Chapter 119: Forbidden Materials and the One-Gold-Coin Offer

Lia sat in the primary seat of the study, several brand-new account books spread out before her.

The newly recruited accountants sat on either side, each staring intently at the forms in their hands as their pen tips glided across the paper, producing a faint rustling sound.

The air was thick with the scent of ink from new paper and the dust from old books.

“Eldest Miss, the total sales for the shops last month have been verified.”

One accountant handed over a form filled with numbers.

Lia took it, her gaze sweeping rapidly over the entries.

She placed this sales summary next to another form recording the procurement costs of raw materials.

Her finger moved slowly along the lines of numbers, then stopped at one particular spot.

“This isn’t right.”

Lia’s voice was soft, yet it caused the rustling in the study to cease instantly.

Everyone looked up at her.

“Last quarter, we purchased five hundred gold coins’ worth of ‘Starlight Echo Stones’.”

Lia’s finger pointed at the procurement ledger. “However, in the sales records for all potions and enchanted products, I don’t see any output that requires these materials.”

She raised her eyes to look at the accountant responsible for verifying materials.

“The stock doesn’t show this batch of goods either.”

Cold sweat broke out on that accountant’s forehead; he hurriedly flipped through his drafts, checking them repeatedly. “Eldest Miss, the accounts… the accounts are indeed recorded this way. The procurement record exists, but the entry and usage records are blank.”

“It’s not just these two.” Lia picked up another old ledger and flipped to a certain page.

“There’s also ‘Soul-Condensing Crystal Powder’ and ‘Heart-Settling Incense’. There are fixed, large-sum procurements every month, but they’ve seemingly vanished into thin air.”

The atmosphere in the study grew heavy.

“Every one of these materials is expensive; accumulated over several months, it represents a massive deficit.”

This was certainly not something that could be explained by simple accounting errors.

Lia wrote the names of all the missing materials one by one on a sheet of white paper.

She looked at this list, trying to find a pattern, but the uses for these materials were varied and belonged to different magical fields, showing no apparent connection.

Just then, the study door was pushed open.

Klein walked in.

He seemed to have grown bored staying in his room and had come out for a casual stroll.

He saw the people in the room sitting upright with serious expressions, while Lia was focused on a piece of paper, deep in thought.

He walked up behind Lia, his gaze falling casually onto the list.

“Starlight Sand, Echo Stones, Soul-Condensing Crystal Powder, Heart-Settling Incense.”

Klein read out the words in a flat tone.

He paused for a moment.

“Who is using your family’s money to research forbidden magic?”

His question was like a stone thrown into a calm lake, causing the faces of every accountant in the study to change.

Lia snapped her head up and looked at Klein.

“Forbidden magic?”

Klein looked at the somewhat confused Lia, leaned down, and whispered a name into her ear.

“Weber.”

Thud!

Lia stood up abruptly and grabbed the list.

“Come with me,” she said to Klein.

She ignored the terrified expressions of the accountants behind her and walked straight to the second floor.

Klein followed her silently.

Rowden’s door was tightly shut.

Lia didn’t bother knocking; she turned the handle and pushed her way in.

The curtains in the room were drawn tight, the light was dim, and the air was thick with the scent of alcohol and decay.

Rowden was huddled in his chair; hearing the door open, he only casually glanced up.

When he saw Klein walking in behind Lia, his whole body seemed to freeze, the venom on his face instantly replaced by overwhelming terror.

Lia slammed the white paper filled with material names onto the table in front of Rowden.

“Where did these things go?”

Rowden’s gaze fell onto the paper, his eyes blank; he didn’t understand it at all.

But Klein’s presence was like an invisible mountain, crushing him until he couldn’t breathe.

“I… I don’t know…” His voice was raspy and trembling with fear. “I don’t know what you’re talking about…”

“The accountant, Philip…” Lia’s voice carried no warmth. “He convinced you to purchase these materials in bulk; what did he tell you they were for?”

“He said… it was a secret potion formula with high profits, five times the profit…”

Rowden’s body began to shake. “He handled everything; he said to keep it secret, no records could be left… He worked under me for three years… I believed him… I…”

He looked into Lia’s cold eyes, and out of the corner of his eye, he caught sight of the indifferent man beside her; the invisible pressure nearly suffocated him, causing his psychological defenses to collapse completely.

“I really don’t know! I just wanted to make money!”

He screamed, “That Great Mage… Great Mage Klein is right here! How would I dare hide anything from you! I really didn’t know what those things were for!”

Looking at him in this state, Lia understood.

Rowden was just a fool blinded by greed, a puppet pushed to the forefront.

He didn’t know what the things he had authorized for procurement actually signified.

She took back the list and turned to leave the room.

Returning to the first-floor hall, Lia immediately gave orders to the butler who came running at the sound.

“Immediately send people to arrest an accountant named Philip. He didn’t resign; he fled with the funds and is suspected of involvement in trading forbidden magical items.”

The butler’s face turned white in an instant.

“Go directly to the Adventurers’ Guild to place the commission; offer a reward twenty-five percent higher than the average price.”

“Yes… Yes! Eldest Miss!” The butler didn’t dare delay for a second and ran out.

Only Lia and Klein were left in the hall.

“Based on my experience, this Philip is just a minor character.”

Klein spoke, breaking the silence.

“The person who truly needs these materials wouldn’t let an ordinary accountant handle such an important matter. There is definitely someone else behind Philip.”

“I think so too,” Lia nodded. “But he is the only lead.”

She pondered for a moment and called for someone else.

“Go to the City Lord’s manor and deliver a letter to Count Valerius.”

She walked to a nearby table and quickly wrote a short note.

“Tell His Excellency that I wish to meet with him tomorrow afternoon.”

“I have discovered a serious matter that could shake the very foundations of Leo City and need to discuss it with him urgently.”

The servant took the letter and left in a hurry.

After finishing all this, Lia looked at the list once more.

She had originally thought that returning to Leo City would only involve handling family internal affairs—at most, reclaiming her own property.

But the development of events had completely exceeded her expectations.

A conspiracy centered around forbidden magic was quietly unfolding in the shadows of this border city, and her family had unknowingly become a link in this conspiracy.

Klein looked at her furrowed brows; those eyes that always sparkled with the light of wisdom were now tinged with a layer of solemnity.

He watched her quietly for a moment, then suddenly spoke.

“Do you need help?”

Lia looked over; the corners of his mouth curled slightly.

“I charge one gold coin. Under normal circumstances, you wouldn’t be able to commission a peak Eighth-Circle Mage for that price.”