9th Grade Civil Servant In Another World Chapter 35 - Modern Man's Constitution Improvement (10)

The winter banks of the Mire River were desolate.

Among the yellowed, dried reeds, sandpipers scurried around searching for food, and when the cutting wind blew, the snow-covered underbrush swayed, occasionally revealing the burrows of hibernating raccoons.

“Certainly… quite inconspicuous.”

Bang! Click!

The loud sounds scattered a flock of birds with a flutter.

A short man in a black coat took several shots of the reed bed with a large camera, then pushed through them to find a hidden cave.

Since the police had officially closed the investigation, there was no one guarding the cave to prevent contamination of the scene.

According to the police announcement, they intended to track down and eliminate not just the individual kidnapper, but the mysterious organization called the ‘White Raven Order.’

The man holding a lantern and examining the inside of the cave pulled out a file folder from his bag. It was investigation materials that had been stored inside the police station.

The man carefully compared the photos in the file with the scene inside the cave.

“There was graffiti on that wall over there…”

Those deplorable sentences were apparently diligently erased by the patrol officers. Below the unusually clean cave wall, he could see the large rock where Miss Brightner was said to have been found.

The man began measuring his paces from the rock to the cave entrance.

“Though the ceiling is low, the cave is quite deep. About thirty steps.”

Walking back and forth while examining the floor, the man compared the faded bloodstains with the photos.

“He definitely said he crawled along the floor.”

The man named Lucas Redan had testified that he was severely injured fighting the kidnapper, and after the kidnapper fled, he crawled to the entrance and called for help.

The man read the part of the report describing Lucas Redan’s wounds and traced his hand over his clothes in the same manner.

“To suddenly flee, leaving behind an opponent injured to this extent. Certainly without finishing him off.”

Lucas Redan had stated that the perpetrator ran into the reed bed carrying the weapon he had stabbed him with.

“But it snowed that day, so the tracks were damaged.”

The man lay down at the cave entrance and looked outside.

“Even with the moon up, you can barely see in front of your nose, let alone into the reed bed.”

The man dusted himself off, stood up, and spoke dryly.

“Perjury. No, a fabricated incident.”

But why?

Stabbing oneself in hopes of uncertain compensation.

Was he simply a fool with strong willpower?

Or perhaps… unless this whole thing was lies from beginning to end.

However, all the circumstances fit together too perfectly to dismiss it that way.

The man quietly took out his pen and began writing in his notebook.

***

A massive creature resembling a lizard waddled around.

Beautiful golden scales glittered under the chandelier’s light.

A bright red tongue flicking through the air, delicate blue eyes like glass craftswork.

A very rare creature with the power to captivate the hearts of all who saw it.

It was a gold dragon.

However, anyone who saw that incredibly beautiful creature would immediately wear a pitiful expression.

Its right wing was grotesquely twisted in deformity, hanging down unsightly.

It was a disability that developed after an accident in its youth.

Unable to maintain proper balance, it had to walk awkwardly, and the tip of its right wing, dragging along the splendid, smooth marble floor, had scales scraped off revealing raw flesh underneath.

But no one dared mock it.

That gold dragon was none other than the Supreme Leader’s pet, ‘Chryseus.’

A tall man with blonde hair and blue eyes was soaking his body in a massive bubble bath.

His age was known to be 60, but in reality he was about five years older than that.

However, his sharp jawline and smooth skin without a single wrinkle, along with his perfectly maintained, luxurious hair, made him look like a man in his twenties.

This was thanks to all the magical benefits that only the supreme leader of this country, Schufaben, could enjoy.

After enjoying contemplation with his eyes closed for a while, he slowly raised his body.

As soon as he emerged from the bathtub dripping water, uniformed people rushed over to dry him off and drape a robe over him.

When he silently spread his arms, the gold dragon Chryseus waddled over and nestled into his embrace.

“Yes, good boy.”

