The Low-Ranking Civil Servant Wants to Achieve Success - Chapter 2

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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 2
1. Namia Loapi’s Circumstances
Soaring ceilings, ornate tapestries, gleaming marble floors.
This was the Scroll Management Department of the Imperial Palace.
A small division under the Magic Tower and the Imperial Knights.
“Namia, Namia?”
“….”
“Namia!”
My name is Namia Loapi.
I’ve worked here for exactly three years and seven months as an Imperial Palace civil servant.
Among the Scroll Management Department, I was the lowest-ranking member of the Inventory Team—the most obscure division.
“Namiaaaaaa!”
…Wait? Who’s calling my name right now?
I snapped to attention and bolted upright.
“Oh, yes.”
“Namia, is something wrong? You’ve always been a bit spacey, but today’s especially bad.”
My direct supervisor and Inventory Team leader, Oson, spoke with a flat tone.
“We need to head to the conference room. The Minister called for all department members.”
“Oh, yes.”
I hurried after Oson toward the conference room.
The Scroll Management Department was small—barely twenty people when everyone gathered. The Minister yawned once before opening his mouth.
“Alright, everyone’s attention.”
Standing beside the Minister was someone I’d never seen before.
A handsome young man with jet-black hair and glasses.
“This person will be starting as an in…tern? in our department today.”
An internship was a program for foreigners interested in positions within the Empire’s civil service.
They typically worked for about three months, mostly receiving training or providing basic administrative support.
‘Hmm? An intern coming to our department? That’s a first.’
The Scroll Management Department was the most unpopular division.
Both internally and externally, it was hopeless—and the higher-ups were all incompetent.
Even the Minister looked like he had no idea what an intern actually did.
‘Once they see what our department is like today, they probably won’t show up starting tomorrow.’
I was thinking cynically when it happened.
“For now, the seat is… Namia Loapi? The spot next to you is empty, right?”
“….”
“…Namia?”
Only after Oson jabbed me in the ribs did I grasp the situation and respond.
“Oh, yes.”
“I’ll assign them to the seat next to you, so look after them from now on.”
“Oh, yes.”
Oson gave me a look from beside me that seemed to ask, ‘Why are you acting strange today?’ I felt my face fall, and I let out a deep sigh internally.
‘I can’t help but be different from usual!’
The New Intern began introducing themselves at the front. Of course, none of it registered in my ears.
‘Reincarnation? I’ve been reincarnated!’
Last night, I had discovered that I had been reincarnated into a fantasy novel I had read in my previous life.
According to the original work, the empire I now inhabit will soon become a battlefield.
The Polariud Empire, blessed by dragons and known for its peace, beauty, and prosperity, would fall into chaos.
‘There’s nowhere safe to escape to—the entire continent descends into madness.’
The original story ends happily, with a young protagonist caught in the war achieving victory and restoring peace.
The problem was that the war lasted thirty years.
‘I’m merely one component of this world, not even a supporting character in the original work, but…’
When war broke out, people like me were always the first to die. So it was understandable that I couldn’t keep my composure today.
By then, the New Intern’s introduction had finished, and the conversation had moved on to other matters.
“And I hear that Countess Torres has passed away. The Crown Prince will be attending the funeral tomorrow morning…”
The Minister of Education asked our Inventory Team with little interest.
“Inventory Team, how many defensive scrolls do we have right now?”
Of course, our team leader Oson was equally lazy when it came to work.
Oson nudged my ribs, and I answered quickly.
“We have a total of six scrolls.”
“That’s sufficient. Then submit a report to that effect. Tomorrow, Namia, you’ll accompany the Royal Guard Knights and bring some defensive scrolls with you.”
I swallowed hard.
According to the original work, the Crown Prince dies because of tomorrow’s schedule.
‘Six scrolls… that won’t even protect one arm.’
The Imperial Family of Polariud are ‘Dragonborn’—those who carry dragon blood.
Their physical abilities transcend humanity, and once they reach twenty-five, they can even manifest as dragons.
‘Besides that, they’re born with special abilities, but that’s secondary for now.’
Under the rule of the Dragonborn, the empire had enjoyed lasting peace.
Among them, Crown Prince Kiaros was particularly exceptional—to the point where it became a running joke that Kiaros needed to protect his own Royal Guard Knights.
Because of this, there had been little need to use defensive scrolls.
‘But tomorrow, even that remarkable Crown Prince will face an unexpected situation! And we only have six defensive scrolls?!’
The meeting ended before I knew it. Department members began returning to their seats.
As I shuffled along among them, my steps faltering.
Someone spoke to me.
“Where is my seat?”
It was the New Intern with a fair complexion.
‘Oh, right.’
I let out a deep sigh internally.
When the Minister of Education said, ‘I’ll assign you to the seat next to hers, so you take care of things going forward,’ what he really meant was, ‘I’m done paying attention, so you figure it out yourself.’
