9th Grade Civil Servant In Another World Chapter 103 - Bullet Sponge (2)

“Speaking coldly, what we have to do remains unchanged.”

My voice was slightly hoarse.

“For the time being, at least. It’s laughable, but since I’m the only soldier here, you guys won’t be dragged off to war. Unless there’s indiscriminate conscription. So let’s proceed as planned.”

“As planned…”

Daniel muttered with an ambiguous expression.

“Right, as planned. Daniel and Namir, please handle the Great Desert affairs. You know what I mean?”

“While helping Ms. Brightner?”

“It’s Erika. I asked before, but please avoid using surnames if possible.”

“S-sorry.”

When Erika corrected him, Namir sheepishly apologized.

“Oscar, Richard, I don’t need to tell you. Oh, Georg, nothing unusual happening in District 13? Since that girl last time. What was her name—Nina Perez?”

“Brother! I told you that girl has nothing to do with our work.”

For some reason, Georg’s face reddened as he snapped angrily.

“Right, right. Send a letter if there are any changes. Assad, and Hannah. Don’t let your guard down.”

“You don’t need to order us to do that…”

“Don’t worry about us.”

Hannah winked slightly, hiding her anxious expression.

“Thank you, as always.”

“Thank us? You’re my benefactor, Mr. Redan.”

How could she always maintain such composure? I felt like I might go crazy at any moment, yet my friends were steadfastly supporting such a me.

“Lucas, what are you planning to do?”

At Daniel’s question, I smiled gloomily.

“I don’t know. I’ll just have to do something. To make fewer people die. To make the war end quickly.”

He patted my shoulder with a pitiful expression.

***

“Urgh! Bleeaagh!”

With a splashing sound, filthy vomit poured into the toilet. I retched, bringing up everything I’d eaten yesterday and today.

“Haah, huk, urrgh!”

I had decided to spend my last night in a hotel room. I wanted to be in the most comfortable place possible. Tomorrow I would surely be summoned to the flying fortress.

After forcing a smile to see off my worried friends, the moment I was alone I dropped the act and rushed to the bathroom, clutching the toilet.

From the distant living room table, the radio was still droning on, boasting about the air force’s ‘glorious victory.’

It made me nauseated beyond endurance.

A civilian massacre!

And by carpet bombing at that.

It was unprecedented in this world, on this continent.

I don’t know if it was a shock-and-awe operation or what, but they’re making themselves the axis of evil.

“Ugh! It’s all over now!”

I flushed the toilet several times already, wiping my sour-smelling mouth and sighing.

Earlier I spoke as if I had some kind of plan, but honestly I have no idea what to do.

The war had erupted in the worst possible form.

Surprise invasion without declaration of war, civilian massacres, destruction of cultural heritage, detention of the head of state.

If the rules of warfare in this world weren’t 180 degrees different from those on Earth, such actions would surely enrage the entire continent.

Even nations that didn’t believe in war, or those that intended to remain neutral if war broke out, would now volunteer to be knights of justice for Cortana.

At least the recognition that Kruger alone must be eliminated for humanity’s future would spread.

Exactly as I had argued.

“What the hell is he thinking? Has he gone crazy wanting to die? Why do this?”

I rinsed my mouth with tap water and glared at my haggard face in the mirror while muttering.

This wasn’t the strategy I had whispered to Kruger.

I had suggested first revising treaties about magic stone mines to buy time, then reorganizing the military meanwhile. Incidentally, using the excuse of punishing those responsible to neutralize border security and create a path.

I thought that alone could buy a few weeks.

During those few weeks, the Continental Conference could be revived to put shackles on Kruger’s hands and feet.

Kruger was definitely satisfied with my plan. He even praised me for it.

Magic stone is the most important power source in this world, a material that’s never enough no matter how much you have. And Cortana was a major production site that exported magic stone to the continent to make a living.

Cortana.

Land that ended up included in the kingdom when the count who founded Schufaben expanded his territory as much as possible.

There was never a peaceful day due to ethnic conflicts, and during the war started by a mad king 200 years ago, it broke away through civil war and became independent.

