9th Grade Civil Servant In Another World Chapter 144 - Necessary Evil (1)

“The weather has already turned cold.”

A woman with flowing black bob hair muttered as she stepped down from the carriage.

Though her body wrapped in a fur coat and her hands in leather gloves were warm, her white breath from each exhale froze and scattered in the air.

December.

Only one month remained until New Year’s Eve.

Feeling the cold air touch her cheeks, Erika walked along District 13’s main street with clicking heels. As always, greetings poured in from everywhere.

“Oh, Mr. Koch, hello. You made new bread today.”

Erika also naturally smiled and responded in kind.

The shop owners in the commercial district where Redan Company’s headquarters was located regarded Erika as a benefactor.

Because she, Lucas, and Daniel had supported people who lost their shops in the fire and created today’s splendid street.

All the buildings in this commercial district were owned by Redan Company, and Redan Company was renting them out at prices lower than market rates.

Erika leisurely bought bread for the employees to eat and walked to the company building.

“Buy a newspaper! Newspapers! News from the western front is included! Check out hero Lucas Redan’s battles in the newspaper!”

In front of the building, a lanky girl wearing a newsboy cap over her shortly cropped hair was waving newspapers and calling out in a clear voice.

“Hello, Nina.”

“Hello, sister!”

When Erika greeted her warmly, the girl grinned.

Nina Perez.

A member of Georg’s gang and a skilled newspaper seller.

She was also someone Lucas had specifically asked them to look after before leaving for the battlefield.

Georg stubbornly refused comfortable job offers and still lived as the boss of District 13’s street children, and the street children had no idea of Georg’s true identity.

Nina was the same.

To be considerate of Georg, Erika refrained from interfering beyond buying newspapers from Nina every morning and checking on her condition.

Occasionally sharing bread or drinks and chatting.

Erika, who had few female friends, enjoyed talking with Nina, who was much younger than her.

Though Georg was grateful on one hand while grumbling for no reason.

“Lucas is such a busybody.”

Erika recalled Lucas’s serious expression.

“That Nina girl, please keep an eye on her. She’s extremely important to Georg.”

Erika didn’t know what basis he had for saying such things. But she agreed with one assertion.

Nina Perez was a smart, upright, and spirited girl. And therefore lovable.

“Nina, could you give me one of each type of newspaper?”

“Yes, sis!”

Erika took the staff elevator up and spread the newspapers across the executive managing director’s desk.

「Western Front, Finally Seeing the End?」

「No Way Out, Pontinell Faces Imminent Fall!」

「’The End of Offensive Operations Still Far Off.’ Commander Lucas Redan’s Confidence」

「Navy Deployment! Now the Southern Front is Key」

「Blue Eagles Achieve Merit Once Again」

All the incoming news was nothing but victory, victory, victory.

In reality, the Schufaben army was achieving successive victories and busily devouring the continent.

Erika slightly frowned and drew red lines with ink on the map hanging on the wall.

Marking the areas the Schufaben army had occupied so far.

About half the continent was colored red. What remained white were only parts of Pontinell, Rubellia, and a few other countries.

“People would like this…”

Contempt seeped through Erika’s muttering voice.

The media—newspapers and radio—chattered daily only about how many enemies they’d killed, which regions they’d planted flags in.

They didn’t breathe a word about rising prices, restricted mana stone supplies, or turning the entire continent against Schufaben.

People were busy praising the Supreme Leader and Lucas.

When war heroes’ anecdotes appeared in magazines, young people excitedly talked about wanting to be soldiers without exception.

Voluntary enlistment spread like a trend, packaged as patriotism.

“Stupid people.”

Erika gritted her teeth.

Since before, Lucas had never used telegrams, saying there was a risk of getting caught in surveillance networks, but he had sent letters very occasionally.

Through the letters, Erika witnessed the horrors of war.

And how broken Lucas was becoming.

He didn’t say it was hard.

But she could read it between the lines.

Erika took out a key from her pocket and opened a desk drawer.

Lucas’s letters since joining the White Raven Order were secretly stored there.

