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Reborn as the Doomed Heir of a Mage Dynasty (Web Novel) - Chapter 174
Chapter 174
This chapter is updated by JustRead.pl
“Whoa~ this is going to be big trouble. They’re already backed into a corner, and you want to kill them again?”
“Exactly.”
Whether it's desperation or vigilance, they need to have something definite.
And I'll exploit that state to get in.
“Hmm, unfortunately, it seems there’s nothing else they're planning that’s been caught.”
Expected.
If their countermeasures were openly exposed from the start, Elias wouldn't have left them alone.
“That makes sense. It wouldn't do to have all their countermeasures exposed to the government… If they were, it would just be a smokescreen.”
Leo chimed in, seemingly thinking the same thing.
But Elias was still grinning slyly.
“However.”
“However?”
“There was juuust a little loophole, you see?”
Elias wet his finger and quickly flipped through the papers.
“Here.”
I read the cramped handwriting on the page Elias spread open.
It was a ledger.
Not a ledger linking customer details with money, but a real accounting ledger. And not one for external submission to the government, but…
“What’s written here? Total sales 55 million Pel?”
Leo asked in a bewildered voice.
Total annual sales 550 million Won. Since they fill their ranks with human trafficking, personnel costs aren't high, resulting in an operating profit of about 450 million Won, making for an enormous margin.
Elias replied to Leo.
“This is just for one establishment. Not the whole Primrose Path.”
I know. A note used by the Prosecutor's Office for classifying the establishments was written at the top of the ledger.
An amount this large meant it was a real ledger they used.
On the surface, these bastards also pretend not to be breaking the law.
That's why they fill the ledger with alcohol sales instead of the money earned from prostitution. The fact that they suddenly have annual sales in the hundreds of millions, instead of the mere millions typical of a standard restaurant, means we have a clue to prove their illegal activities.
Leo let out a hollow laugh.
“They lost something this important? Unbelievable….”
“They burst in and swept everything up, so those bastards couldn't do anything about it. I should give Günter a compliment.”
Elias flipped to the next page.
“Look here. Exactly one week before the raid, funds were transferred all at once to another location.”
“Almost half is gone.”
“Right. 25 million Pel went out in one day to a place marked ‘&*’? And this establishment on the back page here has an annual operating profit of 30 million Pel, and two weeks ago, 10 million Pel of that was sent to ‘Central’ in one day.”
There is definitely a control tower.
Sending out a third of their operating profit elsewhere instead of using it to run the establishment this year?
This means they can't use the money they earn however they want.
Those bastards scraped together everything they had, except for the money absolutely necessary for current operations from last year's profits, and sent it.
“Where it was sent is all jumbled up, but it's totally shady, right? Especially likely that the guy Luca mentioned, the Chairman, ordered this.”
Leo nodded.
“Right, it's harder not to find this strange. What did the Prosecutor's Office say about it?”
“Didn't hear their conversations~ Though I couldn't. Of course, they'll investigate this too. I understand they've already issued summons to all the business operators anyway.”
Even so, they're all just front men.
They'll go out and just parrot things like ‘I don't know anything’ and come back.
Looking at Elias's expression, which seemed slightly mixed with mockery, he seemed to think so too.
It would be good to use Divine Power, but the Prosecutor's Office doesn't like mages using Divine Power, viewing it as infringing on their work. In fact, legally, we can't even interfere with the investigation unless we have the approval of the decision-maker from the start.
‘Of course, I could go see the Emperor.’
He would listen to me for now.
Elias said that and spread out his fingers.
“Okay, let's analyze it among ourselves first. Firstly?”
Elias looked at me and wiggled his finger.
At the same time, everyone looked at me.
“…You want me to talk?”
“Yeah! If not you, who else, Luca.”
“First, it could have been sent to Pleroma.”
“Oh. That could be too. Then secondly?”
