Chapter 10: Fixing a Chub.

"Don't tell me it's that bad? Rufus, tell me that it isn't as bad as it looks from your faces." Aster said with his fingers pinching the bridge of his nose to bear the headache that Rufus is about to hand him.

"You two are supposed to manage the finances and keep the things in order right?" Aster almost growled as he spoke those words and the temperature in the room decreased by a few degrees.

"No sir, we are only responsible for keeping records. The expenses are managed by Lord Corner and he doesn't like us asking questions, we are from small families sir, we can't go against him." They replied, finishing each other's sentences.

Despite being irritated, Aster found the similarities between the two and asked, "you twins?"

The witches were shocked but quickly nodded.

"Very well, Amelia, do you have a file on that Corner guy?" Aster asked.

"I do, let me ask someone to fetch it and meanwhile Rufus, you go fetch Mr. Corner, I might have been too busy with other things to have lost track of this. Let's see what he has to say for himself." Amelia ordered.

"If he runs, I will break both his legs and hang him upside down like a bat, you tell him that before you say that Amelia wants to meet him." Aster added as he was skimming through the record books.

"This... what a travesty, I don't know if I should freeze him till his neck or praise him for his genius laundering and embezzlement. Mel, call in a Wizengamont meet as soon as you can, things need to change, and don't worry you will learn what it is to be the boss. Here, read these books, they would help a lot." Aster said as he started looking through the expenses journal.

Amelia on the other hand hid her face that had a raging blush on it with the paperwork she had on her table grumbling about how, 'It's not fair to call me with a nickname all of a sudden, this idiot Aster, I will surely reprimand him once this mess is sorted.'

Rufus and the twins on the other hand were too nervous to notice this little detail, Rufus left to bring the man and his file, while the twins answered the occasional question Aster had for them. A few minutes later Kingsley returned with a satisfied expression showing that his task went smoothly.

"Kingsley, I want the sorters and the committee to have a room next to this and two of your trusted men to deliver the files in and out of the office, deal with them the same way. Manage it properly and expect a nice bonus on your paycheck, but if you fail to measure up to my expectations, you will learn to fear the winter gale passing by." Aster spoke with a kind smile.

"When to start?" he asked, with a stalwart look on his face, like a general prepared to lead the charge.

"That's up to you, but I want the system up and running effectively by tomorrow morning, savvy?" Aster smiled.

Kingsley paled in horror, 'this damn spirit is a slave driver, the spirits were supposed to be kind and magnanimous right? why is ours so tyrannical?' he complained in his mind as he nodded and left to make the preparations in a hurry.

Little did he know that this was the handiwork of a nice set of books that her straight-laced boss was also reading and was appreciating the books more and more with every page she read. If he knew he might put the books on the purge list and have them eradicated before anyone else gets tainted by this travesty of a guidebook.

Rufus entered the room but not before exchanging a knowing look with Kingsley, who had a particularly chubby wizard walking or rather waddling behind him. He had a confident look of false bravado on his face but the sweating brow somewhat gave him away.

"You Corner right?" Aster asked the chubby fellow.

"Lord Corner for you and yes, it is I. Why was I summoned here?" Corner asked.

"Listen chub, I don't care if you are a lord or a lady until you explain this tragedy," Aster said as his finger pointed at the expense and budget registers.

"What's wrong with them, they were right as rain the last time I touched them." the chub replied ignorantly.

"So when was the last time you touched them?" Aster asked.

"A few weeks I reckon, why do you ask?" the chub replied without a pause.

"Why are your inspection and review stamps missing from the date the books were opened? Listen here chub, I got a full statement of your assets, including the liquid capital you have in your house along with the sickening amount of jewelry your wife owns. So start singing or you won't like what happens next." Aster threatened with a cold glare.

"I demand a fair trial before the wizengamont. I will say whatever I need to before the court and the Minister, you can't touch me." he mocked.

"Fine, let's have it your way then. Rufus, assemble a team within the hour and raid the Corner assets and seize them." Aster spoke with a challenging smile.

"Amelia, which faction runs the business?" Aster asked.

"That would be the Grey Faction, led by the Greengrass Family, and from what I know Jacob Greengrass is a shrewd businessman and I think that he would be very happy to help the DMLE liquidate the few illegally owned assets." Amelia chuckled seeing where this was going.

"Rufus, take no more nor less than a single knut of what he owes the DMLE., leave the rest and seal them for now and search for things that he should not own. I want results before the day ends, start running." Aster chuckled as he looked at the horrified face of the chubby treasurer.

"So, chub, the crimes you have done against the office a subject to decisions made by the Head of the DMLE. Now, for the embezzlement and forgery along with money laundering, illegal acquisition of assets and I am sure you have quite a few dark artifacts in your possession. I am so going to nail your coffin chub, tell me are you excited?" Aster walked near the man and whispered near his ears as a wintry breath left his lips, making the chub shudder in cold and fright.

"Aster, it's way past lunch hours, but would you like to have something?" Amelia asked.

"A standard lunchbox will do and bring me ice cream for dessert, a lunchbox for the chub too, can't leave him hungry now, can we." Aster chuckled.

Amelia called someone in and ordered the food while Corners was doubting his actions and very existence itself. "You are a monster, madam Bones, please have mercy, family will come on the road even if I manage to evade going to the Azkaban. Please have mercy.." the chub crawled towards Amelia to grab her feet only to find himself slipping on the floor and falling face-first on the iced floor by the courtesy of Aster himself.

Chains of ice, formed out of air and bound the chub and tied him to the foot of his table, and a gag shut his mouth. Aster chuckled at the sight and opened the chat to find Ruri, Kazuma, and Koro Sensei having an active discussion about their futures as depicted in the anime and manga.

Aster: "Hey guys wanna see something interesting?"

Kazuma: "Where were you and Amelia gone off to? But do show the interesting thing you found."

Aster snapped a picture of the pathetic-looking chub and sent it to the Chat.

[Aster sent a picture.]

Queen of Darkness: "Tell me that you did not kidnap him."

Kazuma: "The guy reminds me of the greedy merchants, what did he do to end up like that?"

Koro Sensei: "The ties are very amateurish, I will send you a nice book on how to tie people. KUKUKU~"

Amelia: "You will do nothing of the sort."

Queen of Nightmares: "Pervert Octopus."

Aster: "What's wrong with my ties, should I have made a ribbon?"

Kazuma: "This time I am with the girls, don't give him that book, and @Aster, don't look it up, it's a darkness that you are not prepared to see yet."

Aster: "I have made two swords for Kazuma and Koro Sensei. They won't need scabbards, they will turn into little crystals when not in use. Kazuma's one is suited for power attacking and tanking but being a short sword, the element of agility still remains. For Koro Sensei, it's a rapier-like sword that you can bring to the peak of deadly swiftness and the blade is absolutely silent and it can keep up with your speed." [crystal pic here.]

[Aster sent Kazuma a gift.] Kazuma's Sword: [pic here.]

[Aster sent Koro Sensei a gift.] Koro Sensei's Sword: [pic here.]

Queen of Nightmares: "I wonder when will the first quest come?"

Kazuma: "Shit, she jinxed it."

Queen of Nightmares: "Don't be an idiot, there is no such thing as a jinx."

[Notice: First Quest Issued.]