Why the Hell Am I Getting Promoted?
People's lives never go as expected.
For example, a business plan you approved thinking it would flop ends up a massive hit and lands on the front page of the newspaper, or the bakery you always visited suddenly shuts its doors.
I am the major shareholder of the magic stones.
Due to the skyrocketing stock price, we are closing down.
"Now who will make my breakfast?"
Askal clutched his rumbling stomach and wandered the streets like a vagrant until he luckily spotted a street stall selling sandwiches.
It was his first time seeing this particular vendor, but he was in no position to be picky. Besides, the woman's hands moved with surprising skill as she prepared the food.
"One ham and cheese sandwich, please."
Askal took a bite.
It was moving.
One might think a sandwich is simply meat between bread, and that isn't wrong. Yet even with something so simple, the difference in quality depending on how it's made is like night and day.
The carefully toasted bread and the richly aromatic fresh cheese immediately stirred the appetite. One bite and the bread crunched crisply, breaking apart with a satisfying snap.
At the same time, the lettuce added the perfect juicy texture to the meat. Choosing this stall had been the right decision.
"Is the taste to your liking?"
Askal wiped the sauce that had splattered onto his cheek with the back of his hand.
The woman gazed at him with a gentle, maternal smile. Her golden hair fluttered softly in the breeze.
"It's incredibly delicious."
"To be honest, it's something I usually only make for the children, so I wasn't very confident serving a customer. I'm relieved."
"Children?"
The woman looked young—early twenties at most. Hearing her mention children left Askal momentarily flustered.
"Ah, I teach at an orphanage."
"You're doing wonderful work."
"Hehe. It's enjoyable and rewarding."
His mood lifted after tasting such a delicious sandwich for the first time in a while. Askal pointed at the sandwiches on display.
"Could I have all the ones you have right now?"
"That many? Are you sure you'll be all right?"
"I think my coworkers should taste this too."
It wasn't hard to guess that the money from these sales would help the orphanage children. Askal took the heavily loaded bag and continued on his way.
Then a sudden sense of déjà vu struck him.
A beautiful woman with golden hair, teaches orphanage children, and is skilled at cooking...
Askal remembered.
She was Eileen, a character from the novel.
In the original story, Eileen loses her orphanage to Julia's tyranny, awakens her divine power, and becomes known as the Saintess. She would later play a crucial role in the rebellion.
Of course, Julia wasn't emperor yet, and Eileen still had her orphanage. It was a story from the not-too-distant future.
Anyway.
Good. I've earned some favor.
An unexpected harvest.
He would keep buying breakfast here from now on.
That way, even if a rebellion broke out later, he'd have at least one rope to cling to.
Askal arrived at the government office.
He immediately noticed that the atmosphere felt strange.
At this hour the building should have been empty, everyone still rushing in late, but for some reason it was unusually crowded.
From his accumulated experience as a 9th Grade Official, he knew this was the time to stay cautious. He minimized his presence and the moment he opened the door to Division 4, Askal nearly jumped out of his skin.
Every single person in Division 4 was already at their desks.
The same people who treated tardiness like a daily meal had all shown up on time. This was unmistakably the prelude to something serious.
"Y-you're finally here."
The division chief, who was usually nowhere to be seen, spoke with a grave expression.
"We received word that the Minister of the Magic Department will be visiting our division. Everyone, sit at your desks and look busy—no, actually be busy."
The Minister of the Magic Department.
A lofty figure that a mere 9th Grade Official wouldn't normally dare speak of.
"Why is the minister coming to our division?"
"That's the problem—we don't know. It seems he'll arrive soon, so take your seat quickly."
At least it was fortunate the visitor was the Magic Department Minister. Among the ministers, he was known for disliking empty formalities.
They wouldn't need to put on a show.
Askal sat down and started working. The news that the minister was coming had instinctively triggered every lowly bureaucrat's survival instincts.
"Hmm. Is that a business proposal?"
"Yes. It describes a method to improve the sewers using magic stones."
