9th Grade Civil Servant In Another World Chapter 169 - The Paradigm of Truth (1)

“I’m Sophia Kohl. I’m a writer for the Schufaben National Radio Broadcasting Station. Twenty-five years old, and the cherished youngest child of my family. I’m currently here on the eastern front in the capacity of a war correspondent.”

Sophia’s voice spread through the border area via the crude machine.

“Everyone, this place is death, death, nothing but death.”

Gunfire, explosions, soldiers’ shouts and screams. No matter how much she strained her voice and shouted, the thunderous noise was loud enough to drown out her words intermittently, ringing out like it would tear her ears apart.

“A young soldier just died in front of me. The ground he gained by throwing his body into the trench isn’t even a hand’s breadth. Our soldiers—young men my age—charge toward machine guns. They run until their flesh and bones become rags, having taken drugs and forgotten their pain to rush forward. Hundreds, thousands rush to gain a single trench.”

Her voice was hazy as if shrouded in fog.

“Sophia! You crazy woman!! Get out of there right now! Do you want to get shot?!”

“But everyone, are you living well?”

The photographer jumped up and down screaming at the top of his lungs, but Sophia continued speaking slowly.

“Your sons and daughters are dying here. Heroic charges? Sacrifices for the nation? Dying for one’s country? Noble souls? When you see their deaths right before your eyes, even wrapping them in such fancy words feels like an insult. These are meaningless deaths. Meaningless deaths that accomplish nothing!!

Do you know? The cumulative casualties from the start of the war until now have exceeded 600,000. Pure deaths are approaching 200,000. Seventy percent of those came from this eastern front, the fight with Rubellia. But everyone, are you living well? No, are you alive?

Commander Lucas Redan. The man called the hero of Schufaben has disappeared. With no way to tell whether he’s missing or kidnapped, only rumors are spreading. The war situation is heading toward the worst, and supplies are becoming increasingly scarce.

Everyone, don’t you know? Or are you pretending not to know? Don’t you know because all the letters sent home are censored? Or are you pretending not to know because you’re afraid of Ossel?

Are you living well? Are you happy, having sent your sons and daughters to hell while dreaming of continental unification and empire?

Or are you alive? Unable to utter a single word of complaint, hiding your fear of death behind happy submission, wearing smiling masks over crying faces, enthusiastic and cheering for war—are you just barely alive?

I’m not living well. I’m not even alive. With my soul already dead, I wander this front line where the apocalypse has fallen. How about you? Are you living well? Are you alive?!”

“Come out! It’s really dangerous!! You’ll get hurt!!!”

Sophia panted for breath while looking at the photographer who was jumping around frantically, screaming at her in desperation. A bullet grazed past her ear.

“Hiieeek! Aaaaaah!”

He stumbled backward hesitantly, then turned and ran.

KABOOOOM!

Ah, a bomb must have exploded in a nearby trench. Her ears were ringing.

KABOOM!

Once more. Along with the hot blast, Sophia’s body flew through the air.

***

The radio broadcast cut out with Sophia’s scream. Simultaneously, the record that had been spinning round and round on the phonograph stopped moving.

“Hah!”

A dumbfounded sigh escaped my lips.

“Sophia. Sophia Kohl.”

“Do you know her?”

Aveline asked as she turned off the phonograph.

“Well, can I say I know her. Mm, yes. I could say I know her.”

As I rambled incoherently, Aveline sent me a bewildered look.

“Who was the first to obtain this?”

“A communications soldier on the western front. He accidentally discovered a new frequency, and a report came in saying only this speech was broadcast before transmission cut out.”

“Western… ah, I see. It would be western from Rubellia’s perspective. So this recording is the only one?”

“Well. The military immediately reported it to higher-ups, but we don’t know how far it spread among civilians. We never tried to control it either.”

“Why not?”

“Her Majesty the Queen said ‘Luca’ would know better? You wanted the rumors to spread anyway, didn’t you, Commander?”

I let out a hollow, defeated laugh.

“Accurate. I should meet with Her Majesty the Queen.”

While waiting for the Queen, I walked through the blooming garden with Colin, lost in thought.

Sophia Kohl.

How long has it been? Already three years ago, or four years ago?

When I fell into this world and everything got horribly tangled, when I joined the White Raven Order.

When I was desperately trying to build up my reputation by staging Erika’s kidnapping and packaging myself as a hero.

