Chapter 229: The Fruit of Evil Karma (11)

The sorcerers gathered in the Ministry of Magic's auditorium could not hide their tension. Vice-Director Sorn Greed was among them, though his unease carried a slightly different flavor.

Seated sorcerers whispered rumors amongst themselves.

"—I heard Director Bergson has been dismissed and a new Director is to be appointed. Is it true?"

"I heard the same. If things proceed normally, the Vice-Director will become the Director, but who knows?"

Sorn Greed sat in the seat reserved for the Vice-Director, half-listening to the rumors swirling around him while his eyes remained fixed on the vacant Director's seat. That seat was the most lavishly decorated in the auditorium, situated on a raised platform. The Vice-Director's seat Sorn currently occupied was also higher than the general seats and quite luxurious, but it was inferior to the Director's.

When he thought that the seat would soon be his, he couldn't suppress his rising spirits. On the surface, however, he feigned composure. Knowing that the sorcerers watching him from afar were likely impressed, thinking, As expected of the Vice-Director, made him feel even better.

After a while, the auditorium filled with sorcerers. A short time later, the doors were shut. Just before they closed, knights wearing the uniforms of the Royal Knight Order filed inside one after another. The sorcerers, unaccustomed to rough affairs, exchanged glances and stirred nervously. Sorn, too, started to rise from his seat for a moment.

The auditorium had been used for appointing Directors and Vice-Directors in the past, but never had the Knight Order entered in such a grim manner. He wondered why, but the mystery was soon solved.

Appearing on the stage was Crown Prince Riley Williams Slibegrad, accompanied by two Royal Guards. Following him was another young man with handsome features. From his attire, it was clear he was a high-ranking noble.

"Isn't that His Highness the Crown Prince?"

"Why is His Highness here...?"

Most of the sorcerers working at the Ministry were from noble families. However, the majority were lower-ranking nobles who, while having seen the Crown Prince from a distance, had never seen him up close. They stared intently at the Crown Prince on the stage as if looking at a rare beast.

In the first place, it was usually the Chancellor who attended the appointment ceremonies for Directors and Vice-Directors. For royalty to come personally was unprecedented.

The sorcerers' reactions were split in two. One group's eyes sparkled, believing the Crown Prince's personal visit indicated the importance placed on the Ministry. The other group trembled in fear, wondering what on earth was about to happen.

Riley sat in the chair provided on the stage. The first to speak was the young man who had walked behind the Crown Prince. Although he used no tools, his voice echoed throughout the entire auditorium. The gathered sorcerers immediately realized he was using magic.

"There may be some here who do not know me. I am Clyde Benito Clark. Today, we have asked His Highness, Crown Prince Riley Williams Slibegrad, to grace us with his presence to make an important announcement regarding the future of the Ministry of Magic."

The sorcerers stirred at the mention of the family name. However, sensing the intimidating presence of the knights stationed around the auditorium, everyone stiffened and fell silent.

Urged by Clyde, the Crown Prince nodded once and stood up from his chair. Standing at the center of the podium, Riley spoke calmly.

"As you all know, a regrettable incident occurred the other day. Director Bergson, who served for so long, has been sentenced to execution for the crime of treason. Furthermore, many other sorcerers have been dismissed or removed from their posts for crimes such as embezzlement. I recognize that this places a burden on you who remain at the Ministry. However, the Ministry of Magic holds a vital role in our Kingdom. Therefore, it is my earnest hope that by swiftly appointing a new Director, the Ministry's duties will continue without delay."

His clearly spoken words were filled with conviction and charm.

Since the majority of sorcerers had left the Ministry, the remaining ones faced an increased workload. While they understood it couldn't be helped, they had begun to harbor some resentment toward the nobles working in the palace. True, fraud was unforgivable, and since some of the departed had been overbearing and increased unnecessary work, there was a time they rejoiced at their absence. However, faced with the daily increasing work, complaints had started to slip from their mouths.

