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The 2nd Manager collapsed first after being hit with the cake. Then, I kicked out the 1st Manager, who was complaining. She said that I’d gone too far, although they had taken time to prepare. She seemed sulky, but there was a hint of laughter mixed in her voice. She was someone who had a great talent for provoking people. I hope you get a subordinate like yourself.

In the end, the first task I did as soon as I returned to work was to clean up the cake scattered on the floor. I should have told her to clean up before going out, but I shooed her out too fast.

‘Am I cursed?’

There was definitely something weird happening in the Prosecutor’s Office. Although the Team Managers treated the Managers with the utmost respect, they became defiant toward the Executive Manager once they became Managers. When the Minister was a Manager, I remember him raising his voice at the Executive Manager.

Sometimes, I miss how the Managers used to be scared of me. That was just two years ago. How did these guys turn out like that?

The words Hecate had said while we were in the North flashed across my mind. Hecate, you might be wrong this time. Maybe it was okay among us, but we shouldn’t have let these jerks get comfortable.

— Knock, knock.

“Executive Manager, it’s me, the Senior Manager.”

“Ah, come in.”

Ironically, the one whom I would be okay with misbehaving a bit was still respectful. I guess this could be called balance.

The Senior Manager came in while carrying a pile of documents and flinched a bit after seeing me squatting on the ground. Then, he quietly put the documents down. I’m sorry for showing you such a sight.

“I’ll help you.”

“Thanks.”

They’d brought an unnecessarily big cake. I heard that only one out of five people was usually useless, but why did we get so many?

“I will rearrange the night shift.”

“Okay.”

The Senior Manager quietly said. He was probably saying that he wanted to give the night shift to them for causing this mess. He would probably feel disappointed if I let them leave on time.

While pondering what I should reply to that appeal, a 21-year-old and 32-year-old adult cleaned up the mess caused by an immature 25-year-old and 27-year-old adult.

The amount of paperwork the Senior Manager brought was considerable. Since the head of the department had been out for several months, there must have been many backlogs. After all, some agendas could only be approved by the Executive Manager.

“So the North’s still in chaos.”

“The damage was severe, so there’s still a lot of noise.”

There were many things that needed to be approved regarding the North in particular. The North had suffered the most during the Great War (war in the North), so it was still experiencing its aftermath.

The war mainly took place beyond the border located in the north. Thanks to that, the territory itself wasn’t destroyed, but the North lacked many supplies and manpower.

The problem was that there wasn’t any clear leader overseeing the post-war recovery. The Invincible Duke was the one who was supposed to be in charge of those territories, but he was currently staying in the Capital. Also, the only high-ranking noble in the North was too busy monitoring the nomads.

“Send some of the work to the Judiciary. They were complaining that we were taking all their cases.”

“Understood.”

Despite the influx of recovery funds, there was no one of authority to oversee and distribute those funds. Naturally, an embezzlement party was bound to happen. And in parties like that, the Prosecutor’s Office had to be present.

It was so bad that it became a tradition for the newcomers of the Prosecutor’s Office to be dispatched to the North to gain some experience. It even came to the point that people in the Judiciary also complained and asked to get some experience.

The amount and scale of the things they did was no joke. One mistake in the North was equivalent to two or three from other regions. Those cheeky bastards. Didn’t they feel scared when someone who misbehaved alongside them was taken to the North to receive punishment? They were strangely persistent in weird aspects.

“The Minister will surely like this.”

A smile crept into my face as I pictured someone yelling and slamming their desk.

Arranging the recovery funds was the job of the Ministry of Finance. Scraping together money we don’t have and sending it to the North was part of the Ministry of Finance’s duties, so the Minister would be the first to suffer if embezzlement scandals broke out there.

However, it didn’t matter. It wasn’t me who set the budget, but the Minister. The Minister’s pain was my joy.

I was going through the documents when something strange caught my eye.

‘What?’

It was a request from the only Margrave that was in the North. He was someone who should be busy monitoring the nomads, so why would someone like him ask for the Prosecutor’s Office to be dispatched?

I briefly looked at the documents and turned to the Senior Manager. He was also frowning. Apparently, he also thought that it was something troublesome.

“It’s a request that came early this morning. It seems they’re having trouble keeping track of the supplies released in the North.”

“Ugh, how annoying.”

I heard the last thing I wanted to hear.

Even though we were fighting each other until two years ago, there were many nomads in the North of the Empire. That relationship was maintained by paying a reasonable friendship fee.

