Chapter 40
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Chapter 40
I blinked slowly.
This man was truly no ordinary human.
His pronunciation was flawless, but the disconnect between his words and their meaning was characteristic of Kibon Altes.
Crown Prince Kiaros interjected with a heavy sigh.
"We cannot simply dismiss all the Scroll Management Department staff without cause."
It was the first genuinely sensible statement I'd heard in this room.
"Their livelihoods depend on these positions, and innocent people could suffer in the process."
The Crown Prince—not the Tower Master—was protecting our department.
"Even if the department were to be dissolved, we would not dismiss everyone at once. Rather, we would first remove those with problems, then reassign the rest to other positions."
Ah, what a relief.
My employment security was at least temporarily assured.
"Heh, how foolish."
The Tower Master let out a scoff.
"Dark organizations targeting the Imperial Family exist, you say? If I were infiltrating a civil service organization, I'd certainly plant an exemplary bureaucrat as well—someone who'd never be dismissed no matter what happened."
That was also a valid point. Even I would likely place a competent spy in the Scroll Management Department, someone who would never be caught.
"I understand. However, we cannot yet classify who that might be, so we have no choice."
"No choice? We should cut them all and demolish the department!"
The Tower Master was actively trying to dismantle our department.
I felt a wave of betrayal wash over me, and Crown Prince Kiaros responded with evident exasperation.
"Did you not come here to protect the Scroll Management Department?"
"Well, touching the Magic Tower is annoying, but...."
The Tower Master glanced at me with gleaming eyes.
"The Magic Tower values talent more than anything."
The Empress let out a hollow laugh of disbelief.
Then she swayed her body threateningly as she pressed the issue.
"In a sense, isn't this situation a result of the Magic Tower's failure to manage its own department? Then the Tower Master should take responsibility!"
"I will take responsibility. By dissolving that department. Cutting them all."
It was going in circles.
"Hmm, but 166 scrolls produced...."
The Tower Master muttered while stroking his chin, his eyes gleaming with avarice as he looked at me.
"That's impossible with ordinary mana. How tremendous is this mana? And the calculation speed...."
"Tower Master."
"This won't do. I'll take you and conduct various experiments at once...."
"Tower Master!"
Crown Prince Kiaros warned in a low voice.
"Why should the innocent staff of the department pay for the Tower Master's failure?"
"Then what? How? What's your intention? Hmm? Hmm? Hmm?"
The Tower Master needled us with irritating persistence.
The Emperor remained silent throughout.
Unable to bear it any longer, the Minister of Justice whispered to the Emperor.
"Your Majesty, why do you not say anything...."
"Hehehehe."
The Emperor answered with a gentle smile.
"I am watching to see how far our son is willing to go to protect something precious. Parents must not reveal their presence too much in such matters."
While the Emperor maintained a satisfied expression without saying another word, the Tower Master, having finished his needling, crossed his arms with triumphant pride.
Then, with a shrug of his shoulders, he spoke.
"Ah, the Magic Tower also has a duty to protect mages. Namia Loapi is an extraordinary mage recognized by the Magic Tower...."
When did I become that?
"I absolutely cannot accept this child rotting away as an ordinary low-ranking civil servant!"
The Empress erupted in fury once more, spewing flames as she cried out.
"Cannot accept? What do you mean cannot accept! This child is an extraordinary civil servant that I have recognized!"
"A civil servant? Hmph. I guarantee you, there isn't a single child in that Scroll Management Department who can cast magic better than this one?"
That much was true. I nodded vigorously.
"Her talent is beyond reason. If she had come to the Magic Tower as a child, I would have raised her as my successor!"
At the Tower Master's words, I rolled my eyes and carefully raised my hand to ask a question.
"Um, are you saying that's not possible now?"
At that, the Empress cried out as if coughing blood.
"Why are you curious about that! Namia, are you really planning to leave me?"
And the Emperor muttered, "That's not your line."
The Tower Master clicked his tongue, pretending not to hear.
"You're already too old. You've been tainted by too much worldly influence. Your innate magical power is remarkable, but in your later years, there will be a significant gap compared to children who have carefully cultivated their magic from childhood."