Yet, the moment the Crown Prince—an existence beyond their reach—acknowledged their hardships, the resentment smoldering in the depths of their hearts vanished cleanly. And it wasn't just acknowledgment. The Crown Prince himself had recognized the importance of the Ministry of Magic, something no one outside the Ministry had publicly admitted before. They couldn't help but be happy.

Riley looked around at the sorcerers gathered in the auditorium. Then, he raised his voice further.

"As the new Director—"

Sorn Greed puffed out his chest slightly. His face shone with pride.

I appoint Sorn Greed as the new Director—he was convinced his name was about to be called.

However, the reality the Crown Prince announced was cruel to Sorn.

"—I appoint Sorcerer Ben Draco."

Sorn's face, shining with pride, stiffened. The other sorcerers stirred, their gazes turning toward Sorn, whom they had viewed as the next Director. This was truly a bed of nails.

Sorn's mind went blank, and as Riley's words seeped into his brain, anger welled up.

"Why... why is it always that man?"

Sorn couldn't understand why it was always Ben Draco who got the good end of the deal. Moreover, Ben Draco was a criminal who had tampered with teleportation circles, even if he hadn't been put on trial due to lack of evidence. To dismiss Bergson as a criminal while appointing the criminal Ben Draco as Director—what did this mean? He began to harbor distrust toward the Crown Prince.

However, Riley, boldly receiving the gazes of the agitated sorcerers, continued speaking.

"Naturally, you must be wondering why I am appointing Sorcerer Ben Draco as Director. Five years ago, when the Stampede occurred near the Royal Capital, he was chased from his position as Vice-Director for the crime of tampering with teleportation circles. However, in a recent reinvestigation, it was confirmed that the one who tampered with the teleportation circles was Director Bergson."

This was a shocking accusation for most of the sorcerers. The auditorium, which had quieted down for a moment, was filled with buzzing once more. And Sorn was also one of those shocked by Riley's statement.

Though Sorn didn't swallow Riley's words whole. Rather, he piled even more anger onto Ben Draco.

"That guy... what a cunning trick—!"

Ben Draco must have pleaded his innocence to the Crown Prince and made him believe that lie.

Preparing false evidence and testimony would be easy for Ben Draco. Sorn didn't consider Ben's magic superior to his own, but he thought him capable of at least that much. After all, he was a man who took the Vice-Director's seat despite having no great talent. Even when he tampered with the teleportation circles, he had destroyed all evidence.

This time, too, he must have concocted a story convenient for himself and curried favor with the Crown Prince and his aides. Does he want the power of Director that badly? Sorn, who until moments ago had believed without a doubt that he would stand in that position, heaped silent abuse upon Ben.

However, Riley, knowing nothing of Sorn's state of mind, spoke eloquently on the stage.

"It is unforgivable that Sorcerer Ben Draco, who should have continued contributing to the Kingdom as Vice-Director, had his honor stolen by a scheme and was forced into the shadows. Therefore, although unusual, we will retroactively revoke his title of Fifth Rank Sorcerer, reinstate him to the position of Vice-Director, and then appoint him as Director. Furthermore, we will pay a portion of the unpaid wages and position allowances for the three years he was under house arrest."

Restoring all authority and honor retroactively to when he was expelled from the Ministry meant that all past suspicions were completely wiped clean.

It was effectively a declaration of total innocence.

Sorn gritted his teeth. He clenched them so hard the taste of blood spread in his mouth, but he was too angry to care.

On the stage, Ben Draco, whose name had been called, was receiving the letter of appointment directly from the Crown Prince with a solemn expression.

The one standing there should have been me, Sorn thought, directing a glare at Ben that could kill, forgetting the eyes around him.

"I hope you will continue to devote yourself to our country, Slibegrad."

"As you command. May Your Highness's reign be filled with blessings."

After Ben paid his respects to the Crown Prince, he bowed to the sorcerers gathered in the auditorium, and a vortex of applause spread through the hall. Although there were some exceptions, basically the sorcerers remaining in the Ministry now were not of the Bergson faction. If anything, many were favorable toward Ben, the heir to the prestigious Draco family of sorcerers.

