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 49

Episode 49

A few days before Jez’s triumphant return to the capital city of Nevorista, Fatima, who led the vanguard of 350 riders under René’s command, arrived at the garrison of the 1st Legion stationed to guard the capital. There, she reported the imminent arrival of René and his group, along with submitting a report from Hugo Zwey, the Chief of Staff of the 7th Legion. The first person to read the report, which would later be called the “Zwey Document,” was none other than Prince Leo Tashman, the commander of the 1st Legion and the crown prince of the kingdom. Being a pragmatic man, Leo immediately took the document from Fatima and began reading it on the spot.

As about ten minutes passed quietly, Fatima, with her keen observational skills, couldn’t help but notice a subtle twitching of the prince’s lips and eyebrows. Finally, unable to contain himself, Leo burst into laughter, slapping the desk with one hand while holding the report in the other. Fatima watched his reaction with a mixture of awkwardness and concern, while the members of the 1st Legion looked on, bewildered.

Realizing the awkward atmosphere, Leo regained his composure and handed the report to his adjutant, Jake Murphy, nearby. A few minutes later, Jake would exhibit a reaction similar to Leo’s.

Leo, now composed, addressed Fatima as the commander of the 1st Legion, “So, Fatima Kazumi, was it? Thank you for your report. I have indeed received it. While the contents leave much to be desired in terms of seriousness… well, if Gerald’s brat from your department did it, then it must be true. I’d rather have seen Hugo’s expression while he was writing this report seriously.”

With a slight smirk, Leo continued earnestly. Meanwhile, Fatima, upon hearing his remarks, wondered, “Does Prince Leo also know about Jez?” Her thoughts wandered momentarily. Each time she resolved not to be surprised by anything related to Jez, he always managed to exceed her expectations or come at things from an unexpected angle. Regardless, Jez had become an enigmatic figure to Fatima, one she deemed incomprehensible. It was simply a waste of time to dwell on it.

Unaware of Fatima’s inner thoughts, Leo continued cheerfully, “I’ll personally deliver this report to Father immediately. Fatima Kazumi, once again, your efforts were commendable. Make sure to get some rest, alright?”

—

In the evening of that day, Leo, utilizing his authority as the commander of the 1st Legion, secured a meeting with King Ramses Tashman, the monarch of the Tashman Kingdom, in his office. There, he handed the king the aforementioned report. After reading it, King Ramses also burst into laughter, then composed himself and adopted a serious expression.

“Normally, I’d be angry at this nonsense… But I suppose if it’s Gerald’s boy, it makes sense. What on earth is going on with that family? Wasn’t it about five years ago when he caused a ruckus on the northern front?”

King Ramses inquired while turning to William Saylor, the Prime Minister of the Tashman Kingdom, who was nearby.

“Wasn’t there already periodic reporting from Kohane and Graysian even before Hugo’s formal report arrived? We’ve already reviewed Jez Norman’s background thoroughly.”

As he spoke, William handed the documents he held to King Ramses. After skimming through the contents, King Ramses let out a sigh and remarked, “It’s a mess when you look at it again. And yet, he’s considered competent even as a bureaucrat.”

“Yes. Originally, he was allowed to pursue the bureaucratic track at his own request, but I assumed he’d drop out of work and join the military soon enough…” William shrugged with a wry smile.

“I see. So, he exceeded your expectations in both bureaucratic and practical abilities,” remarked King Ramses.

“Yes. Minister Eva even entrusted him with significant tasks. His business trip as an adjustment officer to the Southern Front was initially strongly opposed by Eva, you know?” William chuckled.

The conversation between King Ramses, Prime Minister William, and Crown Prince Leo continued, with discussions involving several topics. And after several tens of minutes had passed…

“In any case, due to the recent Southern Uprising, our nation’s frontline city, Bastiona, fell once, and a legion commander perished. This has led to suspicions from foreign powers regarding our defense system and military capabilities. There are even doubts among our own people,” said William.

Listening to William’s words, King Ramses and Crown Prince Leo nodded with somber expressions.

“Furthermore, rumors have spread among the capital’s populace and diplomatic circles that we mobilized even civilian bureaucrats in our desperate situation, fighting a total war, to reclaim Bastiona. This has obviously led to misunderstandings due to Jez Norman’s actions.”

Currently, there were various mixed rumors circulating among the citizens of the capital: “The quality of Tashman Kingdom’s soldiers has declined, and they even sent civilian bureaucrats to the frontline to reclaim Bastiona.” It was entirely blamed based on the doings of some civilian bureaucrat.

After discussing how to address this situation, King Ramses, Prime Minister William, and Crown Prince Leo agreed on a solution.

“Your Majesty, please give it your all. If it’s Jez Norman, he will surely meet your expectations,” they concluded.

Thus, it was decided, without Jez’s knowledge, that an exhibition match between Ramses and Jez would be held. Seeing William’s enthusiastic demeanor, King Ramses recalled Jez Norman’s background that William had handed to him.

“…Say, William, you’re not letting your personal feelings get involved just because Jez Norman is your daughter’s ex, right?”

King Ramses asked casually.

At that moment, Ramses felt a genuine sense of danger for the first time in a while. A shiver ran down his spine, causing him to instinctively stand up. Before him was William, wearing a calm and gentle smile as always. Ramses couldn’t help but notice the similarity in behavior between William and Erin; they were undoubtedly father and daughter.

Observing William’s demeanor, Ramses shrugged his shoulders and said, “Well, it’s fine. Anyway, I’ve been curious about Jez Norman’s abilities myself.” He recalled another report from Lilly and a smile played on his lips.

And so, preparations for the public debate (physical) between the king and the civil servant, which would astonish the masses, foreign ambassadors, and spies from various agencies, proceeded smoothly behind the scenes.