The Low-Ranking Civil Servant Wants to Achieve Success - Chapter 167

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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 167
The Empress departed for the Training Grounds, claiming she needed to practice, while Father said he would tend to his Vegetable Garden as always.
So Jayden, Kibon, and I made our way to Kiaros’s Room.
Kiaros had somehow managed to shake off his Grandfather and was now buried beneath a mountain of documents.
“I have time for tea at least, so stay and keep me company.”
Kiaros spoke with his usual composure.
While Jayden and Kibon roughhoused and darted about the room, I told him that I could no longer cast magic properly.
“I never possessed an extraordinary amount of magical power to begin with, you see.”
I smiled wryly as I spoke.
“What should I do? Now I don’t think I could save you with 172 defensive scrolls even if you were gravely injured.”
Kiaros didn’t look particularly shocked. Rather, he sipped his tea leisurely and replied.
“Then I suppose I’ll have to protect you instead.”
“Well, that’s not necessarily a bad thing for Your Highness, is it? After all, I have no reason to run away now.”
“Then I suppose I’ll have to be the one running away.”
“My goodness.”
I laughed and shrugged my shoulders.
“Have you forgotten what I said—that I’d chase you to the ends of the earth and drag you back?”
“Actually, I was hoping to hear you say that again. I quite enjoy being obsessed over and constrained like this.”
“Woof, woof, woof, woof!”
Kibon, who had been playing with Jayden, yelped in alarm and tried to cover Jayden’s ears. It was certainly an odd thing to say.
In any case, Jayden sat down beside me with a bright smile.
“I’m so glad you two get along so well. Honestly, I was really worried about whether that New Intern from the Scroll Department and Namia would work out. But what happened to that intern?”
Kiaros and I both flinched simultaneously. After a moment of hesitation, I answered with a roll of my eyes.
“Well, um… he was expelled for striking his superior.”
On paper, it was certainly being processed in such a dishonorable manner. After all, Victor had written up an incident report publicly, and I had even signed on as a witness.
I thought there was no need to preserve the honor of Kibon Altes, who was destined to disappear anyway. Besides, it wasn’t my responsibility.
“His superior?”
“Yes. Victor, the Scroll Department Team Leader…”
“Really? He’s quite the hothead. Why did he hit him?”
“Well, um, because he… liked me. So it was a love triangle, or rather a love square? Anyway, it was because of that kind of situation…”
“So he laid hands on someone over that? That’s despicable.”
Then Kiaros cleared his throat and interjected.
“It wasn’t a severe beating—just a light shove and stepping on his foot in front of everyone, apparently.”
“Wow, isn’t that even more petty and narrow-minded? If he’d thrown a punch outright, it might have looked impressive, but acting like a true intern, it looks pathetic. Don’t you think? There was a reason he failed to stand beside Namia! No wonder his eyes were so wide and his expression so presumptuous from the start.”
“…”
Having unnecessarily brought up what happened at the Saint Cairo Banquet, Kiaros didn’t even break even.
“Anyway, so that intern has vanished without a trace, right, Namia?”
“Ah, well, not exactly…”
Kiaros and I spoke simultaneously.
“He lives on in all of our hearts.”
“It remains under this puppy’s name.”
Jayden reacted with far greater interest to my words than to Kiaros’s response.
“Huh? This puppy?”
“Yes. It seems you’ve forgotten, but that New Intern’s name was also Kibon.”
“Ah, that’s right! I knew I’d heard that name somewhere before!”
“Woof woof!”
Kibon, nestled in Jayden’s arms, barked happily at the recognition. And so Kibon’s memory lived on—in all our hearts and in the loyal dog who bore his name.
“Well, anyway. About wrapping up the remaining matters with the Gaejofa Faction, it seems we’ll need to move directly on-site.”
Kiaros swiftly steered the conversation forward.
“Since I’m still in the Dark Period, it’s difficult for me to act, but the Emperor will be stepping in.”
He smiled knowingly at both Jayden and me.
