Chapter 107: The Custody Commotion
Translator: RaidenTL
Chapter 107: The Custody Commotion
“Excellent. You’ve done well.”
The labor union, formed by the village workers, was destined to become little more than a puppet under Ferda’s control.
That was exactly the outcome Ferda desired.
“Thank you, sir. Also, the name change for the Dandolo Merchant House has been officially finalized within the Empire.”
From now on, it would operate as the Hestia Merchant House. The family crest emblazoned on their tents would also be replaced by the crest of Valdrova.
“You’re doing a fine job. I’ll leave the rest to you.”
“Leave it to me, sir.”
The meeting with the provisional labor union concluded.
“Since that’s been settled amicably, I believe you can return to your other duties now,” Isabella suggested.
Instead of standing up, Ferda shifted his gaze to the stack of documents she had piled up.
“I believe there are a few more disputes to address.”
“There are, but I can resolve them by proxy using my authority as the administrator.”
“No, I might as well handle them while I’m here. Since I’ve already come down, isn't it better to settle them quickly? And…”
“And?”
“Resolving things through dialogue like this… it’s a refreshing change of pace.”
“Um, I see.”
Can this really be considered ‘dialogue’?
Isabella had her doubts, but she didn't voice them. She moved to the door, and a moment later, two men entered.
“These are the stonemasons I mentioned before who require mediation.”
Ferda gave them a cursory glance. A dark-skinned man and a relatively fair-skinned man sat side by side. One look at their appearances made it clear they were from the South and the Central regions, respectively.
Ferda addressed the dark-skinned man first.
“Are you from Halim?”
“Yes. I’ve spent twenty years specializing solely in fortress walls in Halim—”
“And you are from the Empire?”
“That is correct.”
“I’ve heard the gist of it. In short, you’re trying to reconcile two different construction methods, correct?”
The fair-skinned stonemason spoke up.
“Yes. We are discussing how to build the wall while considering the terrain and its characteristics, but this Southerner simply won't listen…”
The Imperial stonemason clicked his tongue. At that, the Halim stonemason snorted.
“Claiming you have to ‘consider terrain and characteristics’ just means your walls aren't perfect to begin with, doesn't it? The walls we build in Halim boast a strength that will not break regardless of the situation.”
“The winter wind must have frozen his brain since he came from such a hot region. How could people who have never even been invaded—people who build walls out of sand—possibly have any real skill?”
“If stuffing pebbles into empty holes counts as construction, then my three-year-old son is a master craftsman.”
“You little—!”
“Enough.”
Ferda stopped them before the hammers meant for tapping stone were aimed at each other's heads. He could see exactly what was happening. This was a clash of professional pride.
“I understand both of your positions perfectly. Which means I can give you a clear answer.”
“Does that mean you’ve decided which method we should use?”
“How could I?”
No matter how brilliant Ferda was, he couldn't compare to men who had spent their entire lives working with stone. However, he could solve this problem definitively.
Ferda held up his index finger.
“One month.”
“…Pardon?”
“Within that time, you will construct a wall four meters high and of a specific length.”
The two men looked bewildered.
“What do you mean by that?”
“Are you saying we should decide on the method ourselves?”
“Yes. Because that is your job.”
From the perspective of those who had come for mediation, it was an absurd ruling. But Ferda wasn't finished.
“Within one month, you must build a wall capable of withstanding my siege magic.”
“What?”
The two craftsmen looked at Ferda with panicked eyes. They wondered if it was some kind of joke, but Ferda’s eyes were glowing with intensity.
“Even if I explained the technicalities of construction methods, you wouldn't understand my perspective. So, I am offering a solution in my own way.”
Ferda pointed at them.
“You two know how to build a sturdy wall.”
Then, he pointed at himself.
“And I know how to break them.”
Even the walls of the Empire, which boasted legendary sturdiness, had crumbled by his hand.
“So, build the strongest wall you can within a month. I will strike the very center of that wall with a Magic Blast. Do you understand?”
“What happens if the wall collapses?”
“Simple.”
He drew his thumb across his throat. The two stonemasons turned pale.
“Y-you’re going to execute us just because a wall built in a single month collapsed?”
“Since you built a flimsy wall, the charges will be impersonating an expert and fraud. Furthermore, it will extend to threatening national security.”
“That’s a bit of a leap!”
“Is it a leap, Administrator?”
Isabella shook her head.
“For those who fail at border defense, a death sentence is actually getting off cheap.”
“There you have it.”
The craftsmen realized this was no time to be stubborn. The days when they considered each other enemies felt trivial now that a real, life-threatening enemy had appeared.
As they broke into a cold sweat, Ferda asked, “Are you thinking of running away?”
