Chapter 3:
The Workplace
I'D BEGUN MY REQUIRED court service on the Capital Planet.
Unfortunately, my workplace wasn't palace-like at all. The building was
functional, without much ornamentation, and all the employees wore
business suits. I thought the workers would dress up more to fit the royal
environment, but outside formal ceremonies, suits were the standard
uniform.
There were many different workplaces within the palace grounds. It
was even said that the prime minister was the only person who was
actually aware of every one of them. Personally, I felt it was probably
impossible for a human being to hold all that information in their head.
Doing so would make the prime minister something other than human. The
old man had served multiple generations of emperors at this point, though,
so I couldn't rule out the possibility that he was some supernatural being.
Working in this mysterious environment for four years was another
part of a noble's training. Of course, it was just a job; although it was
called "training," there was nothing particularly grueling about it. My
workplace was clean and spacious, with each official given more than
enough room to complete tasks comfortably. Breakrooms were staffed,
and you could order light meals there. In other words, everything you
could ask for was provided.
I sat at my desk and performed just enough of my work that I'd be
able to clock out on time. That was my approach partly because I felt it'd
be stupid to actually work hard in a place like this, and partly because I
wasn't motivated, since I had no idea what I was actually accomplishing.
I'd only been given a small piece of a larger picture, and from the
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information available to me, I couldn't make heads or tails of what my
tasks contributed to. This was supposed to be an elite workplace, but it was
really just a bunch of people who had no idea what their work actually
was. For that reason, my impression of my office was that—though people
called it exclusive—the daily tasks were all busywork.
Among the bureaucrats who worked at the palace, there was a joke
that went like this: A diligent, skilled individual worked in the palace all
the way to retirement age. On his last day, he was called into his boss's
office and praised for his long service. The retiree told his boss he had one
question. "What exactly have I been doing all these years?" The funny part
was that he'd worked there all that time but had no idea what he'd been
achieving. Even a diligent, skilled individual like him couldn't see the big
picture. The punchline was the boss's answer: "I don't know either." This
little bit of comedy was disturbing because it actually took place in reality.
"It'd be more efficient to use A.I.," I muttered.
This was seemingly nothing more than a situation that forced human
beings to perform meaningless work. It was a complete waste of talent.
Personally, I'd have entrusted work like this to machine intelligence and
put the freed resources toward something more productive.
I inevitably started thinking about what could be if the palace made
use of AI. Everyone working here was superior in some regard. Personal
ability, connections, authority, assets—all the employees were exceptional
in at least one of those areas. Some people mocked the inclusion of
connections in that list, but they were wrong to. Having connections was
power. If I'd had connections, I'd never have failed to make use of them.
Unfortunately, due to the mess my parents and grandparents had left in
House Banfield, I hadn't inherited any significant connections. That was
why I was working so hard to build them on my own. They really pissed
me off...
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While I mused to myself, going about my work lazily, Marion came
over. He sat down next to me, a drink in each hand. "You really are
diligent, aren't you, Liam?"
Was he being sarcastic because he understood that I was cutting
corners? I assumed so and responded with a joke of my own. "I just look
that way, since everyone else is such a slacker."
All the nobles around us were just sitting there. None were doing
any work at all. Next to officials with common backgrounds, who really
were working diligently, the nobles just chatted with each other about
where they'd goof off that night.
Marion handed me a drink. I took it and asked, "What about your
work?"
My self-proclaimed junior gave me a confident smile. "I already
finished it." He looked like the type to fool around, but he was actually
fairly talented.
"You know, if you work too fast the boss will just give you more to
do." Or other people would ask for help with their work, I figured. But no
one was actually doing so. I supposed no one here had the guts to ask a
noble for help. It made more sense to ask one of the people hired for their
skill. If I were asking someone for help, I'd avoid nobles too.
Marion smiled wryly at my comment. "The boss is too scared of
you, Liam. He won't come out of his office. I've heard the rumors, you
know. You purged all the superiors and colleagues who wouldn't listen to
you during your earlier training, didn't you?" He seemed to want to know
the truth behind that rumor.
I saw no reason to lie to him, so I admitted it. "It was their fault for
trying to push me around. I just put them in their place."
