The Low-Ranking Civil Servant Wants to Achieve Success Chapter 2

 

1.The Circumstances of Namia Roapia

A high ceiling, lavish tapestries, and gleaming marble floors.

This was the Scroll Management Department within the Imperial Palace.

A small division belonging to both the Magic Tower and the Royal Knights.

“Namia, Namia?”

“……”

“Namia!”

My name is Namia Roapia.

An imperial civil servant, now in my 3 years and 7 months of service.

I was the lowest-ranking member of the inventory team, which was considered the most idle unit within the Scroll Management Department.

“Namiaaaaaaa!”

…Huh? Was someone calling my name?

I snapped out of it and shot to my feet.

“Ah, yes.”

“Namia, something wrong? You always look zoned out, but you’re especially out of it today.”

That was Osone  , my direct superior and team leader, speaking with his usual indifference.

“We need to get to the conference room. The Minister called for everyone.”

“Ah, yes.”

I hurried after Osone  to the meeting room.

Since the Scroll Department was small, even with everyone gathered, we numbered around twenty. The Minister yawned once before speaking.

“Alright, everyone. Attention.”

Standing next to the Minister was someone I hadn’t seen before.

A handsome young man with jet-black hair and glasses.

“This here is… our new intern? He’ll be joining the department starting today.”

An intern—part of a program for foreigners interested in Imperial civil service.

They worked for up to three months, usually receiving training or helping with minor tasks.

‘Huh? This is the first time an intern’s been assigned to our department.’

The Scroll Department was notoriously unpopular.

It was a dead-end both in and out, and the higher-ups were especially incompetent.

Even our Minister looked unsure of what interns were supposed to do.

‘Once he sees the state of this place, he’ll probably quit by tomorrow.’

I was idly thinking that when—

“For now, let’s put him next to… Namia Roapia? That seat’s still empty, right?”

“……”

“……Namia?”

Only when Osone  jabbed me in the ribs did I realize he was talking to me.

“Ah, yes.”

“Assign him the seat next to you. Show him the ropes.”

“Ah, yes.”

Osone  shot me a look that said, ‘What is up with you today?’ I sighed deeply inside, close to tears.

‘Of course I’m not acting normal!’

The intern began introducing himself, but I didn’t catch a single word.

‘I was reincarnated. I really reincarnated!’

Last night, I realized I had been reborn into the fantasy novel I’d read in my previous life.

According to the original story, this Empire I now lived in would soon become a warzone.

The peaceful, beautiful, and prosperous Polariwood Empire—blessed by dragons—

‘It’ll be total chaos. No place to run or hide across the entire continent.’

The story’s plot involved a young protagonist dragged into war, ultimately triumphing and restoring peace. A happy ending.

The problem? The war lasted thirty years.

‘I’m not even a side character in the original—just a background element.’

When war breaks out, people like me are always the first to die. So of course I couldn’t concentrate today.

While I was lost in thought, the intern’s introduction ended, and the meeting continued.

“And it seems Countess Torres has passed away. His Highness the Crown Prince will attend the funeral tomorrow morning…”

The Minister looked toward our inventory team with minimal interest and asked:

“Inventory team, how many defense scrolls do we have right now?”

Naturally, our team leader Oson—equally lazy—nudged me for the answer.

“Currently, we have six scrolls,” I responded quickly.

“That’s enough. Write up a report on that. Tomorrow, Namia, go with the escort knights and bring a few defense scrolls.”

I swallowed dryly.

According to the original story, the Crown Prince dies during tomorrow’s event.

‘Six scrolls… That won’t even save his left arm.’

The royal family of Polariwood were Dragonkin—descendants of dragons.

Their physical prowess far exceeded that of humans, and once past the age of twenty-five, they could even take dragon form.

‘They also have other special powers, but let’s set that aside for now.’

Under their rule, the Empire had long remained at peace.

And among them, Crown Prince Kiaros was especially exceptional. There was even a joke that he protected his escort knights, not the other way around.

Because of that, defense scrolls were rarely needed.

‘But tomorrow, something he can’t foresee happens! And they only have six scrolls?!’

Before I realized it, the meeting had ended. Staff started returning to their desks.

I was walking among them, dragging my feet, when someone spoke to me.

“Where is my seat?”

It was the new intern—with the annoyingly handsome face.

‘Ah, right.’

I sighed inwardly.

