9th Grade Civil Servant In Another World Chapter 224 - Epilogue (3)

“Are you really sure you’ll be alright?”

Executive Director Seo asked with half worry, half expectation. I nodded my head vigorously and gave him a bright smile.

“Please don’t worry too much, Executive Director. I’ll definitely deliver results.”

“If that project falls through, I can’t cover for you either, you know? Whether it goes well or not, it’s all your responsibility.”

“I’ll keep that in mind.”

“Hmm… Well, it’s already decided, so there’s nothing to be done. Go on then. You have a lot to prepare, don’t you?”

I bowed politely and left the executive director’s office, heading to the rooftop garden. As always, Seong-jun was waiting there, drinking an iced americano.

“Oh, you’re here?”

“Yeah, I’m here.”

I plopped down on the bench and looked up at the sky. The cloudy, overcast winter sky with gathering clouds.

“Is the date confirmed?”

“Yeah, no changes. Flying out next Wednesday.”

“Typical impatient Koreans.”

Seong-jun sighed and sat down next to me.

“Hey, Hyeon-su. This is really the last time I’m asking, but is this really an opportunity worth betting your entire career on? You know if you stay here, it’s a royal road, right?”

“It’s something I started, so I should finish it. Plus, those directors over there like me.”

“So why do you absolutely have to go all the way to Schufaben? Can’t you just handle the oversight from here under Executive Director Seo? Adapting to a foreign land with different language and customs won’t be that easy, you know. Were you always such a global person?”

Looking at Seong-jun pouring out his concerns with passionate conviction, I felt a strangely warm feeling rising in my chest.

Lucas had said it. While living in my body, he met many good people, but Seong-jun was the best among them. Instead of getting annoyed, I lightly deflected.

“Seeing it from here versus seeing it on-site would be completely different. If I get this opportunity, I’ll get the deputy manager position and a huge salary increase. I can’t stand the thought of someone else snatching it away. And you know what?”

I stood up from my seat and stretched.

“The moment I got off the plane, I realized it. Ah, this is my second home!”

“You’re ridiculous.”

Seong-jun snorted.

“Fine, I get it that Choi Hyeon-su is ridiculously ambitious. Add workaholic and obsessive and greedy to the list.”

“Exactly. I’m going to go there and devour everything. I won’t give anything to anyone else—I’ll monopolize it all. Just watch. In 10 years, see if I become king or not.”

“You’re already the sales king. Alright, I get it, I understand. We’re having drinks before you go, right? Like a farewell party.”

Seong-jun waved his hands dismissively as if he’d had enough.

“No, I’m off alcohol. Let’s just grab a simple meal.”

“Off alcohol? For health management? You used to say life is short so burn bright and live intensely.”

“I changed my mind. I plan to live as long as possible. I’ll use every method available—magic treatments, whatever it takes to live long.”

Seong-jun looked up at me and tilted his head.

“Choi Hyeon-su, you really have changed. What happened in Schufaben?”

I just gave him a secretive smile. What happened? I could never tell him.

***

On that first snowy day in early December, I boarded an airship bound for Schufaben at Incheon Airport. Since I’d gone on the business trip in late August, it had been about three months.

Thanks to the efforts of Executive Director Seo and me, the first Schufaben branch office was established. It’s just a small office for now, but it’s still an important position handling connections with Schufaben’s magical engineering companies. I’m being assigned there as the manager.

It’s still a small operation with less than ten employees. Whether it thrives or fails will depend entirely on what I do now.

I worked like crazy for the past three months to secure this position.

Preparing all sorts of documents, handling lease contracts, organizing assets, converting my license to international status, and getting Schufaben language certification.

I went straight for the highest level on the language certification and passed on the first try. The Schufaben language hasn’t changed much between 100 years ago and now. With my memories returning, I became fluent at native level.

I landed at the airport near Lüdelheim, dragged my large suitcase, and came out of the arrival hall. Here too, clouds were dumping heavy snow.

‘Schufaben gets way too much snow in winter.’

White snowflakes were settling softly on my hair. I brushed off the moisture and took out my smartphone to make a call.

“Hello? I’m outside. Where are you?”

“Where do you think?”

“Well, in my heart?”

“Ugh!” came an exasperated shriek from behind me. I turned around laughing to see Erika in a blue coat, contorting her whole body.

