9th Grade Civil Servant In Another World Chapter 175 - Model Garden (2)

“Eve. Bring her here.”

After the true Kruger finally spoke, shadows moved from one corner of the room.

Supreme Leader Secretary Eve Clothier stepped out briefly before returning hand-in-hand with a woman with an eerie atmosphere.

‘What’s with that person?’

I nearly stumbled backward in shock. That’s how chilling the woman’s presence was.

A frail body with a pale face, and long, white hair that had gone completely gray. White bandages wrapped around her eyes, and she wore flowing white robes like a priestess.

‘Is her concept an angel? Or the grim reaper? Her atmosphere is certainly murderous.’

Kruger gestured lightly.

“The Mage of Truth, Lucas. Let’s see what your mental amusement park looks like.”

Right.

In a world where magic is commonplace, there’s no way there wouldn’t be magic dealing with the mind.

Stories of hypnosis and love potions are rampant.

But magic that hacks memories? I could feel my fingertips growing stiff.

‘This is checkmate.’

There’s nowhere to retreat.

I could clearly picture what had happened to Eisler here.

‘Still…’

Ignoring my pounding heart, I used my head.

‘It seems they can’t read everything.’

If they could truly peer into all of Eisler’s memories and mental images?

They would have seen me ranting about killing the mad dictator and saving Schufaben.

But at least Kruger doesn’t know about that conversation. I’d bet all ten of my fingers on it.

‘It’s not perfect.’

With that thought, my mind grew coldly calm.

The woman approached me and grabbed my face. When Eve unwrapped the bandages, her eyes were revealed.

‘What is this? Are those human eyes?’

Within the round pupils, a universe swirled. A universe so beautiful it nearly made me lose my mind.

‘Damn, empty your mind!’

I don’t know if that would help, but I drove myself as hard as possible to zone out. The woman’s slow incantation reached my ears.

And her eyes blazed with light.

Thump! Thump-thump-thump!

My brain rang noisily, and my skull shook.

If there was something like a door in my head, it felt like someone was violently knocking on it. It was far more wretched than I’d expected.

Thump-thump-thump!

Thump-thump-thump-thump-thump!

Thump!

Finally, the door broke a little.

“Kyaaaaaaaaaahhhhh!”

A tearing scream burst from the woman’s mouth.

“Huh, huhhh…!”

My knees buckled with a thud. Saliva drooled from my mouth. The woman who had collapsed in front of me was covering her eyes and writhing.

“What’s happening?”

When Kruger asked slowly, the woman shook her head while crying.

“I can’t do it! I can’t do it!”

At his gesture, Eve led the woman away. The Supreme Leader came down from his armchair and walked slowly.

“How curious.”

Nausea surged up as I clutched my chest and writhed, but his hand grabbed my hair and forced my head up.

“This is the first time something like this has happened. Lucas, what exactly are you? Did you come from another world or something?”

“Your… Your Excellency…”

A weak voice flowed out.

***

“I’ve had this thought sometimes.”

Kruger whispered cheerfully.

“Watching toys come to life and move is ecstatic, but on the other hand, it’s incredibly boring. Have you ever felt something similar?”

Let go of my hair before asking, you bastard! My neck is killing me!

Of course, I couldn’t answer like that. Setting aside the heart-bursting fear, it was like something was blocking my throat—only hoarse, breathless sounds leaked out.

“Huh, huhhh…”

“But imagine one day, suddenly, the most worthless and insignificant teddy bear tries to thrust a knife at my throat. How surprising would that be?”

Kruger’s voice had turned hard and cold.

“Especially if the teddy bear.”

“Gukh!”

He gripped my hair even harder. I flailed on the smooth floor like a fish.

“Might not actually be a teddy bear at all, Lucas.”

Laughter spread through his voice again.

“I’ve only seen this side effect once before. When I experimented on a newborn baby. Just like you, it drooled and writhed on the floor.

After that, I conducted countless experiments. I tried raising the age, changing the gender, and cast spells on dogs, deer, whales, rays, and even ladybugs. But while humans were affected normally by the spell, nothing happened to animals. Only newborns showed such symptoms.