When the Minister said, “Assign him the seat next to you. Show him the ropes,” he really meant, “I’m done dealing with him—he’s your problem now.”

“Ah, yes. Please follow me.”

The seat beside mine had remained vacant. No new hires meant no juniors under me.

As soon as the intern sat down, he confidently handed me a document.

“Please sign this first.”

A quick glance showed it was a magical scroll granting permission to access Scroll Department documents.

Once I signed it, the magic would automatically activate and grant access.

“Ah, sure. What’s your name?”

“Keyvon Artes.”

For an intern, he was oddly bold. Maybe because he was a foreigner?

Well, any intern here needed access anyway…

But I wasn’t really paying attention to the intern at all.

Even after returning the signed scroll, my mind kept racing.

‘If the Crown Prince dies tomorrow, that starts the war express train. I need to stop it, somehow!’

The royals die one after another starting with the Crown Prince, leading to war.

I had to do what I could, starting now.

I waited for the right moment and quietly asked Oson:

“Team Leader, isn’t six defense scrolls too few?”

He casually scratched his ear before replying.

“Namia? Did you just express an opinion?”

“Ah, yes…”

“Even though the Minister said it’s enough? And you, the lowest-ranking employee, dare question that?”

Hah, I figured it’d go like this.

This department was full of hopeless people to begin with…

I lowered my head lifelessly.

“…I’m sorry.”

“Watch yourself. When you’re part of an organization, think before you speak.”

Osone  began nodding off soon after, and I buried my face in my hands in despair.

This is why war happens! Are they even trying to protect him?

As the lowest-ranking member, that was the limit of my authority.

‘Still, I can’t just sit by and let war break out.’

I had no other choice. No options left.

‘At this point… I’ll just have to save him myself.’

A civil servant so lowly I was like a pebble underfoot in the Imperial Palace.

But I had made up my mind to save the Crown Prince—someone far, far above me.

****

Intern Keyvon—no, Kiaros—was simply waiting for the workday to end.

Kiaros possessed a special ability: the power to take on the appearance of others.

That’s how he currently looked like intern Keyvon.

Because commoners were unaware of his ability, no one suspected he was the Crown Prince.

And the reason he had gone so far as to infiltrate this place using his powers?

While investigating subversive forces within the palace, he had begun to suspect the Scroll Management Department. But—

‘Since the department is tied to both the palace and the Magic Tower, royal authority can’t fully access it.’

To freely inspect this department’s documents, he had to become one of them.

‘I already knew it was a mess, but seeing it in person is beyond disappointing.’

And on top of that—

He wanted to see this place with his own eyes. It was the only department not under his direct oversight.

‘If not for the Magic Tower’s backing, I would’ve disbanded them long ago.’

The Scroll Management Department was where people with the lowest civil service exam scores ended up.

They handled magic scrolls but weren’t talented enough to join the Magic Tower.

A cluster of incompetents wasting salaries.

‘I’ll find some excuse during this visit and shut the whole place down.’

Soon, it was almost time to clock out.

People who’d been slacking off all day suddenly stood and began leaving.

Then, Namia—who had been sitting like a corpse all day—turned to him and said:

“Mr. Keyvon. Could you bring a box of scroll parchment and ink? Actually, maybe two boxes each… Yes, let’s go with two.”

He didn’t have a great impression of Namia, his desk neighbor.

She had asked for his name even after he introduced himself—clearly absentminded.

Her big eyes were unfocused, she couldn’t string a sentence together, and kept repeating, “Ah, yes…”

‘She’s obviously just another useless employee like the rest.’

Kiaros responded with barely concealed distaste.

“Ah, I was just about to leave.”

Namia looked straight at him.

He figured those dull eyes were harmless—but then, she spoke in a flat voice.

“The Imperial Civil Service Act, Article 34, states that civil servants must obey the work-related orders of their superiors. Also, Article 28 states that interns are equally bound to fulfill the duties of civil servants within the scope of their assigned authority. You currently hold document access privileges as an intern in the Scroll Department, Mr. Keyvon, which means you are obligated to comply with my order. Additionally, per Article 4, standard working hours are from 9 a.m. to 6 p.m. It is currently exactly 5:45:22. Since my request pertains to valid work duties, and it is still within business hours—and you can still leave on time even after completing this task—I must ask that you carry it out immediately.”

…What?