I Became a Civil Servant Who Can Use Magic

After clearing her head with a walk, return to headquarters.
Finish work and declare leaving on time without hesitation.
Then arrive home.

Change into comfortable clothes and sit in the desk chair.
Bend down, take an old notebook from the drawer, and plop it on the desk.

The title written on the notebook cover:

Original story content, things I remember.

I often forget at times.
That this is a world inside a novel.
It’s understandable since I was reincarnated ‘much’ earlier than the original story.

And while it’s said to be a world inside a novel.
To me, this is reality.

Anyway.

Unnamed novel.
I’ll call it this since I don’t remember the title.
This is the problem.

The reason why I wanted to go on an adventure, even if it meant playing the role of an unfilial daughter.

Because I wanted to enjoy freedom to my heart’s content in this life?
Because life as a duke’s daughter was too stifling?
Because of the romance of a fantasy world?

I can’t say none of these are true.
They all have some share.

But the biggest reason was because of the unnamed novel.

If there’s a novel, there are naturally crises too.
It’s the same here.

I don’t know the exact timing, but a crisis will come someday.

A crisis that will endanger the empire’s existence.
Since the empire is the only nation that can stand against demonic forces,
this is equivalent to a crisis for humanity.

However,
if there’s a crisis, there’s also a protagonist.

Centered around the protagonist, their group, tightly united, overcomes all sorts of crises to protect the empire, and further, returns the world to normal.
Thus, they reach a happy ending.

The process is greatly abbreviated but.
That was the ending.

The problem is that only the result is happy.
The process is not.

I remember at least that the original world setting was quite brutal.
Well, that’s why it’s a crisis.

Anyway, the hardships during the crisis will certainly not be light.

And I have absolutely no intention of going through such hardships.

That’s why I tried to leave for anywhere under the pretext of adventure.

An ordinary person who lived life as an office worker can’t suddenly become an indomitable warrior just because they were reincarnated.

I tried to leave but.

“Of all things, to be reincarnated as the eldest daughter of a ducal family..”

When I actually tried to leave, my family weighed on my mind.
Considering the status of the Franz family, it’s inevitable that they would be caught up in the crisis.

If they were truly upper-class nobles, obsessed with power without a drop of blood tears, I would have left without regret.
But of all things.

“Argh!”

Lost in complex thoughts, I messed up my hair with my hands, and it instantly became disheveled.
Looking at that appearance in the mirror, I chuckled and then returned to the main point.

And I asked myself.

‘Can I really throw everything away and leave without regret?’

Of course not.

I don’t care if other people die or whatever.
I’m not that kind-hearted.
But if those close to me get hurt….

That’s why I can’t leave.

Then.

Next.

Am I going to quit the Inspection Corps?
No. Put that on hold for now.

If I’m not going to leave, staying in the Inspection Corps is the rational choice.

Because the advantages are just too overwhelming.

Due to its immense authority, there’s nothing the Inspection Corps can’t do within the empire.
Just taking out the identification badge solves everything.

Paradoxically, by belonging to the Inspection Corps, the range of things I can do and my sphere of activity becomes ridiculously wide.

So there’s no need to say more.

But I absolutely don’t intend to settle down in the Inspection Corps.
It’s just on hold for now. Just on hold….

“……”

I closed my eyes for a moment and organized my thoughts.

If I’m not thinking of running away downwards,
and if I’m not thinking of climbing upwards either.

As wide as possible sideways.
So that later, I can move in any direction I want, up or down.

I reached a conclusion.

I’ll do inspection work just like now.
No ‘more’, no less.

If I happen to get involved with main characters from the original story, I’ll maintain good relationships with them.
When the situation isn’t favorable, at least I won’t make them enemies.

Lastly, I’ll continue training steadily.
In my opinion, this is the most important.

Whatever happens, only by having sufficient power can I avoid being swayed by situations.
Because this is that kind of world.

Thump thump.
That’s how I made my decision.

“Phew..”

Since I wasn’t contemplating a noble purpose, grand cause, or justification,
I didn’t reach any great conclusion. I just decided on a direction.

But still, this is something.

The confusion in my heart settled.

Even though I decided on a direction, nothing changed immediately.

But I felt the wall disappearing.

‘Now I just need to take one step forward.’

I closed my eyes and observed inside my head.

The view in my mind started from my head and traveled down along the blood vessels.
It passed through my neck and chest, reaching the heart.

In the pitch-black darkness, four stars located near the heart became visible.
Soon, passing the first star to the fourth, and then to the empty space next to it, the view reached.

The empty space at the top corner between the stars positioned in a square shape.
It’s time to create the fifth star hereㅡ.

“Ugh.”

The moment I realized this, a sudden headache came to my mind.

Mana started condensing in the empty space.
As if it had been waiting.

Soon, a small mana condensate was formed.
It was the birth of the fifth star.

“..?”

That was it.

Strange?
Didn’t they say many changes occur as the soul’s rank rises?
With such doubts, the moment I opened my eyes again.

“Gasp.”

I involuntarily held my breath.

The world looked so different.
As if the angle of view had widened.

Everything looked wider, clearer, and more distinct.
When I clenched and opened my hand, I could clearly feel the flow of mana and air.
Sounds I couldn’t hear before reached my ears.

All senses had advanced further.
Incomparably more than before.

The sudden change even brought cognitive dissonance.

Thud.
Because of that, my legs tangled and I sat down.

The changed senses felt so unfamiliar that I could only sit blankly for a while.

“………..”

After staying like that for over two hours, I finally managed to get up.

And I realized.

The reason why Seraphine looked down on me so much during our first duel.
The reason why 5-star strong ones look down on 4-stars.

