Chapter 318 (2): The Good Days Are Coming!

Yvette had nothing to say, which satisfied Wayne. That was exactly what he had wanted. He said cheerfully, “I’ll entrust you with my work at the Ministry of Magic, Miss Collins. Do a good job, and the Lando family will treat you well.”

Yvette smiled bitterly. She had no choice but to nod. What else could she do? Declare her undying loyalty to the Queen and get killed by the chosen knight here and now? Living was good. Why should she seek death? If even she was gone, who else would protect the Queen?

“By the way, Miss Collins. I was just promoted to Vice Minister not long ago, and tonight’s my first day on the job. Please give me a rundown. What are my daily duties, and where’s the ministry’s warehouse?” Wayne immediately revealed his true intention.

“The Ministry of Magic has one Minister and three Vice Ministers...” Yvette began slowly.

The Queen was the nominal Minister, but outside of major incidents, such as the betrayal of former Vice Minister Obed, the disappearance of Vice Minister Alan, and the surprise attack at various branches of the ministry by demons, the Queen rarely participated in managing the ministry.

Three Vice Ministers jointly managed the ministry. Among them, Yvette, due to the Queen’s complete trust in her, usually exercised the Ministry’s authority. Of the other two former Ministers, Obed had been in charge of maintaining order in the ministry, while Alan had been responsible for monitoring the mist in Londan.

Now, Sophelia was still the Minister in name, but her exclusive authority had been transferred to Auston. He was essentially doing what Yvette had once done. The mist was now Celeste’s responsibility. Under Auston’s assignment, Yvette was now charged with supervising the entire ministry on Wayne’s behalf.

It had been Obed’s job, and it gave him great authority over everyone, subjecting them to his moods and whims.

Not everyone could take the position. Obed’s surname was Windsor. With the river of history now flowing in a different direction, and the Lando family taking over, it was Wayne, surnamed Lando, who took the spot.

It made perfect sense. If anyone else claimed the role, the rebellion would have been for nothing.

Though Windsor seemed to have maintained the same regime on paper, more and more high-ranking officials and members of high society were coming to terms with the change, and the impact was only beginning to be felt. Wayne’s dream of exploiting people was right within reach. The good days were coming!

Hearing that his was a lucrative position, Wayne immediately perked up. He confirmed several times that the warehouses were indeed under his management, his face lighting up with a delighted grin.

“Kekekeke—” x2

Wait, why are there two laugh tracks?

Wayne looked at Darienne speechlessly. “Why are you laughing? I’m warning you. This is my family’s warehouse. It has nothing to do with you.”

“I’m happy for you. Nothing else.”

That better be the case!

Wayne had planned to stroll through the warehouse tonight to check for fire hazards and see what he could light up. Since Darienne seemed shamelessly ready to take advantage in case of fire, though, he abandoned the plan.

“Oh, Miss Collins, do you know about the two projects I’ve asked my father to arrange?” Wayne asked.

Yvette nodded. Those would be research on Astral creatures and the study in Hell, respectively. Most of the materials had been moved to the headquarters of the ministry. Once Vice Minister Wayne’s new base was established, the laboratory could be moved in.

“Let’s go. Take me to see the warehouse.” Wayne couldn’t wait to dive into his research. He turned to say to Darienne. “As you can see, I’m busy with work. I’m going to pull an all-nighter and have no time to fool around with you. Here’s the car key. Head back on your own.”

His words sounded suggestive, deliberately so.

The effect was immediate. Yvette couldn’t help but let her imagination run wild, speculating about the relationship between Wayne and Darienne. She concluded that the Queen was an excellent judge of character—Wayne did like them old.

Darienne had caught the insinuation and graciously didn’t expose him. Not only did she play along, but she also added with a nod, “I’ll work overtime with you. If you’re not home, I’ll be returning to an empty house, but if I work overtime with you, at least I’ll be seeing you.”

