Chapter 406: The Emperor Doesn’t Know Labor Laws (2)

The Emperor issued a dismissal order.

Calling it a dismissal order might sound grand, but it’s just telling the dukes who’ve been suffering by the Emperor’s side that they can go home. They’ll have to return to the palace when the ascension banquet is held, but isn’t even a short rest better than nothing?

However, I wasn’t included in the dismissal order.

“You already have a substitute at the Academy, don’t you? Stay in the capital until the banquet is over.”

I wanted to resist this cruel declaration of keeping me while sending everyone else away, but I relented because of the words that followed.

“Why don’t you use this opportunity to check if the establishment of the Ministry of Inspection is progressing well? You couldn’t before because you were at the Academy, but you can now that you’re in the capital.”

“…Yes, Your Majesty. I shall do so.”

It’s frustrating, but it was too perfect a justification. As long as I’m wearing the label of founding chairman and minister-designate of the Ministry of Inspection, resisting that order is no different from directly refusing the Retired Emperor’s last personnel order.

So, I silently headed to the Ministry of Finance building. As a minister-designate, ignoring an order right after the new Emperor’s ascension would have dire consequences.

Damn it.

It’s bitter. Everyone I meet calls me the Minister of Inspection so even I got confused for a moment, but the Ministry of Inspection doesn’t officially exist yet. Officially, it’s still divided into departments like the Prosecutors’ Office under the Ministry of Finance and the Intelligence Department under the Special Service Agency. We’re in the preparation stage to integrate these departments.

As the Emperor said, I was at the Academy, so the Senior Manager and the Executive Manager of the Intelligence Department were in charge of the establishment preparations. However, I didn’t expect this year’s abdication ceremony to happen and bring me to the capital.

I have to take care of everything that needs to be done.

I sighed as I entered the Prosecutors’ Office which was still within the Ministry of Finance building. Since it’s come to this, let’s handle everything that needs my approval before I go.

For example, the organizational structure of the Ministry of Inspection, or who to appoint as executives like Executive Managers—just thinking about it, there’s quite a lot to do.

At the very least, the 2nd Manager will be the Senior Manager.

No matter which department it is, he’ll definitely be the Senior Manager. A higher position would be even better.

It’s a promise I’ll stake my resignation letter on.

People often say they feel like they’re going to die when their suffering reaches its peak. High workload, frequent overtime, a bed that’s becoming a distant memory. There are various reasons why death seems to loom before one’s eyes.

But that was a misconception. When people are truly in agony, they don’t say they feel like they’re dying, but something else.

Save me…

They beg for survival. The sense of crisis that they might actually die draws out a desperate death rattle.

My hand holding a pen trembled and fluttered over the documents while the letters on the documents danced like debutantes at a ball.

It’s hopeless. My hands and eyes are gradually losing it.

Sirri?

When I unconsciously turned my gaze to Sirri, she wasn’t much different. No, it wasn’t just Sirri; quite a few of my peers and seniors were showing the same symptoms.

I closed my eyes at that miserable sight. I, Demian Connor, prided myself on enjoying happy days in the Prosecutors’ Office thanks to the grace of the Executive Manager—but lately, the word ‘happiness’ has been shaking.

It was clearly like heaven.

Since the beginning of this year when I became a new civil servant in the Prosecutors’ Office, I’ve been living a difficult but rewarding life. It’s natural that the workload is high since it was the Prosecutors’ Office, which is one of the most influential departments, but it was something I could handle and was prepared for.

Moreover, unlike its stiff and gloomy external image, the internal atmosphere of the Prosecutors’ Office was fairly good. The existing senior officials would even comfort and diligently teach the newly arrived rookies.

But the sudden establishment of the Ministry of Inspection was enough to overturn the Prosecutors’ Office.

It’s hell.

With a single, short order, heaven instantly turned into hell.

