The Low-Ranking Civil Servant Wants to Achieve Success Chapter 9

 

“Namia! Are you even listening? Huh? Are you ignoring me right now? Why aren’t you answering?”

Whether I answered or not didn’t matter at this point. If I did, he’d find fault. If I didn’t, he’d still find fault.

All I could do was stall by half-heartedly engaging.

“…I couldn’t enter the Magic Tower because I lacked the ability…”

“If your grades weren’t good enough to get in, then you shouldn’t be putting on airs in the first place!”

I kept my head down and wore the most apologetic expression I could muster.

“His Highness the Crown Prince is a Dragonkin! And the White Knights were with him! He could’ve dodged those arrows easily without you stepping in!”

No… he really couldn’t have.

But clearly, the general public believed that.

Not that I could blame them—there’s no way Kiaros would ever publicly reveal he was experiencing his second Dark Phase.

‘And he probably never will.’

He’s not the kind of Crown Prince who’d admit weakness—especially not something like this.

Plus, Dark Phases are a closely guarded secret even among the Dragonkin.

While I was deep in thought,Osone   tilted his chin smugly and started mocking me.

“Thanks to you showing off, now everyone knows how ‘great’ you are, huh?”

“Ah… yes…”

“Why don’t you look sorry at all? Why are you answering like you’ve done something to be proud of?”

Sigh… See? You get scolded whether you answer or not.

“If you’re so amazing, why even bother working with a team, huh? Why join an organization at all?”

To make money…

Of course, that was the one response you should never, ever say aloud.

“If you’re gonna act on your own without thinking about your coworkers, then you never should’ve joined the department in the first place! You’re exhausting to deal with!”

Then maybe don’t come to work if you’re so exhausted…

As I stayed quiet,Osone   slammed his hand on the desk.

“Fine. You fix it.”

Oh. We’re moving on to the next stage now, huh?

That meant: “Now I’ll deliver my conclusion.” Finally, the end of this uncomfortable exchange was in sight.

As expected,Osone   made a solemn declaration.

“Write a statement.”

“A statement…?”

“Say you miscounted inventory and thought there were only six scrolls, but found more right before departure and brought them along. You’ll get a light disciplinary notice and that’s it.”

Wow. Just as I predicted.

BehindOsone  , the minister gave me a subtle look, then silently mouthed some words.

Just for me to see, her lips formed:

‘Imperial commendation.’

As expected.

The situation was unfolding exactly how I thought it would. I felt no tension at all.

This was her way of saying, “The commendation is coming, so just let this go for now.”

Even an incompetent minister is still a minister. She must have heard about it already.

‘So His Highness really is planning to give me a commendation. How considerate of him.’

That was enough to satisfy me.

‘And clearly, the minister has no intention of informing the Magic Tower.’

Well, that was fine by me.

I had never expected much from this organization in the first place.

Because of our nominal connection to the Tower, the Scroll Department was one of the only places in the palace left alone by upper management.

That’s why the department just coasted by, focused solely on their own safety.

‘I’m no different from the rest of them.’

I was already too well-adjusted to feel disillusioned by this place.

‘Maybe I wasn’t like this in the beginning…’

To be honest, I used to be excited about working in the Scroll Department.

Even if I’d been valedictorian on the civil service exam, I still would’ve chosen this place.

‘There was a time I truly loved magic and found scroll research fascinating…’

But after 3 years and 7 months in this broken department, my ideals had been steadily worn down, and my initial passion had faded into a blur.

Now that everything was going exactly as expected, it didn’t even disappoint me anymore.

“You don’t like it? Huh? Why aren’t you answering?”

 Osone  glared at me.

“If you don’t like it, get out of the Imperial Palace! Go work on your own, then!”

“I just… you told me not to answer earlier, so…”

“This is why you won’t make it! You can’t read the room, huh? How are you supposed to survive in this organization like that?”

Okay, this was getting boring.

I put on my best “repentant” face and glanced at the clock.

It was the time when all departments started their first task of the day.

‘The Imperial Knights should be delivering the commendation about now.’

And then it happened.

SLAM.

The door burst open with a bang as the handle struck the wall.

‘Ah, finally!’

That was a satisfying entrance.

A page from the White Knights must’ve come with the commendation.

‘Time to see the menu board!’

Excited, I turned around—

“How amusing.”

A chilly voice pierced the air.

Crimson eyes that gleamed with eerie light. Golden hair like captured sunlight. A tall figure with impeccable proportions, muscular and balanced.

A man so perfect it made you forget how to breathe stood before us with a crooked smile.

“Truly… this is entertaining.”

More than anything, he exuded an oppressive aura that made people tremble.

Unlike earlier, whenOsone   was shouting, the department fell into an entirely different kind of silence.

As if he were familiar with such oppressive stillness, he spoke with elegant venom.

“Since when did team leaders have the authority to discuss termination without Imperial permission?”

He didn’t raise his voice. But my legs shook on their own.Osone   looked like he was about to collapse.

The minister was the first to regain her senses and jumped to her feet.

“Y-Your Highness!”

…What the hell!

Why did Kiaros come himself instead of just sending the commendation?!

I spiraled into panic, struggling to breathe.

‘No way! Did he hear everythingOsone   just said?!’

The situation was beyond anything I’d imagined.

My heart thundered as I thought,

‘If there’s anything he didn’t hear, I need to tattle immediately!’

The atmosphere was no joke. It felt like ice water had been poured over the entire room.

 Osone  was trembling so hard it was almost pitiful to watch.

‘Ugh…’

Kiaros hadn’t shouted. He hadn’t made any threatening gestures.

And yet all of us were trying not to even breathe too loudly.

‘That pressure… it’s insane…’

His silence felt like it could crush us.

“This is how this department operates? Dishing out discipline over personal achievement?”

Kiaros spoke slowly, his red eyes gleaming with cold fury.

I looked absolutely terrified on the outside—but inside, I was deeply relieved.

‘Guess I don’t have to report anything. He heard it all.’

There was clear rage in his voice as he continued,

“I’ve been incompetent. If I can’t even manage one palace department, how can I rule an empire?”

Which, of course, meant: “I’m not going to stop ruling. But I am going to make an example out of all of you.”

He turned his icy gaze on the minister.

“Transfer all Scroll Department access privileges to me. I’ll personally oversee this department for now.”

Now that was surprising. He wanted access? Just like that?

“B-but we need the Magic Tower’s approval—ah, I-I misspoke, Your Highness! I’ll process it immediately!”

The minister scrambled to sign the necessary documents.

I watched with a mental shrug.

‘The Tower’s going to flip.’

Honestly, I agreed with the minister when it came to Tower politics.

‘Kiaros is bound to clash hard with the Tower Master… Did he really have to make such a direct demand?’

The Magic Tower wanted to maintain their pride in front of the Imperial Family while doing nothing to actually manage us.

‘If he wanted access, couldn’t he have just used some secret loophole instead of doing it so openly…?’