Chapter 2

Chapter 1

I am a civil servant – 1

This happened about five years ago.

“Who are you?”

“AAAAAAH! Young Master!”

“Doctor, call the doctor again immediately!”

“Young Master, are you okay? Can you see how many fingers I’m holding up?”

I woke up to find myself in an unfamiliar room, surrounded by unfamiliar people looking down at me, and then, as soon as I asked who they were, a wild commotion broke out. In just five seconds, I experienced three shocks, which became my first memory in this new life.

Even now, when I think about it, my eardrums still seem to ring, but it was understandable, so I feel a bit sorry for them now. If the eldest son of a noble family, who had fallen off a horse, suddenly started talking about memory loss, it’s natural that they would panic. If I had acted a bit more strangely, a few servants or maids would have been held responsible and flown away.

“Are you really okay…?”

“I’m fine. I was just a bit dizzy for a moment.”

Fortunately, the original owner's memories quickly flooded back, and I was able to dismiss it as a minor incident and send everyone out of the room. Whether it was the original owner's wish to protect the servants and maids who served him, or the magnanimity of someone who put me here, I don’t know, but I doubt it was the latter. If someone had that kind of magnanimity, they wouldn’t have put me here in the first place.

“Why me…?”

Reincarnation, transmigration, rebirth, collectively known as "ReiByouHan." When it first appeared, it was a novel concept, but over time, it became so common that it’s now hard to find a novel without it. And I ended up being the "transmigration" part of ReiByouHan. Wow, I’m really excited!

The problem is, I don’t understand why I ended up being one of the three main protagonists of a typical ReiByouHan story. I didn’t follow a novel to its conclusion, I didn’t insert a 5700-character rant into the author’s drift, and I didn’t suddenly see my monitor shine or get hit by a truck. I just woke up here, in this world.

Let’s say I can understand that much. After all, transmigration itself is an unreasonable and sudden phenomenon, so trying to figure out why it happened is meaningless. Did other transmigration protagonists choose to transmigrate by their own will?

‘At least I should have been a passionate reader, right?’

The real problem is that I transmigrated into a work I don’t know. Well, to be precise, I do know it, but I didn’t read it properly. It was a romantic fantasy with a title like "The Young Lady is in Love… something." I stumbled upon it while wandering around the site looking for something to read, saw that it had launched as a webtoon, read the free chapters, and then immediately dropped it.

It didn’t really suit my taste, and I soon found other interesting works, so I quickly forgot about it. Damn, if I had known this would happen, I would have finished it.

I was frustrated about transmigrating into a work I didn’t know, but when I thought about it, it wasn’t a bad condition. In a romantic fantasy, the Demon King won’t appear to destroy the world, and there won’t be plagues or famines that kill people off. There won’t be a major war either. Romantic fantasies are busy showing the sweet romances of the characters.

Wait, does that mean I transmigrated into a world where the creator intentionally made it easy to live? Moreover, the body I transmigrated into is the eldest son of an imperial baronial family. A noble with blue blood, in other words. Whoever put me here, thank you…!

“Ah, I’ve unlocked the easy mode of life.”

The more I organized the memories I gained from transmigration, the more I couldn’t help but laugh. The original owner of the body, Karl Crasius, is 16 years old. The eldest son and heir of the Crasius family. Not a genius, not a complete fool, just an average noble child.

In other words, I don’t need to pretend to be someone else or show a lot of change. I just need to enjoy a happy life as a noble and do what others do.

The only annoying thing is where the original owner of the body went, but I decided he must have died. Even if he didn’t, I can’t give the body back. So from now on, I am Karl.

I enjoyed a happy life in this new world with a big smile.

“Our family’s glory is due to the grace of the royal family.”

For exactly one year.

The day after I turned 17, I was summoned by the head of the family, and I nodded reflexively in response to his words.

During this year, I keenly felt that it was right to positively respond without hesitation when the head of this die-hard royalist noble family praised the emperor and the royal family. The head of the family seemed satisfied with my reflexive positive response and moved on without further comment.

