45

‘The line~~~?’

I had considered that entering by recommendation might look like that. But as for being part of a line, my head had been stung in the back more than once, so it didn’t feel like just a simple line.

“It’d be closer to patronage.”

“The 1st-grade Secretary is probably thinking about what to do with you if he becomes the Chancellor. He even took you up to the roof the other day and said he’d like to talk privately. Wasn’t that basically telling you to look good in his eyes?”

That braggart seemed to have already been figured out in detail by Lukan. When I didn’t deny it, he shrugged as if he’d expected as much.

“Leo won’t try to check you since he’s a junior scribe, but you were promoted to senior scribe in a day, so you’d better be careful.”

“Is that so.”

It didn’t particularly register since I’d already decided to be stubborn. Even as Lukan spoke, he neatly finished his meal. A… impressive skill.

“I think the Minister of Finance had a reason to recommend you. I saw that document too. It wasn’t something a junior scribe could do on their first day. I’m convinced.”

So that’s why he approached me without territorial claims. His judgment was remarkably practical for someone so friendly. No wonder he was the head of his family.

“Thanks for telling me. That helped.”

I left the dining hall with him and walked slowly toward the Chancellery. Lukan waved his hand.

“Not at all. I’ve heard the Minister of Finance usually doesn’t get angry, but when he does, he’s terrifying. I’ve seen some Ministry of Finance people utterly broken and crying a few times.”

“Really?”

That was surprising since I’d never felt that before.

‘Wait… the Minister of Finance is the Duke’s mentor, right?’

Suddenly everything began to make sense.

On top of that, I was unintentionally appearing to be riding that side of the line. I needed to be careful.

“Oh, and be careful.”

Lukan said with an embarrassed look. I didn’t like that the list of things to be careful about kept growing.

“Elysia’s been unusually prickly lately.”

“Why? I don’t have any issues with her.”

“I know. But there are people with heavy territorial attitudes. She seems to dislike you a lot. There was a lot to do on your first day.”

Honestly, it was absurd.

“If she has complaints, shouldn’t she go to the Minister of Finance rather than me?”

“If she were that rational, I wouldn’t have bothered warning you.”

“I’ll keep that in mind.”

Lukan’s warning came true before long.

“Cornelia, senior scribe.”

Elysia Langford approached me during work and, with a cold expression, plopped the papers in her hand onto my desk as if throwing them.

“I think there are a few typos in this. Rewrite it and give it to me.”

I had checked and there were no mistakes, but I casually said I’d do it.

“Yes, understood.”

I rewrote it and handed it to her. But that wasn’t the end.

“This is due today.”

A bundle of documents was shoved into my hands. I smiled faintly.

“Is this urgent?”

“Yes.”

“Understood.”

I sped up for the first time in a while and left it on her desk before leaving. The next day, a taller pile of papers sat on my desk. Elysia’s expression as she brought them was sour even though the requested work had been done.

“Is this urgent too?”

“Yes. Can’t you do it?”

“Understood.”

I wondered how much I’d accommodate, checked a few things, and then simply left on time.

The next day, Elysia came in with a flushed face.

“You didn’t finish everything yesterday. What’s going on?”

“There was too much, so I couldn’t finish it all.”

“Didn’t I tell you to finish it all yesterday? I said it was urgent!”

I smiled slightly as if to reassure her.

“While you were away yesterday, the Minister of Finance came and I asked if it was urgent, and he said it could be done slowly. I confirmed it so it wouldn’t interfere with the work.”

Elysia snorted.

“Why did Cornelia the senior scribe check with the Minister of Finance? I’m the person in charge here.”

“Oh, I heard I could move to direct reporting to the Minister of Finance, so I asked them since you weren’t at your desk. Sorry I didn’t share that beforehand.”

Lukan chimed in from the side.

“Yeah, I heard that yesterday too. It’s not urgent, is it? The documents you had them redo recently were fine. The Minister of Finance approved them as well. What’s the problem?”

Maybe because of the unexpected support, Elysia’s face flushed red as if steam would come out. I gleefully added more fuel.

