Chapter 8
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Chapter 8
Luca Class returned to his seat with a sigh.
'Honestly, Namia Loapi really....'
Thinking of Namia Loapi, I sighed involuntarily. The moment her characteristic apathetic expression crossed my mind, frustration flared alongside it.
'But why does she open her eyes so half-heartedly? It's infuriating. Does she lack even that much enthusiasm?'
Namia Loapi.
She had entered the Academy as the top student and garnered everyone's attention, yet ever since, she had maintained consistently poor rankings. So everyone simply dismissed it lightly, thinking, 'She must have gotten lucky on the entrance exam.'
But Luca Class was different.
Because ever since the entrance exam, I had kept my eyes on her, making competition with Namia Loapi my goal.
'I don't know much about defensive scrolls, but somehow, it feels like something extraordinary.'
Of course, that talent would be yet another thing Namia Loapi had hidden all this time.
And once again, that talent would quietly be buried, just as Namia Loapi had anticipated.
'But what on earth is her situation? I've known since the Academy that she's been severely neglected by the Baron and Baroness Loapi.'
I had vaguely noticed that the Baron and Baroness Loapi only looked after Oson.
The Baron and Baroness Loapi, who occasionally visited the Academy, had never once shown interest in Namia Loapi.
Namia Loapi herself had accepted the Baron and Baroness's indifference as natural throughout her time as a student.
'Everything about this is strange.'
I had thought she was rather thin from the beginning. But when I examined her condition more carefully, my heart grew heavier.
'If her nutritional state is this poor, then... no, she said the additional stipend was hers, yet she doesn't even eat properly? Is she hoarding every last coin for something? What on earth is she trying to do?'
I just want to compete with her once, based on actual skill!
I want to be recognized as her confident rival, even now!
It was then that Luca Class let out a heavy sigh with a troubled expression.
"Luca Class."
His direct superior, the Team Leader of the Emergency Team, suddenly addressed him.
"Will Namia Loapi come to her senses this afternoon?"
"Pardon?"
Luca Class blinked before answering.
"Come to her senses... she already did this early morning, didn't she?"
"What?"
At Luca Class's words, the Team Leader scrambled to his feet. Then he added awkwardly.
"The Crown Prince said he would visit once Namia Loapi regains consciousness."
"Pardon?"
At those words, Luca Class's eyes widened and his mouth fell open.
It was natural for the Knight Order to protect the Crown Prince.
So, just as Namia Loapi had said, I too had assumed the reward would be nothing more than an Imperial commendation.
"The Crown Prince, the very future of the Empire itself, is taking such interest in Namia Loapi?"
"Exactly. In fact, even without that scroll, he could have easily avoided danger, yet he insists on expressing his gratitude."
In that moment, Luca Class recalled Namia Loapi's earlier words and smiled bitterly.
Her words that no one would care....
Even his own superior was proving her wrong.
Despite Crown Prince Kiaros having explicitly called Namia Loapi his "savior," the situation remained troubling.
'Then... will the Scroll Management Department also move according to Namia's predictions?'
Earlier, I had refrained from saying more since it was another department's affair.
But to think she would face disciplinary action for standing out, rather than receiving praise.
If that department's atmosphere was truly as she described, I could scarcely breathe imagining it.
'If I were in Namia's situation, could I live with such passion?'
Only then did Luca swallow hard at the sudden realization that struck him.
'All achievements go to Huan, all wages go to her parents, and whenever she demonstrates her abilities, her superiors are quick to suppress her.'
The way Namia spoke about her future with such resignation troubled me deeply.
I began to grasp how many disappointments she must have endured alone, until injustice and irrationality became so familiar that they no longer moved her.
Her expressionless face was starting to make sense to me now.
'If she understands so well that nothing changes no matter how hard she works, how utterly devoid of hope must her life be?'
While Luca was lost in thought, the Team Leader asked urgently.
"In any case, she's still in the Medical Ward, right? I need to report this immediately."
"No, sir... She left the Medical Ward long ago. She came to work."
The Team Leader's jaw dropped.
"What? She was discharged early this morning and came to work? That doesn't make sense."
"Exactly. I thought she should rest for at least a day, but her will was too strong."
At Luca's words, the Team Leader sighed as if troubled.
Then, running his hand through his hair, he asked again.
"So, did Miss Namia go to that Scroll Production Department?"
"Team Leader, that department isn't called the Scroll Production Department..."
"Oh my. I need to inform His Highness the Crown Prince right away. Given that he said he would visit the Medical Ward, he'll probably visit the Scroll Management Department directly."
This was certainly a situation that even Namia could never have anticipated.
* * *
Luca insisted I should rest for at least another day.
Of course, I ignored his words and left the Medical Ward at the scheduled time.
'Precious vacation days... Invaluable sick leave... Absolutely not.'
I crossed the Imperial Palace Garden with the same expression I wore on any ordinary workday.
I wondered if I had said too much to Luca, but I decided to simply forget about it.
I no longer had the energy to maintain my pride.
'In any case, I absolutely cannot use vacation days. I'd sooner spend my lifespan than my vacation days.'
Like every workplace, the number of vacation and sick days I could use in a year was fixed.
If I didn't use them by year's end, they would be converted to cash.
Like overtime pay, it wouldn't appear on the official payroll statement—it would be paid in cash.
'It's all my money! Really, truly my money!'
I desperately saved every coin, enduring the wretched people of the Loapi Marquessate.
Outwardly, my eyes were more indifferent than anyone's, but inwardly, I screamed with more passion than anyone.
'Life is worth living! It really is! As long as there's no war! I have things I must do!'
Of course, the matter of finding my real father and such were merely the concerns of an ordinary person that would never appear in the original work.
Regardless, my genuine desire was to prevent war. So I intended to do my very best from my current position.
'These masterminds are formidable. They won't give up just because we failed this time.'
Of course, the masterminds were one thing, but I still had to go to work.
In any case, after receiving my IV treatment and feeling lighter than ever, I stood before the door to the Scroll Management Department Office.
'Phew.'
After taking a deep breath, I carefully cracked open the door.
I opened it as cautiously as possible, but the click sounded unusually loud.
Simultaneously, in the tense atmosphere, every eye in the department fixed upon me.
'The mood is clearly terrible.'
Well, it was what I'd expected.
As I quietly made my way to my desk, my direct supervisor Oson strode toward me with purposeful steps.
His expression was ominous.
"Namia."
"Ah, yes...."
"We need to talk for a moment."
As expected.
This meant 'I'm about to give you a hard time.'
The moment I hung my head, Oson's voice cut through sharply.
"What are we supposed to do about this? What?"
This wasn't actually asking me to think of a solution. It meant 'just shut up and listen.'
In an instant, the tension thickened, and everyone in the department fell into a deathly silence.
Oson erupted again.
"Do you have any idea what situation our department is in because of your reckless actions?"
His voice was so loud it echoed throughout the entire hallway of the building.
When I was a new employee, my heart would race and my body would shrivel up in moments like this. I was even terrified when someone else was being scolded, not me.
But now I'm in my fourth year since joining. So now....
"The number of scrolls reported in the report doesn't match the actual count! This means our department has become incompetent, that's what!"
What was today's lunch menu again?
Ah, wait. There was definitely cube steak scheduled for this week....
"If you're so capable, why didn't you just go to the Magic Tower from the start!"
Was that yesterday or today?
Brought to you by Valir Scans! To support our team and enjoy the latest releases, please read directly on our official site: valirscans.org