Chapter 107: The Custody Uproar
“Excellent. You’ve done well.”
Even the Workers’ Union that the village laborers had created themselves would eventually become a puppet incapable of escaping Perda’s influence.
That was exactly the situation he wanted.
“Thank you. Ah, and by the way, we’ve already completed all the paperwork to change the company name in the Empire.”
From now on, it would no longer operate as the Dandollo Trading Company.
Officially, it would be renamed the Hestia Trading Company.
Even the family emblem engraved on the tents would be replaced with Valdrova’s.
“You’re doing well. Keep it up.”
“Leave it to me.”
The meeting with the temporary union ended that way.
“Since everything was resolved peacefully, I think you can return to your other affairs now.”
Instead of standing up, Perda turned his gaze toward the documents Isabella had stacked up.
“I think there are still some unresolved disputes.”
“That’s true, but I can handle them in my capacity as administrator.”
“No. Since I’ve already come all the way down here, let’s finish everything at once. Wouldn’t it be better to resolve it as soon as possible? Besides…”
“Besides?”
“Now that I’ve tried resolving something through dialogue, it leaves me with a rather peculiar feeling.”
“I see. Understood.”
Could that really be called dialogue?
Isabella had her doubts, but she said nothing.
She got moving, and shortly afterward two men entered the room.
“They’re the stonemasons who needed mediation.”
Perda looked them over.
One had dark skin, while the other was relatively pale.
At a glance, it was obvious that one came from the south and the other from the central regions.
Perda addressed the darker-skinned man first.
“You’re from Hallim?”
“Yes. I’ve spent twenty years building walls in Hallim…”
“And you’re from the Empire?”
“That’s right.”
“I’ve already been told the general situation. In short, you use two different construction methods and are arguing over how to reconcile them, correct?”
The Imperial stonemason replied.
“That’s right. We were discussing how to build the wall while taking the terrain and its characteristics into account, but this southerner refuses to listen to reason…”
He clicked his tongue.
Then the Hallim stonemason let out a mocking laugh.
“If you have to consider the terrain and local conditions, that means your wall isn’t perfect. Hallim’s walls are designed not to collapse no matter the circumstances.”
“Looks like the southern heat cooked your brain. What experience could people who’ve never suffered an invasion possibly have building sand walls?”
“If stuffing rocks into holes counts as construction, then even my three-year-old son would be a master.”
“You bastard…!”
“Enough.”
Perda stopped them before the hammers meant for striking stone ended up striking skulls.
He understood the situation perfectly.
It was a conflict born from the pride of two master craftsmen.
“I understand both of your positions very well. Therefore, I can give a clear answer.”
“You already know which method should be used?”
“Why would I know?”
No matter how intelligent Perda was, he could not compare to people who had dedicated their entire lives to building walls.
However, he could solve the problem.
He raised one finger.
“One month.”
“…Excuse me?”
“Build a wall four meters high and of suitable length within that time.”
The two men stared at him in disbelief.
“What does that mean?”
“Are you saying we should decide for ourselves which method is better?”
“Exactly. Because that’s your job.”
From the perspective of the men who had come seeking mediation, it was an absurd resolution.
But Perda continued.
“And that wall must be capable of withstanding my siege magic without any problems.”
“What?”
The two craftsmen looked at him in confusion.
They thought it had to be a joke.
But Perda’s eyes were completely serious.
“If you start talking to me about construction methods and technical details, I won’t understand any of it. So I’m proposing my own solution.”
He pointed at them.
“You know how to build sturdy walls.”
Then he pointed at himself.
“And I know how to destroy them.”
Even the famous Imperial walls had fallen before him.
“So build the strongest wall possible within a month. Then I’ll launch a Magic Blast directly at the center. Understood?”
“And what happens if the wall collapses?”
“Very simple.”
He ran his thumb across his throat.
Both men turned pale.
“You’re going to execute us because a wall built in only a month collapses?”
“If you build a defective wall, charges of fraud and professional misrepresentation will apply. In addition, it could be considered a threat to national security.”
“That’s excessive.”
“Is it excessive, Administrator?”
Isabella shook her head.
“Demanding the death penalty for those who fail to defend a frontier would actually be a lenient punishment.”
“You heard her.”
The two craftsmen realized that this was no longer a matter of pride.
Just moments ago, they had viewed each other as enemies.
Now a genuine enemy had appeared—one who threatened their lives.
Sweat ran down their backs.
“Are you thinking about running away?”
“Cough!”
“N-No, we wouldn’t do something like that!”
Perda had read their thoughts perfectly.
“You can try. If you think you can, go ahead. But I’ll hunt you down and bring you back. And when that time comes, whether a wall exists or not will no longer matter.”
After letting out a soft “Hmm…,” he asked calmly.
“Have either of you ever suffered so much that you didn’t know whether to beg for death or for life?”
