Chapter 1: How Did This Ever Succeed?

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The commute for a 9th rank imperial official is tough.

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Rainy days are muggy and tough, foggy days are challenging as you can’t see ahead. When the weather is good, it’s so pleasant that it’s tough.

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‘I wish I could commute by carriage.’

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Just now, as Ascal watched a carriage overtaking him, mocking his pedestrian status, he felt a deep pang of envy. The carriages, powered by magic, are symbols of wealth or power here.

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Usually, wealthy merchants, nobles, or officers of rank 5 and above ride them, supported by the nation. Anyway, since Ascal didn’t fit any of those categories, he diligently moved his legs again today.

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Stopping by the bakery he always visited on his way to work, Ascal grabbed freshly baked bread and fresh milk. He then took a bite of the bread.

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The crispy bread with its rich buttery aroma tasted much better than any bread from his previous life.

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‘The bread there was just expensive and seriously tasteless.’

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After moistening his slightly dry throat with milk, he walked while lost in various thoughts, and before he knew it, he had arrived at his workplace.

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Barba Empire - Government Office.

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The majestic and grand building truly lived up to its name. Even to the untrained eye, it looked lavish, as if money had been plastered all over it. Honestly, it was a bit ostentatious.

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“What time is it now... 9:10?”

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Looking at the large clock that hung decoratively atop the office, reportedly made on special order by the Magic Tower, Ascal flinched instinctively.

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Office hours start at 9:00.

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But he had no intention of entering immediately. He had to delay his entrance as much as possible.

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To waste as much time as possible, he wandered around the office, and then checked the clock again. It was 9:17.

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“This should be good enough.”

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It wasn’t.

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Entering Division 4 of the Evaluation Department again today, Ascal felt hopeless.

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“Oh, you’re the first to come in again today! Ascal! You are truly the most diligent official in our Evaluation Department!”

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These lunatics would only start to show up after 9:30, even though office hours began at 9:00. Some even reeked of alcohol, clearly having partied the night before.

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This was the reality of the Empire.

In this primitive fantasy world, bureaucracy was still a nascent concept.

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“Speaking of which, it’s about time to select this month’s outstanding official.”

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The senior scratched his nose and walked towards the frame hanging on the office wall.

<Outstanding Official of August~Ascal Debrue~>

“This should be removed now.”

Phew.

Ascal heaved a sigh of relief.

Seeing his face framed and hung up every time he came to work was a serious burden.

But now that it was being removed… It seemed all those intentional daily tardiness and laziness were worthwhile.

“Congratulations, Ascal. In September, you were unanimously chosen as the outstanding official again.”

<Outstanding Official of September~Ascal Debrue~>

‘Damn it.’

“Congratulations!”

“Kudos, Ascal!”

“You’re truly the hope of our department!”

Watching the officials give fervent applause, Ascal deeply worried about the future of the empire.

‘This is why rebellions will rise and everyone will get executed. You crazy people.’

Ascal renewed his resolution to escape from here.

However, resigning from the empire was never easy.

“Did you hear? An official who claimed they couldn’t work and ran away got hunted down by the hounds and was eventually caught.”

“I heard not just him but his whole family was executed?”

“Right. I actually liked him because he was pretty good. It’s a shame. He should’ve escaped better.”

The superior scratched his head.

In this place, casual conversations about who tried to escape and got caught were common. The atmosphere even seemed to cheer for those attempts. Although most end up captured and executed in a gruesome manner.

By “hounds,” they mean the Intelligence Department directly under the Emperor. They had all the authority with the Emperor’ consent to monitor and investigate the officials.

So, once you’ve become an official in the empire, there’s no ordinary way out. You either retire, die from an accident, or get fired for serious incompetence.

The first option is out of the question. It’s rare for someone to retire from here safely, and Ascal knew the future. The empire would face rebellion and chaos long before his retirement age.

Dying from an accident isn’t even worth discussing, so the only serious option Ascal was considering was the third one.

