9th Grade Civil Servant In Another World Chapter 192 - Hatred and Trust (1)

“Oscar, will you stop grinning already?”

Past midnight, in the hall of the tavern ‘Golden Fox.’

Erika scolded Oscar, whose face was practically glowing with happiness. He’d been wearing this expression ever since reuniting with Sonya a few days ago.

“Please understand, Erika. It’s been ten years since he met his friend.”

At Ian’s words from beside him, Erika shook her head in exasperation. Just then, the tavern door opened cautiously.

“Sis, I’m here.”

Georg entered quietly, with Richard visible behind him.

“You two came together?”

“We ran into each other on the way. But this person is definitely…”

Richard, who had been about to sit down, paused when he saw Ian.

“Ian Keller. I think we’ve met at Lucas’s tavern?”

Ian exchanged greetings with the two men. When Emma arrived as well, the meeting began in earnest.

After delivering Sonya to Oscar, Ian had boldly made a request.

He wanted to be included in whatever ‘that business’ was.

“Uh… I had no idea it would be something this big.”

Ian’s expression after hearing the full story was quite a sight to behold.

“So the infamous White Raven Order was you all along. Wait, hold on—Oscar, does that mean you’ve killed people?”

“Yeah, that’s right.”

“Ah.”

“It’s not that special, is it? You have too.”

“That’s true.”

Ian looked at Oscar and fell silent.

“Is that all you’re curious about?”

“Oh, no, wait—but taking the Supreme Leader’s head, how on earth?!”

“That’s not our job.”

Georg replied spiritedly.

“Our job is to set the stage. So people can rage to their hearts’ content.”

“And to help from outside until Lucas finds the Supreme Leader’s weakness.”

As Erika and Emma added their explanations, Ian became thoughtful and quiet.

“Certainly… it sounds impossible, but. But the war I saw, the scenery I witnessed when I returned—it really was like that. People are growing angrier by the day. Who knows when it’ll explode.”

“That’s also our strength.”

Richard smiled warmly, as if he understood that feeling completely.

“I want to…”

Ian’s eyes trembled and shone.

“I want to do something. Anything, to end this terrible situation. Even if it means getting caught and killed by the Supreme Leader, it’s worth trying once.”

“Welcome to the White Raven Order.”

Oscar grinned and extended his hand.

***

The White Raven Order’s hideout moved from the Golden Fox tavern to Ian’s mansion.

“Take care of yourselves, both of you.”

Ameli gave Erika a gentle hug and whispered. She had declined the invitation to come along last night.

“I need to watch over the shop.”

There was determination visible in her slight smile.

“I’ll stop by often. Take care, Ameli.”

Ian’s mansion was comfortable.

Before meeting Oscar, Ian had been suffering from severe depression, so he’d dismissed the servants and been living roughly, leaving the place somewhat run-down.

But it had secret passages and side doors hidden throughout, making it easy to come and go without being noticed, and it was located in a quite secluded neighborhood in District 3 where people were rarely seen.

“Many of the neighbors went bankrupt, got executed, or fled, so there were fewer of them. Thanks to that, no one complained about me screaming every night. Very convenient.”

Ian smiled faintly while pointing to the neighboring house beyond the distant fence.

His sunken cheeks still looked pitiful. Though he said he could sleep without sleeping pills now, it would take time for his broken body to recover.

“That worked out well.”

Oscar replied lightly. He was busy leaning out the window, looking down at the garden.

Sonya and Elizabeth were playing together, wagging their tails and flapping their wings.

From the moment they started living in this mansion, Oscar had been happy enough to die. To be able to see Sonya just by opening a window—could there be any greater happiness than this?

The outside world was turning vicious and deadly, and Oscar knew this well. But still, his head was full of flowers.

“Wow!”

“Want to see the dragons too?”

Angela, who had been playing with Colin, toddled over waving her arms. Oscar scooped Angela up and showed her the window.

“Look how big they are! Aren’t they cool? Doesn’t your heart flutter and pound, making you want to touch them right away?”

“Kyahahaha!”

Angela laughed delightedly. Oscar was in the process of nurturing another dragon lover.

