Charisma 100: My Academy Life As A Heartbreaking Commoner-Chapter 208: The Audit

Aegis was back at the Consortium building sooner than she expected. Once again, it was the kind of place designed to make you feel small and poor the moment you walked through the door.

This time, the atmosphere felt different. Everyone she passed gave her these little sideways glances, like they were waiting to see if she’d burst into flames or get dragged off in chains.

[Sorry to disappoint, folks. Not today.]

She sat at one end of a long conference table, Evelyn at her side with a stack of documents organized into neat folders. Across from them sat Accountant Perris Coldwell, a thin man with spectacles perched on his nose and the kind of face that suggested he’d never smiled in his entire life. Aegis figured a life spent with decades staring at numbers and finding the discrepancies hidden within them would do that to you.

Two clerks flanked him, ready to take notes on everything that was said.

"Shall we begin?" Coldwell asked.

"Please," Aegis said, gesturing for him to proceed. "I cleared my whole afternoon for this, you know?"

Coldwell scoffed, opened a leather folder, and began.

"House Starcaller was formally established following the Winter Trials. In that time, your house has acquired significant assets, including Starcaller Manor in the Noble Quarter, exclusive supplier contracts with multiple alchemical ventures, and what appears to be a small private military force." He looked up from his papers. "Would you say that’s an accurate summary?"

"More or less. Though I’d describe it as a ’modest’ military force, personally."

Coldwell’s expression didn’t change.

"Then perhaps you can explain this." He slid a document across the table. "Your financial records show a deposit of thirty thousand gold coins approximately six weeks ago. The source is listed as ’archaeological recovery.’ Can you elaborate?"

Aegis felt the familiar tingle at the edge of her vision.

DIALOGUE OPTIONS

1. "I’d rather not." [REFUSE]

2. "Starcaller Manor sits on top of Pre-Unification ruins. When I acquired the property, I commissioned an expedition to explore them." [HONEST]

3. "That’s a lot of gold, isn’t it? I was surprised too." [DEFLECT]

4. "Define ’elaborate.’" [STALL]

Option two. No point being cagey about something they had full documentation for.

"Starcaller Manor sits on top of Pre-Unification ruins. When I acquired the property, I commissioned an expedition to explore them. The gold was found in an ancient vault, along with several historical artifacts."

"And you have documentation of this expedition?"

Evelyn produced a folder and handed it over.

"Survey reports, expedition logs, and a certified appraisal of the recovered items. The ruins were registered with the Noble Consortium’s archaeological division three days after discovery, as required by law."

Coldwell examined the documents with the kind of attention that suggested he was looking for any excuse to find fault. His eyes moved across each page, line by line, probably hoping to catch a forged signature or a date that didn’t quite match up. After a long moment, he set them aside and moved on.

"Your house has an exclusive supplier agreement with an alchemical shop called Black Remedies, owned by one Rosalie Black. According to these records, that shop’s revenue has increased by approximately four thousand percent since your association began."

DIALOGUE OPTIONS

1. "Is that a problem?" [DEFENSIVE]

2. "Rosalie is a talented alchemist. I provided her with capital for expansion and introduced her to new clients." [EXPLAIN]

3. "Four thousand percent? Huh. I should give her a raise." [DEFLECT WITH HUMOR]

4. "What exactly are you implying, Accountant Coldwell?" [AGGRESSIVE]

Option three was tempting, but option two was smarter.

"Rosalie is a talented alchemist. I provided her with capital for expansion and introduced her to new clients. That’s how business works."

"Four thousand percent in a matter of weeks is unusual, Lady Starcaller."

"Unusual isn’t illegal." Aegis smiled pleasantly. "Just impressive."

Coldwell’s jaw tightened, just slightly. He wasn’t used to people pushing back, clearly. Most nobles probably sat here sweating and stammering while he picked apart their finances. Aegis, on the other hand, was having a pretty good time.

[Dance for me, pencil-pusher. Dance.]

"Your retainers," Coldwell continued, flipping to another page with a bit more force than necessary. "Scarlett Lionheart and Kanna Greaves. Both are listed as receiving competitive salaries, plus housing and equipment stipends. You also appear to employ a security company of approximately thirty individuals under a Captain Renn. That’s a substantial military investment for a minor house."

"I prefer to think of it as adequate protection. Given that I’ve been the target of multiple assassination attempts, I’m sure you understand the necessity."

"And your monster hunting operations." Coldwell leaned forward slightly. "Your records show profits far exceeding what most hunting parties generate. Crystalback Bear pelts, Cinderwolf hearts, various alchemical ingredients. The volume is... impressive."