She could feel a considerable thickness.

Of course, she had burned much more.

The most recent letter was written about a month ago.

「The barracks is away from the battlefield but strangely always smells of blood. I even wonder if someone lit incense mixed with blood somewhere.

Haven’t you been having nightmares lately? No insomnia? If you have trouble sleeping, try drinking water with an extremely small amount of canil dissolved in it. It’s very effective. Let me say it again—’extremely small amount.’ Just a tiny poke with your pinky fingernail is enough.

By the way, the Ferint is really amazing. It’s impressive that they’re already captured three cities, but what’s breathtaking is how they disappear somewhere after finishing work and reappears during the next march.

Well, they seem to be reaching their limit now. Pontinell is fighting better than expected. Where are all these mages sprouting from? Oh, of course when the Ferint sorties they get cut down immediately, so both the soldiers and I are very comfortable, but it’s getting tedious.

Nothing unusual happening? Business going well? Have you seen Daniel, Fael, and Namir? I’m frustrated not hearing news about you all, but it can’t be helped. Has Johann still not given up surveillance? No, rather than giving up, hasn’t he become more cunning?」

The letter filled with random stories and personal matters, perhaps anticipating theft or censorship, paradoxically felt depressing and exhausting.

He probably left out really serious stories to avoid worrying her, but still Erika could clearly see Lucas’s mental state.

It must be hard. Very much so.

While she was lost in thought, tearing apart bread from Koch’s shop, an employee knocked on the door from outside.

“Managing Director, here’s this month’s applicant list. It’s 5,318 people, a slight increase from last month.”

“Thank you for your hard work.”

Erika smiled and accepted the documents.

‘Redan Mining Company’ had changed its name to ‘Redan Trading Company’ a few months ago.

‘Trading company’ was originally a company structure that didn’t exist, but Lucas had essentially created it.

“From ramen to missiles… No, no, that was nonsense. To put it crudely, it means a company that does anything profitable.”

“Will that be alright?”

“What wouldn’t be alright about it?”

Before leaving for the battlefield, Lucas had explained enthusiastically with a bright smile.

And whether it was foresight or what, after changing the company name, the business was doing much better than before.

The source of funding was still just one—rental income from real estate centered on District 13’s commercial district.

So some stock investors mocked them as a ‘real estate company’ or ‘middlemen,’ but the stock price was hitting record highs daily.

「That’s how people’s minds work. Stocks are psychological warfare, Erika.」

Just as Lucas had smugly written in his letter before last.

One year since the war began with the Cortana invasion, and six months since it fully ignited.

The Schufaben government was pumping up the economy by pouring its enormous industrial capacity into military supplies production.

Thanks to running factories and research facilities at full capacity, unemployment decreased and money overflowed in the market.

Just months after Lucas’s schemes caused mass corporate bankruptcies and suicide rates to soar, the economy returned to prosperity.

Hope of conquering the continent and the joy of victory stimulated people’s consumer psychology, bringing rosy days to merchants.

Though exports and imports were virtually cut off, Schufaben’s vast territory and abundant resources hadn’t gone anywhere.

But…

「It’s all a bubble. A bubble. Just wait and see. If the war drags on even a little, it’ll all collapse in an instant.」

Lucas had said that.

The fact that more and more people were flocking to the Great Desert development led by Redan Company was nothing short of a precursor to that.

‘It’s about time for Namir to come.’

Erika thought suddenly after finishing reviewing the list.

The Great Desert affairs were going very well. According to Namir, who came once a month riding the red dragon Tan.

***

“Kuuuuuu!”

Tan made a pleased cry. Fael, who had been lying on Tan’s back flying after a long time, gently tickled Tan’s neck.

Looking down below, he could see endlessly connected buildings.

Wooden buildings similar to military barracks were built on high pillars to block the cold and heat flowing from the desert sand.

Countless people and camels moved between the buildings.

Looking further into the distance, mine cars were moving along rails that stretched out.

It was a vibrant scene unimaginable just a few months ago.

Six months ago.

