When I was working as a civil servant, I was found out to be a muscle-brained knight by the princess knight and got sent to the front lines - Episode 4

Episode 4

A week had passed since Jez transferred to the 7th Legion Staff. During that time, he was bombarded daily by Rail, Hugo, Erin, and others with a massive amount of paperwork, administrative tasks, minutes of meetings, coordination with various parties, and whatnot.

“Mr. Oswald, I’ve finished today’s portion as well.”

It was past 5 o’clock in the evening. At the end of the day shift for daytime workers, Jez brought a stack of processed documents to Rail.

To add some context, the 7th Legion operates on a three-shift system: 9:00 to 17:00, 17:00 to 1:00, and 1:00 to 9:00, with shifts changing every eight hours.Although most personnel within the 7th Legion worked on regular shifts, overtime was common among staff members and some high-ranking military officers. In other words, the staff department was under heavy workload, and the number of documents did not decrease no matter how many documents were processed.

However, since Jez’s arrival, the overtime hours had visibly decreased, and today marked a significant milestone.

“…Thank you, Jez. I’ve checked the contents. Today’s tasks are completed.”

Rail, with a somewhat indescribable expression as he checked the stack of documents handed to him by Jez, conveyed his appreciation while temporarily setting aside his inner conflicts.

As the members of the Staff watched Jez and Rail’s interaction with bated breath, the words reverberated, and suddenly…

“Clocking out on time!!!!”

Applause erupted from various quarters. Members of the Staff exchanged high-fives, patted Jez on the shoulder, and everyone was in high spirits.

“Never thought he’d actually finish…”

Rail muttered, somewhat taken aback and showing a hint of frustration. Sensing Rail’s state, Hugo and Erin approached him.

“Rail, we all, including the Staff, recognize your efforts and abilities, and trust you. But this time, just be humble and learn from it.”

“That’s right. Rail, you still have a lot of potential to grow. Jez may have some quirks, but his skills are undeniable, and he’s reliable. You should apologize to him later. He’ll probably teach you a lot if you do.”

After hearing advice from Hugo and Erin and reflecting on the events of the past week, Rail closed his eyes for a moment, took a deep breath, and when he opened them again…

“Thank you, Chief of Staff, Senior Erin. I’ll apologize to Senior Jez later. …But I don’t want to lose to him, so I’ll steal all his techniques.”

With a determined expression, Rail made his declaration.

—

That evening, the Staff, who had decided to leave on time for the first time in who knows how long, gathered at a tavern in the southern core city of Kohane for a welcome party for Jez.

Hugo, speaking with a contented smile, remarked that drinking while it’s still bright outside makes the alcohol taste better. Erin was engaged in lively conversation with a group of women, while Rail and Jez…

“…Senior Jez, um, I’m sorry about earlier.”

“Hey, don’t worry about it. I’d hate it too if someone like me suddenly showed up out of nowhere.”

…were deepening their friendship, perhaps? As Rail and Jez exchanged words, the other members of the Staff, while relieved, teased Rail within limits and enjoyed the conversation despite Rail’s somewhat subtle expressions.

The topic inevitably turned to Jez’s administrative skills.

“Senior Jez, I was really surprised that you finished that amount of work. What kind of tasks were you doing before?”

Rail, who resembled a ball of ambition, continued to ask Jez more questions. Initially, they discussed general topics like standardizing administrative processes, visualizing tasks, the importance of reporting, communication, and consultation. However, as they delved deeper…

“Rail, what do you think is the most important thing for us bureaucrats?”

Jez, with a serious expression, asked Rail. After considering Jez’s earnest demeanor for a moment, Rail replied,

“…Based on what Senior Jez said earlier, I think it’s crucial to grasp the overall picture before delving into the details, right?”

He gave an excellent response. Hearing Rail’s answer, Jez nodded once and said,

“That’s definitely important. But there’s something even more crucial.”

“…And what’s that?”

Caught up in Jez’s atmosphere, Rail swallowed nervously and asked,

“Physical strength.”

“Huh?”

“I’m saying, physical strength.”

“…Physical strength, you say?”

“That’s right. For us bureaucrats, the most important thing is physical fitness. In some cases, it could be muscular strength as well. Either way, physical fitness is everything. Your body is your capital,” he said, without losing his serious demeanor. At first, Rail thought Jez might be teasing him again, given his behavior over the past week. However, judging from Jez’s demeanor, it didn’t seem like he was joking at all.

Completely taken aback by these unexpected words, Rail, feeling very puzzled, asked again for confirmation, “You’re talking about the most important thing for bureaucrats, right?”

Jez maintained a serious expression and replied, “That’s right. In the path of bureaucracy, physical fitness comes first. Without it, one cannot truly master the bureaucratic path. So, Rail, since you have potential, let’s train together from tomorrow morning.”

With a cheerful expression, Jez made the proposal to Rail. By the way, on another day, the scene of bureaucrats’ morning training (for physical fitness), a highly contradictory sight, would become known as a specialty of the 7th Legion, but that’s a story for another time.