9th Grade Civil Servant In Another World Chapter 179 - Equivalent Exchange (4)

“You don’t seem to have much hobby for rest?”

At the top of the floating castle, in a wide and bright room. I sat in an armchair, looking at Kruger who was laughing as if amused.

“Since Your Excellency called for me, I had no choice but to rush over.”

“You certainly are quick on the uptake.”

Kruger slowly rose and looked down at me.

“Where have you hidden them?”

“I haven’t hidden anyone. The police are just incompetent and can’t find them.”

“No, I’m not curious about those White Raven Order friends of yours. Kill them or spare them as you please.”

This fucking bastard.

I stared down at my polished shoe tips while muttering curses inwardly.

‘So now that you’ve used them as much as you need, you’re done with them?’

Erika and Oscar were used as tools. Kruger attacked them to cut off my arms and legs, lure me to this prison, and finally sever my connection to the outside world.

He could also turn Erika into an economic criminal to tarnish my image along with hers, while simultaneously shaking off the suspicions that clung to him regarding Redan Company’s bankruptcy.

This economic crisis wasn’t because of Supreme Leader, but because of incompetent or cunning national traitors. The elf faction was eating away at this country.

‘Not exactly wrong, though.’

Everything was true—that White Raven Order had joined hands with elves, that they’d been committing crimes like madmen, that they’d played games with the economy.

“Then what exactly am I supposed to have hidden?”

“Don’t play dumb, Lucas. Your company’s assets.”

I reflexively looked up and quickly scanned around the room.

“Ah, don’t worry. There’s no one else in this room.”

When Kruger gestured, the scenery outside the large window changed. Dark storm clouds rushed in instantly.

‘Is this coincidence?’

In the darkened space, I opened my mouth indifferently.

“It’s as Your Excellency suspects. What else could there be besides the Great Desert?”

During the train ride here, I’d thought and thought again. I met with Erika and Oscar to quickly refine the plan.

How to achieve the best possible outcome—I’d racked my brains until they nearly burst in that short time.

And this is my answer.

“I expected I’d be assassinated long ago. If not by Your Excellency’s hand, then by a stray bullet on the battlefield. The possibility of dying, or falling into a fate worse than death, always existed.”

“In your eyes, I must have seemed like the world’s worst villain.”

Isn’t that obvious?

“It’s not only villains who purge political enemies. In any case, I’m targeting Your Excellency’s life. If I fail, I should have at least one hill to shelter behind.”

“And that hill is the wasteland where those barbarians live?”

Barbarians, wasteland.

Looking at Kruger’s grinning face, I realized something.

This man doesn’t particularly dislike the elf race. No, if I had to put it precisely.

‘Has he ever shown preference or dislike for any being?’

That attitude of looking at fellow humans as if they were insects. That’s what really gets on my nerves.

“Yes, a barren land. When things went wrong, I planned to escape there and establish my own kingdom.”

“King of the barbarians. How bold.”

“If Your Excellency tried to seize my wealth, I ordered everything to be siphoned away from the start—from when I first established the company. Though it failed miserably, of course.”

“Ahahahahaha!”

Kruger burst into delighted laughter at my gloomy words.

“So your friends’ lives are more precious than becoming king? Why not stage a desperate escape together instead? You could all live like royalty forever in that sandy land!”

“Would Your Excellency have let me go? I had no choice but to—”

“Don’t lie, Lucas.”

Kruger’s piercing blue eyes seemed to bore right through me. I smiled openly and nodded.

“Ah, of course it’s a lie. Where would I go, abandoning this position? Your Excellency won’t kill me or cut off my limbs. I’d simply be imprisoned in this castle under Your Excellency’s surveillance, cut off from the outside world forever and turned into a puppet. I was already prepared for that much.”

“Equivalent exchange. You’ll find it that much easier to get opportunities to harm me.”

“Of course, Your Excellency.”

Kruger sat in his armchair with an expressionless face, either satisfied or not, and closed his eyes.

“So then, Lucas. Tell me how I should deal with the scum who turned a blind eye to help you commit crimes.”