Kruger smiled and stroked the smooth scales.

A place where everything went according to Supreme Leader Kruger’s will, a miniature of Schufaben’s order.

This was the center of Lüdelheim, the Supreme Leader’s residence.

“Eve.”

Kruger, wearing only a robe as he walked through the vast bedroom, spoke.

The woman who had been following him like a shadow bowed her head slightly.

“Yes, Supreme Leader.”

“What do you think? About that fellow.”

“Are you referring to the man who rescued Miss Brightner?”

“Yes.”

When the Supreme Leader answered lightly and extended his hand into the air, the woman respectfully offered one of several file folders she had been carrying.

A report submitted by Adjutant Ferint.

His eyes scanned the words ‘Possibility of Perjury.’

All materials produced in Lüdelheim flowed to the Supreme Leader’s residence. Without even the knowledge of those who created them.

Separate from direct reports, Kruger chuckled after reading the documents about the young man’s supposed heroic rescue of the kidnapped woman.

It was utterly suspicious.

While ordering the police to solve the case quickly to prevent public unrest, he had separately sent people to investigate.

His personal guard unit, Ferint, was far more trustworthy than the ragtag police organization.

And today, a report had come in suggesting that the man named Lucas Redan appeared to have staged a self-harm show to raise his value.

A delighted smile appeared on the Supreme Leader’s lips.

‘So desperate to survive that you’d go that far?’

A human frantically wallowing in filth for the tiniest gain.

How could this not be fascinating?

“Give him a medal.”

“Yes, Supreme Leader.”

“Package that street rat up nicely and treat him like a real hero. That should move the people quite a bit.”

“You speak wisely.”

If he went so far as to pull such a stunt to get more money and attention, then so be it.

“Turn a blind eye. It’s entertaining.”

The Supreme Leader set Chryseus down with a grin.

***

“Fighting with a kidnapper. That was good theater.”

Lucas Redan’s shoulders visibly stiffened at the whispered, melodious voice.

Though his complexion had never been particularly good, Redan’s face instantly drained of all color, making him look like a corpse.

His pupils rolled around frantically, unable to find their bearings, before beginning to shake wildly.

“Su-Su-Su-Supreme Leader, such… that I gave false testimony was…”

His shrinking voice was barely audible, drowned out by the already noisy crowd.

“I, I was just, to save Miss Brightner, no, to ease Supreme Leader’s concerns, no, just as Supreme Leader’s faithful citizen doing what was only natural…!”

As he rambled incoherently and seemed about to faint again, I reached out to steady his shoulder.

“Why are you so nervous?”

“I-I-I have committed a mortal sin…!”

Kruger’s lips curved gently at the thrilling sensation spreading from his toes.

‘How beautiful.’

Watching his army move in perfect unison beneath him was good, and having anything accomplished with a single glance or gesture was pleasant, but the sight of this insignificant creature crying, pleading, and begging over some trivial mistake was breathtakingly beautiful.

This lowly and weak…

“Keep up the good work.”

Kruger gently turned Lucas Redan around and smiled toward the countless cameras.

The cheers grew louder and louder.

***

“Ugh, here again. How tedious.”

Those were the first words that came out as soon as the blindfold was removed.

A stark, empty, square concrete room.

In the space with only two chairs, a very familiar-faced man sat in the opposite chair smoking a cigarette.

I nodded to Lieutenant Philip Decker, who had removed my blindfold. When he left the room with a mocking expression, Major Johann Werner offered me a cigarette.

“Thanks.”

I answered dryly and lit up. My eardrums, ruptured by the Supreme Leader’s roar during the day, throbbed painfully.

Slight tinnitus and dizziness.

‘I should ask Richard to disinfect it. It’s probably just a small tear anyway…’

Thinking that as I finished the cigarette, Johann finally spoke.

“How glorious. The Supreme Leader suspects you enough to order a personal interrogation.”

“What bullshit?!”

