She Decided Not To Get Revenge

“Hi, Katlena. Nice to meet you.”

As far as he could recall it was their first meeting. 

The girl looked up at the white shining, heterogeneous being that appear to be out of this world. 

However, there are instances when the innocence of young children is unexpectedly sharp.

“Are you a fairy?”

He laughed so excitedly and pleasantly after hearing the question.

I. The Cold-blooded Duke, Katlena Agreta.

      ii. A strange day with the half-elf Miro.

The half elf Miro Rosway spent his days believing that he couldn’t understand this daily routine after returning to the capital from the exile island of Rangvi.

Katlena prepared a welcoming party and there she declared that she had no intention of retaliating against Shaurillin Inborgia.

Those words had a different weight when Katlena said it personally but as long as she vowed in public, she had no choice but to be careful. Unless Katlena devises a comprehensive retribution strategy, Miro will not be suspicious of her.

And that was the strangest thing. Katlena Agreta put herself in a situation where she had to be “perfect” if she wanted to get revenge on Shaurillin.

Miro was skeptical about that point. Shaurillin was reading Katlena’s deepest thoughts to some extent, but she wasn’t easy.

Miro Rosway was an important historical figure. He has been an attendant to Shaurillin his entire life, yet he has never seen through Shaurillin’s innermost thoughts. 

As a result, Miro Rosway was filled with concern that Schaurillin couldn’t understand the situation. He even wondered if Schaurillin could figure it out on his own.

It wasn’t the confrontation he expected after their return. 

‘Is it because they returned to Roschodur during autumn, when it was so peaceful?’

Miro was caught off guard when he passed young individuals dressed as civil servants after viewing bustling parks and marketplaces with mild fall leaves.

Miro Rosway’s inability to adapt to the situation was not solely due to Katlena Agreta’s meaningful words and behavior. He was inherently incapable of adapting to the times upheaval. 

On the other hand, Shaurillin, who has been confined on Rangvi Island for 15 years, has adjusted well and it appeared more odd.

He’d heard that once Katlena assumed power, the administrative system had been reformed. Hearing such news, however, made it impossible to simply adapt to the transformed world.

He also admitted to himself that by his standards the new administration was an unfamiliar place. At the time, competent administrators fostered by Katlena Agreta were still going through life.

Miro Rosway was confused by the unexplained fact that the pronunciation and notation of the “place” where administrative affairs was performed and the “public officials” who performed administrative work were the same.

When writing the administrative officer as a place and the administrative officer as agents operating in it, the sound and spelling were the same. All of this and the other were all referred to as administrative officers. Typically, the agency and its operatives were categorized based on the context in which they were spoken.

‘Can’t they just leave court officials as court officials and divide administrative affairs as before?’

The reason for distinguishing places and roles of bureaucrats was difficult for Miro Rosway. It’s been only 15 years since they came back to Roschodur, and it was like a different world as if it were struck by lightning.

In the past, it was a system in which one prime minister had transcendent authority. And the court officials all became the same court officials, but they also played a special role according to the prime minister’s directive. 

However, now a total of nine ministers, including the administrative minister, are working with one administrative minister at the center. And under the nine ministers, court officials classified as professional agents were assigned with completely different names.

Starting with the central administrative minister who takes care of overall administration, the finance minister who examines defense and finance, the foreign minister who is in charge of conquering bandits and state affairs and the minister of law and art checks the city’s standards.

Although the position of the prime minister, who was able to handle the work of these nine departments alone, has not disappeared it has become virtually nominal. 

Everyone guessed that Katlena’s long-term plan was ultimately to eliminate the position of “prime minister” and to subdivide and specialize public officials into nine departments. 

Perhaps if Shaurillin returned properly, he would be treated as the “prime minister”, which is his previous position, but he would eventually be assigned again as a minister of a ministry.

It was clear that the owner of overwhelming power to control administration and military power, defensive processing and pioneering, diplomacy and culture would now be difficult to come out again. 

It was obvious that this reorganization would serve as a small rebellion against Shaurillin, who had held such power and controlled the country for 400 years. 

As soon as Miro Rosway grasped the reality of the administrative reorganization, which he had only been heard of, his mind went blank.

Shaurillin, on the other hand, seemed to find the reform pretty interesting. 

He studied the data on the administrative system that he had gotten ahead of time, before returning officially, and for some reason, he seemed to be in a good mood all day. Then, as soon as the day arrived, he went for a walk with Miro with the administrator’s minister’s office as the destination.

While Miro contemplated the ground and counted the scales of the tiles, Katlena Agreta, who had been going through a stack of documents given by her secretary, raised her head only after she had finished the documents.

“Welcome.”

“Good morning, Katlena. I hope I didn’t bother you while you’re busy.”

