《Imperial Evaluation Department Section Chiefs》
Chief of Section One: Kane
Chief of Section Two: Devon
Chief of Section Three: Li An
Chief of Section Four: Herbert
Devon had been in a constant state of anxiety lately.
Born into a count's family, he was the third son of the household.
Educated by private tutors from a young age, his life goal had always been to become an imperial official.
When he became the youngest person to assume the position of Chief of Evaluation Section Two, Devon firmly believed that his future was bound to be brilliant.
Until that man appeared.
A fellow who seemed to arrive on the wind, leaving everyone in the dust as if he had teleported past them.
Li An Adolf.
When he first entered the public eye, Li An was merely an unremarkable nobody.
Yet, he achieved astonishing results one after another, rapidly climbing through the ranks until he eventually secured the seat of Section Three Chief.
His speed of promotion had even broken the record Devon once took pride in.
From that day forth, Devon could no longer ignore this man.
“It's nothing more than luck.”
For Devon, who had climbed to his current position step by step through his own hard work, Li An's very existence was unacceptable.
Especially lately, as the entire empire began referring to Li An as—
“The Light of the Empire.”
Every time he heard that title, his stomach churned.
Yet, even setting personal feelings aside,
the praise everyone heaped upon Li An had reached a level impossible to overlook.
Unlike other departments, the Evaluation Department was newly established by the empire and had not yet appointed a minister.
The person temporarily wielding the highest authority over the department was a parachuted aristocrat of mediocre capability who was exceptionally adept at claiming credit.
And the current general supervisor of the Evaluation Department was nearing the end of his term.
Without a doubt, the next general supervisor—or rather, minister—would most likely be Kane, the Chief of Section One.
But what about after that?
In the past, Devon could have said without hesitation:
“I'm next.”
Now, however...
He no longer possessed that confidence.
“I have to find a way.”
Sitting in his office, Devon sank into deep thought.
Soon, the empire's annual Antique Auction would take place.
Initially, this auction was merely an ordinary folk market.
Over time, however, it gradually evolved into a grand event of staggering scale.
Nowadays, people sold unused antiques from their homes here.
Others brought precious relics worth more than grand mansions.
Collectors, speculators, and swindlers from across the world would all gather here.
Some sought to strike it rich overnight.
Some sought to swindle fortunes away from others.
And for the Evaluation Department, this was also the ultimate stage to prove one's discerning eye.
After all, appraisal capability was the most essential quality for an official of the Evaluation Department.
Because of this, the annual Antique Festival became a covert contest among the officials of the Evaluation Department.
“If I can defeat Li An at the Antique Festival...”
Devon clenched his fists.
Everyone's opinion would change.
The glory that belonged to him would return.
“Just you wait, Li An Adolf.”
Prior to the Antique Auction, Devon sought out Li An.
“Why should I go to the Antique Festival?”
The black-haired man spoke in an indifferent tone.
Even while merely thumbing through the report in his hands, an indescribable aura still emanated from him.
Devon swallowed hard.
Still, he couldn't let himself be intimidated.
“Does Section Chief Li An not wish to prove his competence as an official of the Evaluation Department?”
“So attending the Antique Festival isn't a mandatory assignment, is it?”
Li An looked up.
“In that case, what reason do I have to attend?”
Devon was taken aback.
He hadn't expected Li An to refuse so outright.
Furthermore...
what he said made complete sense.
Devon couldn't find a single argument to counter him.
Just then,
“Your coffee.”
Isha walked over carrying coffee.
“Thank you.”
Devon accepted the coffee and took a light sip.
In the next second,
his eyes shifted slightly.
The quality of this coffee was simply not something one could ever taste in an ordinary office.
Rich and mellow, it was on par with the craft of a master barista.
Devon couldn't help but look at Li An with envy.
To drink coffee of this caliber every single day...
that truly was a blessing.
If he had an assistant like Isha, his work efficiency would surely skyrocket.
How could he win against him?
What on earth could he do to surpass him?
After pondering for a moment, Devon suddenly blurted out,
“Let's make a bet.”
Li An looked at him.
“If you win, you can choose anyone you want from my section.
“If I win, I get to transfer Isha to Section Two.”
The moment the words left his mouth,
even Devon regretted it.
Such an absurd condition...
How could Li An possibly agree?
Yet—
“Deal.”
“?”
The Antique Festival
On the day of the Antique Festival,
the streets of the imperial capital were bustling with fervor.
Crowds from all over the world gathered together.
The cries of hawkers, cheerful laughter, and impassioned arguments arose without pause.
Li An didn't actually enjoy places like this.
That was why he had turned down Devon's invitation in the first place.
However...
A legitimate way to send Isha to Section Two?
The condition Devon offered was simply too enticing.
To Li An,
this was practically...
someone volunteering to tear a one-way ticket to hell right out of his hands.
“Come take a look!”
“Piping hot chicken skewers, only three copper coins!”
“Guess which cup the coin is under—guess right and double your money!”
The Antique Festival drew in enormous foot traffic.