“Our family originally had red blood, not blue. However, 300 years ago, we made great contributions during the invasion of Avels.”

“Thanks to that, we were granted a title and a fief by Emperor Eimanka the Great, allowing us to join the ranks of the nobility. Emperor Eimanka II, who succeeded him, made the Crasius family an imperial baron. As the heir of the Crasius family, I have never forgotten that deep grace.”

“Yes, you know well.”

‘If I forgot the story I hear once a week, would I even be human?’

I smiled and nodded, passing it off. I expected to hear “Continue to strive for the royal family” and be dismissed. It was obvious.

“There is an opportunity to repay that grace, even if only a little.”

“Huh?”

I didn’t expect this.

Ignoring my question, the head of the family continued, holding out a document.

“There is unrest in the north. Some foolish people are rebelling against the empire’s rule. However, the scale of the unrest is too large to ignore, and His Majesty is concerned.”

“What a pity.”

“Yes. Therefore, as an imperial baron and vassal of the emperor, the Crasius family will contribute to eradicating those who defy His Majesty.”

“Are you going to lead the expedition?”

The head of the family nodded calmly. The Crasius family is one of the imperial barons, the direct vassals of the emperor, holding the title of Baron Tylglen. If the head of the family leads the private army of the Tylglen barony to suppress the unrest in the north, the emperor will gladly accept it. So, the matter at hand is likely to be the head of the family asking me to manage the barony in his absence.

‘Well, it’s not a big deal. The butler will handle everything anyway.’

As the heir and acting baron, I just need to stamp my approval. The head of the family already delegates a lot of the barony’s business to the butler. I was worried that the conversation might take a wrong turn, but it turned out to be a needless worry. However, as if reading my thoughts, the head of the family changed the subject again.

“Now, you are ready to enter public office.”

“Huh? Me?”

“Yes. At 17, you can either enter the academy or take up a public office.”

“But if I leave the barony, who will handle the business?”

“The butler will handle everything, so it’s fine.”

You shouldn’t say that, you incompetent lord.

“I have a position in mind. You’ll be told what to do when you get there.”

‘Die-hard royalist…’

Entering public office at 17 is possible under imperial law. However, it’s more common to enter the academy. What can a 17-year-old, who has just become an adult, do in public office? It’s more beneficial to go to the academy to learn and build connections with other noble heirs and capable commoners.

But the head of the family, ignoring all of this, is sending his eldest son into public office. Why? Because the emperor is in a bad mood, and the family needs to send its spare manpower to serve as labor in public office.

And he proudly declares, “Our family’s heir, who has just become an adult, is entering public office to serve the royal family and the empire!” It’s obvious. If this man does something out of the ordinary, one can imagine how it would look to the emperor.

‘It’s not a bad choice… for me?’

But it’s not a bad choice. Academy? Thinking about how I rushed through elementary, middle, high school, and university, and was about to be kidnapped to graduate school, I don’t really want to go. Academy education is already handled by private tutors for the most prestigious noble families, and connections are built before or after the three years of academy attendance.

On the other hand, the position is arranged by the head of the Crasius family, a prominent noble family and a direct vassal of the emperor, boasting of the great imperial authority. At 17, I don’t expect much, but with such a strong background, I can live comfortably… Wow, it’s really not bad.

“I will dedicate my life to serving His Majesty the Emperor.”

The head of the family smiled, and I smiled too. We both smiled, but for different reasons. The head of the family was heading to the north to lead the private army, and I was heading to the position he had arranged, which was supposed to be a land flowing with milk and honey (presumably).

Four years passed.

“Damn, I should have clenched my teeth and gone to the academy.”

The position the head of the family arranged was not a land of milk and honey but a place of blood, tears, and wailing. For four years, I experienced chaos before and after the five-minute mark. Those four years were enough to turn a 17-year-old, who was excited about the prospect of a sweet life, into a 21-year-old who has experienced the world and wishes to retire. Just now, I escaped after being scolded by the minister for two hours.

“What a dog’s life as a civil servant.”

Academy… Would they accept a 21-year-old?

Author's Note

Thank you for reading!