“They might have foreseen the raid. Although the point that bothers me is that if they foresaw it two weeks ago, they should have prepared thoroughly not to get caught at all, not just take the money.”
“That's true. Then~?”
“…….”
I thought for a moment, then opened my mouth.
“They're likely preparing a new business in Central. One that requires quite a bit of capital.”
“Ah~ That's clear. So, Luca.”
Elias leaned his body towards me.
“All we have to do is find out what that business is. Right?”
* * *
Right.
Because then I can crush it.
Just then, Leo visited Bavaria and brought a letter from the Imperial Palace, and I received word that the interrogation at the Prosecutor's Office was finished.
“Haha… I'm heading out!”
“Okay…”
Elias replied, pouting.
As soon as I nodded, Elias tried to dash out, saying he'd find out what that business was, but was caught by Leo and dragged back to the hospital room.
Instead, Narce, who could use Divine Power, decided to go to the Prosecutor's Office with me.
‘What's with that confidence of his, heading out like that?’
“Haha, Elias likes investigating~ He probably likes it best among us?”
“That's true.”
I replied with a light laugh.
‘…? Wait.’
It was about 30 seconds later that I realized this guy had naturally answered my thoughts. Just then, Narce, who was walking ahead, stopped and looked outside.
“They're guarding the school gate. The warp should still be open since there are people from the Imperial Palace entering and leaving the school, but…”
Narce looked back at me.
“You don't want to warp, do you?”
“No.”
Narce naturally ignored my answer.
“I didn't realize earlier when I swapped Leo's uniform. Sorry. Then walking out is the best option.”
“What are you sorry about? Anyway, walking out might raise suspicion. It's fine, so…”
Narce rubbed his chin and snapped his fingers.
“Lucas. Do you want to go out looking like Leo or Elias?”
Transformation is not allowed.
If I mess up, I could get caught. If the person who left earlier is walking around the school, it will make the already chaotic school even more problematic.
“It's okay to warp. Let's just go.”
“…….”
Narce stared at me, then smiled.
“I don't think so~ Wanna try like before?”
“What.”
“Like when you fell from the Clock Tower, I'll carry you, and you just close your eyes~”
“No.”
“Hmm, too bad. Then how about this?”
Narce snapped his fingers and black Magic Power covered my face. The moment I saw even the color of my robe change to dark, he grabbed my wrist and forcefully injected Magic Power.
“…….”
“Your Excellency?”
At that word, I slowly opened the eyes I had tightly closed.
Narce was smiling and waving one hand.
‘…Hmm.’
I'm standing on the ground.
Moreover, it's a place I know.
It was the Imperial Palace's Warp Checkpoint.
I let go of Narce's hand, which I had been holding, and stepped back.
There were no people visible anywhere, but someone using Amplification Magic spoke to us.
[Your Excellency Ernst, Your Excellency Farnese. You may enter.]
“…….”
I nodded simply and entered the path beside the checkpoint.
Thankfully, my attire wasn't a problem; I was wearing my formal robes instead of my school uniform, just with the school robe draped over them.
Narce, who immediately understood why I wasn't speaking, cast Distortion Magic for me.
—"Thank you."
—"This method is premature. My heart is beating incredibly fast."
—"You can tell?"
—"Haha, everyone probably knows?"
How could everyone know?
Thinking that, Narce pointed to his chest, near his heart.
—"Your Magic Power, I mean. Your Magic Power is unusual, so I can't help but know. Be careful."
—"Is that so? Thanks."
—"Is that so? You didn't know? Yulia also knew your..."
Narce stopped talking midway through.
—"What about Yulia?"
—"Haha, nothing~"
Just as I was about to ask in detail, someone spotted us and approached at a fast pace. Judging by their clothes, they were one of the Emperor's Mages.
“You have arrived.”
“Yes. How did the investigation go?”
“As we sent to Bavaria, Prosecutor General Erich Lieb and Head of Criminal Investigation Department Christina Heringen were in direct contact with Primrose Path. There were no individuals linked to Pleroma.”
