9th Grade Civil Servant In Another World Chapter 74 - The Returning Hero (1)

“Hero Lucas Redan has returned! Everyone check the newspapers! Lucas Redan’s return!”

People flocked around the newspaper boy. The boy’s face beamed brightly as he received handfuls of coins and handed out newspapers.

It wasn’t simply the joy of selling out today’s papers.

‘Contact should come soon, right?’

Georg raised his hand high and laughed while hawking newspapers.

***

It’s summer.

Damn it, it’s summer.

Which means it’s already been almost three years since I fell into this shitty world.

So much has happened in three years.

How did I end up caught up in this insane mess? As I sighed deeply, a worried voice came from beside me.

“Lucas, what’s wrong?”

“Well, we have to kill Kruger, don’t we? No matter how I think about it, isn’t that a completely insane goal?”

“Are you saying that now?”

Erika shot back sharply.

“No, listen. We have to do that crazy thing or we won’t be able to rest in peace.”

“So?”

“Let’s do our best, that’s what.”

“How anticlimactic.”

Daniel chuckled.

A lavishly decorated train was racing non-stop from Le Chapen to Lüdelheim.

Having originally been produced as the Queen’s train, the interior was extremely elegant. The atmosphere was solemn with large guards standing here and there.

“Could I have a cup of coffee? With plenty of sugar.”

When I gestured, an attendant poured premium coffee.

We were able to ride in first class as escorts. Not just me, but Erika and Daniel too.

Thanks to the Queen’s special consideration.

The Queen was quite satisfied when she met the two people I introduced as ‘friends who share the same ideals.’

“Very promising young people. But be careful. Lord Redan is trying to corrupt you.”

The Queen’s insight was frighteningly accurate.

The train ran for three straight days.

The continental nations are quite large. Rubellia is 3.5 times the size of the Korean Peninsula, Schufaben about 4 times.

It wouldn’t be strange at all for trains to take several days from capital to capital.

A bright summer day.

I could see a floating castle hovering majestically against a backdrop of fluffy clouds.

The welcome ceremony prepared by the Schufaben side was quite a sight to behold.

A military band in traditional uniforms played cheerful music, and countless crowds—whether mobilized or voluntary—filled the plaza.

The Queen rode in an open carriage, graciously waving her hand.

‘Are relations better than expected, still?’

There had been diplomatic friction with neighboring countries after Kruger’s rise to power, but at least outwardly, everything appeared harmonious.

That cunning Kruger wouldn’t openly snub the Queen, though.

The Queen and her entourage were guided to a luxury hotel near the Rubellia embassy.

Here they would rest from travel fatigue and move according to schedule.

Of course, I had no intention of just sitting around waiting.

***

“Really pissed off, really pissed.”

Muttering followed by wisps of cigarette smoke dispersing.

The acrid smell still drifted faintly from District 13’s burned commercial district.

There seemed to be some newly built shops, as clean walls stood out here and there among the blackened, dirty walls.

Of course, most of the people who experienced that fire would have left this area. I couldn’t see the faces of shop owners I’d known among the bustling crowds now.

‘I wonder if they’re living well? They weren’t evicted by landlords for bad luck, were they?’

I should have handled the aftermath more thoroughly before leaving. Regret crossed my mind.

Well, if I’d had that kind of presence of mind, things wouldn’t have escalated this far anyway.

“As expected, it all… collapsed.”

Erika muttered beside me. A sliver of regret slipped through her indifferent voice.

Both of us had fled, abandoning the tavern as it burned. This was the first time seeing it reduced to ruins like this.

I made a sad expression and placed a white bouquet in front of the burned shop.

Pop! Pop!

Loud shutter sounds.

“Mr. Redan! Please look this way!”

“Just one comment please!”

“Miss Brightner!”

We were completely surrounded by dozens of reporters.

Having received my contact, they’d all responded quickly, and the media play was already in full swing.

