The Magic Academy's Physicist-Chapter 154: The Noble Assembly (9)

Robespierre began perspiring.

“Raise your head, Marquis.”

He sensed death.

The thing before him was a Beast. Not just a Beast, but a Cataclysm.

It would’ve been better if he hadn’t known.... It was like having opened Pandora’s box. Feeling like a condemned man stepping onto the scaffold, Robespierre lifted his head, eyes darting this way and that.

“Where did you hide 3500 gold coins worth of funds?”

Blanton pressed him. Klion watched the scene silently. Behind Robespierre was Heerlein who committed her life along with him, and he could guess the face she was making even without turning around.

“The 3500 gold coins?”

Robespierre repeated the Duke’s question; he had to buy himself time to think.

“The gold has all been used transparently as research funds.”

“Research funds?”

“Yes, we were conducting other research along with developing Flare.”

“Weren’t we just discussing the source of funding for Flare?”

Robespierre’s eyes snapped open wide, realizing his mistake.

As he desperately racked his brain, the voice of a woman came from behind him.

“Your Highness, may I speak for him?”

Count Meriga Heerlein, Aether’s homeroom teacher as well as one of Robespierre’s supporters.

Klion scanned his surroundings with narrowed eyes.

Vermel had told him. That Duke Blanton was a monster in human clothing.

If he was going after the chairman, that had to mean that the man was on the side of humans and the Empire. Having thought up to that point, Klion waved his hand.

“You may.”

“Thank you.”

A funny situation was created. Klion and Heerlein. The two had been in complete opposite positions in the classroom....

Thinking that, Rosemary locked her fingers together. She wanted to run to the school cafeteria and grab popcorn.

“... The research funds cover the cost of procuring Flare to the north.”

“Do you think that makes sense?”

“It was because it was cheaper to buy it from outside sources if we purchased them for such reasons.

“That is tax evasion!”

“It is tax reduction.”

Heerlein expertly countered Duke’s Blanton’s attack. In that time, Robespierre was able to compose himself.

“If you are raising suspicions about improper use of funds, we will disclose all R&D processes on our end.”

It was a lie, of course. Being transparent about the research to catch the Beasts that were hiding in the palace? It would be suicide.

Well, not that I didn’t know already.

The plan to miniaturize Flare. Rosemary knew all about that plan through the spy she had planted beforehand.

It’s good that sis came out impassively.

Aether was also part of that plan. When she had first learned that, she had been terrified, pacing anxiously at the thought that ‘Sis is trying to kill me!’. She couldn’t even sleep properly for a while.

Yet right after confiscating Flare, Aether hadn’t shown much of a reaction. She didn’t even attempt to make Flare smaller. In fact, she had ignored the chairman’s order.

The reason why she was in on it....

...would’ve been the issue of living costs. She would’ve been getting money from the chairman before Rosemary gave it to her.

“Fine. Since you say that, we will put this matter aside for now.”

Blanton backed off a step at Rosemary’s look. It was an intentional move.

We got through it somehow.

Thinking that, Robespierre let out a sigh in relief.

But that wasn’t the end of it.

“The next is my jurisdiction. Hm... Count Saliere?”

“Yes.”

“I received the tax management statement, and isn’t there quite the expenditure in the grain section?”

First the north, now the west.

The western part of the Empire was under Blanton’s jurisdiction, an area that included Saliere’s estate.

“Why did you order so much grain from the central?”

“Something happened.”

“Which is?”

“The damage due to this summer’s typhoons was beyond imagination.”

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Count Saliere smiled bitterly, the image of the flood-damaged territory floating in his mind.

“Do you not prepare for it every year? Or perhaps it was done particularly poorly this year.”

“Not at all. Despite being properly prepared for it, the damage was great.”

“Do you have proof?”

“There is a report about this in an official document in late August.”

“Where is that document?”

“I believe it’s on the agenda of the MLIT (Ministry of Land, Infrastructure, and Transport).”

“Bring it to me.”

Blanton called on the minister to search for the document. Just as the Count said, an official document regarding additional grain support came with the letter of response approving it.

“Hooh, indeed.”

“Is there any problem?”

“It’s fine. However.”

Blanton wasn’t done yet.

“The expenditure details state that it was given to the beastkin.”

“That is correct.”

“What were you doing giving out food to those lowly things?”

“Because I believed that was the only way to minimize the threat of being plundered.”

There was validity to Saliere’s words.

The beastkin living on the borders of the Saliere estate were a race accustomed to plundering. The Youko especially were notorious for it.

They were ungrateful and forgot kindness. Even if they happen to be given food, they would go back to plundering and raiding the next time. The people of the Empire had long since been resenting this truly barbaric behavior.

“The beastkin are completely uncivilized. Their kind always responds to help with betrayal so why would you give them food?”

