Chapter 3

Chapter 2

I Am a Civil Servant - 2

The vice minister princess, who had been kidnapped by the demon king, the minister, managed to escape on her own and returned.

"I'm here."

"Have you arrived? It seems you finished faster than last time."

"Looks like the old man's stamina has decreased. You should control your temper more often."

While I was answering the deputy minister, the four section chiefs who were sitting with him tried to stand up, but I waved my hand to make them sit back down.

"Ah, it's fine. No need to stand up."

"We should at least do this much since you're taking points away from us on behalf of the minister."

"Damn, stand up right now."

The second section chief, who was provoking the vice minister, and the vice minister, who was trying to suppress him with her authority, were creating a mess, but they were so used to it that they giggled and sat back down. After I took my seat at the head of the table, the five of them bowed. I nodded and confirmed the people present: the deputy minister, the first section chief, the second section chief, the third section chief, and the fifth section chief. Good, everyone is here.

"Alright, my dear slaves. Although it's almost quitting time, I deeply regret having to gather like this."

"I have a date. Is it an emergency?"

"Your comment just secured you the night shift."

"Shit."

The second section chief, who had spoken up, sank into silence. I held up a document and waved it. This was the reason I was called to the minister's office and why the executives were summoned just before quitting time. I had resisted the urge to tear it to shreds several times on the way here.

"Can you see it?"

"I can see the minister's seal clearly, but I don't know what it's about."

"What's the content? It's been a while since all the executives gathered."

"The precious two hours of the vice minister were taken away by your work."

I threw the document, and it landed precisely in the center of the table, as if reflecting my irritated mood. The executives, who could finally see the content, awkwardly avoided each other's gazes. The deputy minister sighed, and the section chiefs either cleared their throats or stared at dust particles in the air to avoid eye contact with me.

"Who led the operation against the Yorun Viscount's family?"

I murmured quietly, my tone like a parent issuing an ultimatum: "Tell the truth, and I'll go easy on you."

"It was me."

The third section chief, who had been glancing around, cautiously raised his hand. I responded with a gentle smile to his confession.

"Kneel down and listen."

"Yes..."

Of course, everyone knew that I wouldn't really go easy on him even if he confessed. But they also knew that resisting would make things much worse. The third section chief, swallowing his tears, got up and bowed his head to the floor, while the other section chiefs averted their gazes, hoping to avoid the fallout.

Officially, the third section chief led the operation, but in reality, all the section chiefs had been involved. I sighed, knowing this, and glared at them.

"My dear slaves. While our job is to act like hunting dogs, if you start biting anyone without discrimination, then you'll be called beloved bastards, not slaves."

The department I lead, the Inspection Bureau of the Imperial Treasury, has the power to act without restraint, with only the Treasury Minister and the Emperor as our superiors. Publicly, we are known as hunting dogs. We monitor the flow of money, watch over the empire's budget, and immediately strike down any illegal activities.

The Inspection Bureau's influence is so significant that there are even rumors about whether it should be under the direct command of the Emperor or the Treasury Minister. And because of this influence, if you target the wrong person, you'll be beaten from all sides.

"This time, when the Yorun Viscount's family suddenly lost their heads, quite a few others were affected as well."

"It's a regrettable incident."

"The Golden Ball expressed concern to the minister over this matter."

"..."

The deputy minister, who had been silent, flinched at the mention of the Golden Ball and glared at the third section chief, who was bowing his head. While he knew the viscount's family had been targeted, he only now learned about the connection to the Golden Ball. If he had known, he would have offered the section chiefs as sacrifices before the minister called the vice minister.

"...So, what did the Golden Ball say...?"

"You know how that guy goes crazy over money. He wants financial compensation more than punishment for the responsible party."

"I have a list of families competing with the Golden Ball's faction. Which section should I hand it over to?"

"Section 3."

At this, the third section chief, who had been blending into the floor, stood up. My gaze was still not kind, but what could be done? This kind of task suits Section 3.

"You have to clean up your own mess, right?"

"Yes, of course."

