Link and Emily gradually walked away.
Only then did Old Barty and Percy react and hurried after them.
Behind them, the miserable screams coming from the Wizengamot chamber became more and more shrill.
Until at a certain moment, the screams suddenly stopped and were replaced by rustling dragging sounds.
Percy, noticing this change, could not help shivering again.
That was the Wizengamot.
The most noble organization in the entire British wizarding world.
And also the symbol of justice in the hearts of all British wizards.
And just like that, they were wiped out?
Together with all their families?
Even now Percy still could hardly believe it. Link's methods were actually this ruthless.
Perhaps even Voldemort was not as cruel as Link?
He did not think the Wizengamot had been destroyed because they opposed the Ministry reform.
Based on what he knew about Link, the more likely reason they met such an end was because they spoke disrespectfully to him.
Thinking carefully about it, it seemed that Link started pressing the brooch signal right after those members began insulting his mother.
Thinking this, Percy quickly shook his head again.
As if trying to throw all those thoughts out of his mind.
He knew very well that Link held the titles of Master of Occlumency and Master of Legilimency.
It would be best if he did not even have such thoughts.
Otherwise...
Percy lowered his head with deep fear and began copying the appearance of the old fox Barty Crouch beside him, eyes lowered, expression calm, looking like a wooden puppet.
Meanwhile, Emily did not have as many worries as Percy and Old Barty.
After walking with Link for a short distance, she could no longer hold back and frowned as she said, "Link, killing so many members… will it have a negative effect on you?"
Link turned and looked at Emily's face full of worry and smiled gently, "A negative effect? No, of course not."
"But," Emily frowned even more, "why? They were the Wizengamot!"
"Yes, they were the Wizengamot. A council organization even older than the British Ministry of Magic, a synonym for nobility and justice. But they were only the Wizengamot."
Link continued explaining with a smile, "I already said it inside just now. The Wizengamot has changed."
"They're now completely parasites attached to the Ministry of Magic and the British magical world, sucking blood."
"And the reason these parasites were able to remain high and mighty for so many years is entirely because the position of Minister of Magic is appointed by them after collecting public votes."
"Those Ministers of Magic who came through the normal election route had to maintain good relations with the Wizengamot in order to keep their power."
"They even had to join it themselves."
"But I'm different."
"Strictly speaking, I'm not really a politician at all, but rather a warlord!"
"I hold military power in my hands!"
"The Wizengamot could restrict previous Ministers of Magic."
"Because those Ministers' power originally came from the Wizengamot."
"But my power comes from the army and the people."
"With such a gap in hard strength, I don't need to look at the Wizengamot's attitude at all."
"On the contrary, the Wizengamot should be the ones acting according to my attitude."
"Originally, considering that these people had some reputation and might still be useful, I planned to spare their lives."
"But these people, these members, acted as if they knew nothing about it and were arrogant."
"That really is… unbelievably stupid."
Hearing this, Emily nodded as if half understanding.
Old Barty and Percy, following behind them, lowered their heads even further.
Old Barty, whose body had only just steadied earlier, began trembling again.
Link's speech just now did make sense, but in Old Barty's view, it was still just lies used to comfort a girl.
Link originally planned to spare those Wizengamot members?
Don't be naive...
From a politician's instinct and perspective, those members were doomed sooner or later.
Their existence was an absolute obstacle to Link's dictatorship over the Ministry of Magic.
Such an obstacle would not change according to their wishes.
Even if they personally wanted to submit to Link, the people under them would push them to stand on Link's opposite side.
Not to mention, almost every one of their families was an oligarch.
These oligarchs monopolized every industry in the British magical world.
If outside businesses wanted to enter those markets, it was impossible without being stripped of a layer of flesh.
The Flamel family must have been exploited by them more than once.
Speaking in noble terms, their existence harmed trade freedom in the British magical world and suppressed economic development.
And if looked at purely from a profit perspective?
After monopolizing businesses for so many years, how terrifying must the wealth accumulated in their homes be?
Yet they relied on their Wizengamot seats and believed that with the Ministry and Aurors protecting them no one would dare touch them, so they never equipped strong armed forces.
Weren't they just fat pigs?
The kind so fat oil would drip from them.
After slaughtering them all this time, Link would swallow half himself. Half of the remaining half would be distributed within the Ministry, and the final quarter would be spread widely as money.
After this series of operations, all voices opposing Ministry reform would disappear.
Link would truly become supported by the people.
This was truly brilliant.
Thinking of this, Old Barty smacked his lips in admiration.
Even a veteran like him might not come up with such an operation that benefited the country while satisfying almost everyone.
Lord Link Flamel really was a natural ruler.
As Old Barty thought this, he also raised his head and looked at Link with a respectful gaze.
This behavior was actually quite abrupt in the current situation.
But Old Barty still did it.
Because like Percy, he knew how skilled Link was with Legilimency.
If Link could sense his thoughts with Legilimency right now, wouldn't this extremely high-level flattery land perfectly?
To achieve this goal, he even deliberately relaxed the defenses of his mind.
Unfortunately, his flattery was destined to miss the mark.
Because Link was not Voldemort.
He did not have time to invade his subordinates' minds all day just to see whether they had thoughts of betrayal.
This kind of behavior might seem able to maintain loyalty at first glance, but in the long run his own suspicion would only grow heavier.
Eventually, Link would become a madman like Voldemort.
The group rode the magical elevator in silence and arrived at the top floor, the Minister's Office and Logistics Department.
Unlike the fake busyness in the other departments of the Ministry,
this floor, which used to be the busiest in the entire Ministry, now seemed cold and deserted.
Under the dim lighting, the entire open office area was empty. Only a few automatic ornaments placed on desks continued moving meaninglessly, leaving shifting shadows on the tabletops.
