828 – I’m on vacation – 1

I went to Northern Hausenz and came across a gambling house with history and tradition. No matter how you look at it, it is more like a coliseum than a gambling house, but it is classified as a gambling house.

First of all, it is not particularly strange for a noble to own a casino. The Golden Duke alone owns a casino that is one of the largest in the empire and even on the continent. Aside from the complex and subtle perception of gambling, the empire does not deny or detest the existence of casinos.

However, the gambling house granted by the emperor is far from the typical gambling house where card games, roulettes, and battles of wits are played. It is a battle royale gambling house where fists, shouts, blood, and tears flow.

‘I don’t need this kind of thing.’

Honestly, I don’t want to have a casino like that. I think it would ruin my dreams.

Of course, only the ownership is transferred to me, and the actual management will be strictly controlled by the Northern Housenz. As long as I do not interfere with the operation of the casino, it will run on its own, and the profits will be deposited into my wallet regularly.

Still, I can’t help but feel a strange sense of uneasiness. Sitting down and taking the money that the merchants have made with their blood and tears, it feels like I’ve become some kind of evil noble. More specifically, it’s like the position of the underworld of a lawless city in a fantasy novel.

“Isn’t it better to just have it? It’s no longer illegal and will be converted to legal, so there’s no need to decline! Rather, if you avoid legal gambling establishments, the Minister of the Interior and Safety will say that he will unconditionally suppress gambling.”

“That’s true.”

However, I ended up nodding my head to Eri’s persuasion that wasn’t persuasion.

That’s not wrong. If I were an ordinary noble with no official position, I would be able to avoid gambling houses, but I happen to be the head of the Office of the Inspector General. If the chief inspector is reluctant to gamble legally or shows signs of being displeased, it is highly likely that the legal gambling houses throughout the empire will be shaken.

Then, the profits of legal gambling houses will decrease, and when profits decrease, taxes will decrease, and when taxes decrease, the national treasury will decrease, the minister in charge of finance will become louder, and the emperor will become more resentful.

‘and.’

I let out a gasp. The gorgeous snowball that would appear if I refused the casino. Just imagining it for a moment, I could tell that the annoyance of refusing was greater than the discomfort of receiving it.

“I worked during my vacation for no reason and now I know what’s going on.”

“Minister, you’re a minister, but I’m not even a manager. You worked even though you were on vacation and didn’t have a job.”

I glanced down at the invincible words that I could not refute.

I don’t know how long it’s been since I’ve been logically pushed aside by Eri.

Surprisingly, the raid on the illegal gambling den in Hausenz Circle was an event that occurred on the first day of their honeymoon.

An event that happened right after the honeymoon started. An event that happened at the first travel destination. Considering that there are still a few weeks left until the honeymoon, it is an incredibly scary event.

‘What’s going to happen next?’

I bit my lips and looked down at the map of the empire.

This honeymoon is a trip that actively uses teleportation, so we plan to travel around the empire rather than staying in one place. Therefore, Northern Hausenz is just a day trip destination, and there are more than 10 places we have to visit in the future.

But what if, what if something happens in every place you visit? What if, like Northern Housenz, you discover something that even the local chief magistrate or lord doesn’t know about?

‘Should I just ignore it even if I see it?’

No, that won’t work. If the inspector general, of all people, discovers an incident and ignores it or pretends not to see it, the authority of the inspector general will fall. No one will fear the inspector general, and no one will look down on the inspector general’s actions.

Then, I should notify the local chief and lord and go my way? It’s not a bad idea, but if the incident is caused by collusion with the chief or lord, it’s like putting the cat in charge of the fish. How much will he laugh at me inwardly?

In that case, the safest way would be to immediately summon the inspector general in the system. I will make the discovery, but leave the handling to my subordinates…

…

‘Why do I have to worry about this?’

Suddenly, I reached a fundamental question.

It’s too late to ask, but aren’t I on vacation in name only? I’ve done work while on vacation more than once or twice, but that was when I was faced with an unavoidable situation. I didn’t worry about work before I faced the situation.

‘Is this right?’

Soon, anger, not doubt, rose. What kind of civil servant in this world would work while on vacation? And not just once or twice, but several times.

This is all because of the label of the Inspector General. I am doing this voluntary work because I am aware of this damn business card, and because of the chains around my neck, I have developed a slave mentality. To put it bluntly, if I were an ordinary Imperial Count instead of the Inspector General, would this have happened? Even if I found a problem, I would have just said, ‘It is not under my jurisdiction.’

So there is only one way to solve this deplorable problem.

“You want to step down from your position as minister?”

“Rather than stepping down completely, wouldn’t it be better to temporarily relieve him of his position until he can return to work?”

Putting aside the title of Inspector General, even if only for a moment.

It’s important to put down the business cards that you’ll be holding again after the vacation, even if it’s just for a little while. That way, you can get out of this crazy situation.

