As they passed him, Alex took a moment to study the senior officials. Culler was tall and commanding, with a head of white hair that suggested he was well into his seventies. Despite his age, he still carried himself with vigor, though his scowl showed just how irritated he was.
Matthias, by contrast, looked to be in his early forties, clean-shaven except for a neatly trimmed mustache. His posture was confident, his build athletic, and he even offered Alex a courteous smile as he walked by, very unlike Culler's stiff exit.
Alex's mind instantly connected the dots. He'd seen Matthias before. That face, that voice, he was the same man who'd shown up at the Silver Wand headquarters under the alias "Chimaera."
Matthias hadn't bothered to disguise himself much, which made him easy to recognize.
'Just as I suspected,' Alex thought. 'Most of the senior officials in the Ministry are already tied to the club. If Matthias's one of them, then the directors of Magical Transportation and Magical Creatures, both aligned with Eisenberg, are probably involved too.'
He nodded to himself slightly, unsurprised by what he'd uncovered. However, the fierce argument between Culler and Eisenberg hadn't looked staged. If anything, the tension seemed very real.
It made Alex more certain that Culler and the Silver Wand group were a force of their own and not easily manipulated.
Putting those thoughts aside, Alex stepped into the office, his expression calm and polite. "Good day, Minister Eisenberg. Sorry to interrupt your work," he said.
Eisenberg, having recovered from the earlier tension, stood up with a friendly smile and stepped forward to greet him.
"No, no, I'm the one who should apologize. You walked in at a rather awkward moment. Please don't take what you saw to heart. Just a bit of disagreement between departments."
He motioned for Alex to sit down beside him, trying to smooth things over with a more relaxed tone. Eisenberg knew full well that the earlier shouting match hadn't gone unnoticed. With Culler practically yelling, there was no way Alex hadn't heard at least part of it.
"Of course not," Alex replied with a faint smile, his tone hard to read. "Actually, I admire how passionate everyone here is.
Over in the UK, things are far too quiet. The Ministry is tightly run by Minister Bagnold, so tightly, in fact, that hardly anyone dares to speak up. Honestly, it gets a bit dull sometimes."
Minister Eisenberg chuckled warmly. "Haha, I should be the one feeling envious. If I had Minister Bagnold's reputation, I wouldn't be the one getting scolded all the time."
His easygoing tone made Alex smile politely. "Minister Eisenberg, you're being too modest. With your leadership, I'm sure the German Ministry of Magic will only continue to grow stronger."
Eisenberg, picking up on the fact that this young man wasn't someone to be underestimated, replied in a relaxed but sincere tone, "Mr. Wilson, you don't have to butter me up. I heard from Claremont that you're planning a long-term collaboration with him. That's excellent news for Germany's magical economy."
Eisenberg understood just how much Claremont valued the deal with Wilson's Arcane Alchemica Company, and he was clearly hoping today's meeting would seal the deal. It would benefit both his Ministry and his longtime associate.
Alex, however, didn't give a clear answer. He chuckled lightly. "Oh? Is that what Sir Claremont said? Actually, nothing's been officially confirmed yet."
Eisenberg raised an eyebrow at that. In his mind, it sounded like Alex was stalling even after taking payment, a classic case of someone who grabs the benefits first and then drags their feet. It reminded him of a thief who pretends he didn't do anything.
"I think this partnership would be a win for everyone, you, Claremont, and even the broader German market. Why hesitate now?" Eisenberg pressed, his gaze firm as he tried to steer Alex toward a decision.
Alex shifted slightly in his seat. "It's not that I'm against it, Minister. It's just… I've heard there've been some changes in Germany's trade policies lately, and honestly, I'm a bit concerned. I'm wondering how that might affect my business here."
Eisenberg laughed and waved the concern away. "Mr. Wilson, I think you're overthinking it. The new decree only clarifies who the main merchants are. In practice, not much has changed."
But Alex didn't look convinced. "Is that so? Because from what I've been seeing, the business environment here is shifting pretty fast.
New policies keep coming out one after another. According to Sir Claremont, Germany might soon…"
He paused, then spoke more seriously. "If Germany splits into East and West, I'd have to find separate agents for each side. But from what I've seen so far, there's still a lot of resistance to the split. If the country ends up staying unified, then having two agency partners would be a real mess for me.
And here's the thing, even if the split does go through, the new decree requires merchants to choose between East and West Germany, and once they've picked, they're not allowed to switch later. What happens if Mr. Claremont signs a contract with me, but then moves his business over to East Germany within two years or opens a new branch there?
I can't stop him from expanding. But if that happens, I'll have to juggle partners in both regions. That's just asking for trouble."
He leaned forward slightly, speaking more earnestly. "You're not in the business world, Minister, so maybe it's hard to see where I'm coming from. I just want to grow my company in a stable environment, one without constant policy changes or unnecessary complications."
Eisenberg listened quietly, and even he had to admit that Alex made a solid point. If their roles were reversed, he might hesitate too. Still, determined to win Alex over, he offered some reassurance.
"You don't have to stress too much about all that. Honestly, the split is pretty much a done deal in our world.
All those protests you've seen lately? They're less about ideals and more about profit. Most of the people shouting are just trying to protect their own business interests.
Honestly, over 80% of German merchants aren't against the new decree," Eisenberg said confidently.
"The loudest objections are coming from just a few companies, like Gringotts and Moran Books. If you can step in and help resolve their issues within a week, that's something I'd truly respect."
He leaned back slightly, then added, "And as for your concerns about someone like Claremont changing his registration or business location, it's really not that complicated. I can help you draft a subsidiary agreement that locks in his registration area for the full duration of your contract. No sudden changes, no surprises."
Then his tone grew more serious. "But let me be clear, when it comes to expanding your alchemy business into neighboring countries, you need to be very cautious. We can't allow disruptions in the local magical markets, especially those still adjusting to the regional changes.
If you're willing to cooperate sincerely with local merchants and follow proper procedures, then you have my word, the German Ministry of Magic will stand behind you and protect your interests."