Chapter 4: Why on earth are you here

There’s a saying that goes, ‘Luck accounts for 70%, effort for 30%.’

The interpretation could vary, but Ascal completely disagreed with this sentiment.

Simply because, to him, it was all about luck, 100% of it.

“Look, Manager Ascal is passing by.”

“I heard he was selected as the ‘Manager of the Year’ by the evaluation department.”

“You know, just his walk has this certain aura...”

“Dang. I want to be his friend.”

His ears tingled from all the whispers.

Doing his best to avoid the crowd, Ascal entered his office.

A new framed picture had been added. The portrait, seemingly painted by a skilled artist, excessively glamorized and facing forward, displayed Ascal. Below it read:

<Ascal Debrue - Manager of the Year>

He had hoped the hot spring discovered in the wasteland was just a temporary phenomenon, but there was no such miracle.

Rumors even had it that the springs contained traces of magic, enhancing one’s health with just a single bath. As a result, it became a huge tourist attraction.

Thanks to this, the stature of the evaluation department was skyrocketing, and at its center was Ascal, basking in an unprecedented popularity he’d never experienced before.

<Hello. I’ve been watching you for a while. Lately, every time I see you, my heart races, and I can’t help myself. Today, after work at 6 o’clock...>

He was even receiving love letters. Quite a number of them, in fact.

Of course, Ascal was well aware that these weren’t letters of pure emotion; they were from people looking for a golden opportunity to climb the social ladder.

The letters, made of seemingly good quality, burned smoothly when tossed into the heater, making for good kindling.

“Ah, Manager Ascal. You’re here.”

“It’s my office. Isn’t it natural for me to be here?”

“Haha. I thought you might be out on business, given how busy you always are.”

Despite the sarcastic remark, Kane laughed it off heartily.

Lately, Kane, the head of department 1, frequented Ascal’s office. It seemed Ascal had genuinely won over Kane favor.

Had it been any other department head, they would’ve eagerly cozied up to Kane, the real power player, but Ascal wanted to cut those ties with a dagger.

“What brings you here?”

“Didn’t you hear? There’s a dinner party tonight.”

Dinner party.

At that word, the memories from a past life surged in Ascal’s head.

That horrid culture where, after pouring alcohol into one’s belly until heavily intoxicated, they would vow everlasting allegiance, only to regurgitate it all beneath a lamppost a few hours later.

This world was not much different.

“Do I really have to attend?”

“Of course. Aren’t you the man of the hour?”

“What exactly did I do?”

Kane responded incredulously.

“You played a pivotal role in the revolutionary improvement of a magical stone that would’ve gone unrecognized and buried. Plus, you personally surveyed and developed the hot springs in the wasteland, making a significant contribution to the empire’s treasury.”

Was this some kind of tribute to a great person? Ascal wanted to cover his ears.

“And you’re only ever ten minutes late.”

“Are there any officials who are never late?”

“Not that I know of.”

‘I really need to get out of this godforsaken place.’

Ascal made a mental note once again. However, he had an uncanny feeling he’d made this resolve before.

Must be imagining things.

​

.

.

.

“What should our toast be? To the Barba Empire?”

“Nah, a toast has to come from the heart.”

“Oh, does it?”

“To safely reaching retirement, getting our full pension, and living off that pension for the rest of our days!”

“To that!”

The place Ascal was forcibly dragged to was an upscale restaurant in the capital called ‘Whale’s Breath.’

From what Ascal knew, it was among the priciest in the empire. It was unreachable for the average wage earner and even the well-to-do upper class had to stretch to afford it.

In such a posh place, officials in their uniforms had rented out an entire floor, making a racket. And at that, Ascal was reminded of mobsters he’d seen in old movies.

“Eat up, Ascal. When else would you get a chance to dine at Whale’s Breath? There’s just something else about food paid for with taxpayers’ money; it just tastes better.”

“Yes, I’m eating.”

The main head of evaluation Departments kept offering food with a friendly smile. It felt a bit oppressive, especially since he had taken the seat right next to Ascal.

To make things worse, on Ascal’s right was Kane, the head of Department 1. He was sandwiched between two quite overwhelming individuals.

It was very oppressive.

From afar, envious glances were cast their way.

To them, this must’ve looked like the royal seats reserved for those guaranteed a bright future.

‘Royal seats, my foot... more like a straight path to the execution block.’

If a rebellion were to break out, not only the royal family but high-ranking officials would be executed in sequence.

Staying a low-ranking official would be more advantageous for survival. However, it was already too late for that thought.

“By the way, Ascal, how on earth did you discover the hot spring in the wasteland?”