“Only two?”
“For now, yes. In fact, the reason the Primrose Path investigation was concluded was due to Prosecutor General Erich Lieb's decision…”
So, there's nothing particularly strange about there only being two.
That's true.
“Ah, what happened today is a secret. His Majesty said he would not cut them off immediately.”
“I know.”
Cutting them off immediately would only raise suspicion.
Especially, from the moment we found Pleroma, we need to be more careful.
Cutting off Pleroma all at once would only convey to them the message that ‘the Emperor has identified the Pleroma politicians and intends to eliminate them.’ It would essentially buy them time to defend themselves.
“Then, you just need to confirm with the remaining individuals whether our verification was correct.”
“Understood. Then, where are the Prosecutor General and Head of Criminal Investigation Department?”
“They've been moved to another room as you need to meet them shortly.”
I nodded and entered the place he led me to for the final check.
And, about 30 minutes later, I came out feeling refreshed.
‘They've done a good job.’
There are no individuals involved with Pleroma or linked to Primrose Path beyond what was stated.
With Narce accompanying me, the time was significantly reduced.
I moved to the place the mage I had met earlier was leading me.
“This way. I would like to give you ample time, but the magic can cause brain damage if left on too long, so you must come out after only 10 minutes of interview.”
“I know. I'll see you in 10 minutes.”
I replied simply and closed the door.
“Alright…”
I said that and observed the faces of the two prosecutors.
‘Looking at them closely, the other mages are worse than me.’
It's an interrogation method that seems to lack human rights.
With multiple layers of Mind Manipulation Magic cast on them, they were practically asleep. If they hadn't been restrained to the chairs by their shoulders, they would have already fallen to the floor.
“Let's begin.”
Saying that, I tapped the desk with my hand, and their fingertips twitched.
I opened the interrogation records I had received earlier. Most of the questions had already been answered.
“You know that the ‘Chairman’ at Primrose Path is an important person.”
The problem was, looking at the records, they knew nothing else.
Since I only have 10 minutes, I need to ask questions carefully.
What should I do.
‘Business.’
New business. Field expansion.
‘Moreover, it seems to require quite a bit of capital…’
They might have used it for lobbying.
Asking about the capital directly is inappropriate for now.
“If Primrose Path's business successfully expands, you'd receive more money. Since the profit is quite significant, even those of you not associated with Pleroma must have tried to exclude Primrose Path from the investigation list.”
“…….”
“Or have you already received it?”
Both of them reacted.
It felt strange getting answers practically through fingertip twitches, but it was time to adapt.
I snapped my fingers, removing the magic from them.
“…Huh?”
“Ah, are you coming to your senses?”
For a moment, Narce looked at me.
I need to bluff with words again here.
“An assailant presumed to be from Primrose Path attacked the prosecutor, and they are currently in the hospital. I came to the prosecutor to support the investigation regarding this matter.”
“…Ah….”
“Just now, the prosecutor was extremely angry after being stabbed in the back by people they trusted. It was quite surprising. The prosecutor helped them with more than just one or two things, and they attempt murder because they have complaints… Your injured shoulder must be hurting a lot.”
I trailed off, observing their expressions.
They repeatedly narrowed their brows, closed their mouths, then opened them. They seemed more flustered than questioning.
“…Alright. I've heard that Primrose Path is preparing a new business venture this time. I was told that this investigation caused a setback, even though the amount lobbied to the prosecutor wasn't small.”
“…Even if that’s the case…. I did my best….”
“Of course, the prosecutor did their best. So, what field is the new business they are attempting this time in? You can tell me, can't you?”
“They won't pass.”
I exchanged glances with Narce.
The Prosecutor General muttered, his eyebrows furrowed.
“As things stand, I must stop them. How dare they… A single letter would…”
“What field is the business in?”
“I haven't heard the details yet, but what those bastards do… it would be similar.”
