9th Grade Civil Servant In Another World Chapter 150 - Necessary Evil (7)

Heavy snow is falling.

White snow is an unwelcome presence for both attackers and defenders.

“Still, wouldn’t our side have it a bit better?”

I asked jokingly while looking down at the world that had turned completely white.

“Yes, that’s correct.”

Captain Alina Himmel nodded stiffly.

The view of the city spread out below the hill is spectacular.

Within the towering, solid walls that seem to pierce the sky, a planned city stretching out in concentric circles around the cathedral and presidential palace.

Hakleon, the historic capital of Pontinell.

A city built over 3,000 years ago that once served as the empire’s capital.

Its symbolic value and pride alone were worth enough.

‘That’s probably why they’re still holding out without surrendering. Should I call this a reverse effect, or what.’

I sighed as I lowered my telescope.

My eyes stung from the brilliant white scenery. The wide, blue river cutting through the city was frozen solid.

If circumstances were different, children would be sledding and having snowball fights on that river.

But now there isn’t even a single ant visible by the riverside. No, the entire downtown area has fallen into silence.

Rather, the residents of Hakleon would probably resent that frozen river. Their means of receiving supplies has been completely cut off.

It’s been nearly two months since the Schufaben army surrounded Hakleon.

The Pontinell government and Hakleon citizens, completely cut off from the outside world, chose to fight to the death.

The translucent magic barrier covering the city hasn’t broken even once since the day we set up headquarters on this hill.

Mages literally poured out of the city. As if they had gathered all the mages from across the country here.

While we pounded the barrier with new-model field artillery from the hilltop, Ferint engaged the mages.

Fierce battles that made my heart race continued for two months.

The once-bustling city gradually fell into silence.

Though I don’t know exactly, supplies are probably running low. Things like food and mana stones.

A chicken game that won’t end until one side dies or gives up.

‘Kruger probably didn’t expect this either, did he?’

A bitter smile formed.

Kruger’s orders didn’t specify how to handle this situation.

He had boasted with his own mouth that he’d settle things within six months, so he probably never anticipated that Pontinell would hold out this stubbornly.

‘Well, who could have known.’

No one expected them to defend the capital for this long. And while grinding up their highest-grade human resources like that.

“How many mages have died so far? Do you remember, Captain Himmel?”

I asked casually. The related documents should be somewhere in the commander’s office.

“If you’re asking about confirmed enemy kills, it’s exactly 1,137.”

“As expected of Captain Himmel.”

I applauded with a smile, then frowned when I saw my breath turn white in the freezing air.

“This winter is particularly cold.”

“Yes.”

“This is the northern region, after all. Even more severe— Achoo!”

“Have you caught a cold?”

“I suffer from mild cold symptoms every winter. If I’m unlucky, I catch the flu. Didn’t you experience this last winter? When you were with the 36th Infantry Division.”

“I apologize.”

“Anyway, keep that in mind.”

“I shall obey your orders.”

I sniffled while wiping my nose with the handkerchief Captain Himmel handed me.

“Let’s go inside. If we stay here any longer, I’ll turn into a frozen fish.”

“What is a frozen fish?”

“Oh, that’s a thing. Like a frozen fish.”

“Is this a new joke?”

“No…”

***

“This is truly a troublesome situation.”

In the commander’s office, warm with the blazing fireplace, I stroked Colin with one hand while fidgeting with a bottle of canil with the other.

“Woof!”

“I wasn’t talking to you, Colin.”

“Woof woof!”

I blankly rolled the bottle in my hand, then hurled it toward the fireplace. Colin jumped up and ran toward the fireplace.

“Ah! Colin, stop!”

“Whine…”

When I shouted in alarm, he sat down dejectedly on the carpet.

Canil has various effects.

It makes you forget hunger and fatigue, gives you strength, dramatically increases concentration, and makes you insanely happy and cheerful like you’re in a manic episode.

The problem is that the side effects are equally severe, and the addiction is insanely strong.

“Hmm, breathing in the vapor probably wouldn’t be good either, of course.”

As the canil burned away, its characteristic sweet smell faintly drifted into my nostrils.

I covered my nose and mouth with a towel and temporarily retreated to the next room with Colin.

This is trouble every time.

Ferint isn’t part of the army and handles their own supplies. Everything from food to clothing, weapons, and mana stones.

They must be getting canil from the homeland too. Or they came carrying an enormous amount in their baggage.

‘How long can they hold out?’

No matter how clean and pure it is, it’s still a drug.

They take canil before battle starts, and take even more when battle ends. To suppress the pain from overusing the mana in their bodies.

That’s my guess, anyway.

‘Damier’s condition is getting worse.’

There aren’t many days when I can see Damier’s face.

Cases like today when he delivers canil directly are rare—usually he comes into the commander’s office like a ghost and leaves it on the desk. At most, I see him from a distance when there’s a battle.

But that alone was enough.

To notice the increasingly dark circles under his eyes, his gaunt cheeks, and his bloodlessly pale skin.

No, it wasn’t just Damier—the overall condition of all the Ferint was like that.

They seem to be suppressing it with their innate physical abilities, but still…

‘Of course you’d lose your mind if you keep downing drugs like canil.’

It’s not like I’m particularly worried about Damier.

What concerns me is…

‘How long are they planning to hold out in this state? Until all the Ferint die?’

Ferint may be unrivaled in power, but they can’t avoid casualties entirely.

Two of the 50 reinforcements have died, and at least half have been wounded.

Our artillery had a hard time hitting the city without even being able to use telescopes, all because of state secrecy nonsense.

