Chapter 7. An Assistant’s Work

Quite a commotion arose after returning to the capital from Ilium.

This was because many of the mages caught this time were veterans with significant backgrounds.

‘Ah, see? We told you we were just following orders when we got caught. Why didn’t you believe us, Assistant Saliche?’

‘That’s right, that’s right. We were just poor laborers working in the laboratory.’

You think I don’t remember writing up the evidence reports about what was found in your back pockets just a year ago?

The mages who were caught last year and already doing labor were filled with strange expectations upon hearing the news.

‘You know, the people who came this time have better experience and skills than us? Can’t you transfer us to labor in a different palace?’

‘Kind and generous Assistant Saliche. Please, please listen!’

Of course, such nonsense would never be approved.

Those guys were doing this relatively comfortable labor because their crimes were less severe, while the veteran mages caught this time were headed for physical labor after having their magic sealed at minimum.

People who hated even walking on their own feet would surely make quite a racket.

Anyway, besides those physically noisy ones, the press was also quite bustling.

Rebellion of the Magic Tower? What About Relations with the Temple?

Demons of the Winter Palace Strike Again with Their Notorious Fame!

The journalists clearly misunderstood the meaning of both demon and evil.

‘We did good this time, shouldn’t they use the word prestige instead?’

Annoyed for no reason, I picked up the red ink and corrected all the unnecessary words above the article.

Meanwhile, Cassian returned from reporting on state affairs, so I immediately asked him about the person whose reaction I was most curious about.

“How was the Imperial Consort today?”

“She smiled, but today her mouth and eyes were noticeably twitching.”

Cassian sneered.

“She also didn’t forget to say that everything went well thanks to brother’s good advance preparation.”

Yes, that’s just like the Imperial Consort.

“It seems our assumptions were correct.”

“Erasing traces so meticulously is the Imperial Consort’s specialty after all.”

Cassian shrugged his shoulders.

Especially this time, her traces were even harder to see since she was trying to gain benefits as a bystander.

“I heard Duke Lopez entered the palace too.”

“It will probably end with a simple investigation.”

“What about Wilhelmina?”

“Fortunately, she stayed quietly at the Duke’s residence, your judgment was right.”

“I suppose there were people trying to approach the lady?”

“Yes, apparently disciples of the mages involved in this incident.”

“Did they know the contents too?”

Cassian nodded slowly.

“Magic transmission coordinates were found near the stores and Duke’s residence that the lady frequently visits.”

“If Wilhelmina had met with them even once……”

“She would have been dragged in just like that.”

Cassian clicked his tongue lightly.

“The Imperial Consort doesn’t like to leave uncertain elements.”

It was the same reason in the original story.

Though he said he would get engaged to Roselita, the emperor opposed it because of her weak baronial family, and since Wilhelmina liked Cassian so much, she feared the synergy that might occur if he ended up with the lady.

Duke Lopez was a person with ambition for power, but he also hated losing out, so when Wilhelmina’s chances of matching with the First Prince disappeared, he thoroughly weighed both sides.

Would he choose Cassian, who had built military prestige and had the people’s support but weak power, or would he support the First Prince to grab second or third-tier power?

In fact, Duke Lopez had tried to attach his sons as assistants to First Prince Charlie and Second Prince Cassian before.

However, it didn’t materialize because the Imperial Consort, who saw through his intentions, was displeased.

So from the Imperial Consort’s perspective, she wanted to eliminate an entity with potential.

‘She probably thought it would be even better to get dirt on House Lopez while at it.’

Such a meticulously planned affair, one that even almost got Cassian killed…

It all fell apart thanks to my appropriate measures.

This was also why I sent only Cassian to the state affairs report without following along.

Honestly, I was scared.

I shivered slightly and asked Cassian.

“Your Highness, I think……”

“Yes?”

“I should probably work hard to avoid the Imperial Consort for a while?”

At my sad question, Cassian showed a gentle smile.

“I’ll work hard to shield you, Rose.”

…I really want to run away.

*

The aftermath of the Ilium incident continued for quite a while.

Because those involved kept getting caught one after another.

There were many people on the cruise ship, and we knew it was realistically impossible to prevent everyone’s escape even if the knights subdued them all.

That’s why I deliberately scattered gold coins that day.

Those gold coins had special magical treatment that allowed not only simple recovery but also tracking functionality.

