Chapter: 809
The fourteen families rounded up were cooperating with the interrogations without any fuss. It seemed they understood that the best option, now that they had been caught, was to comply willingly.
Honestly, I can’t help but think how nice it would have been if they had just used their brains and wits to get by decently. The Empire usually tends to overlook bureaucratic corruption to a degree, but their greed crossed the line set by the Emperor and led to this mess.
Anyway, what’s done is done, and assistance is being given. The information coming in from these fourteen families wasn’t particularly special; it only served to cross-verify what we already had gathered in the Inspection Department.
And the results of this cross-verification concluded that there weren’t any innocent families involved. The charges we had secured were 99% aligned with what they disclosed.
‘Thank goodness for that.’
I let out a small sigh while examining the report from the Information Department.
Since we had already drawn our swords, any outcome suggesting, “Oh, it seems we might’ve misunderstood!” would have nearly cost me my neck. If more damning evidence poured out than what we had, it would only guarantee additional overtime work.
I just needed the results to match what we already knew and be able to hand down the punishments we had in mind. That was the best-case scenario.
‘Can’t avoid the chaos at the New Year’s Ball.’
Fortunately, we wouldn’t need to deal with bloodshed at the end of the year or the beginning of the next. This corruption in the judicial sector was simply greedy, not a direct challenge to the Empire’s system or the authority of the royal family.
So there was no need to behead anyone as a scapegoat. It was simply a matter of having the current patriarchs step down and the sub-lords manage the shaking families to restore order. Better than death, right?
Moreover, in proportion to what they skimmed off, they would have to hand over quite a bit of wealth to the royal family and be removed from the public positions that had been their corruption’s foundation. I wouldn’t block them from holding office again afterward, but they’d find it hard to earn a fat paycheck like before.
‘What more measures should I take?’
Rubbing my chin, I pondered: changing the family head, dismissing public positions, fining them. Were there any decent punishments left?
Should I just seize their properties, including their mansions? Nah, that’d be going overboard. Such drastic action could invite backlash. Plus, the mansions were the foundation and lifeblood of that family, granted by some past Emperor.
Let’s just simply impose penalties barring them from public office for the next 10 years. If they want to become civil servants via recommendations, I’d only accept it if it came from nobles of the rank of marquis or higher, and if they tried taking the exam, they’d get a basic score deduction of around three points.
‘Perfect.’
I avoided harming them physically while still hitting them with the full extent of the punishments I could dish out. If they received such a fate and still dared to cross the line again, that’d be impressive in its own right.
If that unlikely scenario plays out, then I could uphold their family honor and dignity by taking them down the route of total annihilation. If they wanted to die, it wouldn’t be fair to keep saving them constantly.
“Secretary.”
“Yes, Your Grace.”
“Start sending people to the Ministry of Justice. We can cut ties with all those detained, so request a dismissal from His Majesty.”
“Understood.”
The secretary briefly bowed his head and passed a stack of documents to Demian, who was nearby.
Seeing that made me feel warm and proud. No matter how he received my recommendation, he was just a fresh graduate from the Academy a few years ago. Knowing such a young recruit could move on the orders of a minister’s secretary showed he was surely capable and passionate.
‘Grow like that from now on.’
I need more talented individuals like you so things can ease up for me.
I no longer dared to wish for prompt retirements; I just wanted to have many subordinates I could utilize…
“Oh, it’s me.”
– Your Grace, please save me.
Not a bothersome subordinate bugging the minister, but rather someone who undoubtedly excels in their duties.
‘What’s this now?’
After Demian left, I inwardly sighed as another communication came flying in.
Not just four families but fourteen were being subjected to interrogation all at once. I knew they were short-staffed, and even the deputy director had to be rushed into the interrogation room, but I hadn’t expected them to send out an SOS to me.
“What’s going on? Did Division 1 crash the party or something?”
The director oversees the entire Information Department, so in the interrogation room, the deputy director is the top in command. If that person sent out a desperate SOS, it indicated a considerable problem had arisen.
And the only reason the deputy director would be in such a dire situation was if they heard our interrogation news and rushed in, offering to help out. It must have been that serious for the deputy director to feel cornered.
– Honestly, if that were the case, I’d be asking for you to kill me instead.
“Well, that makes sense.”
I couldn’t argue against that; it was a logically sound point.
– First, there’s good news and bad news. Which would you like to hear first?
I peered into the deputy director’s eyes as they showed through the communication device.
How dare this guy tease me with false hope? Usually, bad news swallows up the good news.
“Just say it simultaneously.”
– So, your aunt is innocent and doesn’t require interrogation, but since we’re not interrogating her, she’s furious, claiming we’re slandering the honor of the nobility.
“What?”
What kind of nonsense was that?
“Speak clearly! What do you mean by that?”
– Quite literally. We checked multiple times, and your aunt and her children are innocent in all this mess. They’re nowhere near the family’s power dynamics nor holding any public positions, so how could they possibly be involved? They’ve merely been caught under the Narzen name.