Regular soldiers aren’t allowed to see Ferint’s combat scenes.

Despite hiding and concealing it so thoroughly, I noticed it. That Ferint is gradually reaching their limits.

‘There’s no way he’d let his entire personal guard die.’

Ferint is Kruger’s greatest asset. At least, that’s what I know.

Though the founding period, scale, training methods, and everything else about this secretive group is shrouded in mystery, a few known facts were these.

Ferint is the successor to a knight order that existed during the kingdom era.

More than half the knight order joined Kruger’s rebellion, and Ferint was formed with them as the core.

Ferint is completed through training that ruthlessly tramples individual personalities.

There is no one on the continent who could defeat a Ferint member in single combat.

So.

There’s no way he’d consume such talent just to capture Hakleon.

But there’s no other alternative either.

If we don’t bring down Hakleon quickly, the Schufaben people, who had been enduring while intoxicated with victory, will gradually become dispirited.

‘Plus, mana stones are running short.’

Cortana, Batalland, West Etrastan, East Etrastan. And the island nations to the south.

Excluding Cortana where the mana stones disappeared, they’re probably mining frantically in the remaining occupied territories, but that won’t be going smoothly either.

Those countries aren’t just sitting quietly—exile governments are popping up everywhere and resistance activities are breaking out constantly.

The Schufaben media is probably reporting that situation as minimally as possible, but it’s obvious.

So I was curious.

What choice would Kruger make?

And my curiosity was soon satisfied.

“Long live the Great Supreme Leader! New orders, Commander.”

“Long live the Supreme Leader. Thank you, Deputy Commander.”

Kruger sent updated operational plans by train. Along with numerous military supplies.

I had Deputy Commander Rudolf Eisler stand before me as I flipped through the documents. Then I suddenly stopped, freezing my finger before staring directly at Eisler.

“…Deputy Commander.”

“Yes, Commander.”

“You read this first, didn’t you?”

“Yes.”

I’m a puppet commander.

Eisler knows this too. He’s in a position where he handles practical affairs in my place. His authority is so extensive that he can read operational plans classified as top secret before I do.

No, that’s not what’s important right now…

“What do you think of this operational plan?”

“It’s a very bold yet reasonable and excellent measure.”

“Haha, is that so. As expected.”

I sent Eisler away and rolled around on the floor in rage.

“Fucking insane bastard!”

When I pounded the floor, Colin, who had been dozing in the corner, startled and approached me.

Colin rubbed his snout against my cheek as if telling me to calm down. But my pounding heart wouldn’t easily settle.

To summarize Kruger’s orders simply,

Administer canil to the soldiers. Then push through with sheer numbers.

“You crazy son of a bitch! How can you do that to so many people!”

I ground my teeth, still furious.

Kruger had also sent massive quantities of canil by train. In liquid form. Enough to give one bottle each to 250,000 people and still have leftovers.

What? Give them drugs?

How is this different from saying he’ll use them as human shields?

“Ugh…”

I covered my eyes with both hands and collapsed on the floor, groaning.

The scene from the research facility where canil was manufactured seemed to flash before my eyes.

The sight of the Ossels who kept charging even when bullets tore through their bellies and bombs blew off their limbs.

They seemed to feel no pain at all.

Instead, when the battle ended and the drug effects wore off, pain dozens of times worse came crashing down.

Even those without serious injuries—seeing the many Ossels who died from shock while screaming incomprehensibly, it was certain.

Richard had tried his best to save them then, but it was completely useless.

‘What happened to those people?’

I’d been chewing my lips for a while now, it seemed. They stung, and blood trickled down.

I’m sick of the smell of blood.

I lay on the floor with my eyes closed.

Waiting for my mind to gradually settle. Until it became completely cold.

When I got up, the sun had already set. I had reached a conclusion.

“I need to persuade Eisler.”

***

The 2nd Airship Assembly Factory is always busy.

Workers numbed to the noisy machine sounds move their hands with dazzling precision.

Wearing a supervisor’s armband, Oscar walks through the passages between conveyor belts, monitoring the workers’ attitudes.

At lunchtime, he eats with fellow supervisors, then spends another tedious work period. After work, he visits bars or gambling halls with them.

It’s quite a simple and boring life.

‘Huh, but today’s a bit different.’

Oscar thought blankly while looking at the factory manager passionately giving a speech in front of him, waving a medicine bottle.

He’d been dragged to a corner of the factory for ‘special education’ and was learning about a ‘new medicine’ from the factory manager.

“So this thing called canil! It lets everyone work harder than before! You’ll never get tired or hungry! I’ve verified it all myself! Truly, the researchers under Supreme Leader are amazing, creating such a remarkable fatigue recovery medicine!”

“It’s all thanks to His Excellency’s grace, hehe.”

One of the supervisors sucked up with what couldn’t quite be called flattery, since the factory manager was an ardent Kruger supporter.

“Hahaha, of course!”

Oscar had to struggle not to look at the factory manager with disgust.

When the White Raven Order was actively operating, he briefly thought it would have been good if they’d asked him to kill the factory manager.

He was startled by having such thoughts and ended up missing half of what the factory manager said.

“…one bottle each shift! That should be enough. So starting tomorrow, when you come to work, first get your medicine bottles from the cafeteria. Distribute them to the workers, and you supervisors take one bottle each too.”

“What? Us too?”

When Oscar reflexively asked, the factory manager laughed heartily.

“Hahahaha! Of course, you can reduce fatigue!”

His blood ran cold.

He already knew how dangerous that canil drug was. While it might be less severe than direct blood injection, this is…

This is bad.