"Lord Hagelberry, aren’t you a relative of Sir Malin? Say something," someone whispered in the crowd.
Old Hagelberry pretended not to hear—what a joke, this scene was clearly a grand occasion Malin set up for the Sanders and Ailan families to reunite. I’m just an old sod with no quarrel in the world; let me live out the rest of my life in peace, for heaven’s sake. I’m already eighty-two, not many years left, my old friends.
"Lord Hagelberry, aren’t you an elder to Malin? Say something," half-human friend Thomas muttered.
Old Hagelberry glared at the half-human, thinking that he should end such a lethal friendship, can you even be considered a friend? I’d feel safer with a flower vase instead!
"Lord Hagelberry, don’t stand in the crowd, come out and smooth things over," His Majesty Manheim on the throne spoke up.
This time, Lord Hagelberry, feeling coerced, stood out with a limp hand, a twisted mouth, and innocent eyes full of doubt. Glancing at Malin and about to pretend to stutter, the young man could no longer hide the smile in his eyes. He laughed and tossed over a bottle of potion, "Lord Hagelberry, my elder, what’s the matter with you? If you’re feeling unwell, drink this potion made from the World Tree acorn. It’ll surely cure you."
Spiritual Medicine! Lord Hagelberry pocketed the potion, his hand no longer limped, his back no longer bent, and no more hesitation in his eyes. Standing upright like a veteran soldier, he addressed his sovereign, "Your Majesty, since the evidence against Sir Malin is conclusive, why not let us all have a clear view of it in the presence of the lords in the hall?"
In any case, in Lord Hagelberry’s eyes, both were as good as dead. As for offending people, Lord Hagelberry thought it mattered little, and as for the families of these houses... ha, the children of the Hagelberry household would never dream alongside such trash. If you’re going to regret, it’s too late now.
"This..." someone in the crowd began, but then hesitated, and Lord Hagelberry turned his head, making all the lords immediately lower theirs.
This what? If you’re gutsy enough to speak, be gutsy enough to stand out! Really, preferring dignity over life, what nonsense.
Cursing in his heart and shrugging his shoulders, Lord Hagelberry turned to look back at Malin—this son-in-law looked better and better the more he saw him. It was the right decision to go against popular opinion and marry Lulu to him.
With this thought in mind, Lord Hagelberry looked at his son-in-law with a smile beaming on his face, "Malin, my child, can you list for us the sins of the Sanders and Ailan families?"
"Lord Hagelberry! You’ll go to hell for this!" Prime Minister Sanders howled furiously.
As if hearing the funniest joke, Lord Hagelberry raised his eyebrows at the former Prime Minister who was already half in the cauldron of hell. Meanwhile, Malin, his son-in-law, smiled and brought forth a World Tree Sapling, which leapt over the open area of the hall, cushioned by Lord Hagelberry’s shoulder, and landed in front of Sanders, the whip cracking and splitting the Prime Minister’s face.
Wow, wasn’t it said in stories that the World Tree Sapling wouldn’t harm anyone? It turns out that it genuinely doesn’t harm people, but it seems Mr. Prime Minister doesn’t count as a person.
This revelation brought great pleasure to Lord Hagelberry as he glanced at Malin, and his son-in-law, smiling towards his elder, touched his chest in gesture.
"Child, list their sins," Lord Hagelberry felt that this moment was the pinnacle of his life, practically brimming with laughter as he looked towards Malin.
He gestured, and ledgers began to dance, one of which flew in front of Malin, opening as if it had a will of its own.
Lord Hagelberry could feel the envious and jealous gazes from behind. If such gazes could kill, he thought he would have perished with a heart pierced by ten thousand blades, a sensation that delighted the old man greatly as he raised his eyebrows, noticing the meaningful look from his sovereign.
Ha, Your Majesty, see, this is the sorrow of not having a daughter, while I have the most admirable and proud granddaughter.
At this moment, Malin’s cold voice began to read from the ledger: "In winter, on the forty-second day, Minister of Finance Mack Drecy purchased a batch of weapons from Malin’s workshop, 14,000 new Firearms and their accompanying bullets. The accounts are clear and verified, hence recorded."
The forty-second day, two days past, Lord Hagelberry reflected and indeed recalled such a transaction, so he turned towards his sovereign, wondering if there could be any issues.
"It’s quite normal, Sir Malin, the ledgers of Prime Minister Sanders and the Minister of Finance will be cross-referenced to ensure there are no discrepancies," said His Majesty Manheim with a smile, though that grin was all too familiar to Lord Hagelberry, who realized the sovereign wasn’t dumb, just that previously... why hadn’t he checked for the trickery before?
"Yes, if not for the fact that I am Malin, this would never have been found to be an issue," said Malin, after which he gestured for the lady who just stood up from her seat thinking to collide with something and pressed her back down again.
Then he continued his explanation, "I sold 10,000 new Firearms, and 4,000 were a gift. A firearm costs a hundred and twenty pieces, so 4,000 would be 480,000 Mowish. The Minister of Finance is bold, he accounted for 4,000 on the books. Which one here is Mack Drecy, please come out so I can have a look, after all, such talent, if found in my enterprise, would surely be taken by the factory guards to the northern woods of the town to bleed for the Spirits," Malin said with a wolfish grin while looking at the crowd, seemingly in search of that daring minister.