9th Grade Civil Servant In Another World Chapter 226 - Epilogue (5)

I took my first vacation in a year and headed to the airport.

The Schufaben branch had already established its foundation, and many capable employees had joined, so it would be fine for me to be away for a while.

Not all my friends could come together, but Daniel and Erika, Oscar and Ian rushed over as soon as they received my call. Ah, Oscar and Ian didn’t even bother hiding their ulterior motive of wanting to see the Great Desert’s dragons. They said they’d been there often in both their past life and this life.

We got into the car that Ashtard was driving and headed to the airport.

“By the way Hannah, are the tickets ready? Now that we have this many people, ah, you all brought your passports, right?”

“Huh? Oh yeah, I brought it.”

Oscar, who had been admiring the interior of the luxury limousine, answered belatedly.

It really was amazing. What kind of presidential motorcade was this—bulletproof doors that were incredibly thick, cutting-edge equipment installed in the driver’s seat. We were even speeding down the highway without feeling the slightest vibration.

“Erika, you must have ridden in something like this before, right?”

“My father’s car is similar but much lower grade than this. This level of car is a model only used by the Rubellia royal family. Though it’s disguised to look ordinary on the outside.”

“Well, it didn’t look very ordinary to me…”

“You don’t need tickets, Mr. Redan.”

Hannah turned to look at me, mischievous laughter dancing in her eyes.

“Why not? Don’t tell me…”

“Yes, we’ll escort you on a private jet!”

Getting off the limousine and passing through the VIP-only passage directly to board the private jet. This was the first time I’d received such luxurious treatment. The interior of the airship was decorated like a single room from the seats to the furniture, elegant and comfortable. They even said there was a proper bed.

Ashtard went up to the cockpit again. When I asked if he’d always known how to pilot airships,

“I learned various skills to be of help to Namir.”

he replied.

On the way, I had various conversations with Hannah.

“I’m sure Mr. Redan knows the history of the Elven Federation too.”

“Of course I do. Didn’t they monopolize the resource called mana water and achieve tremendous wealth? Instead of thoughtlessly wasting that wealth, they efficiently invested it in Great Desert development to create the nation that elves call a ‘paradise on earth.’

Of course there were various problems too, like conflicts between natives and mixed-blood elves who migrated from the continent, or the financial industry they actively fostered to avoid dependence on the abnormally enlarged mana water industry being used for money laundering worldwide and gaining a bad reputation, or corruption occurring in the casino city designated as a special economic zone and becoming a major scandal…

Anyway, I think it can be considered a successful country, right? No, beyond successful, it became a superpower that holds humanity’s important resources and influences the world economy, so you could just call it a huge success.”

“Wow, as expected of Mr. Redan! When did you research all of that?”

“Because I wanted to find Fael and Namir. I scraped together all kinds of materials. I even asked Erika to help me read papers kept at the university.

Namir was really amazing. When he was the first standing chairman, he made the entire world recognize the nation through so-called ‘mana water diplomacy,’ completely eliminating rumors that he was his brother’s puppet.

Then when Namir’s wife, Chieftain Shan-Lea, became the second standing chairman, she skillfully purged the remaining chieftain factions and unified the scattered Great Desert development projects, achieving industrialization at tremendous speed. For the third and fourth terms, Namir took office again, inheriting the projects Shan-Lea couldn’t finish and brilliantly making the economy flourish. Ah, I heard Namir also completed the casino? He really changed a lot.

During that time, I heard Fael served in various positions assisting Namir. However, after Namir’s fourth term as standing chairman ended, Fael, Namir, and Shan-Lea went into seclusion and lived quiet lives… Their subsequent activities are shrouded in mystery, whether it’s some secret of the Elven Federation or what, I couldn’t find out, but Hannah, could it be?”

Seeing the doubt that crossed my face, Hannah grinned.

“Hannah being exactly the same as before, could it be…”

Daniel, who had been quietly listening beside me, chimed in as if reading my mind.

