The Low-Ranking Civil Servant Wants to Achieve Success - Chapter 59

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

Chapter 59
Kibon remained perfectly composed. Even his gestures were elegant.
Of course, I had instructed him on every detail beforehand.
“Hah….”
The Minister of Finance looked ready to cry.
‘Of course. The numbers are flawless.’
I had already calculated exactly how much budget the Ministry of Finance could allocate to us.
The maximum amount the Minister of Finance had set in his mind would be precisely that figure.
It was similar to the additional budget needed when receiving a new auditor.
‘Since we’ll need new budget anyway, we should secure a large amount upfront.’
I smiled gently and looked at the Minister of Finance.
He breathed heavily before speaking quietly.
“This is the initial budget. From next year onward, the Scroll Department budget will be based on this amount. I’ll triple it. Let’s go with that.”
“….”
“Fine. I’ll even do five times. Isn’t that generous?”
“….”
Dragging out the negotiation was pointless—the numbers were already decided.
Eventually, the Minister of Finance stamped his foot and shouted.
“If you’d asked for ten times, I’d at least be angry and refuse such nonsense! But asking for such an awkwardly specific amount!”
“….”
“Damn it, seven times. Seven times!”
“Ah, yes.”
That was when it happened.
Blood suddenly gushed from Kibon’s nose beside me.
“Oh, what do I do! Kibon? Are you alright?”
I hurriedly tilted Kibon’s head back in surprise.
With his already pale complexion, the crimson blood flowing down created a striking visual effect.
Kibon himself seemed startled.
“Please excuse me for a moment.”
He quickly left the Minister’s Office, pressing tissue to his nose.
The Minister of Finance also exclaimed in alarm.
“…Isn’t that the New Intern who couldn’t speak the Empire’s language well back then? How hard have you been working him?”
“Well, I’m not sure.”
I was equally flustered.
To be honest, he’d been working late every night since that first day.
But it couldn’t be helped.
Securing the initial budget from the Minister of Finance was crucial. I had to prepare thoroughly.
“Just… enough to write all of this? And I drafted all the preliminary versions myself.”
I pointed to the mountain of reports stacked up.
The Minister of Finance’s jaw dropped in astonishment.
“…You’re telling me you wrote all of this during that time? That doesn’t make sense.”
“That’s why I’ve been working overtime.”
Honestly, it had been grueling for me too. But there was no way around it.
‘I don’t want to live as some Minister of Education installed by the Tower Master like a parachute plant. And I want our department members to eat their meals in peace at the Dining Hall!’
Preventing war was important, but with no urgent matters at hand, I decided to look after my own life a little.
‘It’s been a dream of mine ever since I first came to this department….’
So I poured some passion into it. But it seemed to have been an enormous strain on Kibon.
I stammered in confusion.
“But I never pulled an all-nighter. I left the office at 10 PM every single time….”
“Is that so?”
The Minister of Finance tilted his head and replied.
“Then that young man must have poor stamina. What, he’s not even pulling consecutive all-nighters and he’s nosebleeding over this? His build looks perfectly fine….”
He really did think like someone who excelled at work. It seemed he didn’t even count a few nights of overtime as overtime.
I did count overtime as overtime, but if I’d known it would cause a nosebleed, I would have been more careful.
“We made sure to eat separately and regularly, never engaged in idle chat, and everyone went home—I thought that would be fine….”
“Hmm, then wouldn’t half the fatigue from overtime disappear? He’s quite frail.”
“Exactly. We never ate snacks together and I made sure to provide them separately.”
“That matters too. So that friend is just weak-bodied—you didn’t do anything wrong.”
The Minister of Finance and I were both startled by how well our conversation was flowing.
What is this! Our conversation is going so smoothly!
“Uh… yes.”
The atmosphere wasn’t bad at all.
When Kibon nosebled, something strange—a sense of kinship—formed between us two.
I rolled my eyes and let out a small laugh.
“I’m truly grateful for the budget.”
And I stroked the report as I spoke.
“I know it’s a gamble to allocate the first budget like this. But I promise I won’t waste it and will show you results.”
The Minister of Finance looked at me with his arms crossed.
Then he chuckled and replied.
“I approved it because I have faith in you. And your planning report looked decent earlier.”
“Then why did you cut it to 1.2 times in the first place….”
“That’s just how I do my job. You know how it is.”
The Minister of Finance gestured to his secretary, who had been waiting outside the Minister’s Office.
That secretary’s eyes widened as he looked at the reports Kibon and I had written.
“I’ll have copies of these summoned to the Finance Ministry, so clear my desk.”
Despite saying he believed me, it seemed he planned to review everything from scratch alone.
Such thoroughness. I loved it.
It was something I’d never seen from my former superiors since joining….
“A large budget is a double-edged sword. Make good use of it.”
“Truly, I’m genuinely grateful. I will never forget this moment, and I will never show you a disappointing performance.”
“Don’t speak so carelessly about this.”
“I will do my absolute best, stake everything this department has, and prepare with utmost sincerity and dedication.”
“Don’t say it so lightly.”
“I’ll prove my worth.”
“Yes! That’s it! You need to have that kind of resolve.”
The Minister of Finance tapped my shoulder once.
By the time I realized it was his way of encouraging me, he suddenly stood up.
“Well, I’ll be. You’re really squeezing me dry on your way out.”
For someone being squeezed dry, he looked rather pleased.
“Absolutely wringing me out! Tsk!”
Then, glancing at me in passing, he spoke casually.
“Victor is doing well, isn’t he?”
“Yes, sir.”
“You know he’s my adopted son, right? He’s a meddlesome sort, so I imagine you two got along well at the Academy…”
During my time as an Academy student, it was hard to find anyone who wasn’t close to Victor.
He was the one person who maintained friendly relations with that enormous number of students.
[…Unless it’s Victor, of course.]
There was a reason Luca had said that.
Even I, who wasn’t close with many people, had managed to maintain a friendly relationship with Victor alone.
“Did the two of you get along well in the Scroll Management Department? Well, there’s no way he wouldn’t have. Originally, I was planning to pull him up to the Ministry of Finance as soon as he returned, but…”
The Minister of Finance spoke with a thoughtful gaze.
“For now, having him work under you seems acceptable.”
“Yes, sir.”
“Don’t you usually ask why?”
The Minister of Finance laughed as if amused, then turned away.
Then he threw out a remark abruptly.
“If the two of you ever decide to marry, I approve.”
“Yes, sir.”
“Don’t you usually ask why I’m suddenly saying such a thing?”
Without even looking back, he let out a hollow laugh and truly left.
Kibon had not returned even by the time the Minister of Finance disappeared from sight.
Thus I was left alone in the Minister’s Office.
‘Phew…’
In any case, I had successfully secured my first budget.
All those late nights had been worth it. Finally, the tension eased a bit.
‘Now the urgent fire is out…’
The Minister of Finance seemed to have taken a liking to me.
Now attending the next ministerial conference should have a much better atmosphere.
If I could produce results, the atmosphere would become even better.
‘For now, I should give Kibon some time off. Those several nights of overtime seem to have been quite taxing.’
Nosebleeds? The New Intern was frailer than I’d anticipated. At this rate, their instinct to flee might overpower their passion to learn the work.
‘I can’t afford to lose someone this competent.’
Once Kibon returned from the Restroom, I’d force a mandatory leave on him without question.
I had to reassure him that future work wouldn’t be this grueling.
‘This isn’t the time to hesitate. I need to stop him before he submits his resignation.’
He had a history of submitting his resignation once before and leaving.
I needed to show some care as his superior. I bolted from the Minister’s Office immediately.

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