I’m a Rookie, but I’m an Experienced Professional - Chapter 14

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This chapter was translated by Lunox Team. To support us and help keep this series going, visit our website: LunoxScans.com
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Chapter 14

After working for quite a while, it was already 5 PM.

“I’ll wrap up here for today!”

I wanted to do more, but if I wasn’t careful, I’d miss the last carriage.

While Tabin and the house owners went to clean up the debris, I was catching my breath and brushing off my hands covered in dust and wood shavings when the boy came rushing in.

“Sister, the team leader is here to see you.”

“Team leader?”

What team leader do I have… oh, could it be Toma Harens?

I turned my head just in case, and sure enough, Toma Harens had actually come.

I could see other City Planning Department employees behind him too.

Toma Harens, who had entered on his own, looked at the temporarily patched ceiling and floor, the tools, and the materials gathered on one side, and his face twisted with displeasure.

“What the hell is this supposed to be?”

“As you can see, I was repairing the house.”

“So who gave you permission to repair the house?”

“I got permission from the house owners.”

His eyebrows twitched as if my answer didn’t please him.

“Do you think it was right to leave the office during work hours without your team leader’s permission to do house repairs, and now you’re talking back?”

“I just answered because you asked.”

“Eileen!”

Toma Harens’ voice boomed like a lion’s roar.

He always called me “hey” or “you,” so I thought he didn’t know my name, but apparently he does.

“It’s my fault for leaving the office without the team leader’s permission. I’m truly sorry about that.”

I should acknowledge what needs to be acknowledged and address what needs to be addressed.

“But I didn’t know I needed the team leader’s permission to repair a house too.”

“This building isn’t privately owned—it’s city property. So maintenance and repairs are also under public department jurisdiction.”

“Then didn’t I do the right thing?”

I tilted my head slightly.

“It seems like I properly did my job as a City Planning Department employee.”

“Ha, I knew you were impossible to reason with, but I didn’t think it was this bad.”

Toma Harens let out a hollow laugh and crossed his arms.

“First. I never instructed you to repair this building.”

“…”

“Second. We only give work orders—we don’t work the sites directly. All fieldwork is handled by Oak Heart Workshop.”

Come to think of it, the boy had asked the Oak Heart Workshop carpenters for help and got rejected.

“Is there perhaps a law or the lord’s order that fieldwork must be entrusted to Oak Heart Workshop?”

I thought that might be why he was so angry, but suddenly Toma Harens’ eyes flinched.

What’s this? That expression looks like someone who just realized they forgot to wash their hands after using the restroom.

“That doesn’t seem to be the case. Then there’s no absolute need to entrust it to Oak Heart Workshop, is there?”

“It’s customary.”

Ah, custom.

What a fine-sounding expression.

It was also an expression I hated most.

Usually, things called customs had nothing officially documented and were often decided arbitrarily by those in power for their own convenience.

If that were all, I wouldn’t say anything.

“Usually when customs are established, the other party often shows quite sincere expressions of gratitude…”

I deliberately trailed off and smiled.

“Did you perhaps receive something from Oak Heart Workshop too, team leader?”

“Don’t talk nonsense!”

Toma Harens shouted even louder than before while glancing at the employees who came with him.

‘This bastard definitely took bribes.’

That’s why he’s displeased with my repairs and trying to stop me somehow.

His money source might get cut off, and worse, the fact that he took bribes might be exposed.

‘Wait a minute. Could it be that leaving the severely flood-damaged areas alone and working on intact areas first was also about money?’

Thinking about it, all the areas with triangular roofs installed were places where wealthy nobles and rich people lived.

Too perfect a situation to be coincidence.

“Whether the team leader took bribes from Oak Heart Workshop or not will be clear after investigation.”

“Do whatever you want.”

I expected him to be a bit flustered, but surprisingly he was calmer than before.

“But if it turns out to be false, you’ll submit your resignation and leave the team.”

