Chapter 2
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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 Guard.
"Namia, Namia?"
....
"Namia!"
My name is Namia Loapi.
An Imperial Palace civil servant who had worked here for exactly three years and seven months.
I was the lowest-ranking member of the Inventory Team, the most obscure division within the Scroll Management Department.
"Namiaaaaaa!"
...Huh? Who was calling my name just now?
I snapped back to attention and shot up from my seat.
"Yes, sorry."
"Namia, is something wrong? You've always been a bit spacey, but today's especially bad."
Oson, my direct supervisor and the Inventory Team leader, spoke with an air of indifference.
"We need to head to the conference room. The Minister called for all department members."
"Yes, understood."
I hurried after Oson toward the conference room.
Since the Scroll Management Department was small, even when everyone gathered, there were only about twenty people. The Minister yawned once before speaking.
"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 intern in our department today."
An intern was a program designed for foreigners interested in positions within the Empire's civil service.
They typically worked for about three months, mainly 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 incompetent.
Even the Minister looked like he had no idea what an intern actually did.
'Once he sees the state of our department today, he probably won't show up starting tomorrow.'
I was lost in these indifferent thoughts.
"For now, the seat is... next to Namia Loapi? That spot's empty, right?"
....
"...Namia?"
Only after Oson jabbed me in the ribs did I grasp the situation and respond.
"Yes, of course."
"I'll assign him to the seat next to you, so look after him going forward."
"Yes, understood."
Oson gave me a look from beside me that seemed to say, 'Why are you acting so strange today?' I felt my expression crumble, and I let out a deep sigh internally.
'I can't help but be different from usual!'
The intern in front began introducing themselves. Of course, their words didn't register in my ears at all.
'Reincarnation—I've actually been reincarnated!'
Last night, I had discovered that I had been reincarnated into a fantasy novel I had read in my past life.
According to the original work, the Empire I now inhabit will soon become a battlefield.
The Polariad Empire, blessed by dragons and peaceful, beautiful, and prosperous as it is....
'There's nowhere safe to escape to—the entire continent descends into chaos.'
The original story ends happily, with a young protagonist caught in 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 appearing as a supporting character in the original work....'
When war breaks out, people like me are always the first to die. So it was only natural that I couldn't keep my composure today.
By then, the intern's introduction had finished, and the conversation had moved on to other matters.
"And I hear Countess Torres has passed away. Crown Prince Kiaros is scheduled to attend the funeral tomorrow morning...."
The Minister glanced toward our Inventory Team with little interest and asked.
"Inventory Team, how many defensive scrolls do we have right now?"
Of course, our team leader Oson was equally negligent about work.
Oson nudged my side, and I answered quickly.
"We have six in total, sir."
"That should be sufficient. Then prepare a report accordingly. Tomorrow, Namia will accompany the Imperial Guard and bring along some defensive scrolls."
I swallowed hard.
According to the original work, Crown Prince Kiaros dies because of that schedule tomorrow.
'Six scrolls.... That wouldn't even be enough to protect one arm.'
The Polariad imperial family are 'Dragonborn'—descendants of dragon blood.
Their physical abilities transcend humanity, and once they exceed twenty-five years of age, they can even manifest as dragons.
'Besides that, they're born with special abilities, but that's beside the point for now.'
Under the rule of the Dragonborn, the Empire had enjoyed a long peace.
Among them, Crown Prince Kiaros was particularly exceptional—so much so that it became a running joke that Kiaros should be the one protecting his own Imperial Guard.
Because of this, there had been little need to use defensive scrolls until now.
'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.
I was shuffling along among them when someone spoke to me.
"Where is my seat?"
It was the new intern with a fair complexion.
'Ah, right.'
I sighed deeply within myself.
What the Minister had said—'I'll assign you to the seat next to theirs, so you look after them from now on'—actually meant 'I'm done paying attention, so you figure it out yourself.'
"Ah, yes. Please follow me."
