"Have you decided who will maintain law and order within the city?"
Facing the Count's pointed question, Young Master Ewoyn smiled and replied smoothly:
"My Ewoyn family has two thousand elite guards, fully capable of managing this critical responsibility."
A representative from one of the prominent European families added,
"Our family also has its own trained guard forces."
At the far end of the long table, Rufus Scrimgeour, Head of the Auror Office at the British Ministry of Magic, stood up.
"Merlin City is located in Britain. Naturally, its defense and administration fall under the jurisdiction of the Ministry of Magic. If His Excellency the Count steps back from overseeing the city's defense, for the safety of all witches and wizards residing here, the Ministry will have no choice but to dispatch personnel to coordinate and manage affairs."
Ewoyn nodded in agreement.
"You're right. We should not overstep. While we can offer personnel support, the task of coordinating all the forces and issuing commands must lie with the Ministry of Magic. Only then will everyone feel secure."
The room fell into a thoughtful silence as the attendees exchanged glances.
Instead of struggling to lead, it was more pragmatic to let the British Ministry of Magic handle overall coordination.
"I agree."
"Our family agrees as well."
The Count observed the surprising unity with quiet fury. His gaze fell upon Scrimgeour, who, despite being a high-ranking and resolute official, felt a pang of guilt and discomfort.
His income had more than doubled thanks to the Ministry of Magic Development Foundation, established by the Count. Yet today, he was openly betraying that same benefactor.
Forgive me, Your Excellency. This isn't my wish. The Minister gave direct orders—I had no choice!
Count Dantes turned his gaze away, his expression one of despair. After a long moment, he closed his eyes. Betrayed by those he had once trusted, he slowly opened his mouth and spoke in a tone heavy with resignation:
"In that case, I'm withdrawing from the Merlin City Phase II project. You can handle it yourselves."
"That won't do, Your Excellency!"
cried Johnson, a representative of the Thunderbird Merchant Guild, standing in haste.
"For Phase II of Merlin City, the most crucial elements—the construction of the magical array and the Gerebato Magic Crystal—still depend on you!"
Count Dantes sneered and walked toward the door.
"I'll sell you the Gerebato Magic Crystal for ten billion Galleons. As for constructing the magical array? Another ten billion. If the funds are ready, I'll cooperate. If not, there's nothing more to discuss."
Bang!
The door closed behind him.
The powerful figures remaining looked at one another, stunned by the Count's firm departure. They had underestimated his resolve—he had walked away without hesitation.
Yet, only the Count knew the true identity of the Gerebato Crystal's seller. The merchant guilds had tried long ago to investigate the source, but it was as if the seller had appeared from thin air—no records, no background.
And as for constructing the floating city's magical array—two years ago, perhaps the great Nicolas Flamel might have managed it. But the master had chosen to depart this world.
Now, without the Count, the completion of Merlin City Phase II was no longer possible.
Ewoyn stood as well.
"Everyone, I didn't expect you to seize control of Merlin City's defense from the Count. This outcome reassures me—Merlin City will no doubt become the safest place in the wizarding world.
Therefore, once Phase II is complete, my family will definitely move in. We have already prepared thirty billion Galleons. The only question is—how soon can you finish construction?"
With that, Ewoyn also turned to leave.
"Now that you're moving to the real discussion about construction, I, as the client, won't interfere. Numbers aren't really my thing."
Bang!
He exited, leaving the room in silence.
"Now what do we do?"
Someone broke the silence. "With the Count withdrawing, how are we going to fill the funding gap?"
"Two hundred billion?! He's gone mad! That crystal isn't even worth ninety billion!"
"Hah. He's already out—trying to make a final profit before stepping away. He only wants ten billion more. Frankly, his temper is already rather… forgiving."
"Are you insane, Jefferson?! Ten billion just for constructing the magical array? That's extortion! Material costs for such a project wouldn't even touch one billion!"
"Monkdo, shut it! If you know someone else who can build a floating city's magical array, go ahead and name them! Something so rare gives him total pricing power.
This is our fault for enraging the Count! Had we not pushed so hard for control, he wouldn't even have brought up costs!"
"Jefferson, you're not innocent either. You're one of us. Don't act self-righteous!"
Old Avery buried his head in his hands. Of all those present, he perhaps suffered the most. He hadn't even wanted to attend the meeting, but couldn't afford to offend Ewoyn—one of the major investors.
He had thought this was merely a political battle for defense authority. He hadn't expected the Count to withdraw entirely. Now, Avery's family owed three hundred million Galleons to other houses.
And the interest?
Seventy percent per year.
If today's issue went unresolved, the Avery family would face complete financial collapse.
"Everyone, shut up!"
The sharp voice of Vida Rosier cut through the chaos.
The entire room fell silent. Everyone knew this woman's name—formerly the right hand of Grindelwald, she had managed to escape Ministry sanctions thanks to her powerful family connections.
Though she still appeared elegant and beautiful, she was already over a century old. Some families in the room showed slight disdain—while the Rosiers were famous, not all believed their actual power matched the name.
Still, her commanding tone silenced them all.
"Now is not the time for blame games,"
Vida declared.
"What we need is a solution to raise two hundred billion."
"Hmph. Easy for you to say. That kind of money would force us to sell off stocks and property—massive losses."
"I agree. Maybe we can try talking to the Count again? For old times' sake—"
"Old times' sake?"
Vida scoffed.
"What exactly do you think 'old times' sake' means to him? The same old times where you ganged up and drove him out?"
She raised her voice, enunciating each word:
"Listen carefully—this isn't over. Mr. Avery had previously issued 300 million in high-interest bonds. While the interest is outrageous, the potential profits from Merlin City Phase II make it seem negligible.
We can all do the same. Issue bonds—not to each other—but to the smaller and mid-tier wizarding families who lack capital but want in.
This way, we'll raise the money and let them share the risks—and the profits."
The room quieted as everyone began to contemplate.
Ewoyn's thirty billion was just the beginning. If Phase II succeeded, real estate returns alone could exceed five times that amount. And if two more Eastern families truly did move in to compete with Ewoyn, their investments might triple.
As for why these Eastern families had so much wealth—
Did anyone need to ask?
With over a thousand years of uninterrupted family legacy, even without financial genius, the sheer accumulation of wealth over centuries made them titans in their own right.
"This plan is viable."
"I agree."
"Same here."
Vida Rosier nodded, satisfied.
"As the one proposing this solution, let me lead by example. The Rosier family will issue one billion Galleons in bonds to fund the construction of Merlin City Phase II."
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