I Became a Civil Servant Who Can Use Magic

At the same time Loen was arresting Grand Duke White.

Inside the separate palace where banquet attendees were staying, Inspection Department Team Leader Ead’s voice was echoing.

“……… Marquis. I am placing you under emergency arrest on charges of treason and insurrection. Do you have any objections?”
“….”

The nobles enjoying tea time in small groups lost their words. They exchanged glances, wondering what on earth was going on.
Treason out of nowhere?

Of course, not everyone was like that.

Some nobles whose names were called, that is, those who had something to hide, secretly exchanged signals and slowly drew their swords.

At that moment.

Thud!
One of their heads was slammed onto the table.

“Urgh.”

As a groan escaped, Senior Inspector Ria spoke with a voice mixed with a sigh.

“If you act so obviously, I can’t pretend not to notice even if I want to.”

No sooner had she finished speaking than Ria’s knee struck the noble’s side.

Gack.
He collapsed to the floor with a choking sound. Soon after, Ria, who had stepped on him, declared to those around:

“If you’re confident, try drawing that.”
“..”

After hesitating for a moment, they seemed to make up their minds and fully drew their swords.
And they charged roughly towards the inspector.

“Attack!”

Their intention was to struggle at least before being dragged away.

Seeing them like this, Ria looked at Ead and grinned.
This is self-defense, right? Team Leader?

Ead nodded.

Following the Director’s instructions, Loen’s group, which had arrested the Grand Duke, moved towards the outskirts of the imperial palace.
At that time, fierce shouts spread on the wind from the direction of the separate palace.

“Looks like it’s started over there too.”
“Indeed.”

The arrest targets for this operation included not only the Grand Duke but also some influential figures from the southwestern part of the Empire.
The plan was to capture them first to bring confusion to the turncoats.

Judging by the occasional sounds, they must have encountered the Inspection Corps arrest team by now.

“Loen!”

As Loen’s group was heading to the gathering place, an urgent voice was heard from behind. When Loen turned around, it was Imperial Princess Elia as expected.

She was running towards them with her golden hair fluttering.

Loen stopped and said.

“Psyche, I’ll talk for a bit and catch up. Go ahead with Inspector Seraphine.”
“Yes!”

After sending them away, Loen turned to face Elia. Soon, she approached right in front and asked while catching her breath.

“Loen, what’s going on? Arresting a Grand Duke without proper justification?”

The face of the princess, who was always full of composure, was colored with bewilderment.

That’s how shocking the incident in the banquet hall was.
Let alone the blood splattering on her face, she never expected the Grand Duke’s hand to be cut off so suddenly.

Loen scratched her head.
How should I explain this.

She had been informed that the Emperor’s decree could be revealed to trustworthy individuals, but Imperial Princess Elia wasn’t included in that.

So she was troubled.

Seeing Loen’s hesitant look, Elia narrowed her eyes.
There’s something.

“Weren’t we somewhat close friends since childhood? Yet you can’t tell me?”

Elia approached even closer with an informal demeanor.

“Um..”

Loen looked at her and fell into thought.

2nd Imperial Princess Elia.
In the original work, she was an ill-fated princess who went missing after losing the imperial succession war.

However, she was also the imperial family member most suitable as the next emperor, not clinging to authority and valuing talent. That’s what Loen thought.

Nevertheless, conscious of the imperial succession war that would occur later, she tried to avoid getting entangled with the imperial family as much as possible. That’s why she didn’t give even a sliver of opportunity despite the princess pretending to be close to the point of annoyance.

Now her thoughts had changed.

She felt that giving a little bit of opportunity might be okay.
Of course, she wasn’t fully prepared to express her support officially yet, so just a little.

After deliberation, Loen cautiously opened her mouth.

“His Majesty’s decree has been issued.”
“Decree?”

Elia’s expression hardened completely.
As a member of the imperial family with a brilliant mind, she immediately deduced the situation through Loen’s words.

The Inspection Corps’ arrest of the Southern Grand Duke, the shouts heard from all over the imperial palace, and the Emperor’s decree.
Given the circumstances, it seemed certain that a second Great Purge was underway.

Having reached this conclusion, Elia was inwardly shocked.
I had my suspicions, but to think he would make such a decision so quickly.

Elia’s mind was spinning wildly.
She too had been at the center of the successor competition for a long time.
She prided herself on her ability to read the flow of power being second to none.

In Elia’s eyes, she could see.

The pendulum of power slowly tilting towards the Inspection Corps.

This could be guessed just by the fact that her father had issued a decree to the Inspection Corps, bypassing the imperial family.

In other words, it was clear that the status of the Inspection Corps would rise.

And.

‘Rising as a power player in the Inspection Corps..’

Having organized her thoughts, Elia completely dropped formalities. And asked in an even friendlier tone.
The way her attitude and expression changed so quickly was truly at the level of a master actor.

“By the way, Loen, do you remember the conversation we had on the train? When returning to the capital from the marquis territory. You said you had absolutely no interest in power, right?”

Golden eyes and red eyes crossed.

“How about it? Do you still think the same as back then?”

While speaking, Elia thoroughly scanned Loen’s face.
To catch any subtle changes in expression.

“…. Your Highness, my thoughts remain unchanged from that time.”

For a moment, Loen hesitated. Very briefly.
Elia didn’t miss that fleeting gap.

“I see.”

A gentle smile appeared on Elia’s lips.

“Thank you for telling me.”

Having finished their conversation, they went their separate ways.

Outskirts of the imperial palace.

As Loen arrived at the gathering place, her sight caught a group of nobles being transported in special escort carriages.

They were all suspected of being turncoats.
However, officially they were to be announced as detained for treason and various corruptions.