Naturally, this gave rise to all sorts of street vendors.
Strictly speaking, these stalls were all operating illegally.
Yet during the annual Antique Festival, the empire tacitly turned a blind eye.
“Section Chief, are you truly certain about accepting this bet?” Isha asked in a soft voice.
“There is someone in Section Two I desperately want to recruit,” Li An answered, forcing a calm expression.
In truth,
he felt a pang of guilt in his heart.
After all, he had agreed to give her away right to her face.
“Do you like chicken skewers?”
“I don't know. I've never eaten one.”
Li An paused.
That made sense.
As the third princess of the empire,
how could she have ever had street food?
So, he bought two skewers of chicken.
“Give it a try.”
“The flavor is quite good.”
Isha took the skewer.
She watched Li An take a bite first before cautiously taking a small nibble herself.
Coated in a sweet and spicy sauce, the chicken was tender and pleasantly chewy.
“...”
Her eyes brightened slightly.
“It's delicious.”
“Glad you like it.”
After that,
Li An decided to set the bet aside for now and accompany Isha on a proper stroll through the Antique Festival.
Darts:
“Bullseye!”
“Miss, you're incredible!”
Candy crafting:
“In ten years, this is the first time I've ever seen candy this beautiful.”
Armed with her peerless talent, Isha turned stall after stall completely upside down.
By the afternoon,
there was even a rumor spreading: “That girl is banned from participating in any more games.”
The reason was simple:
she won every single time.
“Want to take a break?”
“Mm.”
Isha sat on a bench, cradling an enormous stuffed doll in her arms, a faint smile lingering on her lips.
It was a prize she had won.
“Isn't it about time to choose an antique?”
“I'm carefully looking.”
In reality,
Li An had no intention of winning whatsoever.
His plan was straightforward: right before the festival ended, buy any random item and lose the contest.
The empire graded antiques into:
F, E, D, C, B, A, and S.
Devon was quite competent.
He would likely pick a B-grade or even an A-grade antique.
And what Li An intended to choose...
was the lowest of the low: an F-grade.
“Young man.”
“You have a good eye.”
Li An stepped into a dim alleyway.
A shabby stall was set up here, its wares haphazardly scattered across the ground: cracked clay pots, a longsword that had lost its edge, a peculiar doll...
...
In the end,
Li An picked up the dull sword.
“Three silver coins.”
“Two.”
“Two silver and fifty copper coins.”
“Never mind, then. I'll look elsewhere.”
“Lad, you sure know how to haggle.”
“Fine, take it for two silver coins.”
The deal was struck.
Isha looked at the sword with doubt.
“Is that really a precious antique?”
“Trust me,” Li An said earnestly.
【When you're in Section Two later on, you'll need to learn to trust others too.】
The End of the Antique Festival
Three days later,
the Antique Festival came to an end.
Some departed with beaming smiles while clutching precious relics.
Others were dragged away screaming and wailing by the security patrol after being scammed.
The grander the revelry,
the more palpable the emptiness that followed.
“So the antique you chose is that old sword?” Devon asked.
“That's right.”
Devon flashed a confident smile.
He produced his own antique: a sheet of parchment covered in an unknown script.
“This is a record written in an ancient script.
“It holds immense historical value.
“It seems I've won.”
Li An nodded.
“Mm.
“Let's wait for the appraisal results.”
In truth,
he couldn't wait to have his loss confirmed.
Both antiques were delivered to the Imperial Royal Appraisal Institution.
Home to the empire's greatest appraisers, there was no possibility of error.
One week later,
the results were announced.
【Lost Parchment of the Ancient Empire】
Grade:
B-grade.
【The Lost Sword of the Founding Emperor of the Barba Empire】
Value:
Inestimable.
Grade:
EX.
The entire empire was shaken.
“This is...”
“This is the imperial family's heirloom sword, lost for generations!”
The appraiser's voice trembled in sheer disbelief.
Following repeated verification,
the imperial family expressed their gratitude to Li An.
The sword, naturally, was returned to the imperial family.
And as a reward,
the Emperor even granted Li An a personal audience.
“...”
“I genuinely want to die right now.”
At night,
Li An sat beside the window.
Bitter smoke drifted from the pipe in his hand.
Devon stood beside him.
“I admit defeat.
“Section Chief Li An, please choose the person you wish to take from Section Two.”
Li An looked at him.
“You.”
“What?”
“You're coming with me.”
“I can't die alone.
“We're going down together.”
“You bastard.”
Devon's face stiffened.
“No, that makes no logical sense.”
“We're going to the general supervisor.”
Having returned the imperial treasure sword, Li An had temporarily been granted immense authority.
In the end,
the general supervisor approved it.
And so—
“Welcome to Section Three.
“Devon.”
《Imperial Evaluation Department Section Chiefs》
Chief of Section One: Kane
Chief of Section Two: (Vacant)
Chief of Section Three: Li An
Chief of Section Four: Herbert
Just like that,
Section Two of the Evaluation Department...
became a section without a chief.
Rate on N.U.
