Chapter 806
“Are you seriously asking me to eat this right now?”
The wife of Foreign Minister Rayburn looked utterly horrified, as if she couldn’t believe what was in front of her. To common folk, it was just some rye bread and roughly sliced bacon stew—simple fare—but to her, it looked like someone else’s half-eaten scraps, and she wrinkled her nose in disgust.
Her son and daughter weren’t much better.
“Mother, how much longer do we have to live in this pigsty? I’d rather be at a summer house.”
“And these dresses are so scratchy and uncomfortable.”
They all sighed deeply. Every time they heard they’d lost everything overnight, it seemed impossible—but it really had happened.
The grand mansion the Rayburn family had once proudly called home had collapsed without a trace, burned to ashes so completely that not a single dish or utensil remained intact.
But that wasn’t the worst of it.
“Just hang in there a little longer. Once your father sorts out the missing documents, we should be able to find a temporary place to stay.”
The problem was the documents—everything had been destroyed in the fire caused by the wizards’ flames. Bonds, property deeds, bank accounts, slush funds, even diplomatic papers related to his work.
With no financial resources left, they were currently living in the stablehand’s hut at the edge of the estate, barely scraping by.
“Isn’t that right, dear?”
“Ahem.”
Rayburn’s shoulders sagged as he kept slicing the bacon. He looked nothing like the dignified Foreign Minister he once was—more like a broken man.
Just as they were finishing their gloomy meal, a voice interrupted.
“Master, there’s a visitor here.”
“A visitor? Who?”
“They say they came from the Imperial Palace.”
Rayburn nodded for them to bring the visitor in. Soon, a group of high-ranking officials from the administration entered, their faces pale from the stable’s foul smell.
“What brings you all here?”
“Well, since Minister Rayburn is going through such hardship, it’s only natural we come to offer our support.”
“Oh my, what on earth has happened?”
“I thought the story about the mansion collapsing was an exaggeration.”
“Please, come this way. This is my wife and children.”
His family lowered their heads in embarrassment, barely managing a greeting before quickly leaving with the servants. The hut was too cramped for everyone to stay together.
“Ahem.”
“Here, take this.”
“What is this?”
“Consider it a small token of goodwill.”
Rayburn looked bewildered at the sudden bundle of gold coins but soon understood their intent and tears welled up in his eyes. He had always thought these officials were incompetent and narrow-minded when dealing with work, but in times of real hardship, they were decent people who didn’t turn their backs.
“I’m sorry to be so shameless, but I can’t refuse in this situation. I promise I’ll repay you someday. Thank you.”
“That’s enough. By the way, how’s the recovery going?”
“It’s bleak. As you know, who keeps money in the bank these days? All the art and valuables we’d collected over decades turned to ashes. Even the emergency funds we requested fall far short.”
“Tsk, tsk.”
“Truly unfortunate.”
“The wizards are something else. Even if they’re suppressing the Eastern mages, to destroy a mansion like this… If it had been Lord Ian’s or Romandro’s estate, they would have lured the threat far away before dealing with it.”
“That’s true. They can be ruthless.”
As the officials quietly criticized the wizards, Rayburn wiped his tears again. He wanted to curse them too, but after witnessing Captain Akorella’s madness during the ‘Heart Incident,’ he dared not speak out. He feared they might come back and burn down even this hut.
The officials exchanged glances and then cautiously made a proposal.
“Sir Rayburn.”
“Yes?”
“The Prime Minister has been placed under house arrest.”
“The Prime Minister? Why?”
“That’s not clear yet. But right now, there’s no one at the palace to support His Majesty. Minister Tweller is gone, Captain Jaret is… well, there’s Captain Beric, but you know how that is.”
Rayburn wiped his eyes and listened carefully, sensing a glimmer of hope in his desperate situation.
“So?”
“Minister Ian is also down but should recover soon. The wizards are taking great care of him. So, we think now is the perfect time.”
They pulled their chairs closer, speaking in hushed tones to avoid being overheard.
“What do you mean? Surely you don’t—”
“Shh.”
Rayburn tilted his head in confusion, and the officials looked even more shocked.
“What are you thinking?”
“Isn’t it obvious?”
“The mana stones!”
“Mana stones?”
Rayburn was clearly exhausted, his mind foggy. He used to catch on instantly, but now the officials whispered quietly.
“Think about it. When summer is unusually hot, you invest in ice merchants. When winter is bitterly cold, you invest in sawmills. The moment you recognize a sure demand, you seize the advantage.”
Rayburn understood in theory, but it wasn’t so simple in practice. Otherwise, he’d be a millionaire by now. He frowned but still clutched the bundle of gold coins tightly—arguing now would only cost him.
“So?”
“It’s a given the Ministry of Magic will buy up all the mana stones. No one can openly oppose the construction of the annex anymore. Even His Majesty has no choice.”
“You want me to buy mana stones?”
“Now you’re catching on!”
The idea was to quietly buy up the mana stone stock that had flooded the market while the Ministry of Magic was distracted. This would yield two benefits.