(눈_눈)x2

Do you hear yourself?

Wayne face-palmed.

Who told you to improvise?

Yvette sucked in a silent breath.

As expected of a Lando. He’s so good at deceiving women. Auston, how could you shamelessly insist that he’s not your son?

***

Yvette led the way, opening the underground passage while explaining to Wayne the magical defenses in place in the office building and how to activate and deactivate them.

Soon, the three arrived at the independent warehouse on the underground third floor. Darienne stood meekly behind Wayne, fully committed to the act of a secretary and a lover, making him thoroughly uncomfortable.

His unease pleased her. She could keep doing this. It would be fun if she put on the act before Filomina and Kristen, making the two beauties lose composure. Muhaha.

Yvette deactivated the magical mechanisms and pushed open the door, turning on the lamps on the wall. Hundreds of shelves lined the massive warehouse from end to end. The sealed boxes filling the shelves were beyond counting, filled with research materials confiscated from various branches.

The key experimental equipment and materials were sealed and stored separately. Frank’s study in Hell, for example, was incredibly dangerous, and the flesh of Astral Beasts that Bourne researched was not to be handled carelessly, either. The slightest misstep would lead to unimaginable catastrophes.

Wayne scanned the warehouse and immediately made a small sound of surprise. Darienne’s smile turned playful. The more she looked at Wayne, the more satisfied she was with him. There was plenty of entertainment to be had around her successor, and she wouldn’t be bored even without playing cards.

Yvette’s face turned stormy. She smelled a rat. Her eyes glinted as her Legendary-rank thoughts inserted into the void, weaving an invisible net. Layer upon layer of barriers quickly trapped the intruder.

The nearly transparent figure gradually became concrete. Losing the contest of thoughts with Yvette, their true appearance was revealed.

Bourne—a legendary mage of the Ministry of Magic and the former head of the research group for Astral creatures.

“What are you doing here, Bourne?” Yvette demanded coldly.

“I’m here-here...”

Caught red-handed while breaking into the ministry at night, Bourne panicked internally. Just as he was about to fabricate a good excuse, he suddenly realized something.

“Who are you? A new legendary mage at the ministry? How come I’ve never seen you before?” Bourne was baffled. Legendary mages weren’t apples and didn’t grow on trees.

“I’m Yv—”

Yvette trailed off, tugging at the hem of her embarrassingly short skirt. Under the cold, mercilessly honest light of the wall lamps, her black-stockinged legs twisted. Screaming internally, she produced a robe with a wave and put it on.

“Yvette?!” Bourne’s eyes widened in disbelief. “You’re Vice Minister Yvette Collins? Seriously? Is it really you?”

Stop talking already. You don’t have to be so loud just because you have a voice!

Yvette was mortified. Facing the thief’s inquiry, she scowled, about to demand an explanation.

“Holy crap, it is you!” Bourne’s expression was strange. Then he doubled over with laughter, slapping a nearby shelf. “I know why you turned yourself younger. Cringe, so cringe. I almost didn’t recognize you when you didn’t have your robe on.”

He laughed so hard that tears nearly came out. Yvette trembled with fury, her eyes blazing with light as she raised her hands and splayed her fingers. “Bourne, this is Vice Minister Wayne’s office building. You’ve been suspended and are pending judgment. As a prosecuted suspect, you shouldn’t be here without an invitation. Do you have an explanation for the Queen?”

“For Auston, you mean,” Bourne muttered under his breath.

Even more infuriated, Yvette raised her hand to take down the thief with her vitality field.

“Wait! There’s a reason I must be here!” Bourne hurriedly called out, pointing at the sealed materials filling the warehouse with tears in his eyes. “These are my life’s work! After so many years, I’ve contributed effort, if not merit. You can’t dismiss me just because I was controlled by a demon. Does Vice Minister Wayne know Astral life? Decades of success can’t be destroyed at his whim.”

