9th Grade Civil Servant In Another World Chapter 28 - Modern Man's Physical Improvement (3)

It was before winter had arrived, when I was still actively pursuing Erika.

Major Johann Werner suddenly sent me a letter telling me to work as an advertising model.

Apparently, the Ossel was producing advertisements to improve their image, and there was no one who gave off such a pathetic and servile feeling as me?

I was annoyed by the insults filling the letter, but anyway, I was in a position where he had me on a leash—or more precisely, where I wanted to be on his leash—so I cursed under my breath and headed to the shooting location.

I took the streetcar and followed the address written in the letter, which led me to a fancy studio in the affluent District 13.

Pure white building walls, modern lettering on a large sign.

When I rang the doorbell, the door opened and a man with a pipe in his mouth came out. He had the unmistakable appearance of someone shouting “I’m an artist!” which almost made me laugh.

“How may I help you?”

“I’m Lucas Redan. I’m here to work as an advertising model.”

“Ah! That person. I heard about it. Come in quickly.”

The inside of the studio was spacious and dark.

Just like the advertising sets I’d seen while working in sales in Korea, there were white cloths hung on walls and various props scattered around.

I sat on the sofa in the corner for filming and watched people bustle around preparing, when a boy who appeared to be the photographer’s assistant ran over and handed me something like a bundle of cloth.

“Today’s costume. Please change in the dressing room over there.”

“…This is the costume?”

“Is there some problem?”

“No, not at all.”

I headed to the dressing room with a sour expression. Torn and dirty, shabby cloth clothing.

‘What kind of role are they trying to cast me in…’

Suppressing an ominous feeling, I came out, and then a makeup artist dragged me away to create fake wounds on my face and limbs.

When they said they were done and I looked in the mirror, there was some wounded zombie standing there. Looking absolutely pitiful.

The bruises and scars were incredibly realistic, even though the photos would be in black and white anyway.

“Hmm, quite usable?”

The photographer spun me around and nodded satisfactorily.

“Now, you’re a civilian who gets beaten up by thugs and then receives salvation from the Ossel, okay? Got it?”

“Yes, yes, I’m a specialist at getting beaten up.”

Thinking my muttering was a joke, the photographer giggled charmingly and went to check his camera.

‘They think I’m suitable for this kind of role? But who’s going to play the Ossel role?’

Just as I was thinking that, the doorbell rang and who came in was…

“Haha.”

I let out a laugh of disbelief.

Blonde hair and blue eyes.

It was Lieutenant Philip Decker, Major Johann Werner’s adjutant.

Whether he’d received magical treatment or just time had passed, the leg that had been shot looked perfectly fine.

“No way, you rebel bastard?! What are you doing here? Don’t tell me you’re my scene partner?”

He made a shocked expression then let out a sneer.

“You look ridiculous. Then again, it’s not much different from your usual appearance.”

Childish fellow.

Grumbling internally, I put on a fresh smile.

“Right, how unexpected to meet here. I definitely thought you’d been fired or killed. Come to think of it, doesn’t it seem like our roles have switched? If you recall who made who kneel last time. Don’t you think?”

“Y-You…!”

Philip’s face turned red and blue with anger. He raised his hand as if to grab me by the collar, but when I crossed my arms and lifted my chin as if to say ‘go ahead and try,’ he seemed to hesitate.

“Oh, you’re here!”

Just then the photographer came running over. Seeing Philip being dragged to the makeup room, I gave him a rotten smile, which made him even more furious.

A little later, Philip appeared with his hair stylishly swept back, wearing a clean Ossel uniform. The makeup that emphasized his features made him look almost bizarre, but considering the photographic technology of this era, it couldn’t be helped.

“Well then, let’s start shooting!”

The advertising shoot was absolutely terrible.

I had to act like I was being beaten up by men dressed as thugs.

I crouched and lay on the white cloth-covered floor, grimacing as I pretended to be kicked. They sprayed water on my face to make it look like I was crying.

