"That was really just a farce."
Although Percy intended to change jobs, he was still Kingsley's capable assistant for the time being, so he naturally knew what had happened between the Gringotts goblins and the Ministry of Magic employees near Hogsmeade.
Kingsley did not keep many things secret from Albert, his ally, so Percy felt no psychological burden in discussing the matter with Albert.
"Which side deliberately started it, or... did both sides intend to?" When Albert heard Percy call it a farce, he had more or less guessed the reason.
"Both sides did. It was a tacit understanding, I suppose." Percy did not deny it and frankly admitted it to Albert. "The purpose was naturally to maintain the hostility between them and prevent tensions from easing."
"Looks like the Ministry of Magic is short of money?"
Percy merely smiled and did not pursue the subject.
Albert was indeed somewhat surprised—not because the Ministry of Magic lacked money, but because Kingsley's determination to "kill with a borrowed knife" was so firm.
As someone "high in the ranks," Albert naturally knew where the Ministry of Magic's monthly employee salaries came from. Other people's donations made up only a small portion; otherwise, the salaries of the Ministry's several hundred employees alone would cost tens of thousands of Galleons every month. It was clearly impossible to rely on donations to fill that gap.
Yes, the Ministry of Magic had other sources of income, much like state-owned enterprises in his previous life, and there were quite a few of them. Many were monopolies, so there was naturally no worry about failing to make money.
However, during the period when Voldemort had ruled the Ministry of Magic, many of the Ministry's exclusive money-making sectors had been ruthlessly plundered by Dark wizards, losing their former ability