"I see, you need to know the extent of our current power, don't you?"
Leading the group, Zhe Helan nodded, a composed smile reappearing on her face. "I understand, it's a very reasonable request. Allow to introduce the current power distribution within the Magical Affairs Institute to you."
She stepped forward from the ranks and cleared her throat:
"Because you haven't been in the Kingdom for many years, you might not know the current situation within the institute. Since we are an institution directly under Her Majesty the Queen, and we need to directly liaise with the Royal Court, and even the Rose Palace, there are currently two vice presidents appointed by the Royal Court within the Magical Affairs Institute. These two vice presidents do not participate in the exercise of power on a daily basis, but if there's sothing that requires the Magical Affairs Institute to liaise with the other four institutes in public, they will be the spokespersons for the Magical Affairs Institute."
"In addition, there are currently five Card Magical Girls in the institute, all holding senior positions— Teaching Selection Departnt. The five Teaching Selection Officers are responsible for executing affairs and exercising power. You can understand that the actual power of the Magical Affairs Institute is currently distributed among the five Teaching Selection Officers."
"Unfortunately, although the five of us theoretically can push the entire Magical Affairs Institute to make any decision together, our political views often do not converge."
"It's sowhat embarrassing to say, but the high-level Magical Girls in the Kingdom all know that the power of our Magical Affairs Institute is divided externally. Each Teaching Selection Officer has a relatively fixed transaction partner. As for , I am the one responsible for liaising with the Research Institute, striving for corresponding benefits for the Research Institute."
Her words halted slightly here, looking towards the Erald Sparrow, probably giving her ti to digest the information or to ask questions.
Although Erald Sparrow knew a bit about the situation of the Magical Affairs Institute, it was the first ti she learned such relatively specific information as "there are five Teaching Selection Officers." Aside from that, another point caught her attention—
"Isn't it sowhat inappropriate to say these things in front of the Chief of the Research Institute?" She couldn't help but ask.
After all, in her view, the other party's words seed objective and fair but combined with previous declarations of loyalty, so "discontent with external forces" could be interpreted.
"It's okay, Your Excellency, because if Chief didn't want us to say these things, there wouldn't be this occasion today."
Zhe Helan elegantly bowed to the Erald, and similarly to the Erald Sparrow. "In fact, what I am saying now already prioritizes serving you."
"Well... thank you?"
Glancing at the Erald by her side and finding that she seed indeed indifferent afterward, the Erald Sparrow forced herself to suppress the inner discomfort and accept the other's overture without changing her expression: "Alright, I understand sothing now. So you are the faction friendly with the Investigation Bureau among those present, correct?"
"Yes, Your Excellency," Zhe Helan nodded affirmatively.
"Alright then... but I feel my question still hasn't been fully answered."
Having already decided to take over this part of the power, the Erald Sparrow forced herself to appear more composed, at least in front of these "new subordinates": "What I most want to know now is, in the division of affairs within the Magical Affairs Institute, what specific rights do you have to exercise and formulate such plans?"
"We have the right to liaise with the Research Institute, Your Excellency," Zhe Helan responded.
"Is that all?" The Erald Sparrow tried to maintain a semblance of calm.
"Essentially, yes,"
Zhe Helan continued nonchalantly, "Because without recomndations from the Research Institute, or without their statent, we can't formulate any plans or pass any application."
"What about nominally?"
The Erald Sparrow continued to press, "You have so many departnts within the Magical Affairs Institute, surely there are so functional differences. I rember you even have so departnt directors among you, right? Are their works no different from other departnts?"
"There are nominal functions, Your Excellency,"
Turning back to look at her companions, Zhe Helan maintained a dignified smile as she continued to answer the Erald Sparrow's questions, "Nominally, we have the right to receive feedback from the public and respond; the right to organize internal events, set up event rules, and distribute rewards; the right to draft weekly, monthly, and yearly reports, calibrate data in those reports and report to the vice presidents or even to Her Majesty; the right to record significant achievents and experiences of contributors, and comnd and publicize these matters and people; the right to establish annual certification examination standards and announce them to the public..."
She spoke a series of long, difficult sentences, so much so that even the concentration and thinking speed of the Erald Sparrow as a Magical Girl got a bit dizzy. When she finally was done with this string of responsibilities, Zhe Helan added, "…of course, exercising these rights is premised on the other factions having no objections to our decisions or forgetting that we still have the capacity to do these."
"…Are these prerequisites achievable?" The Erald Sparrow furrowed her brows, trying to disentangle the opponent's report while continuing to ask.
"They might be, but I haven't seen it happen in the past dozen years in office,"
Zhe Helan's smile was bright, "After all, without the Research Institute's opinion, they probably have concerns about everything. And expecting them to forget the parts of the rights they haven't seized is indeed impossible."
Now, the Erald Sparrow fully understood.
Returning to a topic ntioned earlier, regarding the stereotypes of the Magical Affairs Institute.
Such stereotypes probably attribute it to being inefficient.
Because there were too many factions within the Magical Affairs Institute, and each had its interests to protect, which inevitably led to giving more support to their "own people." This resulted in every employee of the Magical Affairs Institute not only having the background of the institute but being double, even triple, or quadruple agents.
Once there was a legendary tale circulating among many employees of the Magical Affairs Institute, about a Magical Girl who was still serving a jail sentence for corruption and bribery. She achieved the highest feat attainable by an employee of the Magical Affairs Institute— a sextuple agent. While being courted simultaneously by the Royal Court and the other four institutes, she secretly opened a channel of interests in the Material Realm, providing so cities with more Seeds of Heart through corruption and bribery, thus allowing these cities to have more Magical Girls.
This Magical Girl used her talent to earn unimaginable resources, pushing herself to the strength of Strong Flower Level. She even hooked up with the Claw Mark faction in preparation for a defection before being discovered. But envy from colleagues dood her plan. Multiple anonymous reports led to her exposure, and she was captured on the eve of her escape by several Patrol Envoys, earning a lifeti imprisonnt."
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