“…Still, since she insists on being treated as a Narzen, shouldn’t we at least conduct a token interrogation—”
– No! There’s genuinely nothing to ask! A formality requires there to be at least some kind of accusation; we can’t just drag a commoner to question the nobility’s corruption! It doesn’t even reach that level!
This time, I was stuck in disbelief, not just suspicion.
I suspected my aunt and cousins were innocent. They wouldn’t have been deeply entangled in the family’s finances or shady dealings, so I thought a search wouldn’t reveal much. That’s why I had sent them over to the Information Department to be processed by the book; indeed, they wouldn’t be punished.
But really, absolutely nothing? No way to even pretend to keep the “We’re interrogating these people” act up for a few minutes?
‘That can’t be right.’
I couldn’t believe it. Honestly, even I, the head of the Inspection Department, could produce some dust if I were thoroughly examined. Living as a noble means you can’t avoid even a few crumbs sticking to your hands, and unless you bury yourself in the countryside and stay clear of social interaction, it’s an inevitable fate.
Yet my aunt had married into a prominent judicial family chosen by my grandfather. It’s typical that even if she is distanced from real power, a little dust should gather on her, right? The Inspection Department’s job was precisely to uncover those little bits and exaggerate them.
– We can’t hold them because there’s nothing to ask, but if we just release them, it looks like we’ve let anyone slip through our fingers! Your Grace, aren’t you also feeling urgent pressure from above?
The deputy’s desperate plea compelled me at last to let out a controlled sigh.
I had hoped for an easy resolution, but it appeared my aunt was far more transparent than I had ever expected, turning the entire situation on its head.
*
The deputy director, who had hastily exited, remained silent once he re-entered.
Then he clicked his tongue at the communication device in his hand, looking at me with a deep sigh.
“Auntie. Let’s not do this. There’s no reason or capacity to interrogate you.”
“Principles above all else. Didn’t you mention not to sway for anyone above you?”
“None of us know better than you about your lack of involvement in this matter. This is why I want to skip the interrogation, but because you’re related to our higher-ups, even if genuinely innocent, we can’t simply let you go. We need to go through the motions and at least ensure something is up.”
And before long, frustration and lethargy faded from the deputy’s voice, replaced instead by urgency.
“I’d really prefer not to say this to a civilian, but for the sake of our faces, please cooperate and endure this. Regardless of what happens to us, consider the Minister. He ran out here to lead this operation even on his days off.”
Hearing those words sent a shudder through my hands.
If that esteemed individual—whom I couldn’t even dare call my uncle—were to find himself in trouble because of me, there was no way I could stand my ground. If I was to turn my back on an exit, only to create a mess for an honorable figure, that would be the worst kind of trouble.
“I can guess your worries. If you’re released here, it’ll be implied you were let go because you’re the Minister’s aunt. The whispers may state you received unwarranted favors because of it, and nobles can be quite the gossips,” he added.
Not responding at all, the deputy director bowed his head in resignation.
“Your Grace appreciates your understanding. Regardless of what the nobles say, you can dismiss them. So for the sake of your nephew, would you please cooperate?”
I found myself unable to hold back a sigh.
For the sake of the Narzen family’s honor and pride, I stood up tall for the one person who made it embarrassing for me to refer to them as my ‘niece.’ But if that were to create trouble instead…
“…Two hours should suffice?”
“Of course! And once you leave here, you’ll be treated the same as everyone else! I promise!”
Seeing the deputy director’s overly joyous reaction made me sigh again.
I should have discarded my stubbornness to maintain my dignity, and now I realize how recklessly I acted.
I had been fooled.
Just hours ago, I was told they would treat me the same as everyone else, and now that promise shattered like glass.
“─The individuals whom I’ve called out are free to return to their families. There won’t be any additional interrogations, so feel free to depart with peace of mind.”
Technically, I didn’t keep that promise directly but instead twisted it. I had managed to find a way to release the people that could be released and slipped myself into the “others” bound for freedom.
‘How naïve I was to trust so easily.’
It frustrated me. Honestly, the guy had that smarmy look all over, like someone untrustworthy who had likely made girls cry. I couldn’t believe I had believed him at a time when I felt rushed.
Still, having formal release means I can’t be stubborn anymore. Given the circumstances, I should go comfort the kids who were likely shocked by this incident. They would be the ones to help raise the Narzen family back up after this.
With that resolve, I returned to the mansion, only to find…
“Welcome back.”
“Big brother, Ra-bun-ni…?”
“Such a long time since I’ve heard that.”
There in the mansion, where no one was supposed to be, awaited a figure I had not seen in quite a while.
“Came cautiously to not be found out by others. The thought of returning seems unbearably distant now, so could you not drive me away and just let us talk?”
My big brother. The former head of Krasius. The former Count Tailglehen.
A person I hadn’t laid eyes on in ages, was there waiting for me.
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