9th Grade Civil Servant In Another World Chapter 209 - Fire (2)

KABOOM!

At dawn, while the city was still shrouded in darkness, an unexpected explosion and commotion erupted in District 13.

The front door of a small concrete building near the old office building was blown apart by the blast.

“Argghhh! What is that!”

“Kyaaaaaah!”

Residents drawn by the loud noise screamed in horror at the gruesome sight.

In front of the building lay the corpse of a man, his head blown apart and covered in blood, collapsed in a heap. The wall was completely covered with blood-red writing denouncing the man’s misdeeds.

And dozens of names with the label “accomplices.”

“Th-the White Raven Order…!”

Above it all, a symbol familiar to everyone was drawn large and bold. Finally, one prominently emphasized sentence caught the eye.

We return to you what was stolen from you. Take as much as you want.

“Move back! Step aside!”

“Don’t come any closer!”

Police who came running frantically tried to control the gradually gathering, murmuring crowd. However, one fearless middle-aged woman had already stepped over the gruesome corpse and entered the building.

“It, it’s real! There really are canned goods!”

The woman’s voice echoed through the wide-open doorway. The interior, dark without windows, looked like an ordinary warehouse, but enormous quantities of food, clothing, mana stones, and other supplies were piled in the center.

“What?!”

“Are you saying all this was embezzled by government officials?”

What followed was pure chaos.

People driven mad by hunger rushed in like a pack of dogs and began grabbing wrapped bread and canned goods.

The rumors spread quickly.

Despite the harsh weather with heavy snow falling, hundreds and thousands of people abandoned school and work to rush over and fight for the supplies.

The police were useless. They too looked around nervously before joining in and looting just the same. The rare police officer who tried to stop them was mercilessly trampled and beaten. Meanwhile, fights broke out because of people being greedy, and the situation became such a complete mess that there were even casualties from being crushed to death.

“Stop! Stop!!”

The chaos only ended when mounted police arrived and fired several warning shots.

The warehouse was already completely empty. The government officials listed in the “accomplice” roster witnessed the mayhem on their way to work and fled immediately.

And this wasn’t happening only in District 13—the same scenes were playing out all across Lüdelheim.

Along with the name of the White Raven Order.

Even now, dozens of crimes are committed daily under the name of the ‘White Raven Order.’

Whether they’re groups crying out for freedom or those mixed in among them to satisfy their greed. Among the protesters, those borrowing the name of the White Raven Order began to appear.

Of course, the public didn’t distinguish between them and believed they were all the ‘White Raven Order.’ But things were different now.

The original White Raven Order and the fake White Raven Order led by Emma had divided roles and opened supply warehouses in various districts. There were only three or four locations, but the impact was tremendous.

The media didn’t cover this incident at all, but word of mouth spread throughout Lüdelheim. The name of the White Raven Order was etched into people’s minds far more powerfully than all of the past five years combined.

Of course, that was just a minor matter. Compared to the storm-like chaos that swept in afterward.

***

It started small.

“Give us an explanation! Give us an explanation!”

“Punish them! Punish them!”

People who had filled their stomachs with food from the warehouses began protesting more fiercely than before.

Why had supplies that should have gone to citizens been hidden away in piles like mountains? Was the ‘accomplice list’ written in blood by the White Raven Order true? What were the police, Ossel, and government officials doing?

For several days, protests broke out noisily and sporadically here and there. The White Raven Order quietly watched the situation unfold.

“The spark is still weak.”

Erika muttered coldly.

Just as before, the protesters were only being picked off one by one by thugs mobilized by the police, unable to accomplish anything significant.

“Even distributing embezzled supplies isn’t enough—maybe we really should split that mayor’s belly open.”

Nina chimed in.

Just a little more.

Just a little bit more.

If someone threw even one small spark into this taut tension, it would quickly flare into a great fire. That’s why they had carried out this operation.

