SOLIRF~09

Chapter 9

Transfer to Headquarters

“Hello. I’m Cornelia Libertas, newly assigned to headquarters from the Opel branch as of today.”

“Never heard of that family name before. Must be a fallen noble.”

Oh, straight to the jab, huh?

He wasn’t wrong, but that didn’t make it any less unpleasant.

“I’m Keida, the deputy head of the trading company. Everyone just calls me Vice Chief. Don’t take what I said personally—it’s just advice. Don’t let that noble surname of yours get to your head. It’s useless here.”

His tone carried the weight of someone who had clearly learned that lesson the hard way. But since he’d offered an explanation, I decided to let it slide and suppressed the fighting spirit that had briefly flared up.

“Recommended by the Opel branch chief, huh? Getting assigned to headquarters right after dropping your apprentice title…”

He muttered while glancing through my personnel file.

“Samoira tends to be soft-hearted, but she’s a cautious one. Didn’t expect this. Judging by appearances—aside from the short hair—you don’t exactly radiate reliability… Hope I don’t get scolded for dumping too much work on a kid.”

“Excuse me?”

He rubbed his rough, stubbled chin, still reading the document.

“Says here you’re good at document handling. I’ll assign you to the Administration Department.”

Administration?

“Headquarters doesn’t just sell goods. We manage and oversee every store across the Empire, set strategies, and prepare for disputes. Think of it as the brain of the operation.”

That’s surprisingly similar to modern companies.

“The Daijo Trading Company’s headquarters is divided into six departments under the Chief and myself—Administration, Merchandise, Education, Finance, Legal Affairs, and External Relations.”

The names sounded more like government ministries than a merchant’s guild.

“You’ll get the details from your seniors. Administration is on the third floor. Go on.”

Thank goodness.

Anything above the fifth floor without an elevator was a death sentence for comfort.

After bowing to the deputy chief, I headed down to the third floor, where a woman with her hair neatly pinned up was waiting.

“Cornelia?”

“Yes, that’s me.”

“Welcome. I’m Lumina, secretary to the Head of Administration. Please follow me.”

Passing through rows of wide desks filled with busy clerks, we stopped at the door of a separate office. Lumina knocked once and opened the door.

“Department Head?”

Inside sat the very person who had recommended me to headquarters—the branch chief, Samoira. He smiled warmly and waved.

“You’re here.”

I quickly came to my senses and greeted him properly. He responded with his usual kind smile.

“Surprised? I’m the Head of Administration. Glad to have you here. I recommended you personally because of your excellent paperwork.”

“Thank you, sir.”

He looked even more imposing now, perhaps because he was a department head.

So this is what power feels like…

“Finea and Nicola have been assigned to the External Relations and Merchandise departments, respectively.”

So we got separated.

A little disappointing, but such things were common in work life.

“Your duties will differ slightly from what you did before, but I’m confident you’ll adapt quickly. Let me introduce your new colleagues. Lumina?”

“Yes, they should be arriving soon.”

Almost as soon as she finished speaking, there was a knock at the door. A group of unfamiliar faces entered one after another. Unfortunately, there wasn’t a single woman among them.

So these are the guys who’ll decide whether my work life is heaven or hell.

Workplace life was never a solo mission. Happiness depended entirely on your coworkers.

I’ve lived through too many horror stories to forget that.

Shoving those memories aside, I focused on Lumina’s introductions.

“This is Mr. Soledad, assistant to the department head.”

He looks like the walking embodiment of overwork fatigue.

“This is Mr. Yul, our senior administrator.”

Sharp posture, precise tone—definitely the strict type.

“And these two hold the same rank as you, Miss Cornelia. Mr. Bator and Mr. Gemina.”

Two men around my age bowed stiffly. Bator, in particular, looked annoyed—his face twisted with thinly veiled discontent.

Looks like he’s not happy about my arrival.

People came with all sorts of personalities, so I knew it wouldn’t be easy. But showing open hostility on the first day? Amateur move.

I’ve got more than enough workplace scars and second chances behind me. As long as I get paid, nothing else scares me.

This world might be different, but my work ethic wasn’t: do your job, keep your distance, don’t get used.

“New recruit, this way.”

“Yes!”

The one calling me over was Yul, the senior. His crisp, spotless shirt and square jaw gave off a firm, disciplined impression. He was short but had a solid presence.

“Cornelia, right? How old are you?”

“Twenty.”

He nodded and gestured for me to follow.

“I’ll give you a brief rundown of our department. Pay attention.”

“Yes, sir.”

He sat behind his desk and motioned for me to take the seat across from him.

“Daijo Headquarters consists of two five-story buildings side by side. The main store is located separately.”

Two five-story buildings. Got it.

“We have about seventy employees. The Administration Department handles documentation, record-keeping, rule-making, and oversees all branch management. We also monitor sales performance. Basically, we manage everything.”

So it was indeed a management-heavy division—essentially the backbone of operations.

“The Head of Department is Mr. Samoira, whom you’ve met. Since you’ve worked under him before, that’ll make things easier.”

Having a familiar superior was definitely a plus.

“Since this is your first time in Administration, you’ll shadow me or Assistant Soledad for meetings, take minutes, and work with Bator and Gemina on document organization and records. Higher-level tasks go through the assistant or above. Any questions?”

Nothing I couldn’t figure out with experience.

“Is there anything specific I should be careful about?”

Yul’s eyes flickered slightly with approval.

“Good question. The most important rule—never share internal information with other departments. And don’t use our position in Administration for personal gain.”

“So basically, don’t leak or abuse information.”

He nodded.

“Exactly. You wouldn’t know this yet, but interdepartmental relations are delicate. A careless remark could cause serious misunderstandings and disrupt work. If you’re unsure, ask first—it’s better to look dumb than to cause trouble.”

He sounds like the kind who actually follows the rules. Noted.

“I’ll keep that in mind.”

“Good. Your seat’s between Bator and Gemina. Ask them if you have questions, and learn quickly.”

“Yes, sir.”

When he lowered his gaze, signaling the end of the talk, I stood and moved to my assigned desk. The large workspace was divided by low partitions.

So the department head has a private office, and the senior staff and assistant share this space—with a separate meeting room, it seems.

Given how confidential the work sounded, that setup made sense.

First, I needed to adapt. I had no grand dreams for this company—just a plan to quietly survive and prepare for the future.

Being assigned to HQ wasn’t in my original plan, so I’ll need to rewrite my strategy this weekend.

With that thought, I sat down at my new desk.

“Hello.”

A simple greeting—never a bad habit.

When I was a newbie, I never got why we had to greet people we didn’t know. But later, I learned it made collaboration smoother and improved your reputation.

“Ah, hello.”

Only one person—Gemina—responded. Bator’s mouth stayed shut.

Did he just ignore me?

I could already tell he’d be trouble. Best to keep things strictly professional.

And then—

“Hah. Daijo’s really going downhill. Instead of serving tea, they’re putting women in Administration now?”

It wasn’t loud, but he made sure I heard every word.