"Are you going to do the same thing here? Our boss is affiliated
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with Prince Calvin's faction, so everyone's waiting for you to do
something."
There was a reason I was working for someone affiliated with
Calvin. Most of Cleo's faction was from more rural areas; he had few
allies within the palace. I'd wanted to work for a department in my own
faction, to make things easier on myself, but Cleo's just contained so few
officials that I couldn't. To expand his influence inside the palace, Cleo
needed to fill one of Calvin's departments with his own people. That was
why I was here.
Of course, since Calvin's faction was busy warring with the
Autocracy now, it wouldn't be hard to take over this department. I could
do that at some point during my free time while I was here.
"If he does what I say, I'll treat him nice."
"You know, if people hear you say that, they could get the wrong
idea."
Our boss was a middle-aged man with a gut. Anyone could become
slim using an education capsule or a few other technologies, but he didn't
bother. Some people found doing even that too much effort. There were
always people who didn't pay particular attention to their appearance, and
our boss was that type. So, true, I probably shouldn't have said I'd "treat
him nice."
I corrected myself. "I'll make good use of him if he does what I
say."
Marion chuckled. "Sounds good to me. Anyway, want to keep me
company tonight? Let's go have drinks."
I didn't mind the way he'd affably asked me out. I couldn't help
thinking he should butter up his superiors or seniors, rather than me, but he
seemingly prioritized connecting with someone powerful enough to help
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his family over creating a more comfortable workplace.
While we talked, Randy's voice resounded through the office. "Are
you saying you have a problem with my work?!"
"I-I'm terribly sorry, L-Lord Randy. B-but if you don't correct this,
the application won't go through. Please, if you could just revise it!"
"Hmph. How aggravating."
A senior worker had pointed out a mistake Randy made. The guy
should've been in charge of Randy's training, but instead he was
apologizing and begging Randy to correct it. He'd worked in this
department for decades, but his luck ran out when he was put in charge of
Randy.
Randy, the new guy, acted as if he was more important than his
seniors—and they just had to put up with that. The only reason the talented
people here didn't leave was that a certain status came with being a Capital
Planet bureaucrat. Everyone looked up to them for being government
officials; they didn't want to lose that, so they clung to jobs like these
ones, whatever they had to put up with.
Marion shrugged. "Looks like Randy's in a rotten mood again
today."
Should nobles be separated from common people? No—maybe this
was where they were isolated from commoners. Looking at Randy, I
couldn't help thinking that.
"He's almost two hundred years old, right?" I asked.
Marion nodded. "Yep. Seems like he's doing his last bit of training
too, just like you."
"He wants to take care of it before he turns two hundred, eh?"
Nobles were only acknowledged as real adults if they completed
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their training before turning two hundred. It seemed like more than enough
time, and if for some reason you couldn't finish before then, you'd be
ostracized by noble society. People would talk about you behind your back
for not fulfilling your noble duty. Noble society was weirdly strict about
that one point, so people who lounged around until they were almost two
hundred had to scramble to finish their training. Randy was one of them.
"Well, it's not like that's anything to do with me," I said.
I'd leave him alone as long as he didn't get involved with me, since
I really couldn't care less about the guy.
***
Near Liam's building was another high-rise where more bureaucrats
worked. There were different buildings for different departments, and even
for different sections of the same department. All those workplaces made
up the office district within the palace grounds. Intergalactic nations
operated on such an extravagant scale that ridiculous arrangements like
this were commonplace.
Rosetta also worked in one of those office-district departments.
Once she'd finished her morning work, her two attendants came to join
her. Their department had no standard uniform, so they all wore their own
suits.
"It's lunchtime, Lady Rosetta," one attendant said. "I made a
reservation at a nearby restaurant for today."
"Well, I'm looking forward to that, but you didn't by chance find
out Darling's plans, did you?" Rosetta asked.
The two girls exchanged a glance, then gave her apologetic looks.
"We did invite Lord Liam, but he wasn't able to come."
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"I see. That's too bad, but I suppose he's busy." Rosetta stood.
As if waiting for that exact moment, one of her seniors called out to
her. The woman wore a flashy suit and was attended by six underlings. All
six wore matching suits, as if they were a uniform signifying their
allegiance to the flashy woman. The looks they gave Rosetta couldn't be
called friendly by any stretch.