Existing Prosecutors’ Office work, grasping the current status of departments and units to be integrated into the new Ministry of Inspection, the process of harmoniously integrating various departments. Work of insane difficulty and volume poured into the Prosecutors’ Office. It was beyond what even experienced seniors or enthusiastic newcomers could handle.

It’s so bad that not only the Senior Manager’s office in charge of administrative affairs but also anyone who seemed capable of handling documents from each division was mobilized.

My goodness.

As I gently opened my eyes and turned my gaze towards the Senior Manager, I felt awe. Even as most of the people in the Senior Manager’s office were dying, the Senior Manager was processing documents at a rapid pace without any disturbance.

He even naturally took documents from other officials. I felt both awe and compassion.

“The Prosecutors’ Office can’t function without the Senior Manager. You can tell by how there’s not a single problem even though the Executive Manager is on a long business trip.”

Suddenly, I recalled what a senior said a few months ago.

“Moreover, the Senior Manager has a lot of field experience, so other divisions are cooperative with the Senior Manager’s office too. It’s not for nothing that the Senior Manager’s office is called Division 0.”

At that time, I thought it was somewhat exaggerated due to pride in belonging to the Senior Manager’s office, but thinking about it now, it wasn’t exaggeration but modesty.

It’s true. The Prosecutors’ Office would have really collapsed without the Senior Manager. The shell of the Prosecutors’ Office might remain intact because the Executive Manager, a big shot, is holding it up, but the inside would have been screaming.

…

What will happen if the Senior Manager leaves?

I became genuinely afraid. The current Prosecutors’ Office will remain part of the newly created Ministry of Inspection, but the Senior Manager is expected to become the minister’s secretary, following the Executive Manager. Then what will happen to the Senior Manager’s office—to the Prosecutors’ Office that has lost both its head and deputy?

Could it be that we’ll have to grind ourselves down with work like this without the Senior Manager—

“Were there always this many people in the Senior Manager’s office?”

Suddenly, the door to the Senior Manager’s office opened, and a familiar voice was heard. Naturally, the gazes of all the officials in the office turned towards the door at once.

And even the Senior Manager, who had been looking only at documents, reacted to that voice and hurriedly stood up.

“Executive Manager?”

“Sorry for coming suddenly.”

The Executive Manager has arrived.

The dying officials straightened their backs and started reading documents with serious expressions as soon as the Executive Manager arrived.

Of course, everyone knew it was just a pretense. They were already at their physical and mental limits, but it was the result of an instinct that they couldn’t show a relaxed appearance in front of the highest-ranking official.

“It looks like I’ll be able to come to work for a while. His Majesty told me to stay in the capital until the banquet is over.”

Amidst this touching scene, the Executive Manager was calmly conversing with the Senior Manager.

Come to work?

Unfortunately, the content was not as calm as the tone.

It’s natural for the Executive Manager to come to work at the Prosecutors’ Office. However, since the decision to establish the Ministry of Inspection, the Senior Manager has been leading the establishment work. If the Executive Manager intervenes now and leads the work in his preferred way, it could nullify everything done so far or create confusion.

Moreover, in terms of justification, the opinion of the Executive Manager, who is the founding chairman of the Ministry of Inspection, should take priority.

…What should we do?

My hands started trembling again. If everything we’ve done so far becomes trash, I might go crazy—

“Is there any problem you’re stuck on?”

“Fortunately, not yet.”

“Then keep going as you are. It’s better for you to handle it than for me to interfere.”

…What?

What’s going on?

Seeing the Executive Manager pat the Senior Manager’s shoulder, I was momentarily dazed.

Can the establishment of a ministry-level administrative department really be brushed off with ‘It’s better for you to handle it’? Even I, not yet accustomed to bureaucratic life, can guess how much authority comes with intervening in this matter. There would be proportional hardship too, but still, many would covet that authority.

For example, how to balance the shares of each department to be merged, who to fill the rapidly increasing positions with, and so on. These are just the immediate concerns that come to mind.

