9th Grade Civil Servant In Another World Chapter 199 - Emergency (4)

The tribal chiefs accepted Namir’s proposal and signed the contracts.

The Fa tribe would take the wastelands and accommodate refugees there, while the other tribes would provide some of the funding needed to operate the refugee camp. Asma’s ruins would continue to be jointly managed as before.

After the contracts were finalized, the refugees and pioneer village residents all joined forces in a frenzy to build a new town.

This was the dead center of the wasteland, quite far from even the pioneer village.

While the road between Shan tribe and Fa tribe territories was rather inconvenient, it was the optimal location considering the city would grow in the future.

The refugees’ daily lives proceeded at a frantic pace.

The elves born in Schufaben experienced chaos upon chaos upon chaos.

While living huddled together despite persecution, an expulsion order was suddenly issued.

They barely managed to return to the Great Desert, their “homeland,” by clinging to connections, but the people here seemed to know nothing and were floundering.

The Shan tribe provided land and resources for temporary shelter, but everything was insufficient, so they had to conserve and conserve again.

After the tribal chiefs engaged in political debates, they were relocated not to some backward village but to the middle of empty wasteland.

And the truth revealed by the little kid who claimed to be the Fa tribe’s successor, gathering everyone together and taking their hands one by one,

“Everyone, you must be very anxious in this unfamiliar land where the language and writing are different, but please trust us. Redan Company, our Fa tribe, and the Shan tribe had only one goal—to save our persecuted compatriots. For that purpose, we intend to build a homeland where anyone can return comfortably. Everyone, please lend us your strength.”

That the bankrupt Redan Company was behind all of this, that Lucas Redan had joined hands with elves to bring down Supreme Leader Kruger, and that an elven unified nation was about to be established.

Everything was shocking. Some even fainted from being unable to accept it.

But ultimately, there was only one thing these people with no other choice had to do.

Work for survival.

***

Essential facilities were built with hammering sounds in the barren empty lot.

Namir rode the red dragon Tan, constantly transporting supplies between the pioneer village near Fa tribe’s city and the temporary tent village set up in the wasteland.

Pioneer village workers returned to the field to mine resources, while some were stationed in the wasteland to help with the labor. Various tribes also provided materials needed for construction.

The first thing Fael ordered after occupying the wasteland was searching for water veins.

Currently they depended on water brought from the pioneer village, so they couldn’t even do laundry freely.

Drawing water from the Fa tribe city’s oasis would be too far, and there was great potential for conflict with the natives. Water was the most precious resource in this Great Desert.

To build a city in the wasteland would require finding water sources no matter how many years it took.

Fortunately, the mages searching for places to dig wells soon brought news.

“There seems to be a massive water source in this area. We can’t be certain, but we’re sensing signals from very deep underground.”

“A water source—why wasn’t it discovered before now?”

“That’s only natural. According to reports, it’s at least 10 setins deep. With that depth, past technology would have made both exploration and excavation difficult.”

Daniel tilted his head while Fael replied matter-of-factly.

“This isn’t the time to worry about details! If anything, it’s fortunate. If it’s a water source that’s been undeveloped for so long, the water will be very abundant.”

Namir was right. In any case, with their desperate need for even a single drop of fresh water, they had no choice but to dig blindly.

Except for minimal personnel, everyone rushed in to dig the earth. Construction machinery brought from human nations during pioneer village development began operating, and even the massive Tan was mobilized.

“Brother! What are you doing?”

Albert Schiller, who had been diligently digging earth, smiled slightly at the little girl who came hopping over.

“I’m working.”

“Everyone’s just working! Play with me.”

“I can’t. We need to dig the well quickly so we can drink cool water.”

“Hmph.”

Lucy pouted her lips.

“Adults are all busy, so play with friends. Why did you come all the way here?”

“Lucy’s going to marry you, brother!”

The unexpected answer made him smile without realizing it.

Albert’s father, Professor Schiller, had quite a bit of interaction with Fael and Daniel, and so did Lucy’s parents, the Himmel couple.

It was natural, perhaps—they often ran into each other. Especially since both families preferred moving to the wasteland rather than staying in the pioneer village.

And Lucy had fallen in love with Albert at first sight.

Prosthetic leg or not, unlike the stupid boys her age, he was a “cool older brother”!

