Chapter 180 The Extremely Radical Meg
It wasn't long before Charles Droste got up.
While I was still having breakfast, I suddenly heard the news that someone was coming to visit.
"Who is it? Don't you have an appointment?"
The Minister of Trade frowned. Since his servant had mentioned "someone," it must not be one of those ministers or wealthy merchants who frequently visited his home—they were already familiar with him and would at least mention his name when reporting to him.
This made Droste vaguely feel that something was wrong.
——And soon, this premonition came true.
"It's me, what?"
Before anyone arrived, a bright and clear voice rang out from afar: "Do I need to make an appointment to enter your house?"
The other party ignored the servant's attempt to stop him and walked straight in.
It’s Meg the Great Arbitrator!
Droste broke out in a cold sweat.
He could be unafraid of Queen Sofia, for she was indeed good-tempered and rational... Her Majesty was adept at compromise, but not always. She could stabilize chaotic situations and unite fragmented factions. In Avalon, where tyranny was rampant, she was a rare example of a wise ruler.
But that old woman Meg is unreasonable.
And as the Great Arbitrator, she can really handle herself.
Not to mention being a mere minister, if she wasn't satisfied with the Queen, she could demand a new king from the royal family. Of course, this was only a theoretical power. Not only her, but even the great arbitrators of previous dynasties had rarely used it.
It is precisely because Meg has too much power that she is unwilling to use it in order to avoid suspicion.
Because she didn't want people to think she could manipulate the Queen or the top officials in the Round Table... Droste knew that the old woman was very concerned about her reputation. Her only flaw was her pride.
As a result, Meg hadn't been to the Round Table for a long time.
Because she doesn't like meaningless wrangling. In the Round Table, it's normal for a bill to drag on for months; after all, they're not in a hurry.
This slow-paced life makes her itchy all over - according to Meg's style, she can't wait to force everyone to express their opinions on the spot after reading the bill, not allowing them to abstain, and implement it immediately after voting.
Of course, others couldn't do the same. This matter involved so many people, affecting every individual, every family, and every faction in their own way, that it couldn't be handled so easily. Any proposal to change the status quo would satisfy some and displease others. Passage would require complex alliances, compromises, and concessions of interests.
And this process is when they gain benefits.
If you rely too much on intuition to pass bills, and try to maintain fairness evenly, you will end up offending everyone - because people always remember bills that are unfavorable to them more clearly than bills that are favorable to them.
Old Mrs. Meg was born into a rural peasant family and rose through the ranks of the Supervisory Bureau to the Arbitration Court. She had no idea about these twists and turns.
She is too fair-minded to understand politics.
"Your Excellency the Grand Arbitrator..."
Droste immediately put down his knife and fork, wiped his hands and then stood up respectfully.
Meg, who was short and only reached his chest, patted his round belly without any hesitation and said mockingly, "You are as fat as a pig, Charles. How long has it been since you last exercised?"
"Remember when you were a member of the team? Can you still run now?"
Charles Droste and Meg were of the same age, having both graduated from the Royal Law University. They were in different departments, though: Meg was in the Overseer department, while Droste was in the Law Master department.
Fighting for different departments, they were once fierce rivals on the court. For the extremely short Meg, the tall and strong Charles was a formidable opponent. Among the generally skinny lawyers, Charles was one of the few men who exercised regularly and had a muscular body.
And now...
The muscles in his limbs were loose and baggy, even with dark lines like lightning and wrinkles. Droste's round head was almost hairless, and even his temples and scalp were covered with fat.
The face that once had deep features and a dignified dignity now looked old, fat, and ugly. Meg almost laughed when she saw him moving his body awkwardly. But her laughter got stuck in her throat and she couldn't make it out.
"——How did you become like this?"
Meg frowned.
"You're old enough, Your Excellency the Grand Arbitrator..."
Charles smiled helplessly. "The physical vitality of the fourth and fifth energy levels is completely different. Besides, I failed several times before reaching the fourth energy level... I'm almost too old."
"Oh."
Meg sneered, "So you've allowed yourself to become a pig? Your brain is covered in lard, isn't it? You dare to hang out with the Noble Red, huh?"
"Oh, you can't say that..."
The Minister of Trade quickly said, "Hasn't the Inspectorate's report already proven my innocence?"
"Yeah, they say you're innocent, but I don't believe it."