"Hm?" the woman said, concealing her mouth behind an ornate
folding fan. "Not very courteous of a new hire to scramble to be first out
the door at lunchtime."
This woman was the daughter of a noble from Calvin's faction.
Though her training period was over, she'd remained at the workplace as
an official. She didn't have a managerial position, yet she lorded over the
rest of the office employees as if she was in charge. Her behavior
obviously bothered the workers.
Rosetta's department had no men. Many noblewomen were of such
status that they couldn't interact with men at the palace without good
reason, so there were women-only workplaces designated for them.
Rosetta's was one of those. If a man tried to enter the building without
permission, the female knights guarding the entrance would cut him down
without a second thought. It was a highly respected workplace where
people felt they could safely send their daughters, but it was also under the
influence of Calvin's faction.
For Rosetta, her workplace was enemy territory. Still, she smiled at
the flashy woman. "I've never heard of such a courtesy before. I don't
think you should force your own rules on other people." If she let them
bully her, she'd have a rough time here.
The flashy woman's cheeks twitched at Rosetta's defiant attitude.
"Well, you can speak your mind, can't you? Are you emboldened by the
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fact that your reliable fiancé is nearby? I'm afraid you don't have many
allies here." The woman folded her fan and pointed it straight at Rosetta's
chest.
There were all sorts of reactions from those around them. Some
averted their eyes, while others smirked as they watched the exchange.
Some observed both women carefully.
At one time, Rosetta would've lost her nerve, but not now. "That's
too bad. Well, shall we have lunch?" she asked her attendants,
unconcerned.
Just like that, they left the office. The other women glared after them
as they did. Once Rosetta was out of view, she screeched, "What's with
her attitude? Who does she think I am?"
It was likely she intentionally shouted loudly enough for Rosetta to
hear.
In the hallway, one of Rosetta's attendants asked her worriedly,
"Should you really have provoked her, Lady Rosetta?"
It would be easy to go along with things and not make waves, but
Rosetta had a role to play. Just as Liam was weakening Calvin's influence
in his workplace, she intended to strengthen the influence of Cleo's faction
in her office as well.
"That didn't even amount to provocation. That woman just has a
chip on her shoulder. At any rate, I should contact Miss Eulisia."
On the surface, Rosetta's only allies were her two underlings, but
she had plenty of support outside her workplace.
***
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Meanwhile, Eulisia sat facing a hotel room desk. Several screens
around her projected different information. One displayed notes on
potential members for Rosetta's security team. Another was an order
screen for space fleet equipment. This amount of work shouldn't have
been handled by one person, but Eulisia was managing it. She tended to be
overlooked by House Banfield, but she was a capable woman.
She was engaged in all sorts of other duties too. Part of Eulisia's job
was investigating all manner of things with whatever time she could find,
and one screen now displayed internal information about Rosetta's office.
"Yeesh... It's like a workplace made up of women who are nothing
but trouble."
Putting a bunch of noblewomen in one place to work together often
caused issues due to the women's social positions. Given the rivalries
between different houses, and each woman's individual position, some sort
of competition was always happening—practically a different one every
day. As the fiancée of Liam, who ran Cleo's faction, Rosetta's position
was rather poor.
"Lady Rosetta has a heavy workload. They're obviously pushing
unimportant duties on her just to harass her."
Eulisia examined the information on Rosetta's workplace further,
scrutinizing the tasks given to Rosetta to complete. When she did, she
found that several things had obviously been altered.
"It seems less like harassment and more like they're just trying to
get her to make mistakes..."
Peeking at these documents from Rosetta's workplace was a crime,
but Eulisia had been an intelligence operative in the army. It was child's
play for her to hack the workplace records of a bunch of noblewomen and
swipe some of their data. Of course, given the nature of their work, it
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wasn't as if Rosetta's department handled any top-secret information. The
data they were privy to wasn't particularly sensitive, so the office's
security measures were average.
Eulisia stretched her upper body and cracked her knuckles, then
resumed managing the tasks on all six screens at an incredible pace.