Perhaps there are side effects when magic is used on subjects without memories. But isn’t it strange? You’re neither a beast nor a newborn baby, yet the spell bounced off. And enough to make her scream in agony. Ahahahaha! How fascinating.”

“Your Excellency… I don’t know…”

I’m dying.

It doesn’t compare to getting sick from my first roller coaster as a kid. It feels like my stomach is boiling and flipping over thousands of times.

Bang!

Kruger suddenly let go without warning, causing me to slam my forehead into the floor.

“Well, whether you’re a special constitution or something other than human doesn’t matter. Since I can’t extract it from your head, let me ask directly. Lucas Redan, do you wish for me to lose this war?”

“…”

I breathed in and out deeply. After lying face-down on the floor doing that for a while, my stomach settled a bit.

Supporting my trembling arms, I raised my body and barely managed to maintain courtesy as I answered Kruger.

“Yes. That’s correct, Your Excellency the Supreme Leader.”

“Why?”

“Because I want to kill Your Excellency and take that seat. I need Your Excellency to keep failing for me to have hope.”

“Even though if Schufaben falls because of it, you’ll only be left with ruins?”

To his smirking question, I answered with conviction.

“Schufaben won’t fall. What will fall is Your Excellency.”

“Ahahahahahaha!”

Kruger burst into laughter.

“Precise! You’re thinking of cutting off my neck before Schufaben collapses, aren’t you?”

“Of course, Your Excellency.”

“You don’t just hope for my defeat—you’re certain of it.”

“That’s right.”

“The detailed reason.”

Kruger sat back down in his armchair and picked up his wine glass, tilting his head.

‘Shit, I’m dying of pain and he keeps making me talk.’

I held back the curses that nearly spilled out and took a deep breath.

Why would Kruger lose the war? I could list over a thousand reasons. But I decided to give a moderately toned-down answer.

“While stationed on the battlefield, I felt countless small difficulties. But all those hardships fundamentally stem from Schufaben lacking materials and manpower. We no longer have the strength to send armies all across the continent.”

It was an obvious statement, but Kruger, his laughter gone, was looking down at me seriously.

“Do you remember? The promise you made to me as commander.”

“I declared I would deliver the continent to Your Excellency.”

“But you failed.”

“I’m mortified, Your Excellency.”

“Nonsense. Weren’t you trying to lose on purpose?”

“But even if I had done my absolute best, the results would have been similar.”

“Yes. What you could accomplish was very limited anyway. I made it that way. Though I didn’t expect Lieutenant General Rudolf Eisler to side with you too.”

I nearly burst out laughing. What a shameless bastard.

“Are you saying you knew I would fail?”

“I told you, Lucas. You’re my puppet.”

So he’s pleased that I danced right in the palm of his hand? I was even starting to feel tired of his endless arrogance.

‘Idiot, that’s exactly what will strangle you in the end.’

While sneering internally, I asked expressionlessly.

“If you knew I would fail, that you ultimately wouldn’t be able to conquer the continent, why did you start this war?”

“Ah, you’ll understand just how stupid that question is once you climb up to this position.”

Kruger smiled slyly.

“To ask someone with this level of power why they wage war is as useless as asking a dictator why they don’t step down from that position right now.”

He picked up the wine bottle.

“So let’s have a more constructive discussion. How should I handle your punishment?”

“Punishment, you say.”

“Right now you’re unofficially missing. A defeated general who led the front lines to disaster. What punishment should I give you?”

“I wouldn’t know about other things, but if my disappearance changes from unofficial to official, it won’t be very good for Schufaben.”

At my calm retort, Kruger laughed.

“Are you threatening me now?”

“I’m telling you the truth.”

“Then what do you want? You must want something from me, or you wouldn’t have returned so obediently.”

It was an infinitely relaxed tone. I raised my head and looked straight at Kruger.

“Your Excellency the Supreme Leader.”

I’m a toy, a doll, a puppet.

Kruger still believes he can control me. But the time for lying flat and submissive is over.

“I want to make a deal.”

A voice flowed out that sounded cold and passionless even to my own ears.

“I’ll come forward before the people. I’ll burn my last flame for you, so give me the position of secretary.”

“How persistent indeed.”

As expected, Kruger didn’t get angry. He didn’t burst into laughter as expected either.

“From the closest position, you’ll aim for my throat?”

