SOLIRF~46

Chapter 46

The Most Useless Duel in the World (2)

“Polish this statement so it’s suitable for public announcement.”

‘Farmland maintenance will begin early next month. Imperial citizens’ cooperation is required. Due to a shortage of supplies, no material support should be expected during the work.’

The funny thing was—this was actually about to be announced to the public. It was only one sentence, but not easy to phrase properly, and it was exactly the kind of tricky problem related to administrative work.

It doesn’t need to sound fancy. If it comes off as too authoritative, it’ll only provoke backlash.

I recalled all the anger I’d swallowed over countless internal memos and official notices. Rather than trying to perfectly suppress dissatisfaction, I needed to write it in a way that showed understanding of the people’s situation. That was the only way to soften negative reactions.

I had to start with the assumption that people would complain anyway.

They’re asking me to write something I don’t even believe… this feels bitter.

I slowly picked up my fountain pen and rewrote it in the format of an official statement. After drafting it once, I removed unnecessary embellishments and carefully considered how each phrase might be received. I crossed out, adjusted, and finally copied the clean revision neatly.

Even as a former K-office worker, I wasn’t sure if this would pass as an acceptable answer here.

“Time’s up—15 minutes.”

Second-class secretary Victor collected my and Elicia’s papers. Then he dragged over a blackboard-like board and pinned both papers on it.

“Alright, let’s go over them one by one.”

A few junior clerks quietly gathered behind us. Of course they would—no one wanted to miss such an entertaining show. Lucius began reading Elicia’s answer first.

‘The farmland maintenance project will begin early next month. Imperial citizens are expected to cooperate for the eternal glory of the Empire. Due to budget constraints, no additional supplies will be provided.’

Are imperial citizens slaves or what?

The tone reeked of arrogance. It practically screamed, ‘I’m a noble.’ Elicia looked quite pleased with her own writing too. I could only hope that wasn’t how all official statements had been written until now.

Lucius read through her paper carefully, nodding slightly at the end. His expression was unreadable—hard to tell whether he approved or not.

“Next, Cornelia’s answer.”

Following Elicia’s, he began reading mine aloud.

‘Greetings. This is the Seraphina Empire Chancellor’s Office.

Starting next month, we will begin the farmland maintenance project. As farmland is the foundation that sustains our Empire, the cooperation of our citizens is essential. Due to current material shortages, assistance may be limited, but we trust that together we can make our lands flourish. We kindly ask for your understanding and cooperation.

– Farmland Maintenance Schedule –

1. Project: Land restoration for the Empire’s food production
2. Date: Imperial Year 000, Month 0, Day 0
3. Location: Agricultural areas within each territory
4. Details: To be announced by each regional officer’*

Honestly, even I couldn’t say it sounded heartfelt.

Victor and the other second-class secretary studied my paper closely. Lucan and the other assistants whispered among themselves. I even heard one or two say Elicia’s was better.

Why am I suddenly feeling anxious…

Maybe my writing carried too much of that K-office-worker tone. After all, I had no idea what the Chancellor’s Office preferred. I’d only been here for less than a week—though it already felt like months.

“There’s no need for a formal judgment,” Lucius said, taking the papers down.

Victor nodded. “Agreed.”

“Instead, we’ll have each person explain their reasoning. That should settle it.”

Wait—what? Now we have to explain?

Lucius handed Elicia her paper first. She began confidently.

“This is an external announcement for a decision that’s already been made. It clearly states that no support will be given. Rather than adding unnecessary decoration, I focused on making it clear that citizens should cooperate for the Empire’s glory. Once they read it, they’ll understand.”

I disagreed. Even though I hadn’t lived here long, I’d met citizens like Pinea and Nicola—people who weren’t afraid to voice their opinions. They weren’t as submissive as Elicia assumed.

When Lucius pointed to me next, I explained honestly.

“As Elicia said, the matter’s already decided and can’t be changed. It’s a message that says, essentially, ‘no support but please cooperate.’”

Victor nodded in agreement.

“So I thought it best to ask politely. The citizens aren’t slaves. That’s why I wrote it emphasizing unity—acknowledging the hardship while asking for cooperation. I wanted to sound sincere, but not overly emotional. I also wanted to include a line about how the Chancellor’s Office would try to help as much as possible, but since that wasn’t confirmed, it could give false hope. So I left it out.”

Lucius tilted his head. “Why list the schedule separately?”

“Because people always wonder when, where, and what will happen. If that’s not clear, they’ll forget about it right away, and the announcement loses meaning.”

Lucan and the other clerks nodded. I could feel the atmosphere shift in my favor. Lucius didn’t hesitate.

“The winner is Junior Secretary Cornelia.”

Elicia’s face turned pale as murmurs spread around us.

“The reason should be obvious to you, Elicia. If not, promotion will be difficult.”

Her hands trembled as she lowered her head.

Was that really necessary… poor thing.

From my perspective as a former thirty-something office worker, Elicia—barely in her twenties—seemed both pitiful and a little endearing. Everyone makes mistakes like that early in their career; that’s how you learn.

Lucius continued, “As promised, everyone in the Chancellor’s Office will recognize Cornelia as a proper junior secretary. Elicia, please apologize.”

Elicia bit her lip hard.

“…I apologize for my immature behavior until now. I’m sorry.”

Her voice trembled—whether from anger or humiliation, I couldn’t tell. Instead of feeling victorious, I just wanted this awkward moment to end.

“Yes. Let’s work well together from now on, Secretary Elicia.”

That closed the matter. Everyone returned to their seats, and Elicia shot me one last sharp glare before turning away. She’d recover from the sting of defeat soon enough.

“Secretary Cornelia.”

Lucius and Victor approached me. Lucius, his long red hair glinting under the light, offered a hand.

“I’m Second-Class Secretary Lucius Belmont. That was an impressive performance. I realized I might’ve had some bias. Sorry about that—and I look forward to working with you.”

“Thank you, Lucius. I’ll do my best.”

“You can just call me senior.”

“Yes, senior!”

Victor, the other second-class secretary, extended his hand next. He was tall and broad-shouldered—so much that I had to look up to meet his eyes.

“I’m Victor Blackwood. Nice work. Let’s get along.”

“Thank you, senior.”

I shook their hands politely. Unlike some unpleasant people I’d met before, there was no trace of arrogance about them. The atmosphere in the office suddenly felt much lighter.

Should I thank Elicia for this?

After all, her challenge had given me an unexpected opportunity. Maybe next time I could do her a favor—like when Lucan had helped warn me about the Finance Minister’s temper.

“Good workers are always welcome,” Lucius said with a warm smile. “If you ever have questions you can’t ask the other junior secretaries, come to us.”

Victor nodded beside him. The two of them really were like a perfect pair—competent, balanced, and clearly experienced.

But then why do they always seem so laid-back?

In my old world, one thing was certain: the boss’s behavior sets the mood for everyone else. If morale was low, it was usually because the leadership was lacking.

Just how bad was Chancellor Marcus, really…

I suddenly remembered the Finance Minister’s furious expression from a few days ago.