This life’s Erika is a bit more lively and expressive than in the previous life. That’s why she’s fun to tease. I deliberately feed her cringe-worthy lines like this every single day.

I walked over to her and pulled her into a hug.

“It’s been a while.”

“You said you’d never leave again, but it took you months to come back. Lucas, you really are a con artist.”

“I was born with a natural talent for being a con artist. But did you miss me that much? You kept telling me to stop calling and texting so much.”

“That’s because you were calling and texting constantly! I’m a person with work to do too, you know.”

She complained in a sharp voice. She’s really cute.

Erika was born as the only daughter of a businessman in this life too. Fortunately, her relationship with her parents is good, and her mother didn’t get sick. Erika, who graduated from Lüdelheim Comprehensive University with a degree in political science just like before, is now pursuing her doctoral degree in graduate school.

“Friedrich Kruger’s post-war political landscape changes in Schufaben are really fascinating. I’ve been interested since I was little. Could it be unconscious influence from my past life?”

She had confided this to me once.

“After recovering my memories, seeing my photo hanging there as a ‘proud alumna’ was so embarrassing. A building was even built with my name on it because I donated a lot of money in my past life. The Brightner Hall.”

In her past life, Erika had completely transferred Redan Tavern to Ameli and traveled all over the continent.

She said that after I disappeared before her eyes, she wanted to leave Schufaben. Just staying still made her feel empty and restless, so as she traveled around meeting people and solving problems she encountered, she found herself walking the path of a social activist.

She told me these stories every night before bed in whispered conversations. Since it was after work hours for me, I’d park my car in the company parking lot and chat with Erika for ages before going home.

Erika’s activities were detailed on Wikipedia, but hearing it from her personally felt different. Listening to her voice somehow made me feel at peace. The longing only deepened.

“You know, Erika. Three months really was long, wasn’t it?”

As I cupped her pouting cheeks with both hands and whispered, Erika looked around evasively then nodded.

I gave her protruding lips a quick peck and took her hand.

“Then let’s go to our newlywed home.”

“Lucas, do you really want to get hit?”

***

The Schufaben branch office was established in Lüdelheim District 13. It wasn’t a coincidence. I had insisted through Executive Director Seo that this was the best location.

‘It’s not wrong, is it?’

The land prices are relatively cheap, transportation is good, the view is nice, and while there aren’t any major corporations, plenty of solid companies have set up shop there.

The rest of the staff from headquarters won’t arrive for at least a month. I arrived first under the pretext of setting up systems and conducting preliminary negotiations.

Of course, I had other ulterior motives too.

“Ta-da! We’re here, Erika.”

Erika, who got out of the car, smiled knowingly as if she’d seen this coming.

“So that’s why you wouldn’t tell me the address until the end?”

“Did you figure it out?”

“Of course.”

She looked somewhat nostalgic as she took the key from me and opened the front door. The interior had changed quite a bit, but the house that still retained the scent of 100 years ago revealed itself.

Mrs. Schmidt’s boarding house.

I went through a lot of trouble buying this place—breaking into my savings and housing subscriptions, exchanging communications with local real estate agents countless times.

“You could have just asked me. My parents could have helped…”

“Oh my, that’s something the past life Erika would shudder just thinking about! I’m kidding. I need to show only my cool and dependable side to my future in-laws.”

I grinned as I looked around the house I’d perfectly renovated. This will be my home for life.

“Should we go to the bedroom then?”

“Do you really want me to hit you?”

“Kidding?”

“Eek!”

I stopped by a cafe on my way to work to grab a coffee, but the employee’s reaction was strange. He looked like he was about to faint from shock.

“Hello, Lucas Redan.”

I greeted him again, but this life’s Lucas avoided eye contact.

“I’m Marco.”

“No, you’re Lucas Redan. How have you been?”

“Yeah, well, just… Why are you here again? You went back to Korea.”

“That’s not right. I moved here to live permanently.”

“Are you here to monitor me?”

Lucas asked anxiously while making coffee. It was early morning so there were no other customers.

“Of course not. I just settled in a neighborhood I was familiar with. Why are you so afraid of me? We’re comrades who shared the same experience.”

“You really don’t know why you’re asking?”

Lucas let out a deep sigh and suddenly started rambling.