The problem was that afterward, it became known that the Colt Mountains area bordering Schufaben was packed with magic stone mines—a goldmine.

Because of this, not only Kruger but many Schufaben people secretly hoped to swallow that land again.

Currently, Schufaben reluctantly imports magic stone from Cortana. So Kruger also welcomed treaty revision.

But then, why on earth.

“Why commit such insane acts!”

I ground my teeth and slammed the sink. A loud crash echoed before quickly dying away.

No matter how much ambition he harbored to devour the entire continent, to make everyone his enemy from the start!

It could have been done much more moderately, with solid justification.

Didn’t they kill nine majors to create that justification? I nearly died myself.

Kruger isn’t an idiot. He’s not a simple psychopath either. He must have had some purpose. There must be something that makes it worthwhile to turn the entire continent into enemies all at once.

“Something worth killing all those people for… That much gain.”

My stomach churned again, but there was nothing left to come up.

***

I wracked my brains all night.

When I came to my senses, dawn was already breaking white outside the hotel window.

Rubbing my bloodshot eyes, I passed through the still-quiet hotel lobby and went outside, where Johann was leaning against a wall smoking, waiting for me as expected.

He saw me and handed over the Supreme Leader’s summons.

“Orders are to bring you quickly.”

“I expected this, but why you? Have you become the Supreme Leader’s loyal retainer already?”

I roughly snatched the summons and glared at him while asking. Johann twisted his lips into a smile and shook his head.

“You know the answer.”

“Answer me anyway.”

“Private audiences with the Supreme Leader aren’t something only you can have.”

I knew it, you bastard.

I bit my lips tightly.

“So? Did you get caught with the war gamble? Called in to confess why you did such things, get some praise for having a pretty good head, and receive a mission to keep an eye on Major General Lucas Redan as Ossel’s number two to check Lieutenant General Leon Kaiser?”

“What if I did?”

“Ha, so you’re cutting ties now?”

Johann leisurely searched his pocket and pulled out a new cigarette, then held out his lighter to me. Suddenly furious, I hurled the lighter onto the pavement and snarled.

“Answer me, you bastard!”

“You’re not in your right mind.”

He muttered as if dumbfounded, then asked me back.

“What if I did? What can you do about it?”

I was struck speechless.

“Will you report me? That I joined hands with the White Raven Order leader? That it was Lucas Redan?”

He sneered and poked my chest.

“Listen carefully. You said you wanted to become a community of fate with me. Now that your wish has come true, we can’t touch each other. You didn’t do this without knowing, did you? Isn’t this what you wanted?”

“Shit…”

Of course I wanted this. But I didn’t want a situation where Johann could openly threaten to use me as a throwaway card!

Trying to calm my pounding heart with deep breaths, I lowered my voice and asked.

“What did you get from the Supreme Leader?”

Johann shook his head.

“Nothing. Just empty words. That I’m the only one he can trust.”

I heard similar words. To be precise, he said he’d use me. Kruger seems to have manipulated people this way all along.

“Then what did you offer the Supreme Leader?”

“Nothing.”

Johann’s voice sounded strangely pleased.

“I became one of his many limbs, but what meaning does that have? I’m just a replaceable part when I become useless. You too, me too. Just a slightly important part, that’s all.”

Johann cynically bent down to pick up the lighter.

“So you’re just satisfied that he made it so I can’t touch you? Now that the Supreme Leader recognizes you, I can’t carelessly kill you?”

“This is what you call overinterpretation.”

His dry voice scattered mixed with cigarette smoke.

“Last night I was summoned to the Supreme Leader’s residence. He made me drink plenty. The Supreme Leader said he would trust me and gave me a test. Watch Lucas Redan. That’s all. You should have anticipated this too.”

A breath I’d been holding escaped with a “puhaa.”

“Fine, good, that’s good… The Supreme Leader doesn’t know we joined hands. And it’s advantageous for us to keep this relationship secret. For now, at least. Right?”

“Who knows. It might change tomorrow.”

