The Low-Ranking Civil Servant Wants to Achieve Success - Chapter 145

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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 145
“My goodness, what in the world.”
I gasped in astonishment.
“Why did you go through the trouble of carrying him all the way here yourself? You must have suffered enough just escaping. Didn’t any of the knights offer to help?”
“….”
Kiaros offered no particular response.
Had he insisted on carrying him all this way himself to show off to me, even though the knights had offered their assistance?
First, I quickly examined the silver-haired man sprawled at Grandfather’s feet.
“Namia! My precious granddaughter!”
In the meantime, Grandfather pulled me into an embrace, but even so, I couldn’t tear my eyes away from the unconscious silver-haired man.
“Hmm….”
There was a reason I wasn’t throwing myself at Father in an emotional frenzy the moment I saw him.
‘All the circumstances suggest this man is our father… yet something feels off.’
Father had never been this muscular, nor had his skin been so darkened.
Seeing my suspicious expression, Kiaros spoke up.
“It’s Cedric Loapi.”
Kiaros still wore the black garments of the Gaejo Faction, yet radiance emanated from her appearance—a testament to how true beauty transcends mere clothing.
“He said with his own mouth that his daughter is Namia.”
“Ah….”
Father’s eyes were closed, but examining his features confirmed he was indeed the father from my memories. Grandfather clicked his tongue in disapproval.
“It must be the result of experimentation.”
“Ah….”
The Emperor, who had been observing the scene, suddenly rose to his feet with a grunt.
“Well then, all the important people have arrived. Now it’s my turn to step forward.”
The Emperor had been waiting out of concern for our safety. He patted Kiaros on the shoulder and smiled toward me.
“We can discuss the details later. Since it’s the Age of Darkness anyway, my son is utterly useless—so let him and I catch up. If Namia would acknowledge the Emperor’s efforts in dragging this troublesome son all the way here, that would be most appreciated.”
After all, he was the great Dragon-kin who had come personally to resolve everything. Now he felt no pain, and as a member of the Imperial Family, he could manifest as a dragon freely.
“Wait, wait, wait, wait, wait just a moment!”
Grandfather immediately stepped in front of the Emperor.
“That is absolutely unacceptable!”
A wild gleam flickered in his blue eyes.
“Do you not know of Aran’s whereabouts? Our Aran! Your Majesty absolutely must not do anything until our Aran has seen him!”
I sighed and pulled Grandfather’s arm down.
“Mother isn’t here. She escaped.”
“How admirable! Our Aran found her way to safety so resourcefully!”
Upon hearing that Mother had escaped, Grandfather beamed with satisfaction.
The Emperor and Kiaros exchanged bewildered glances but refrained from interjecting into our conversation.
“Now I shall find her first and hide her away. Ahahaha!”
“She didn’t escape on her own—she was coerced and dragged away by the Tower Master.”
I shook my head as I spoke.
“And if Mother were caught, of course she would have to face the consequences of her actions. A mistake is a mistake, after all.”
“Our child can make mistakes sometimes. You shouldn’t crush her spirit over such things.”
“Because that child made mistakes, her own child has suffered terribly and lived a pitiful life.”
“What? Suffered terribly?”
“Yes.”
So I recounted the hardships I had endured throughout my childhood.
The abuse I suffered in the Loapi Barony, how I could barely eat properly, how I had to graduate from the Academy without taking certain exams and without making friends.
When I even mentioned that I had worked in the Ministry of Finance on top of everything else, Grandfather’s face flushed red and then drained of color.
“It’s all because of Mother. Because she irresponsibly gave birth to me and abandoned me.”
I couldn’t bring myself to say that Mother had turned out so badly because Grandfather had raised her to believe that no matter how wrong her actions were, everything would be fine.
“That is… well…”
Grandfather groaned and pressed his hand to his forehead.
Even without my saying it, he seemed to vaguely understand that his own parenting had gone wrong.