Just then, the maid named Ciel entered her room. She was Rosetta's
personal attendant, but while her mistress was working in the palace, Ciel
served as a regular maid at the hotel. She'd just brought Eulisia her meal.
"Lady Eulisia, I have your lunch."
"Oh. Just leave it there, please. I'll eat when I'm finished with this,"
Eulisia replied, eyes still on the screens in front of her. She might've been
busy with work, but it was still a rather rude way to interact with someone.
However, Ciel was more impressed than angry. "You're actually
quite capable, aren't you, Lady Eulisia?"
Eulisia's hands stopped moving, although she continued to work on
several screens she was interfacing with through her mind. Turning
around, she saw the surprise on Ciel's face. "Huh? What does that mean?
Lord Liam took me in, you know. Of course I'm capable."
Being chosen as a noble heir's adjutant was a privilege granted only
to those who'd been victorious in a fierce competition. Anyone less than
capable wouldn't be chosen as an adjutant, unless they were very well
liked.
Still, given Eulisia's regular behavior, Ciel found it unusual to see
her working like this. "It's just that I only ever see you partying."
"W-well, I never get any orders!"
Eulisia's usual actions had made Ciel think the woman was
incompetent. While Eulisia recovered from that blow to her ego, Ciel stole
a glance at the data on Rosetta's security team. One piece of information
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displayed onscreen was the selection criteria for members.
Mustering her courage, Ciel said, "Um...when it comes to Lady
Rosetta's knights, I think personality is more important than ability. I'd
say we should gather conscientious people who won't tolerate any
wrongdoing."
Eulisia reached for the food Ciel had brought her. Biting into her
sandwich, she mused, She really has a lot to say about Rosetta's team,
doesn't she? Is it because she's from a military family? Well, I agree about
the personality thing.
Eulisia hadn't actually been prioritizing ability for security
candidates in the first place. What Rosetta wanted to do was assist knight
families in need. She'd struggled herself, so she wanted to use her security
force to help knights who were struggling just as she had.
"That's fine, but you don't really have a say in this," Eulisia replied.
"I'm sure you don't want to get in any trouble."
If Liam thought Ciel was exploiting Rosetta to form her own
military group, Ciel wouldn't be able to complain even if he sentenced her
to execution. This was a crucial period for Liam, but House Banfield
wouldn't really lose anything by cutting ties with House Exner. In fact,
that might free resources they were using to support the baron's family.
Ciel's house had no particular influence to speak of, and only served to
drain House Banfield's resources. Ciel must not have understood that
when she gave her opinion on the security team.
"Still, I do think House Banfield's knights have a bit too much
individuality," Ciel insisted. "Lady Rosetta's team should consist of more
normal knights who take their work seriously."
Eulisia didn't disagree. House Banfield had a lot of extremely
skilled knights like Tia and Marie. But many were a bit too unique, as Ciel
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said. Nothing had been done about that before now, but following Tia and
Marie's recent rampage, the issue should probably be dealt with soon.
Liam had designated Claus Sera Mont his head knight precisely out
of concern about the behavior of those two. Now that he was in charge of
the knights, Claus would likely improve them, but Tia and Marie still had
supporters. And House Banfield was only gaining more unique knights as
time went on.
Eulisia also felt that House Banfield should take on more normal
knights who didn't present a risk of running wild. Most people affiliated
with them agreed. Still, Ciel wasn't entitled to draw attention to that issue.
This wasn't idle chatter between colleagues; Eulisia was deeply involved
in establishing of this elite force of knights. It wasn't something Ciel
should voice her opinion on just because she was interested in the process.
"I already planned to prioritize personality over ability," Eulisia told
her. "Lady Rosetta wants that as well."
Ciel looked relieved to hear it. "That sounds wonderful. It should
really be people who take their jobs seriously and won't overlook
wrongdoing, right?"
"I agree. Still, you can't be too loud about that, you know. Who
knows who could be listening?"
"Oh, it's fine. I'm being careful about that."
This isn't good, is it? Eulisia couldn't help feeling that Ciel was
acting out of self-interest. It's crazy for some baron's daughter we're
looking after to think she has any say in Lady Rosetta's security force.
She decided she should probably report Ciel's suspicious behavior.
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