9th Grade Civil Servant In Another World Chapter 173 - The Paradigm of Truth (5)

February 16, 1904.

One week before the Schufaben National Mobilization Order would be issued.

“Hey! Be careful!”

Namir, seated on Red Dragon Tan’s back, pulled the thick leather reins and shouted loudly.

“Kuuuuuu!”

Tan cried out pleasantly as he glided.

“Over here! Right here!”

Past the artificial forest, an open sandy plain stretched below. Two workers were enthusiastically waving flags.

Shortly after, Tan slowly descended onto the plain.

Rumble!

The workers staggered from the tremendous vibration. After the ground tremors subsided, Tan lowered his tail at an angle.

“There! We’ve arrived!”

Namir opened the cockpit cover and slid down the tail like going down a slide. Beside him, workers quickly ran over to set up a simple ladder.

When the large tent installed on Tan’s back was pulled away, people who looked nauseous from motion sickness stumbled out unsteadily.

“Welcome to the pioneer village!”

Workers with kind smiles helped the newly recruited laborers and checked their condition.

Namir stretched his body this way and that, working out the stiffness from sitting in the narrow cockpit.

This clumsy pilot job he’d somehow ended up with was also ending today. Mixed feelings crossed his mind.

“Namir!”

At the welcome voice, he turned to see Daniel Hartmann approaching with a wave. Ashtard was with him too.

“You made it back safely. Any trouble?”

“Mm, everything went according to plan.”

Daniel’s skin, appropriately tanned by the hot desert sun, went well with his dark copper-colored hair. He even showed a healthy vitality he’d never had before.

“Hello, Ashtard.”

Namir gestured to Ashtard, who stood quietly.

Ashtard had the unmistakably typical appearance of an elf. Normally he wouldn’t be able to freely walk around a pioneer village where workers came and went.

But here, everyone from beggars to nobles wrapped themselves completely in tunics to block the sand and wind, covering their ears, nose, and mouth with veils, making it impossible to distinguish who was an elf and who was human.

The only visible difference was skin color, but even the palest human would become similar to local elves after rolling around in the Great Desert for a few months.

The three headed toward the pioneer village near the airstrip.

The scenery here was always wondrous.

Stone buildings had been erected in what had been a neighborhood of cheap shacks except for the headquarters, and trees were planted along every street both around and within the pioneer village.

Children played soccer on well-maintained grounds, while laborers unaccustomed to the Great Desert’s heat sat on benches in the shade of trees, cooling off their sweat.

Though there was no large oasis nearby, they had recently called in mages to find groundwater and dig wells.

These were mages from the Fa tribe and Shan tribe, along with wandering mages procured by Jauhar, chairman of the ‘Five Tribes Merchant Alliance.’

The chieftains of the Khal tribe, Teno tribe, and Ban tribe had refused to provide magical support, making various excuses.

“How’s the resource exploration going?”

“We found several more areas with soil suitable for farming.”

“That’s good. Magic stones aren’t the only thing that makes money.”

“Exactly. How’s the situation in Schufaben?”

“Same as always, I suppose. The economy’s in recession, and only victory reports come from the battlefields. Newspapers and everything else are full of censored articles.”

While chatting, they arrived at Fael’s office.

“You’re here, Namir.”

“Brother! I brought the last documents. Now it’s really finished.”

Namir excitedly pulled an envelope of documents from his bag and handed it over. Fael read through them carefully, then showed a slight smile.

“Congratulations, Daniel. Now you’ve pushed out Lucas and Miss Brightner to become the largest shareholder.”

“Congratulations, indeed.”

Daniel smiled sheepishly.

He could hardly believe how shocked he’d been when Erika’s letters and mountains of documents had arrived last time.

Erika had believed Professor Schiller’s prediction. She had begun dismantling the company in preparation for the mobilization order.

Of course, it was never going to be easy.

She spread bribes extensively among civil servants, memorized related laws inside and out, and reviewed documents with tight-lipped employees.

Moreover, she sent letters to Oscar, Georg, Hannah, Assad, and even Fael and Daniel to discuss while gradually siphoning off the company’s assets.

The assets moved bit by bit underwent multiple rounds of laundering to become cash, which was entirely transferred to Daniel. More precisely, to Fael behind him.

While she couldn’t bring herself to dispose of the stocks, everything else of value was drained out, leaving Redan Company truly sucked dry with only the husk remaining.

Daniel stared blankly at Fael and Namir chatting happily.

If Lucas failed and the White Raven Order was completely wiped out, he would never set foot on Schufaben soil again for the rest of his life.

He would remain as the protagonist of a tremendous scandal, a notorious economic criminal.

‘It doesn’t matter.’

