9th Grade Civil Servant In Another World Chapter 45 - The Great Forest and Desert (4)

“Since you seem to be a somewhat trustworthy person, I’ll reveal this. We are the White Raven… not the Order, but rather called Bletter.”

“After animals, now it’s plants?”

I snorted. Bletter meant leaf or petal in ancient Schufaben.

“It contains the meaning of returning to the Great Forest.”

“Even though it’s been a thousand years since the forest was destroyed and you’ve wandered the desert?”

“Because it’s our homeland.”

A thousand years ago, when the human empire split apart and was engulfed in civil war.

Even the elves, who were an exclusive race but still managed to maintain trade relations with humans, were caught up in bloodshed.

The civil war covered the entire continent for decades, and the refugees that poured out began wandering beyond borders, destroying and clearing the Great Forest.

They set fires to the forest to create slash-and-burn fields, and hunted the livestock that elves raised indiscriminately.

The outraged elves declared war, adding to the continent’s chaos, but ultimately couldn’t overcome humanity’s numbers.

Combined with unprecedented climate change—comparable to Earth’s little ice age—the Great Forest gradually dried up. Trees withered in the increasingly cold weather and became humans’ firewood.

Thus, the Great Forest perished.

The place where the forest once stood gradually became desert. The humans left again, but the elves who couldn’t bear to abandon their homeland adapted and survived.

There were also those who escaped the great desert and infiltrated strange human countries.

Originally, elves were a race with developed commerce. Naturally, the refugees also chose the path of merchants. They mostly became traveling merchants moving in extended family units or became moneylenders engaged in usury.

Perhaps because of this, elves eventually gained the image of misers who were obsessed with money.

“Well, that’s enough of that. I feel sorry for the elves’ situation too, but it’s not something that can be undone. Let’s talk about what we each want first.”

What do you mean you feel sorry?!

The Lucas inside me squawked noisily, but I ignored him and looked calmly at Fa-Elhar. He was stroking his chin with an amused expression.

“First, let’s hear Bletter’s… that is, your side’s conditions. If we cooperate with the same goal, what do you want from the White Raven Order?”

“It would be good if we could treat yourself quite harshly. You did say you’d definitely become a hostage.”

“How harshly?”

“Could we tie you up tightly to the cathedral spire?”

At his utterly serious question, I let out a ridiculous laugh.

The cathedral was in Lüdelheim’s District 1, the headquarters of Schufaben’s religious forces. It was also a place that even Kruger couldn’t—or rather, wouldn’t—touch.

While Kruger cunningly oppressed religious influence, he outwardly protected religion.

It was probably a political gesture to deceive the people rather than because that bastard was devout.

“I can do that. Getting as much attention as possible is my goal anyway. The day I’ll be praised as a hero isn’t far off. Since my fame will soon fall and the attention will soon disappear, I need to squeeze out the benefits before then. If it can create this kind of buzz, it would be perfect.”

In short, let’s add some fuel to the fire.

“…Are you serious?”

“I’m serious.”

“Hahaha, you really are an interesting person.”

Fa-Elhar laughed with his pleasant tenor voice.

“Then good. We’ll tie you to the spire in the middle of the night. Along with a statement criticizing Kruger. When you’re rescued and investigated, keeping quiet about us is basic. You know that, right?”

“You mean don’t reveal that you’re Bletter? Then what should I say?”

“White Raven Order.”

He answered briefly.

“White Raven Order… So you’ll continue using our name.”

“We haven’t been able to use any name until now. Unlike you, we can’t be in the spotlight. Now let us operate under the name White Raven Order. That’s the second condition.”

“You’ll continue with assassinations and terrorism?”

When he nodded, I grinned.

“I’ll allow it.”

We both wanted to eliminate those who collaborated with Kruger. If I could avoid getting blood on my hands while making the White Raven Order seem like a large force, that would be perfect.

“Now let me hear the conditions you want. I’m curious what crazy story you’ll tell.”

Fa-Elhar elegantly crossed his legs like a nobleman.