“I am living a peaceful life with my family thanks to Your Majesty’s mercy, but the name I have been given thanks to Your Majesty’s excessive trust is a dignity and authority in itself. I am concerned that Your Majesty’s loyal and capable subjects may become fearful and uncomfortable with the authority that many nobles must bow down to roaming the empire.”

“Isn’t that what inspection is all about?”

“In normal times, I would gladly accept such fears. However, I am on vacation. This is an official who has been acting under Your Majesty’s authority, but has temporarily returned Your Majesty’s authority. An official who does not have Your Majesty’s authority on his back is nothing more than an ordinary person, while the nobles simply bow their heads in fear of the name of Inspector General.”

I was proud because I thought it was a perfect excuse. What excuse could be smoother and save the emperor’s face more?

It is not simply that he is stepping down because he does not want to do it. It is a political justification that it is difficult for an official who does not have the authority of the emperor to rule over the nobles. He even promised to return after some time. How perfect and neat is this?

“Hmm.”

In fact, the Emperor stroked his chin and pondered my suggestion. I guess it was a justification that even he would find difficult to refute.

‘Accept it.’

So accept it. If you have a conscience, accept it.

I’ve already given you so many accomplishments during my vacation. You can spend the rest of your vacation comfortably and quietly. I deserve that.

***

He listened to the minister’s words and quietly rubbed his chin, pondering.

‘What should we eat for dinner tonight?’

About my dinner, not the minister’s treatment. Because dinner is more important than what the minister is saying right now.

The minister’s words are not worth listening to. What? Step down from the ministerial post for a while? The nobles will be anxious if the minister on vacation wanders around the empire?

‘That’s a good thing.’

The Inspector General, who should be on vacation, is randomly wandering around the empire. Since he is not a public figure but a private person, it is difficult to determine his location. The reason for his visit is not a surprise inspection but a trip, so he cannot protest. How can I give up this exquisite situation?

These days, I am seriously considering whether it would be better for a minister to be on vacation rather than in active service. If he is a public official, he is bound by the chains of the empire, but if he is an individual on vacation, everything is possible.

How many times did the minister cross the border while he was on vacation? If he was not on vacation, if he was a normal minister, would he have crossed the border so often?

‘No way.’

In fact, the Minister, since his days as the head of the Inspection Department, has placed him in that position by valuing his military power over his office skills. Also, the reputation based on that military power and achievements is the Minister’s greatest weapon. Even now, isn’t the Inspection Department being led well by the Secretary to the Minister, whom the Minister trusted since his days as the head of the Inspection Department?

So, instead of keeping the minister tied up in the Office of the Inspector General, it would be better to let him wander around on his own. Then, the entire empire, and even the entire continent, would be within the minister’s scope of investigation. The entire continent would fear the minister’s gaze.

‘A bureaucrat who shines brighter when on vacation.’

I don’t know how strange and unique this bureaucrat is. Not to mention the 300 years of imperial history, even in the next 300 years, such a bureaucrat will not appear.

‘Hmm.’

However, it is a bit difficult to ignore the minister’s request like this.

‘Your eyes are spinning.’

Those intense eyes. The audacity to talk about dismissing the minister in front of me. It seems like this illegal gambling house incident has shaken the minister’s reason.

I understand. You were enjoying your honeymoon, but when you came to your senses, you were dealing with an illegal gambling house. It must have been crazy and depressing for the minister. You must also be anxious about when something like this might happen again.

‘I understand your feelings, but.’

I looked into the eyes of the minister, who was burning with a strange desire. If I refused, he would just lie down on the floor of his office, but I couldn’t bring myself to nod.

If you remove him from his position as minister, isn’t it obvious that he will just live as a wild man? He will return to being minister after his vacation? Where did you come up with such a lie?

‘Once you step down from the ministerial post, I will refuse you with all sorts of excuses.’

It is clear that he will refuse to return to his post after his vacation and will thoroughly avoid returning. If he were a minister, he would certainly do that.

Of course, if you strongly urge him, he will eventually be reinstated, but it would be difficult if a precedent is set for him to step down from the ministerial post, even for a short time. If he is a minister, he will bring up that precedent at any time.

If that happens, the fight between me and the minister from now on will not be between the minister who wants to retire and me trying to dissuade him, but between the minister who has already retired and me trying to reinstate him. No matter how many times I think about it, it’s my loss. Isn’t it a fight that’s half lost from the start?

“This isn’t a matter that needs to be decided right away. Let’s discuss it again once the Minister and his wife finish their honeymoon.”

So, for now, I declared a hold.

So that the minister who had lost his mind could cool his head a little. To buy time to logically refute each and every one of the minister’s crazy claims.

Or maybe it wouldn’t be a bad idea to give the minister a strong blow to his reputation. If you show that the dismissal from the ministerial post is not only beneficial to the minister, he will also withdraw this crazy claim.

‘It was a shock enough to make the minister resign.’

What should I prepare to make the minister cry with joy?

This is really exciting.