“That’s right. Both Fa-Elhar and Namir are alive. Both in exactly the same form as I am.”

“Ha, I knew it.”

When I muttered in disbelief, Hannah’s eyes went round.

“You knew?”

“Of course. That letter he wrote trying to look like a will, if you read it carefully, it was obviously meant to tease me.

‘Lucas, if you’re reading this letter, it means I’m no longer in this world…’ Writing something like that and then sending it to reincarnated me was clearly a joke, wasn’t it? Without Fael’s level of information network, and without someone who knew me that well, who would notice that ‘Lucas Redan’ had appeared again?”

After pouring out complaints in a rush, I sighed briefly and changed the subject.

“Well, I’ll hear the detailed story from Fael. More than that Hannah, could you teach me how you’re still healthy and maintaining the appearance of someone in their twenties? I dream of immortality.”

“Oh my, you do Mr. Redan? Really?”

“I want to live happily ever after with Erika for a hundred years.”

“Pfft! Cough! Cough!”

Oscar, who had been drinking a beverage that came with the in-flight meal, started coughing again.

***

The airship flew leisurely.

It was a bit slower than the airplanes I rode on Earth in my first life, but a much more stable and comfortable mode of transportation.

We lounged around watching movies to pass the time.

“Wow, they even have classic masterpieces. Look at this, <Revolution>. Script by Lucas Redan.”

Oscar, who had been glued to the computer looking for movies to watch, pointed to a file title with a grin.

“Throw that away. It’s garbage.”

“It’s propaganda, but it’s a work that used many techniques that became the foundation of modern film direction.”

When I got annoyed, Daniel gently chimed in from the side. I hit Oscar with a pillow.

After watching movies, we all played games together.

As expected, I got massacred, being catastrophically incompetent at all games. Oscar and Ian teamed up and giggled as they killed me several times over. I threw pillows at both of them again.

While we laughed and chattered, fell asleep, woke up, and had more silly joke competitions,

We finally arrived above the Great Desert.

Actually, this land could no longer be called the ‘Great Desert.’

The area around the airport was left as desert to build runways and convenience facilities, but the land stretching into the distance was covered entirely in lush green forest. Looking down through the telescope mounted in the airship, I could see a huge lake.

While it wasn’t yet enough to reclaim the name ‘Great Forest,’ Hannah’s words that the century-long afforestation project had achieved magnificent success were true.

The documentary I researched said the same thing. The power of tremendous money and energy extracted from mana water—it was enough to turn desert into forest.

“Fael really achieved his dream.”

Daniel’s eyes were trembling with awe as he quietly murmured.

“He did. He’s really an amazing person.”

I nodded. Though this was my first time visiting the Great Desert in both my past and present lives, my heart swelled with emotion at that magnificent transformation.

***

Once again riding in a limousine driven by Ashtard, we raced down the road toward our destination.

“Ashtard, are you alright? You seem to have been awake for over two days straight… You’re over 120 years old.”

“I’m maintaining my stamina with magic, so I’m fine.”

“Hmm, magic really is invincible.”

“The elves who reclaimed the Great Forest might be invincible.”

When I muttered this, Daniel replied with a laugh.

“That makes sense.”

Ian nodded too.

That’s what Hannah had said when I asked about the secret to longevity. As the desert transformed into forest, elves’ lifespans dramatically increased and more children were born with magical blood.

I knew that, of course. Originally, before the ancient elf kingdom was destroyed, elves were a long-lived race compared to humans. It was common knowledge about elves that their lifespans shortened because they lived in lands that didn’t suit their constitution.

But it seemed the elves had gained even more incredible power than I’d seen in documentaries or papers.

‘And the fact that it hasn’t become publicly known means the Elven Federation has been hiding it.’

The limousine arrived at some forest located in Fa tribe territory. Not knowing the geography here, I could only look out the window and think, “I see.”