“If prices rise, they won’t be able to secure the mana stones needed for the annex, effectively blocking the project. And if they try to buy them anyway?”
“That would still make money.”
“Exactly. You need the funds, don’t you?”
“I do, but…”
Rayburn folded his arms, thinking hard. If the price of mana stones rose, no matter what the Ministry did, there would be profit—politically and economically.
“But I can’t control the price. And as you see, I have no assets left.”
“We know. Even if you had money, one or two people alone can’t do much. That’s why we’re here. For now, just delay the trade permits for the merchants.”
After the war, merchants were eager to seize any opportunity. Vargas was overflowing with mana stones and resources that Bariel lacked.
“The mana stones sent from Kalamath are all secured at the palace. If we just lock down the supply, the market will react. We’re already negotiating with some suitable merchants to stir things up. Once we make some profit, we’ll share ten percent with you.”
“Ten percent…”
“Don’t think it’s too little. Most of the mana stones the Ministry wants are high-grade.”
“I understand.”
After a long pause, Rayburn cautiously asked,
“But what if Lord Ian recovers?”
That terrifying man wouldn’t sit still. He’d surely find out everything and drag everyone involved down with him.
The official laughed off the worry.
“The price of mana stones is set at the midpoint between the highest and lowest prices over the past year. Once it’s raised, it doesn’t matter what happens next. Don’t worry and cooperate. You can’t live in this hut forever, can you?”
“Yes, Sir Rayburn. Just leave it to us and handle a few documents.”
“To be honest, this will help you more than us. Who do you think is responsible for your current state?”
“The wizards!”
No matter if it’s the East or the palace, it’s always the wizards’ fault. As Rayburn choked up again, the officials patted his shoulder sympathetically.
“This is the least we can do.”
“But I’m really scared. More than anyone else, that Captain Akorella. He keeps crossing my mind.”
“Captain Akorella? He’s in charge of mana stones at the Ministry of Magic, but he has no authority in this matter.”
“Have you never met him? He’s truly insane.”
Rayburn had only heard rumors, but surely they were exaggerations? Wizards were all the same.
Despite his friends’ reassurances, Rayburn gripped the bulging pouch of gold tightly and nodded.
“So this is what you think happened?”
“Probably.”
Ian muttered as he carefully examined the documents.
Romandro’s suspicions weren’t entirely baseless. The price of mana stones wasn’t influenced by just one or two departments.
Romandro peeked in and added,
“It all started with the Foreign Ministry. There were rumors that trade permits for merchants would be suspended for a while. Because of that, merchants dealing in mana stones pulled all their stock off the market and locked it away. Not just the high-grade stones for the annex, but also those meant for the forges.”
The administration was at the center of it all, with the Foreign Ministry and various other departments directly or indirectly entangled in multiple issues.
“Even though it was only a few days, the prices skyrocketed beyond belief.”
“That’s because the palace, which is supposed to be a reliable authority, leaked policy details so carelessly. The market reacted instantly.”
“The highest bids kept breaking records at absurd levels, so naturally, the Ministry of Magic’s allocated supply started shrinking. That’s exactly what Sir Timothy was talking about.”
“Hmm.”
After that day when Ian got up and started pacing, for some reason, the prices began to lose momentum and gradually returned to normal.
But on paper, the damage was already done. The whole situation reeked of something unnatural. Ian tapped the documents sharply, tidied up his desk, and stood.
“All right, I understand. Let’s get going.”
“Should we bring the kids along?”
“The kids? Why?”
Why indeed? Romandro bared his front teeth in a grimace and rolled up his sleeves. His determination to root out the malicious forces disrupting not just the Ministry of Magic but the entire market economy was clear. If things got serious, he was ready to turn the tables in a ‘you die, I live’ kind of showdown.
Ian smirked and looked away.
“That won’t be necessary.”
“But still—”
“Everyone’s busy, aren’t they?”
“Busy cleaning up the mess, sure. But how important can it really be?”
Ian buttoned up his robe with a sly smile.
“I’m more than enough on my own.”
And that was true. Romandro reluctantly lowered his sleeves and gathered the documents needed for the grand assembly.
“Oh, by the way. I heard His Majesty the Emperor won’t be attending this time. Is that right?”
“Yes. His workload is overwhelming.”
“That’s good news.”
“What do you mean by that?”
“Exactly what I said. We can’t afford to show His Majesty anything less than perfect.”
Ian’s words, casually and crisply muttered, sent a shiver down Romandro’s neck. But he quickly shook it off and followed Ian into the carriage.
“I told you once before, didn’t I? Money is the easiest way to solve problems.”
“That’s right.”
“But throwing money at something is also the most dangerous move.”
Romandro didn’t fully grasp Ian’s meaning, but that was fine. Soon enough, he’d see it all with his own eyes.
Inside the carriage heading to the assembly hall, Romandro clasped his hands together and silently prayed for the souls of the officials who had passed.