The Low-Ranking Civil Servant Wants to Achieve Success - Chapter 141

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This chapter was translated by Lunox Novels. To support us and help keep this series going, visit our website: LunoxScans.com
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Chapter 141
Kiaros’s prediction proved accurate.
‘Just as I thought—that old man’s character is absolutely rotten.’
He dodged hastily while thinking this.
‘There’s no way he’d let a man confess to his granddaughter without retaliation.’
It was probably meant only to knock someone unconscious temporarily.
Even that was a remarkable scroll. Ordinarily, scrolls possessed little functional power.
But when Namia, whose magical power had grown formidable, activated it, a thunderbolt descended from a clear sky like divine retribution.
‘Well, this works out perfectly.’
As the lightning struck, the tightly sealed Underground Passage began to collapse.
Collapse meant new passages would form.
A massive boulder fell between Namia and me, and we both began plummeting into completely different locations.
‘It’s fine. Namia will move outside immediately.’
I maneuvered my body nimbly through the gaps between falling rocks.
Following the path of the lightning, a space opened where above and below now connected.
‘Cedric Loapi should be down there. First, I’ll rescue him….’
I had promised to find my Biological Father without fail. That was my first promise to Namia.
I descended rapidly while thinking.
‘I need to make a good impression.’
According to Namia’s account, Cedric was an exceptionally gentle and affectionate man.
A father who gave warm teachings about marrying the person you love.
He was clearly not the type to throw a tantrum like the Tower Master, ranting ‘I won’t tolerate any man who approaches my granddaughter!’
So making a good impression on Cedric didn’t seem difficult. Especially if I rescued him myself….
My imagination unfolded.
[Namia, the Crown Prince saved me. To keep his promise to you.]
[Yes, Father.]
[I wish for you to marry someone as trustworthy as this. And do you know how respectfully and courteously the Crown Prince treated me? Despite his high station, there’s no need to feel burdened at all. Truly, he possesses everything.]
[Yes, Father.]
Namia still needed time.
But with Cedric’s support, that time could become considerably shorter.
‘Just to be safe….’
In the darkness where only dim light scattered here and there, my golden hair began to transform into black.
If anyone from the Gaejo Faction recognized me, it would become troublesome.
Kiaros’s appearance was that striking. And everyone knew that golden hair and crimson eyes were symbols of the Imperial Family.
That was when it happened.
“Hngh…. I can see a path.”
Someone emerged from the sealed passage below, clearing away rocks.
I concealed myself and observed the source of the voice.
‘Who is that? Did they escape from the Underground Prison?’
A man with bronze skin and impressive musculature appeared.
Apparently an experimental subject, the man had removed his upper garment, and his lower clothing was equally poor in quality.
As the man pushed the boulder once more, a back covered entirely in scars came into view.
‘Hmm.’
The man had silver hair and blue eyes. However….
[My father was tall and lanky, with a lean build. He had no muscle to speak of, and instead his skin was incredibly pale—no matter how much manual labor he did outside, he never tanned.]
Namia had certainly described Cedric Loapi that way.
[My father must have had a constitution where muscles didn’t develop easily. I think I inherited that from him. I’m just not built for exercise either.]
So there was no helping but to feel suspicious.
Just as Kiaros hesitated for a moment, the boulder beneath his feet crumbled with a rumbling sound.
“Oh dear….”
Thanks to that, the muscular man seemed to have discovered Kiaros.
The man’s face bore a large scar, giving his expression a somehow menacing appearance.
“Heh heh, what do I do about this….”
The man stared intently at Kiaros, then sniffled.
Kiaros stepped slowly before him with suspicious eyes. That was when it happened.
“I’m so sorry!”
The man swung his fist at Kiaros.
“I apologize for breaking the contract to stay here, but I’m leaving now!”
Kiaros instinctively dodged. But immediately another heavy fist came threatening toward him.
‘This is troublesome.’
There was no choice. Kiaros nimbly kicked, striking the experimental subject’s face first.
“Ugh! I’m sorry! I can’t give up!”
Though he’d been thrown against the boulder hard enough to hurt, the man charged at him again like a bull. Kiaros had no choice but to drive his fist straight into the man’s abdomen.
‘…Just knock him out quickly and head down.’
I had no time to waste on this strange man. I needed to follow that passage down and find Cedric Loapi.
Since I’d already thrown one punch, it was better for both of us to finish this quickly.
‘His brute strength is incredible… but he has no technique whatsoever.’
Even in the darkest of ages, he was no match for Kiaros.
“Ugh!”
Kiaros subdued the man quietly, expressionlessly.
And just as he was about to strike a vital point to render him unconscious.
“No! Namia!”
Kiaros’s face froze solid.
“Namia… my daughter, I have to see my daughter….”
I’d beaten the man like a dog without thinking.
‘But he attacked first, so there’s no helping it….’
As Kiaros hastily tried to rationalize, he realized that right now, with his black hair and black eyes, he looked exactly like a Guardian of the Gaejofa Faction.
“Namia….”
The man lost consciousness.
Kiaros approached the man cautiously.
A middle-aged man with silver hair and blue eyes. And that final murmur: ‘my daughter Namia’.
Ah.
No matter how I thought about it, this man had to be Cedric Loapi.
I pressed my forehead, thinking.
This seemed ruined.
* * *
A thunderous crack echoed through the air.
As lightning split the space between Kiaros and me, and the ground between us began to collapse once more.
A terrified whimper escaped me. “S-s-s-scared… so scared…”
I panicked and reached for a teleportation scroll.
But the thought of Kibon (dog form) made me hesitate in that instant.
From far away, I could hear continuous barking, and it was drawing closer.
He’s catching my scent and running toward me! Because I called out his name earlier!
Heavens.
Called once, and he’d search to the very end—that was so like Kibon Altes…
Knowing that Kibon (dog form) was coming into this darkness, I simply couldn’t bring myself to use the teleportation scroll alone.
Right, I can use it anytime anyway.
When I gathered my courage, opened my eyes, and pressed myself against the wall.
Wait.
A very small side path appeared—not the passage leading to the Underground Prison.
That narrow path, running laterally, seemed to connect to somewhere entirely different from the corridor I’d descended through.
What is this?
In any case, it seemed safer to go that way than to stay here where everything was crumbling and collapsing.
I rolled my body into the side path and began advancing carefully, one step at a time.
Kibon, follow me. This place seems safer.
The passage was wide enough that Kibon (dog form) should be able to enter easily.
Was this some kind of secret passage? Light was seeping through from far ahead.
Unlike the ruined original path, this one was flat and stretched straight, making it easy to traverse.
It must be an emergency escape route.
If so, this was precisely an emergency.
As I walked cautiously through the darkness, following the path.
At the end of the passage, I heard voices murmuring.
The Gaejofa Faction, probably.
I slowed my footsteps carefully. I didn’t know where this passage led, but I could use my teleportation scroll anytime, and I still had one concealment scroll remaining.
When I paused my steps cautiously to observe the situation further.
“Ugh, really…”
Now that the distance was close enough, I heard the voice of an unfamiliar middle-aged man.
“Let’s think rationally about this.”
And at his next words, I clamped my mouth shut and held my breath.
“Huh? Aran.”
Aran.
My mother’s name.
Mother was there.

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