I Became a Civil Servant Who Can Use Magic

That day.
Seraphine’s world collapsed.

For the youngest daughter of a ducal family who had lived a life far removed from the word failure, this defeat was extremely painful.

Moreover, it wasn’t even a quiet confrontation in some secluded place.
Thanks to someone deliberately spreading rumors, the number of spectators was nearly three hundred.
It was to the extent that even the Director and Deputy Director came to watch the duel.

To suffer such a miserable defeat to a lower-ranked mage on such a stage….

It was practically a public execution.
To be more precise, social death.
At least that’s how Seraphine felt.

After work, Seraphine arrived home and immediately threw herself onto the bed.

And she denied the reality before her eyes.

“This can’t be. This is impossible.”

It’s commonly called the five stages of grief.
This refers to the psychological changes humans go through in the process of accepting their death,
divided into the stages of denial, anger, bargaining, depression, and acceptance.

Seraphine was now in the first stage, denial.

“To hide the fact that she’s a double casting mage! Deliberately trying to make me let my guard down.. that bitch!”

Seraphine pounded on the innocent pillow.
Unlike usual, her language became rough.
Looking at it now, she seemed to have already entered the second stage, anger.

“Hah.. Okay, let’s acknowledge what needs to be acknowledged. Regardless of the process, it’s true that I lost. But it can’t be said that I lost completely. If I hadn’t let my guard down, the result would have been different.”

So next time, if I prepare properly…
Suddenly, her own reflection in the mirror opposite the bed caught her eye.

Her hair all messed up from rolling on the arena floor and her swollen face.
Anyone could see it was the appearance of a defeated person.

“If father hears about this, he’ll surely be disappointed..”

Suddenly overwhelmed by depression, Seraphine buried herself in the bed.

Having lived her whole life receiving only expectations and praise, the thought of facing disappointment for the first time made her feel suffocated.

Negative thoughts continued endlessly.
Seraphine was swept up in that flow for a while, sinking helplessly.

How many hours had passed?

Looking out the window, night had already passed and dawn was beginning to break.
The long darkness was retreating and light was once again illuminating the world.

Seraphine, who had been blankly staring at that scene, suddenly sat up.

“Right, just because I lost once.. I can’t stay cooped up in bed for the rest of my life, can I?”

Seraphine, who had gone through stage 4 overnight and entered stage 5, acceptance.

Let’s not dwell on what’s already passed.
What’s important is how to make up for it from now on.

Just then, a brilliant idea to suppress people’s disappointment came to mind.

“As expected of me.”

Seraphine regained her confidence.
It’s truly an incredible resilience.

“Huh? What did you say?”
“I’ll accept you as my rival.”

Loen, who was exercising in the training room, couldn’t hide her bewilderment at Seraphine’s sudden rival declaration.

‘Looks like the shock of defeat was quite significant.’

A look of pity overlaid Loen’s face.

Although she had acted unpleasantly, when you think about it, Seraphine’s only crime was falling for the Enforcement Department Team Leader’s instigation. So she couldn’t help but feel sorry for her.

‘Let’s go along with it moderately.’

“If you say so.”
“Is that all?”
“Yes.”

Seraphine was taken aback by Loen’s dry response.
It’s so different from what she thought?

“Wow~ After getting thoroughly beaten by a lower-ranked mage, now you’re making a rival declaration! As expected of Seraphine.”
“People are really amazing, I tell you!”

At the surrounding reactions that were hard to tell if they were praise or insults, Seraphine’s newly regained confidence shrank again.
It was also her first time receiving such treatment.

Swish.
Seraphine timidly held out her hand.
Loen tilted her head looking at it.

“Oh, a handshake.. to commemorate being rivals..”
“Ah.”

Loen chuckled.
It’s like a younger sibling who acted up without knowing better and is now being cautious after making a big mistake.
That thought made her laugh.

Just as Seraphine was about to withdraw her hand at Loen’s (not) mockery, Loen firmly grasped it.

“I heard your magic skills are amazing? There were several dangerous moments. I almost lost. It was really a hair’s breadth difference.”

Loen praised Seraphine.
Then the surrounding reactions changed.
Since the winner said so, they accepted it as such.

Originally, the winner’s words carry a different weight.

“Was that so? It looked like an overwhelming victory from the outside.”
“I guess it felt different from the perspective of the one who actually fought.”

Thanks to this, Seraphine regained her confidence.
At the same time, her favorable impression of Loen increased.
As Seraphine is someone who likes compliments.

“Hmph. If I hadn’t let my guard down, the result could have been completely different. But well~ the fact that I lost can’t be denied. By the way, Inspector Loen is amazing too. To defeat me, a genius mage. Indeed, you’re worthy of having Franz blood flowing through you.”

Seraphine poured out words.
Most of the ensuing conversation was words praising Loen.

This was the brilliant idea Seraphine had come up with.

Instead of denying the defeat, endlessly praising the opponent!

Ultimately, Seraphine’s goal was to create an atmosphere where her own defeat was accepted as a natural result.

Seraphine, who had been chattering away, finally returned to her own place after twenty minutes.

As I felt before.

‘She really talks a lot..’

Only then did Loen resume her exercise.

The sounds of people’s shouts echoed through the training room again.

Loen, finishing her workout and leaving the training room.
Someone hurriedly chased after her.

“Inspector Loen! Huff.. Why are your steps so fast?”
“I don’t think they’re particularly fast.”
“That’s not the important thing. Ahem, if you have time, would you like to have tea time with me?”

Loen grimaced.
Ah.. that’s a bit..