“More miserable expression!”

“Sob, please help me!”

“Good, good, now Mr. Decker enters here~.”

They began photographing Philip defeating the thugs with stylish martial arts.

Click click, the camera sounds continued endlessly, and I endured the humiliation while widening my eyes and making a fuss, cheering Philip on.

Next to the photographer, an illustrator was busily sketching on paper.

“Final scene! Now, both of you look this way and give a thumbs up.”

Philip smiled broadly, showing his white teeth. I also raised my thumb while being supported by him.

‘Johann Werner, that bastard, how dare he feed me this kind of humiliation? I’ll kill him.’

I wore an innocent smile while harboring murderous thoughts inside.

“Absolutely wonderful!”

The photographer was still making a fuss with his affected manner of speaking.

I wiped off the makeup, changed clothes, and trudged out of the studio. Seeing Philip leave first, I suddenly remembered something I’d forgotten.

“Lieutenant Decker, what about payment?”

“What are you talking about?”

Philip turned around with a puzzled expression.

“The modeling fee. Surely you’re not planning to use us for free?”

Then Philip’s face turned as fierce as a demon.

“You rebel bastard, what nonsense are you spouting now! This is state business, so naturally you should serve with a joyful heart! I’m also unpaid, and so is that photographer. But you dare—”

“It’s not state business, it’s Ossel business. Fucking bastards.”

“Shut up! If you keep flapping your mouth, I’ll blow your head off!”

He flew into a rage and drew his gun.

“Oh, you got a new one, I see. After I took yours away.”

“You lightning-struck bastard…!”

“Whatever, what’s the point of arguing with you. Tell the major that I devoted myself wholeheartedly to the shoot.”

Teasing him was fun since he reacted immediately, but if I provoked him further, there might be consequences later, so I patted his shoulder and turned away.

***

“So… you worked as a model for an Ossel propaganda magazine?”

“It’s humiliating, so keep it down.”

“Bwahahahahaha!”

Oscar pounded the table, laughing heartily. Georg, who had been stifling his laughter beside him, suddenly pointed somewhere.

“Come to think of it, isn’t that Brother Lucas too?”

A promotional poster stuck in a corner of the tavern.

In the four-panel comic, I was being lynched by thugs, then praising Philip Decker who had responded to a report, smiling brightly.

「Me: Ossel! So reliable!

Philip: We are the guardians of citizens. Report to us anytime there’s danger!」

The dialogue in the speech bubbles was quite something.

‘Really, these empty-headed bastards!’

I buried my face in my hands, overwhelmed by shame.

‘What are they planning to do by making the Ossel’s image—which has reigned as an object of fear, or rather, which they’ve been promoting as such—seem friendly? Do they really think that will work?’

Anyway, they were just pretty garbage with empty brains.

Well, whatever mistakes the Ossel makes isn’t my concern, and the more careless they are, the better for me, but being used for their stupid antics was too frustrating.

Johann definitely knew that and made me do the modeling job to crush my pride.

“Wait, when did you say you did the shoot? Could it be that personal business you mentioned when you didn’t come to see me one day…”

Erika hit the nail on the head.

“Ah, I told you to keep it down.”

“An advertising model, aren’t you getting too friendly with the Ossel?”

Richard’s refined tone sounded more amused than worried.

“Don’t say such horrible things. And it’s good to be friendly. We’re flies’ lives, so we need to get friendly with the master holding our leash and become useful to survive even a little longer.”

“Whose fault is all this?”

Daniel, who had been just watching the chaos, asked gently.

“Mine.”

When I answered honestly, Daniel nodded satisfactorily.

“Anyway, the important thing is that I didn’t get paid. At a time when every penny matters, I just wasted transportation costs. So I’m both a participant and victim of public opinion manipulation, media manipulation. Where on earth should I make money… Ah.”

My voice, which had been muttering in embarrassment, suddenly cut off.

