Chapter 3

Chapter 2

I Am a Civil Servant - 2

The vice minister princess, who had been kidnapped by the demon king known as 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 responding to the deputy minister, the four section chiefs who were sitting with the deputy minister 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 stand when the minister is here to deduct our points."

"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 authority, were creating a chaotic scene. Despite the chaos, they were familiar with each other and sat back down with a chuckle. After I took my seat at the head of the table, the five of them bowed. I nodded and confirmed the attendees: 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 I had to gather the executives right before quitting time. I had suppressed the urge to tear it to shreds on my 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 document that stole the vice minister's precious two hours."

I threw the document, and it landed precisely in the center of the table, as if reflecting my irritated mood. The executives, who could now 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 asked quietly, my tone like a parent issuing an ultimatum: "Tell the truth, and I'll go easy on you."

"It was me, sir."

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

"Kneel and confess."

"Yes, sir..."

Everyone knew that responding to the ultimatum didn't mean I would go easy on them, but resisting would lead to consequences they couldn't handle. The third section chief, swallowing his tears, got up and bowed to the floor, while the other section chiefs averted their gazons, hoping to avoid the fallout.

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

"My dear slaves. While our job is to act like hunting dogs, if you start biting anyone without discrimination, 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 every penny of the imperial budget, and immediately strike down any illegal activities.

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

"This time, the Yorun Viscount's family lost their heads, and quite a few others were implicated."

"Regrettable."

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

"..."

The deputy minister, who had been silent, flinched at the mention of the Golden Ball and glared at the third section chief, who was still bowing. While they knew the viscount's family had been targeted, they didn't realize the Golden Ball was involved. If they had known, they 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 he goes crazy over money. He wants financial compensation more than punishment."

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

"Section 3."

The third section chief, who had been blending into the floor, stood up. My gaze was still stern, but what could I do? This kind of task suits Section 3.

"You have to clean up your own mess."

"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're dismissed."

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

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

With a wave of my hand, I dismissed the executives. They finally had a chance to escape. They'll probably start criticizing each other once they return 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. These days, they're too relaxed and their work is unsatisfactory...

"Damn."

"Why are you upset?"

"No, just thinking about the past."

The deputy minister, who was about to leave, turned back at my voice and I forced a smile, dismissing him. I was startled by my own thoughts, realizing how much my four years in public service had changed me. At 21, I'm already thinking such dark thoughts...!

"Should I really embezzle the budget?"

If I did, my public service career would end, but so would my life. Even with a powerful family background, embezzling 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 setting. The meeting ended faster than expected, but it still went past quitting time. Today marks another failure in my 40-day streak of leaving on time. Who can I share this joy with...

The situation was resolved smoothly thanks to the third section chief's tearful performance and the spontaneous cooperation of the other sections. The minister hinted that the Golden Ball was satisfied with the elimination of four families competing with his faction.

I was already looking for the right moment to strike, and now I have a reason. The satisfaction of hearing about the elimination of lifelong rivals was almost rhythmic and exhilarating. Why did they do such a good job this time?

"...So, part of the seized assets was transferred to the Yorun Viscount's family. After several layers 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 shut down 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, and the fifth section chief's quiet observation of the third section chief's shiny, brilliant intellect made the third section chief shiver.

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 drifting towards "When did the third section chief become bald?" I rapped the table a few times to refocus everyone.

"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-haired people are naturally targets for bald jokes."

"Wow, I didn't know that."

"Ugh..."

I tried to stop, but it only made things worse.

"Anyway, the third section chief did a good job. You know this was a stroke of luck, 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 be the best option."

"Ah."

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

"If any section gets involved with another duke, I'll lead the way in offering them as sacrifices. Don't worry."

"Eh, I'm really worried."

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

You damn vice minister, I heard you mutter. I don't care. I often curse the minister too.

Of course, not in his presence. Second section chief, you're on night duty again.

Author's Note

Thank you for reading!