Academy’s Genius Mage

When the head of the Hamel Trading Company and its key associates were arrested, all attention in the capital was focused on the situation.

Upon hearing the news that they had attempted to assassinate a noble of the kingdom and committed fraud through a deceitful contract with the family, people were outraged.

Not only the commoners who had suffered from the Hamel Trading Company’s arrogance, but also the powerless minor nobles, and even the high-ranking nobles who had to be cautious around the company, expressed their condemnation daily.

In short, a major opportunity had been seized.

Regardless of other offenses, attempting to kill a noble of the kingdom was an unforgivable crime.

The head of the Hamel Trading Company, of course, denied all charges and shifted the blame onto Felix.

He confidently requested bail.

However, the kingdom’s court did not accept his bail application.

“What, what do you mean? How can the company refuse to pay bail? Who on earth is behind this?”

Hamel was furious, but the person he was speaking to was a judge. This was not the Hamel Trading Company’s office, it was a prison.

“Technically, it’s not a refusal to pay; it’s that there are insufficient funds.”

“That’s impossible! There should be hundreds of billions of shillings in the Hamel Trading Company’s account!”

“Ah, you mean that?”

The middle-aged judge smirked.

Seeing that smile made an inexplicable anxiety creep up in Hamel.

“Unfortunately, there’s nothing left in the account now.”

“What nonsense!”

“You’re aware of the ruling regarding the fraudulence against the Oracle Family, aren’t you?”

“What does that have to do with…?”

A shadow fell across Hamel’s face.

He suddenly remembered Felix coming to the company leader’s office with an excited expression, saying that Ian Oracle had cleared all debts and expressed intent to contract.

“Could it be, the repayment certificate?”

“Yes, if the head of the Oracle Family hadn’t repaid the debt, you might have been released on bail. However, since we already possess the receipt and repayment certificate, you understand the court fine, don’t you? You were leading quite a large trading company after all.”

The judge spoke in the past tense.

Hamel felt the darkness creeping into his vision.

The basic court compensation amount was 30 times the principal.

In this case, the basic amount didn’t apply due to the inclusion of murder charges in the special crime.

The judge estimated at least 50 times.

In other words, with the fraudulent amount being around 1 billion shillings, the compensation Hamel owed to the Oracle Family was approximately 50 billion shillings.

No matter how large the company is, after disbursing 50 billion shillings, there wouldn’t be much left.

Most of the assets were focused on facilities and land.

“But, if we sell the land, we can at least cover the bail amount!”

“You have a point there. Would you do that?”

“What?”

“When the company leader and executives are detained, and you are left to manage a crumbling company, would you struggle to save them?”

The judge sighed. He continued in a tone reprimanding Hamel for his lack of remorse.

“Both you and Felix, as well as the high-ranking executives, are being detained. Someone needs to stay to rebuild the company, and who would go out of their way to save those who have eaten away at its roots?”

“……”

“It would be better to wipe it clean and start anew, don’t you think?”

Hamel couldn’t respond.

The word ‘cut losses’ crossed his mind.

It was something he had done countless times before.

“You’re finished. It seems you are still denying the charges, but finding evidence is only a matter of time. The Nobles who have been demoted to commoners or slaves are already visiting the court one by one. Additionally, within the royal circle, talks of rooting out corruption are surfacing with this opportunity……”

“Kugh!”

“Moreover, Ian Oracle, the head of the Oracle Family and the involved party, is demanding severe punishment. No one will feel sorry for you.”

Bang!

Hamel slammed the iron bars.

He felt no pain.

The greater pain came from the hammering sense of despair in his chest.

“No! I can’t collapse here! I’m innocent, I say!”

“Hahaha. If you’re innocent, why are you in prison?”

“Let me out! I’ll do anything! I’ll even use my personal assets! I’ll make sure you live without financial worries for the rest of your life!”

“Your personal assets have already been seized. You used to manipulate people with money, didn’t you? But now you’re penniless; no one will be there for you.”

“No! Aarrgh!”

“Rest well, then. Although there aren’t many days left when you can rest in such a quiet place.”

The judge left his seat.

“Save me! Please! Get me out of here! Judge! Listen to my story for a moment!”

Hamel opened his eyes wide.

Ian Oracle appeared before him. He stood there, arms crossed, looking at the scene.

“You wretched Ian Oracle! I will surely kill you!”

It seemed like even killing him on the spot might not have been enough.

He never imagined Ian would be broadcasting that scene when they had a private meeting.

He thought it was truly over when he realized everything.

In actuality, it was Felix who was like the tail of a lizard.

Aware of the presence of the recording, Felix had admitted to all charges and was actively cooperating with the court to lighten his sentence even a little.

“Judge, can’t that be added to the charges as well?”

“Ah, yes indeed. Let’s add defamation. Though it may result in the maximum sentence, it will be amusing nonetheless.”

Ian and the judge amicably chatted as they left the prison.

“Wait! Wait for me! Ugh…”

Hamel dropped his head in despair.

No one listened to his story.

The great trading company that dominated an era thus fell so vainly.

Yet no one questioned it.

It was ‘the law of retribution’.

Outside the prison, unlike its confines, the warm sunlight was abundant.

Spring was passing, and summer was approaching.

Ian and the judge went for a light stroll.