Half of every newspaper’s front page featured my photo, half the Queen’s.

The headlines were quite impressive too.

「The Hero’s Return!」

Stories half-truth, half-boast about what I’d done in Rubellia, what achievements I’d made to promote friendship between the two nations, spread with all kinds of flowery language.

There were plenty of tabloids that made me the subject of nationalistic fervor—saying I’d taken control of Rubellia’s high society, that the Queen had been charmed by my stories and came to see the beautiful, powerful Schufaben for herself.

“There was a lovely bakery right next to this tavern.”

When I spoke, the surroundings went quiet. I could only hear the reporters frantically scribbling.

“The owner would hand me freshly baked bread every morning. It was probably the most delicious bread in the world.”

I gave a melancholy smile.

“Over there was a clothing shop.”

The crowd’s eyes swiveled following my outstretched arm.

“Beyond that was a butcher shop. Across the way was a fruit shop. On the opposite side was a beauty salon.”

I shook my head dramatically.

“All gone now.”

I blinked as if holding back tears, making my eyes bloodshot.

“For me, it was a shocking blow—like watching the world collapse. The reason I couldn’t show myself for so long was fear. Fear that because of those targeting me, even the people I love would get hurt.”

Sympathetic sighs flowed from here and there.

“But living in Rubellia made me realize something. That there’s more I can do than I thought. I simply did my best in everything, and was able to return like this.”

It wasn’t a lie. I just didn’t specify what that “everything” was.

“If there are those who waited for me, I want to express my gratitude.”

I bowed my head slightly, causing another flash barrage.

“Let’s go.”

Erika, dressed in a business suit, led me away.

She’d been introduced as my secretary for now. It was ridiculous for me to have a secretary when I didn’t even have a proper position, but still.

The romantic rumors between Erika and me were still going strong.

After dragging reporters around Lüdelheim until sunset, stirring up a commotion,

“Thank you for your hard work because of me.”

I entered the hotel with polite greetings.

It was truly a spectacular return.

***

“It’s been a while, Lucas!”

“Brother! I missed you.”

“You came back rather early.”

The tearful reunion took place on the hotel’s top floor.

Of course, this was only possible because it was Fael’s hotel. Naturally, I’d been involved in selecting accommodations.

Erika and I pretended to enter our rooms, then went back down to the first floor and hid in a secret passage.

Taking the hidden elevator to the top floor led to the space Bletter used.

This hotel received ordinary guests except for the top floor, but thoroughly concealed the fact that elves were involved in management.

Of course, in exchange for massive bribes to officials. This guy and that guy—I felt once again how thoroughly rotten Schufaben’s every level was.

There was a lot of catching up to do.

Oscar seemed to have worked hard to extract as much internal factory information as possible after being promoted to supervisor.

“I wrote down everything I heard, so read it later.”

Richard said he’d spent peaceful days as a diligent doctor.

“Very monotonous and pleasant. Still, it’s nice to meet again like this.”

He looked at Erika and me with a grin, as if we were the source of life’s troubles.

“Georg, how have you been?”

“Same as always. Selling newspapers all day, organizing the kids’ stories. Here, take this first. I can’t help as much as Oscar, but still.”

The boy, who’d grown quite tall, handed me a grimy, worn notebook.

“Thanks. We can analyze it together later. Anything else important?”

“Well, I wrote it in the notebook too, but the street bosses have changed a lot. But the back-alley kids’ dynamics and such…”

“There’s no such thing as trivial information, kid.”

“Don’t call me that!”

I was giggling while teasing Georg when the meeting room door burst open.

“Lucas!”

It was Fael, whose suit was slightly wrinkled and hair disheveled, clearly having rushed over.

“Have you been well? We have a lot to talk about.”

His sapphire eyes sparkled as he approached.

“It’s been a while.”

“Thanks for lending us the hotel.”

Erika and Daniel shook hands with him warmly, but I prostrated myself in front of Fael with a loud thud.