“Right, maybe we can have Elizabeth give you a ride sometime.”

Rather than discouraging them, Ian joined in, and both of them got scolded by Erika.

On the first day the entire White Raven Order gathered at Ian’s mansion, they watched a film that Richard had obtained.

“<Revolution> (screenplay by Lucas Redan)

The film that had been loudly promoted even before its release.

Ian invited everyone to the small movie theater in the mansion’s attic. Complete with plush, comfortable armchairs and piles of snacks.

“Oh, how moving.”

“Be quiet.”

When Oscar grinned and offered his commentary while munching on snacks, Erika smacked him on the back.

The people gathered here had never seen the play Lucas had staged. They’d only heard about it from Daniel.

So they had no idea it would be such a well-written story.

That each line of dialogue would so persistently tug at emotions, make them sympathize with the human being that was Friedrich Kruger, and make their hearts swell with the greatness of Schufaben.

If they hadn’t been people who harbored deep hatred for Kruger, they might have been completely won over.

“Does Lucas have talent for literature too? Or did he adapt that play separately?”

Ian asked with a disgusted frown.

“If he has talent, then he has it. Someone who speaks that well couldn’t possibly be unable to write.”

“I’m worried the people might believe this. Humans are a species that can endure any hellish situation as long as they have hope.”

“There might be some like that, but the effect won’t be great.”

Emma quietly replied to Richard’s words.

“You know well what the mood on the streets is like these days.”

“For that, asking Georg would be most accurate. Hey, what do you think? Georg? Hey!”

“Huh.”

Georg, who had been staring blankly into space, startled awake when Oscar tapped his back.

“What’s wrong? Is something worrying you? Or didn’t you sleep well last night?”

“It’s nothing. I’ll just go to the bathroom for a moment.”

He bolted upright and left the room. Oscar, watching his tall, lanky figure disappear, whispered to Erika.

“How old was he again?”

“Eighteen, as far as I know. Why?”

“Just thinking he’s grown a lot.”

“How bland.”

Oscar kept staring at the spot where Georg had been sitting for quite a while.

***

‘Georg is acting strange.’

That was Oscar’s conclusion.

Though Oscar had moved to District 3, he visited District 13 almost daily.

Going back and forth between District 3 and District 13, observing trends on the streets, participating in underground gambling, checking if Ameli was doing well.

And lately, he’d been watching Georg work.

Georg had been living a similar life for over five years now.

Sleeping cramped together with gang kids in a shabby apartment, delivering newspapers from dawn, standing on the street in the cold wind shouting to attract customers.

Some kids died in accidents, or found proper jobs and escaped this hellhole, or just disappeared without a word. But usually they continued working with the gang even after becoming adults.

The leader, Georg was the same. There was no veteran more knowledgeable about the back-alley ecosystem than him. At least not in District 13.

Oscar and Erika had recommended several times that he do safer work, or at least move to better lodgings, but he’d refused, saying he had to protect his younger siblings.

So why was that kid wandering around in a daze lately?

‘Is he having a late puberty?’

So Oscar had been following Georg around under various pretenses, and finally figured out the reason.

‘Oscar seems strange lately.’

Georg had been thinking that recently.

Though he was quick-witted and sharp, he’d been spacing out so much lately that he noticed quite late.

‘Why does he keep hovering around?’

He claimed it was for information gathering, but what reason was there to stick specifically around Georg?

Feeling uncomfortable, he swung his newspaper bag and greeted Oscar.

“Big brother, I’m getting off work now. You should head home too.”

“Don’t you need me to walk you back?”

“Walk me back where? The sun’s about to set. Go on, quickly.”

Having shaken off Oscar, Georg’s steps quickened. He walked lightly and arrived in front of a bar.

‘It’s closed.’

This was the most generous and cheapest place around here, but it seemed they couldn’t hold on and went out of business.

“What are you doing here?”

At the sudden voice, he turned to see Nina standing there.

“Oh, Perez.”

“I asked what you’re doing, kid.”

“I was going to have a drink, but it’s closed.”

“What shop isn’t these days?”

