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It had been a few days since I issued the secret orders to the Vice Captain. Of course, it wasn’t a directive that required immediate results, so I decided to wait patiently.

Fixing the twisted affections of the 4th Manager, which must have been warped over years, couldn’t be done in just a few days. It’d be like soft rain soaking your clothes—change would come gradually, little by little.

Still, it would be nice if we saw some progress by March. If we let it drag on past the school opening in March, it’d be summer vacation before I could see the 4th Manager again.

“So, when you see the 4th Manager, be kind to her.”

“I’ve always been kind.”

I quietly turned my gaze away from the 1st Manager who seemed a bit offended, even sniffling as if she was upset.

While it was true that the 1st Manager and the 4th Manager were close, calling the 1st Manager ‘kind’ might be a bit of a stretch. To others, it might honestly seem like she was just pestering and annoying the quiet 4th Manager.

Can I really trust her?

I couldn’t help but worry. What if she only ends up making the 4th Manager’s condition worse?

“Don’t worry about it! If Penelia ends up with you, then I’ll finally be off the hook as the youngest!”

But somehow, her words brought me some comfort. Yes. I shouldn’t trust her kindness but her self-interest.

“There’s no such thing as the ‘youngest.’”

Of course, I corrected that little misunderstanding. Among them, there was no older or youngest; it was just a matter of who joined first.

With that in mind, I pulled on her lips as a mild reprimand for her careless words, and she quickly nodded in understanding. She wouldn’t make the same mistake twice now that she had been warned.

“But, Executive Manager, there’s something I’ve been curious about.”

“Go on.”

She stepped back a few paces and carefully spoke up as soon as I released her lips.

“…You’re writing the evaluation for the minister, right?”

“Yeah.”

It was an obvious question, so I gave an obvious answer.

“Who else would I be evaluating besides the minister?”

The year-end performance evaluation was the only time a direct subordinate could evaluate their immediate superior.

These year-end evaluations were sent to the Ministry of Internal Affairs, which compiled them and submitted them to the Emperor. It was one of the rare opportunities for the voices of the civil servants, who were toiling away in the field, to reach the Emperor.

“No matter how I look at it, this doesn’t sound like an evaluation of the minister.”

The 1st Manager, mumbling in a disgruntled tone, snatched the paper I was writing on.

How unbelievable that the subordinates these days were stealing from their superiors. The world really was going downhill.

“Current Finance Minister Deber Briad of Blotchen is fair and just, always leading by example, and listens to even the lowest-ranking subordinates before making efficient decisions…”

The 1st Manager turned her gaze back to me as she read the evaluation I had written.

“Who is this supposed to be? If there’s a minister like this, then let’s go work for him together.”

“He’s sitting in the minister’s office right now.”

I said as I retrieved the stolen evaluation paper.

I knew that the minister I described in my evaluation was nothing more than a fantasy character that only existed in fairy tales. But, what could I do? All I’d be doing would be cursing him out if I wrote my true feelings.

“If I write the truth and the minister gets fired, then what?”

Then, damn it. It was already pretty obvious who’d be taking that spot—me.

The Crown Prince was already itching for a chance to promote me, and the Minister was looking for any excuse to retire. If I submit a negative evaluation, then the Crown Prince wouldn’t hesitate to seize the opportunity.

Of course, the Minister wouldn’t retire but would be transferred instead. Still, staying here would be better for him than being transferred in a job he wasn’t suited for.

“And you’re okay with submitting a false evaluation?”

“Won’t I get fired someday for falsifying reports and submitting them?”

The 1st Manager gave me a look of deep concern, but I didn’t pay it any mind.

Dreaming was free, wasn’t it?

***No department had it easy at the end of the year, but the Internal Affairs Department was especially busy during this time.

It was unavoidable. The end of the year was when all departments and civil servants submitted their performance reports and evaluations. It was also a time of endless lobbying, with people trying to ensure that they hadn’t received any negative evaluations and trying to have positive notes added to the final report that went to His Majesty the Emperor.

Even though the Internal Affairs Department didn’t directly manage the appointments of civil servants, it was the only department that could legally advise the Emperor on such decisions. It was no different from how the central command often had more influence than the field commanders even on the battlefield.

If there’s a hell, then it’s probably here.

But in the Imperial Administration, power and workload went hand in hand. I sometimes wish they’d just take away some of my power and reduce my workload.

I’m not even interested in climbing all the way to the ministerial position, so please spare me.

Whenever I was reviewing evaluations of civil servants, I often wondered whether I was living among humans or in some kind of den filled with beasts.