Balls, social gatherings, tea times, salons that all noble ladies are enthusiastic about….
To Loen, they were just boring and tiring things.

“I have a prior engagement.”
“I-I see. Then can I ask just one last question?”
“By all means.”
“Double casting.”

Seraphine cleared her throat and continued speaking.

“I know it’s nearly impossible for a 4-star mage to master double casting. But how did Inspector Loen…?”

Loen stroked her chin with her hand.
So this question finally came out.

Seraphine is right.
Generally, it’s unimaginable for a 4-star to master double casting.

As mentioned before, this is because it goes beyond the realm of talent.

Only,
Those whose soul’s caliber has reached a certain level can use double casting.

And the rise in caliber begins from 5-star.

Only those who have established their own path and succeeded in containing five stars within their body achieve a rise in caliber.

While until now it was just an increase in physical body and mana, from 5-star onwards, there’s an increase in ‘caliber’ as well.

And as the caliber increases, the size of the mind expands accordingly.

According to what’s known, the ratio of mental expansion is estimated to be between 1.5 to 2 times.

This means it expands between 150 to 200 when based on a standard of 100.

If this expanded mind is divided into two, and each part exceeds 90, which is the minimum mental size required for magic casting….
In other words, if the size of the mind is 180 or more.

Only then does double casting become possible.

And Loen.
A reincarnator who experienced two different lives.
One in whom memories of two different worlds coexist.

Loen, born with a special soul from the beginning, was capable of double casting without a rise in caliber.
It was just a matter of figuring out how to divide the mind into two.

That’s why she could become a double casting mage despite being 4-star.

‘How do I explain this..’

Oh, actually, it’s because I’m a reincarnator.
So, well, my soul is a bit special?
She couldn’t say that, so.

By the way, on the day Loen succeeded in mastering double casting, her father, who noticed that his daughter was somehow special, said:

If anyone asks, tell them it’s a secret of the Franz family. Understand?

Yes.

Loen, recalling that memory.

“That part is deeply connected to my family’s secret, so..”
“I see~ Well. Everyone has at least one secret. I won’t ask further. It would be rude. Anyway, I hope we can have tea time when you have time. As fellow ducal daughters, you know. Hmph, then I’ll be going.”

Loen, who sent Seraphine off with a faint smile, immediately hardened her expression as she turned around. And she sighed.

“It feels like the number of people I’m getting entangled with is increasing..”

Loen wasn’t entirely pleased with the increasing connections.

Weekend morning.
A bustling area located in the imperial capital.

The Inspection Department trio gathered.
Ria above, Psyche below.
And Loen sandwiched in the middle.

Needless to say, Loen was dragged along.

“Why me?”
“Because the trio is only complete with you!”

Ria answered Loen’s question.
Beside her, Psyche nodded while spinning her tail round and round.

The reason they gathered on a weekend.

To freely spend the enormous amount of gold earned from betting.

“Just for today, we’ll break free from all restraints and shackles. You know what I mean?”
“Yes!”
“Yes..”

Whether it’s just for today or if it will be today too, we’ll have to see.

After wandering here and there, they finally arrived at a bakery.

Ding-a-ling.
The sound of the bell announcing visitors.
The employee who turned to check the customers shook their head.

‘That woman came again.’

They were referring to Psyche.
Among the store employees, Psyche was very famous.

As the dragon girl who clings to people around her (especially Loen) and sucks money like a leech.

Sure enough.
While her companions stand still, the dragon girl alone starts scooping up bread.

‘The actual payment will be made by someone else, I’m sure.’

But this time, the amount she was scooping up was different from usual.

She puts a bowl piled high with bread on the counter and picks up a new bowl.
Then she fills it with bread again and plops it on the counter.

Even now, it looked three or four times more than usual.

‘How much money are you trying to suck out today!’

The employee gave a sympathetic look to the black-haired woman standing near the entrance.
How did she get tangled up with such a child..

The dragon girl, who had been going back and forth inside the bakery several times, finally stood in front of the counter.

And proudly exclaimed.

“Please calculate!”
“Yes.”

The amount was so large that even calculating it was a chore. After rummaging through the bread for a while, the employee said.

“The total is 990 gold.”

Ten times the usual amount and price!
It was an amount that practically cleaned out the spacious store.

‘Now that black-haired woman will come to the counter with a sigh.’

However, something different from the employee’s expectation unfolded.

The dragon girl in front of them grinned and pulled out ten 100-gold bills from her bosom!

With trembling eyes, the employee picked up the bills and placed them on the counterfeit detection device. Ding! They were real.

Real bills engraved with anti-counterfeit magic combining the technology of the Imperial Family and the Magic Tower!

Afterwards, the Inspection Department trio calmly left the store, leaving behind the shocked employee.

“Where should we go next?”
“Let’s stop by the general store.”
“Why there?”
“Soon it will be the day for the solo assignment with just Psyche and me. I want to prepare various things.”

At Loen’s words, Ria burst into laughter.
Psyche and Loen looked at such Ria with strange gazes.

Why is she acting like that?

Ria, who finally stopped laughing.

“As I’ve said many times, the incidents in the viscounty and grand duchy were really special cases?”

“I’m actually from a commoner background, you know? So I know well about the situation in the borderlands and life at the bottom.”

“That’s why I’m saying this. In the borderlands, even 3-star ability users are treated as strong. So how about 4-star? It’ll probably be like how we view the Team Leader?”

To be treated similarly to the Team Leader..
What is this?

Loen was momentarily speechless at this unbelievable reality.

“You’ll understand when you go there yourself. So for now! Let’s go eat something delicious~”