It didn't take long after Charles Drost got up.

While I was still eating breakfast, I suddenly heard the news that someone had come to visit.

"Who, don't you have an appointment?"

The trade secretary frowned. Since his servants said that there were "people", then at least they were not the ministers or big businessmen who often came to his house—they were already familiar with each other, and they would at least say each other's names when they came to report.

This made Drost vaguely feel a little bad.

— and soon, that premonition came true.

"It's me, what?"

Before anyone arrived, a hearty and loud voice came from afar: "I still have to make an appointment to enter your house?" ”

The other party ignored the servant's interception at all and walked straight in.

It's Meg's Great Arbiter!

Drost suddenly broke out in a cold sweat.

He could not be afraid of Queen Sophia, because she was indeed good-tempered and a very sensible person...... Her Majesty is good at compromising, but not always compromising, and she is able to stabilize chaos and bring disintegrating forces together. In Avalon, where tyrants prevail, she is a rare king.

But Meg's old woman was unreasonable.

And as the Grand Arbiter, she can really deal with herself.

Not to mention that she is a minister, if she is not satisfied with the queen, she can also ask for another king from the royal family. Of course, this is only theoretically possessed power. Not to mention her, the great arbiters of the past generations have basically not used it.

It is precisely because Meg has so much power that she is reluctant to use it in order to avoid suspicion.

Because she didn't want people to think that she could manipulate the queen and control the top ministers of the Round Table...... Droist knew that the old lady cared a lot about her reputation. That's her only drawback...... That's good face.

As a result, Meg hadn't been to the Round Table for a long time.

Because she doesn't like pointless ripping. And in the round table room, it is normal for a bill to drag for months, after all, they are not in a hurry.

This slow-paced life tickles her all over her body - according to Meg's style, she wants to force everyone to take a stand on the spot after reading the bill, not to abstain, and to enforce it as soon as the vote is over.

However, no one else can do that. This kind of thing involves a wide range of things, and the impact on each person, family, and faction is different, and it is not so simple to deal with. Any bill that changes the status quo will be satisfied by some people and dissatisfied by others. They need to go through complex alliances, compromises, and concessions of interests to get through.

And in the process, that's when they reap the benefits.

If you pass bills too intuitively and keep them even, you will offend everyone in the end - because people remember bills that are better than bills that are good for themselves, and bills that are not good for them will always be remembered.

Old Lady Meg, who had risen from the Inspectorate system to the Arbitration Hall, had no idea what was going on in the country.

She was too fair to understand politics.

"Your Excellency the Grand Arbiter......"

Drost immediately put down his knife and fork, wiped his hands clean, and stood up respectfully.

Meg, who was short in stature and only reached his chest, just unceremoniously patted his round belly and sneered, "You're already as fat as a pig, Charles." How long has it been since you exercised?

"Do you remember when you were also a member of the team? Are you still running? ”

Charles Drost and Meg were peers, both of whom were classmates who graduated from the University of Law. It's just that they belong to different divisions, Meg is the overseer's department, and Drost is a graduate of the law teacher's department.

Fighting for different divisions, they were once fierce rivals on the pitch – for the overly short Meg, the tall, strong Charles was a formidable opponent. Among the lawgivers who were generally as thin as a hemp rod, Charles was one of the few men who exercised regularly and had a muscular body.

And now......

The muscles of his limbs were loose and sloppy, even dark like lightning and wrinkles. There was not much hair left on Drost's round head, and even his temples and scalp were fat.

The face that used to have deep facial features and righteous awe-inspiring looks now old, fat, and ugly. Meg almost laughed as she watched him move awkwardly. But her laughter reached her throat, but she couldn't get it out.

"—how did you become like this?"

Meg's brow furrowed.

"You're getting old, Your Excellency the Grand Arbiter......"

Charles smiled helplessly: "The physical vitality of the fourth energy level and the fifth energy level are completely different. Besides, I still failed a few times before I was promoted to the fourth energy level...... I'm getting old. ”

"Huh."

Meg scoffed, "So you let yourself be a pig? Along with your brain, it's all covered with lard! Dare to hang out with the noble red, huh? ”

"Hey, you can't say that......"

The Minister of Trade hurriedly said: "Hasn't the report of the Inspectorate already proved my innocence?" ”

"Yes, they say you're innocent, but I don't believe it."