Currently, the spearhead of the anti-Draco faction was Sorn Greed himself.

The Crown Prince, Clyde, and the Royal Guards glanced briefly at Sorn, who stood trembling with rage, glaring at the people on stage. Without understanding what they thought as they looked at him, Sorn stared intently at the afterimage of the Crown Prince's group leaving the auditorium.

◇ ◇ ◇ ◇

Liliana, having visited the Royal Palace, sat facing Riley in his office. Leisurely eating the tea and sweets provided, she listened to Riley's story.

"In that case, it is true that Sorn Greed-sama views Ben Draco-sama as an enemy."

"Yes. He was glaring at me with a grim face too."

"How bold. That is unexpected."

She had no direct acquaintance with Sorn Greed, but she didn't have the impression of him as a man who would defy authority. Besides, she thought he had a cautious nature in all things, so it was unexpected that he would take actions that would cause distrust in the Crown Prince, the supreme authority of this country.

At Liliana's inadvertently voiced impression, Riley nodded with his arms crossed.

"I agree. It seems he hates Ben Draco-dono so much that he doesn't care about power dynamics."

"I wonder why?"

Liliana voiced a genuine question. Unlike Ben Draco, Sorn Greed's family held a peerage. Although not the eldest son of an Earl, as the third son, he should have lived a wealthier life than the heir of the Draco family, who were treated as commoners.

"I thought he might be angry that someone he considers beneath him is his superior—but considering that, he seemed relatively obedient to Director Bergson."

"Hmm," Riley tilted his head as well. Bergson was also of commoner origin without noble registry. If the reason was simply that he wasn't a noble, Sorn hated Ben too thoroughly.

Another possibility was that Ben and Sorn were close in age. Bergson was much older, so perhaps even if it was annoying, it wasn't enough to hate him.

However, Liliana had no intention of pursuing that point.

"Do you intend to leave Sorn Greed-sama be for now?"

"Yes. You mean the matter of Marquess Tanner and the magic stones?"

"Yes."

It was Liliana who caught the information that Sorn Greed was connected to Marquess Tanner. Among the stories heard by Obsidian, who was monitoring the Tanner Marquessate, was a topic about hiring Sorn as the Tanner family's exclusive mage. However, the specific work involved only road maintenance, and regardless of the reality, he wasn't committing any crime.

Furthermore, there were rumors he was accommodating magic stones to someone. It was certain the other party was a noble, but the names actually surfacing were lower nobles, and it was easy to imagine they were likely just fronts. Besides, Sorn seemed to be sharper than Bergson; he had all the paperwork in order so that even if exposed, there would be no problem.

The case they suspected he was most likely involved in was the tampering with the teleportation circles discovered during the Stampede near the Royal Capital. They were able to find proof that it was a false accusation against Ben Draco, but the one involved in that matter was another mage, not Sorn Greed. That mage was a man occupying a reasonable position within the Ministry and had been dipping his hands in embezzlement and other fraud for years.

The false evidence intended to be "found" at Ben's estate to pin the crime on him had been destroyed by Ben's butler, Paul, so it couldn't be brought to the table.

And regarding the King's assassination attempt, Sorn Greed was innocent. No matter how much they investigated, only evidence that it was Bergson's sole decision came up. However, if it had been his sole decision, he wouldn't have been killed by a curse. And there was no one in the Ministry with the position and ability to hide evidence that thoroughly.

In the end, it was decided not to charge Sorn Greed this time but to let him swim and watch the situation.

"We don't even have confirmation if he himself is part of the Grand Duke's faction yet. Neither the Marquess matter nor the magic stone matter is worth interrogating him over. It will be a burden on Ben Draco-dono since he'll be his direct subordinate, but we have no choice but to ask him to endure a little longer."

Liliana nodded slightly in agreement, mixing in a sigh.