“You’re not a bother to me, Sir. I’ll just finish the work I’ve been looking at, so please sit next to him on the sofa for a moment.”

“I’m just happy with the hospitality. Please take your time.”

While they were exchanging such a friendly conversation with a friendly voice, Shaurillin was already sitting on the sofa with a calm face. 

As soon as Katlena Agreta finished her job, she came and sat down in front of Shaurillin.

“Is there anything I can do to help, Shaurillin?”

“Actually, last night, I looked at the information on the new administrative system you sent me, so I came here without contacting you.”

“Do you have any questions?”

“Should I call it a question? I believe there are names on the list of ministers in charge of the nine ministries that I recognize and some I don’t. I assumed I’d have to introduce myself to them before we started working together. I don’t think I can ask you during your busy time, so if it’s okay with you, I’d like to have at least one guide from you.”

“I have time for you. How should we do it? If you wait a moment, I believe we can have lunch and tour the nine ministries together.”

Katlena Agreta gently lowered her black eyes and asked with a smile.

“Would you like to do that?”

Shaurillin did not hesitate when he heard the question and immediately replied. Similarly, he had a gentle and sweet grin.

“It will be a big pleasure for me if you do it.”

As a result, the two decided to eat lunch together. Miro Rosway, Shaurillin’s aide, and Merlin Newtide, Katlena’s assistant, were both present.

Katlena explained the nine ministries as they walked into the restaurant in front of the government headquarters. Shaurillin was humming as he listened to the conversation. Miro Rosway observed Merlin Newtide in the role that had been assigned to him.

Merlin Newtide was a woman who cut her winding dark purple hair short near the back of her neck. There are no big curves in her sharply raised, grassy yellow-green eyes reminiscent of a hazel tree. 

She was more of a soldier than a low-level aide. Black suits with red decorations and some small ornaments with purple jewelry. A colorful raffier hangs on her waist, and perhaps a left-handed ambidextrous.

‘Is she a wizard too?’

As soon as Merlin came close, Miro felt a faint but magical scent next to her. 

As Miro is sensitive to the scent, he quietly stood behind Shaurillin and poked him near his shoulder to send a signal. Shaurillin rolled his eyes and smiled silently.

This was another question of the new generation they faced. 

Miro observed a swarm of wizards around Katlena after coming from banishment on Rangvi Island. Of course, Katlena Agreta is a fantastic wizard, so naturally, young wizards flock her, but there are far too many.

Wizard’s was not always so common in nature. So the story is that Katlena Agreta lacks the manpower to station enough wizards to act as her eyes and ears throughout each administrative department.

Miro Rosway’s uncomfortable gaze drifted suspiciously to Katlena.

“As you know, I am the administrative minister. The administrative office is responsible for approving agendas from six ministries, excluding the judicial and secretary. However, this does not mean that administrators are at the top of the six other ministries. If the administrator’s judgment is deemed incorrect, more than three different departments can raise significance together, and the final decision will be made through a meeting of nine ministers’ offices.”

“It seems that the Secretary of the State and Justice officers are working quite independently.”

“That’s because the administration cannot touch military power and laws. If one person holds three things: money, force, and law, the balance of power collapses.”

Katlena replied very gently and tenderly, in front of an indifferent man who had all three powers in his hands in the past.

“However, simply because they are, we cannot allow them to move freely.  Separate approvals are being sought from the Secretary of the State and the Justice Department from the Treasury and the Foreign Minister. The administrative office has just the authority to review the decision. There is no right to approve or reject. However, if more than three ministries raise significance, the conference of nine ministers’ offices is convened.”

Shaurillin still seemed quite interested. 

Certainly, it was not a system created in a matter of days or weeks. Although it is still being used flexibly by the central government office near the capital, its utility has been demonstrated.

Given that this unfamiliar system, which could have been claimed to have been entirely reformed this year, has already naturally melted into the current administration, the planning has been ongoing for quite some time.

For a few years, incumbent ministers have been discussing the future, and those who will be allocated to each department may have felt the future to some extent.

A sudden but not rapid change.

Miro Rosway was also convinced.

Katlena walked from the restaurant in front of the government district to a small and medium-sized restaurant that required a slight detour, rather than the high-end restaurant closest to the administrator. 

For a brief period, Shaurillin’s gaze shifted over there. Miro Rosway didn’t miss the meaning of that stare. Shaurillin is not fortunate.

“I heard the restaurant that we just passed by is quite famous.”

“Yes, but it’s not a place to go with you. Even more so on a day like today.”

“Is that so?”

Despite hearing the answer, that is to be interpreted in many ways, Shaurillin simply smiled without showing much expression. Katlena also did not add any further explanation.