“Cough!”
“H-how could we possibly do that?”
Ferda had seen right through them.
“You can try. Go ahead if you think you can. But I will hunt you down and bring you back. Of course, by then, it won't matter whether there's a wall or not.”
Ferda let out a thoughtful hum before asking them nonchalantly, “Have you ever been in so much pain that you couldn't decide whether to beg for your life or beg for death?”
“…”
“If you’re curious about the process, I’d be more than happy to show you.”
“N-no, thank you!”
“We have no intention of running, so why would we need to know such a thing? Haha…!”
The two men were suddenly filled with intense motivation. Ferda nodded.
“Then I shall assume you’ve understood everything I’ve said.”
“Of course! How could we not!?”
“Then be on your way. You have 29 days, 23 hours, and 55 minutes left. You’d better start building that wall as soon as possible.”
“Y-yes, sir!!”
The moment Ferda gave the order, they scrambled out of the room as if fleeing for their lives. Once the murderous atmosphere settled, Ferda muttered to himself.
“Dialogue is a much better tool than I thought.”
“If you can even call that ‘dialogue.’”
Despite her words, Isabella looked satisfied.
“At least they won't be fighting unproductively anymore. The next dispute?”
“The next one is…”
Ferda continued to resolve the disputes one by one. Since no one else was as stubborn as the two stonemasons, he was able to settle them easily without further threats.
“It seems that’s the end of the work.”
Before he knew it, the documents Isabella had set out had all vanished. He prepared to wrap things up.
It was then.
“There is still one case remaining.”
“One case?”
Isabella pulled a single document from her folder and handed it to him.
“Seeing how you’ve handled things today, I believe you are the right person to judge this matter. This is a formal complaint I wrote myself.”
Ferda looked at the name of the accused in her complaint. The moment he saw it, his breath hitched. He could already see the chaos that was about to unfold.
“…You’re filing a complaint against this person?”
“I am.”
Her blue eyes were dead serious. She spoke firmly, driving the point home.
“I am reporting Echidna Philias for dereliction of duty.”
* * *
“That fucking bitch.”
The moment they came face to face, Echidna spat out an insult. Those were the first words she uttered after flying here the moment she received the summons.
This is new.
Ferda had only ever seen her gloomy or smirking face, so seeing her this furious was a first. She finally felt like a proper witch.
Isabella, who had been cursed at the moment they met, remained unmoved. She pushed up her slightly slipping glasses and spoke.
“Nice to meet you, Chief Researcher. Usually, when people or beasts meet, they greet each other. It seems you don't fall into either category?”
Isabella was just as formidable. Echidna looked like her eyes might pop out.
“You’re the one who picked the fight first, aren't youuu? Did you eat your age through your ass? Are you just tired of living or somethingggg??”
“What fight did I pick? I simply stated the facts.”
“You said I wasn't doing my workkk? What do you know that gives you the right to say thattt??”
The battle of wills between these two proud women was akin to a clash between two dragons. Consequently, the innocent bystanders were the ones suffering.
“Um, Regent…”
Stephan, caught in the crossfire, asked in a trembling voice.
“What is it?”
“That… witch… who is she?”
“A witch we’ve employed at the castle.”
“Why have you kept it a secret until now? I’ve never heard anything about a witch living here…”
“There was no particular need to hide it, nor any need to mention it.”
That was true. Stephan clutched his chest and watched the two women warily, trying to stay out of the blast zone.
Isabella cleared her throat and spoke to Ferda in a clear voice.
“As I stated, I am accusing Chief Researcher Echidna Philias of dereliction of duty. Her research progress is lagging behind that of Marquis Burnell, who was recruited later, and she has not reported her progress even once. It is a researcher's duty to record whatever they do. Neglecting that duty is no different from slacking off.”
Isabella’s argument was logical. Under normal circumstances, Echidna might have just apologized and moved on. However, there was a fundamental reason she couldn't accept this.
“So, what you want is…”
Ferda swallowed hard, as if hesitant to even read the next part.
“…Custody of Mori.”
Custody.
He thought it was a trivial reason. Yet, it was that very word that had caused this mess. It was the reason Isabella had filed the complaint, and the reason Echidna had lost her mind.
“Be rational. Do you really think such a ferocious witch should be in charge of a delicate child?”
“Little Mori was being raised perfectly fine by me long before you arrived, you knowww?! Regent, surely you aren't going to take her away from me because of those wordsss?”
Echidna glared at him.
“Just in case, if I say yes, are you going to kill me?”
“Huh? No! No matter what, how could I ever touch you, Regent…”
Realizing her slip, Echidna quickly softened her expression. It seemed she hadn't completely lost her mind yet.