Having a man who hates him as a direct subordinate would be a burden for Ben. However, they had to refrain from casting suspicion without the conviction that he was definitely committing a crime. If he were actually getting his hands dirty, that would be one thing, but Sorn, while intense in his assumptions and inflexible, was a mage who just worked diligently. In fact, after succeeding Ben Draco as Vice-Director, he had cleaned up Bergson's messes reasonably well. And fortunately for him, Sorn Greed didn't seem to have dipped his hands into decisive evil deeds.

"Since Earl Greed is close with Earl Melers, I suspect he is likely Grand Duke faction—but I hear Sorn Greed-sama does not get along well with his father, so it is difficult to judge."

"Ah, exactly. Even if he isn't Ben Draco-dono, he is undoubtedly an excellent mage, so if possible, I'd like to bring him into our camp."

Though since he holds such a grudge against Ben Draco-dono, and dislikes me for installing him as Director, it might be difficult, Riley shrugged. Liliana also leaked a bitter smile and nodded, "Indeed."

Originally, the Kingdom didn't have an abundance of talent. When it came to excellent people, the number narrowed further. That was why, even if they were aiding the enemy camp, if they were willing to switch to their side, he wanted to recruit as many as possible.

"When my reign comes, it will be more helpful to have excellent talent. If there don't seem to be problems, I'm starting to feel like I want to recruit Sorn Greed."

Watching Sorn Greed's actions, one could see he was basically a methodical person with high self-esteem. Especially regarding accommodating magic stones to former Director Bergson's acquaintance; although he seemed to have pushed the envelope a bit, he had arranged all the documents and pulled strings so it wouldn't be fraud. He didn't leave traces of dipping his hands into fraud himself, and he didn't rebel against superiors like Bergson.

Hearing this much, one would judge Sorn to be a tough and cunning man. In fact, Liliana and Riley thought so.

However, according to Riley, Sorn revealed straightforward anger despite the Crown Prince declaring Ben Draco's innocence.

Perhaps Sorn Greed wasn't a villain at his core. There was a possibility he was simply a person with intense assumptions. Seeing that he cooperated rather than accusing Bergson of fraud, his desire for power was likely strong.

"It might be a desire for self-display rather than simple lust for power. If so, that makes it much easier for us."

"Desire for self-display, is it?"

"Right. I am working hard but not being recognized. Yet that guy who does nothing is highly evaluated; it's unfair—something like that, I suppose."

At Riley's analysis delivered with a bitter smile, Liliana nodded with a feeling of conviction.

To the extent one could think that, investigations into him turned up nothing shady, and reports came up that he was adored by his subordinates.

"We do not know what the future holds yet. Therefore, we simply do what must be done now. For there is no one anywhere who knows the future."

No one knows what will happen in the future. When she said that, Riley widened his eyes slightly, then broke into a broad smile. He stared at Liliana's face happily and nodded.

"Indeed, that is true."

Then, lowering his eyes as if thinking something, Riley floated a mischievous smile. Returning his gaze to Liliana, he asked as if posing a riddle.

"Say, Sasha."

Liliana returned her teacup to the table and looked up. Their gazes entangled in the air. Riley lifted the corners of his mouth as if he had thought of something fun.

"What do you think is the opposite of 'like'?"

At the abrupt question, Liliana blinked.

Thinking normally, it's "dislike." But she thought that probably wasn't the answer Riley was seeking. Thinking a little, Liliana derived one answer.

"Generally, it would be 'dislike'—or perhaps 'indifference'?"

Hearing Liliana's answer, Riley deepened his smile. It was a terribly satisfied expression.

"Correct, indifference. 'Like' and 'dislike' share the common point of harboring some emotion toward the object. Therefore, the antonym for both 'dislike' and 'like' is the same—indifference."

Liliana realized what Riley wanted to say. Smiling quietly, she answered.

"In that case, it seems Ben Draco-sama will be the key."

"Yeah, I think so too."

Riley nodded clearly.

One does not harbor passion for someone they have no interest in. It is a common story that one comes to hate the person they loved from the bottom of their heart. And Sorn Greed harbored emotions close to hatred toward Ben Draco. The possibility of that emotion turning into goodwill might be quite low, but they should be able to bet on it.

—-

Toc

Chapter 230