https://novelcool.info/chapter/Chapter-808-They-Are-All-Righteous-Heroes-Here-to-Help-/13454680/
https://novelcool.info/chapter/Chapter-810-All-for-Defeating-the-Dark-Lord-/13454685/
Chapter 809: Ivan: Though I Am Kind-Hearted, I Am Not a Wimp!
Chapter 809: Ivan: Though I Am Kind-Hearted, I Am Not a Wimp!
Ivan paid no heed to Pierce’s flattery. While the plan was well-crafted, it could only deceive outsiders for so long.
For instance, the Dark Lord would surely notice something was amiss, and Notte’s mysterious disappearance before the battle posed a significant threat.
Fortunately, the most dangerous time had passed. After this great battle, the entire Ministry of Magic was under his control.
Furthermore, he had already taken control of the newspapers, so even if someone figured out the truth and tried to expose it, it wouldn’t cause much of a stir.
With this thought, Ivan’s tense expression relaxed slightly. He looked at Pierce, who was still trying to butter him up, shook his head, and cut him off.
“Stop with the useless talk. What about the casualties and losses? Have you compiled all the data?”
“I’ve already checked. Approximately six hundred Wizards participated in the battle. Among them, one hundred and twenty-seven were lightly injured, ninety-four were severely injured, and two hundred and forty-five Wizards were killed. Additionally, some areas are still being cleared, so there might be some omissions…”
At this point, Pierce’s expression turned grave. Such a high number of casualties was a significant headache for him, especially as the soon-to-be Minister of Magic.
“So many deaths?” Ivan was somewhat surprised. He had taken several measures to minimize casualties before the battle.
For example, he had sold protective rings to the Aurors and ordered the Death Eaters not to linger, but to go straight to Fudge and carry out the decapitation plan. This would avoid the need for follow-up attacks and save many lives.
As for himself, while he had unleashed several powerful spells during the battle, they were mostly for show. The actual damage was minimal, and the focus was on killing traitors and destroying buildings, not on causing mass casualties.
Seeing Ivan’s confusion, Pierce quickly explained.
“Of the two hundred and forty-five Wizards who died, the majority were Azkaban prisoners. Only a small portion were Aurors and Ministry of Magic clerks. Sixty-seven of them died fighting the Death Eaters, and the Aurors lost even fewer, with only twenty-one casualties throughout the entire battle.”
Ivan understood. He had personally given the order to deal harshly with the Death Eaters to prevent Voldemort from rescuing them and undermining the operation’s success. This also saved the Ministry of Magic a significant amount of money.
As for the eighty-plus casualties on their side, Ivan felt a pang of sorrow but could still accept it.
Though he was kind-hearted, he was not a wimp!
To defeat Voldemort and turn the tide, some sacrifices were necessary. This plan was the one with the least casualties out of all the options he had considered.
Ivan knew that if he continued to be passive as he had been in recent years, Voldemort would increase his infiltration of the Ministry of Magic and use official power against him. Unless he disbanded the Aurors to prove his innocence, it was only a matter of time before new conflicts erupted.
At that point, the death of a few hundred Wizards would be the least of their worries. The Second Wizarding War would break out immediately, and the entire Wizarding World would suffer.
As the mastermind behind it all, Voldemort would hide in the shadows and reap the benefits. This was something Ivan could never accept, which was why he had decided to strike first and trap the other side.
With this in mind, Ivan sighed and continued. “All those who died in this battle are heroes of the Wizarding World. Their families will receive triple compensation. Additionally, all injured or participating Wizards will receive an additional three months of salary as a consolation and reward.”
The dead, Ivan couldn't bring them back, but issuing more compensation could provide some security for their families. It was the only thing he could do.
Pierce naturally had no objections. After such a fierce battle, the Ministry of Magic was in a state of panic, and increasing benefits would help to stabilize morale.
Even if Ivan hadn't ordered it, Pierce had already planned to do so. However, ...
Pierce couldn't help but think of the news he had received from the logistics department, and his face immediately took on a worried expression.
"What's wrong?" Ivan noticed the change in Pierce's expression and asked curiously.
"Lord Hals, the Ministry of Magic suffered severe damage in this battle. Adding the compensation we plan to pay, it will probably cost around sixty thousand Galleons. However..." Pierce hesitated for a long time, only continuing in a low voice when he saw the clear signs of impatience on Ivan's face.
"However, the Ministry of Magic's Treasury only has less than thirty thousand Galleons..."
What? Is the Ministry of Magic that poor? Ivan looked at Pierce with a strange expression. He couldn't imagine that the official institution of the Wizarding World had such a meager treasury...
Faced with Ivan's questioning gaze, Pierce began to pour out his grievances, bitterly criticizing the former Minister of Magic, Fudge, for his misguided policies and lack of financial management.
Don't be fooled by the large amount of taxes the Ministry of Magic collects each year; the expenditures are equally staggering, especially in recent years, where the Ministry has been running a fiscal deficit every year, forcing it to borrow a large sum of money from the Goblins at Gringotts!
One of the reasons Fudge insisted that the Dark Lord didn't exist was likely due to this financial strain. After all, the Ministry of Magic was too poor to wage a war.
"Lord Hals, I can contribute ten thousand Galleons from my personal savings, but it's still not enough..." Pierce gritted his teeth and put forward all his savings. The Sinkhorn family wasn't a long-standing Pureblood Family, and these ten thousand Galleons were the result of his hard work.
"I will give you forty thousand Galleons as a reserve fund. The Ministry of Magic has many expenses these days..." Ivan readily agreed to Pierce's request. This wasn't the time to save money; he needed to smoothly control the Wizarding World, and Galleons would be plentiful once he did.
"By the way, I remember that some of the dead Death Eaters were members of Pureblood Families, right?" Ivan suddenly thought of this and realized he might not need to spend money at all, but could instead seize an opportunity to gain some wealth. "You should consider confiscating their assets to make up for the financial shortfall..."
While he didn't know about others, Bella's Vault contained a lot of valuable items. Her husband, Rodolphus Lestrange, was the head of an ancient Pureblood Family, and their family had substantial wealth. Seizing their assets would be enough to cover the deficit.
"Lord Hals, that might be difficult. These people's assets and deeds are mostly stored in Gringotts, and the Goblins there only recognize contracts. Even if I become the Minister of Magic, I doubt I can forcibly confiscate them", Pierce said with a hint of helplessness.
"Gringotts again?!" Ivan's face showed a hint of displeasure. He couldn't understand why the Wizards, who dominated the entire Wizarding World, tolerated the Goblins controlling such an important institution as a bank.
After all, financial power is the lifeblood of a nation, and caution is never excessive...
(End of Chapter)
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