I Became a Civil Servant Who Can Use Magic

Viscount Felon expressed his dissatisfaction with the Emperor as usual.

“The Emperor’s decisions have long since become a means to maintain his own power. You can see this just by looking at how he’s dragging out the war.”

Of course, this is purely the viscount’s subjective opinion.

“If we put our minds to it, we could easily… Ahem. I’m sorry, I misspoke.”
“It’s alright. It’s better than calling them pointy-ears.”
“You’re the benefactor who cured my son’s curse. How could I say such things?”

The elf smiled slightly.

“More importantly, I heard they’ve dispatched inspectors from the capital.”

The viscount frowned.
Inspectors…
“We have a plausible justification and we’ve already doctored the books, so there shouldn’t be a problem.”
“Still, you never know. It might not be a simple inspection… It would be better to make thorough preparations.”
“What do you mean by that?”

The elf nodded.
The viscount fell into thought.

If it’s simply an inspection about embezzlement of military funds, he’s confident he can avoid it.
But what if it’s not?

What if they’ve noticed his communication with the elves and are coming to behead him?

In fact, the viscount vaguely senses it.
The fact that everything has been discovered.

He just hasn’t made a decision yet.

At that moment, the knight commander standing opposite the elf spoke up.

“You need to make a decision now, My Lord.”
“I’m not sure if this is right.”
“If the Empire had been in good shape, this wouldn’t have happened. What fault is there in you, My Lord?”

The viscount nodded.

He’s right.
If I’m at fault for anything, it’s for granting the request of the benefactor who lifted my son’s curse.
That’s all. I don’t regret that choice.

My only blood relation left by my wife.
There’s nothing more precious than that. Even if it’s selfish, it can’t be helped.
That’s just who I am.

And as the knight commander said, if the Empire had been in good shape…
I wouldn’t have had these impure thoughts in the first place.

The viscount looked at the elf and said.

“Even with your help, killing the inspectors would be the most we could do. I’m just a southern margrave, not enough to face the Imperial Guard that would come after.”
“It doesn’t matter.”
“If things go wrong, please take care of my son, Darus.”
“Leave it to me.”

The viscount nodded and ordered the knight commander to convene a meeting of the vassals.

Loen opened her eyes in bed.
Usually, her face would have crumpled at the thought of having to go to work, but today was different.

A smile flowed from Loen’s lips.
The reason was none other than today being the day of the business trip.

Finally leaving for the outside world!
Although it’s a work-related trip, it’s still something.
Ah, was it called an ‘inspection dispatch’ rather than a business trip? Anyway.

“The southern border region is fa~r away from the capital, so on the way, I can sightsee in cities, camp outdoors, enjoy the scenery…”

Loen quickly washed her face, put on her uniform, donned her coat, and went outside.

While imagining what other cities might be like on the way, she almost collided with another carriage.
However, she just smiled it off.

Of course, only Loen smiled it off.
The coachman forced a smile after seeing Loen’s uniform.

“Please watch where you’re… Haha. Good morning, Inspector.”

Despite the overcast sky, it was indeed a good morning.
As Loen cheerfully offered an apology, the coachman waved his hands.

“Ah, I’m sorry. I was distracted for a moment.”
“No, no! It’s because I was driving the carriage while looking to the side..”

Are there people who drive carriages while looking to the side?

“I have urgent business, so I must go. Hya!”

The coachman urged the horses and disappeared like an arrow.

Clank.

Loen parked her car near the headquarters and headed to the Inspection Department office.
In the office she arrived at, Senior Ria, Senior Gilbert, and Ria’s adjutant were present.
The adjutant jumped up from his seat and greeted Loen warmly.

“Inspector Loen. You look unusually happy today?”
“Ah, it’s nothing much, just that today is the day we go for inspection.”

The adjutant’s expression stiffened slightly.

Happy about going on an inspection dispatch?
Is this what makes the Inspection Department’s new recruits different?

‘An inspector to the bone, I see.’

Senior Ria raised her head at Loen’s voice.

“Oh! Maknae, you’re here? All prepared? Then let’s get going right away.”
“But… is this all the luggage?”
“Yeah. Is there a problem?”
“No, not at all.”

The total number of people going for the inspection was three.
Senior Ria, Loen, and the adjutant.
However, the only luggage was the bag the adjutant was carrying.

