I Became a Civil Servant Who Can Use Magic

In the Inspection Department conference room.

The department head standing in front of the platform opened his mouth.

“Has everyone heard the news?”

At his words, the team members looked at each other and tilted their heads.

“I guess not.”

The department head operated the magical projector to display the report contents on the wall.

“As of yesterday, Grand Duke Goldpiece has passed away. The cause of death is unknown.”

When he turned to the next page of the report, this time the faces of two men appeared on the wall.
The department head, who briefly scanned the team members, continued.

“The problem is. The Grand Duke died without naming a successor.”
“Hmm..”

A groan escaped from the team members’ mouths.
Ead, leaning back on her chair, looked at their faces alternately and said.

“There could be a dispute over the Grand Duke title among the brothers.”
“It’s already happening.”

The seniors expressed doubt at the department head’s answer.

“Wasn’t it just that there was no official announcement, but the eldest son was essentially recognized as the successor?”
“That’s right. I thought so too.”

The department head shook his head.

“The recent situation is different. From a year ago, the second son started gathering forces and opposing the eldest son.”
“Even so, aren’t the Grand Duke’s vassals already on the eldest son’s side? What does the second son have to gather forces?”

As Ria said.
The Grand Duke’s vassals have long supported the eldest son.
So even if the second son struggles, it’s practically impossible for him to rebel against his brother.

“That’s exactly it. The second son, who doesn’t have much to show, suddenly expands his influence? It means there’s something.”
“You suspect the involvement of the Allied Forces?”
“Let’s call them remnants of the old kingdom. The kingdom alliance bordering the eastern front is one thing. But calling those insects who only engage in guerrilla activities after being destroyed the Allied Forces? Preposterous.”

The department head, who suddenly vented his anger towards anti-imperial forces while answering, cleared his throat and returned to the main point.

“Anyway. I hear other departments have already decided to infiltrate spies into the Grand Duke’s mansion.”
“They’re trying to collect evidence secretly, I see.”
“Right. If we openly talk about inspection and such, it’s obvious they’ll go into hiding.”
“Then what about us?”

Given that it’s now taken for granted that external forces have intervened in the succession dispute of a grand duchy under the empire’s sphere of influence.
The Inspection Department’s job is set.

“Investigate around the capital of the grand duchy and if we find suspicious movements, wipe them out compl-”
“I’ll go.”

Before the department head could finish speaking, Inspection Team Leader Ead raised her hand.
The team members looked at her with puzzled faces.

The team leader’s next words.

“I’ll go with just the rookie.”

“What’s important in a battle between magicians? Tell me.”
“Fast casting and powerful magic?”
“Correct answer.”

Unless there are special artifacts.
A battle between magicians is ultimately a fight of who can use faster and more powerful magic.

Of course, there’s also the method of choosing to attack first by quickly casting magic of appropriate power while the opponent is casting powerful magic.
But this is just in general cases.

Karl continued.

“But what about a battle between magicians who have mastered double casting? From this point on, the psychological warfare of reading the opponent’s next move becomes most important.”
“Psychological warfare?”
“Yes.”

Before mastering double casting, only one choice is possible.

Attack?
Defend?

Use powerful magic?
Use moderate magic?

High-level psychological warfare isn’t necessary here.
Because the choices are somewhat predetermined.

But after mastering double casting?
The choices increase countless times.

Karl gestured.

“Follow me. I’ll show you directly.”
“Yes.”

Karl and Loen faced each other in the center of the vast training ground.

“These are things I originally planned to teach you later..”

To think she’d master double casting so quickly..
Should I say as expected of my daughter.

Karl, delighted at Loen’s achievement.
But he didn’t show it outwardly.

Rather than being intoxicated with superiority and arrogance due to faster growth than others.
Karl knows well that maintaining humility while knowing one is still under the sky is the way to survive longer.

“Loen, let me say one thing before we start. …… Don’t be bound by rules.”
“Rules?”
“Yes.”
Karl nodded and said.

“Try to block my magic.”

After finishing his words, Karl stretched out his hand and started casting attack magic.
Loen immediately responded to this.
To block the attack magic that would come from her father’s hand, Loen pulled out the ‘barrier’ card.
“Barrier.”

Immediately after casting finished, a double barrier appeared in front of Loen.
As soon as Karl saw the barrier, he uttered the activation word.

“Fireball.”

Loen raised her tension.
However, even though her father uttered the activation word, nothing happened.
What’s this?
As Loen was puzzled.

Feeling a chill behind her back, she instinctively leaped.
Then, an attack spell landed where she had been standing.

Pabak!

Karl’s eyebrows twitched.
She dodged this?

Loen, lying on the ground, asked.

“Ouch, my knee. What was that just now?”
“A magic bullet. By the way, you have better instincts than I thought. To think you’d dodge that.”
“Ahaha..”

Karl approached Loen, who was laughing awkwardly.
While helping Loen stand up, Karl explained the situation just now.