“Hmm, I have two things as well.”

I held up two fingers.

“Money. And ongoing cooperation.”

“Money?”

Fa-Elhar tilted his head.

“Right. I’m trying to make some investments but I lack seed money. And the more activity funds, the better, right? It’s good if you lend it, even better if you just give it. What, turned off because I’m being too money-focused?”

“No, I’m just surprised. Don’t humans usually consider money talk vulgar? Especially with elves.”

“What’s vulgar about it? Money is so important in this world.”

I frowned slightly and shot back.

I was someone who worked in sales.

I knew that to sell one item, I had to sacrifice one piece of my pride.

I knew that those trivial numbers on ledgers were carved through unimaginably difficult processes.

That’s the kind of person I was.

“And where are humans and elves when it comes to money talk? It’s ridiculous to look down on someone just because their ears are a bit longer. Earlier at the bank, that Assad fellow—since he cut his ears, no one could tell he was an elf.

How many elf hybrids have been born over hundreds of years? Are they betrayers of humanity then? Or monsters?”

“…It’s not just the long ears.”

“What, the brown skin? Look here, are you showing off your healthy complexion? Look at my skin. If you think this is more beautiful, your eyes are crooked.”

I rolled up my sleeves again to show my pale, sickly white skin.

“I heard you rescued a kidnapped young lady, so I thought you’d be quite robust, but seeing you in person, you’re more frail than I expected!”

Still, there were customers like this when they first came to the bar.

Even when the words “Didn’t you see my photo in the newspaper?” rose to the tip of my tongue, I endured it and smiled.

It’s not like I wanted to end up in this weak body either.

If only I could have entered the body of a rich, handsome, cheerful, and physically fit human! How wonderful that would have been!

I huffed as if unable to contain my indignation, and Fa-Elhar slowly blinked in surprise.

‘Ah, doesn’t this kind of overacting work?’

However, he quietly waited for me to calm down.

“…Sorry, I got a bit excited.”

“No. Want another cup of tea?”

He offered tea with a much friendlier tone and gentle eyes.

‘Success!’

I resisted the urge to clench my fist and obediently drank my tea.

The two deep-rooted humiliations of elves. The miser nickname and appearance discrimination.

Hmm, I thought I might be able to use this.

So when Fa-Elhar threw the bait, I made an even bigger fuss.

It was a show mixing generous exaggeration with my genuine feelings.

For Fa-Elhar, who might acknowledge me as a ‘White Raven Order strategist’ but couldn’t completely trust me as a person.

It seemed to have worked to some extent.

“Right, I understand why you need money, but what do you mean by ongoing cooperation?”

“Exactly what I said. Now that we’ve met through fate, it would be a shame to end it with just this once, right? I need to extract compensation for making me suffer.”

“What else do you need besides money?”

“A lot. For instance, rumors that the White Raven Order accepts even elves without discrimination?”

Fa-Elhar pondered thoughtfully with his fingertips pressed together.

“Rumors that elves are mixed in would actually harm public opinion, wouldn’t it?”

“Maybe, maybe not. Think about it. Who would be the forces opposing Kruger?”

“Well, first there would be the fallen among the old royalty and nobility. And some clergy and awakened intellectuals, the remaining royalists and naive humans with republican ideals.”

I nodded.

“Right, mostly the oppressed. Look, there might be anti-establishment organizations here and there, but currently the most widely known is the White Raven Order, right? They don’t get caught, they cause incidents everywhere. If they’re even open enough to accept ‘dirty’ elves?”

“Unless they’re extreme discriminators who hate us elves more than Kruger, they’d at least be interested and watch. They might even gain favor if things go well.”

“Exactly.”

Fa-Elhar fell silent for a moment.

During the time it took to empty a cup of tea, the sky outside was completely swallowed by darkness.

It was a new moon.

“Amazing. You are wise.”

Fa-Elhar finally spoke.

“I’ll gratefully accept the compliment.”

“And dangerous too.”

“Once again, thanks for the compliment.”