As the alcohol began to flow, the main head of the evaluation Department asked in a serious tone,

“It was just good luck.”

“Come on. It’s just us here. Be honest for once.”

The main head exaggeratedly feigned disappointment. The scent of alcohol emanated from his slightly flushed face.

“It’s true. I was just fortunate.”

No matter how much he was pressed, all he had to say was that he had been lucky. After all, that was the truth.

“You’re even keeping secrets in front of your superior? Tsk, disappointing, Ascal. I thought better of you.”

Whistling, the main head excused himself, seemingly heading to the restroom.

Ascal wondered what he supposedly saw in him to say he thought better. He was so baffled that he just picked up some meat with his chopsticks and ate.

At least the food was good. Without that consolation, he wouldn’t have been able to endure this drinking session.

“Interesting.”

Amid all this, Kane seemed to have had some realization, nodding his head thoughtfully.

‘What’s with him?’

Ascal had no clue what Kane was thinking.

A young man who’s had a drink tends to be unpredictable. In that sense, Kane’s internal evaluation of Ascal had just risen a notch due to Ascal’s discretion in not revealing his secret, despite the relentless questioning from the main head.

All in all, it was an utterly maddening dinner.

.

.

.

The next day:

Ascal found packages laid out in his office.

<These are persimmons from our hometown. They’re in season, so they’re very delicious.>

<This is the latest suit we’ve released. It’ll suit you, Ascal.>

<This is a bouquet picked from specially selected beautiful flowers.>

It began with food, clothes, and flowers, but then extended to valuable knick-knacks, and even needless ornaments.

From farmers, and successful clothing store owners, to florists. A bewildered Ascal asked Kane, who happened to drop by the office,

“What are all these?”

“Nothing significant, just bribes. Seems like it’s about time you started receiving some. You’re being recognized as an important figure now.”

“Aren’t officials not supposed to accept bribes?”

Kane’s eyes widened at Ascal’s words.

“What kind of nonsense is that?”

“...Nevermind.”

It appeared that common sense in this pseudo-medieval fantasy land differed slightly from the modern era.

Since the bribes weren’t particularly useful, Ascal passed them straight to the orphanage where Eileen resided, under the pseudonym ‘Tall Uncle.’

This would prove to be a good insurance later on.

“By the way, now that you’re a 6th-grade official, you should have an assistant. Got anyone in mind?”

“Not really.”

“In that case, I’ll filter out some competent people and give you a list. How’s that sound?”

“I’d appreciate that.”

Later that afternoon, Kane returned with a mountain of documents.

“Are there this many candidates?”

“Well, you’ve become quite famous lately. So, there’s an overwhelming number of applicants. I’ve narrowed it down to the cream of the crop.”

Ascal reviewed the resumes of the applicants.

The first was a knight who had served in the Rosemary Order. The knight was committed to providing 24-hour close protection, but his disposition seemed questionable. Pass.

The second was a mage who had researched dark magic at the magic tower and was subsequently recruited by the empire after causing an uproar.

‘He expressed a desire to study my brain. Is he out of his mind? Pass.’

Having sifted through numerous resumes, including those from renowned accountants and even offspring of nobility, Ascal felt a headache coming on.

“Just pick anyone.”

Honestly, it didn’t matter to him.

He wasn’t planning to work much anyway.

“Understood. I’ll take responsibility and select the perfect candidate for you.”

Kane seemed to take this task very seriously, clenching his fist with a sense of strong responsibility. 

He really didn’t need to go to such lengths.

A few days later, Kane, who claimed he would select a truly talented candidate, just as he said, truly ended up choosing a ‘talented*’ person.

“Let me introduce you. This is Miss Lia.”

Ascal slowly lifted his head. Flowing platinum blonde hair and eyes that looked like they were embedded with aquamarine were in front of him.

For a moment, Ascal felt as though he had been struck by lightning.

“Pleased to meet you. I’m Lia.”

She may have concealed her identity, but Ascal knew.

She was the future empress and the empire’s third princess, Yulia.

‘Why on earth are you here...?’

– – – The End of The Chapter – – –

[TN: Talented: The term ‘Talented’ originally ‘인재人災’ is a very nice wordplay by the author. In typical Korean usage, ‘인재’ refers to ‘talent’ or ‘a talented person.’ The twist lies in the accompanying Hanja characters ‘人災‘.

this ‘人 (인)’ Denotes ‘person’ ′ and ‘災 (재)’ Signifies ‘disaster’ or ‘calamity.’

So when combined, the Hanja interpretation of  ‘인재人災’ alludes to a ‘human disaster’ or a ‘disaster of a person.’

I just loved what the author did here 😂😂.

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