Volume 2 Chapter 23 Civil Servant Yuko’s Nostalgia
Edited by: Kanaa-senpai
It finally hit me recently: I was incredibly blessed in my previous life. Compared to my life here, you could say I was playing on Easy Mode.¹
I wasn’t exactly a top-tier idol, but I had the looks of a solid local celebrity or a glamorous news anchor. I was blessed in the looks department alone. I dated all kinds of men – handsome ones, aggressive ones, funny ones, rich ones. Naturally, every relationship started with a confession from them.
Since they would come to me if I just waited a bit, I never once confessed to anyone myself. Throughout middle and high school, I never lacked for a boyfriend, and even when I was seeing someone, getting hit on was a regular occurrence. In college, I wasn’t interested in beauty pageants so I didn’t enter, but I’m certain I would’ve placed if I had.
Furthermore, though I studied a bit, I had the brains to get into a top-tier national university² with relative ease. I was misled by the department name in college and it wasn’t quite what I expected, but it turned out well since I eventually found a field I enjoyed.
Above all, since it was a major with very few women, everyone – from the professors to the seniors, peers, and juniors – treated me with the utmost care. I was the so-called “Princess.” I avoided letting them pay for everything because things get messy when money is involved, though. I think my college days were the peak of my life. Every day was fun.
The company I joined after a half-hearted job hunt put me on the technical career track. Just like my college major, the workplace had few women, so I was pampered everywhere I went. I occasionally ran into a strict boss, but I was usually saved by executives who treated me well, so things generally worked out.
Even when they tried to hide it, their ulterior motives were transparent. Well, I was using them too, so it was mutual. I didn’t do anything like going to a hotel alone with them, obviously. I had no intention of selling myself cheap to a man I didn’t intend to marry, and I had nothing but a bad feeling that a workplace affair would turn into a total disaster. I ended up getting depressed when I was stuck in a position without support from senior staff, but I wasn’t fired; I was allowed to recover in a different department and managed to survive.
This world, however, is Very Hard Mode. I was officially hired as a Civil Servant, but my treatment hasn’t changed since I was an apprentice. Once, there was a situation where I could use my knowledge from my previous life. It was a chance to show that the higher education I received at a top-level Japanese university – from a world far more advanced than this one – wasn’t just for show. I decided to offer some advice to my direct supervisor, Lady Xaveria.
”Xaveria-sama, the ground is unstable here. We need to drive the foundation piles much deeper,” I said.
”Yuko,” Xaveria snapped, “what could a girl who can’t even handle basic chores possibly have to say? I didn’t give you permission to offer an opinion. Keep your mouth shut.”
To my surprise, Xaveria didn’t give me a second thought. I had considered the possibility that she wouldn’t understand, so I’d even thought about how to explain it, but I never expected she wouldn’t even listen. I was saying something absolutely correct based on the knowledge of my previous life. I was certain that following my advice would result in a more effective and safe design. Ignoring that made me feel a surge of anger. (So this is what they mean when they say ignorance is a sin…)
Since Xaveria wouldn’t give me a proper evaluation or even listen to me, I appealed to the Section Manager class above her, but I was brushed off. It was all, “What’s the problem with that?” and “It’s natural to follow your supervisor’s policy,” or “I’ve left your guidance entirely to Xaveria,” and “If you don’t like it, you can quit anytime.”
Following Xaveria’s dismissal, this reaction was unexpected. Even though there isn’t a single Civil Servant in this country who surpasses me in intellectual labor – especially in specialized knowledge – they actually suggested I could just quit. My appeal to the Section Manager reached Xaveria’s ears immediately, and her treatment of me became even harsher.
After a few incidents like that, I realized that unlike my previous life, this is an immature world where Skills are valued over knowledge, and connections are valued over Skills. In my previous life, I was on the career track, so I almost never worked under an incompetent boss. Even if my direct supervisor was useless, it was normal for the person above them to handle it if I spoke up.
Human resources – especially women on the technical career track – were precious, so they took me seriously and always tried to keep me. In this world, society isn’t as mature as it was in Japan; there are many primitive aspects, so they don’t recognize my value.
Because the gender ratio in this world is skewed, there are many women in the workplace, for better or worse. It’s good that there are few creepy old men, but there’s no preferential treatment just because I’m a woman. Unless you’re pregnant, women handle drawing water and carrying luggage. No “kind” middle-aged men – who hide their lust while approaching – ever come to help.
Most of all, because there are no computers, I can’t demonstrate my true ability. My Skills, “Document Creation”³ and “Statistical Analysis,” are only useful if there’s a computer. If it’s just document creation, I can do it by hand, but such inefficiency isn’t realistic.
As for Statistical Analysis, it’s impossible to do by hand without even a calculator. Since I only do chores, these Skills don’t level up, and I can’t gain better ones. The only thing I gained was the “Transport” Skill, which isn’t useful for Civil Servant work. It’s a Skill suited for the lowest tier of officials – more like a laborer or a slave.
There is paper in this world, but there are no copiers or printers; everything is handwritten. When I asked about the messy handwriting on a note, saying, “I can’t read this, what does it say?” the response was a piece of pure power harassment. “You should be able to read this much!” they shouted. It was completely unreasonable.