Nina plopped down on the steps in front of the bar, and Georg awkwardly sat down beside her.

“Hey, you didn’t sell all yours either?”

Nina’s newspaper bag looked heavy. An uncommon occurrence.

“You know too, kid—people’s hearts have grown cold.”

Nina replied nonchalantly while stretching out her legs. Silence flowed, and Georg stared blankly at her flowing red hair and sharp nose.

“…Kid.”

“Huh? Yeah.”

“What are you so startled about?”

Nina chuckled and playfully pushed his shoulder lightly.

“Nothing, just. But why?”

“I’m quitting after all.”

“…”

“Business is getting harder, and more people are skipping out on payment. Ah, really. Those bosses who act all high and mighty while not paying wages should have their ears ripped off. Anyway, the streets are crawling with drug addicts, cops, and robbers. I think it’s about time to quit. I decided to only work until the end of this month.”

At Nina’s serious words, Georg couldn’t bring himself to argue.

Many newspaper companies had gone bankrupt recently.

Some voluntarily closed due to financial difficulties, while others had their bosses suddenly disappear.

People whispered that they’d been taken by Ossel, but that was nonsense. It was more credible that they’d fled abroad. Being in a position to gather lots of information, they’d easily sense the approaching threats.

In many ways, it was becoming a harsh environment for newspaper sellers.

As people grew poorer, newspaper purchases decreased, and after sunset, street security became incomparably worse than before.

Georg would have had trouble holding on without Oscar and Erika’s help.

“Where will you go after quitting? Do you have work lined up?”

“Who knows.”

To his difficult question, Nina shook her head.

“Where would I have connections? I’m thinking of just getting into a factory. That’s rare these days too, but I should be able to squeeze in somehow.”

“But there…!”

“I know, they push drugs and work people to death. I’ll have to find a good place. Or maybe I’ll go down to the countryside and look for a maid position.”

“Don’t do that, come with us…”

“Forget it, kid. Just take care of yourself.”

Nina stood up lightly.

“See you later.”

After being left alone, Georg stood there blankly. Smart as he was, he never knew what to say in front of her.

***

“Nina, want a sandwich?”

“Oh, get lost.”

“Strange. Lucas said this worked.”

Nina was at her wit’s end with Oscar, who’d been hovering around for days.

She hated being disturbed while working most of all, and here he was suddenly appearing and pestering her.

At first she thought he was trying to hit on her for some scheme, but looking at that innocently smiling face, that didn’t seem right either.

“Really won’t eat?”

“I told you to get lost. I’m not hungry, so get lost.”

“Then how about this? Georg is hiding a huge secret.”

“I’m not curious.”

“Liar. You’re curious, aren’t you? Curious? Just 1 pelt and I’ll tell you!”

“Please stop.”

“If you don’t know, it’s your loss. I won’t tell you again even if you beg!”

“Ugh, really!”

When she swung her newspaper bag at him, Oscar ran off into the distance.

Nina irritably swept back her hair and started working again.

“Check out the heroes of the southern front right now!”

But newspapers weren’t going to sell.

To begin with, far fewer people passed this street than before. That’s why no one cared even when she and Oscar were loudly bickering.

She sighed shallowly and sat down on a bench on the empty street.

The kid’s—no, Georg’s—voice echoed in her head asking what she’d do for food if she quit. But it wasn’t like she could live well by holding onto this job either.

In fact, she was on the verge of starving to death right now.

“What will the kid do?”

She knew well that Georg was scheming something with Oscar and Erika. She’d naturally noticed while becoming friends with Erika and hanging out with them.

“I should worry about myself…”

Feeling frustrated, she kicked at stones in her way.

With her head complicated, she meaninglessly flipped through the newspaper bundle that hadn’t even sold half yet. She saw an article printed prominently in one newspaper.

「District 5 Newspaper Fire, Presumed Arson from Grudge」

That was the place.

The company that had brazenly stiffed newspaper sellers like Nina of their wages.

Nina’s face hardened like stone.

“No way…”

No way, it couldn’t be. Even as she thought that, she couldn’t shake her suspicion.