I reflexively shot back and chuckled.

“Yeah, somehow he figured out that you self-harmed.”

“Anything beyond that?”

“He didn’t seem to know.”

When Kruger mockingly called it ‘theater,’ I really thought I was going to faint.

Due to time and budget constraints, it wasn’t a plan I had carried out as meticulously as writing a movie script, but I had still done my best.

I couldn’t fathom how the fabrication had been exposed and reports had reached the Supreme Leader himself.

But after barely maintaining my composure in that critical moment and thinking it through, this was inevitable once the Supreme Leader had already taken interest.

‘So that’s why I felt so uneasy?’

Was this the source of that ominous premonition? I rolled my eyes around like someone who couldn’t understand the situation while rapidly developing my thoughts.

‘Fighting with a kidnapper. Theater. Theater? The Supreme Leader wasn’t angry. He was simply amused. And I could feel his contempt too.

If he had discovered that the White Raven Order anti-government organization, the analysis of disappearance cases, and even Erika’s kidnapping were all fabricated, there’s no way he wouldn’t be furious.

From the countless materials that bastard Lucas had collected and analyzed, Kruger was quite narcissistic and emotional, but also more ruthless than anyone. There’s no way he’d leave alone someone trying to oppose him…’

Then was that smile directed at a pitiful young man desperately struggling just to catch his eye?

Having reached my conclusion, I trembled all over and fully displayed fear and despair toward him.

To this country’s supreme ruler, I was simply someone who wanted to play hero in a pathetic way, to appear handsomely in newspaper articles, to receive even a little more reward money.

For such petty reasons, a stupid young man who cut and slashed his own flesh.

‘Yes, mock me again and again. I’ll become an even more despicable and stupid fool.’

With all my might, I acted the role of a clumsy soul trembling at questioning, already exposed by my own expression.

I prayed to be remembered as such a trivial, insect-like figure.

As someone who posed no threat to him whatsoever.

“…And I succeeded.”

After listening to my quiet words, Johann fell silent for a moment.

“Are you certain?”

A cold question returned. I shrugged.

“If it hadn’t been successful, would I be sitting here? If it hadn’t been, would the Supreme Leader have simply ordered the Ossel organization managing District 13 to extract the truth from me? He could have had me shot on the spot and it wouldn’t have been excessive. Or I could have been stabbed to death on the way home…”

Of course, Kruger himself had absolutely not given the order directly to Johann. He would have simply told the Ossel to handle it.

That’s why I was dragged here with great commotion for a ‘follow-up investigation’ after going home, proudly showing off my medal to Mrs. Schmidt, laughing heartily, and sleeping like a baby.

“Kruger was already planning to use me. You can tell just from how that supposed master of speeches gave me a medal and made an impromptu speech.

But if he held such a grand ceremony and then punished or killed me, what would happen? Naturally the people would fall into confusion. He could cover it up, but why would he bother with such troublesome work?

So through the Ossel, through you—”

“Quietly find out the truth and send me away?”

I nodded lightly.

“More precisely, it would be your superior’s job, the colonel, wasn’t it?”

Johann smiled coldly.

“He has no interest in such trivial matters. Even if it’s the Supreme Leader’s order. He’s too busy ranting about crushing the White Raven Order.”

“Really? Pursuing real ‘loyalty’ over catching the Supreme Leader’s eye? A rare loyal retainer. Well, whatever.”

I stretched and straightened my back.

“Begin the investigation.”

For a while, only my mumbling voice echoed in the concrete room.

“I wanted to appear as if I had done something more impressive. There was no kidnapper. When I discovered Miss Brightner, I suddenly felt an impulse to be praised by people… I staged it to look like I had fought with the knife that was in the cave. When I really thought I might die, I went outside to call for help. I threw the knife in the river to avoid being caught…”

***

After reading the statement, Kruger chuckled. Then he immediately erased it from his mind.