The news of the Headmistress being sued by the Nelnmont Family was truly stunning. The accusations of embezzlement were even more shocking; he didn't even understand what the article was referring to until he realized that it was referring to the extra-curricular sponsorship program funds that she had promised him.
For some reason, it hadn't clicked for him that the funds that she had given to his company through the Elendir Institute of Magic were perhaps not legally transferred. He had assumed, perhaps too naively, that the funds that she had given him were entirely within her purview to arbitrarily assign outside of any oversight.
But if that wasn't the case, then it would mean that she had truly embezzled money to essentially bribe Cæ to get him to serve as political capital for her little slum talent acquisition program.
A crime.
Chills crawled across Cæ's skin as he realized the sheer gravity of the accusations that were being levied.
And more importantly, the sheer gravity of the matters that he had gotten involved in.
Although he was most certainly not legally liable or guilty of committing any crime, it was still unsettling to know that he might very well have been the recipient of a criminal transaction.
Of course, this was a civil lawsuit, although the Central Investigation Force could very well choose to pursue if it found enough evidence to pursue a criminal charge.
Even if it did, he was still undoubtedly in the safe as the crime was not committed by him.
Still, it was chilling to know that the Headmistress was not as harmless and good-natured as he might have hoped.
Of course, there was also the chance that the entire charge was a bunch of bullshit cooked up by her political enemies, who had certainly proven themselves to be even less trustworthy. It was entirely possible that she had complied with all necessary protocols to transfer the money to him, but if not…
His expression grew grave.
He wasn't sure that he wanted to continue associating with her.
He had agreed to her offers because he had plenty to gain from them. However, if she became a taboo association that would do his credibility and nascent reputation harm, then he would much rather just cut her off.
On the other hand, Trinity Housings was greatly benefiting from their partnership and had greatly benefited even before they got started.
It was only thanks to those funds that he got from the Elendir Institute of Magic that they were able to buy a factory base even before they started gaining any revenue. It was possible that they would get even more benefits in the future, making him hesitate in wanting to cut ties with her.
Another variable that affected his considerations was the brainwashing accusation.
That pissed him off.
It was a blatant attempt to essentially write off any credibility he had.
Even if he tried to deny some of the accusations levied, according to several articles, then they could simply distrust anything he had to say by looking at him as a poor victim of brainwashing who was manipulated by the Headmistress.
Another thing that also bore heavily on his mind was the fact that she hadn't been fired, which meant that the board of directors still believed that she was fit to be Headmistress despite the allegations.
Clearly, they understood that this was a political move.
And Headmistress Lenolia must have ensured that she cultivated enough political support within the board of directors to make firing her virtually impossible.
Thus, they resorted to legal action.
"Cæ?" Feidin raised an eyebrow with concern. "What are your thoughts on the matter?"
Cæ heaved a deep breath, shaking his head.
"I need to speak with her once."
Feidin sharpened his gaze.
"About what?"
Cæ shook his head. "I can't say, unfortunately."
Feidin was clearly not too pleased by those words. "Dammit Cæ, you need to be up-front this time. You have clearly gotten yourself involved with some sketchy shit and it could disrupt all of our plans."
He folded his arms. "You're not going anywhere until you reveal the truth. If you don't…"
His eyes narrowed.
"I might consider leaving this venture."
Seliphaz gasped.
Cæ's eyes widened with shock.
The air grew tense.
The atmosphere tingled with tension.
"I really, truly don't want to ever have to. I love this company and it's the only thing I have in my life that keeps me going…" Feidin continued with a serious tone. "But I can't work with someone who hides important matters and keeps business secrets from his own partners. This company is just as much of a product of my labor as it is your ingenuity, and I, along with Sel, deserve to know the truth."
It was in that moment that Cæ discovered yet another flaw in his leadership and perhaps even in his relationship management skills.
He took trust for granted.
He thought he could earn trust with commercial results.
That if the numbers and sales were good, he could get away with keeping even greater secrets.
But in that moment, he learned just how wrong he was.
Trust was earned with trust.
He needed to trust them with what he hid from them in order to regain their trust.
Although it was in conflict with the agreement that he had signed with the Headmistress, what choice did he have?
Feidin was clearly at his limits with all the secrets that Cæ has been keeping from them for some time now.
As much as he was truly displeased about the outcomes of this choice with Headmistress Lenolia, he was even more unwilling to tear his company apart.
It was the price he would have to pay for hiding things from people who had a right to know.
"…Fine," Cæ heaved a sigh.
He took a seat, gaining a bit of reprieve as he breathed deeply to calm himself down.
The air grew dark.
Not just because of dusk and the dark skies that could be seen from the windows, but also because of the tense mood that hung in the air.
Cæ cast a darkness spell around them, trying to isolate the environment as much as possible.
"I'll begin at the beginning," Cæ began. "There truly isn't as much to cover as you might think."
