9th Grade Civil Servant In Another World Chapter 22 - White Raven Order ― Erika (3)

In the pre-dawn hours before daybreak, behind the magic research building of Lüdelheim Comprehensive University.

Erika clutched a luxurious leather bag to her chest and looked around cautiously.

After waiting a moment and hearing only the chirping of early-waking birds with no signs of human presence, she breathed a sigh of relief and pulled out a bundle of flyers from her bag.

Yesterday she’d heard rumors that the magic department students had finished a group assignment and earned themselves a day off. They were probably off drinking and partying, nowhere near the research building.

After careful consideration, she tucked flyers into inconspicuous spots—under corner windows where people wouldn’t easily notice them, behind protruding bricks, and wedged into the branches of shrubs.

How much time had passed?

Erika, who had been working cautiously, sensed someone approaching and straightened her back.

She tried to turn around as naturally as possible, but her eyebrows twitched for a moment.

“You…!”

Lucas was trudging toward her, looking even more exhausted than usual.

Instantly, the whirlwind of anxiety and unease in Erika’s heart melted away like snow.

“Hello.”

He approached with a tired smile, snatched the bundle of papers from Erika’s hands, and without a word began posting the flyers.

“I don’t need—”

“Shh.”

Lucas put his index finger to his lips.

“No, why on earth are you—”

“Shh!”

He gestured toward the sky, making exaggerated hand motions. Apparently meaning they should shut up and work before sunrise.

Her insides boiled with frustration, but since making noise would be dangerous, she kept her mouth shut.

Flyers were scattered throughout the entire magic department grounds.

Erika scanned the area around the building with her eyes. Thanks to being perfectly and seamlessly hidden, there was nothing suspicious visible from the outside.

“Want to go get breakfast?”

Lucas spoke to her casually, as if nothing had happened.

“No.”

“Then at least eat this.”

When she coldly refused, Lucas pulled out a sandwich wrapped in paper from his coat pocket.

“I don’t need it.”

“Take it, it’s a bribe. A bribe to get you to come back.”

“I told you that won’t happen.”

Erika glared at him with raised eyebrows, but Lucas just grinned.

“Fine, but let me ask you one thing. Why didn’t you come yesterday? Did something happen to the White Raven Order?”

Though she asked casually, Erika was tense.

Seeing his face harden made her heart skip a beat. But Lucas seemed to notice her reaction and quickly put on that grinning smile again.

“No, it was a personal matter. But why are you asking? You’re not part of the White Raven Order anymore.”

“What?”

“It’s a secret organization, so we can’t reveal our activities to outsiders. Even former members are no exception. You said you’re not coming back anyway, right?”

Suddenly, the world spun with dizziness.

‘Former member?’

Strange whispers echoed in her head.

‘He’s completely right.’

‘I have nothing to do with them anymore. I left on my own.’

‘Wasn’t I being too arrogant? Acting like I was something special just because they wanted me back.’

All kinds of emotions surged, making it impossible to get a grip. She felt like vomiting and quickly covered her mouth.

“What’s wrong, are you okay?”

Lucas’s voice reached her faintly. Erika, whose face had gone pale, shook off his hand as he tried to support her.

“Hey…”

“Just go away.”

Since he tried to follow her, she waved him off and started running.

She had to meet Daniel.

She wanted to apologize. She wanted to say that leaving was a mistake, that she never imagined how broken she’d become without the White Raven Order.

But she couldn’t. Not because of pride, but because she was too ashamed and humiliated. She knew all too well that these were words she couldn’t even bring herself to speak.

She felt mortified that Lucas seemed to have noticed her weak heart, and so she had no choice but to run away. Even knowing she’d regret it more later.

***

“Cough, cough! Damn it. What kind of college girl is that fast?”

I leaned on my knees, gasping for breath. After suffering through a bout of painful coughing, I wiped the drool that had run down and lifted my head.