“By the way, that was truly impressive. I didn’t expect you to create such a device.”

The judge expressed his admiration.

Ian smiled awkwardly.

“I have a senior known for being an eccentric. I created it with him, but I’m not sure if it was helpful.”

“It was indeed a great help! The idea of using crystal balls to record crime scenes or obtain confessions has been around for a while, but making such a device was quite difficult.”

The video transmission device Ian and Gaus collaborated on became the crucial key to resolving this case.

All the judges, including the chief justice, watched the footage several times.

“Although the video was not officially accepted as evidence, it served as an important clue to establish their guilt. Personally, I’d call it the invention of the century. I’m sure every judge thinks the same.”

“Thank you for saying so. But when will the recordings from the device be accepted as evidence?”

“It depends on how much more effort you put in, Ian. I know creating the device requires an enormous amount of money and effort. If a day comes when many people have easy access to it, perhaps it will be accepted as direct evidence.”

“Is that so?”

“We’ll also try to enforce the law more flexibly. It seems even the higher-ups are viewing the device positively.”

However, Ian felt it wouldn’t be easy.

After all, recording a video involved using mana.

That means someone who can freely use mana might manipulate the video.

If this happens, innocent victims might appear.

This is why judges are hesitant to accept them as evidence.

Ian thought they needed to address this matter carefully.

Knowing Gaus, he would surely bring him into the improvement process.

“By the way, what do you plan to do with the reward money? 50 billion is a sum that most people can’t earn in a lifetime.”

“I’m not sure.”

He hadn’t given much thought to it.

He had already handled money through contracts with the Bahamut Trading Company and the potion business.

“For now, I plan to focus on my exams. I’ll think about how to use the money afterward.”

“Come to think of it, the academy is entering its standard exam period now.”

“You’re an academy graduate too, right, judge?”

“Yes, indeed. There isn’t a judge who didn’t graduate from the academy. Though there are eccentrics who have opted for the Department of Magic or martial arts.”

When they reached a fork in the road, the two stopped. The judge was the first to extend his hand for a handshake.

“Once this case is concluded, I believe there’ll be an occasion to visit you. The chief justice seems very interested in you, Ian.”

“If you come to the academy, I will surely make time.”

“Sounds good. I’ll contact you again then.”

Through this case, Ian made the acquaintance of Judge Lumiere. He had a strong feeling that their relationship would continue in the future.

Ian then returned to his mansion.

Now, there was truly a mountain of things to do.

* * *

“You have arrived, Master.”

Wilson’s expression was brighter than ever.

Ian stepped down from the carriage with a smile.

“You seem to be in a good mood?”

“Of course. It’s the best when you visit the estate often, Master.”

“You’re just saying that.”

“It’s sincere.”

There was another reason why Wilson was in high spirits.

After the criminals from the Hamel Trading Company were imprisoned, Ian’s first action was to take Wilson to visit Felix.

During that meeting, Wilson received a formal apology from Felix for having called him an incompetent butler.

No matter how much more money was added to the family, it couldn’t compare to the joy of that moment.

Wilson had always thought that his loyalty to the Oracle Family was at its peak, but he realized that was a misconception.

His loyalty had room to grow further.

He discovered that it could overflow.

Thus, he decided to serve even more diligently.

That’s why he looked ten years younger.

He approached every task with enthusiasm.

“No unusual incidents, I presume?”

“How could there not be any? There are lines of nobles looking to meet you, Master.”

“Really?”

“I’m sorry, but I’ve informed them to visit you at the Academy.”

“Well done.”

Ian headed to the office with Wilson.

As expected, there was a substantial pile of documents to handle.

Ian took a seat and began processing the paperwork. He asked Wilson in the process.

“How’s the communication installation going?”

“It will be completed by tomorrow. Thanks to you, we managed to purchase it at a good price, Master.”

“That’s great.”

“I discovered recently that you’ve become quite famous.”

“Who has?”

“You, Master.”

Ian chuckled softly.

“Despite that, I’m nowhere near my father’s level.”

“There’s no need to follow the Master’s footsteps precisely, is there?”

Ian looked up at Wilson.

“You should carve out your own path in the field of magic. I’m sure the Master would wish for that as well. You have the ability to create a new flow, Master.”

“Hahaha. Indeed, I can never beat Wilson.”

“You flatter me.”

At that moment, Ian’s hand landed on a document concerning the reward money.

It included a statement that exactly 52.5 billion shillings had been deposited into the Goldmine Bank account.

“Wilson.”

“Yes, Master.”

“Don’t you need some money? It might be tight if you’re planning to hire people and expand the furnishings.”

“It’s fine. We can manage with the remaining funds.”

“If we’re going to do it, we should do it right. We can’t be short on money with a party approaching.”

Ian handed Wilson a deposit certificate and the family seal.

“There’s some money in there. Use it if you need it, regardless of the amount.”

“But, Master.”

“It’s alright. Only you and Dorothy are trustworthy in our household.”

Wilson looked at Ian with eyes full of emotion, about to burst into tears.

Ian suddenly wondered.

What expression would Wilson have once he discovered the amount in that account?

“Why are you smiling? Did I make a mistake…?”

“No, it’s not that. Off you go now. I need to finish these documents.”

“Yes, Master.”