9th Grade Civil Servant In Another World Chapter 6 - This F*cking Another World (6)

“We are in crisis.”

“We are in crisis.”

The Colonel quietly closed his eyes and recalled eighteen years ago.

That cheering. That euphoria.

His youth filled with vigor, when he had been among tens of thousands in the crowd, looking up at the Supreme Leader with reverence.

The brightest day of his life.

He could still recite perfectly the speech the Supreme Leader had given that day.

“The nation is divided, and the country has declined. But our great time has now begun. Schufaben has now awakened.

I know this. My comrades, my people! I know that times of anguish will continue for you. The revolution you desired came neither from the royalists nor from the republicans.

But now it will be different.

Struggle! Triumph!

One people, one nation, one dream!

Just as parched earth yearns for rain and wind, Schufaben desires only one thing. Revolution! A true revolution will come.

Schufabens, awaken!”

Bang bang! Ba-ba-bam!

A thunderous symphony rang out.

Kruger on stage spread both arms wide. The sound of supporting actors gathering and cheering filled the theater.

The audience in the seats held their breath, swallowing tears of overwhelming emotion.

As the music subsided, Kruger came down from the podium and shouted to the audience.

“Schufaben will become one.”

“Under God’s will.”

The Colonel whispered.

“Under my will.”

The actor said clearly.

The stage curtain fell, and the orchestra began playing a cheerful ending song.

When the curtain opened again shortly after, the actors came out, smiling brightly as they bowed.

“Waaaah!”

“Oh my!”

The audience rose from their seats and applauded.

However, only the Colonel sitting in the very back row, right in the center, did not stand up.

He was trembling while gripping the armrest of his seat. His complexion turned red and blue by turns.

The adjutant sitting next to him watched him nervously.

“Colonel…?”

Bang!

Crash!

The moment the adjutant called out to him, the enraged Colonel’s punch shattered the chair in front of him.

“Oh my!”

The bald man who had been sitting in the chair fell backward onto the floor, and all the audience members turned around at the loud noise.

***

“Huh? What’s that?”

I was observing the situation from the catwalk on stage when I looked down at the audience due to the sudden commotion.

Thud!

The lighting technician, reading the room well, shot a spotlight toward the troublesome audience member.

A man in a black uniform with a rigidly hardened face.

“Huukh!”

The bald man who had been about to argue fell backward again, startled as if his breath had stopped.

The Ossel Colonel in uniform.

He was a fearsome presence just to encounter on the street, but now he was furious, breathing heavily while glaring at the stage, naturally freezing the atmosphere around him.

“Oh, Ossel!”

“Long live the Great Supreme Leader!”

The startled audience members awkwardly put their fists to their chests and saluted, but the Colonel didn’t seem to care.

With his face flushed red and breathing roughly, he walked up to the front of the stage while receiving everyone’s stares.

“Where is the playwright?! This, this reactionary bastard!!!”

Unable to control his emotions, he trembled furiously as he pulled out a pistol from his jacket and waved it around wildly.

Of course, the audience members who had been deeply moved by the play couldn’t understand his anger. They were just frozen in place, holding their breath from instinctive fear of the special police.

The adjutant quickly looked through the theater program.

Director — Emil Hoffman

Script — Emil Hoffman

General Manager — Emil Hoffman

After whispering something to the Colonel, he said quietly.

“Emil Hoffman. Come forward.”

His heavy voice filled the theater even though it wasn’t loud. Hoffman in the front row jumped up and saluted.

“It’s an honor, Colonel!”

His thick belly was shaking as he tried not to tremble.

“Are you the scriptwriter?! Huh!”

The enraged Colonel waved his pistol and shouted.

“How dare you insult the Supreme Leader! That person who bears the burden of the nation under God’s will! You turned him into a vile person driven by desire and lust for power! Did you think I wouldn’t know! You wicked heretic reactionary bastard!!!”

Not only the audience, but even the adjutant didn’t look like they understood him.

But only I, hidden in the shadows and looking down at the chaos, could fully understand.

Because I had deliberately changed the last line for exactly this purpose.

Kruger’s Supreme Leader inauguration speech was very well known.

It was often rebroadcast on radio as a famous speech, and the speech collection sold like hotcakes.

And what he said after coming down from the podium was also extremely famous.

‘Schufaben will become one. Under God’s will.’

Kruger described in <Revolution> that his mother was a devout believer.

Perhaps he was influenced by his mother.

No, whether he was devout or not, he must have learned how to use ‘religion’ while climbing the path to power.

Religion and ethnicity.

These were the two swords the Supreme Leader possessed.

Having realized this while reading <Revolution>, I modified the final line that closed the play.

‘Schufaben will become one. Under my will.’

Just arbitrarily changing the Supreme Leader’s globally well-known words could be seen as treason if viewed cynically.

I thought that if there was anyone who could pick up on the mocking nuance contained within, they would surely be horrified.

‘I was thinking of reporting Hoffman. But I never expected Ossel to show up. And a Colonel at that.’

I was initially flustered, but then thought it was actually better this way.

The nominal person in charge of this play was definitely Hoffman. Lucas Redan couldn’t get his name on the report or even the program.

Even though play production was just troublesome and not particularly an achievement, Hoffman didn’t want to share even that small credit. Of course, he probably also wanted to hide his own slacking off.

It was truly like something a corrupt boss would do, but now it was time for him to receive the consequences.

It didn’t matter if Hoffman testified ‘I didn’t know anything, Lucas Redan did all the work.’

Only he and I knew that the script was entirely my work, and anyway, Hoffman had consistently shown his face at rehearsals and interfered with this and that, so no matter who looked at it, it would sound unconvincing.

All or nothing.

I would be dragged away by those bastards again. Maybe I’d even die.