“Yes, Your Excellency.”

“Do you think you could actually kill me?”

“I’ll do my best.”

A brief silence fell. He turned the wine bottle upside down and poured it into the ice bucket with a gurgling sound.

“Take it easy.”

Déjà vu.

I took the cold bucket and drained it in one gulp.

Burning heat spread through my entire body as if I were on fire. I staggered and collapsed.

***

The next day.

I opened my eyes with a tremendous headache.

Through the large window, I could see the sun floating round in the blue sky. With clicking sounds, Eve Clothier appeared.

“Hurry up.”

Just like before.

Dragged along by her hand, I was subjected to magical bathing and grooming, the weariness of war was erased, and I became a lively young man.

Inside the carriage heading to District 1 Plaza, I received the speech script. As usual, it was written in very detailed and meticulous fashion. I just had to play the parrot.

“Uwaaaaaaah!”

“Redan! Redan! Redan! Redan!”

“Welcome back!”

The moment the carriage entered the plaza, I nearly lost my mind from the tremendous heat.

How much does all that cost?

By visual estimate, nearly 100,000 people were sending me fanatical cheers.

The desperation in their eyes made me breathless.

The urgency of those accustomed to playing with toys, begging for hope even if it’s false.

I climbed onto the platform.

“Everyone, I, Lucas Redan, have returned.”

From that hellish battlefield.

“There have been many events.”

Several close calls with death.

“You may have heard incredible rumors about me.”

All of that was true.

“But don’t worry, everyone. I’ve returned in good health like this, and our soldiers are also bravely patrolling the front lines and defeating the enemy more courageously than anyone.”

If you spent just one day on the battlefield, anyone would become an anti-war activist.

I spouted meaningless sentences.

“Everyone, do not doubt. Schufaben is great! Schufaben is victorious! Schufaben is eternal!”

“Waaaaaaaah!”

“War! War! War! War!”

For such simple and crude rhetoric to make 100,000 people go wild. People must really be desperate.

‘That happiness will soon be shattered too.’

As I came down from the platform, I muttered quietly.

***

After finishing the speech, the carriage didn’t take me to the Supreme Leader’s residence but dropped me off in some quiet neighborhood in District 1.

“His Excellency told me to convey this.”

A civil servant handed me a crisp piece of paper.

「Enjoy your vacation.」

“Hahahaha!”

Laughter burst out.

Show the people that I’m fine? Don’t pay any attention to the Supreme Leader’s residence for a while? Handle the chaos from Redan Company’s bankruptcy on your own?

“Which way is it?”

I muttered while watching the carriage quietly recede.

I tore up the paper and let it blow away in the wind, then headed toward the streetcar station with my hat pulled low.

The weekday afternoon train was quiet.

Clatter, clatter—I leaned back in the swaying train and looked out the window. As the train crossed the sparkling Mire River bridge in the sunlight, District 13 gradually came into view.

“What a detestable yet comfortable sight.”

I muttered as I got off the train and quickened my pace.

When I finally arrived at the quiet residential alley, I felt like I might collapse from exhaustion.

Step by step, I stopped in front of an ordinary two-story house.

With trembling hands, I pushed open the front gate. When I pressed the doorbell, the door flew open and a woman with a sharp bob cut and a cold impression burst out.

For a moment, I stood there unable to say anything.

I never imagined it would be like this.

The moment I saw Erika’s face, all my worries scattered and disappeared.

“Lucas?”

Without realizing it, I spread my arms and hugged her tightly. Only then did it sink in.

I came back alive.

It was really, truly difficult.

“Erika, I’m sorry.”

Her face crumpled.

“If you’re sorry then—”

“Who’s here?”

With an innocent voice, a tall, thin woman suddenly stuck her face between us.

“Agh! Who is this person!”

I jumped back in shock as Erika burst into laughter.

“Lucas, this is—”

“Emma?”

“You remember. The baby Emma is holding is—”

“Angela?”

“Right. Let’s go inside for the detailed story.”

“Ah, so you’re Mr. Redan.”

Emma’s eyes sparkled as she looked at me.

“I’m also part of the White Raven Order.”

She bent at the waist and whispered. I looked back and forth between the two women.

Erika, what exactly did you get up to while I was gone?