Especially since they strongly reacted to mages’ magic power.

‘It’s really fortunate that all the cooperating mages have such bad personalities.’

That mentality of having no camaraderie and hoping other mages would suffer as much as they did.

Cassian and I were making very good use of the mages’ psychology whenever they caused trouble.

‘Now the Magic Tower has finally quieted down too.’

The Magic Tower was actually an independent space like the temple, so in principle, it didn’t have a vertical relationship even with the imperial family.

Similar to the principle of government non-intervention in martial arts from martial arts novels, naturally this time too, the Magic Tower made their own demands.

Hand over those with minor crimes to the Magic Tower. While we won’t ask for leniency for those who greatly violated imperial law, we need justification since we’re not interfering.

Of course, Cassian and I simply ignored them.

The Magic Tower violated imperial law first. If you continue to be this unreasonable, we will have no choice but to impose administrative sanctions on our end.

In short, it meant we would cut the research budget going to the Magic Tower from the second half of the year.

It was practically enough courtesy that we let the mages with lighter crimes from last time do labor instead of restraining their magic power.

‘Do they even know how much criticism Cassian took from the temple for that decision?’

It’s been well over 500 years since the Magic Tower was established, and in reality, the government non-intervention, no, the principle of non-intervention in magic affairs has become practically nominal.

Yet every person we catch keeps going on about mages’ deep ideals or whatever.

Since when did the Magic Tower become a magic cult?

Anyway, after handling all the mages’ crimes, treatment plans for drug victims, and administrative processing, it was already a full summer.

In other words…

‘It’s time for the first half year’s settlement.’

It was the season when the Winter Palace would properly split up.

*

“Assistant Saliche, I’ve organized all the materials you mentioned.”

“Please leave them here. And organize them the same way as the red file folder on the low table.”

“Assistant, the Second Princess’s palace is requesting help saying they’re having trouble preparing their budget settlement.”

“Why do they do this every settlement period?”

“Assistant, from the Imperial Consort’s palace—”

“Put it on His Highness’s desk.”

“Assistant, from the Sun Palace—”

I wish people would stop calling for me now.

Funnily enough, during settlement periods, distinguishing between friend and foe in the imperial palace became meaningless.

Even the Imperial Consort’s Palace has no intention of resolving this troublesome matter without us.

It was true that the Winter Palace administrators worked most efficiently thanks to how much they relied on us.

‘What exactly is the finance department doing?’

This all happened because the people who should be the busiest kept delegating bits and pieces of work, which gradually increased after I arrived, until finally they dumped everything on Cassian.

Though half of it was Cassian’s intention as well.

‘Having control over the budget inevitably gives you more power.’

That’s why I took on work from other palaces while grumbling bitterly.

Of course, surviving was the biggest reason.

And next was because just like me,

“Your Highness, please review this—”

“Your Highness, His Majesty the Emperor requested this be handled urgently—”

“Prince Charlie said that this matter doesn’t seem to be related to the First Prince’s palace—”

Cassian was also being driven crazy.

‘Still, we need to weed out the tasks that were dumped on us that don’t help us at all.’

Especially the Summer Palace belonging to the First Prince.

This behavior of immediately dumping work on us whenever they need to use their heads a little, despite having twice as many assistants and administrators as us,

“I’ll go to the Summer Palace, Your Highness.”

I couldn’t stand to let this slide anymore.

Watching me that day as I had the knights carry the thick files I had collected vengefully during the settlement period, Cassian gave me a wink.

It was a signal to come back victorious.

*

Unlike the Winter Palace where no one could walk leisurely, the Summer Palace administrators were laughing and taking slow walks after lunch.

No, not just the administrators, but even the assistants too.

“There’s so much work today too? Everyone’s working hard during the settlement period.”

“We just follow the assistants’ instructions well. Even if it’s tough, that’s how it is during this time.”

“Still, we manage well because our assistants are so capable.”

They’re really having a field day here.

“Look at the Winter Palace, they work so inefficiently they do overtime every day. That’s proof of their incompetence, unlike our Prince Charlie.”

“Since when did efficient work mean dumping it on others?”

Who’s making who suffer like this to say such things?

The First Prince’s Palace’s assistant momentarily froze at my sudden appearance, then spoke while snickering.

“What business does the Winter Palace witch have here in the Summer Palace?”