“What else is there? You should embrace them again.”

I answered immediately without hesitation.

“If You dismiss all those personnel, it will put enormous strain on administrative processing. That would lower war capability and make victory even more distant.

The civil service organization was already rotten anyway. You should pin all responsibility on a truly vicious few and cast them out, then give the rest another chance. That’s the best choice—no, Schufaben has no other options right now.”

“What about public opinion? The ignorant masses believe it’s the way of the world to cut out rotten parts.”

“Your Excellency.”

I looked slowly toward the window behind Kruger, where thunder and lightning were beginning to strike.

“If Your Excellency had cared even a penny’s worth about the people, would you have stood by and let things reach this point?

Didn’t you already foresee all of this? That’s why you merely observed until the corruption grew, until it became an established practice.

Model gardens need breathing holes. The deviation of public officials is a cleverly arranged breathing hole to prevent their dissatisfaction from turning toward Your Excellency. Just like those ridiculous gossip and rumors spread by the news, sensational pornographic magazines, alcohol and tobacco, drugs, gambling.”

Seeing the amused glint in Kruger’s eyes made my stomach churn.

‘Here I go playing the fool again. A fool babbling about things everyone already knows.’

But I composed my expression and thrust out my right fist. I struck it hard against my open left palm.

“And when the time comes for it to explode like this—bang! Your Excellency can cast out only the ones you dislike and receive the people’s praise. A clean and righteous leader who doesn’t spare even close associates. Even though Your Excellency is the very one who encouraged all that corruption…”

“Ahahaha! So do you resent me for it, Lucas Redan?”

“Resentment, Your Excellency? Thanks to you, I went from being a penniless beggar to increasing my wealth thousandfold and dreaming of a throne. How dare I resent Your Excellency?”

I took a deep breath and exhaled. Speaking words I don’t mean in front of Kruger is an act that chips away at my sanity in real time.

“Your Excellency is the living embodiment of power. That’s why I both admire and hate you. Someday that position will be mine.”

“Ahahahahaha!”

Kruger held his stomach and roared with laughter.

“Have you always read my mind like this?”

“I wonder, Your Excellency. I still don’t really know what kind of person you are.”

I answered in a gloomy voice, putting my heart into it.

“Then read this too, Lucas. I’ll cut out some of the trash. But that won’t be enough. In these harsh times, what’s the way to capture everyone’s hearts?”

It’s a question with a predetermined answer.

Kruger was already spinning an ornate longsword that had appeared from thin air with flashes of light. The elaborately decorated sword was like a work of art in itself.

“Are you testing me?”

“Obviously.”

“The answer lies with the elves. Are you planning to gather them into extermination camps?”

“Do you think I’m a demon crawled up from hell?”

“Yes. Because for someone, that’s the truth, Your Excellency.”

Kruger laughed at my unhesitating response.

“Extermination camps. Don’t talk nonsense. You know the problem better.”

“The projection of administrative and military force would be excessive. Schufaben doesn’t have troops to waste on such things. Same goes for supplies. When every bullet is precious, trying to round up and kill all the elves is a delusional fantasy.”

“Then what should be done?”

“Issue an expulsion order. You won’t even need to mobilize security forces. Just have the banks freeze elf assets and stop loans and poverty relief—that’ll be the end of it. Methods for smuggling overseas will be blocked too.”

Of course, clever elves like Assad and Hannah from Bletter would have already fled with their wealth.

“Your friend in the Great Desert will feel wronged. Fa-Elhar, wasn’t it? He operated hotels, trading ships, and distribution companies through agents.”

“It can’t be helped. In exchange, all my wealth has gone there and I can’t even touch it, so he should be satisfied with that.”

If what Erika hinted at was true, Bletter was probably in the middle of sailing to the Great Desert with elves and Fael’s assets loaded on ships.

“The elves can leave this country, and Your Excellency can nationalize their assets—isn’t that a path where everyone’s happy? The only one who loses is me, having my entire fortune stolen by an elf.”

“The Schufaben economy will stagger badly once again.”

“It’s an economy that’s already ruined. There’s nothing left to fall further into.”