Ferda was just as stressed as they were agitated.
How should I handle this…
It wasn't an easy problem to solve. The process of creating that golem hadn't been simple, and he was currently seeing her full value as a Rune Maker.
But Isabella has a point.
There was no progress on the golem, yet Mori’s outfits were becoming more diverse by the day—a strange situation indeed. It wouldn't be unfair to call it dereliction of duty.
Furthermore, the value of the golem is highly anticipated right now.
Since he had announced the Eastern Conquest, the priority of that golem had increased. He needed to spur her research along.
And the way to do that is through custody.
It was like walking a tightrope. This witch was a master of the Red Circle. As a Philias, her obsessions were terrifying. Since they were a species driven by emotion, he had to handle her carefully.
After the two had growled at each other for a while, Echidna made a proposal.
“If you’re going to take away my custody, let’s hear little Mori’s opinion first!”
At those words, Ferda turned his gaze toward Isabella.
“Fine.”
Isabella showed a surprising amount of interest in that idea. It was as if she didn't care about the dereliction of duty anymore.
Regardless, to reach a conclusion, Ferda summoned Mori. A young lady in neat attire entered the room.
“Ah, oh my god… she’s so cute…”
“Gasp…”
Echidna squealed with delight, and Isabella made a choked sound of emotional overwhelm upon seeing her face.
“Are all witches and Dragon Spawns like this?”
“How should I know?”
Ferda didn't care. Regardless of their reactions, he decided to do his job.
“I will be the one to ask the questions. Mori, what do you think is the best way to resolve this issue?”
Mori looked back and forth between Echidna and Isabella, then began to write as usual. She replied in elegant handwriting:
- I believe splitting my body in half is the clearest solution.
“…?”
Ferda pondered those words seriously. He wondered if it was some kind of poetic metaphor.
“Do you mean I should see which of them truly cares for you?”
- Eliminating the source of the conflict is also a method.
She was literally asking to be killed. Ferda looked at Mori’s face again. There were deep dark circles under her eyes.
“…I shall deliver my judgment.”
Ferda spoke.
“For the next week, Mori will be under my direct supervision.”
“Whaaat???”
“Pardon!?”
Isabella and Echidna were both shocked. They protested immediately.
“H-how can you make such an absurd rulinggg? You delegated her to me.”
“That was only a temporary measure until a proper plan was established. Mori is the property of the Archduchy, so I have the right to choose her guardian. Therefore, it is also possible for me to manage her myself.”
Isabella fidgeted with her glasses, trying to hide her flustered state.
“Above all, Miss Mori is a petite young girl. I don't think it's appropriate for such a girl to be handled by a man…”
Scratch, scratch, scratch!
“It seems the party in question thinks otherwise.”
Mori was vigorously drawing an 'X' with her pen. She seemed to think this judgment was the perfect answer.
“For this week, Ruri and I will look after Mori. Since she doesn't speak anyway, it won't be a distraction to have her by my side while I work.”
“What do you plan to do after that week?”
“It will depend on the performance of the accused.”
Ferda’s blue eyes shifted toward Echidna.
“Echidna.”
His lowered voice made Echidna’s body shiver.
“Y-yes!”
“The reason you were brought here was to research your golem. Correct?”
“Yes, th-that’s righttt…”
“Burnell has shown results, but you have been silent until now. I know you enjoy playing with dolls, but you must at least do your job.”
“Uuu…”
Echidna hung her head, unable to argue.
“So, I will give you a six-month grace period. Until then, the management system will rotate on a weekly basis.”
“Does that mean after I spend a week with her, I have to hand her over to this witch for a week?”
“Yes.”
Neither of them was satisfied. They wanted her all to themselves, and being told to take turns like a chore was frustrating.
“And.”
Ferda wasn't finished.
“Mori, you are to report to me on their efficiency. If efficiency drops significantly, the remaining period will be taken over by the next person without warning. And if the next person also shows a drop in efficiency, I will keep her under my direct command for a month.”
If they were going to fight over a toy, it was only natural to take the toy away. The moment the judgment was passed, life returned to Mori’s eyes.
The message she wrote on her notepad was as follows:
- I consider this a judgment worthy of a sage ruler.
“Good. We shall conclude this matter here.”
Echidna glared at Isabella. Her eyes were filled with resentment, as if saying this was all her fault.
However, strangely enough, her circuits didn't activate. It meant that the emotions contributing to her circuit formation were far removed from that kind of anger and resentment.
Isabella met her gaze, refusing to back down. As the former chief secretary of the Magic Tower, she was just as strong-willed.
One could feel the rift between the two deepening.
Regardless, Mori’s expression looked much more at peace.