“I said ‘for now,’ for now! Listen when someone’s talking.”

Though I grumbled, I felt relieved.

Johann has no intention of betraying me yet. Having just caught the Supreme Leader’s eye, he’d be cautious too. Of course, if an opportunity arises, he’ll offer me up immediately.

“Wait and see. I’ll set up the board so you can extract maximum benefit from using me as sacrifice. Time your exposure carefully.”

“I’ll look forward to it.”

Johann’s voice sounded oddly sincere.

***

I followed Johann toward the flying fortress.

As always, Kruger was waiting for me in the highest room with a view of the sky.

“I greet Your Excellency the Supreme Leader.”

After bowing respectfully and rising, Kruger, who barely acknowledged my greeting, leaned back in his armchair and asked indifferently.

“Did you hear the news?”

“You mean the air force’s victory report? Of course I heard it. I was so excited by the radio bulletin that I couldn’t sleep all night.”

Making that excuse for my haggard face, I forced the brightest expression I could muster. Please, let my face overflow with radiant light.

“No, I wasn’t talking about that. I meant the story about that brat in Cortana’s royal palace with blood not even dry on his head.”

Ah, that’s what it was.

The brat in Cortana’s royal palace must refer to the one who ascended the throne two years ago when his mother the queen suddenly died.

Strictly speaking, he’s in his thirties, so calling him a ‘brat’ seems off…

Well, he did suddenly inherit the throne and showed clumsy moves. Maybe that’s why he’s being dismissed.

Regardless of what I thought, Kruger cheerfully chattered on.

“Turns out that brat was mute. Apparently some tumor was found in his throat and he lost his voice as a surgical complication. They’d been hiding it in utmost secrecy until now.”

“Is that so?”

“We tried to record his surrender declaration to broadcast on radio, but what a disaster that was!”

I endured my churning stomach and gave appropriate responses.

“How unfortunate. Just when we’ve reclaimed lost territory, to have such a trivial obstacle to establishing Schufaben’s dignity!”

“Ahahahaha! Major General Redan, I’ve told you several times you don’t need to flatter me like that!”

He rose from his armchair and strode toward me.

“Yes. I’ll keep that in mind. So is Cortana becoming a republic now?”

I asked while grinning deliberately.

“Ha, what are you talking about?”

“Excuse me?”

“The throne’s owner has already changed. The so-called king was blown to pieces. Quite troublesome too.”

“Ye-yes?”

“Don’t you understand? I mean he exploded and died when our air force’s bombing collapsed the royal palace. Along with that queen woman!”

I barely managed to suppress a gasp of shock.

Wait, wasn’t the king captured?! Then this mute brat king they’re currently detaining is…

“For now, we put a crown on the speechless prince.”

“I see.”

Ah, shit.

Now it all makes sense.

The king and queen are dead, and they dumped the throne on a prince who lost his vocal cords?

But why is he telling me this?

I’m starting to feel uneasy. Kruger grinned.

“But if the brat is mute, I must be blind. Did you think I wouldn’t know what you’re thinking?”

“Y-Your Excellency…”

“You must be curious. Why I, of all times, launched a surprise attack on Cortana right now. Why I didn’t listen to you and chose the path that earns resentment from those women and fools!”

I’m actually dying of curiosity.

But Kruger didn’t give me time to answer and sat on the edge of his desk, asking.

“Major General Redan, what is your goal?”

To kill you and be done with it.

Suppressing the urge to say that, I bit my lips and pressed my head to the floor, shouting loudly.

“To serve Schufaben forever at Your Excellency’s side!”

Kruger didn’t react. He’s probably looking down at me with cold eyes.

“…Disappointing. After I told you to be so honest. Will you go to Cortana? You can satisfy your curiosity there.”

“I accept your orders!”

Pressing my head to the floor once more, I slowly raised my head. Kruger had already disappeared.

That night.

I arrived in Carlton, the capital of Cortana.

Carrying just one modest travel bag.

My entourage was one black dog docilely leashed, and one adjutant following behind.

That was all.