Loen tilted her head.

Is this right? The distance to the viscount’s territory must be quite far?
Could there be a space expansion magic on the backpack?
Hmm, come to think of it, it’s possible for the Inspection Team.

“Well then, we’re off. Tell the department head we’re sorry we couldn’t say goodbye~”
“Alright, be careful.”
“It’s not us who needs to be careful, but the viscount.”

They departed towards the viscount’s territory, sent off by Senior Gilbert.

Whoosh.
The sound of the magic locomotive’s departure echoed.
Soon, the locomotive began to move along the rails.

“Maknae. Why the expression? You looked happy this morning.”
“That’s right. Weren’t you happy about going on the inspection dispatch?”
“I am happy.”

It doesn’t look like it at all though?
That was the common thought of Ria and the adjutant.

I thought I could finally experience the romance of a fantasy world since we’re going far away.

‘I didn’t expect we’d be going by train.’
It hasn’t been long since trains were invented, so the fare is exorbitantly expensive.
Yet we’re taking it so casually?

Unfortunately, this is an era transitioning from medieval to modern times.
It was far, very far from realizing the medieval fantasy romance Loen had in mind.

Although areas outside the central region were still very much medieval, Loen’s workplace was unfortunately in the imperial capital.

Loen stared out the window with sunken eyes, spacing out.
I even learned fire-making, cleaning, and freezing magic for a comfortable adventure…
Still, the scenery is nice.

Oh, wait a minute?
Didn’t they say there are no rails after the southern metropolis?
Doesn’t that mean we’ll have to ride horses or carriages from there?

As a result, Loen’s thoughts were wrong.
Is the Inspection Team just any ordinary organization?
Isn’t it an institution at the core of imperial power?

“You can return the car when you come back. Well then, have a good trip.”
“Maknae. Get in.”
“Yes.”

Vroom.

The Inspection Department group, after arriving at the southern metropolis by train, headed to the ‘Inspection Team Southern Branch’,
and received a car from the branch.

Apparently, due to the enormous budget allocated to the Inspection Team, a car is nothing.
According to Senior Ria, even if they wreck the car during the inspection, it would be overlooked.

At that point, Loen stopped thinking.

Adventure my foot. Let’s just be satisfied with sightseeing.
At least the scenery is enjoyable.

The car carrying the group sped along the road towards Viscount Felon’s territory.

After a long adventure, no, drive, the Inspection Department group almost reached Felon Fortress.

Around this time, the group’s expressions began to harden.

“Maknae. Don’t you think something’s off too?”
“Yes. The atmosphere is a bit…”

From the moment they entered Viscount Felon’s territory, they sensed something strange.
There was a feeling as if preparing for war everywhere.

They had already encountered groups of dozens of soldiers heading somewhere more than ten times.
At one point, Senior Ria stopped the car and asked a commander leading the soldiers, and his answer was:

We’ve been engaged in large-scale training to prepare for a major invasion for a week.
Major invasion?
Yes. Recently, ominous movements have been observed beyond the border region. I don’t know much, but I think it’s because of that.
I see. Alright, carry on.

To conduct large-scale training when they clearly know inspectors are scheduled to be dispatched…
It seemed very suspicious even to Loen.

A few hours later, the group arrived at the fortress where the viscount was staying.
The viscount, along with his vassals, was waiting in front of the castle to greet them.
Ria greeted the viscount.

“To come out and greet us like this. It’s truly an honor, Viscount Felon.”
“It’s only natural to come out and greet those who work day and night for the glory of the Empire, isn’t it?”
“As expected, the margrave guarding the southern border is different indeed~”
“Haha, not at all. Let’s not stand here, please come inside.”

A subtle tension could be felt in their conversation.

Loen, following the viscount guiding them into the castle, glanced around.
For welcoming inspectors, their gazes are quite fierce, aren’t they?

She suddenly met eyes with the adjutant.
The adjutant seemed to be thinking the same thing.

While walking, she quickly scanned the fortress walls and saw that soldiers were densely positioned on top of the walls as well.

Anyone would think the Allied forces were invading.

She had planned to just tour the fortress while Senior Ria executed the viscount and dealt with his accomplices.

“But the atmosphere isn’t right for that…”