Civil Servant in a Romance Fantasy

941 – Exchange is Thorough – 1

I got a call from the Imperial Diet.

To be exact, it was a direct line from the chairman, but what does it mean whether the name is the council or the chairman?

– It’s a bit tricky to bring up during your honeymoon, but could you please bring just one of you and Count Horfeldt? It would be even better if you brought your power of attorney as well.

Either way, calling someone on vacation is the same thing.

‘Is this how you felt, hyung?’

And as soon as I heard the chairman’s words, I could understand my brother’s feelings.

My brother, who was clearly on vacation, would wander around here and there. I seriously wondered why he was like that, but I was able to realize it only after I was in a similar situation.

It wasn’t that my brother liked to go out, and it wasn’t that he was called out because he had no strength.

‘I felt uneasy from the moment I heard the request.’

From the moment I realized the request, I couldn’t ignore it. I moved because I felt ominous about why they were looking for someone on vacation.

If a complete stranger or someone I have a close relationship with had asked me to do something, I would have firmly refused. In that kind of relationship, there would have been no need to ask in the first place, but even if I had been asked to do something, I would have no obligation to do it. I’m on vacation.

But who knows I’m on vacation, who knows how much I’ve been looking forward to vacation, who calls me? What kind of emergency could it be? And I know better than anyone that I’m not the type of person to make such a rude request?

‘The chairman is not the kind of person to be picky.’

I quickly scanned the chairman’s face through the communication port.

I thought maybe he was taking out his anger on me because of some trouble at home, but as always, his expression was incredibly indifferent. On the contrary, after the Imperial Diet’s membership increased, he suddenly became brighter.

“Although I am a proxy, as an honorable member of the Imperial Council, I am happy to respond to Your Excellency the Speaker’s call. But can you tell me what is going on?”

– Oh, that’s what I’m talking about…

So when I asked him directly, the chairman seemed embarrassed and trailed off.

– His Majesty the Emperor personally visits the parliament and proposes a bill to designate a cultural special zone within the County of Wiridia.

“Can I just take Count Horfeld’s power of attorney with me? I’ll go right away.”

– Thank you for willingly accepting my request, even though it was a difficult one. It would be nice if you could just go back right after the vote, so please hold on a little longer.

With those words, the communication port lost its light.

Then the corners of my mouth rose subtly.

‘It’s a cultural special zone.’

I know that Wiridia has been in an uproar recently. Even though Wiridia is a remote territory bordering the north, it is none other than my brother’s territory. As a younger brother, I am paying some attention to my brother’s territory.

No, unless you are a recluse who has no interest in worldly affairs, you cannot help but pay attention to Wiridia. Even if it was someone else’s territory, not your brother’s, you cannot not know about it.

‘How come there are only six ruins in one territory?’

It’s still hard to believe. I even thought the whole world was throwing me a surprise party. Maybe it’s not just me, but other people are thinking the same thing.

Ruins. And they weren’t just small ruins with a few houses or a blacksmith shop or two─they were large-scale ruins that were the size of a village. Six large-scale ruins were even discovered that were presumed to be the settlements of the early humans on the continent. This wasn’t a territory, but even if one had been discovered in the entire empire, it would be a major event that would be recorded in textbooks.

But does it make sense that such a major incident would happen at the same time and place? If my brother hadn’t been staying in Wiridia, I still wouldn’t have believed it.

‘If my brother is leaving the system, then it’s real.’

Thinking about it this way, it’s a bit subtle. You can guess the severity of an incident based on where your brother is. It’s not like I’m the canary in the mine.

‘It’s a family matter, so I have to take good care of it.’

Anyway, if the reason for the summons to the council is related to Wiridia, then it is right to respond. Why would a younger brother miss out on his brother’s business, which is not someone else’s? That is impossible.

And if I attend the council, I can report to my brother without fail what has been said about Wiridia, what opinions the council members have, and what decisions His Majesty has made.

So this is not my personal pleasure, but a decision for the sake of the head of the Krasius family. For the sake of the head of the family, I am giving up my vacation for a while and going to work.

“Where can I find a younger sibling like this?”

“Huh?”

Robert, who had been crawling around at my muttering, tilted his head.

“Robert. Come to your father.”

“elegance!”

As he opened his arms slightly at the sight of her lovely face, Robert also smiled brightly and approached the father.

Not only am I a good brother, but I am also a good father. My life is pretty good.

After receiving the power of attorney from Via, he headed to the Imperial Diet.

Suddenly, I became the miraculous agent of Count Teilglehen and Count Horfeldt, but I wonder what it is like. The former is a title I will eventually give up, and the latter is a title I will only use for a few hours.

…

‘Is this a title you should put down?’

I felt uneasy for a moment. Deputy Count Tileglen… Can I really put this down?