Most of Lüdelheim’s citizens were still powerless, terrified, and didn’t know where to direct their anger.

“What should we do to truly awaken their will—”

Ian was muttering worriedly when—

“Erikaaaa! Oscarrr!”

An urgent voice flew in through the window.

It was Richard. His hair disheveled, he was frantically running across Ian’s estate garden. With uncharacteristically frantic movements.

For the past few months, Richard had been busy probing Lüdelheim Comprehensive University alumni and current students.

With Erika having lost influence after the Redan company collapsed, it was work he had no choice but to handle alongside his hospital schedule, suffering doubly.

Thanks to that, he hadn’t participated in the recent raids and had been focused solely on that side of things. What news could he have? And who was that short young man running hand-in-hand with Richard?

While everyone was puzzled—

“Everyone! Listen to this!!”

Richard, panting as he ran up to Ian’s room, hastily inserted a record into the gramophone.

“Huff, an hour ago, gasp, there was a student protest at Lüdelheim Comprehensive University. Whew, this is a speech that came out of it.”

The gramophone began spinning and producing noisy sounds.

“Hello, fellow students! I am Christian Wamel, who served as student council president of our Lüdelheim Comprehensive University until summer! Yes, I’m the one who was dragged away by Ossel as the ringleader of the summer protests and had been missing ever since. That’s me!

Fellow students, I stand here to reveal the truth. The story that the government and media have desperately hidden from our people. Fellow students, are you prepared to hear this terrible truth? Then I shall tell you.

Schufaben has been defeated. We no longer have the ability to continue the war.”

And then came the screams and cries.

Listening to the ear-splitting sounds, Richard whispered to his friends.

“The opportunity has come.”

***

Christian Wamel was a young man born into a wealthy family with excellent brains.

He entered the law department of Lüdelheim Comprehensive University with the resolve to become a judge and set the world’s injustices right. He had good enough popularity and grades to be elected student council president.

However, he was an inevitably righteous but reckless young man. Enough to harbor resentment against an increasingly corrupt world and lead anti-government protests.

“Only the truth! Only the truth!”

“Stop media censorship!!”

“Give up information monopoly!!”

A few months ago in summer, the protest he had prepared with like-minded student comrades ended in complete failure.

The world didn’t change.

Not only the ringleaders but even simple participants were all arrested by Ossel, and most turned their backs on him to beg for their lives.

Christian prepared for the worst. He was fine with taking all the blame and hanging from the gallows. As long as someone would remember them.

But an even more miserable ending awaited him.

Ossel didn’t punish him.

There was no torture, no punishment.

He heard his father had come carrying bundles of money to meet Johann Werner, the head of Ossel. Instead of killing Christian, Ossel dragged him to the countryside, requiring more than a day’s train ride.

Christian had to endure each day under strict surveillance at what looked like a secret base prepared in the forest.

Death was fine. No, if he could die and leave behind his name, there was nothing more he could ask for.

But to be released through bribes and live a miserable life just clinging to survival! It was a life more humiliating than death.

The only reason Christian didn’t end his own life was because of one belief.

The belief that someday he could escape and spread the truth.

If this rotten Ossel was corrupt enough to take bribes and spare the ringleader—himself—then his comrades must surely be alive too.

“Senior, open your eyes! Senior!”

He was at the base with only minimal living facilities, frantically writing and doing physical exercise to somehow endure. One dawn, when someone was shaking him violently, he opened his eyes with a start to see an unexpected face.

“Tom? Tom Mitzfeld?”

It was Tom Mitzfeld, a law department junior who had followed him around and accidentally became a protest ringleader.

When first arrested by Ossel, this stupid junior who knew nothing had boasted about what a great revolutionary he was.

He had regretted again and again that he’d led one naive freshman into doing something terrible.

Why had that kid suddenly appeared?

“Get up.”

At the cold, dry voice, he became fully alert. Johann Werner, the head of Ossel, was looking down at him.

