The Low-Ranking Civil Servant Wants to Achieve Success Chapter 91

As expected, both warehouse 113 and warehouse 241 contained green boxes filled with scrolls. Of course, those scrolls had been adjusted in advance so that no accidents would occur during the banquet, even if they were actually used.

‘But those scrolls had markings only I could recognize.’

In the original scrolls, Cairo’s figure would disappear after five waves of the hand. But the scrolls in warehouse 113 disappeared after four waves, and those in 241 after six.

‘This way, I could tell whether the scrolls had been swapped or not—and even which group was responsible for the switch.’

If I’d divided the groups further, I could have tracked it in more detail. But given the time constraints, splitting it into two was the best I could manage.

‘There’s no way someone could’ve swapped all of them alone. The Education Ministry staff responsible for moving the scrolls must have been involved…’

In other words, the spy in the Scroll Department provided the intel, and the Education Ministry executed the switch.

I took a deep breath and calmed my mind.

This had been a trap set under the assumption there was a mole, and yet seeing the results with my own eyes made my heart lurch.

‘Maybe I’ve been more stressed about it than I realized? My stomach’s still churning.’

The nausea that had been bothering me since yesterday worsened. Swallowing it down, I leaned in close and whispered into Kiaros’s ear.

“Your Highness.”

Since Kiaros had already started to suspect me earlier, it was better to offer some excuse—even a hasty one—before things got worse.

“I was looking at Prince Jayden because I thought he was cute. I had no time to worry about abilities or whatever.”

Even knowing it would sound suspicious, I had no choice but to lie. I couldn’t tell him I knew the future.

But what I could do was point him to someone more suspicious.

“I was watching… the results of the trap I mentioned earlier.”

I tried to calm my pounding heart.

In the end, when Cairo’s image disappeared, he waved four times.

No matter how long I waited—desperately waited—Cairo only waved four times before vanishing.

Truthfully… I’d hoped he would wave five times.

That no scrolls had been swapped. That there were no traitors left in the department.

“I’ve narrowed down the mole in the Scroll Department. The one who tried to ruin this banquet and take me down.”

Kiaros looked grave, too. After all, this plan had been one we’d devised together.

[Will you be attending the Saint Cairo banquet?]
[Hmm. I wasn’t planning on it, honestly.]
[I’d really like you to be there.]

I glanced briefly at the Education Minister. Our eyes met instantly. He looked stunned—completely panicked.

Of course. He had swapped the scrolls, yet the event ended without a hitch. That was hard to believe.

Seeing his face, Kiaros, too, wore a chilling expression.

“So Namia, your suspicions were… all correct.”

To corner him properly, I needed Kiaros’s authority.

I couldn’t just say “Let me handle it, just take him down”, so I’d asked him to attend and witness it all firsthand.

Of course, I hadn’t expected him to ask me to be his partner… But in hindsight, having him by my side made communication a lot easier.

“Anyway, which group does the mole belong to?”

Kiaros only knew that I had divided the Scroll Department staff into two and fed them different intel. So I had to report the list to him directly.

Maintaining as much composure as I could, I whispered,

“Victor , Arwin, Anastasia ,Cayenne.”

“Team leaders, huh.”

“And…”

“Hmm? There’s more?”

“…Ah…”

My breath caught in my throat.

I’d managed to stay calm until now, but my fingertips began to tremble. Speaking this name out loud was far more difficult than the others.

My throat tightened, and tears welled up in my eyes. Only after several deep breaths could I barely, just barely suppress my emotions.

Inside, a voice kept whispering “No way. Not him.” But even so, I couldn’t exclude him.

“It’s…”

To the team leaders, I had spoken inside the minister’s office. To the rest of the staff, I’d spoken outside.

Because the office had poor soundproofing, I had secretly used a sound-blocking scroll. If the others outside overheard anything, the entire plan would have to be scrapped.

Which meant…

“…Keyvon Artes. My secretary who was inside the office.”

I didn’t want to believe it, but one of these three was the mole.

****

“Where are you going, Minister?”

“Oh, I’ve got a headache.”

The Education Minister quickly turned away.

“I’ll be leaving early. Enjoy the rest of the banquet.”

His head really did pound, as if the headache were real. When his eyes met Namia’s icy blue ones, a primal fear swept over him.

She knows everything. She laid this trap on purpose.

Just a day before the event, he had received a note from the Reformist Faction:

The office scrolls are stored in green boxes in warehouse 113.
Swap them with the scrolls in the blue boxes meant for the banquet.

The event is tomorrow, and there are too many to switch alone without getting caught.
Fortunately, Education Ministry staff will be transporting the boxes—have them swap the scrolls just before the event.
The Scroll Department has too few people to monitor the Education staff.

Then, the final figure of Cairo will strike the chandelier, causing a massive fire in the hall.

It was all based on information passed from the mole within the Scroll Department to the Reformists.

The Minister had instructed seven fifth-year civil servants:

[The Scroll Department just contacted me. Apparently the scrolls were mixed up. The scrolls in the green boxes in warehouse 113 are actually for the banquet. Go swap them now. Leave the boxes as they are—the Empress and Prince mustn’t find out about the mistake.]

The Education Ministry staff accepted it readily, thinking, “Typical Scroll Department behavior.”

[Also, keep your dignity as Education Ministry officials. Don’t even speak to the Scroll staff. Sorry for dragging you into this event. I promise it won’t happen again. To make up for it, I brought energy drinks. Have one each.]

He had personally seen the scrolls in warehouse 113 being swapped.

But for things to end like this…

Namia, whispering into Kiaros’s ear, looked terrifying.

‘I have to get out of here.’

He hurriedly slipped away from the banquet.

But—

“Please stop right there.”

Just as he reached the palace’s back gate, someone was waiting for him.

A brown-haired young man stood with a group of unidentified knights. The Education Minister instantly recognized that this man blocking his path was no mere bureaucrat.

“Who are you? Get out of the way!”

“I am Luka Klass, rival of Namia Roapia, Minister of the Scroll Department.”

“What?”

The youth, with a strangely determined and somewhat clueless look, raised his chin.

“We performed drug tests on the seven Education Ministry officials involved in transporting scrolls. Every single one showed traces of a paralytic agent.”

The Minister’s heart dropped with a loud thump.

It was true—he had laced the energy drinks with paralytics.

Because the officials were highly likely to testify that “the Minister ordered us to swap the scrolls.”

Originally, amidst the chaos of a massive fire, they were all supposed to burn to death.