When I grinned, Fa-Elhar smiled as well.

“Good. I’ll make a contract with you.”

I looked at him with slight surprise.

A contract.

Elves don’t use the word contract lightly. In some ways, it’s a word they speak more carefully than ‘promise,’ with more trust.

“Should we write up a contract then?”

“No need. Sharing our hearts is enough.”

He stood up abruptly and walked to one side of the room. He opened a small steel safe and took out bundles of bills, placing them on the table.

“Contract money. 10 million pelts. You can’t take it now, so I’ll have one of our organization members deliver it to your shop later.”

“Good, Fa-Elhar. I heard that when an elf gives someone money for free, it means they trust that person. I’ll trust you too.”

He smiled gently.

“As I said before, please call me Fael.”

I grasped and shook the politely extended hand.

It was a warm hand, no different from a human’s.

“Well, shall we start preparing?”

Assad, who had been standing quietly, brought a blindfold, rope, and sack.

It was time to go get hung.

Before entering the sack, I suddenly looked at Fael and asked.

“Fael, can you use magic too?”

He frowned slightly.

“Do you think all elves are mages?”

“I guess so. Sorry. Then how are you planning to hang me on the spire?”

“But I am a mage. Of course I plan to do it with magic.”

This time my face crumpled.

***

The janitors sweeping dust from the roads around the cathedral in Lüdelheim’s District 1 had come to work early as usual today, doing their tedious work.

“Yaaawn…”

The middle-aged janitor opened his mouth wide, yawned, and moved his broom.

The roads in the District 1 were famous for being really clean, but that was because the janitors desperately swept and scrubbed every day. It wasn’t like the District 1 residents threw less trash on the roads.

“Mister, mister!”

A young janitor working in the same group suddenly ran over and urgently tapped his shoulder.

“What, why?”

“Look over there. What does that look like to you?”

“Where?”

“The highest spire of the cathedral!”

The tower, slightly shrouded in darkness, was just standing tall as usual.

“What? I don’t see anything strange.”

“Look carefully! There’s something hanging from the tip of the spire! Isn’t that a person?”

Startled by the young man’s words, he opened his eyes wide and desperately stared at the tower.

As dawn faintly broke.

Just for a moment, clouds moved and dawn sunlight shone on the tower.

“Oh my goodness! What is that!”

He jumped up and ended up falling on his bottom.

It was definitely the shape of a person.

Something that looked like a drooping corpse was dangling from the top of the spire.

“Right! It’s a person, right!”

“Hey, qu-quickly go call the others. Police! I’ll go to the police station!”

“Yes! Everyone! Please come over here!”

Hearing the young man’s shout, janitors began gathering at the cathedral.

***

The sound of murmuring could be heard faintly.

I carefully opened my tightly closed eyes and looked down, then quickly closed them again with a dizzy feeling.

“Ugh, shit…”

A whimpering sound leaked through my teeth.

I thought I didn’t have acrophobia.

However, being hung on a structure clearly over 100 meters high for an entire night was a completely different matter.

Fael had chanted a spell and climbed up the spire.

It was like watching a movie. Like a scene where someone uses sticky stuff to cling to building windows.

Flight was possible, but going too high was difficult?

Carried on Fael’s back with my eyes peeking out of the sack, I was impressed. At least until then.

Fael tied me tightly to the pointed tower tip and climbed back down, and I watched him return with Assad’s support.

‘This is killing me.’

The night spent hanging in mid-air was terrible.

I couldn’t move my body for fear that if the bindings loosened even a little, I’d fall immediately, and though it was spring, the cold wind kept hitting my face, making my cheeks numb.

Right now I was trembling with cold and fear, shedding tears.

“You there! Are you alive?! Answer if you can hear us!!!”

Multiple voices like a chorus could be heard from the ground.

Very carefully, I looked down once more. Dozens of people had gathered and were shouting up at me with their hands cupped like megaphones.

Feeling relief slowly seeping in, I screamed at the top of my lungs.

“I’m aliiiiive! Save meeeeee!”