“Lucy, you can’t disturb him. Sorry, our daughter is bothering you again.”

Alina Himmel appeared and scooped Lucy up. Her clothes were covered in dust, and her hands were rough with calluses.

“Oh, no, it’s fine. But you’re working directly too, ma’am…?”

Albert pointed to the large shovel slung over Alina’s shoulder.

“Yes, I’m familiar with digging. I was a soldier.”

“Ah, right. A soldier…”

“Lucy, we need to go now.”

“Noooo, brother, bye-bye!”

Albert smiled awkwardly and waved back, then fell into thought.

‘A soldier…’

The siege of Hakleon came to mind.

That thrilling happiness he’d felt charging while drunk on canil, the despair when he had to have his leg amputated due to side effects.

He’d raged like a madman. Every day, several times a day, he’d fought against the impulse to take his own life, his mind half-shattered.

Then he’d received his father’s letter. After being sent back to the homeland because he could no longer fight, he’d found Redan Company with the feeling of grasping at his last thread. Director Erika Brightner had welcomed him warmly without showing any surprise at his wretched appearance.

“Welcome.”

That softly smiling greeting had remained so deeply in his heart.

“Your family has already settled safely in the Great Desert. Would you like to join them?”

Albert had no choice. He came to the Great Desert and was embraced by his family. Then slowly, as he detoxed and immersed himself in the monotonous but beautiful desert scenery…

He met a little girl who followed him around like a cute kitten.

‘Too embarrassed to say it.’

After playing with the bright child, the nightmares that plagued him every night had lessened a bit. He could endure withdrawal symptoms while taking less medication than before.

Now Albert was grateful to Redan Company. He was grateful to the elves who had given him this space, to Lucy Himmel and her family, and to Lucas Redan who had saved him and countless others from the pain of war.

If he could continue living here, he’d do anything—with that thought, he gripped his shovel again.

***

The excavation work that had continued for nearly a week was temporarily halted when thick rock formations appeared. Actually, they could blow it up with magic, but right now they couldn’t touch it carelessly.

“This is man-made, isn’t it?”

Anyone could see it was a smooth gray floor polished by human craftsmanship. Even after sweeping away sand again and again, it continued far into the distance.

“Let’s dig around the perimeter first.”

Following the rock’s border and carefully continuing the work, they eventually hit a wall. Not metaphorically, but literally a “wall.”

Fael, Daniel, and Namir descended dozens of setins down into the deep pit. Thanks to rope ladders, it wasn’t too difficult, but the darkness and overflowing dust required preparing torches, masks, and other equipment.

“Look at this.”

The Bletter agent who greeted them shined a torch deep into the pit.

“Wooooow!”

“It’s just as reported.”

“Massive and magnificent. Could it be the gate of an ancient temple that worshipped dragons?”

A massive gray stone wall of indeterminate width glittered with golden dragons. It was an extremely elaborate and beautiful form, as if the rock had been carved in intaglio and pure gold had been melted and poured in.

“A relic from the kingdom—this is troubling.”

“Troubling! This is an incredible discovery!”

Fael and Namir had completely opposite reactions, making Daniel laugh.

“I couldn’t find stories about facilities like this in any books. The Kingdom of Ela and the tribal period afterward lost much of their history, so it’s not strange. Still, looking at this dragon carving, it’s probably a trace of the Kingdom of Ela that used dragons as their national symbol. Looking at the structure’s form, it seems to have been used for purposes other than a temple, as Daniel suggested. Ah, thanks.”

Excited Namir rambled on about things only he knew, then put on the gloves the Bletter agent handed him. Then he boldly pushed the golden handle prominently attached beside the dragon.

“Namir, wait!”

Whoooooosh!

The massive stone door turned as smoothly as if it weren’t a facility hundreds of years old. What was revealed beyond the door was a gaping cavity.

“Please be more careful.”

“Sorry, brother. I was too curious—”

“Shh, don’t you hear something?”

Daniel, who had been staring inside, covered both men’s mouths.

A faint sound was tickling their ears from somewhere.

“Water sounds…?”

“Ah, you’re right, I can hear it!”

Fael’s face, which had been clouded with worry, brightened considerably.

“The exploration wasn’t wrong after all.”

“Since we’ve opened the door, let’s go a bit further!”

