The Judicial Minister’s gaze as he smiled aningfully and studied was deeply unsettling. In any case, among the ministers, aside from my father-in-law, there didn’t seem to be a normal one. Excepting his tendency to resort to fists when words failed, my father-in-law was a rare family-oriented noble.
That definitely fell within the range of normal.
"So what we uncovered is that the slum organization Rafel is connected to the rchant guild. But the rchant guild is under the Finance Departnt’s influence. What does that tell you?"
Huh? That was sowhat different from what I’d been led to believe.
"When I was a finance inspector, I identified the Administrative Departnt as the party behind the fence incident. But you’re saying the Finance Departnt was actually involved?"
"Oh, you might not know what happened after that. The Administrative Departnt being behind it was speculation. It was actually Finance. Our judicial investigators uncovered the relationship between the rchant guild and Rafel. Finance moved to cover it up once they grasped the implications, but a tip from an insider proved decisive."
The Judicial Minister smiled knowingly and moistened his throat with tea. So they’d investigated on the assumption that Administration was behind it, only to discover it was corruption within Finance all along. Finance had then moved to bury it, but soone on the inside had leaked the information to the Judicial Departnt. Who was that insider?
"Soone in Finance is behind this. As a guardian of law and order, I want to push the investigation through, but I cannot afford to ignore the relationship with Finance."
"Is the reason you’re bringing this to that you want to investigate?"
"Wouldn’t it be too much for you to investigate alone? Rather than the Judicial Departnt taking the lead, bringing in the Military Departnt—which is already at odds with Finance—can share the burden. The War Minister will certainly take up the cause. He’s the man who despises the Finance Minister the most."
What kind of sche was this?
My father-in-law, who was already on bad terms with Finance, would probably leap at this bait.
"Please convey my intentions to the War Minister. I’ll hand over all our information."
"Judicial Minister, pardon , but can you tell why you’re making this proposal to specifically?"
"The Steiner family unfortunately produces only military n. But you have a talent for maneuvering, don’t you? I still admire the skill with which you exploited the relationship between the Finance Minister and the Inspector General. Among young knights, those as adept at negotiation and strategy as you are few and far between."
It had been thanks to the Diplomat Scouter, but from an outsider’s perspective, I must have looked like a knight skilled at political maneuvering. In truth, though, I’d just been getting by with the scouter’s help in each situation. Besides, wasn’t Deputy Inspector General Mort far more cunning than ?
It seed the Judicial Minister wanted to serve as a go-between, since the War Minister’s family—being all military n—wasn’t suited to this kind of maneuvering.
"Personally, I have long opposed tolerating the slums. They call it a necessary evil, but this is how corruption on a massive scale—connected to guilds and even the Finance Departnt—takes root. I want to root it out. For that, the War Minister is the ideal partner."
"Then the Judicial Departnt will investigate the rchant guild?"
"Exactly. Slum organizations can be crushed outright, but the rchant guild needs to be brought to heel."
Given the relationship with Finance, it would be difficult for the Judicial Departnt to take the lead openly, but they still wanted to root out the corruption. So the plan was to pull in the Military Departnt to raid the slums while the Judicial Departnt investigated the rchants. The reason for pulling in the Military Departnt was simple: they were already at odds with Finance, so they’d serve as a tank drawing all the fire. Finance would be too busy fending off the Military Departnt to co after the Judicial Departnt.
It was far from a bad proposal, but there were still points that gave pause. If this went through, I would be putting myself squarely at odds with Finance. Should I try to bring Inspector General Adelbert into the fold?
"What happens if I decline?"
"I’ll have no choice but to seek other ans. I’m not foolish enough to make an enemy of the War Minister’s son-in-law. You seem reluctant to fight Finance, but unfortunately, Finance is already picking a fight with you. And they’re going after your people."
"...They’re picking a fight?"
What was he talking about?
"Among your subordinates, isn’t there soone nad Ted yer? That subordinate’s brother is a commoner finance official. A commoner official can be brought under the thumb of his superiors at any ti, can’t he?"
"..."
They were getting to Ted? I’d completely let my guard down. I’d forgotten that Ted’s brother was a commoner finance official. If they had his brother on a leash and threatened Ted, even soone as loyal to as he was couldn’t help but waver. Why hadn’t Ted co to for help?
Now I understood why Ted had been so troubled lately.
If what the Judicial Minister said was true, I had no choice but to fight Finance. As a noble, ducking a fight that ca to your doorstep was out of the question, and they’d gone after one of my retainers. My head was already filled with anger. In the end, the Judicial Minister had gotten exactly the outco he’d wanted.
But even when the situation was unfavorable, I had a policy of never doing business at a loss.
Even if I fought, I had to secure clear benefits. I couldn’t just let this slide.