"I have exceptional retainers." 𝙛𝓻𝒆𝒆𝒘𝙚𝓫𝙣𝙤𝒗𝙚𝓵.𝙘𝙤𝙢

"So you’ve said." He set down his papers and steepled his fingers. "Lady Starcaller, I’ve been conducting financial audits for over twenty years. In my experience, when a house grows this quickly, there’s usually a reason that doesn’t appear in the official records. Smuggling. Black market dealings. Money laundering through legitimate-seeming businesses."

The room went quiet.

DIALOGUE OPTIONS

1. "I assure you, everything is legitimate." [DEFENSIVE]

2. "Are you accusing me of something, Accountant Coldwell?" [AGGRESSIVE]

3. "Are you auditing my house or investigating me for crimes? Because those are very different processes with very different legal requirements." [LEGAL CHALLENGE]

4. "Perhaps we should take a short break to discuss the nature of this audit." [DELAY]

Aegis went with option three.

Aegis leaned back in her chair and let her smile widen.

"In that case, Accountant Coldwell, are you auditing my house or investigating me for crimes? Because those are very different processes with very different legal requirements."

The silence that followed was beautiful. Aegis savored it like a fine wine.

Coldwell’s face went through several expressions in quick succession, none of them pleasant. His mouth opened, then closed. His clerks exchanged nervous glances, their quills hovering over their papers like they weren’t sure if they should be writing this down.

"I..." Coldwell cleared his throat. "This is a financial audit, Lady Starcaller. Nothing more."

"Then I suggest we keep it that way." Aegis gestured at the stack of documents Evelyn had prepared. "You have our complete financial records, properly documented and certified. If you have specific questions about specific transactions, I’m happy to answer them. But I won’t sit here and entertain implications of criminal activity without evidence."

Another long pause.

Coldwell’s jaw tightened, and for a moment Aegis thought he might actually try to push back. But then she watched the fight drain out of him, his shoulders dropping just slightly, and he reached for his papers with the air of a man who’d just realized he was outmatched.

[That’s right. Know your place.]

"Very well. Let’s continue."

The rest of the audit proceeded smoothly. Coldwell asked his questions, Aegis and Evelyn provided their answers, and the clerks scribbled notes. There were a few more attempts to find irregularities, to poke holes in the documentation, but Evelyn had done her job well. Every transaction was accounted for. Every expense was justified. Every source of income was properly recorded.

By the time they finished, three hours had passed and Aegis’s throat was dry from talking, but she felt good. Better than good, actually.

Coldwell closed his final folder and looked up at her.

"House Starcaller’s financial records show no major irregularities," he said, and Aegis had to resist the urge to pump her fist in the air. "However, I would note for the record that your house’s growth is unusually rapid. I intend to continue monitoring your finances on an ongoing basis."

"You’re welcome to look as long as you’d like, Accountant Coldwell. Our books are always open."

"We’ll see." He gathered his papers and stood. "This audit is concluded. Good day, Lady Starcaller."

He left without another word, his clerks trailing behind him like sad little ducklings.

The door closed, and Aegis let out a breath.

"That was masterful," Evelyn said quietly. "The way you turned his accusations back on him. I thought he was going to choke on his own tongue."

"He was fishing. Hoping I’d slip up and admit to something." Aegis stretched her arms above her head, working out the stiffness from sitting in one place for three hours. "But we didn’t give him anything to work with, because there was nothing to give."

"No, there wasn’t." Evelyn began gathering their documents. "Though I suspect this won’t be the last we hear from him."

"Oh, definitely not. Cindergrave didn’t hire him just for one audit." Aegis stood up and rolled her shoulders. "But that’s a problem for later. For now, we won round one."

They made their way out of the conference room and through the Consortium’s halls. The afternoon sun was bright when they stepped outside, and Aegis squinted against it for a moment before her eyes adjusted.

A messenger was waiting at the bottom of the steps, holding an envelope.

"Lady Starcaller?"

"That’s me."

He handed over the envelope and hurried off. Aegis examined it, noting the expensive paper and the wax seal. She broke it open and read the contents.

"What is it?" Evelyn asked.

Aegis stared at the letter for a long moment, then laughed.

"An invitation. Duchess Marelle is hosting a salon in three days." She looked up at Evelyn with a grin. "At Duchess Evangeline’s estate."

Evelyn’s eyebrows rose.

"That’s... bold."

"It’s a trap," Aegis said cheerfully. "Obviously. But it’s also an opportunity." She tucked the letter into her pocket. "Guess we’d better start planning what I’m going to wear."