"The Golden Ball won't make a big deal if the damage is compensated. Do a good job."

"I will be extremely careful and never forget this incident."

"Good, you can go."

The third section chief, bowing deeply, quickly left the vice minister's office, as if afraid I might call him back. Despite his bulky and muscular build, he sometimes seems more agile. Maybe he has less wind resistance because he's bald?

"Everyone else, be careful. If something like this happens again, the entire section will be dismantled."

With a wave of my hand, I dismissed the executives, who had been on edge. They finally had a chance to escape. They would probably start blaming each other as soon as they returned to their offices. But what do I care? If they had done their jobs properly, this wouldn't have happened.

When I first entered public service, everyone was cautious, double-checking every document and proceeding with care. But these days, they are so relaxed and careless that their work is unsatisfactory...

"Damn."

"Why are you upset?"

"No, it just reminded me of the past."

The deputy minister, who was about to leave, turned back at my voice and was sent out with a forced smile. I was startled by my own thoughts, which had naturally drifted to -censored-. Four years of civil service had turned me into this...! I'm only 21, and I'm already thinking such dark thoughts. How many more years of this will I have to endure?

'Really, should I just run off with the budget?'

If I did, my civil service career would definitely end, but so would my life. Even with a strong family background, embezzling the budget as the head of the Inspection Bureau would result in execution.

I didn't come back to life just to end up executed for embezzlement. That's not the ending I want.

Looking out the window, I saw the sun had already set. The meeting ended faster than expected, but it still went past quitting time. Today marks another failure in my '40 consecutive days of leaving on time' challenge. Who can I share this joy with...

Because it involved a duke, the situation was resolved smoothly thanks to the third section chief's tearful performance and the voluntary cooperation of other sections. The minister hinted that the Golden Ball was satisfied after we eliminated four families competing with his faction.

I had been waiting for the right moment to take them down, and now I had a reason to do so. Hearing the report of their swift elimination, I felt a rhythm and excitement. It was like watching a lifelong enemy being cut down.

"...So, part of the seized assets was transferred to the Yorun Viscount's family. After several rounds of laundering, there won't be any issues in the future."

A few days later, at another meeting, I clapped and expressed satisfaction with the results. Yes, our people do a good job.

"Indeed, the third section chief's brilliant intellect is always impressive."

"Didn't the vice minister once say she wanted to get rid of the third section chief because his head was so shiny?"

"Watch your mouth."

"Ouch..."

I firmly rejected the first section chief's thoughtless comment. I won't tolerate anyone who tries to break the trust and friendship between superiors and subordinates!

The sudden internal exposure by the first section chief, the second section chief's subtle stroke of his thick hair while giggling, and the fifth section chief's quiet observation of the third section chief's shiny, brilliant intellect made the third section chief shiver in fear.

The first section chief, seeing the third section chief's reaction, tilted his head in confusion. His lack of malice made it even more deadly.

The meeting topic was gradually shifting to "When did the third section chief become bald?" I rapped the table a few times to refocus everyone's attention.

"Stop teasing the one who did the work."

"Only the vice minister and the first section chief were talking. We didn't say anything."

"Thick hair is a laughing stock to the bald."

"Wow, I didn't know that."

"Ugh..."

Oh, I tried to stop, but it just got worse.

"Anyway, the third section chief did a good job. But you were lucky this time, right?"

"Yes, the necessary materials were prepared, so we could act quickly."

"That's not what I mean. If you were caught by a duke, the Golden Ball would have been the best option."

"Ah."

The third section chief nodded in agreement. While it's best to avoid getting involved with dukes, if it happens, the Golden Ball is the best choice. Among the five dukes of the empire, he is the closest to being normal. The other four are truly not human in various ways.

"If any section gets involved with another duke, I'll lead the way and offer them to the duke, so don't worry."

"Eh, I'm really worried about that."

"If you're unhappy, transfer to another department. If you can."

I heard a mumble about a "damn vice minister," but I ignored it. I often curse the minister too.

Of course, not where he can hear it. Second section chief, you're on night duty again.

Author's Note

Thank you for reading!