It wasn’t just because of the ability to double cast.

When the view of the world, no, the senses themselves are so different.
How could a mere 4-star even register in their eyes?

It was literally ‘mere’.
Comparing before and after, that’s how it was.

Of course, it’s not like I suddenly became 2 or 3 times stronger, but there was a clear difference.

What’s more amazing is that this is just the very initial stage of reaching 5-star.

‘If I train steadily from here and reach the highest level of 5-star….’

It felt completely different from when I reached 2, 3, and 4-star.
It wasn’t for nothing that they say the soul’s rank rises.

After lying on the bed and waving my hand to the side to feel the air flow for a while.

“I want to check the difference in magic levels too.”

At that moment, Seraphine’s face popped into my mind.
I guess Seraphine is the easiest target. No, not really.

Since we dueled most recently, the before and after comparison would be clear.
I should ask her when I go to work tomorrow.

With a bit of anticipation, I went to bed earlier than usual.

The next day.

Loen, who woke up earlier than usual, uncharacteristically arrived at work a whole hour early and started her work.

No, she tried to start.

Sitting at her desk, she placed her elbows on the desk with her chin resting on her hands, and put a report right in the center.

“……”

Surprisingly, not a single letter entered her eyes.
It was because all her attention was focused on being 5-star.

“Loen, good morning~”
“Good morning.”
“Huh? You? Don’t tell me?”

Ria strode towards Loen.
And examined Loen’s body from various angles.

Ria sensed that the aura Loen was emitting was different from yesterday.
It was rougher and clearer.

As a 5-star investigator herself, Ria immediately detected Loen’s change.

“Did you reach it last night?”
“Yes.”
“5-star already…. Well, if the Enforcement Department’s youngest is 5-star, shouldn’t the Inspection Department’s be 5-star too? Right? Anyway, congratulations!”
“Thank you.”

Starting with Ria, the rest of the team members who were clocking in one after another also offered their congratulations to Loen.
In fact, it was congratulations in name only. It was closer to shock.

“Faster than expected.”

Even Ead, whose expressions don’t change much, showed a surprised look.

Afterwards, Loen, surrounded by her team members, was only able to escape from the wall of fuss after about thirty minutes.

Loen sat down at her desk again.
As she tried to continue writing her report once more.

‘I really can’t concentrate?’

Feeling it was impossible, she quickly looked around.

Tap.
She put down her pen and quietly stood up from her seat.

Then she slipped out of the office and called for Seraphine.

“Investigator Seraphine. If you have time, would you like to have a light duel like last time?”
“A duel? Of cour-”

Seraphine’s face froze mid-answer.

“You’ve reached 5-star.”
“Yes.”
“Hmm, I’ve always been curious. How much stronger Investigator Loen would become when reaching 5-star. Today I’ll finally get to see that.”

Once again, the two stood facing each other in the underground training grounds.

Seraphine’s Adam’s apple bobbed up and down.
On the other hand, Loen was the same as usual.

“Shall we start?”
“Let’s.”

Magic bullet casting at the start.

It was the same as before, but the result was different.

Originally, Seraphine’s casting speed was faster.
However, now it was the opposite.

“Magic Bullet.”

5 gray magic bullets were fired from Loen’s hand. Since she had the advantage in attributes, she fired them straight without changing their paths.

“..?”

Shock seeped into Seraphine’s eyes.
She couldn’t help it, since the number of magic bullets increased from 3 to 5.

Seraphine, biting her lip, canceled her second attack magic and prepared a barrier in its place.
She might lose on the first move at this rate.

Pop pop!
Soon after, Seraphine also fired magic bullets, but they were all shattered by Loen’s magic bullets.
Due to the ‘annihilation’ property of the darkness attribute imbued in the bullets.

Four blue magic bullets scattered into the air.
On the other hand, 3 out of 5 gray magic bullets maintained their form and flew towards Seraphine.

‘It’s over.’

Seeing this, Loen was certain.

Boom boom boom.
The magic bullets collided with Seraphine’s barrier. Cracks appeared, visible even from afar.

Simultaneously with the cracks forming, a gray beam of light shot through.

The beam pierced through the barrier and struck Seraphine.
The impact knocked Seraphine backwards.
If this had been a real battle, her upper body would have vaporized on the spot.

“Ugh.”

Although Seraphine wasn’t unprepared, the interval between spells was too short, leaving insufficient preparation time.
Now Loen even had the advantage in casting speed.

The duel ended in an instant.

Seraphine, trying hard to suppress her groan, silently got up.

“Ha..”

And let out a hollow laugh.
Soon, various emotions appeared on her face.

Emptiness, anger, self-reproach, jealousy, and other emotions flashed by quickly.
Finally, enlightenment settled in.

“Well, it’s not like I didn’t expect this. Just not for it to end so quickly.”

Loen also scratched her head.
Indeed.

“Actually, I fully expected it. Even when you were 4-star, you were on par with me, so it’s natural for the gap to widen drastically once you reached 5-star, right? But that doesn’t mean I’m, absolutely, shocked, so don’t misunderstand.”
“..”

As Seraphine started rambling afterwards, Loen quietly left her place.
Thinking it would be better to leave her alone rather than offering words of comfort.

There are still many things I haven’t checked yet.
I guess I’ll have to ask Senior Ria.

Walking down the corridor, Loen organized her next tasks.

First, have a duel with Senior Ria,
When there’s time, try triple casting.

Ah, right.
And,
A private talk with Psyche.

‘No wonder her name felt familiar from the first time we met.’

Nodding her head, Loen immediately headed towards the office.