“Just now, I uttered a fake activation word. This is possible because as one’s rank increases and level rises, the dependence on activation words drops drastically.”
“I see. When facing high-ranking magicians, I should keep that in mind too.”
“Right. You catch on quick.”

Loen finally understood what had happened.

Deliberately stretching out his hand to fix the opponent’s gaze to the front, then summoning a magic bullet behind to aim for a surprise attack. At the same time, uttering a fake activation word to further confuse the enemy.

In short, he gave a double fake.
Or is it triple? Anyway.
Karl distanced himself again.

“Next. You don’t necessarily have to stick to attack magic to subdue an opponent. Try blocking this.”
“Yes.”

Karl spread both hands and started double casting.
Then Loen also began casting.
One is a barrier surrounding the entire body.
The other is a magic shield that can deflect or divert the opponent’s magic.

Woong.

Loen’s body was covered with a translucent screen.
Then, while glaring at her father, she waited for the right moment to cast the magic shield.
The moment her father’s mouth opened.
Loen’s eyes moved in all directions.

Front? Or above? Or behind?

However, the activation words that came out of his mouth were unexpected.

“Oil creation. Shockwave.”

A lot of slippery oil was created under Loen’s feet.
Soon after, a shockwave pushed her back along with the barrier.

Thud.

Due to the slippery ground, Loen eventually lost balance and fell backwards.
The magic she had gathered for the magic shield scattered in all directions from the impact of the fall.

“It’s also possible to subdue an opponent like this. Remember it.”

Afterwards, Karl’s Loen-rolling disguised as teaching continued.

Blocking Loen’s vision with fog clouds.

“It’s also an effective method to continuously block the enemy’s vision by giving guidance properties to clouds.”

He also constantly used basic attack magic to incessantly pound on Loen’s barrier.

He also taught magic combinations particularly useful in large-scale battles.
“If you cover the surroundings with fog and use clairvoyance, you can block the enemies’ vision while acting without restrictions yourself.”

As Loen’s face gradually became haggard from the heartfelt teachings.
Karl thought.

This should be enough.
As she’s my daughter, she’ll probably review and practice what I’ve taught so far on her own and make it her own without me telling her to.

“Lastly, let me teach you one new magic and we’ll end it.”

Karl, who was casting magic, uttered the activation word.

“Flight.”

Karl’s body flew up high into the air.

“Oh.”

An exclamation escaped from Loen’s mouth.
Flight magic!

In reality, only a very small number of magicians could actually cast flight magic.
Not only were there few people who taught it, but it was also quite difficult to learn.

“If you add a barrier in this state, unless it’s a skilled swordsman, they can only watch blankly.”
“I see.”
“It’ll be useful in many ways if you learn it.”

However, Loen’s father Karl Franz.
The head of the Franz ducal family, famous as a magician family, and a 6-star archmage.

Under his teaching, Loen succeeded in casting flight magic in just one day.
Thus, Karl’s teachings came to an end.

In just a few days, fatigue was evident on Loen’s face.

This was because intense magic training continued, making the word vacation seem meaningless.

Sometimes she just wanted to lie down, but seeing her magic skills improving day by day, she steeled her resolve.

As much as it was hard, the results were certain.
Her magic application ability increased unrecognizably.

She also completely made her own the magic combinations her father had taught earlier.

The same goes for flight magic.
At first, she couldn’t keep her balance and planted her face on the ground several times,
But now she could take various postures even in mid-air.

It was at a level that could be described as rapid growth.

Time passed and passed.
In the blink of an eye, the day before returning approached.
It was time to return to the capital again.

Karl threw something at Loen, who was packing her luggage.

“Catch.”

Whoosh!

“What’s this?”
“It’s a one-time artifact containing 6-star level anti-personnel attack magic.”
“Ooh.”
“Use it when a really urgent situation comes.”
“Thank you.”

Loen bowed her head 90 degrees towards her father.

Tsk.

Karl clicked his tongue briefly.
You only bow your head at times like this.

Loen, who put the artifact in her bosom, said.

“Then I’ll be going now.”

The next morning.
As Loen, who had returned from vacation, was driving towards headquarters, she saw Team Leader Ead standing by the roadside.
Screech.
“Team Leader?”
“It’s been a while. Did you have a good vacation?”
“Yes. But why are you here?”
Ead got into the passenger seat without warning.
Loen tilted her head at that sight.
Suddenly?
Isn’t the team leader being too forward..
“Let’s go.”
“……Where to?”
“Inspection Headquarters.”
Loen nodded and moved the car.
On the way back to headquarters, an awkward silence filled the car.
It’s certain that the team leader has something to talk to me about..
What could it be? Surely, it’s not something like having to go on a dispatch as soon as I return?
Nah, no way.
Finally, when the headquarters came into view, Ead spoke up.

“Are you interested in catching rats?”