I remembered. A source of money.

***

Deep winter night.

Heavy snow was beating against the windows, and the rattling sounds stirred anxiety.

The cozy house was so quiet you could hear water dripping from the kitchen sink.

The time was 1 AM.

I, who had been organizing newspaper articles and information, looked at the clock and carefully got up.

Being careful not to make the floorboards creak, I climbed the stairs leading to the third floor of the boarding house.

On the third floor was a space you could call an attic. Originally used by Mrs. Schmidt as storage for odds and ends, it had now become Oscar’s bedroom.

Under dim candlelight, a mattress and luggage bundle were visible in the desolate space.

“Hey, hey, wake up.”

I whispered in a snake-like hissing voice and poked Oscar, who had fallen asleep on the mattress, until he stirred and opened his eyes.

“What… Is it time already?”

He rubbed his eyes and sat up. Just then, Daniel also came up with muffled footsteps and closed the door.

“So, Lucas. What did you want to discuss with us? You said it was a plan to earn money and make retirement easy.”

I checked that the window curtains were firmly drawn and turned around.

“It would also greatly raise the White Raven Order’s profile. If it goes well, that is.”

“So what is it, tell us quickly.”

Oscar urged with a sleepy, cracked voice. I whispered the story I couldn’t tell in the tavern.

“…Are you insane?”

When I finished speaking, Daniel and Oscar asked in unison.

“I’m not insane, that’s why I’m asking for understanding in advance. How about it, doesn’t it seem doable? If we refine this into a realistic plan.”

“No way…”

Oscar looked speechless, and Daniel gave an awkward laugh.

“Lucas, I knew you weren’t normal, but I didn’t know you were this crazy.”

I was slightly dumbfounded by Oscar’s bewildered words.

“From my perspective, you guys seem to be the crazy ones. I got dragged into the White Raven Order by accident, but you voluntarily created and joined the organization. I’m just doing my best in the current situation.”

“That’s… No, never mind. Daniel, say something. This guy’s really dangerous.”

Daniel remained silent for a long time. As if lost in thought, he stared at the flickering candle without moving.

Then, he turned to me and asked in a heavy voice.

“Will no one really be in danger and everything go well?”

Ah, he’s coming around.

I could read determined resolve in his eyes.

“If we succeed, of course. I’m not saying we should do it right now. We need to persuade the others and have the conditions in place. We also need to make concrete plans.”

“Oscar. What about you?”

Oscar fidgeted and groaned like someone who needed to use the bathroom, then finally collapsed onto the mattress and nodded vigorously.

“I have no choice! If we’re really going to become the great organization you promised, this seems like a gateway we must pass through. If we keep being cautious, we won’t be able to do anything.”

“Exactly right.”

“Good. Let’s contact the others.”

A few days later, when the plan was told to the remaining members, fierce debate erupted, but we were eventually able to achieve unanimous agreement.

Oscar’s logic that ‘if we don’t take risks, we’ll just stay where we are’ had properly taken hold.

***

Schufaben’s public security was quite unstable.

Among them, Lüdelheim, being a large city, had incidents and accidents every day. Theft, violence, arson, even murder.

No matter how much of a dictatorship it was and how much the Ossel operated in the shadows, without the dense CCTV or dashcams like in the era I lived in, there were bound to be holes in the surveillance network somewhere.

There was some surveillance magic, but mages were extremely precious beings—there was no way they’d waste them monitoring every single citizen.

Unless they were pinpointing and monitoring a few key dissidents.

For me, who was accustomed to all kinds of digital security and electronic crime prevention, this was quite a fortunate situation.

Mid-December, when the city was bustling with year-end atmosphere and New Year festival preparations.

The incident began trivially.

「Another disappearance case in the District 13… Dozens annually, the District 13 has the highest rate of disappearance crimes in Lüdelheim」

It was just a brief article in a common local newspaper, nothing more.