“Ahahahahaha! Have you decided to only speak the truth now?”

“I always have. And I’m not voicing my own thoughts but Your Excellency’s thoughts instead.”

The rain stopped. The dark clouds receded and warm sunlight brightly illuminated the room. In contrast, my heart felt utterly gloomy.

‘This really is like walking a tightrope.’

Grumbling, I knelt before Kruger.

“Your Excellency, I have now told you everything.”

Then Kruger bent at the waist and looked down at me.

***

Though police had raided this red-light district, ‘Heart of the Night,’ once and stirred things up, the taverns continued their business.

It couldn’t be helped. Livelihoods were at stake.

Today too, after perfunctory surprise inspections, bars and brothels began quietly opening their doors again.

The crackdowns that had once been carried out vigorously had become lax again recently. Most Schufaben citizens couldn’t guess the reason, and a few sharp-eyed people knew but kept their mouths shut.

Not long ago, there had been a ‘Great Purge.’

After various corruption by public officials and upper-class figures was exposed on a massive scale, the Supreme Leader declared through a speech that he would root out corruption.

After a joint investigation by Ossel and police, those with serious crimes were dragged to the gallows without question. They were hung up in the central squares of every city and district as examples.

Those with lesser crimes had to cough up exactly the amount they’d taken in bribes and were placed under surveillance.

High-ranking officials were swept away entirely in a changing of the guard, but most rank-and-file civil servants kept their positions after just paying fines.

The civil service society was tense, but there were no more large-scale audits or Ossel threats. Only official documents came down telling them not to accept bribes.

Anyone with a working brain could figure it out.

Just do it in moderation!

Just don’t make it obvious!

So while transactions involving large sums decreased, quietly backing neighborhood merchants or small ‘gifts’ as tokens of appreciation continued.

But the citizens didn’t care at all how much corruption had been eradicated. Their attention was focused on other major news.

“Elf Expulsion Order! Finally implemented!”

In the dim room, Oscar read the newspaper headline by flickering candlelight.

“Vicious measure.”

Erika frowned slightly.

“We expected it. No, should I say we induced it?”

“Right, Lucas said there was a high probability this would happen.”

“Good thing Assad trusted our words and made his decision.”

“But what about the other elves?”

“We’ll have to leave it to Bletter.”

Oscar smiled anxiously.

“Their activities are impressive too. I wonder if crime will decrease a bit once Bletter leaves this country? Crime under the White Raven Order name.”

“Emma’s still here.”

Erika replied while carefully folding the newspaper.

The morning after they escaped to Ameli’s tavern, Lucas headed to the floating castle.

Except for Daniel who was in the Great Desert, all the White Raven Order members gathered to discuss and slightly modify Lucas’s plan with everyone’s input.

According to the plan, Lucas absolutely had to stick close to Kruger.

‘What was I thinking when I agreed to this?’

Erika sighed softly.

Such a dangerous operation. She’d known it would come to this, but now that it was actually happening, each day was filled with anxiety.

Perhaps even more so than when Lucas left for the battlefield. Kruger was a more threatening presence than guns, swords, and bombs.

Lucas had left. Emma also returned, saying she needed to tell her comrades.

The people who had formed the fake White Raven Order, or the second White Raven Order, were probably overjoyed to hear Emma’s words.

And Erika and Oscar were living in confinement on the second floor of Ameli’s tavern, virtually imprisoned. If they were spotted, there was no telling what might happen.

Oscar was completely absorbed in developing various games to cheer up Colin, who was depressed after being separated from Lucas. Erika was busy reading newspapers and organizing information.

Ameli’s tavern continued operating, becoming lively every night. Tonight was no different. Cheerful sounds drifted up from downstairs.

“Erika, Oscar.”

But Ameli, who should have been busy working, opened the door.

“Ossel is here.”

Her face was slightly hardened as she whispered. Oscar quietly moved his hand to his waist.

A shadow appeared behind Ameli without any footsteps.

“A bounty has been placed on Brightner.”

Lieutenant Colonel Johann Werner held out a wanted poster. Erika’s face was drawn large across it.