At the Elrahatan ceremony opened for the first time in 150 years, the five tribes of the Great Desert agreed to revive the elven nation.

What Fael and Daniel promised the tribal chieftains was just three things:

1. Redan Company purchases exclusive development rights to all land and resources in the Great Desert.

2. When resources are discovered within each tribe’s territory, Redan Company and the tribal chieftain split ownership 3:7.

3. The elven nation is established as a federation guaranteeing each tribe’s autonomy.

For about three months after Elrahatan, Fael, Namir, and Daniel devoted themselves to persuading tribal members and laying the foundation of the nation.

It was a disgustingly difficult and complex task, but well, their situation was better than the other tribal chieftains.

The Fa tribe people followed their will relatively well.

Fael and Namir went house to house, and gathered people in the square to preach their ideals.

Daniel couldn’t tell whether the Fa tribe people agreed with it or not.

But one thing was certain—they trusted their chieftain Fa-Shahin and his two sons.

People were naturally divided into supporters and opponents, engaging in fierce debates.

Friction and fights, activities by those with different voices.

Would it be too romantic an interpretation to say that all of this came as a fresh shock to elves who had lived quietly like stagnant water for hundreds of years?

At least compared to what happened to the other tribes, it could be called romantic.

The Ban tribe suppressed rebellious tribal members with guns and swords.

The Teno tribe bought off nobles with money and power, thoroughly silencing commoners.

The Khal tribe deceived tribal members through repeated distortions.

Only Shan-Lea, who led the Shan tribe, managed to gain tribal members’ consent after painful struggles.

Though in the process there were some purges and bloodshed, and assassination attempts by political enemies.

“That was dangerous.”

On the day the five tribal chieftains met again to share results.

Namir, who heard Lea’s story, hugged her tightly with tears in his eyes. Lea also smiled gently and hugged him back.

“I’m fine, Lord Namir.”

The feelings of Fael and Daniel watching that scene were… well.

Thus, creakily and unstably, the elven nation was revived.

The country name became ‘Elven Federation’ for now, and a hastily assembled flag, symbols, and government system were established.

Of course, the ‘President (provisional)’ position was still vacant, and they hadn’t publicly declared the nation’s establishment.

The tribal chieftains made sure word didn’t spread.

Much preparation was needed to be recognized as an official nation by humans, and it would be truly bad if the story leaked before then.

And Schufaben workers recruited by Redan Company began arriving one after another.

The humans brought on the back of the giant red dragon Tan were initially amazed by the harsh desert weather, moved by the better-than-expected facilities after one night, and ultimately satisfied with their assigned work.

The Great Desert was originally a treasure trove of various plants and resources.

With the arrival of the Little Ice Age, most plants disappeared, but resources still remained scattered after various tribes had been mining them for a thousand years.

Of course, the mana stone mine story that Lucas Redan had boasted about when founding the company hadn’t materialized yet. It might be impossible forever.

But the other resources were different.

With help from Lea and other tribal chieftains, Namir first organized all known resource locations.

Then he began searching for new mines or farm sites with scholars and shamans selected from each tribe.

Fael commanded Redan Company employees, handling administrative work to support Namir.

So what did Daniel do?

Following Lucas’s advice, he made full use of his journalism background. In other words, he engaged in propaganda and fabrication.

“Everyone, welcome to the Great Desert. I am Daniel Hartmann, president of Redan Trading Company.

This barren land holds tremendous potential. Undiscovered resources, new seeds. Awakening that is exactly what you will do for us.

Let us pioneer Schufaben’s future with our own hands. In the near future, this vast Great Desert will all become Schufaben territory!”

For days on end, despite being teased by Fael and Namir, the practice while thinking of Lucas paid off.

Every time workers arrived, Daniel’s serious speeches worked quite well.

The workers began working with pride.

Even if it meant getting their hands dirty and sweating profusely under the scorching sun.

And finally.

Lucas’s planned deception came to light.

「Make the elves into slaves. No, I don’t mean really make them slaves, but deceive the workers. Satisfy humans’ cruel desire to dominate.」