Cæ began describing how the Headmistress had called him to her office a year ago after his speech on the Opening Ceremony on the very first day of the academic year. He described how she had sought him to help her with her political objective and how she would fund his company as long as he was exceptional enough to function as a powerful jumping board for her introduction of the Slum Talent Acquisition Program.
"So that's how you got the funds," Feidin murmured with a stunned expression. "Hm, I can understand why you did what you did. If just being exceptional was enough to get a contract with the commitment for payment, then it is indeed a great deal."
"I see…" Seliphaz murmured with a knowing expression as she gazed at Cæ with dawned realization. "I always wondered how you managed to get past the interview phase of the Elendir Institute of Magic's extra-academic sponsorship program. When I had applied, they had disdained me for my non-magical engineering, which is what Trinity Housings is all about. You managed to bypass altogether."
Cæ nodded. "Nothing indicated that the money transfer was illicit at the time, but I suppose I truly do not know. Regardless…"
He got up, heading to leave the building.
"I truly do need to speak with the Headmistress immediately."
Feidin nodded with a serious expression. "I appreciate the candor, Cæ. You have been forthcoming, and a lot of things make sense in hindsight. I truly did think that the money coming in from the Elendir Institute of Magic was rather hefty for just an extra-academic sponsorship program, but it makes sense now."
He turned to the departing Cæ with an appreciative gaze. "Thank you for the honesty. And good luck in resolving this matter, I have faith that you will handle it."
Seliphaz smiled nervously and encouragingly at him. "G-Good luck. You can do it!"
Cæ nodded with a softened expression before departing from the Trinity Housings headquarters and flying straight to the Elendir Institute of Magic at great speeds, soaring through the air above the buildings of the city, overseeing the dark cityscape at dusk.
FWOOSH!
He shot through the winds as bustling wings flapped away at his Institute uniform.
His long, gray overcoat, the vest beneath, and the shirt beneath even that fluttered in the furious winds that churned against him.
Several magic circles before him controlled his motion, controlling the air, impeding his vision, hardening his body for safety, among other things, each allowing him to fly much faster than he otherwise would in combat.
It was usually a very liberating and relaxing sensation.
And yet, this time, his expression was tense.
He needed some clarity and confirmation about what was to come with the step that she and, to a certain extent, his political enemies had taken against them.
STEP
He arrived before the gates of the Elendir Institute of Magic, quickly supplying his identity card, before the careful security team verified his identity and allowed him in.
The first thing he did was pass through all the recent changes that the Institute had undergone to accommodate the incoming slum students.
The gardens and other flora had been extra-well-maintained to welcome the students into the next academic year.
And yet, he didn't care for any of it.
He headed straight to the Headmistress's Office in the administrative wing of the Elendir Institute of Magic.
STEP
He felt a pulse of tension tingle through his skin as he arrived before the great, ostentatious doors to her office.
CLACK
The doors opened before he could even reach for them.
His sharpened gray eyes immediately rested upon the Headmistress, who sat at her table at the other end of her extravagant office, with a window behind her, illuminating her table. Her baggy witch's cloak brimmed with great magical power, along with encrypted runes embedded in her magic circles across the fabric of her attire, while a black crooked hat rested upon her neatly groomed purple hair.
She gazed at him with a calm and composed expression.
"Mr. Cæ."
"…Headmistress."
"Please come in," she remarked. "Have a seat."
He stared at her for a moment before heeding her words.
CLACK
The door behind him locked with a simple wave of her hand, without any notable magic casting.
"We have a lot to talk about, Mr. Cæ," she remarked. "A lot has happened since you departed this morning on your daily operations. But given your silence and the severity of your body language. I suppose…"
Her tone grew more serious. "…You wish to know if the allegations have any merit."
"Pardon me for saying yes, Headmistress," Cæ continued with a careful but firm tone. "I need to know what kind of liability I am exposed to."
She heaved a sigh. "Asking that to me myself is not the most optimal way about going about trying to identify this truth or not, Mr. Cæ."
"I am aware of that," he replied tersely. "Still, I would like to hear what you have to say on the matter. That will be very important to my decision."
She raised an eyebrow. "Decision as in… whether or not you wish to continue our little agreement?"
The air grew tense.
"…I'm afraid so, Headmistress."
She heaved a sigh.
"That is indeed your prerogative. To avoid beating around the bush, I will simply supply an answer to the burning questions you have."
She gazed straight into his eyes.
"I am far too careful to break any rules," she began. "Among the many bylaws that constrain my behavior, I have ensured not to break a single one of them on a technical basis. However…"
She shook her head. "… Embezzlement as a legal concept doesn't necessitate the actual breaking of rules, per se. There is what is known as a fiduciary obligation that I'm bound by in accordance with Elendir jurisprudence that could still qualify my actions as embezzlement. In other words…"
She gazed at him with a serious expression.
"I may very well be found guilty of the crimes that they accuse me of in a court of law."