“From here, outsiders are strictly forbidden to enter.”

Hannah said as we passed through a fence deep in the forest that looked menacing at first glance.

“Under the pretext of protecting essential facilities of the national park. But this Paraya Forest really does have beautiful flora and fauna living in it, so please make sure to take a look later.”

After driving for quite a while longer, the limousine stopped. A modest and neat mansion stood before us. Getting out of the car, I could hear birds chirping clearly.

Hannah led us. The garden landscaped within the walls was beautiful. Tangled shrubs, wildflowers blooming here and there, rabbits grazing on grass, birds that had built nests. But I passed by everything indifferently. Until Hannah stopped in front of the building that appeared to be the main house.

“Would you like to rest a bit, or…”

I shook my head.

“Then I’ll escort just Mr. Redan this way.”

“Come back.”

Erika squeezed my hand tightly then let go. My friends entered the main house with Ashtard, and I followed Hannah toward the annex beside it.

In a room with a good view of the quiet back garden, Fael was sitting as if we’d met just yesterday.

“Hello, Lucas.”

“Hello, it’s been a while.”

I sat down next to Fael. Still acting nonchalant as always.

***

Fael poured me the date palm tea I’d only heard about. As Daniel had said, it was very sweet and delicious.

“A hundred years ago, you were the only human I’d ever seen who was comfortable sitting on the floor like that. Now I know the secret.”

“Right, because I’m Korean.”

After adequately quenching my thirst, I asked abruptly.

“Why did you call me?”

“Getting straight to the point, you haven’t changed at all, Lucas.”

Fael smiled beautifully.

“I’m really sick of hearing that. I told the other guys too, but if you add up all the life I’ve directly experienced, it’s barely 70 years. By my standards, it’s only been about 3 or 4 years since I parted with you, Fael. There’s also the time I’ve lived since reincarnating, so if you really calculate it, it’s been about 33 years, but somehow my past life feels as close as if it were just yesterday.”

“I see. That makes sense.”

Fael accepted this without surprise.

“Then tell me, Fael. How much do you know, and what did you figure out? Don’t tell me you called me just to see my face. If that was the case, you could have made a video call or something. Or you could have come to find me. In the first place, why are you living in seclusion like this?”

“Lucas.”

Fael called me calmly.

“Are you ready to accept the secret?”

“I’ve been ready for a long time.”

Then Fael quietly told me his story.

“When you disappeared, everyone was surprised and sad. We didn’t doubt Erika. She wasn’t the kind of friend to tell outrageous lies, and if we thought of you as a soul from another world, everything made sense. If it wasn’t someone from a completely different world, who could have helped everyone with thoughts like yours?

Namir and I heard the news late. We received Erika’s letter and met with her directly. And we gained many clues from that story. That ‘other worlds’ really exist, that human souls really exist. Leopold III’s magic, the oath mark and crystal cube. So I… began research in secret.”

“What did you research? Don’t tell me a way to bring me back?”

“No, about the secrets of the world and human souls. Of course it wasn’t easy work, but I had help. Queen Marianne of Rubellia was particularly helpful. I visited Rubellia often under diplomatic pretexts.”

“Why didn’t you ask the White Raven Order for help?”

Fael smiled.

“Because they have their own lives. I didn’t want to drag them into uncertain research. No, this is an excuse. While learning about that magic, I had suspicions. I thought it was better to keep it secret.”

“…”

I looked deeply into Fael’s sapphire-sparkling eyes.

“You knew those guys would be reborn, didn’t you?”

“Amazing. Even after living this long, I can’t match your talent for reading people’s hearts like looking into the palm of your hand.”

“Thanks for the compliment.”

“More precisely, I learned how your fate and those children’s fates were intertwined. Lucas, what do you think is the common factor among the people who reincarnated?”

I thought for a moment. But a problem I’d been pondering for over a year wouldn’t be solved here.

“I don’t know.”

“They were all saved by you.”

Fael smiled brightly.