne expressed his understanding while taking the bandages off. There was no other choice. He would’ve chosen to sit with her butler, secretary, and lover as well if he were Auston.

Auston took off his bandages, too, placing them on the back seat rather than disposing of them. They could be of use when he returned home.

“Although you’re going to be the ambassador and take care of the High Reverend of the Church of Moonlight, you’re lacking in status. A vice minister of the Ministry of Magic will accompany you to the airport to welcome her...”

Auston explained the process of the airport pick-up. The Queen was the Minister of Magic, but she wasn’t involved in the direct management of the ministry. Under her authorization, three vice ministers were in charge.

Since Obed had asked for the

Book of Moon Shadow

and had thus become one of the five suspects, he was forbidden from joining the welcoming party. He was arranging an investigation team, swamped with work at the moment.

Among the two other vice ministers, the Queen chose one of her confidants, Yvette Collins, for the job. She was a legendary mage from the Collins family, one of the Tulip Families. The fourteen families were deeply involved in different sectors of Windsor, including the field of magic. The Collins specialized in magic, so they were less known to the mundane world while being highly regarded among the Tulip Families.

All the families wanted a share of the field of magic, but the Collins family managed to capture the blue ocean first, leaving the others with scraps. While watching the Collins family enjoying the main dishes, they put on a smile but cursed them out inwardly.

The fourteen Tulip Families weren’t a united front!

“Why are you telling me all this? Do you want me to suck up to Miss Collins?” Wayne raised an eyebrow, emphasizing the word ‘suck’. He wondered if the old man was looking for a socialite rather than a successor.

Many large families and big businesses had such people on hand, who could be used for their own entertainment or their guests’. When a connection was built, everything else would fall into place, and a partnership could easily form.

Auston didn’t deem that a response. He had brought up Yvette Collins’s background so that Wayne would control himself and avoid cheating her or getting cheated. In other words, he should keep his distance from her.

While explaining everything, Auston had a dark look on his face. His bringing Wayne to the Ministry of Magic would essentially confirm Wayne as his successor. Although it was part of the plan, it felt terrible to do it so much in advance.

Acceptance ≠ Full Acceptance

Approval ≠ Full Approval

Auston had planned to train Wayne for around a year before announcing him as the successor at the right time. Because of the Queen’s order, though, that plan fell apart completely.