9th Grade Civil Servant In Another World Chapter 16 - White Raven Order ― Oscar (2)

Clang-clang-clang-clang-clang!

As the frivolous and noisy bell rang, the machines stopped and Oscar’s hands, which had been moving mechanically, also came to a halt.

“Work’s done for today!”

The supervisors who had been running around between the conveyor belts shouting harshly called out. Of course, everyone was already stretching after hearing the bell before they even announced it.

Sighs mixed with groans, chattering voices, and laughter could be heard from all around.

“Hey, Oscar! How about today?”

One of the supervisors who had been scowling and shrieking just moments before called out to him with a bright face, making card-shuffling gestures.

He and Oscar were regular members of the gambling den near the factory.

“Sorry, I have a prior engagement.”

He gave a quick smile and hurried to the changing room. He took off his navy blue work clothes that were soaked with dust and changed into neat clothes.

Then, cheerfully greeting his colleagues, he lined up according to the work supervisor’s instructions and set off on his way home.

None of the workers at the 2nd Airship Assembly Factory, not even someone in a position like a supervisor, could wander around inside the factory alone.

It was natural since this was a munitions factory under state management.

Whatever they did, they had to move together under the supervision of the work supervisor, so even though Oscar had been working at the factory for five years, he had never been anywhere except the commuting route, the factory floor where his workstation was, and the cafeteria.

‘Should I give up?’

No matter how much he looked for an opportunity, there seemed to be no way to secretly slip away from the procession heading home.

Actually, he had tried to sneak out of the cafeteria during lunch break earlier but failed.

Oscar glanced at the building in the distance that still had its lights brightly on.

It was where the research labs, offices, and banquet halls for entertaining guests like today were located.

Unlike the shabby factory building, it looked clean and elegant from the outside.

He wanted to grab any of the dragon pilots who would be enjoying hospitality in there and ask them.

How was Sonya doing?

The thought of contacting his older brother to find out immediately crossed his mind several times, but he brushed it away.

He would never be the first one to bow down and give in.

‘I’d rather die first!’

It seemed he would have to target the next test flight.

Though the airship didn’t explode today, he had overheard talk about scheduling one more test due to some remaining inadequacies.

‘Next time for sure.’

Just as he was making this hopeless promise, the high, thick cement walls topped with barbed wire and enchanted with magic opened on both sides.

As the workers poured out through the gate, Oscar was also swept along and instantly found himself outside the factory.

Once the last person had been let out, the gate closed sharply behind them.

***

“You should come home earlier.”

“Huh?”

Oscar stopped in his tracks, startled.

Lucas Redan was sitting on a bench in front of the streetcar station, waving at him.

He looked quite relaxed, holding an unlit cigarette in one hand and nodding his head with a languid expression.

“You, why are you here?”

“You were going to stick to me again anyway, right? I came to you myself.”

He grinned like a victor.

“I’m the observer, you’re the one being observed! And how did you even know about this place?”

It was the streetcar station that appeared after a short walk from the factory. It was also a place Oscar frequently used on his way home from work.

“I told you. I’m a civil servant. When I looked you up, you live in the same District 13. Your workplace is also barely within the area, though it’s close to the border.”

Oscar felt momentarily caught off guard and bristled, but missed his chance to get angry due to Lucas’s follow-up words.

“I wanted to see the dragon too. But when I actually came here, the factory security was too tight and I couldn’t even get close. What’s with that concrete wall built like a fortress?”

“You know even that?”

“I told you. I’m a—”

“Civil servant, I get it!”

Lucas smiled slightly. It was truly a leisurely smile.

Oscar suddenly felt annoyed. Why did this guy constantly scratch at his pride so cleverly without warning?

“Fine, if you’re a civil servant, you can know such things. Then how about this? I did see the dragon today. Because of the airship test flight.”

“Oh ho, and?”

“The dragon pilots are being entertained by the factory manager. I’d like to meet any one of them, but as you said, the security is so tight that I can’t get back in. Could you help me out? Grade 9 civil servant sir?”

Oscar made a mischievous expression. He wanted to see Lucas looking troubled. The other side had provoked first.

But on the other hand, though it was absurd, he felt a faint thread of hope.

Perhaps this was his true feeling. It was like a drowning person grasping at straws. What could a measly grade 9 civil servant do, though?

But unexpectedly, Lucas nodded without any hesitation.

“I’ll help you.”

“…What?”

“I said I’ll help. I know the way.”

“How do you know? I’ve been coming here for five years and there’s no such route.”

“Stop talking and just follow me.”

Lucas threw out the words curtly and started walking.

‘There he goes again, doing whatever he wants.’

Oscar frowned slightly. They hadn’t known each other long, but he had been like this the whole time.

But strangely, once again, he found himself inevitably being dragged along.

“Come on, hurry up and get in.”

“Ugh, in here?”

After walking to avoid people’s eyes and arriving at a dim place, what Lucas pointed to was a sewer cover.

“Yeah, this route is reliable.”

He urged while looking at some small notebook-like thing. When the cover was removed, the smell of filth wafted up from the dark hole leading underground.

“This seems too dirty.”

“You talk too much.”

He gave Oscar’s back a light push as he peered into the hole.

“Waaaaah!”

Oscar let out a single scream as he fell into the darkness.

Splash!

Fortunately, it wasn’t very deep and he was able to land well, but the sound of filth splashing under his feet made him naturally frown.

Meanwhile, Lucas safely climbed down using the ladder attached to the wall and closed the cover.

The sewer, plunged into complete darkness, made it impossible to see even an inch ahead.

“You crazy bastard! I thought my heart stopped.”