They blew it out of proportion with all sorts of embellishments if they noticed even the slightest flaw in their superiors. The more they exaggerated, the more likely it was that their superior would step down, opening up a promotion opportunity for them. Not all officials were like this, of course, but the few who were ambitious tended to be the loudest.

This was a position where you could witness the ugliness of humanity up close and unfiltered. It was both physically and mentally exhausting.

“Executive Manager, here’s the report from the Prosecutors’ Office.”

“Ah, just leave it there.”

While I was rubbing my temples to relieve the daily headache, the Senior Manager approached and handed me a thin stack of documents.

The Prosecutors’ Office.

Seeing the familiar name, a small smile crept onto my face. Just a few years ago, the Prosecutors’ Office was a place notorious for its ruthlessness.

“Pfft—”

I couldn’t help but laugh when I saw the evaluation written by the Executive Manager of the Prosecutors’ Office, which was right on top.

It was filled with nothing but compliments and praises. If you only read the evaluation, then you’d probably think the Minister being mentioned in the document was the most exemplary and virtuous person in the world. Even false flattery could be amusing if you saw it three times in a row.

It’s so transparent.

His desperate efforts to hold on to the current minister and his twisted resolve to be rewarded for what was obviously a fabricated evaluation were clear as day.

It was almost entertaining. After reading through so many cunning and deceitful evaluations, coming across something so straightforward felt like finding an oasis in the desert.

And it wasn’t just the Executive Manager of the Prosecutors’ Office—his subordinates were the same.

[ The Executive Manager of the Prosecutors’ Office always leads by example and takes full responsibility for his subordinates’ mistakes— ]

[ He is respectful to his superiors and kind to his subordinates. He refuses unreasonable orders and gives only fair commands. ]

[ He stands by his words and never has to repeat himself. He doesn’t cut off his tail to avoid responsibility. ]

“Ahahaha…”

Even Emperor Amanca the Great’s founding chronicles of the empire wouldn’t be filled with this much praise.

The flood of enthusiastic compliments from both the Senior Manager and the Managers was so overwhelming that even I, who wasn’t the subject, felt my face heat up. And I almost burst out laughing again at the dark schemes hidden beneath those flowery words.

One of the reasons the Executive Manager of the Prosecutors’ Office couldn’t resign no matter how hard he tried was precisely because of these evaluations.

“There were concerns about his young age when he was appointed, but it seems he’s leading his department admirably. It’s truly reassuring.”

After reading the evaluation sent by the Prosecutors’ Office, His Majesty didn’t say another word. It was an unspoken confirmation that the Executive Manager of the Prosecutors’ Office would remain in his position no matter what.

“Executive Manager of Internal Affairs, wouldn’t it be easier if you had a bit less work? Don’t worry about the evaluations from the Prosecutors’ Office.”

Even the Crown Prince was firm in his decision to maintain the status quo at the Prosecutors’ Office.

That was why the evaluations from the Prosecutors’ Office had no impact on personnel changes. It was just a shame that the Executive Manager of the Prosecutors’ Office didn’t realize this.

I wish other departments were like this, too.

A fleeting thought of greed crossed my mind, but so what? Weren’t we free to dream?

Anyway, making people laugh with just a few words on paper was a talent in itself. I was already looking forward to next year’s evaluations.

***I knew the Vice Captain was diligently writing something, but since it was time for year-end performance evaluations, I just assumed he had a lot to say about me. If the Vice Captain had a lot to say, then it meant that I had fallen short somehow, so I didn’t blame him for it.

I wondered if I had really been that bad as a captain when I saw the other members whispering with the Vice Captain, but I tried to let it go. I shouldn’t get angry at the members who were dissatisfied with my shortcomings, anyway.

…I should have gotten angry.

“Vice Captain.”

“Yes.”

“What is this?”

The Vice Captain handed me a paper with a solemn expression. As soon as I looked at it, I closed my eyes.

“This is the collective opinion of the entire Masked Unit.”

Hearing those grand words made my head spin. Collective opinion? Could you even attach a term like that to a document like this?

“This represents the loyalty of myself and all the members.”

“In what way is this loyalty—?”

“If it’s not loyalty, then please consider it an expression of familial love.”

His words shut me up.

Bringing up family at a time like this—how underhanded. How could I refuse after that?

“Please, just this once, read it through to the end. That’s all we ask.”

And what choice did I have if he pleaded like that?

…Fine, I should think of it as an earnest suggestion from a subordinate or as a show of affection from a family member. That’d be the right way to approach this.

So, I steadied my trembling hands and began to read the paper the Vice Captain handed me—