“……”
“If you’re curious about the process, I can explain it in full detail.”
“N-No need!”
“If we’re not going to run away, then there’s no reason for us to know any of that! Hahaha…!”
Both men were completely tense.
Perda nodded.
“Then I’ll assume you understand perfectly.”
“Of course!”
“Absolutely!”
“Very good. You may leave. You have exactly twenty-nine days, twenty-three hours, and fifty-five minutes remaining. You’d better start building immediately.”
“Yes, sir!”
The two practically fled the room.
When the tense atmosphere disappeared, Perda muttered,
“It seems dialogue is a more useful tool than I imagined.”
“If that can be called dialogue.”
Even so, Isabella seemed satisfied.
“At least they won’t waste time fighting without producing anything.”
“If they keep fighting even after this, perhaps they deserve a certain degree of respect.”
“What’s the next dispute?”
“In this case…”
Perda continued resolving disputes one after another.
Unlike the two stonemasons, none of the other parties possessed such excessive pride.
As a result, he was able to settle them easily, without resorting to threats.
“I believe that’s everything.”
All the documents Isabella had brought were gone.
Just as he was about to conclude.
“There’s still one case left.”
“One more?”
Isabella pulled a sheet from among the files and handed it to him.
“After seeing how you resolved all these matters today, I thought you were the right person to judge this case. I personally drafted the complaint.”
Perda looked at the name of the accused.
The moment he read it, he fell silent.
He could already picture exactly what was about to happen.
“…You want to file a complaint against this person?”
“That’s right.”
Isabella’s blue eyes were completely serious.
And she made her position unmistakably clear with a single sentence.
“I am filing a formal complaint against Echidna Philiaz for dereliction of duty.”
“You fucking bitch.”
The first one to curse the moment they saw each other was Echidna.
That was the first sentence she uttered after receiving the telegram and flying there.
‘Now this is something new.’
Perda had always seen her with that strange, gloomy smile.
It was the first time he had ever seen her this furious.
Now she truly looked like a real witch.
Despite being insulted the moment she arrived, Isabella remained completely unfazed.
She pushed up the glasses that had slipped slightly down her nose and replied.
“A pleasure to see you, Chief Researcher. Both people and animals usually greet each other when they meet. It seems you belong to neither category.”
Isabella was not someone who could be easily intimidated either.
Echidna’s eyes looked as though they were about to pop out of their sockets.
“Wasn’t it you who started provoking me first??? Have you gotten so old that you’re tired of living???”
“And what provocation exactly have I committed? I merely stated objective facts.”
“That I Haven’t been doing my job?? What do you know to say something like that???”
The clash of wills between those two proud women resembled a battle between two dragons.
And the ones suffering the consequences were the innocent people caught in the middle.
“Lord Regent…”
Stephan, who was being crushed under the pressure from both sides, spoke in a trembling voice.
“What is it?”
“That… witch… who is she?”
“She’s a witch employed by the castle.”
“Then why was this kept secret until now? I’d never heard that a witch lived here…”
“It wasn’t something that needed to be hidden. Nor was it something that needed to be announced.”
That was true.
Stephan placed a hand on his chest and cautiously watched the two women to avoid getting caught in the crossfire.
Isabella cleared her throat and spoke clearly.
“As I have already reported, I am filing a formal complaint against Chief Researcher Echidna Philiaz for dereliction of duty. The progress of her research is inferior to that of Vernell Marquis, who was recruited after her. Furthermore, she has never submitted a single progress report. Recording completed work is a basic obligation of any researcher. Abandoning that obligation is no different from abandoning one’s work.”
Isabella’s words made sense.
If it had been the usual Echidna, she might have accepted the accusation with a simple “I’m sorry,” and the matter would have ended there.
However, there was one decisive reason why she could not accept it.
“So what you want is…”
Perda swallowed before continuing.
“…Custody of Morida.”
Custody.
It sounded like a ridiculous reason to him.
But that very word was the cause of this entire disaster.
It was the reason Isabella had filed a complaint against Echidna.
And it was also the reason Echidna had completely lost her mind.
“Be reasonable. Do you truly believe that such a violent witch can properly take care of such a delicate girl?”
“Before you appeared, Mori was growing up perfectly well under my care!!! Lord Regent, you’re not actually planning to take her away because of this nonsense, are you?”
Echidna glared at him.
“Just out of curiosity. If I decided to do that, would you kill me?”
“Huh? Of course not! No matter how angry I get, how could I ever dare lay a hand on Lord Regent…?”
Echidna regained her composure as soon as she realized what she had just said.
At least she had not completely lost her mind.
But if this was a problem for them, it was also a problem for Perda.
‘How the hell am I supposed to resolve this…?’
It was not an easy matter.
After all, creating that golem had been a difficult task.
And the fact that Echidna was a Rune Maker already demonstrated her enormous value.
‘But Isabella is also right.’
The golem research was not progressing.