Getting fired for severe incompetence.

“It’s already this late. Well, shouldn’t everyone take their nap now?”

The superior, with a goose feather pillow he brought from somewhere, fell asleep, snoring loudly. It happened in just a minute.

Ascal looked around to see if anyone else had serious doubts about this abnormal work environment.

None.

Everyone was sound asleep.

It was disheartening.

Not to mention a terrible job… These people just didn’t work at all.

‘How can I get fired from here...?’

It wasn’t easy.

It wasn’t until late afternoon that the atmosphere in the Evaluation Department shifted to something resembling work.

But as for the work, in Division 4, which wasn’t the main one like Division 1, their main tasks were just affixing tags to antiques for categorization, or laughing at and rejecting the business proposals of young and seemingly clueless entrepreneurs seeking state subsidies.

“Wow. This guy plans to teach trolls to speak and use them on construction sites? He must be out of his mind.”

“At least it’s more constructive than that person who wanted to farm using goblin feces.”

Ascal simply joined in the laughter initiated by his superior.

From Ascal’s observations over a long period, it wasn’t so much about how realistic or plausible the business proposals were. What mattered to the superior was more about who was behind the proposal.

“Think about it. If the person has a robust background, won’t they have useful connections even if they run a business? It means a higher success rate. And if I approve it, won’t some crumbs fall on me? There’s always a logical reason. Ah, this proposal is from the heir of the Berg family. Approved.”

Regardless, after procrastinating as much as he could, the superior, faced with a mountain of proposals, finally sighed and said,

“Please take care of the rest.”

The superior used his privilege to leave early.

Truth be told, even if he took the liberty, a lower-level official like Ascal didn’t have the authority to take responsibility. What if he approved a wrong proposal and wasted the nation’s money? He could end up bearing the blame and getting fired.

...Fired?

A sudden inspiration flashed in Ascal’s mind.

Title: Improvements in Magic Stone Production Using New Materials

<The current production of magic stones in the empire is extremely inefficient. The present method requires significant costs and has much room for improvement. By utilizing new materials and alchemy, we can greatly enhance efficiency and increase the production of magic stones. Although there will be high costs initially, the empire will reap perpetual benefits far exceeding that expenditure. Hence, I propose the following method...>

The subsequent proposal, spanning dozens of pages, was laden with technical terms and incomprehensible concepts. It was practically indecipherable unless you were an expert in the field.

Yet, Ascal believed this business proposal was fraudulent. Specifically, because it was too intricate. It reeked of a scam.

Moreover, if the author truly had the expertise, wouldn’t they have sent their proposal to Division 1 instead of Division 4, which was a cesspool of corruption and incompetence?

Furthermore, the proposer was an unknown alchemist.

A rejection was obviously in order.

‘To even claim they need a significant amount? Such a scam-like proposal should definitely be...’

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Title: Improvements in Magic Stone Production Using New Materials

<Status: Approved>

By Ascal Debrue

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Ascal nervously looked around. Predictably, no one was paying attention to him.

He then sneaked into the office of the division chief, who had left to enjoy horse riding, and discreetly inserted the Magic Stone Improvement Proposal, which demanded a hefty amount of funding, among the approved ones.

With this, the scammer would walk away with the nation’s money, and Ascal would be labeled as an incompetent official who couldn’t identify such a fraud.

‘If I’m lucky, I’ll be fired. If not, my reputation will plummet.’

He might be given a cold shoulder for a while, but at least he’d be a step closer to getting fired.

‘Please scammer, help me with this.’

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Empire Newspaper, Front Page

<Great Innovation! Success in Magic Stone Improvement! Court alchemists predict at least a 300% increase in the efficiency of magic stones. The alchemist Tey, who led this revolution, expresses his ineffable gratitude to the Evaluation Department for approving his audacious plan...>

“F*ck!”

– – – The End of The Chapter – – –

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