"Fine. If I accept your proposal, Judicial Minister, what do I get out of it?"
"One way or another, an investigation will produce confiscated goods. A slum organization will have considerable wealth stockpiled. The money—take it as spoils of war for you and the War Minister."
Beco a legal plunderer? That alone wasn’t enough, though.
It wasn’t just a matter of profit—it was a matter of the Judicial Minister’s accountability.
Given my father-in-law’s temperant, there was a strong chance he’d hear "investigate the slum Rafel" as "attack." Not investigate—attack. It sounded like an unholy commotion was in the offing.
"If my father-in-law steps in, the slums will get very noisy."
"With Steiner’s temperant, that’s certainly possible."
"But if such a commotion erupts in the capital, won’t His Highness the Grand Duke and the higher nobles be furious? Please ensure the upper echelon is properly persuaded, Judicial Minister."
Since this would proceed as a joint investigation anyway, the Military Departnt could bear responsibility for the rough work, and the Judicial Departnt could handle matters of accountability.
"Very well. I’ll smooth things over with His Highness the Grand Duke and the other nobles. Since we’re hitting the slums, the church and court clergy—who’ve always viewed them as an eyesore—will approve as well."
I seed to have managed to minimize the fallout that would arise from raiding the slums. Dealing with ministers truly drained . The Judicial Minister seed to find my demands rather impressive. My habit of reducing risks two and three tis over when making any plan was an occupational reflex.
Managing quality in a factory, you encountered every kind of problem imaginable, and as know-how accumulated, building in redundant safety asures beca second nature. That was how quality defects got caught, and how you earned the market’s trust. I’d learned a great deal from the company. The problem was that the job itself had been miserable.
When I returned ho, I summoned Bodo first.
"You want to focus on investigating Rafel and the rchant guild?"
"That’s right. Gather as much as you can within ten days."
"Why the ti limit?"
"Because that’s when Rafel will cease to exist."
Even without spelling it out, Bodo seed to have grasped what would happen in ten days.
"Then I should tell my contacts not to go anywhere near Rafel’s territory."
"Granting favors is wise. What will you do after that?"
"Make them as grateful as possible, right? Got it. I’ll try cultivating so pawns."
I sotis had to wonder—was this child really ten years old? Bodo’s "contacts" were a superficial term; it was more accurate to call them business relationships. So what if Bodo made a grand show of helping them avoid danger? Among them, there might be so who would swear loyalty to Bodo out of gratitude.
"And here’s a map of Rafel’s territory."
"...Did you draw this yourself?"
"Sorry I can’t draw well—hmph!"
The quality looked like worms doodled with a mouse in MS Paint. Still, there were symbolic markings, so even with this, I could make out Rafel’s territory well enough. Since we couldn’t comb through the entire vast slum, this information would save a great deal of ti.
Then I called for Ted.
"You called for ?"
"Ted. I consider you a trustworthy subordinate. So tell honestly."
"Um, what do you an?"
"Is it true that the Finance Departnt made contact with you?"
Ted was visibly shaken, and the color drained from his face.
That reaction alone was enough. What the Judicial Minister had said was true. This was a gap that even the Manager Scouter had difficulty detecting. I should have kept closer watch over my own household. If I added a new function to the scouter, could counterintelligence beco possible? Bodo was still just scrambling to gather basic information.
"Ted. I hired you as a soldier and placed considerable trust in you. Are you thinking of betraying ?"
"No! I absolutely did not betray Sir Wolfgang! Please believe !"
Ted dropped to his knees and protested his innocence. I checked his condition through the Manager Scouter. If he was lying, his emotional state would be marked as deception. Fortunately, Ted wasn’t lying. His emotional state read as innocence.
"Did those bastards threaten you through your brother?"
"...I was tornted by it. I’m sorry I couldn’t tell you!"
Ted broke down in tears. For him, his brother was his benefactor. When Ted had gotten into trouble and lost his livelihood, his brother had supported him, and his brother had helped him join the inspector’s direct unit. So Ted couldn’t resist the Finance people who’d threatened him using his brother as leverage.
He said he’d been agonizing over it, paralyzed between two impossible choices.
"This happened because of my oversight. I should have been more careful. Bring your brother to ."
"What? B-but—"
"You only worried—you didn’t do anything that could be called betrayal. So I’ll take in your brother, since he’s beco Finance’s target."
"...My brother? But my brother can’t serve as a soldier."
"Since he worked in the Finance Departnt, he’ll be good with numbers. I’ll have him manage our family’s finances. So stop worrying."
I was pulling Ted’s brother into my household so the Finance Departnt couldn’t use him as leverage anymore. Since Ted’s brother had been caught in the crossfire between larger powers, he would accept my proposal.
Ted was deeply moved by my decision and wept with gratitude.
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