Because there are many beautiful women in this world, my looks are only average. Therefore, I don’t get pampered for my appearance like I did in my previous life. Since one of the advantages I held is now unusable, life is simply exhausting. I can’t think about marriage yet, but I figured I have to at least try to look a bit better, so I spend my meager salary on cosmetics.
It’s frustrating that they’re so expensive I can only buy a little. (Don’t the people here feel ashamed for not even wearing minimal makeup?) Even if it’s normal here, I’m disgusted by this frugal lifestyle compared to my previous life. However, since I failed because of this before, I’m refraining from saying it out loud.
At one point, an elderly man who seemed to be a noble visited the workplace and… proposed?
”Hmm, so you’re the woman summoned along with the Hero. Your looks are decent enough; a woman like this might not be bad. You, won’t you become mine?”
His arrogant way of speaking ticked me off, but it would be bad if he was a noble, so I decided to respond politely for now. This turned out to be the right choice. He’s quite a bit older, so I wondered if he lost his wife and was looking for a second one? Or perhaps a concubine? If I had to spend the rest of my time in this workplace, it might be worth taking him up on the offer. Thinking that, I confirmed what he meant.
”My apologies, I am unfamiliar with the customs here. What exactly do you mean?” I asked.
”I’m saying I’ll make you my mistress. I am a Baron; it should be an honor to be my mistress,” he replied.
When I asked, a mistress in this world is the same as in Japan – not a formal wife. It’s an existence inferior to a mistress in my previous life. Not only can you not call yourself a wife, but an inheritance isn’t guaranteed either. (Is this basically just sugar dating?) There was no way I’d accept under these conditions, so I politely declined. It was fortunate the Baron wasn’t that obsessed.
However, as expected, the reaction from those around me was negative. “I can’t believe it,” and “To turn down an invitation from a Lord Baron,” they whispered. I ended up isolated again.
Because I’m a Transmigrator but don’t hunt monsters, the looks from those around me are cold. Since my ability scores are low, I’m even struggling with chores, and while I had reservations, beggars can’t be choosers. I might have to start hunting.
Living in the Royal Capital, I don’t see any monsters other than Slimes. Slimes are managed property since they are useful, so you’ll be punished if you defeat them without permission. My only choices are to go to a dungeon or go outside the Royal Capital to hunt. Dungeons have Goblins at the very least, so the Horn Rabbits on the plains outside the capital are safer.
Daisuke-kun and the others said even five of them struggled at first, so hunting monsters alone is dangerous. I should put in an escort request at the Adventurer’s Guild, but I can’t save enough money to pay a reward.
There’s no one in my workplace who would help me for free, especially since Xaveria and the Section Manager are watching me. I’m busy, so I don’t have acquaintances outside of work. Well, I know the other Transmigrator girls, but I messed up and our connection was severed. That was a mistake.
If it’s the Transmigrator men, I know three of them. Two in the Hero’s Party are on a journey, but Daisuke-kun will surely help for the sake of our old acquaintance from our previous life. I was never confessed to by him, but I often felt his affection for me when we were younger. He stopped coming around as much at some point, but now that we’ve both grown younger, it should be fine. If I just ask, he’ll surely help without a second thought.
We have a lunch meeting coming up soon. It looks like I can bring him a win-win deal that makes him happy and helps me out.
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Summary:
Yuko reflects on the stark contrast between her privileged life in Japan and her current struggle as a low-level civil servant. Her attempts to use modern engineering knowledge are shut down by her supervisor, Lady Xaveria, leading to professional isolation. Desperate to improve her situation, she decides to leverage her past connection with Daisuke for help with monster hunting.
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Trivia:
- Slimes in this world are considered useful managed property, not just wild monsters.
- Yuko has a specific ‘Transport’ skill which she considers degrading and suitable only for slaves.
- Handwriting is a major obstacle in this world due to the lack of printing technology.
- Yuko is spending her limited salary on high-priced cosmetics despite her poverty.
- She previously offended the other female transmigrators, cutting off a potential support network
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Character Insight:
Yuko is driven by a deep sense of lost status. She views her previous life’s successes as a natural baseline rather than luck, which fuels her current resentment. Her decision to approach Daisuke is calculated, relying on her belief that his past crush on her will make him easy to manipulate.
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Behind the Scenes:
The author notes that being a Baron’s mistress provides enough for a normal life in this world, but it falls short of Yuko’s high-standard ‘Princess’ expectations.
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TL Notes:
Notes:
• Xaveria – Xaveria, a composed woman under twenty, serves as Yuko’s supervisor and roommate. A collateral relative of the Military Secretary, she heads the Bureau of Engineering and is addressed as Xaveria‑sama. Dismissive of Yuko’s technical input, she values hierarchy and traditional chores over modern logic.
• Yuko – 17‑year‑old high‑schooler, reincarnated from a 40‑year‑old Earth civil servant and former tech‑track professional, wears a half‑up hairstyle, thin chest armor, stands 160 cm with a standard build. Polite but low‑motivation, poor etiquette. Apprentice to Lady Xaveria, acquaintance of Daisuke, battling entitlement and stress.
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Edited by Kanaa-senpai.
Thanks for reading.
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