“N-no matter if it’s the Inspection Corps, this is too, mmph.”
“Shh~”

The noble who was resisting getting into the carriage was immediately gagged. The inspector roughly shackled his hands and kicked him into the carriage in an instant.

Soon after, as if nothing had happened, the inspector who dusted off his hands waved at Loen.

“Loen~ You’re here?”
“Yes. But where are the others?”

The inspector was none other than Ria.
She pointed with her chin towards a rugged building located on the outskirts of the imperial palace.

“Everyone went in first. Let’s hurry and go too.”

Loen walked with Ria to the grand conference room inside the building.

The moment she crossed the threshold of the grand conference room, the gazes of the inspectors inside all fixed on her.

Given the situation, there was a strange tension in everyone’s eyes.

“You’re here.”

The Director gestured with his chin to the empty seat between himself and the deputy director.

This seating arrangement is very strange, Director?
Loen was flustered.

The seat the Director pointed to was next to him, who was seated at the head. In other words, it meant a seat that should be occupied by a deputy director or department head level.

To seat me there….

Because the atmosphere in the grand conference hall was so heavy that it was awkward to speak up, Loen silently sat down next to the Director.

The Director seated at the head.

To his right, the deputy director and enforcement department personnel were seated according to rank.

To his left, Loen and the inspection department personnel were seated.

Due to the unconventional seating arrangement, sharp gazes were directed at Loen from the enforcement department side.

We’ll acknowledge that she’s achieved results, but even so, sitting next to the Director is a bit….

However, they didn’t express dissatisfaction outwardly. After all, it was the Director’s instruction to sit there.

The strategy meeting began in a heavy atmosphere.

“The first target of the Great Holy War is the entire southwestern part of the Empire.”

It meant purifying the entire vast southern and western parts of the Empire.

The scale was enormous from the start.

“The Capital Corps and the Imperial Knights will support the Inspection Corps. If necessary, draw forces from them.”

Everyone nodded.

“Next, I will assign team compositions, areas of responsibility, and operation details to each of you.”

The Inspection Department was to take charge of the southern part of the Empire.
Team Leader Ead and Senior Gilbert formed a team,
Chief Investigator Babyl and Senior Ria formed a team.

Then the Director said.

“Loen. What do you plan to do?”

Question marks appeared in everyone’s minds.

Come to think of it, Senior Inspector Loen doesn’t have a team?
And what do you mean by ‘what do you plan’?
This is almost like….

Under everyone’s gaze, Loen opened her mouth.

“I will form a team of three with Adjutant Psyche and Inspector Seraphine. And….”

Loen conveyed her team composition and operation details to the Director.

Starting from the Donnelly ducal family, all the way to the final destination, the Arteum Mage Tower.

Right after her words ended, the grand conference hall fell into silence.

It was because a senior inspector suddenly recited team composition and operation details on her own.

Someone abruptly raised their hand.

“I have a question. May I ask?”
“By all means.”

Enforcement Department 1st Team Leader Drake pointed at Loen and asked.

“I don’t understand. This isn’t an ordinary operation, but the Great Holy War to fulfill His Majesty’s decree, isn’t it? Then why is a senior, who’s neither a chief investigator nor a team leader..”

Drake paused for a moment and glared at Loen. He barely swallowed the word ‘mere’ that he was about to say.

“Of course. I acknowledge Senior Loen’s achievements. But…”

Taking a deep breath, he finally threw a fastball.

“Why is she the only one conducting an independent operation?”

Everyone present shared the same thoughts as the Enforcement Department team leader. Of course, the Inspection Department team members just went along with it.

Everyone waited for the Director to open his mouth.

Finally, the Director spoke.

“His Majesty personally granted special discretionary power to Senior Loen.”

The Enforcement Department team leader sat down faster than the speed of light.

“I understand.”

The atmosphere reversed in an instant.

It was the will of none other than His Majesty the Emperor.

Afterwards, the meeting proceeded smoothly without any hitches and came to an end.

While heading somewhere in the Director’s car after the meeting ended,

“Loen. You’re aware that Duke Donnelly is a big shot deeply involved in the war business, and also the commander leading the Southern Corps, aren’t you?”

The Director suddenly threw a question.
It was a question laced with concern about whether she had chosen too big a target for eradication.

“I am aware.”

The Director’s eyes swept over Loen’s face.
After being immersed in silence for a moment, he opened his mouth again.

“His Majesty desires proof.”

He paused for a moment before continuing.

“However, on the other hand, he doesn’t want a promising talent of the Empire to lose their life in vain.”

Screech.
The car arrived at its destination.

“Get out.”
“Yes.”

The place they arrived at in the Director’s car was the Imperial Knights Headquarters.
Following him into the headquarters, Loen went straight down to the basement via the stairs.

“Although this operation is being conducted in secret, there’s no guarantee that the turncoats won’t counterattack.”
“The enemies aren’t fools after all.”
“That’s right. In that sense, the lives of inspectors can’t be guaranteed either. Therefore, to avoid wasting lives, it’s necessary to have sufficient power.”

Sufficient power..
Loen muttered inwardly.

The Director stopped in front of a door at the end of the corridor.
And he roughly opened the door in front without even touching it.

The moment Loen entered the room following him.

Click, click.
Ten knights armed in full-body black armor lined up in a row in front of Loen.
Complex magic patterns were engraved all over their armor.

This is….
As Loen was looking at them in surprise, the Director’s voice reached her ears.

“These are magic-armored knights equipped with armor and shields engraved with various magic. They will also assist you like shadows during this operation.”

The Director raised the corners of his mouth towards Loen.

“This should be sufficient power, what do you think?”

Three mages belonging to the Inspection Corps.
Plus magic-armored knights to take charge of the vanguard.

Loen looked at the Director and smiled.

“It’s more than sufficient, to the point of overflowing.”