Carefully passing through the door, a massive corridor surrounded by stone walls appeared. About 10 setins wide, 3 setins high. The walls were similarly covered with dragon carvings.

“The first thing exposed must have been this corridor’s ceiling section. We’ll have to call all the scholars too! It’s too good for just us to see.”

“Don’t get too ahead of yourself. We don’t know what might be there.”

After sending one agent to relay news to those above, they slowly proceeded with their bodies tied together with rope. How far had they walked?

“Aaaaaahhh!”

Namir, who had been walking in front, suddenly screamed in terror and staggered backward.

“What, what is it?”

“Brother! Save me!”

Namir’s face turned deathly pale as his legs gave out and he clung to Fael.

Right in front of them, a truly massive dragon sat crouched!

“Waaahhh!!!”

“Kyaaaa!!”

People began running at full speed in the opposite direction. Fael also floated the half-unconscious Namir and dragged him along.

“Hah, hah, what was that?!”

Namir, who had quickly climbed the ladder, collapsed on the sandy ground gasping for breath.

“It was a gold dragon, Namir.”

“I’m not asking because I don’t know! I’m saying dragons suddenly appearing are scary.”

His voice sounded genuinely tearful.

Indeed, it had only been last year that he’d nearly been eaten after awakening the red dragon Tan. He’d become friends with Tan, but the trauma of dragons suddenly appearing in front of him was understandably hard to accept calmly.

“It seemed to be sleeping.”

Daniel said, cleaning dust from his glasses.

“Definitely. Despite all that screaming echoing around, the dragon didn’t open its eyes. Hibernation, perhaps?”

“Then we’re really in trouble. There’s definitely a massive water source beyond there.”

A mage with a gloomy expression joined in.

“There must be a reason it was blocking entry. But waking that thing…”

“We can’t move the village now. No, more than that, leaving a dragon and ruins untouched—that’s ridiculous!”

While people huddled around the pit looking grim…

“Kyuuuuuu!”

“Tan?”

Fael looked up. Tan, who had been lying quietly, was suddenly circling the sky in excitement.

“Kyuuuuuuu!”

“E-everyone take cover!”

As he tried to land next to Fael, everyone quickly scattered.

Rumble!

Tan landed with tremendous ground-shaking and nuzzled Fael’s hand with his snout. As if pleading for something.

“I can’t believe it.”

Fael looked at Tan with a complex expression.

“You’re happy to find a friend, Tan?”

“Kyuuuuuuuuuu!”

Exactly! Tan’s long cry seemed to say.

***

“Ready, brother?”

Namir shouted toward the massive pit.

A tremendous mountain of meat was piled up. Beside it, everyone from mages to Bletter agents with weapons stood at appropriate distances.

The rest of the people had all evacuated to the temporary tent village.

“Yeah, we’re heading out now.”

Fael gave a brief answer and climbed into the pilot’s seat.

“You understand, right, Tan? If it’s dangerous, we run immediately.”

“Kyuuuuu!”

“Let’s go!”

Tan spread his wings wide. Flying like an arrow, they crossed the long corridor that had taken them over thirty minutes to walk in what felt like thirty seconds.

“Kyu-kyu-kyu-kyu-kyu-kyu!”

A coquettish cry they’d never heard before.

When Tan floated in the corridor and made several crying sounds, the gold dragon that had been lying still breathing only through its nose suddenly opened its eyes.

“It’s been quite a while—”

“Get out of the way!!”

BOOM!

“Agh! Again!”

Namir, who had been trying to stick his face into the pit, frantically staggered backward. If he hadn’t, his skull would surely have been crushed. Two dragons had shot out at terrifying speed.

“Brother!!”

The gold dragon opened its mouth wide the moment it emerged from the pit. It swallowed the mountain of meat in one bite and soared into the sky following Tan.

Fael, who had jumped off midway, used magic to float his body and landed safely.

“Thank goodness, Namir. If you’d been a little closer, you might have lost your life.”

“What was that anyway?! What happened?! How did this happen?”

“That dragon seems to be female. Look closely.”

Tan and the gold dragon were flying in the distant sky like they were dancing together.

“So… mating?”

“Maybe it would have been better if Oscar had come to the desert instead of me.”

Daniel squinted against the sunlight and muttered. The dragon cluster moved in undulating waves, grew smaller and smaller, then disappeared.