But that bastard Hoffman would definitely be ruined.

In the audience aisle, the Colonel was still raging.

“Arrest them all! Everyone involved in the performance!”

A twisted smile slowly appeared on my face.

***

“I told you we shouldn’t meet again.”

I weakly met the gaze of the cold-looking youth in uniform.

It was Ossel Major, who had enjoyed my clown act just the day before.

“It wasn’t what I wanted. Not last time, and not this time either.”

“Well, it doesn’t matter.”

The Ossel put on white gloves on both hands, dipped them in water, and slapped me hard.

“Ghhh!”

An involuntary suppressed scream burst out.

My left cheek felt like it might fall off and my head was ringing, but he swung his other hand.

“Ghhhk! I, I’m sorry!”

Perhaps because of the Colonel’s anger, the level of violence had clearly escalated, and I immediately groveled and apologized.

“What are you sorry for? No, do you even know what you did?”

Ossel asked with a strange smile, just as I had expected.

Ptui!

I spat out the blood pooled in my mouth and shouted urgently.

“I heard that Chief Clerk Hoffman insulted the Supreme Leader!”

“You had no idea about that?”

While maintaining a frightened expression, I spoke in a tone that would clearly convey my intent to the other party.

“I, I was in charge of the practical work, but I did everything as he instructed. The script was also reviewed and revised by the Chief Clerk several times, and most importantly…”

I let my voice trail off as if hesitating.

“Most importantly, what?”

Ossel raised his hand. I trembled convulsively and twisted my body.

“Hiiiik! I, I’ll tell you! I’ll tell you! Before the rehearsal, the Chief Clerk called me and ordered me to change the last line!”

“How did he tell you to change it?”

“From ‘God’s will’ to ‘my will.'”

The Ossel fell into thought for a moment.

“Didn’t you notice anything strange?”

“I’m sorry! But I’ve always done as the Chief Clerk commanded. The Chief Clerk was the final decision maker. Even with the half-elf actress last time…”

I stopped mid-sentence and cut off with a surprised expression.

The Ossel’s eyes flashed.

“Last time?”

“I wasn’t familiar with agencies, so I asked the Chief Clerk for recommendations. I called the place he said had the best reputation to request actors, but unfortunately she…”

That was true.

When Lucas submitted the casting report, Hoffman had interfered tremendously while recommending several agencies.

Of course, he probably didn’t have any particular ulterior motive.

“Hmm.”

Ossel smiled strangely and thought about something for a while, then began swinging his hands again.

Smack!

Thud! Crack!

Only the sounds of beating echoed in the concrete room for a while.

‘Fucking hell!’

While receiving the rain of violence, I suppressed the Korean curse that almost burst out.

It hurt like hell, but since I didn’t feel much malice from his indifferent touch, it was bearable.

“Sorry about that.”

Saying this, the Ossel twisted his thin lips. Cruelty oozed from the corner of his mouth that was raised on one side.

After enduring the time of suffering, I was given a reward.

“Cough cough! I don’t know anything! I didn’t do it!”

As soon as I came out the door wearing a sack over my head following the Ossel’s guidance, I heard a terrible scream.

“Kuaaaaghhhhh!”

This voice was definitely Hoffman’s.

“I’m telling you again, what I did…! I didn’t know! The subordinates must have, cough, changed it!”

“Does that make sense! Weren’t you the one in charge!”

“But all the work was done by Clerk Assistant Redan, that bastard, aaaahk!”

“Shut up! You didn’t know the script was changed right before the performance, what disgusting lies! Even if what you’re saying is true, we have no choice but to hold you responsible for neglecting your duties!”

“Please! Please! Heuaak!”

Slap! Bang!

I didn’t know what kind of tool they were beating him with, but Hoffman’s agonized screams were so miserable.

Ossel Major stopped me as I walked trembling.

“Do you happen to have anything you’d like to say to him?”

Ossel asked in a leisurely voice.

“What? To the Chief Clerk?”

“Aren’t you curious how his expression will change when he faces you?”

I realized.

This was another one of Ossel’s games.

***

Regardless of my wishes, I was sitting face to face with Hoffman.

There were only the two of us in the room.

Unlike the two rooms I had experienced, this place was quite spacious and had a bathtub prepared in the corner.

‘Water torture…’

My face naturally frowned.

Hoffman was a mess.

His hair, which he always combed back neatly, was disheveled, and his fat body, wearing only shabby pants, had bruises here and there.

For some reason, anger and irritation welled up. And I felt like laughing madly.

The cruel pleasure of cornering someone who had screwed me over.

The very fact that I could feel such emotions was terrifying, yet I didn’t particularly want to turn away from it.

When I looked at him expressionlessly, Hoffman’s face became even more distorted.

“I, I know too.”

He whispered with a metallic voice.

“You did it, didn’t you? Right? Right. Just say it. Just tell me once that you did it.”

“…”

“Please, please I’m begging you. Just say it was a prank! Then we’ll be safe. Both of us can get out alive! Look, look at my hands.”

He showed me his hands.

Half-pulled out fingernails.

Self-inflicted wounds on his palms.

When I saw them before the performance earlier, they had healed somewhat after receiving treatment, but now they had burst open again and blood was flowing.

“If I stay like this, I’ll die. When I meet God, whose name do you think I’ll give as the murderer? Your name. It won’t be the executioner or Ossel who killed me, but you. Is that still okay with you?”

At that moment, I felt no emotion at all.

At the sight of someone filled with sin being confident that he would pass through the gates of heaven himself.

With a crooked smile, I whispered to him.

“You said you could die for the Supreme Leader, but when the opportunity comes, why aren’t you happy?”

Hoffman’s face twisted uglily.

“Lucaaaaaas! You bastard!”

The trapped man wailed.