“Which means we need to return to the Imperial Palace.”
“That works out well. I’ll come with you.”
I answered eagerly.
“My leave period is nearly up anyway.”
“That… I was already assuming you’d come with us, of course.”
Jayden, who had been listening to our exchange, chuckled softly, then leaned against me as he spoke.
“I’ll call you sister-in-law after we have the wedding, Namia. For now, I’d like us to stay close like this.”
“Of course, whatever feels comfortable for you.”
I nodded without particularly denying the word “wedding.” Jayden grinned and continued.
“Namia speaks so formally to the Crown Prince, though. Wouldn’t it be better to be more relaxed? I suppose the Empress is different since she comes from a knight background, but…”
Then Kiaros interjected with a quiet laugh.
“I’m always telling her to be more casual too, but she only gets excessively relaxed in certain places or situations. She gives strict orders and makes unilateral decisions and…”
I panicked and stepped on Kiaros’s foot where Jayden couldn’t see.
“Of course, I rather enjoy that… ugh.”
“Stop it.”
As Kiaros playfully glanced toward the spacious sofa in his room, I pressed down harder on the foot I’d stepped on.
“Anyway, since we’re on the subject.”
I spoke with a sly tone.
“I’d like to submit a proposal related to the Scroll Department. What do you think?”
“I think it’s a good idea.”
Kiaros said with a smirk.
“The Scroll Department has always been a headache anyway. I was actually planning to call Aran Sertiz separately to discuss his disposition, so we can talk about it then.”
“Yes. I’ll prepare it quickly and visit whenever I have the chance.”
“Anytime.”
He interlaced his fingers leisurely and added in a low voice.
“Even at night.”
Of course, Jayden, thinking it was just business talk, had already started playing with Kibon and didn’t hear that addition.
* * *
And that night.
I had worked diligently on the report and knocked on Kiaros’s door.
“Ah, Namia.”
The title of the report was as follows.
Proposal for the Dissolution of the Scroll Department and Collaboration with the Magic Tower
Upon seeing the words “dissolution of the Scroll Department,” Kiaros’s brow furrowed slightly.
“Hmm… When did you start thinking about this?”
“Since I was at the Scroll Management Department.”
From the moment we heard that it was a department with no real work—a department that might as well not exist—we all lived thinking, “Well, it could work that way too.”
“Actually, even after that, continuously…”
When the Oson incident erupted, even when my Grandfather casually said it was “a department that could simply be eliminated,” I never wavered.
Even after I became the Minister of Scrolls, when only Kibon Altes and I were working diligently to lead the department.
I had always been skeptical about whether this department, which could run with just two people, truly needed to exist.
‘It would be far more efficient to simply designate a responsible mage from the Magic Tower and hand it over entirely to them. If the Magic Tower cooperates sufficiently, there’s no reason to work in this duplicative manner.’
Kiaros pointed to “collaboration with the Magic Tower” and asked further.
“Then when did you start thinking about this?”
“From the moment my Grandfather said he would repay his debt to me no matter what. Of course, there is a prerequisite to this proposal.”
Kiaros quietly turned the first page, then let out a soft laugh and sighed.
All of this plan was premised on Namia Loapi becoming the Crown Princess.
“But there was no way around it.”
[According to the supplementary agreement between the Magic Tower and the Imperial Palace concluded in year 388, the Crown Princess can now communicate directly with the Magic Tower in an equal position with the Crown Prince.]
I spoke respectfully, clasping my hands together.
“Because I am the most suitable person for all of this work.”
Kiaros gazed at the report with a serious expression.
I stood quietly, observing the neat appearance of the desk as I added one more document to the pile of papers.
“Well, in any case.”
He sat down at his desk and spoke calmly while holding the report.
“Come here and sit.”
I went to his side and stood there, then blinked and spoke.
“But there’s no space next to you. It’s a single-seat chair…”
“Sit anyway.”
“Yes.”
So I sat on his lap.

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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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