Bourne was speaking somewhat incoherently. Wayne had once helped Filomina break free from the corruption of an Astral Beast’s flesh, so he obviously knew something. Bourne had said that either because of a madness common among legendary mages, or because he was deliberately talking to Wayne.

“Shut up! This is a decision made by the Minister and Vice Minister Auston. You have no right to oppose it!” Yvette didn’t care about his excuses. She pulled Wayne behind her and moved to take down the large rat.

“Wait a second. I have something to say to Vice Minister Wayne.” Bourne didn’t care whether Yvette agreed. He hurriedly told Wayne, “Vice Minister, I know Astral Beasts inside out. I’m the best researcher in Windsor, so you can’t do without me for your project. Give me a chance. I don’t want to do anything but conduct research.”

Wayne shook his head and said reluctantly, “It’s not that I don’t trust you, but your track record is so spotty that it doesn’t inspire confidence.”

“That wasn’t an ordinary demon! It took chosen knights to defeat it. It’s not shameful for me to be controlled by it. Had Yvette been in my place, she would’ve fallen under the demon’s control, too.”

Bourne argued bitterly. He shouldn’t be blamed for something out of his control. He felt wronged when the gods wanted him destroyed.

He added, “Do you remember Planck, Vice Minister Wayne? He once treated you to a meal. Planck and I are close. Please give me a chance for his sake.”

“Well...” Wayne had wanted to work with Bourne on research. The legendary mage was experienced and a top scholar on the Astral Plane. It would be against Windsor’s fine inhumane tradition not to work him to death.

“Mage Bourne, you shouldn’t be given this chance. After all, you have a track record of treason, but I can’t ignore Planck’s connection to you.”

Wayne put on a conflicted expression. After a moment of agonizing, he said, “Father Auston isn’t like the Queen. He values talent. How about this: I’ll give you a chance to prove yourself...”

Wayne pointed at himself, Yvette, and Darienne. “You said that anyone would crumble under the demon’s machinations. I’ll give you a fair chance. Pick one opponent and win the fight. I’ll give you thirty seconds.”

A fight?

Bourne understood immediately. His connection to Planck was useful. See, Wayne was offering him an olive branch.

In his eyes, Wayne was mysterious with many secrets, and he now enjoyed too great a status. He wasn’t a good pick. Defeating the Prince wouldn’t do Bourne any good. He would face discrimination in the future. If he lost, though, he would be excluded from the research team, which wouldn’t be ideal, either.

Win or lose, he would gain nothing. Wayne was a bad pick.

Though Bourne hadn’t voiced it, he had an estimation for Wayne’s power. Planck had warned him that Wayne was so formidable that regular legendary mages wouldn’t be his match. Bourne didn’t know if Planck was exaggerating, but all the compliments meant that Wayne had something going for him. It would be difficult for him to defeat Wayne in thirty seconds.

Yvette wouldn’t work, either. He couldn’t beat her to begin with, let alone end the fight in thirty seconds.

That made it obvious which of the three was the olive branch Wayne offered.

Silver head, I choose you!

Bourne raised an eyebrow, feeling confident. He was sure he would win even without using his hands.

Yvette stepped before Wayne with a frown, saying coldly, “Calm down, Bourne. I’d advise you not to do anything foolish. It’d be wise for you to surrender now.”

No can do. My new supervisor is watching me. I have to put on a good show, or I wouldn’t dare to speak my mind in the future.

Under Yvette’s exasperated gaze, Bourne taunted Darienne loudly, “Newbie, who are you?”

“Vice Minister Wayne’s secretary,” Darienne said in a nervous tone. “I-I’m not a legendary mage...”

“Cut it. I choose you. I’ll defeat you in thirty seconds!”

Bourne swung his arm and conjured his vitality field to trap Darienne, giving Yvette no chance to interfere. Yes, he couldn’t beat Yvette or handle Wayne, but a secretary?

Ha, it won’t even take thirty seconds!