“Finally, you’ve arrived, Sir Fa-Elhar!”

“What…?”

“I’ve been desperately waiting to meet you, sir. Please accept this first.”

Crawling on my knees, I pressed a bag into the bewildered Fael’s hands.

“Rubellia National Bank account and keys, business plan? The deposit is…”

“Yes, yes, it’s a little over 200 million pelts.”

“This much investment capital?”

I rubbed my hands together like a fly while grinning.

“Well, there are circumstances. Many investors flocked to us!”

“Didn’t you say you’d take moderate investment and pull out? Wait, magic stones? What? The Queen?!”

Fael’s expression began to sour as he flipped through the business plan.

“Now don’t be so surprised…”

“Stand up, Lucas.”

Erika hauled me to my feet as I put on a sleazy voice.

“Ah, was that too much? Wasn’t it funny?”

“That’s not the problem.”

While Erika scolded me, Fael, who’d been scanning the documents, looked up.

“So the Queen got involved and the scam became troublesome. Humans really…”

Actually, Fael had been displeased when he learned of my plan belatedly. Hannah too.

As elves with merchant blood who valued credit, they instinctively felt repulsed by such deceptive acts.

“The rumors about magic stone mines are naturally…”

“Yeah, it was a lie.”

I plopped onto the sofa and looked up at him with the most pitiful expression I could muster.

“Haah…”

Fael let out a deep sigh and glared at me. A genuinely exasperated expression.

“What do you want me to do?”

“An excellent question.”

He’d asked. I grinned broadly and spread both hands. Business mode from here on.

“I’ve established a company. The name is simply Redan Corporation—call it Redan Company or Redan Mining Company, whatever you like. Daniel is officially the CEO, but unofficially, the one overseeing operations is…”

When I looked at Fael meaningfully, he let out a hollow laugh.

“Me?”

“Right. You’re the most successful merchant I know, and above all, you’re from the Great Desert, aren’t you? I thought about this a lot, Fael. This company isn’t ours. Even combining my, Daniel’s, and Erika’s shares doesn’t reach 10 percent. The Queen is the major shareholder. It’s essentially an enterprise subordinate to Rubellia’s Queen.

Oh, we’ll go public of course, but the ownership structure won’t change. That’s the Queen’s will. We originally promoted it as a premium business where only the most prestigious people could invest.

Anyway, it’s a headache, but the shareholders won’t come all the way to the Great Desert to supervise, right? Who’s handling operations, whether we hire identity-laundered elves—how would they know? They’ll all be in the Great Desert.”

“…Searching for magic stone mines in the vast Great Desert.”

Fael was already sitting across from me, legs crossed, tapping the table thoughtfully.

“Actually, it’s nearly impossible, but we absolutely must recover the investment. Even if it’s not mines, we need to discover something profitable. Any ideas?”

Fael, who’d been frowning slightly, glanced at Daniel.

“Why Daniel specifically?”

“I volunteered. Erika wanted to as well, but she has plenty to do here. And I wanted to see the Great Desert at least once.”

“Wow, it really feels like going on an adventure! Finding mines while crossing the Great Desert.”

“I heard there are many dragons sleeping in the sand. Can’t I go too?”

“Be especially careful of heat stroke. Bring plenty of clothes for the temperature differences.”

Watching the friends chatter excitedly, Fael shook his head.

“Nothing but people who’d fail at business.”

“That’s why I’m clinging to you. Please help me, Sir Fa-Elhar!”

When I begged as if ready to prostrate again, a strange smile played on his beautiful face.

“I’ll try. I was planning to return home soon anyway. But don’t expect too much. No matter who you put in charge behind the scenes, recovering this much investment is difficult, right?”

“Of course I know that. Just make it look like you’re trying. So the Queen can’t pressure me.”

“I’ll do my best.”

“Thank you so much!”

I’m saved!

I grabbed his hand and shook it vigorously.