“Throughout my school years, I heard about Supreme Leader’s—I mean, Kruger’s atrocities and White Raven Order’s activities until my ears were callused. When I was young, I even read Lucas Redan biographies and gave presentations about wanting to become such a courageous person.

But when I recovered my memories, I found out that in my past life I was Lucas Redan, but I was a Supreme Leader fanatic, and all the great achievements were actually accomplished by Choi Hyeon-su’s soul that entered my body. That alone was confusing enough, but I also have memories of living in Choi Hyeon-su’s body for five years. How do you think that feels? No, let me ask this instead. Aren’t you confused?”

“Not at all.”

I shook my head and picked up the coffee he’d set down to drink it.

“Let me ask you straight. What did it feel like when you first recovered your memories?”

“That was…”

Lucas rolled his eyes in thought, then slowly opened his mouth.

“I think I understood exactly. Why I was here…”

“You felt a sense of dissonance from childhood, right? Like this world was somehow strange but you couldn’t explain it. Like this wasn’t your place, but also like you’d been living here for a very long time. It was painful because of that, wasn’t it?”

“Yeah.”

“When you recalled the memories, didn’t you feel like that dissonance was resolved and everything became clear?”

“That, that’s right.”

Lucas answered meekly, seemingly overwhelmed by my intensity. And I could be certain.

“Thank you. Now I can really make my decision.”

“What?”

“I’ll tell you later.”

“You’re coming again?!”

“I have to keep coming. My workplace is right in this building. Fifth floor. I’m the only one there for now, so come visit.”

“No way!”

I pondered and pondered again.

How many people we know have been reincarnated? And if they have been reincarnated, is it really right to seek them out and awaken their memories?

Not all humans in this world could be reincarnated. I’ve made eye contact with so many people. So far, only Lucas, Johann, Erika, and Colin have recovered their memories.

Cross-referencing Lucas’s and my experiences, it seems that cube—the Sign of the Oath—either caused this phenomenon or is at least somehow related to it.

So presumably, reincarnation might only happen to people who had connections with Lucas and me. But surely not all of those connections. If even Kruger had been reincarnated? I wouldn’t be able to bear it.

“Seeing that I’m here, there’s a high probability that White Raven Order members were reincarnated.”

I agreed with Erika’s reasoning. But should I help those friends recover their memories?

Meeting Lucas was coincidental, and in Johann’s case, I honestly did it to test him. With Erika, I missed her too much and acted without thinking it through. Meeting Colin was also unintentional.

Fortunately, Erika accepted me, but would the other friends do the same? Could they live whole lives even with those terrible memories of war and struggle?

From the day I returned to Korea until I visited Lucas today, I never stopped worrying about it for a single moment.

But now I was certain.

Both Erika and Lucas had grown up feeling the same sense of dissonance as me.

There were things that instinctively captivated them—certain objects, professions, stories, or colors. Conversely, there were also things that triggered intense rejection. Without knowing the reason, they had simply comforted themselves that these were just preferences.

Without knowing we were bound by the chains of fate.

When we finally recalled our past life memories, everything made sense. The intense affection and refreshing feeling we felt, stronger than any confusion, was so unbearably tickling that we wanted to burst out laughing.

So I could steel my resolve. Let’s find those kids.

***

That winter was extremely busy.

I worked with intense focus every day to establish the Schufaben branch’s framework, allocate personnel, and handle initial operations. I absolutely refused to work overtime.

After work, I’d visit Erika at her graduate school. She was in the thick of writing her dissertation, so I tried my best to support her. I’d bring late-night snacks and coffee while we took short walks around campus and chatted to help Erika clear her head.

Lüdelheim Comprehensive University was very peaceful. Unlike in our past life when police trampled protesters and blood flew everywhere.

“After recovering my memories, I felt like I needed to completely rewrite my dissertation. Reading books or watching videos is completely different in weight from what I experienced myself. There are also many mistakes in the books.”

Erika told me this one day as we sat on a bench in front of the humanities building talking. I cut up a sandwich to feed her while laughing.

“Of all dissertation topics, yours had to be ‘The Great War’s Impact on Schufaben’s Political Landscape.’ This must be fate’s chains too, right?”

“Yeah, probably.”

Erika nodded while chewing her sandwich.