“Yes, of course. Please follow me.”
The seat next to mine had remained empty. The youngest member of our team hadn’t taken the position yet.
The New Intern sat down beside me and immediately thrust a document forward with confident assurance.
“I’ll need your signature on this first.”
At a glance, it was a magical scroll related to authorization to access Scroll Management Department documents.
The moment I signed, the magic would automatically grant me the necessary clearance.
“Ah, yes. But what’s your name?”
“Kibon Altes.”
For an intern, he was remarkably bold. Perhaps it was because he was foreign?
Well, any intern working here would naturally need access clearance anyway…
Of course, the intern barely registered in my thoughts at that moment.
Even after handing over the signed documents to him, my mind continued to race.
‘If the Crown Prince dies tomorrow, war will follow like an express train, so I have to at least prevent that!’
Starting with the Crown Prince, the Imperial Family members would die one after another, triggering the war.
So I had to do whatever I could right now.
I waited for an opportunity and carefully asked Oson a question.
“Team Leader, isn’t six defensive scrolls far too few?”
Oson then scratched his ear and asked.
“Namia? Are you offering an opinion right now?”
“Ah, yes…”
“The Minister of Education himself said it was sufficient, and you—the newest and lowest-ranking member—dare to object?”
Sigh, I knew this would happen, but it’s really like this.
This department was originally designed to gather only these utterly hopeless people in one place…
I hung my head in complete despair.
“…I apologize.”
“Be careful going forward. In organizational life, you need to think before you speak.”
Oson soon began nodding off, and I buried my face in my hands in frustration.
This is exactly why war breaks out! Do they even intend to provide proper protection or not?
As the newest member, this was the extent of my voice in this place.
‘But I can’t just let war happen either.’
I had no choice. There was no alternative.
‘I guess… I really do have to save him myself now…’
Among the bureaucrats scattered throughout the Imperial Palace like gravel underfoot, I was the lowest of the low.
And so I resolved to save the Crown Prince, who stood so impossibly far above me.
* * *
The intern Kibon—or rather, Kiaros—who had accomplished his objective, was simply waiting for quitting time.
Kiaros possessed a special ability: he could transform into the appearance of other people.
Right now, that appearance was the intern Kibon.
Since ordinary people knew nothing of this special ability, no one suspected he was the Crown Prince.
And the reason the Crown Prince himself had infiltrated this place, even using his power, was singular.
While pursuing impure forces within the Imperial Palace, he had come to suspect the Scroll Management Department. However.
‘The Scroll Management Department belonged to both the Imperial Palace and the Magic Tower, so the Imperial Family’s access rights were restricted.’
To naturally access the department’s documents, one had to become a member of the department.
‘I knew it was a mess, but seeing it firsthand… it’s a total catastrophe.’
And while I was at it.
I wanted to see firsthand what this department looked like beyond my direct oversight.
‘If not for the Magic Tower, I would have dismantled this place long ago.’
The Scroll Management Department was where only those with the lowest civil service exam scores came.
They handled magical scrolls, but they lacked the talent to ever join the Magic Tower.
A department where incompetent people gathered and simply consumed their salaries.
‘I need to seize this opportunity to find some fault and eliminate this entire department.’
And so, quitting time approached.
People who had been doing nothing suddenly sprang up and began leaving.
At that moment, Namia, who had been sitting like a corpse the entire time, spoke to him.
“Kibon. Could you perhaps bring me a box each of parchment and ink for scroll creation? Actually, would two boxes be necessary…? Could you bring two boxes each?”
His impression of Namia, the junior staff member at the adjacent desk, wasn’t particularly good either.
She was so scatterbrained that despite introducing herself, she asked for his name again.
Her large eyes lacked focus, she couldn’t form a single proper sentence, and she only repeated, “Ah, yes.”
‘She’s clearly just another incompetent employee infesting this department.’
Kiaros answered with a hint of disdain he couldn’t quite suppress.
“Ah, I was just about to leave myself.”
Then Namia stared directly at him.
Just as he thought those dull eyes weren’t intimidating in the slightest.
She spoke with utter indifference.
“According to Article 34 of the Imperial Palace Civil Service Law, civil servants have an obligation to obey their superiors’ work-related orders. Of course, according to Article 28 of the Imperial Palace Civil Service Law, interns must also fulfill their duties as civil servants within the scope of their granted authority. You currently hold the status of an intern with access to the Scroll Management Department’s documents, so you must comply with my orders. Furthermore, according to Article 4 of the Imperial Palace Civil Service Law, regular working hours are from 9 AM to 6 PM, and it is currently exactly 5:45 and 22 seconds. Requesting parchment for scroll creation is a legitimate work-related order, we’re still within working hours, and you can still leave on time even if you bring it now. So I’m asking you to do this right now.”
…What?

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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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