"What do you think?"
"It's a lie, no need to look further. The magic formulas are all completely messed up. It's just a fancy-looking scheme to siphon off subsidies."
"It's fortunate the empire has officials like you."
Askal reflexively looked up.
A dignified, experienced-looking middle-aged man stood there. He had no idea when the man had arrived.
"Minister!"
The division chief, face pale, staggered forward.
"Herben, head of the 4th Division of the Evaluation Department. It is a tremendous honor to meet you, Minister."
"I am Robin, Minister of the Magic Department."
"May I ask what brings you to our division? Shall I show you around?"
Robin ignored the fawning division chief entirely and looked straight at Askal.
"What is your name?"
"Askal."
"Askal. What is your view of the empire's current situation?"
It was quite a heavy question.
The division chief tried to interrupt.
"The empire is currently flourishing beyond compare. This is all thanks to His Imperial Majesty's magnificent—"
"Be quiet. I am asking Askal."
At Robin's sharp rebuke, the division chief shrank like a beaten dog.
"It reminds me of a frog in a pot."
"Oh? Why do you think that?"
"Because it doesn't realize it's being boiled. It may look fine from the outside, but it gradually gets hotter, and by the time the water boils, it's already too late."
For a moment, Robin's expression changed completely.
The amused look of someone watching a talented young man's clever antics turned serious.
"Those words suggest there are shortcomings in His Majesty's rule."
"An individual cannot change the flow. No matter how outstanding they may be."
"Hmm."
Robin's stiff face relaxed, and a smile formed at the corners of his mouth.
"You. Any thoughts of coming to the Magic Department?"
The Magic Department was one of the few places in the empire that was actually doing its job properly.
To Robin, Askal was a raw gem.
It would be too wasteful to let him rot in the trash heap known as the Evaluation Department.
"I'm sorry. There's still a lot of work left for me in the Evaluation Department."
"A shame."
Robin clicked his tongue.
It was always like this.
The incompetent and frivolous changed nests easily, but the capable ones did not move lightly.
Robin found himself liking Askal even more.
"If you ever change your mind, tell me anytime. I'll always keep a position open for you."
"Thank you for the offer alone."
"Oh dear, I've kept a promising young man too long. Take this."
Askal Debr is hereby promoted to 7th Grade Official effective today and appointed as head of the vacant 3rd Division of the Evaluation Department. We expect that under the grace of His Imperial Majesty he will accomplish many great things.
"...What is this?"
"Congratulations on your promotion, Askal. Thanks to the magic stone improvement you discovered, the Magic Department has received an enormous favor. I wanted to see you in person to express my gratitude."
As Askal stared at the appointment letter, he felt his mind go blank.
"By the way, a two-rank special promotion is something I've never seen before. It's true what they say about living long enough to see everything. Hahaha!"
He had become a 7th Grade Official.
In other words, escaping the empire had just become far more difficult.
Askal had kept a secret escape plan in reserve for when things went south.
But as a 7th Grade Official, he would draw far more attention from the emperor's hunting dogs. Unlike a 9th Grade Official, whose sudden disappearance would raise no eyebrows, escaping had become significantly harder.
All his carefully laid escape plans had just gone up in smoke.
I'm fucked. For real.
On another note, the Minister of the Magic Department clearly disliked the emperor.
He seemed to value the citizens far more than the current emperor, who was drowning in luxury.
In the novel's history, the Magic Department Minister joins the rebellion. During the battle that follows, he clashes with the next emperor—Julia—and is defeated and killed.
Transferring to the Magic Department wouldn't be a good choice either.
In fact, when the minister had offered the transfer earlier, Askal's heart had sunk.
Even though it looked good on the surface, it essentially meant directly participating in the rebellion.
Isn't there some way? I need to cause a spectacular accident—something so massive it makes me look completely incompetent...
He had to create an incident before it was too late.
Askal sat in the empty office of the 3rd Division, lost in troubled thought.
It was still summer.