“In that case, to whom will you write the letter?”
“Just sending it to my seniors and juniors on the Federal Committee will be the end of those bastards. How much I've overlooked for them, and now they turn on me…”
Indeed.
Since they were just bastards taking kickbacks from Primrose Path and not from Pleroma, their betrayal is quick.
If it were Pleroma, whose interests were complexly intertwined, they might not have reacted like this to a simple attempted murder.
Speaking of which…
I smiled and opened my mouth.
“Looks like legislation is imminent?”
“Well, it hasn't even passed the Deliberation Committee yet. I was going to talk to them well and help it pass, but…”
“Do you think it will pass?”
“How could it? I will stop it.”
With this question, I've gotten all I can get.
Then there's only one thing I need to do.
“Good. Thank you for your cooperation.”
* * *
[Federal Committee February Regular Meeting Postponed]
Narce unfolded the newspaper and held it out in front of us.
It was a perfectly concise article title, without any superfluous remarks.
“Whoa… The backlash from this is going to be huge~”
Elias flapped the newspaper, giving a cold laugh.
Right.
The backlash should be huge.
I stopped the Federal Committee's regular meeting using the Emperor's authority.
Though an enemy, it was much easier this time since his child's safety was at stake.
‘The problem is that this also means the Emperor's authority is strong enough to move the legislature arbitrarily…’
But that's not important right now.
What's certain is that Primrose Path's new business requires legislation, and that cannot be achieved anytime soon now.
“Seems they were planning to come out from underground now?”
Leo muttered.
“Probably. Alright, let's get ready to go in.”
“Is that all for stopping their plan~?”
“No. Now they'll try to find a breakthrough, so they'll move again.”
But now I've promised the Emperor to expose the legislature.
There's no loophole for them to escape through. Although they don't know it yet.
“There's no time, so we need to move using two identities simultaneously. Let's think about what kind of identities to create.”
Business, and legislation.
It seems I can poke at their needs using these two things.
What kind of identity would be successfully accepted?
“Luca, how about an investor? Actually, I just want to watch.”
“Not something you want to do?”
“No! It suits you. Luca looks like he only studies, so a role handling money like that suits him perfectly. I won't tolerate anything else.”
Why can't Elias tolerate it?
What does he have against my image…
Leo shook his head.
“That's true, but if a model student grows up to be a businessman, they should invest in something decent, not throw money away in a place like Primrose Path. As Elias said, Lucas's appearance is an issue. Could a person who looks like they live properly approach an establishment that's just been raided and offer money without raising suspicion?”
Narce's eyes lit up as he asked.
“What if I went in~?”
“It would be the same if you went in. You don't look like someone who lives thoughtlessly either. …Though maybe someone else.”
“It's an honor~”
At that answer, Leo glared at Elias. Elias laughed heartily and snapped his fingers.
“Or a politician with connections to a Federal Committee member? If not that, acting as an aide or a nephew wouldn't be bad.”
At that, Narce laughed and replied.
“Oh, that's not bad. But what if Primrose Path investigates, just in case~?”
“Just brainwash them as soon as you get in.”
“…….”
As I let out a hollow laugh in response, Elias offered another answer on his own.
“Or a gangster who wants to work there.”
“A guy who wants to work at a crumbling place… Given the nature of this illegal industry, there's no vision, and it's a situation where preparing for escape isn't enough.”
“Haha, and that would be completely useless from Primrose Path's perspective. To meet the Chairman, shouldn't it be someone with much more impact?”
“That's true, but there's really nothing else we can do~! So approaching as an investor is the best.”
Elias rattled off his plans to Leo and Narce.
I listened to their conversation, lost in thought.
“I need to act like an idler for a bit.”
The moment I said that, the conversation stopped abruptly.
Everyone's gaze turned to me. Elias looked around quickly, saw that everyone was looking at me, then looked back at me.
“…….”
“Huh?”