He had fled to this Great Desert. Even if he were blamed for dismantling Redan Company, it wouldn’t affect him at all.

If all the plans collapsed, his friends all died, and Kruger continued ruling for another hundred years or so?

By then Daniel would probably have despaired and committed suicide, so it was a meaningless hypothetical either way.

The White Raven Order had to succeed. If they failed, what would happen…

He decided not to think about it.

***

Erika looked in the mirror, then opened the jewelry box on her dressing table.

The jewelry box, decorated with gold and cubic zirconia and beautiful enough to be called jewelry itself. She’d received it as a birthday gift from Lucas last year.

“Now that you’re a company director. You’ll have more occasions to dress up.”

He’d said this with a serious face while presenting the prettily wrapped box.

“And I’m supposed to buy the things to fill it with my own money?”

“Of course!”

His mischievous grin had been infuriating.

“Are you ready?”

Richard knocked from outside.

“Yeah, let’s go.”

She put on the ruby necklace and opened the door. Richard stood there in a blue suit instead of his doctor’s coat.

“The dress suits you well.”

“If you’re going to compliment me, put some soul into it, will you?”

“I’m sorry.”

After his confession, Richard had completely cast off his mask.

Showing his emotions honestly was a first, so it was somewhat refreshing. Though it seemed a bit half-hearted, that was the problem.

“Richard.”

Erika whispered as she flung open the front door.

“Shall we run?”

“We’ll have to.”

The front of Erika’s house was chaos. No, not just that area—all the streets surrounding the Redan Company building.

It had been like this all day, so she couldn’t even leave the house.

Richard was staying here to treat the aftereffects of his police torture, and a worker delivering medicine had nearly been caught.

“She’s out!”

“Miss Brightner!”

“Is it true the bankruptcy was due to mismanagement?!”

“We heard employees manipulated the account books! Did you really not know?!”

“How do you feel right now?!”

“Who is the gentleman beside you?!”

“Please say something!!”

Popping camera flashes and shutter sounds. Reporters swarmed in, raising their voices.

“Wait, wait! Move aside! What about our construction payment?”

“Hey, I was here first!”

Along with people connected to Redan Company through business. Looking at them, she bowed her head slightly and gripped Richard’s hand tightly.

“I’m sorry, but we need to get to a party.”

The security guards stationed in front of her house protected her. Erika grabbed her cumbersome dress hem and ran toward the main street. The building’s exterior walls were already covered with foreclosure notices.

“Miss! Over here!”

A worker shouted while throwing open the carriage door.

“Miss Brightner! One comment!”

“A party?!”

The reporters chased after the carriage from behind, hollering at the top of their lungs.

The carriage headed toward Lüdelheim Comprehensive University.

Their alma mater and Schufaben’s premier university.

A party was being held there today.

It was an event to connect current students with alumni and seniors who had advanced into various sectors of society.

Neither Erika nor Richard had been interested last year, but this year was different. Johann had demanded they attend the party as the price for their ‘debt.’

They had gladly accepted. They had planned to hide somewhere from the reporters anyway, and they needed a place to spread rumors.

The party venue was excessively lavish.

Chandeliers hanging from the high ceiling cast brilliant light, and the spacious hall adorned with gold and marble was spotless.

Students wearing expensive clothes and jewelry that didn’t match their youthful faces, upper-class figures carrying clinking glasses while searching for suitable companions.

Servants bustled between hundreds of tables. People gathered in groups of three or five, chatting at tables or playing card games, laughing merrily while dropping cigarette ash and wine drops on the white tablecloths.

“Ugh…”

Erika’s brow furrowed as she entered the party hall gracefully on Richard’s escort.

It was truly a scene unbefitting the times.

On the front lines, young men were dying like dogs, and in the nation’s farms and factories, workers injected with drugs were laboring until their backs bent.

“The world seems to be going more and more insane.”

“It does.”

The corruption of the upper class hadn’t been this severe originally. Even ten years ago, they at least showed some consideration.

But now they were running wild in search of even more stimulating pleasures.

Like people who had no tomorrow.

She could feel glances directed their way.

“My goodness, how shameless!”

“What could she possibly be thinking?”

Someone had left a newspaper scattered near a table.

「Shock! Redan Trading Company Bankruptcy!」

The headline was printed in huge letters.

Starting today, Redan Company would enter liquidation procedures.

‘Go ahead and try to devour it.’

She inwardly sneered and mocked the Supreme Leader who would be in that floating castle. Then she extended her hand to Richard.

“Shall we dance?”

Erika and Richard stepped onto the stage set up in the center of the hall. Many couples were dancing to the orchestra’s cheerful performance.

Taking Richard’s hand and spinning round and round, Erika’s cream-colored dress spread like a flower bud.