Toma Harens pointed at the wide-open door and spoke fiercely.

“I don’t need an employee who doesn’t listen to the team leader, acts on their own, and even harbors suspicions.”

“Fine.”

When I nodded without hesitation, Toma Harens’ eyes narrowed.

He probably thought I’d get scared and back down, but not a chance.

Since I wanted to quit as soon as possible, I’d actually be grateful if he gave me a chance to submit my resignation.

“Then let’s go see the lord together.”

“That’s not necessary.”

A low voice suddenly interrupted, and the people gathered at the door split to both sides.

“Let’s talk here.”

Callix Crowbell appeared through the gap.

When the lord appeared, the City Planning Department employees who had been huddled together at the front door vanished without a trace as if they’d never been there.

Tabin and the building residents filled their place.

“What brings the lord all the way here?”

“Well. The atmosphere does seem quite serious…”

“From what I heard, that young lady apparently repaired this place on her own without the team leader’s permission.”

The building residents murmured while looking at us.

Tabin was looking at me with eyes full of worry and anxiety.

‘Sigh, this got troublesome.’

Tabin thinks I’m doing well at the City Planning Department, but now he has to see this.

I sighed involuntarily.

“My lord.”

Toma Harens, who had been equally stiff, stepped forward.

“Miss Eileen made a false report about going on external duties during work hours and left the office without permission.”

His tone was polite, but his gaze toward me was full of venom.

“Moreover, she touched a city-owned building without my permission as team leader and proceeded with repairs on her own.”

Callix Crowbell looked at me. His gaze was so sharp that my shoulders unconsciously hunched.

“If we just let an employee who ignores the chain of command and acts unilaterally go unpunished, there will be various problems in the future.”

He could just directly say to fire me instead of beating around the bush.

Though I hoped to be fired as soon as possible, I had no intention of going down alone.

Just as I was about to say that he seemed to have taken bribes from Oak Heart Workshop.

“W-wait a moment!”

The boy shouted loudly and stepped forward.

“I was the one who asked sister for help!”

His tightly clasped hands were trembling, but his voice was strong.

“After the last rainy season, water kept dripping from the ceiling. The walls and floor got all wet, and the musty smell was so bad it was hard to breathe.”

“That’s right.”

The house owners I had repaired for today also stepped forward.

“This has been going on for almost a month. We submitted repair requests several times during that period, but all we got back was to wait.”

“Oak Heart Workshop was the same too.”

Starting from those words, other residents began to speak up one by one.

“That young lady only did what she should do as an administrator. But punishment? That’s ridiculous.”

“That’s right. Rather, you should punish the other administrators who didn’t do their jobs properly.”

As the residents took my side and brought up the incompetence of other administrators, Toma Harens’s face visibly hardened.

Callix Crowbell, who had been quietly listening to the residents’ stories, looked at me.

“Explain where and how you repaired this building.”

Somehow this seems to be getting troublesome…

“Why aren’t you answering?”

“Ah, well, I worked on the roof first. Because that’s where the rainwater infiltration was most severe.”

I answered as if being pushed.

“Then I tore down the ceiling of the house where leaks occurred, removed all the wet finishing materials, and cleared out all the rags and cloth that were inside.”

The lord looked around the house while listening to my story.

“…The finishing is still in a temporary state. After it’s completely dried, I plan to reapply wallpaper and repair the ceiling as well.”

“How long will it take to finish everything?”

“Including weekends, I think it will take about ten more days.”

“Hmm…”

Callix Crowbell stroked his chin and thought for a moment, then nodded as if he had made a decision.

“Leaving your workplace without reporting to your superior and lying about going on external duties is certainly a grave mistake.”

His low, resonant voice had a strange power that made people focus.

“However, considering your merit in handling work that the administrators failed to do, I’ll have you take responsibility for this building and repair it to completion.”

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This chapter was translated by Lunox Team. To support us and help keep this series going, visit our website: LunoxScans.com
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