Ah.
So to impress the Tower Master, one had to think far ahead to one's later years.
"That's why we don't normally accept anyone over twenty. But since it's you, Namia Loapi, we're making an exception. Even that alone is an enormous exception."
The Tower Master spoke with a shrug of his shoulders.
"The Magic Tower is an organization of meritocracy. I would rather die than see someone of your caliber working under people who can't even cast magic properly—it would be an affront to the Magic Tower's honor."
"It seems you were quite content to see it until now."
Crown Prince Kiaros, who always carried himself with grace, spoke with uncharacteristic sarcasm.
"Did you even know what kind of superiors Namia worked under and how she fared all this time?"
At Crown Prince Kiaros's sarcasm, the Tower Master scratched his ear and feigned ignorance.
"Well. In any case, she cannot remain under those superiors. I know that Minister fellow...."
"That Minister has already been dismissed by me. He had many problems."
"He had many problems indeed. I understand he's been quite active in his misdeeds."
"Did you know? Then why didn't you give the Imperial Family a hint sooner?"
"Well, it was bothersome... and I've been quite busy with my own daughter's affairs."
From my perspective, the Tower Master had quite a few problems himself.
Realizing he was losing ground, the Tower Master suddenly burst out again.
"That's precisely how lacking the Minister's qualifications were! The Magic Tower is naturally strong in meritocracy, so we don't associate with incompetent fools like that!"
The Tower Master threw a tantrum, sitting down and kicking his feet.
"What good is someone like Namia Loapi? She's just a low-ranking official—naturally, there's no proper communication with her...."
"In any case, I'd advise against taking Namia Loapi with you."
Crown Prince Kiaros drew a firm line.
"First, because she herself doesn't wish it. This is the Imperial Family's official position regarding Imperial civil servants."
The Tower Master pressed his forehead with a groan.
The Imperial Family found friction with the Magic Tower burdensome, but the Magic Tower equally couldn't afford friction with the Imperial Family.
Now that Crown Prince Kiaros had made an official statement regarding me, he could no longer push back.
"Hmm, still, someone with that level of talent should continue communicating with the Magic Tower...."
That was when it happened.
The Tower Master's eyes gleamed with sudden brilliance.
"Yes, that's right. Excellent."
Of course, only he seemed pleased; the rest of us were seized by unease.
The Tower Master lifted my hand high and declared:
"Let's make her a Minister!"
Everyone's faces went blank as if struck by lightning.
I was no exception.
'M-m-m-m-m-m-minister?'
A real minister?
Even with the fastest advancement possible, that position wouldn't come until my late forties—and he wanted me to have it now?
"The Scroll Management Department's upper ranks were all eliminated, weren't they!"
The Tower Master exclaimed with excitement.
"You'll need a new minister, won't you? Then let's go with her. She's skilled in magic, so we can maintain continuous communication with the Magic Tower, and we can preserve the Tower's honor!"
"Tower Master."
The Minister of Justice, who had been silent, stepped forward.
"Didn't you just propose dissolving the Scroll Management Department?"
"I'm withdrawing that statement."
The Tower Master's words carried remarkably little weight.
The Minister of Justice sighed deeply and shook his head in disbelief.
"Tower Master, do you understand what a ministerial position is? It's not a seat one can occupy simply because one has some magical skill."
I rolled my eyes silently.
Me, a minister, at merely twenty-three years old.
The Minister of Justice had every right to be exasperated.
"Then what should we do? Hmm?"
The Tower Master narrowed his eyes into triangles, pressing the point.
The Minister of Justice responded as if teaching a problem child.
"For starters, advanced ancient languages are essential just to access ancient documents... Ah, this is absurd. I can't believe I'm explaining this."
The Minister of Justice crossed his arms and turned his gaze toward me, speaking with obvious irritation.
"Namia Loapi, tell us what you think."
Everyone's attention suddenly fixed upon me.
So I lowered my head and slowly opened my mouth to express my thoughts.
"Barush katen kailterol masku atum. (I am proficient in the ancient language.)"
A brief silence fell. I gauged the atmosphere before adding,
"Arten loki kabare. (Free conversation is also possible.)"
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