Her Graceful War Song novel Chapter 1332

Jacob had received the complete file on Cameron.

The 47-year-old was a native of Valken. He had passed the first level of the national examination at the age of 13, then went on to pass the second level by 18. In Valken, he had been renowned for his abilities, often referred to as a man of extraordinary talent.

However, after passing the second level of the national examination, he delayed traveling to the capital for the next level due to his mom's illness. Instead, he took up a position as a scribe in Valken's local government.

Cameron's career had been nothing but steady. Both the people of Valken and the Ministry of Infrastructure had praised him for his decisiveness and ability to get things done. In the triennial evaluations by the Civil Department, he consistently received high marks.

In fact, some even said that being limited to the Waterworks Department was a waste of his talent. Of course, there were also those who believed his lack of connections was the reason he hadn't been promoted further. Otherwise, he could have possibly become the Ministry of Infrastructure's deputy minister.

The kingdom had many officials like him—low-ranking but reliable, with no grand ambitions, just quietly efficient and grounded. His life was simple and unremarkable. He had one wife, a concubine, a son, a daughter, and three servants. The house he lived in had once been rented, but in recent years, he had purchased a modest home with a small courtyard—just big enough for his family to live in.

Still, it could be said that working in the Waterworks Department was a lucrative job. The fact that he had only just managed to buy a house in the last two years spoke to his integrity in office.

However, he wasn't entirely without flaws.

Jacob pointed out that several of the officials working under Cameron were living far more comfortably than he was. While their salaries couldn't compare to his, they were clearly managing to live well beyond their means. They must be dipping into the funds allocated for the riverworks.

Did Cameron not know? It was hard to believe.

What was strange was that he knew about it and allowed it, but didn't take any for himself. A truly honest official wouldn't tolerate corruption happening right under his nose, unless he was a major embezzler who was simply good at hiding it.

Or there was another possibility—he didn't take any for himself but turned a blind eye to his subordinates' corruption to win their loyalty and ensure they followed his orders.

By quietly operating this way for so many years, he had free rein to place whomever he wanted, whether they were laborers or personnel from the Waterworks Department, without anyone noticing.