Thinking back, that seems to have been the root of all evil. Because of that incident, I caught Kruger’s attention.

No, joining the White Raven Order before that, or even earlier, killing my innocent superior Emil Hoffman, or even before that, being dragged into this damned world…!

“Enough, thinking about it just makes me angry.”

I shook my head and straightened out my wandering thoughts.

The important thing, yes.

After the Erika kidnapping incident, a radio station that had taken interest in me sent Sophia Kohl to recruit me. The broadcast went smoothly.

I reunited with Sophia on the battlefield. As commander and war correspondent.

It’s not like I didn’t notice Sophia’s changes.

I occasionally gathered the reporters to help them write promotional articles. Taking photos with confident expressions and cool poses.

Even while doing it, I wondered what the hell I was doing, but I had to follow orders from home anyway.

While doing that, I could clearly see how the reporters changed.

Most gradually lost their smiles, and their eyes became dull and dry. Some couldn’t endure it and returned home.

Sophia was the youngest and brightest. That’s why her change was the most extreme.

Each time we encountered each other, she gradually lost her vitality, and the last time I saw her, she had completely lifeless eyes.

“Are you alright? You look haggard.”

When I asked in passing, Sophia replied,

“Yes, Commander. Thank you for your concern.”

She answered like that while forcing a smile. Should I have not let it go and tried to have a conversation with her? I don’t know.

I got lost wandering around the yellow canola field. Colin was in high spirits, bouncing around the flower field.

“If it’s the Sophia Kohl I know. Well, it’s simple. Youthful spirit, persistence, regret. She could have such an outburst, but.”

I crouched down and petted Colin while muttering.

“She doesn’t seem like she’d give up her life.”

That was the problem.

Sophia is a smart woman. She seemed full of will to live. No matter how much she rolled around in that garbage battlefield, that hadn’t changed.

But to jump into combat with no preparation and do a live broadcast, then die from getting shot? I can’t think that way.

“There’s something. It’s a cliché, but there’s really something.”

My irregularly beating heart tells me. My intuition has never been wrong.

“What are you muttering about, Luca?”

A gentle voice reached me, so I turned around.

It was Queen Marianne. She stood among the yellow flower clusters wearing a red dress, her sparkling silver hair flowing down in waves.

‘Who would think that beauty is a grandmother in her eighties?’

No. Someone from this world, accustomed to the existence of magic, might find it perfectly possible. I’m still not adapted to this place.

“Have you arrived, Your Majesty?”

I offered a light salute. The Queen approached with a warm smile.

“Did you receive the record from Aveline? My heart was burning so much I had to stop listening several times.”

The corners of the Queen’s eyes were half-moist. The image of her wiping away tears alone while listening to Sophia’s desperate cry. It’s not hard to imagine.

“It certainly was a voice that stirred the heart.”

“You’ve become quite cold, Luca.”

“Are you speaking of the weather?”

I heard a soft snort.

“So, what did you want to see me about? Is it about the rumors again?”

“Yes. We need to spread the recording as widely as possible. So it flows into Schufaben too. And Your Majesty, I have a favor to ask.”

“Just say it.”

The Queen nodded as if she’d grant anything.

“Please find just one person for me.”

“Will it help our cause?”

“Yes. Absolutely.”

***

They were comfortable days.

I was busy reading newspapers every day, receiving reports from Captain Himmel about the street rumors she brought, and writing letters to many people.

About ten days had passed like that.

When I went out at the chamberlain’s summons, Sophia Kohl was standing in the elegant, delicate marble corridor.

With a thin, grimy face and bulging eyes that looked ready to burst into tears at any moment.

“It’s been a long time, Miss Kohl. You’re safe.”

When I greeted her with a smile, Sophia’s face slowly contorted.

“Uwaaaahhhh!”

And she burst into tears.

Watching Sophia wail until her face turned bright red, I made a troubled expression.

“Well now…”

“Waaaaaah, Commander, I was, I was so scared, waaaaah!”

She completely sat down on the floor and sobbed loudly. I crouched down beside her and offered my handkerchief.

I could understand her. What feelings she must have had jumping into such dangerous work, how much terror she must have felt while doing it.

The moment she saw my face, relief must have made her legs give out.

‘At least there’s one ally…’

I stood up, leaving behind Sophia who was streaming with snot.

“Aveline, could you look after Miss Kohl until she calms down? Captain Himmel doesn’t know the palace structure well.”

