Meg, Utterly Radical

Charles Drost got up not long ago.

While I was having breakfast, I suddenly heard that someone had come to visit.

Who is it? Don't you have an appointment?

The Minister of Trade immediately frowned. Since his servant said "someone" was involved, it couldn't possibly be one of the ministers or wealthy merchants who frequently visited his home—they would already be familiar faces and would at least mention the person's name when reporting to him.

This gave Drost a vague sense of unease.

—And soon, this premonition came true.

"It's me, so what?"

Before the person even arrived, a cheerful and loud voice drifted over from afar. "Do I need an appointment to enter your house?"

The other party completely ignored the servant's attempt to stop them and walked straight in.

It was Meg the Grand Arbitrator! Drost immediately broke out in a cold sweat.

He wasn't afraid of Queen Sophia because she was indeed very good-tempered and a very rational person... Her Majesty the Queen was good at compromising, but not always; she was able to stabilize chaotic situations and reunite fragmented forces. In Avalon, where tyrants were rampant, she was a rare and wise ruler.

But that old woman Meg is unreasonable.

Moreover, as a Grand Arbitrator, she is quite adept at dealing with herself.

Let alone a mere minister, if she were dissatisfied with the Queen, she could also request a replacement King from the royal family. Of course, this was only a theoretical power. Not only she, but even the Grand Arbitrator throughout history had rarely used it.

Because Meg wielded too much power, she was unwilling to use it in order to avoid suspicion.

Because she didn't want people to think she could manipulate the Queen or control the top ministers of the Round Table Hall... Drost knew that the old lady cared a lot about her reputation. Her only flaw was her vanity.

As a result, Meg hasn't attended the Round Table Hall for a long time.

Because she dislikes pointless wrangling. In the Round Table Hall, it's quite normal for a bill to drag on for months; after all, they're not in a hurry.

This slow-paced lifestyle makes her itchy all over—in Meg's style, she would love to read the bill and force everyone to express their opinion on the spot, not allowing any abstentions, and then implement it immediately after the vote.

However, others certainly wouldn't do that. This matter involves a wide range of issues, affecting each individual, family, and faction differently, and it's not something that can be easily resolved. Any proposal to change the status quo will satisfy some and dissatisfy others. It requires complex processes of alliances, compromises, and concessions to pass.

And this is the time when they reap the benefits.

If you rely too much on intuition to pass bills and try to maintain fairness evenly, you will eventually offend everyone—because people will always remember the bills that are not in their favor more clearly than the ones that are in their favor.

Grandma Meg came from a humble rural background and rose through the ranks from the Bureau of Supervision to the Arbitration Hall; she simply didn't understand these intricacies.

She was so fair that she didn't understand politics.

"Your Excellency Grand Arbitrator..."

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

Meg was short and only reached his chest, simply patted his round belly without any politeness and mocked, "You're as fat as a pig, Charles. How long has it been since you exercised?"

"Do you remember when you were a member of the team? Can you still run now?"

Charles Drost and Meg are the same age and both graduated from the Royal Law University. However, they belonged to different departments; Meg was in the department for inspectors, while Drost graduated from the department for Law Mage.

Fighting for different departments, they were once formidable rivals on the sports field—for the overly short Meg, the tall and strong Charles was a formidable opponent. Among the generally skinny Law Mage, Charles was one of the few who exercised regularly and had a muscular physique.

And now...

His limbs were loose and flabby, with dark lines resembling lightning bolts or wrinkles. Drost's round head was bald, with fat covering his temples and scalp.

His once striking, upright face now looked old, fat, and ugly. Meg almost laughed as she watched him awkwardly move his body. But the laughter caught in her throat and wouldn't come out.

"—How did you become like this?"

Meg frowned.

"You've reached the age, Your Excellency the Grand Arbitrator..."

Charles smiled helplessly, "The physical vitality of the Fourth Level and Fifth Level is completely different. Besides, I failed several times before I was able to advance to the Fourth Level... and I'm getting old and frail."

"Oh."

Meg scoffed, "So you just let yourself turn into a pig? Your brain, along with your brain, is completely blinded by lard! Daring to mingle with people of the Noble Red, is that it?"

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

The Minister of Trade quickly replied, "Hasn't the Inspectorate's report already proven my innocence?"