Students were coming and going across the brightened campus. Like a deer that had charged into the guard post perimeter, Erika had sprinted away and vanished in an instant.

‘Was it that shocking?’

That comment about why she cared when she wasn’t a member anymore.

I’d thrown it out there casually to check her reaction, but she suddenly had a mental breakdown and ran away. How absurd.

While catching my breath, I slowly got up and shuffled over to sit on a nearby bench.

One thing was certain.

Among the White Raven Order members, Erika was the one who loved the organization the most.

‘Surprising.’

And whatever life she’d lived, I could tell she was the tough-exterior-soft-interior type, and that her precious feelings toward the White Raven Order stemmed from some kind of wound.

No, more than precious—it looked like it was developing into an obsessive level.

In that case, things would be easy now.

Since she wanted to come back anyway.

After a moment, I laboriously lifted myself from the bench and moved to find Erika again. Each step made rustling sounds from my coat pockets.

I circled the campus, carefully observing my surroundings. Even in these troubled times, I encountered countless cheerful kids giggling and enjoying their youth.

It wasn’t until I got close to the school’s main gate that I spotted Erika’s figure.

But.

In front of the imposing gate carved from massive stone, an intimidating line of people had formed.

Men in Ossel uniforms stood in a row at attention, blocking the path and opening the bags of students coming and going, dumping out their belongings one by one.

“What, a random search?”

My brow furrowed involuntarily.

Come to think of it, it was strange that a dictatorship of this level hadn’t been monitoring the top prestigious university until now.

Whatever the trigger was, they seemed to have decided to suddenly tighten their grip.

‘Legal grounds… obviously there wouldn’t be any.’

Since even I, who read the newspaper daily, hadn’t noticed it, this wasn’t being done through proper channels.

Fortunately, I didn’t have any dangerous items on me right now.

Just one thing—the notebook I always carried was problematic.

It was uncertain how they’d react seeing Korean, Chinese, and English. They might drag me away as a foreign spy.

“Of course, that doesn’t mean resisting would help…”

“Why are you doing this! This is illegal human rights violation!”

Suddenly there was a loud shout. A male student had started raising his voice, arguing with an Ossel trying to take his bag.

“Show me the warrant for whatever investigation this is! Otherwise…!”

Crack!

“You crazy reactionary bastard!”

“Ugh…”

The Ossel struck the student with his baton. As the student rolled on the ground groaning, the Ossel grabbed his bag and shook it out onto the ground, spilling books and writing materials.

“Look at this. Carrying seditious literature around openly?”

The Ossel picked up an old, dirty book and smirked.

“No need to look further.”

The bleeding, fallen male student was forcibly pulled to his feet.

Seeing him dragged away in shackles, fear began to spread. Students submitted to the searches with hardened expressions, and no one else dared to resist.

“Crazy bastards…”

A contemptuous voice escaped me before I realized it, but fortunately the distance was too great for them to hear.

I sighed and strode forward, grabbing Erika’s shoulder.

“Erika.”

She flinched and turned around. Disgust that hadn’t been fully erased still flickered on her face.

“Why did you suddenly run away? First, this place is dangerous, so—”

“Hey, you there with the bob cut!”

Suddenly one of the Ossel watching the area gestured toward us.

Terror flashed in Erika’s eyes instantly.

‘Ah, damn. Those flyers!’

I’d seen her put the remaining flyers in her bag. If they were discovered, it would cause an incomparably bigger uproar than some seditious literature.

“Can’t you hear me? Let me see that bag.”

The Ossel called again with an unpleasant expression.

‘No time.’

I bit my lips hard.

“Erika, trust me for just a moment.”

“What?”

I grabbed Erika’s hand and headed toward the Ossel. At the same time, I took her bag, naturally, as if it had been mine all along.

“Who are you?”

The tall Ossel looked down at me menacingly.

“Haha, you’re working hard.”

“Don’t mess around!”

When I reached into my coat, the Ossel raised his baton, but what I pulled out wasn’t a gun but my identification.