“This brings back memories.”

“Which memories?”

“It must have been four years ago. Do you remember? The party at the Brightner mansion.”

“Yeah, I remember.”

Back then, she’d hidden Lucas in the mansion. So he could meet and persuade Richard.

“Lucas said something. That all of Erika’s unhappiness was because of the Supreme Leader.”

Richard whispered quietly enough for only her to hear.

“Somehow, every time I see you, I’m reminded of that day.”

“……”

Erika didn’t answer.

What she remembered most from that day was…

Lucas asking her to dance in the empty hallway. And how hilariously he danced. Lucas was absolutely terrible at ballroom dancing.

A smile appeared on Erika’s face. The orchestra’s performance transitioned to a new song.

“Shall we dance one more song?”

The two moved their legs to the beat again.

***

The unpleasant smell of canil incense mixed with cigarette smoke drifted through the party hall.

Looking at his pocket watch, it was 9 PM.

“It’s time.”

Richard nodded and removed his hand from Erika’s waist.

“Then I’ll go get some fresh air.”

Richard promptly left, and Erika picked up a wine glass and leaned against the window.

She drained the glass in one gulp. The sparkling peach-scented crimson liquid disappeared instantly with a sharp kick.

“Everyone!”

When Erika shouted vigorously, the surrounding people’s gazes immediately focused on her.

“Would anyone like to hear my pitiful story? I, and the Director Redan, were betrayed by a colleague we trusted!”

It was truly an explosive statement. Watching people murmur with bewilderment and curiosity, Erika laughed gleefully.

“Don’t you want to know how that person joined hands with those big-eared mongrels, how he transferred all his assets to them?”

The dancing couples stopped too, and now everyone in the party hall was looking at her.

She acted vulgarly drunk and babbled lies.

There was no one to criticize her anyway. There were guests making far worse spectacles.

Criticism bordering on insults about what kind of corruption her business partner ‘Daniel Hartmann’ had committed poured from Erika’s mouth.

Richard listened with one ear and let it out the other while drinking. Then a shadow approached him.

“Ah, hello.”

He greeted politely, but the other party had a red face and was frowning as if suppressing anger.

“I didn’t know you were a fellow alumnus. Would you like a drink?”

Richard offered, but the man had to crane his neck quite far back to look up at him. The man’s beard trembled.

“You criminal bastard…”

“Ah.”

Richard smiled awkwardly.

The man glaring at him with murderous intent was Heinrich Mates, Chief of Lüdelheim Central Police.

Two years ago, the ‘White Raven Order’ scandal had shaken the entire nation.

The White Raven Order had kidnapped dozens of society’s leaders, and Ossel had rescued them…

In fact, it had been Ossel’s secret purge under orders from Supreme Leader Kruger. The White Raven Order and Bletter had unknowingly helped Johann execute vicious Kruger collaborators.

After the police chief was eliminated then, Heinrich Mates had newly taken that position.

‘A piece of trash with mediocre abilities but overflowing enthusiasm who arrests people indiscriminately.’

Richard recalled Lucas’s assessment and smiled. And Johann’s comment that he was desperate to keep Ossel in check.

“I know how you got released. You must have sided with those Ossel bastards.”

Chief Mates growled.

“I don’t know what you mean.”

Richard put on an innocent expression.

“One policeman dragged me to a carriage, then left me in some unknown neighborhood and disappeared. I thought I’d been cleared of the charges.”

“I don’t know what relationship you have with Brightner.”

Mates whispered menacingly.

“I’m going to arrest you for sure. When that time comes, it’ll be useless to look for Ossel.”

“I don’t understand what you mean.”

He smiled foolishly while avoiding those flashing eyes.

‘Has it been about ten minutes?’

Just as he thought that.

“Hueeeeeerk!”

A middle-aged man sitting at a nearby table grabbed his throat and fell backward with a loud crash.

A face turned blue, foam at the mouth, a shattered wine glass. Anyone could see it was poisoning.

Richard prepared to dash out in surprise. But another piercing scream came from an unexpected place.

“Kyaaaaaak!”

Not from here.

Not the table where the man had been sitting, nor the crowd surrounding it, but from far away near the lounge.

The music stopped, and the lounge door burst open as a woman in a dress ran out. Behind her crying figure, a room stained bright red was visible.

Richard found himself running without realizing it. When he reached the lounge entrance, he stopped abruptly.

A man nailed to the wall, hanging limply.

Streams of blood fluttered here and there in the wind coming through the open window.

“Ugh!”

“Wh-what is that!”

“White Raven Order…”

Richard walked into the pool of blood and slowly read the large letters written on the wall.

The White Raven Order is alive.