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

Meg crossed her arms, leaned against the cabinet, and sneered, "Are the Inspectorate's reports always accurate? I only trust my own eyes and my own heart. So what if I don't need reports?"

"That's not being reasonable..."

Drost offered a helpless explanation.

He called out, "Diomedes!"

His Elf Butler appeared silently at the door.

"What," Meg said rudely, "Want to turn hostile?"

"I dare not, Your Excellency the Grand Arbitrator."

Diomedes bowed respectfully and said in a deep voice, "The Drost Family will never fight you."

"You're now able to speak on behalf of the Drost Family?"

Meg laughed and said, "Is this alright for you, Mr. Diomedes?"

Seeing that neither of them offered any explanation, she clicked her tongue, feeling somewhat bored.

She was definitely there to cause trouble.

But these people are like cotton candy, falling down with a single punch... which makes it less interesting.

And not only is Drost a bastard, but Diomedes is with him too...

"Tell me, Mr. Diomedes," Meg commanded, "Did Charles Drost ever work with the Noble Red?"

Diomedes' face showed a hint of struggle, but Meg uttered a soft "Hmm?" and a silver-white ring suddenly appeared in the old elf's eyes as she blurted out, "Yes, Mr. Drost used Secretary Raff as an intermediary to contact the Noble Red..."

"From where?"

"The initial contact point was at the Pelican Bar, which was later destroyed by Iver Moriarty and replaced with an abandoned chemical plant in Lloyd District's, which was subsequently destroyed by Edward Moriarty."

"Oh."

Meg narrowed her eyes. "Is that why he's targeting Iver?"

"I have no idea."

Diomedes replied.

"Then you tell me yourself."

Meg squinted and turned to Drost, commanding, "Say it all."

Her pupils reflected a silver ring like a lunar eclipse, which, when reflected in Drost's eyes, became a brand that eroded his thoughts.

He was powerless to resist Meg's Word of Power and could only blurt them out. "I'm just doing business, buying contraband from the Noble Red and then selling it to those in need in my own country..."

"Specifically? [Go on], and your accomplices—who is your superior?"

"That is, Alchemy Bomb, firearms, and some alchemical raw materials..."

As he said this, his expression suddenly changed.

But he couldn't control his tongue and could only continue, "The person I'm in contact with now is Lloyd's's Vice President Boca. We've been friends for a long time. He was caught by Diomedes during a murder and dismemberment, so I had leverage over him; he's now a judge because I had Diomedes eliminate his rival..."

"Oh, so he owes you something? [Tell me your thoughts]."

"Yes, I've had him under control ever since. He thought we were partners, but I was just using him. Or rather, I think Boca is better suited to manage Lloyd's than Lloyd. Because Lloyd wants to usurp the throne, but I think that's impossible, and I can't let that giant bastard do it; while Boca just wants merchant privileges, which is a more feasible plan..."

"Okay, I understand."

Meg nodded and said calmly, "The situation is clear now. Come with me. I think this is enough to keep you locked up for at least a few years."

"—Or do you want me to come and arrest you myself?"

"... No need."

The silvery-white halo in his pupils faded, Drost smiled wryly.

He never expected that he would be captured by Meg.

But this shouldn't be happening... When did she start acting so aggressively?

Without even reading the Inspectorate's report or convening an Arbitration Hall meeting, they went ahead and arrested people based solely on their own assumptions... Were they on fire? Or...?

What are you thinking about now?

Suddenly, after he relaxed Meg attacked again. "[Tell me what you're thinking now.]"

"I'm wondering if you're about to die?"

Drost blurted out. "Logically speaking, you are usually dissatisfied with everyone, but since you don't understand, you choose not to touch or care, and only take care of the things within your own responsibilities—that is, the main business of the Arbitration Hall, which is to adjudicate and punish the big shots involved in the case."

"I think you're unaware of the consequences of your actions, so you're choosing to maintain the status quo as a precaution. But now you've suddenly taken a radical step, and anyone who knows you should know that this isn't your style..."

Is it that obvious?

Meg smiled dismissively, "I underestimated you—your observation skills are quite good."

"But let's not talk about that kind of thing. Go to the Bureau of Supervision for a while, I'll go talk to His Majesty about you. Or, [you go by yourself]?"

"Yes, ma'am."

A ring appeared in the depths of Drost's eyes as he spoke.

Diomedes, standing to the side, remained silent, not uttering a single word.