“You are…”

“It’s time to go.”

“What?”

Johann grabbed Christian’s collar and forced him to stand.

“Do you still want revolution?”

Johann’s eyes were utterly calm. He wasn’t asking this as mere entertainment. He wasn’t trying to trick him either. Christian didn’t understand what this situation was, but he nodded seriously in response.

“I want to spread the truth.”

Then Johann spoke quickly and matter-of-factly.

“There’s no time, so listen carefully. Schufaben has been defeated. We don’t even have the luxury of turning the war situation around. The Supreme Leader will try to hide it as much as possible, so you go to Lüdelheim and tell people the news.”

Each cold word struck his head like a hammer. Johann thrust a piece of paper at Christian’s chest. Looking closely, it was an official document.

「Respected Supreme Leader,

……

……

……

Further combat is impossible.

Please consider armistice or ceasefire.」

His head felt dizzy and his vision blurred.

“Th-this is…”

“A report to be sent from the Eastern Front to the Supreme Leader’s residence. You’ll need to hurry if you want to catch up with it. Now get going.”

Christian got into the carriage Ossel provided along with Tom. Before the door closed, he asked urgently.

“Why are you entrusting this work to me? Has Ossel betrayed the Supreme Leader? If so, since when—”

“I’ve never been loyal to the Supreme Leader. Not from the beginning.”

Johann answered with a sneering smile.

***

The protest that started at the university spread like wildfire.

“Only the truth! Only the truth!”

The students led by Christian began marching from Lüdelheim Comprehensive University, and their numbers swelled as they passed through the city.

Watching this scene, Richard started running the moment the protesters left the school gates.

He couldn’t stop for even a moment if he wanted to act before they were helplessly suppressed.

Passing through the city streets made chaotic by the sudden protest, he caught a carriage and arrived in District 3. Running frantically like a madman, he was standing in front of Ian’s estate when he collided with a short young man who had been pacing there.

“Aaaah!”

“What, who are you? Do you have business at this house?”

In his urgency, he abandoned even his doctor’s instincts and roughly questioned him first. The young man, who looked barely of age, stared at him with wide eyes.

“R-Richard Enke!”

“You know me?”

“White Raven Order! I came looking for the White Raven Order!”

For a moment, he felt a chill down his spine. Seeing his serious expression, the young man quickly added,

“I-I’m Tom Mitzfeld. I’m a law student at Lüdelheim Comprehensive University, and I was arrested by Ossel for protesting. I was released a few days ago. S-so, the Ossel commander, ah, Colonel Johann Werner told me to find the White Raven Order! He showed me photos—Mr. Enke, Miss Brightner, Mr. Hartmann, and also…”

“Let’s go inside first.”

Richard grabbed Tom and ran across the garden.

“Erikaaaa! Oscarrr!”

The White Raven Order was thrown into an uproar.

The message Tom Mitzfeld brought from Johann was very short and simple.

「Use it as you see fit.」

Reports from the Eastern Front and war status, research logs from the national laboratory.

Tom delivered the materials he had carefully carried to the White Raven Order, and Erika looked at everyone with an expression more serious than ever.

“The day has come.”

The day.

The day the White Raven Order would rise from the shadows to the light.

The day they would bring down Kruger with the people’s power.

The day to realize the plan they had refined countless times since Lucas walked into that prison-like floating castle.

At the Golden Fox tavern, gathering his friends, Lucas had said this,

“Now I’ll trust only you all. I’ve spilled everything I know. I’ve predicted how Kruger will move as much as possible. I’ll do my best to worsen the situation from inside, so you decide everything from outside. Even if the result is my death, I’ll never resent you.”

“Don’t say such things!”

Erika had flared up in anger then. Lucas had smiled.

“I’m the princess locked in the tower. Come rescue me, Erika.”

I’m coming to rescue you now. And when I do, I’m going to hit you, Lucas.

Leaving the estate with her friends, Erika whispered in her heart.