“There were signs that they would come to plunder so I couldn’t stand by and watch as a manager of the territory.”

“Then you should have wiped them out first while they were starving.”

“I couldn’t do such a barbaric thing.”

Saliere’s decision favored the dignity of life. However, it wasn’t in the interest of the Empire. Some nobles grumbled in the background, but Saliere continued without regard.

“Most of all, it was given to them as a loan; It wasn’t a one-sided donation.”

“Loan? They’re going to break their promise anyway, so what loan?”

Several nobles brushed their hair back in frustration. Blanton clicked his tongue.

His original target was Marquis Robespierre. He had planned to bury the Marquis only until a few days ago.

Yet where did the ‘Lodestone’ come from? From the Saliere estate.

The Lodestone of Fire that had been kept safe in the Saliere territory. It was the touchstone that would awaken the sleeping Demon King. That Lodestone was being ‘temporarily’ moved from the estate to the Tilette Academy.

Due to the flood damage.

Once the damages were completely repaired, it would go back to the county.

The best way was to stop it from going back. But if that wasn’t feasible, then taking out Saliere and Robespierre together as accomplices was also a good idea.

In that case, then the Saliere estate would come directly under the control of Blanton who managed the higher county. It wouldn’t need a separate jurisdiction.

But there was one flaw to this hopeful thought. Unfortunately, Blanton didn’t realize this flaw.

“Anyway, don’t even think about a loan as the Youko we’ve fed with our money will resume harassing the western borders again.”

You gave money and were attacked in return.

“Such a loss.”

The nobles who disapproved of Saliere clicked their tongues, agreeing with Blanton.

“Is the grain still being supplied??”

“It is.”

“Stop immediately.”

“It will cause an issue.”

“A contractual issue, you mean?”

“That’s right.”

“It will be better to strike first than being stabbed in the back.”

Blanton didn’t use mind control; there was no need. Hatred and contempt toward beastkin–just prodding that emotion alone enraged the Imperial people.

The dissatisfaction of the nobles began to grow. A considerable number of them criticized Saliere for the sole reason that he provided grain for the beastkin.

The Minister of Agriculture was criticized along with him, which he resented. They retorted that it had nothing to do with them. This would make it solely Count Saliere’s decision to provide food for the beastkin.

“It seems we will have to take a vote by a show of hands.”

Blanton asked as he turned around, his gaze landing on the Crown Prince Klion.

It was a kind of eye gesture–‘You listen to me.’

He commanded someone who wasn’t a puppet to be one.

Here, Klion had two choices: listen or ignore.

Gazing into the distance in the direction of the palace corridors, Klion smirked.

“No.”

He rejected Blanton’s proposal.

“What do you mean, Your Highness?”

Blanton’s brows drew together. Klion waved his hands as if there wasn’t going to be a change of heart.

“Why even vote about something like this? If nothing has happened, then have him handle it accordingly.”

“This will weaken the Imperial authority.”

“Is that so?”

Prepared to die, Klion glared at Blanton.

“It seems it really has weakened seeing the way you’re defying my words.”

“...Pardon?”

Blanton held back a groan at the Crown Prince’s words, clearly taken aback.

What is with that misfit today?

It was the same for Rosemary. At the sudden change in course, Rosemary, who’d been watching the meeting like a movie from a corner of the panel, scowled. The curses that she’d swallowed down were about to seep through her teeth again.

This won’t do.

They would kill him during the winter break.

It was just as Rosemary was thinking that.

Blanton turned around again, and started the voting without the Crown Prince’s permission.

“Please raise your hand if you think that Saliere’s decision was reasonable.”

Two, four, six, eight, ten.... There were quite a few nobles who raised their hands than expected.

Twelve, fourteen, sixteen, eighteen.... But it wasn’t much compared to the total number of attendees.

“What do you think you’re doing, Duke Blanton?”

“This is a matter of national importance, Please forgive my insolence.”

Immediately after that, Klion felt his heart aching. His whole body shuddered from the killing intent Blanton was emitting.

It was the effect of ‘Intimidate’, a common skill shared by all Cataclysms.

“Alright. So it isn’t the majority of the seats.”

With a pleased expression, Blanton glared at Count Saliere. The Count exhaled harshly.

“Then the punishment for Count Saliere is inevitable....”

“My Lord, you haven’t counted someone.”

Blanton showed displeasure at being interrupted.

“Who do you mean?”

“There, over that way.”

Duke Blanton looked toward the area leading to the palace corridors. It was the same location that Klion had been looking at a moment ago.

There stood a Golden-Eyed girl with her hand up.

This was what the girl seemed to be saying toward Blanton who was staring at her with a stunned expression–

─You want to die, don’t you.

Blanton felt a chill.

The common skill shared by all Cataclysms.

It was the effect of Intimidate.