He’s giving that up?

It’s hard to understand. Of course, from our perspective, grinding away our bodies and souls, it’s truly appreciated, but from the Executive Manager’s standpoint, isn’t this authority he could easily obtain just by working us harder?

“Ah, what about things that need my approval?”

“Only tasks that absolutely require your handling remain. I can’t decide on the subordinate departments and executive composition as that’s the chairman’s authority.”

“That’s perfect.”

Even amidst the confusion, the Executive Manager continued the conversation calmly. Then, he picked one of the scrap papers on the Senior Manager’s desk and started writing something.

“Create only three departments. The current Prosecutors’ Office becomes the Enforcement Department, the Intelligence Department stays as is, and the units from the Special Service Agency are integrated into the Special Task Department.”

“Yes, understood.”

“Attach all the intelligence-related divisions from the Prosecutors’ Office to the Intelligence Department. That’ll make it easier for the next Executive Manager to work.”

The Senior Manager nodded at the order to thoroughly make the current Prosecutors’ Office an action unit.

Certainly, if the Prosecutors’ Office—no, the Enforcement Department—focuses solely on force, the administrative burden will drastically decrease. After all, the interrogation division (1st Division) and intelligence division (2nd Division) currently take up a significant portion of the Prosecutors’ Office’s work.

“The entire Senior Manager’s office will join the minister’s office. Is that okay?”

“It’s an honor.”

I almost cheered at the words added at the end.

He doesn’t interfere with his subordinates’ work, trusts them absolutely, and assigns them where they want to go.

A true superior…!

I feel like crying. The Executive Manager is truly a merciful and gracious superior.

After writing a draft of the organizational structure on the scrap paper, I handed it to the Senior Manager. Even the Ministry of Finance has only four departments excluding the Prosecutors’ Office, so having three departments in the new ministry should look sufficient to others.

We can make the 2nd Manager the Intelligence Department’s Senior Manager.

I’m satisfied. With the Intelligence Department, it’s perfect for inserting the 2nd Manager.

Although there’s an existing Intelligence Senior Manager, I hear he won’t join the Ministry of Inspection but remain in the new Intelligence Bureau that the Special Service Agency will create. It’s a bit regrettable, but in exchange, we can promote the 2nd Manager, so it’s acceptable.

I feel pleased imagining the 2nd Manager’s joy at this surprise promotion. How many superiors like me are there in the world?

I should promote all the others too.

Roughly, the 3rd Manager becomes the Enforcement Executive Manager, the 5th Manager becomes the Enforcement Senior Manager, and Penelia becomes the Special Task Executive Manager.

Perfect.

This is like heaven arranging positions just to promote these kids.

Elizabeth is in an awkward position for promotion, but fortunately, it’s not an urgent issue, so let’s set it aside for now. A good position will come up for her someday.

Hm?

Only after satisfaction filled my chest did I notice the miserable state of the Senior Manager’s office.

When I first entered, I thought they were just working normally, but now I see it’s no different from a zombie den. It was like this when I first became the Prosecutors’ Office Head too. Those days when work poured in like crazy but manpower was limited.

“You’ve all worked hard.”

“Not at all! We’re just doing what we should!”

When I casually spoke, the official sitting closest to the Senior Manager shouted reflexively.

Seeing that, I felt even more pitiful. Isn’t it a miserable life to have to smile on the outside while dying inside? No different from me.

“Give them a few Great Silver Coins each. I’ll cover it from my own pocket, so don’t worry about the budget.”

As I whispered to the Senior Manager, the zombies’ complexions brightened a bit.

I’m sorry. I know what you really need isn’t money, but rest.

But I can’t give you that, either…

I’m in a position of being worked to the bone by the Emperor too, so I can’t give others vacation time. If I could, I’d use it myself first.

So, I’m sorry. Take the money and work hard.