“Be quiet. You’ll make noise all the way to the surface.”

Lucas muttered indifferently and took out a small magic lamp from his pocket to light their way.

“What? Why are you being so arrogant?”

“Cough! Cough! Whew, my throat. If you keep that up, I’ll quit guiding you.”

Oscar grimaced and shut his mouth. Lucas rummaged through his pocket again and handed him a white cloth to cover his mouth and nose, while wrapping his own face as well.

Covering his nose with the cloth definitely reduced the suffering from the smell.

The two walked carefully to avoid falling into the channel where dirty water flowed.

“This leads to the factory?”

“Yeah. Seven or eight years ago, they did drainage construction under the road leading to the factory. It was halted due to ground problems, and whether it was forgotten or there’s no budget, it hasn’t been resumed yet.”

“How did you manage to dig up only such useful information? The timing is perfect too, it’s suspicious.”

Lucas, who had been walking while looking at his notebook, turned around sharply.

“How many file cabinets do you think I went through to find this information? At least hundreds of them. My lung disease might have gotten worse from breathing in all that dust.”

“Are you bragging right now?”

When he asked incredulously, Lucas wrinkled the corners of his eyes.

“Isn’t that obvious? Do you know how relieved I was when I found this sewer map? I thought if anything happened, I could get you out.”

“What?”

“Anyway, it’s for the White Raven Order, you idiot.”

He spoke gruffly and chose one direction at a fork, walking away.

“Then the cloth and magic lamp were…”

“I bought them thinking they’d be necessary to properly check the route. You could cause an explosion from toxic gases if you lit a match in the sewers. I brought the cloth knowing the stench would be terrible.”

“So you didn’t come to monitor me conveniently, but came to check information?”

“You believed that? I just happened to arrive at the same time as your quitting time when I came to look around.”

Lucas’s voice was utterly indifferent.

‘How can he be so nonchalantly sarcastic?’

He wanted to snap back asking if that was the only way he could talk, but how should he think about the thoughtfulness of preparing two cloths?

Oscar felt confused in various ways.

***

“…We’re here.”

Lucas, who had been walking while finding his way through the maze-like place, stopped.

“Are you sure?”

Oscar asked suspiciously. The sewers were so dark and complexly intertwined that it was hard to even know the proper direction.

“As far as I can judge. Even if it’s not, there’s nothing we can do about it.”

Again and again, answering like that.

Oscar felt veins rising in his temples and had to try hard not to let his fist fly at him.

Lucas, who was as skinny as a stick and occasionally spat out light coughs, looked like his bones would break with just a casual hit, so he had no choice but to endure.

He sighed and climbed the ladder attached to the wall. He could hear Lucas chuckling behind him.

‘Was he teasing me on purpose!?’

The urge to kick down surged up immediately, but he barely suppressed it.

Opening the heavy cover and going out, he found himself inside the wall, in the middle of the open space where the test flight had taken place during the day. The lit research building could be seen in the distance.

“We did come to the right place.”

At that moment, his hostility toward Lucas melted away.

The two moved slowly. Luckily it was a cloudy night.

“But why do you want to meet a pilot?”

Lucas suddenly asked in a small voice.

“Come to think of it, why did you readily agree to help me? Without even knowing what I was trying to do.”

“I told you earlier, I was planning to go into the sewers anyway. And I need to quickly prove my worth to be comfortable, right?”

Oscar was speechless.

To think he was having such concerns. He was such an unpredictable guy that he hadn’t even thought of it.

“Uh, you don’t need to feel that burdened. Just getting into an Ossel’s house and coming out already proved your abilities sufficiently, didn’t it?”

“Pfft!”

Lucas made a low deflating sound.

“What ridiculous talk. When did you say you couldn’t trust me? Everyone’s so soft.”

“What did you say?”

It was absurd. Even when he spoke nicely, this was how he acted.

However, Lucas wasn’t listening. He suddenly stretched out his hand as if enchanted by something and slowly walked forward.

“Lucas?”

“So that’s what a dragon looks like.”

Lucas’s voice sounded more filled with awe than ever before, startling Oscar.

When the clouds covering the moon cleared, he finally realized.

In front of them, inside a giant steel cage.

A massive life form possessing more primal power than any other being in this world was breathing and gazing at them.

Green scales shimmered brilliantly in the moonlight.

Lucas approached the dragon and was about to touch its scales, but suddenly came to his senses and hastily lowered his hand.

“Ah, this won’t do.”

“Amazing, isn’t it? The dragon.”

Oscar asked quietly. Lucas nodded silently.

It was the first moment the two shared a positive emotion.

Then.

“Who are you people?”

At the voice from behind them, both were startled and whipped their heads around.

“What business do you have with our Elizabeth?”

A short, sturdy man was looking them over with wariness.

“We’re—”

“Long live the Great Supreme Leader! We’re people who work at this factory. Are you by any chance an air force officer who came to help with today’s test flight?”

Before Oscar could react, Lucas quickly asked.

“Long live the Supreme Leader. But what about it?”

“This friend said he had something to ask you, sir, so we came.”

“Me?”

He gestured to Oscar. Oscar stammered and opened his mouth.

“Long live the Supreme Leader! I, well, do you happen to know how Sonya is doing?”

“Huh? Sonya? Ah, that Sonya! Are you friends? She’s over there, should I call her?”

His wariness seeming to have melted, the officer tilted his head and smiled broadly, about to head toward the research building.

“W-wait!”

Oscar grabbed his sleeve.

“The Sonya I mentioned is a dragon. The one that Officer Maximilian Fisher has…”

“Huh?”

“What did you say?”

The officer and Lucas stared at him with momentarily bewildered expressions.