“I’ll do that.”

Aveline helped Sophia to her feet and took her to the bathhouse. After they left, I turned to Captain Himmel.

“Start preparing gradually.”

“What do you mean?”

“What else, preparations to return.”

A night passed, and Sophia, in much better condition, came to see me.

“Thank you for lending it to me.”

She politely offered back the handkerchief.

“No need to thank me. Are you feeling better?”

“Yes, I’m perfectly fine. More than that…”

Sophia’s eyes began to sparkle.

“I really didn’t expect Commander to be here. Sister Aveline didn’t explain everything to me.”

Sister. I’d felt it before, but this person has amazing social skills. Her journalistic instincts showing now that she’s feeling better too.

“How much did you hear?”

When I whispered, Sophia’s expression became serious.

“That you’re under Queen Rubellia’s protection. It’s not like surrendering, but more like an alliance.”

“You heard the gist of it.”

“First, I really want to thank you. I was planning to defect to Rubellia anyway, but without you, Commander, I would have died of exhaustion before crossing the border.”

Sophia bowed her head while setting down the notebook and pen she’d been holding. I could easily imagine the scene of her collapsing from exhaustion after running all night.

“So I won’t ask you to tell me everything. But I’m curious. Why did you save me…”

“Mm, let me be honest.”

So I smiled gently while looking at her.

“First, I was curious about the circumstances that led Miss Kohl to make such a dangerous broadcast. Second, because I was drawn to your spirit and talent and wanted to join hands with you.”

“Spirit and talent…?”

“Well, let’s say I saw potential. If you’ll be honest with me, I’ll tell you what I’m plotting too.”

“Understood.”

Sophia took a deep breath and began her story.

What dreams she had when she became a war correspondent, what she experienced on the battlefield, how much her desire to reveal the truth had grown. And…

“First Lieutenant Richard Enke?”

I, who had been listening patiently, nearly dropped my jaw. Fortunately I managed my expression, but my heart was still pounding.

‘Why is Richard appearing here?’

Sophia, focused on her story, seemed completely oblivious.

“Yes. First Lieutenant Enke suggested it. Didn’t I want to reveal the truth? He said let’s find a way. Thanks to the first lieutenant, I was able to fake my death and escape. First Lieutenant agreed to disguise an unidentified female soldier’s corpse as my body.”

“So what happened to the first lieutenant after that?”

“He probably returned home. He said he’d aim for medical discharge by pretending to have a nervous breakdown. He said he had many friends among the military doctors.”

“I see.”

It was an uncharacteristically bold act for Richard. All of this.

“Maybe the nervous breakdown was real.”

Sophia smiled bitterly.

“Of course. The battlefield is a place that’s hard to endure with a normal mind.”

I gently comforted her.

“Anyway, I understand well. Miss Kohl, you’ve truly done something heroic. Thanks to you, I’ve also been relieved of a burden. So I’m proposing—how about staying under Her Majesty the Queen’s protection?”

“There would be a price, wouldn’t there?”

“You’re quick on the uptake. I’d like you to handle information investigation and reporting, and public opinion manipulation and discourse in the direction I specify.”

“…”

Sophia bit her lip and remained silent. After a long silence, she asked,

“You said earlier you’d tell me your purpose. Let me hear it first before I decide.”

I gladly told her, and Sophia let out a piercing scream.

“Revolution?! Commander, are, are you insane?”

I just laughed.

***

“With my soul already dead, I wander this front line where the apocalypse has fallen. How about you? Are you living well? Are you alive?!”

And the explosion and screams that followed.

The woman turned off the phonograph and looked around the dim room. Three or four people were watching her with hardened faces.

“Emma, this really seems…”

When an elderly man began to speak, the woman called Emma nodded. Her gaunt face was eerily shadowed in the light.

“We have to believe it’s the truth.”

“We’ll need to increase our activities.”

A young man whispered.

“We need to gather information. And spread this broadcast widely too.”

“Leave that to me!”

An excited-looking boy shouted in a hushed voice. Emma spoke a sentence in a firm voice.

“According to the will of the White Raven Order.”

Everyone nodded and repeated.

“According to the will of the White Raven Order.”

Perhaps because their voices had gotten a bit louder, the baby in her arms began to whimper.

“Shh, Angela.”

Emma stood up and soothed her daughter. A pistol glinted at her waist.