Meg clasped her hands to her chest, leaned against the cabinet and sneered: "The report of the Inspectorate must be accurate?" I only trust my eyes and my heart. What if I don't have to report it? ”

"You're being unreasonable......"

Drost reluctantly argued.

He shouted, "Diomedes! ”

His elven butler appeared silently in the doorway.

"What," Meg said unceremoniously, "want to turn the other cheek?" ”

"Don't dare, Grand Arbiter."

Diomedes bowed respectfully and said in a deep voice, "The Drostes family will not fight you under any circumstances. ”

"You can speak for the Drost family?"

Meg laughed, "Are you okay like this, Mr. Diomedes?" ”

Seeing that neither of them had half a defense, she slurped, feeling a little bored.

She did come to find fault on purpose.

But this side is like a marshmallow, and it will fall with one punch...... It's boring.

And the Drost bastard is okay, and Diomedes is with him......

"[Tell me," ordered Meg, "has Charles Drost ever worked with the Noble Red?" ”

Diomedes had a look of struggle on his face, but Meg: "Huh? With a sound, a silver-white ring suddenly condensed into the old elf's pupils, and blurted out: "Yes, Mr. Drost uses Secretary Raff as a medium to communicate with the noble red......"

"Where to get in touch?"

"The initial point of contact was at the Pelican Bar, which was later destroyed by Mr. Ivas Moriarty and converted to an abandoned chemical plant in Lloyd's, and then by Edward Moriarty."

"Oh."

Meg narrowed her eyes, "That's why he targeted Ivus?" ”

"I don't know."

Diomedes replied.

"Say it yourself."

Meg squinted her eyes and looked back at Drost and ordered, "[Say it all]. ”

A silver ring like a lunar eclipse was reflected in her pupils, and when it was reflected in Drost's eyes, it turned directly into the imprint of the erosion of thoughts.

He was powerless to resist Meg's words, so he could only say: "I'm just doing business, buying some contraband from the Noble Red and selling them to those in need in my country......"

"What about exactly? And who is your accomplice, your superior? ”

"That is, alchemy bombs, firearms, and some alchemy raw materials......"

When he said this, his face suddenly changed.

But he couldn't control his mouth, so he could only continue: "The person who contacts me now is the vice president of Boca of Lloyd's. We had been friends for a long time, and he was bumped into by Diomedes during a murder and dismemberment, so I had his handle; He is now a judge because I sent Diomedes to get rid of his rivals......"

"Oh, so he owes you? [Tell me what is in your heart]. ”

"Yes, I've been in control of him ever since. He thought we were working together, but I just wanted to take advantage of him. In other words, I think Boca is better suited to manage Lloyd's than Lloyd's. Because Lloyd's wants to usurp the kingship, which I don't think can and can't let the giant bastard do; And Boca just wants merchant privileges, which is a more feasible plan......"

"Yes, I see."

Meg nodded and said calmly, "Now that the situation is clear, come with me." I think that's enough for you for at least a few years.

"—or do you want me to arrest you myself?"

“…… Not necessarily. ”

The silvery-white aura in his pupils faded, and Drost smiled bitterly.

He never expected that he would be directly captured by Meg.

But it shouldn't be...... When did she do things so radically?

The Inspectorate did not read the report, did not convene a meeting of the arbitration hall, and went directly to arrest people based on his own ideas...... Is this taking gunpowder?

Or is it ......

"What are you thinking?"

Suddenly, after he had relaxed, Meg attacked again: "[Tell me what you're thinking about right now.] 】”

"I'm wondering, are you dying now?"

Drost blurted out: "It stands to reason that you are usually dissatisfied with everyone, but since you can't understand it, you choose not to touch it or care, and only take care of what is within your own responsibilities - that is, the main business of the arbitration hall, that is, to punish the big people involved in the case."

"I think it's because you don't know what the impact of your own shot will be, so you choose to stay with the status quo just to be on the safe side. But now that you have suddenly done something radical, people who know you well should know that this is not your habit......"

"Is it so obvious?"

Meg smiled, disapproving: "Then I'm underestimating you - your observation is still okay."

"But don't talk about that kind of thing. Let's go to the Supervision Bureau for a while, and I'll talk to Your Majesty about you. Or, [go yourself]? ”

"Yes."

Drost said with a ring lit up at the bottom of his pupils.

Diomedes on the side was just silent and didn't say a word.

(End of chapter)