That’s why goods from the Empire flowed into the North through various routes, whether it was through official or illegal trade. However, some of the goods sent to the North sometimes couldn’t be accounted for and vanished.

Historically, this had been a bad omen. Hoarding supplies away from the Empire’s eyes meant that they were planning something problematic.

“And the Ministry of Intelligence?”

“They were already dispatched to the North. The Masked Unit also just returned from there.”

That’s right. If Margrave Sorden requested the Prosecutor’s Office, it must have already reached the Emperor’s ears. From the Emperor’s point of view, something odd happening in the North after having gone through Kagan’s shock was alarming news.

How annoying. The Empire had been searching the North for the past two years in search of Kagan’s sons, and now another trigger button to detonate the Emperor’s anger had been added.

“I hope it’s just a misunderstanding.”

“I agree.”

I hope Margrave Sorden made a mistake while counting the goods. The Emperor would get angry at him then, but at least he would secretly feel relieved.

If a pro-empire tribe was stockpiling goods to fight another, it was okay. It didn’t matter as long as a massive alliance like Kagan’s didn’t appear.

‘Fuck.’

A headache different from when I’d seen the 1st Manager’s cake washed over me. These nomads never rest. If the damage we’d received from Kagan hadn’t been so severe, I would have swept them all away.

I pressed my temple and sighed. At least coming to work today was a good choice. If I had tried to take a day off and there was such a request, I would’ve had to rush in here in my pajamas.

“Dispatch the 2nd Division.”

“Understood.”

For now, I’m going to accept his request. His focus seemed to be more on tracking the flow of the goods than fighting, so it was appropriate for the 2nd Division to go.

Woah, the 2nd Manager somehow managed to avoid the night shift.

‘Although he’s going to be dispatched.’

It seemed like someone had given the 2nd Manager, who avoided doing the night shift, a monkey’s finger. Well, at least he avoided doing the night shift.

By the time I finished reading the documents the Senior Manager had brought, the sun had begun to set. It’s been a while since I stayed past the official working hours.

Shouldn’t the Empire’s Council propose something like a Civil Servant’s labor law? Well… considering that all the Council members were like the Patriarch, there was no chance.

— Knock, knock.

As I was about to get up from my desk and leave for the day, I heard a knock. I couldn’t help but frown. Damn it. What is it this time?

“Executive Manager~”

Before I could even tell them to come in, the 1st Manager peeked her head through the door. My mood worsened after realizing that it was her who was hindering my departure. Why do you have to be the one who had to decorate the start and end of my day?

“I have to go.”

“Are you still angry?”

“If you know that, then get out.”

“Sniff.”

Don’t.

“If you have nothing else to say, leave. I want to go home.”

“It’s already late, so why are you in a rush?”

I almost raised my hand at her annoying expression. Calm down. This will only delay my departure.

“Here, it’s a gift!”

While I was fighting against my inner demons, the 1st Manager handed me something that she was hiding behind her. She was holding a massive cake. Is this bastard going at it again?

As I frowned, the 1st Manager hastily added.

“It’s a gift! This time, it’s really a gift!”

“So it wasn’t a gift before, huh?”

“Ah.”

If this time was real, it meant that the last time was mockery. Hastily speaking often made people confess unintentionally.

Anyway, after seeing her anxious eyes, I sighed and stretched my hands. Then, the 1st Manager covered her lips with her free hand in a defensive reflex, and a moment of bewilderment rushed over me.

I was just trying to take the cake. Did I really pull her cheeks that often?

…I guess I did.

“Give it to me. I’ll eat it well.”

“Here.”

Although she often did things that deserved her cheeks to be pulled, I felt bad upon seeing her defensive reaction.

“Thanks.”

As I patted her on the shoulder to express my gratitude, she chuckled and removed her hands from her mouth. If I pulled her cheeks now, I would surely be able to see her cry.

However, I refrained myself. It wouldn’t be right to do that to someone who was genuinely giving a gift.

“Executive Manager, are you not angry anymore?”

“I cooled down a while ago.”

I was just irritated because you bothered my departure. I wouldn’t be a proper human if I were angry about something that happened in the morning. I would just be a carrier of a rage virus.

“Then, about my night shift…”

“I’m leaving.”

“Ah! Executive Manager!”

I ignored the desperate cries of the 1st Manager that was coming from behind.

As expected. She wasn’t someone who would gift me something with pure intentions.