“Actually, I’m also out on official business today.”

When I unfolded it nicely and held it out, the Ossel snorted.

“9th grade clerk? What’s a worker from District 13 doing here?”

I checked the Ossel’s shoulder insignia.

One white stripe. A captain.

As expected, they’d sent the lowest-ranking Ossel to do the dirty work.

I stuck my chin out proudly and beckoned him with my finger.

“Come here for a moment.”

The Ossel bent down reluctantly, and I whispered to him.

“Major Johann Werner assigned me this task.”

“Gasp!”

He let out a startled breath.

‘Success.’

They say the Ossel have a strict hierarchy and widespread irrationality, so I figured mentioning rank would work somehow in a pinch.

And they originally wielded far more authority than what was given to them. It wasn’t uncommon for them to suddenly inspect the military or dump trivial tasks on police organizations.

Using a 9th grade clerk as an errand boy wouldn’t be strange at all.

“I was secretly tracking those reactionary bastards, and I discovered this today.”

I pulled out the bundle of flyers from Erika’s bag and showed them.

“Since you’re fellow Ossel, could you pass this on to the Major? I collected this much, but who knows how many more are hidden. It would be good to search the entire school thoroughly.”

The Ossel who had received them in confusion just nodded stupidly.

“Well then, good work.”

I took Erika and passed through the main gate.

I walked looking straight ahead until we were far from the Ossel, then after turning into an alley, I ran like crazy. Erika, who’d been holding my hand, seemed flustered but matched my pace.

***

“Huff, huff…”

Lucas, who had arrived at a quiet streetcar stop, gasped violently as if his lungs might burst. Erika hesitated, then awkwardly patted his back.

“Whew…”

Lucas, who had finally calmed down, pressed the bag he’d been holding into Erika’s chest.

“You should throw away the bag. If you keep carrying it around, you’ll be suspected.”

Then he pulled out a crumpled, squashed sandwich from his coat pocket.

“Eat this on the way.”

Something hot welled up in her throat. Erika stared at him blankly with a bewildered expression she rarely showed.

With finely trembling hands, she slowly took the sandwich.

“Thank you.”

That was all she could manage to say right now.

“Of course you should thank me.”

Lucas, with his usual worldly-worn face, opened his mouth seriously.

“Erika, come back.”

He looked into her eyes and spoke clearly.

“I heard from Daniel. He said you were the first member. You’re right that the White Raven Order was created by you and Daniel. I acknowledge that. I don’t know what you don’t like about me, but if you tell me, I’ll fix it, so come back. We need you.”

Erika blinked.

Her chest tingled.

She couldn’t tell if it was from relief or guilt.

She’d heard that she seemed cold and aloof.

She’d often encountered malicious gossip that she didn’t fit in with others and acted superior while staying on the outskirts.

She didn’t care what vulgar people said behind her back.

Until now, she had lived in her own world, running away from her shameful father and the mother who had abandoned her.

There she closed her eyes and covered her ears, absorbed only in thoughts she couldn’t reveal to others, never thinking to correct the rumors.

But Daniel, and the White Raven Order, had accepted her without reservation. They praised her as a comrade and gave her work to do.

It would be a lie to say she didn’t miss those times. No, she missed them painfully.

“But.”

She wiped away the tears that were slowly welling up and looked up at Lucas.

“How can I go back? After making such a big scene when I left.”

Lucas chuckled.

“Nobody cares, you narcissist.”

“Narcissist what?”

“It’s a joke. If you just come back, nothing else matters.”

“Richard left because of you too.”

“I’ll bring him back.”

Erika stared at Lucas intently.

Where did that overflowing confidence come from?

“…Really?”

“I swear it. With all sincerity.”

Erika smiled.

It was the first smile she’d made in several months.

***

“Using my name? What a fearless little punk.”

That night, Johann received the flyers from an Ossel who had come from a distant district.

“Revenge, is this? Ha, interesting.”

A cruel smile spread across his face.