“That is… ah…”
Eventually, Grandfather collapsed into a chair with a vacant expression.
Kiaros and the Emperor, watching him, whispered to each other.
“Wow, bloodline sins passed down, and ultimately the bloodline itself bears the karmic retribution. For the Tower Master, this must be the cruelest punishment.”
“The Scroll Management Department was in chaos because the Tower Master emphasized only rights and shirked all responsibilities, and his granddaughter was even overworked there…”
But I heard every word of their whisper. Grandfather let out a pained groan and buried his face in his hands.
“It’s all right, Grandfather.”
I placed my hand on Grandfather’s shoulder and spoke gently.
“Even so, you were the first person to give me a gift, and you looked after me until the very end. Having been born under a mother who was worse than useless and lived such a pitiful life, that alone was deeply moving to me.”
“Hic, hic… What is this mere scroll fragment… I could have raised our precious child at the Magic Tower without a speck of dust on her feet, like a princess…”
One thing was certain: I was infinitely grateful that I had grown up in Father’s hands rather than Grandfather’s.
I smiled brightly at Grandfather and added.
“And… if you wish to make amends to me, Grandfather, I’ve already thought of a way you can repay me.”
“Anything, anything at all! Anything!”
At Grandfather’s response, Kiaros slowly shook his head and muttered, “Namia really will make him do anything.”
In any case, leaving Grandfather in his panic, I slowly turned to face Kiaros and the Emperor and spoke.
“You’ve probably gathered as much, but the leader of the Gaejofa Faction, Biberus, has fled with Mother.”
And I asked Kibon.
“Kibon, can you track them?”
I asked because Kibon had apparently managed to find traces of people and escape outside.
But the answer wasn’t a bark.
“Well, is there perhaps any clue that might help?”
Both Kibon and I looked at Kiaros with bewildered expressions.
“That… I… I apologize, but this dog’s name is Kibon.”
When I said this to Kiaros, he made a distinctly displeased expression.
“The clue would be… scent, and it seems this other Kibon would be better at that…”
Then Kibon shook his head firmly.
“Woof! Woof! Woof!”
It seemed like a refusal.
Watching this, my Grandfather—who had been spiraling into panic—let out a choked sob.
“My poor little Namia… how can I bear this…”
Grandfather muttered while wiping away his tears.
“How can I possibly bear this…”
The old man wept like a child, his tears streaming freely. It seemed both his remorse toward me and his self-reproach were overwhelming him at once.
I pulled my Grandfather into a tight embrace.
“It’s alright… Grandfather, truly it is… Even if you feel that way, I’m fine.”
And I comforted him gently.
“Because I will capture both Biberus and Mother…”
It would have been easier if Kibon could pursue them, but even without that, there were other ways.
I smiled warmly and added:
“No matter what, by any means necessary, I will.”
That was when it happened.
“Ugh… ugh…”
Father, who had been outside the scope of our attention until now, began to emit low groans.
I was comforting Grandfather when I immediately rushed to Father’s side.
“Father?”
Though his frame had become muscular, his entire body was covered in scars.
That lean man who had once held me close when I was small and told me beautiful stories seemed to have vanished like a lie.
Yet he was still my Father.
The one I had longed for all this time, my only family.
“Father… are you coming to?”
Kiaros stood quietly beside me, hands clasped behind his back.
But while I was gently touching Father’s face,
Grandfather—now free from his panic—slowly lifted his head and fixed Kiaros with a sharp, piercing gaze.
“But Crown Prince, at this moment…”
Grandfather’s eyes were filled with suspicion and anger.
“Based on what His Majesty the Emperor said earlier… what did he mean by ‘unfinished business’?”
His perception was truly keen.
He had remembered every single word the Emperor had uttered in passing.
“Could it be about Namia… could it be about Namia…?”
“Yes.”
Kiaros answered calmly.
“I am fond of Namia.”

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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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