Meanwhile, Morida’s clothes were becoming more elaborate every day.
Whether he wanted to admit it or not, it looked like dereliction of duty.
‘Besides, right now the value of the golem takes priority.’
With the conquest of the East declared as an objective, the importance of that research had increased tremendously.
He needed to pressure Echidna.
‘And the best way is to touch on the issue of custody.’
It was a dangerous tightrope.
But witches belonged to the Red Circle.
And the Philiaz family was famous for their unhealthy obsessions.
They were beings who made decisions driven by emotion, so he had to proceed carefully.
After a long exchange of growls, Echidna made a proposal.
“If you’re going to take custody away from me, then listen to Mori’s opinion first!!!”
Perda looked at Isabella.
“That sounds acceptable.”
Isabella showed a surprising amount of interest.
As though the alleged dereliction of duty no longer mattered at all.
Either way, in order to settle the dispute, they summoned Morida.
The girl entered with her usual elegant appearance.
“Ah… she’s so adorable…”
“Cough…”
Echidna reacted with exaggerated enthusiasm.
And upon seeing her, Isabella let out an emotional sound.
“Are all dragons and witches like this?”
“How would I know?”
Perda did not care.
So he decided to focus on what mattered.
“I’ll ask the question. Morida, what do you think is the best solution to this problem?”
Morida alternated her gaze between Echidna and Isabella.
Then, as always, she wrote something down.
Her elegant handwriting read.
— I believe the clearest solution would be to split the body in half.
“…What?”
Perda fell into thought.
For a moment, he believed it was some kind of poetic metaphor.
“Do you mean that we should see who values you more?”
— Eliminating the root of the conflict is also a solution.
She was genuinely suggesting that they kill each other.
Perda looked at Morida’s face again.
She had tremendous dark circles under her eyes.
“…I will deliver my verdict.”
Perda opened his mouth.
“For the next week, Morida will remain under my supervision.”
“Whaaaaaat???!!!”
“W-What!?”
Both Isabella and Echidna were startled.
And both immediately protested.
“That makes absolutely no sense!!! You delegated her care to me!”
“That was only a temporary measure until a solution could be found. Morida is property of the Grand Duchy, and I have the authority to decide who manages her. Therefore, I can also manage her personally.”
Isabella adjusted her glasses to hide her bewilderment.
“Besides, Mori is a delicate young girl. I don’t think it’s appropriate for someone so young to be placed under the care of a man…”
Scratch scratch scratch.
“It seems she disagrees.”
Morida drew a large X across the paper.
Apparently, she considered that ruling to be the correct answer.
“For this week, Ruri and I will take care of her. Since she barely speaks anyway, she’ll be able to continue working beside us without any problems.”
“And what do you intend to do after that week?”
“That will depend on the results achieved by the accused.”
Perda’s blue eyes turned toward Echidna.
“Echidna.”
His deep voice made the witch’s entire body tremble.
“Y-Yes!”
“You came here to research your golem. Is that correct?”
“Yes… yes, of course…”
“Vernell has already shown results. You, on the other hand, have shown nothing. I know you enjoy playing with dolls, but you must at least fulfill your duties.”
“Uuu…”
Echidna lowered her head, unable to argue.
“That is why I will grant you six months. Until then, the custody arrangement will alternate weekly.”
“You mean after she spends one week with me, I’ll have to hand her over to this witch for another week?”
“Exactly.”
Neither of them was satisfied.
They both wanted her exclusively for themselves.
And now they would have to take turns week after week.
“And furthermore.”
Perda was not finished yet.
“Morida will report to me regarding the performance of both of you. If one of you shows a noticeable decline in performance, the other will take her place without prior notice. And if the replacement also shows a decline in performance, Morida will remain under my supervision for an entire month.”
If two people fought over a toy, the logical thing to do was take the toy away.
The moment she heard that ruling, Morida’s eyes regained their sparkle.
She took a note and wrote.
— I believe this decision is worthy of a wise ruler.
“Good. Then the matter is settled.”
Echidna shot Isabella a resentful glare.
As if she wanted to tell her that all of this was her fault.
Yet, strangely enough, her emotional circuits did not react.
Which meant that the emotions feeding those circuits were not related to anger or resentment.
Isabella did not back down and met her gaze directly.
After all, someone who had once been the chief secretary of the Magic Tower was not easily intimidated either.
The distance between the two seemed to grow deeper and deeper.
Meanwhile, Morida’s expression looked far more relaxed than before.
Haimiya_cutie.
Body IntegrationAt least mori can rest in peace.
Haimiya_cutie.
Body IntegrationGood one perda 👍
Haimiya_cutie.
Body IntegrationSo that is how echidna looks like.
Haimiya_cutie.
Body IntegrationIsabella looks beautiful though.
Leo
VIP MortalLol
Michael Chandra
MortalGood news for Morida, finally some peace and quiet.