Meg folded her arms, leaned against the cabinet, and sneered, "Does the Inspectorate's report have to be accurate? I only trust my eyes and my heart. So what if I don't need to report it?"
"You are being unreasonable..."
Droste defended himself helplessly.
He raised his voice and cried, "Diomedes!"
His elf butler appeared silently at the door.
"Why," said Meg unkindly, "are you going to quarrel?"
"I dare not, Your Excellency the Grand Arbitrator."
Diomedes bowed respectfully and said in a deep voice, "The Droste family will never fight you under any circumstances."
"You can speak on behalf of the Droste family?"
Meg smiled and said, "Is that all right with you, Mr. Diomedes?"
Seeing that neither of them made any excuses, she clicked her tongue, feeling a little bored.
She really came here to cause trouble.
But here they are like marshmallows, falling down with one punch... This makes it boring.
And Droste is a bastard, Diomedes is also with him...
"Tell me, Mr. Diomedes," Meg commanded, "has Charles Droste ever been associated with the Noble Red?"
A trace of struggle appeared on Diomedes' face, but Meg uttered a "Hmm?" and a silver-white circle suddenly formed in the old elf's pupils. He blurted out, "Yes, Mr. Droste used Secretary Raff as an intermediary to contact Noble Red..."
"Where can I contact you?"
"The original location was the Pelican Bar, which was later destroyed by Mr. Edwards Moriarty. The abandoned chemical plant in Lloyd's was then used instead, and this was later destroyed by Edward Moriarty."
"oh."
Meg narrowed her eyes. "Is that why he targeted Aiwass?"
"I have no idea."
Diomedes replied.
"Then tell me yourself."
Meg narrowed her eyes and looked back at Droste, commanding, "Speak out."
A silver ring like a lunar eclipse was reflected in her pupils, and in Droste's eyes, it turned directly into a mark that corroded his thoughts.
He was powerless to resist Meg's words and could only speak out: "I'm just doing business. I buy some contraband from the Noble Red and sell it to those in need in my country..."
"What are the details? [Go on], and your accomplices—who are your superiors?"
"That is, alchemical bombs, firearms, and some alchemical raw materials..."
When he said this, his expression suddenly changed.
But he couldn't control his mouth and could only continue: "The person who is contacting me now is Boca, the vice president of Lloyd's. We have been friends for a long time. Diomedes caught him in the act of murder and dismemberment, so I have evidence against him. He can become a judge now because I sent Diomedes to eliminate his competitor..."
"Oh, so he owes you something? [Tell me what's on your mind]."
"Yes, I've been controlling him since then. He thought we were in a partnership, but in fact I just wanted to use him. Or rather, I thought Boca was more suitable to manage Lloyd's than Lloyd. Because Lloyd wanted to usurp the royal power, but I think it's impossible, and I can't let that giant bastard do it; Boca just wants merchant privileges, which is a more feasible plan..."
"Okay, I understand."
Meg nodded and said calmly, "Now the situation is clear. Come with me. I think this is enough to keep you locked up for at least a few years."
"—Or do you want me to come and catch you myself?"
“…That’s not necessary.”
The silver-white halo in his pupils faded, and Droste smiled bitterly.
He never expected that he would be captured by Meg.
But this shouldn't be the case... When did she become so radical?
He didn't even read the Inspectorate's report, nor did he hold a meeting of the Arbitration Chamber. He just went ahead and arrested people based on his own opinion... Is he crazy?
Or...
"What are you thinking about?"
Suddenly, after he relaxed, Meg attacked again: "Tell me what you are thinking about now."
"I wonder if you're dying right now?"
Droste blurted out, “Logically, you’re usually dissatisfied with everyone, but since you don’t understand, you choose not to touch or care about it, and only focus on the matters within your own responsibilities—which is the main business of the Arbitration Chamber, which is to decide on the punishment of the bigwigs involved in the case.
"I think you didn't know the impact of your actions, so you chose to maintain the status quo for safety. But now you've suddenly done something radical. Anyone who knows you should know that this is not your habit..."
"Is it that obvious?"
Meg smiled and said, "I underestimated you - your observation skills are still good.
"But let's not talk about that. Go to the Supervisory Bureau for a while. I'll go talk to His Majesty about you. Or, [you go by yourself]?"
"Yes, sir."
A circle lit up in Droste's eyes as he spoke.
Diomedes on the side just remained silent and said nothing.
(End of this chapter)
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