Chapter 102

‘Department heads group chat?’

If it’s department heads, it means the team leaders of each ministry…

I checked the chat with a faint displeasure at the unexpected invitation.

‘Cornelia Libertas (Chancellor) has been invited.’

Magic is really… definitely a kind of supernatural power beyond coding. There’s nothing a low-grade mana stone can’t do.

Nathan Harkot (Minister of Finance): Oh, I invited you. This is a chat for the heads of central ministries to facilitate smooth work communication. Now that you’ve become Chancellor in name and reality, you should join. Your abilities are proven, but you’re still lacking managerial experience, so I’d appreciate it if everyone helps you a lot.

The Minister of Finance opened the floor to make introductions easy.

Cornelia Libertas (Chancellor): Hello. I’m Cornelia Libertas, newly appointed as Chancellor. I have many shortcomings, but I will work hard to fulfill the role of Chancellor. I would be grateful if my seniors would teach me a lot!

Given the huge gap in age and experience, prostrating oneself at first was the way to avoid needless ire. Fortunately, no one was in much of a mood to nitpick.

Vespera Ariadne (Supreme Justice): I look forward to working with you.

Ian Yudora (Foreign Minister): Nice to meet you. I look forward to working with you.

Gerard Cassius (Commander of the War Ministry): I like your courteousness. I look forward to working with you.

Nathan Harkot (Minister of Finance): For the convenience of central ministries, I excluded the Court Office. I trust you don’t need me to explain why.

The head of the Court Office is the Chamberlain.

Yes. The Chamberlain. The person who clings to the Emperor’s side all day long.

‘They were excluded so you can freely badmouth your superior.’

Since departments inevitably vent and gossip to each other, they must have blocked the channels that could pass things directly upward. Scanning the list… the Commander of the War Ministry was also newly promoted to department head like me. But he’s from a knights’ order background and apparently has no disqualifications for promotion.

‘He seems like a stickler, but I’ll watch him for now.’

Since he’s a new department head, it’s very likely he’s the Crown Prince’s man. This personnel change was wholly for the Crown Prince, making it even more likely.

Nathan Harkot (Minister of Finance): With new people arriving, how about we arrange a meal together? What do you think?

Vespera Ariadne (Supreme Justice): Good idea. I agree.

The Minister of Finance, who had put me in this position, opened the floor and the Duke supported him, and the conversation developed that way. Thanks to that, it wasn’t too awkward. When other department heads agreed, the Minister of Finance announced the schedule.

Nathan Harkot (Minister of Finance): I’ll reserve a nice place and let you know. See you after work for dinner.

Although I thought they’d be busy, the department heads who had no plans after work gathered at a pleasant restaurant.

It was elegant and well-serviced, frequented by nobles. The Minister of Finance reserved a private room so conversation could flow freely.

“Hello.”

Everyone except the Duke and I seemed middle-aged or older and greeted us politely. The department heads chuckled and welcomed us warmly.

“I’ve only heard talk of you, but it’s my first time actually conversing like this. I’m Gerard, head of the War Ministry.”

“Pleased to meet you, Commander of the War Ministry.”

“You were very impressive at the delegation talks. Glad to meet you.”

“Pleased to meet you, Foreign Minister.”

“…It’s been a while. Congratulations on your promotion.”

“Pleased… to meet you, Supreme Justice.”

“Oh, Chancellor Cornelia, well…”

“Pleased to meet you, Minister of Finance.”

I cut in and shut his mouth before the Minister of Finance could blurt out something foolish.

I exchanged a look with the Duke. I was more curious about the Foreign Minister and the War Minister, whom I hadn’t talked with before.

Once everyone sat, the food began in earnest. The meal was tasty, as the Minister had carefully chosen, and the atmosphere was pleasant.

“I never thought I’d see a Chancellor at twenty-one in my life.”

The Foreign Minister shook his head, saying he was too old for this now.

“From the face alone, you’d think she’s far from a bureaucratic post. I’ve heard His Majesty is open-minded, but I didn’t expect this. Frankly, I think it’s still too soon.”

I was entirely in agreement.

“I think so too, Foreign Minister. The appointment came down so suddenly I had no chance to refuse. I’ll do my best not to disappoint.”

But seeing the Foreign Minister up close like this, something about him seemed faintly familiar.

“Strangely, your face looks familiar, Foreign Minister?”

“It’s embarrassing to stare so, ahem.”

I squinted and rifled through my mind, and then it suddenly came to me.

“Oh! You’re the one who was sleeping in the room I hid in!”

I blurted it out in my delight without filtering. Everyone’s eyes went wide.

That’s right. He’s the man I ran into while hiding from the Duke as I prowled the central ministry rooms… the one who was asleep on a sofa!

“Gasp! So that bureaucrat then?”

He seemed to remember too. The hyenas (the others) didn’t miss the news.

“You… slept on the job during work hours?”

The Minister of Finance pressed him as if he’d caught him red-handed.

“Foreign Minister. I wouldn’t have thought it of you; it’s shameful you didn’t keep up appearances as a noble.”

The Duke added a sarcastic comment.

“I’ve heard the Foreign Ministry is free-spirited, but I didn’t expect it to be to this extent.”

The head of the War Ministry spoke with a mix of surprise and incredulity. The Foreign Minister’s dignified image instantly collapsed.

“I-I was just resting because I wasn’t feeling well!”

He protested, but no one seemed convinced. The Foreign Minister glared at me and said,

“Tsk tsk, the new Chancellor is rather imprudent. You need to have tact.”

I apologized with an apologetic smile; it had slipped out before I realized.

“I’m sorry. I didn’t expect such an intense reaction… I was just glad to see you.”

“It’s not something to be proud of; why heap this on the Chancellor who hasn’t done anything wrong?”

The Duke smoothly intervened to save me. Luckily, the Foreign Minister, being of superior rank, didn’t get any angrier. The Minister of Finance quickly changed the subject in the gap.

“Department heads often eat together like this. We exchange various information, whether it’s about collaboration or the higher-ups dropping a big bomb on us.”

‘So this is where they’re saying Tom Hank was assigned to our department.’

They say that, but managerial ranks still have superiors. It’s awkward to tell subordinates, and many of the difficulties in running a department are easier to vent about with peers of the same rank.

“Information is important at any rank. The higher you go, the more important it becomes.”

The Foreign Minister recovered quickly and rejoined the conversation.

“As for me, I don’t know the world of these study-only bureaucrats; I just care that the War Ministry isn’t harmed.”

The burly head of the War Ministry, proud of his massive muscles, grabbed another steak at once and said this. Thanks to the Minister of Finance setting the tone, I was able to participate comfortably in the conversation after that.

If there was one thing bothering me, it was that they treated me like a child.

“That’s because the Chancellor is young and doesn’t know much.”

“Back in my day—”

“I’m still young and may not know much, but this job is…”

“Maybe because she’s young, she’s quite bold.”

Being young has its advantages, but here the word ‘young’ wasn’t just about age—it implied inexperience and lack of competence, which didn’t feel great. After all, even if my resume was thin, I was the head of the same department as they were. It would be problematic if they started treating the Chancellery like a subordinate office.

As the alcohol went in and people grew tipsy, the mood started to feel a bit precarious.

“You know, honestly, I think it was too much that Marcus and Dorian were kicked out like that… They were decent fellows, in my view…”

‘Oh….’

I felt my decision to keep my head down had paid off.