Kookung! Kookugung!

For several days, a loud noise echoed from behind Mount Berkal.

One could tell who was behind it without even looking.

It was because the Prime Minister had been away for a few days.

Perhaps because of this, the political and civil society of the Duchy of Crawford was extremely quiet.

The man who had been like the eye of the storm had vanished.

"It seemed like something really great was going to happen, but all they did was disband the Senate, and that was it?"

"That's right. I thought it would cause a stir."

"What kind of passion would a man from the empire have?"

"Well, I guess they're just trying to figure out how to take over the gem mine."

The voices of the nobles were quite negative.

It couldn't be helped.

What would a high-ranking official of the empire do by coming to a remote village like this?

Even if it's not a lot of money, you'd want to take something with you.

However, it cannot be said that the poor class' reaction was good either.

"We're so busy trying to make a living that we're dying. What does politics have to do with us?"

"Would anything change just because you had expectations in the first place?"

"I'm still scared every day. When the elders in prison are released, they'll vent their anger."

"It's fortunate that no sparks fly."

But it didn't take long for the people of the Duchy of Crawford to change their perception.

It all started when a large number of carriages began to stream into the city.

A huge amount of manpower and materials followed.

As they passed through the city and headed toward the foot of Mount Berkal, a man who couldn't contain his curiosity suddenly spoke.

"Where on earth do you come from?"

Then the driver of the carriage answered with a bright face.

"We are part of the Empire's Dapan Group. We came to the Duchy of Crawford to build a logging site and a factory."

"No, why would you do something like that?"

"Of course, it's worth it. We're going to hire a lot of loggers and factory workers soon. So please support us."

Although a friendly explanation followed, everyone looked puzzled.

The creation of jobs was a welcome development.

But deep distrust was engraved among the poor of the Duchy of Crawford.

There had been many cases where people worked but didn't get paid.

In addition, there were many instances of mobilization orders being issued at the national level.

Still, they couldn't help but ask.

What everyone was curious about was how much they would be paid.

"Hey, how much is the wage?"

"It will probably be determined by considering the economic situation of the Duchy of Crawford. So I can't give you a definite answer, but I can tell you this much."

Gulp!

The moment the sound of someone swallowing was heard, the words of the Dapan Group employee continued.

"Even if you can't do much, you can get paid about the average wage in Deliat."

"Can you tell me exactly how much it is?"

"I think the salary there is around 1 golden."

"..."

The onlookers' eyes grew wide as if they were going to pop out at any moment.

---

North of the Duchy of Crawford.

A narrow plain at the foot of Mount Berkal.

There was a building being built there.

A large billboard read, "Dapan Group Crawford Branch."

There was a huge crowd in front of it.

Suddenly, a man approached the entrance between the fences.

"I have a question for you. I'm here for an interview. Where should I go?"

Then, a Dapan Group employee wearing a suit pointed to the right.

"The interview room is over there."

"Oh, thank you."

Although the man was dressed quite shabbily and smelled, the employee showed no signs of discomfort at all.

On the contrary, he even gave kind advice on various things.

"What is your name?"

"This is Kevin."

"My name is Riley. So, Kevin, are you sure you want to come to the interview?"

"Because they said anyone could come."

"Still, you should at least show some courtesy. I've dug a well down there, so go and wash up. You should also tidy up your clothes."

"Is that so?"

"Of course. If you look good to the interviewer, you'll get the job, right?"

"But I guess it wouldn't make much of a difference."

"You need to have at least a little sincerity to differentiate yourself from others."

"Um.... Okay, I understand."

Kevin went to the well and washed himself as cleanly as he could.

Even though he just sprinkled water on himself, he looked much better than before.

Of course, that doesn't mean the traces of a beggar had completely disappeared.

You could say he looked like a poor man who had just lost a little bit of his grime.

Still, he felt like he was gaining a little more confidence.

Kevin greeted Riley and hurried to the interview room.

"Next person, please come in."

"Yes, eww!"

He opened the door and went in as instructed, but a surprised voice burst out of him.

It was because the face of the person sitting in the interview room was so dazzling.

Not only did she have harmonious facial features, her skin seemed much clearer than that of a marble statue.

When that person opened their mouth, it sounded so foreign.

"Nice to meet you. I am Abel Carriers, the interim Prime Minister of Crawford."

"Oh, Your Majesty. It's an honor to meet you. This is Kevin!"

"Yes, Mr. Kevin. Can you tell me about your background and what you have done so far?"

"I, I...."

Kevin felt at ease with the kind and gentle voice, but he couldn't open his mouth easily.

That was understandable, since Kevin had never really done much work before.

From the time he was born until he was sixteen, his life was filled with begging.

In the slums, catching rats and bugs to eat and rummaging through other people's trash were everyday occurrences.

But what kind of history could he possibly offer?

"It's okay. If you don't have it, you can just say no."

"Yes, actually, all I've done up until now is begging."

"How did you get the idea to try working?"

"The employees of the Dapan Group said that they would pay a lot of money if they worked here. I wanted to earn money with my own hands and buy delicious food."

It was an honest answer.

Although he was born in the slums, he was not without shame.

Who in the world would want to survive solely by begging?

But Kevin's face turned as red as a beet.

It was because the ambition he had declared seemed so shabby.

Do you want to work just to buy delicious food?

He just felt like he wasn't good enough to get into such a great job.

However, the reaction of Prime Minister Abel Carriers was quite surprising.

"That's enough motivation. There's nothing more important to humans than eating and living."

"Oh, yes."

"If I help you pass, are you confident that you will work hard?"

"Of course!"

"I hope you can maintain that determination until the day you die. You pass!"

"...Huh? Is it that simple?"

"Yes, okay. Is there anything you want to drag on? The staff in the next room will tell you the details, so you can skip ahead."

Kevin looked bewildered.

Isn't this a job that pays a whopping 1 golden per month?

But, without examining the person's character in detail, it ended so simply?

Kevin's common sense couldn't understand it.

In order to work even as a janitor in the Duchy of Crawford, one had to go through all sorts of verifications to be considered normal.

During this process, it was common for wages to be deducted under the pretext of a training period.

"Go, thank you."

After saying goodbye and leaving the interview room, the next person asked a question.

"What did the interviewer say?"

"They asked me why I wanted to work there."

"Aha? Really? Thank you."

Kevin received precautions and basic training from the Dapan Group staff.

Meanwhile, the interview of the person who asked the question was over.

In fact, it felt like he came out almost immediately after he went in.

Kevin, curious about the outcome, asked the man a question.

"What happened?"

"...pass."

"What on earth did you say?"

"I said I supported it to contribute to the development of the country and to be loyal to the empire."

"Ah?"

Kevin couldn't understand.

Because it was an answer that seemed much grander and more real than his own.

Honestly, wasn't that a much better reason to apply than just wanting to eat delicious food?

"What on earth is the standard?"

***

Thank you for reading it I hope you will continue to do so in future. Just support like you always do. Your support is keeping this book alive.