"Hearing that you were coming, we dismissed all the staff on this floor beforehand." Old Barty explained shakily.
Link only nodded when he heard this and then pushed open the door to the Minister's Office.
What surprised Link was that the office was brightly lit.
Not only that, the entire office seemed to have been cleaned once, almost to the point of being spotless.
Fudge himself had also washed and dressed. He wore a dark coat, with the Order of Merlin First Class pinned to his chest along with all sorts of miscellaneous honorary medals. He looked energetic, even recovering a bit of his former style.
This was simply unbelievable.
Because ever since being placed under house arrest in the Minister's Office by Old Barty and Percy, Fudge had become completely depressed.
He stayed in the office all day either smashing things or acting crazy, turning himself into something neither human nor ghost.
Link knew about this situation.
Before coming he had even mentally prepared himself for the possibility that opening the door would reveal complete chaos.
He did not expect the scene before him at all.
Link almost instinctively turned to look at Percy.
As the Senior Assistant to the Minister assigned to monitor Fudge, this was most likely Percy's doing.
However, Percy shook his head like a rattle drum.
"Stop looking at him. I cleaned this place myself. Sigh, you even took away my wand, so I had to clean like a Muggle, dragging and wiping."
Fudge showed the blisters on his palms and sighed.
Link nodded and casually tossed out a bottle of concentrated dittany essence.
While Fudge grimaced and applied the potion to his blisters, Link said, "I don't quite understand. What's gotten into you this time?"
Fudge's hands paused, and then he smiled somewhat shyly, "Didn't you send this little Weasley fellow to inform me that there would be an interview later?"
"I can't appear in the newspaper looking sloppy, can I? You probably wouldn't arrange a professional makeup artist for me, so I had to do it myself."
Link and the others were somewhat speechless.
It seemed Fudge truly had an obsession with appearing in newspapers.
Even at a time like this, he still cared about his appearance.
That was a kind of persistence worthy of admiration.
Seeing that Link and the others were silent, Fudge asked again, "You've already dealt with the Wizengamot, right?"
Hearing this, Link first nodded and then looked at Percy again.
The Wizengamot matter was something Fudge, who was under house arrest, should not have known about.
But now he already knew.
This could only mean Percy, the "guardian," had failed in his duty and allowed Fudge to contact the outside world.
Percy clearly realized this as well.
Swept by Link's gaze, he dropped to his knees with a thud, unable to even speak, trembling nonstop.
"Sigh, they came to see me while you were all away from the Ministry. They said they wanted to cooperate with me, offering to restore me as Minister of Magic in exchange for helping them overthrow you reform-mad lunatics."
"I refused immediately."
"Because I already knew it would end like this."
"Those old fellows were once heroes who shook the world, but after so many years of retirement life they've long become useless. Trying to fight you people was nothing but wishful thinking."
Fudge shook his head with a bitter smile.
"Oh right, what happened to them?" Old Barty sneered.
"Beheaded! Entire families exterminated!"
As soon as these words came out, Fudge's face turned pale instantly.
He stretched out a trembling hand and slowly adjusted his tie.
"You… are you planning to deal with me the same way?"
Link knew very well the grudges between Old Barty and Fudge, so he said nothing and only glanced calmly at Old Barty.
Seeing this, Old Barty immediately understood. He bowed gratefully to Link and then made a grim smiling gesture of invitation.
"Cornelius, the reporters from the Daily Prophet are already waiting in the studio. So we should leave quickly. Being late too long would be very rude."
Hearing this, Fudge still made one last attempt.
Standing in the office, he stared fixedly at Link, hoping for a miracle.
Unfortunately, miracles are called miracles precisely because the chances of them happening are so small.
In the end, Fudge was dragged away by Percy and Old Barty.
As the door slammed shut, the office returned to silence.
Link slowly walked toward the desk.
Emily had already pulled out the chair covered with mooncalf hide, and Link sat down naturally.
"Hoo...", Link let out a long breath of stale air, and his whole body relaxed.
Percy and Old Barty had both guessed wrong.
The real reason Link wiped out the Wizengamot members was not because they were rude to him or insulted his mother.
Nor was it simply about profit.
It was because these people divided up the power he needed to control the Ministry of Magic.
That was something Link absolutely could not tolerate.
And now, with the destruction of the Wizengamot and Fudge being pushed out as the scapegoat, all the power of the Ministry of Magic had finally fallen completely into Link's hands.
Buzz!
Lines of dark golden text began to scroll before Link's eyes.
[Hidden Mission: British Minister of Magic! Completed (100%)!]
[Full mission rewards have been granted!]
[Title: British Minister of Magic obtained!]
[British Minister of Magic Title Effect: Wearer's total magical power increased by 50%!]
[Notice: Hidden Mission: I Am the Minister! Current completion: British Ministry of Magic 100%, German Ministry of Magic -20%, French Ministry of Magic -80%!]
[Notice: Hidden Mission: I Am the Minister! Tiered reward list unlocked!]
[German Ministry of Magic 100% Control Reward: Title: German Minister of Magic!
French Ministry of Magic 100% Control Reward: Title: French Minister of Magic!
Hidden Mission: I Am the Minister! 100% Completion Reward: Title: I Am the Minister!]
[German Minister of Magic Title Effect: Wearer's spell power increased by 50%!]
[French Minister of Magic Title Effect: Wearer's magical control increased by 50%!]
[I Am the Minister! Title Effect: Wearer's total magical power increased by 60%! Spell power increased by 60%! Magical control increased by 60%!]
[🎉 Shoutout to Little_Demon, Thanh, WetWatee, Slashdog, Darklouche and Michael for joining p@treon. Thank you very much.🤗]