“Scribe Elysia. I was promoted not long ago, but we’re the same rank now, so please refrain from treating me like a subordinate.”

Then a shout split the office and struck my ears.

“Hey!”

Elysia Langford huffed and pointed at me aggressively.

“You think just because you were promoted to the senior scribe in a day that you’re entitled to everything?!”

“Elysia, calm down.”

Lukan tried to stop her in surprise, but it was useless. Pretending to be meek as before would curry sympathy, so I didn’t hold back and stared at her to see what she’d say.

“Do you think this is easy just because you caught the Minister of Finance’s eye? How great do you think you are? Are you that amazing? That good at your job?”

Even if I wanted to boast, she wouldn’t even give me the chance to speak. I could only sigh; she offered no logic or basis, only anger, and listening to it was ridiculous.

“My promotion was the Minister of Finance’s decision. If you think it’s unfair, take it up with the Minister of Finance…”

“If you’re so great… duel me!”

“…?”

Her loud voice, despite her usual few words, left the office abruptly silent.

‘What did I just hear?’

“…Yes?”

“I said duel. A scribe’s work duel!”

She was a whole new kind of crazy.

I looked again at the girl with honey-blond waves braided into pigtails and round glasses. Something felt off in understanding this situation.

“What, not confident?”

Elysia, looking down at me with a triumphant expression, suddenly felt like an alien.

Even if I lost, this challenge posed no risk to me compared to her, so I couldn’t understand why she’d request it.

But the decision was quick.

“No. Let’s do it. A work… duel.”

The name of it sounded so cringeworthy.

“If I win, you’ll tell the Minister of Finance you’ll go back to being a junior scribe yourself.”

The potential reward matched the risk. I sensed immediately that although this was irritating, it was an opportunity. Once this was over, the petty territorial behavior over my promotion would likely decrease.

“Fine. But if I win, you must acknowledge me as the same-rank senior scribes. And give a formal apology to me as well.”

But saying it out loud, it seemed I didn’t gain much either. Elysia nodded readily.

“Alright.”

“Then who will judge? In this situation, whoever it is will probably be biased.”

Elysia’s bluntness prompted me to ask directly. Just then, a tall red-haired man stepped forward.

“We’ll have the 2nd-grade Secretaries do it. Victor and I will make the questions and judge.”

But they were essentially in on it together. As I felt skeptical, Lukan whispered beside me.

“If it’s those two, it’ll be fine. Better than having the 1st-grade Secretary judge…”

He was right. Victor, a 2nd-grade Secretary, stepped forward and stood beside Lucius the 2nd-grade Secretary.

“Shall we start right now? It’s not an official duel, so let’s do it quickly.”

“Alright. Start in thirty minutes. Victor and I will come up with the questions.”

Lukan raised his hand.

“Do we need the 1st-grade Secretary’s permission?”

“He’s not here right now anyway, is he? He’ll probably come in quite late today too.”

There was no sign of respect or deference toward the 1st-grade Secretary from the two of them. Elysia and I agreed and waited for the questions.

“The task is simple.”

Lucius smiled gently and handed a sheet of paper to each of us.

“One of the main duties of a senior scribe is to compile decisions and items from meetings into official documents. Rewrite what’s written here into a document suitable for public release.”

“Time limit is fifteen minutes. Answers will be judged publicly.”

I curiously checked the paper given to me.

The original text read as follows.

‘Field reclamation work outside the city will begin early next month; cooperation from imperial citizens is required. Supplies are scarce, so do not expect support during the work.’

‘Bloody thieves.’

My face naturally twisted when I read the sentence.

This test was, to be precise, a ‘document beautification contest.’ The intention was to neatly package raw decisions from a meeting into wording that wouldn’t provoke backlash. Glancing aside, Elysia was already carefully writing something.

I recalled all the press statements, apology letters, housing lottery notices, and internal announcements I’d seen in office life.

‘Ha, no matter how you phrase it you’ll be criticized. It’s basically asking people to work their bodies off with no support.’

My head began to hurt.

But I was used to it.