The seat next to mine had remained empty. The youngest member hadn't come in behind me.
The seat next to me remained empty. It was because my youngest sibling wasn't coming in behind me.
The intern sat down beside me and immediately thrust a document forward, speaking with confidence.
"I'd appreciate it if you'd sign this first."
At a glance, it was a magical scroll related to authorization to access Scroll Management Department documents.
The moment I signed, the authority would be granted automatically through the embedded magic.
"Ah, yes. But what's your name?"
"Kibon Altes."
An intern, yet oddly bold. Perhaps it was because he was a foreigner?
Well, any intern working here would naturally need access clearance, but...
Of course, at that moment, the intern was the least of my concerns.
Even after handing over the signed document, my mind continued to race.
'If Crown Prince Kiaros 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 would die one after another, triggering war.
So I had to do whatever I could immediately.
I waited for an opportunity and carefully asked Oson.
"Team Leader, isn't six defensive scrolls too few?"
Oson then scratched his ear and asked.
"Namia? Are you offering an opinion right now?"
"Ah, yes..."
"The Minister himself said it was sufficient, and you—the newest and lowest-ranking member—dare to question it?"
Sigh, I knew this would happen, but it's really like this.
This department was originally designed to gather only the most hopelessly incompetent people, after all...
I lowered my head heavily, my spirit completely drained.
"...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 despair.
This is why war breaks out! Do they even intend to protect him properly or not?
As the newest member, this was the extent of my voice in this organization.
'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 in the Imperial Palace—as common as gravel underfoot—I was the lowest of the low.
And so I resolved to save Crown Prince Kiaros, a figure impossibly far above me in rank.
* * *
The intern Kibon—or rather, Crown Prince Kiaros—was simply waiting for quitting time.
Crown Prince Kiaros possessed a special ability: the power to transform into another person's appearance.
That appearance was currently the intern Kibon.
Since ordinary people knew nothing of this special ability, no one suspected he was the Crown Prince.
And the reason he, the Crown Prince, had infiltrated this place using his ability 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 documents from this department, one had to become a member of it.
'I knew it was a mess, but seeing it firsthand is 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 were people without the talent to go to the Magic Tower.
A department where incompetent people gathered and simply consumed their salaries.
'I'll use this opportunity to find some fault and eliminate them all.'
And so quitting time approached.
People who had been slacking off suddenly jumped up and began leaving.
Then, Namia, who had been sitting like a corpse the entire time, spoke to him.
"Kibon. Could you possibly bring me a box each of parchment and ink for scroll production? Actually, would two boxes be necessary.... Could you bring two boxes each?"
His impression of Namia, the junior at the desk next to his, was not particularly good either.
Despite her introduction, she was scatterbrained enough to ask for her own name again.
Her large eyes had no focus, her mouth couldn't form a single proper sentence, and she only repeated "Ah, yes."....
'She's clearly just another incompetent employee scattered throughout this department.'
Kiaros answered with a hint of disdain he didn't even realize he was showing.
"Ah, I was just about to leave too."
Then Namia stared directly at him.
In that moment, he thought those dull eyes weren't frightening at all.
She spoke without emotion, her words pouring out.
"According to Imperial Palace Civil Service Law Article 34, civil servants have an obligation to obey work-related orders from their superiors. Of course, according to Imperial Palace Civil Service Law Article 28, interns must also fulfill their duties as civil servants within the scope of their granted authority. Kibon, you currently hold intern status with access rights to Scroll Management Department documents, so you must follow my orders. Furthermore, according to Imperial Palace Civil Service Law Article 4, regular working hours are from 9 AM to 6 PM, and it is currently exactly 5:45 and 22 seconds. Requesting parchment for scroll production is a legitimate work-related order, we are still within working hours, and you would still be able to leave on time even if you brought it now, so I'm asking you to do this immediately."
...What?
Brought to you by Valir Scans! To support our team and enjoy the latest releases, please read directly on our official site: valirscans.org