Of course, I have no intention of putting Peddie down right now, since he has a long way to go before he grows up. I can’t ask a five-year-old to appear before the parliament. As Peddie’s uncle, I can’t tolerate such atrocities. I don’t want to personally experience my brother’s beating of the heavens.

The real problem is not the young and immature Pedi, but me, who is getting used to the title of congressman as time goes by.

‘It’s not just me who’s gotten used to it.’

What is even more terrifying is that my family, my colleagues, and those around me are gradually forgetting that the word “deputy” is attached to my title.

I’m worried that I’ll end up being a deputy councilor forever. Even if Pedi ascends to the throne as Count of Tailglen, I’m afraid that he’ll say something like, “My uncle is good at parliamentary affairs, so please take the seat for the greater good.”

‘It seems like Seo Min-won doesn’t even know that I’m his agent.’

Moreover, the relatively new members of the National Assembly, Seo Min-won, think that I am not a deputy but just a member of the National Assembly. It is truly terrible.

“Are you here already?”

“Oh, Your Excellency Chairman.”

As I was staring blankly at the parliament building with that thought in my mind, the speaker approached me and spoke to me.

“As I said before, I appreciate you coming here despite the request being too much. Wouldn’t it be embarrassing if there were a vacancy in the House of Lords when His Majesty was visiting in person?”

“Of course. What greater shame would it be if we, Your Majesty’s shield, were to fail in our role?”

“As expected, the loyalty of the Crassius family is admirable. Wilhelm has raised his children well.”

The chairman let out a small laugh, patted my shoulder, and pushed me into the building.

“Now, let’s go in and find a good seat. There’s a good seat that’s slightly out of His Majesty’s sight, and you can leave right after the vote is over. It’s the seat I’ve been using ever since I first became a member of the National Assembly.”

“Can you tell me something so precious?”

“You should show this much consideration to your colleagues while they are on vacation. Don’t make this chairman into such a petty person.”

I laughed at those words too.

A seat where you can enter and leave quickly and make your presence less noticeable. This is the best seat for a member of the National Assembly.

I will definitely tell you when I hand over my seat to Pedi.

please.

***

First, I met with the members of the House of Peers among the members of the Imperial Diet.

The area designated as a cultural specialization district, Wiridia, is the territory of the Imperial White Count of Tylglehen. In that case, after first discussing with the members of the Imperial White House of Nobles, it would be right to discuss the bill with the House of Commons as well, which has a certain foundation.

If we somehow establish a framework, wouldn’t we have the space to discuss with 130 people? If 130 people have a say in a situation where there is no framework, there is no greater disaster than that. It’s dizzying to even imagine.

‘Why 29 people?’

By the way, something is strange. Weren’t the Count’s brother and Count Horfeldt among the members of the House of Lords on vacation? Then there should be 28 members, but why is there one more?

‘…aha.’

As I quickly looked around the conference room, the Count’s younger brother, Baron Hardiner, who was sitting in the corner, came into view.

Indeed. One of the two is present. Based on age and career, it should be Count Horfeldt, but it was Baron Hardiner who came as the eldest.

It is truly satisfying. As the count’s younger brother, his loyalty as an imperial noble and his sense of responsibility as the head of the household are considerable.

“A large-scale ruins were discovered in the County of Wiridia.”

However, looking at a certain noble excessively shows the emperor’s favor. Naturally, he turned his gaze and opened his mouth.

“That number is a whopping six. Six ruins, each of which is at the level of a village or city, have been discovered, which is not just a slope for Wiridia, but a slope for the empire and the continent.”

The members of the National Assembly responded to my words with silence, as if they could fully anticipate what would follow.

“Therefore, I propose that the six ruins be integrated into a special cultural district of Wiridia. In order to uncover and preserve the proud history of the continent, development within the special cultural district should be restricted, but the royal family will bear all the costs of excavation and maintenance.”

“Your Majesty’s mercy is truly as high as the sky and deeper than the sea. Count Tylglehen will also faithfully follow Your Majesty’s great decision.”

The chairman’s ceremonial answer followed by the members’ applause.

Up to this point, it’s just a basic conversation. It’s something that anyone can guess that Wiridia will have a cultural district. What’s important is what follows.

“However, no matter how much it is for a just cause, it is fatal to have a significant amount of land tied up as a cultural specialization district. Isn’t it time for Wiridia to spur development?”

“Your Majesty, in addition to the excavation and preservation costs, how about giving the Count an appropriate compensation? Or perhaps mercifully adjusting the distribution ratio of the tourism revenue would be enough to appease the Count’s displeasure.”

“The Chairman is right. However, I would like to add one more thing to the Chairman’s opinion.”

“If you want to add more…?”

It is right to solve problems caused by the land with the land.

“The County of Wiridia is adjacent to the Royal Territory of Galan. Therefore, I intend to grant some of the land within the Royal Territory of Galan to the Count.”

If a significant portion of the territory is suddenly designated as a development-restricted area, it is only right to provide land where development is easy.