9th Grade Civil Servant In Another World Chapter 76 - Another World Army Officer (1)

“Ah, shit, this isn’t right.”

Clatter!

“Ugh!”

Whether the wheel hit a rock or something, my body bounced up from the sudden vibration and slammed my head against the carriage ceiling.

“Damn it!”

I was rubbing the top of my head and cursing when the carriage suddenly stopped and my aide’s voice rang out.

“General, are you alright?”

“Ah, I’m fine. No, I’m alright. Don’t worry about it and keep going.”

“Understood.”

More nauseating vibrations. I took a deep breath and opened the window to look outside.

Rugged mountain ridges stretching out, peaks piled with eternal snow came into view. The dizzyingly high summits were shrouded in clouds, barely visible.

It was quite a majestic landscape, but from my position having to cross through those mountain ranges, it only made me sigh.

‘Why the hell did things turn out this way?’

I’m currently climbing the Colt Mountains, Schufaben’s northern border. The border defense unit, the 36th Infantry Division, is positioned at the foot of the mountains.

‘Colt’ means black, so you could roughly call it the Black Mountains in Korean.

Fitting the name, thick forests of trees spread out densely on both sides of the narrow path.

I get off the train at the station at the bottom of the mountain and take a carriage, winding and clattering up the mountain. I’m going to die from motion sickness.

There’s supposedly a route that goes through the mountain range, but the 36th Division is in a completely different location, so I have no choice but to travel this way.

“Cough! Cough!”

Even though I’m breathing in this good mountain air, coughs burst out as if my lung disease is acting up.

It’s already chilly since it’s September, but the shaded mountain slopes are cold enough for ice to form. The climate is completely different from the capital Lüdelheim.

Well, this Colt mountain range is the boundary between the central and northern parts of the continent.

Schufaben is in the central region so the climate is relatively mild, but the northern border area is gradually approaching a cold climate.

Suddenly, memories of training at the front lines in Korea came back to me, making my whole body break out in goosebumps.

“Shit! To think I’d be doing military service again at this age!”

The joke about ‘serving in two armies’ has really come true!

To be thrown back to the front lines with such a weak body, so hastily, with such a high rank!

The two stars attached to my crisp military uniform felt unpleasant every time I looked at them. I’m not happy about this at all!

“That bastard Kruger!”

I buried my face in Colin’s fur as he put his feet on my knees as if to comfort me, and cursed under my breath to keep it from leaking out.

Ever since receiving my assignment, only an intense murderous intent toward that bastard has been boiling in my heart.

***

“Your Excellency, I am, I am truly honored! To meet Your Excellency again like this! If you were to tell me to jump through the clouds right now, I would do so! Hiccup!”

He’s trying his best.

Looking at the young man crying and hiccupping constantly, Kruger thought.

He’s making an expression full of emotion, but it can’t be sincere.

Lucas Redan.

The swindler of the century who had the gall to lie to the entire nation and even tried to deceive the Supreme Leader.

To achieve national unity, he had made this braggart into a hero and even given him a medal.

He thought that would satisfy him, but Lucas Redan, who kept interfering in various matters and creating confrontations with the reactionary group ‘White Raven Order,’ was kidnapped and even suffered terrorism. Apparently frightened, he disappeared.

It’s not like he was monitoring his every move.

He simply discovered the name Lucas Redan while reading a report from the Rubellia embassy that came up early this year.

‘Like a bug.’

A bug that crawls around the room going rustle-rustle, hiding and revealing itself.

Lucas Redan couldn’t abandon his fraudulent habits and was apparently running some suspicious business, sweet-talking Rubellia nobles.

However, Kruger didn’t even glance at that ridiculous business plan.

Lucas Redan’s ultimate goal was obvious anyway.

He was someone who wanted honor over money, and power over honor.

So he would do anything to catch his, the Supreme Leader’s, attention.

He must have stabbed himself with a blade to play the hero.

What would be next?

What kind of shocking incident was he planning to cause?

He should already know that gaining his favor wouldn’t be easy.

That’s how he thought about it and let it slide.

Being the Supreme Leader was a very busy position, and there was no reason to scrutinize such an ambitious, cunning fool in detail.

However.

“Supreme Leader, Your Excellency. This is the list of personnel attending Queen Rubellia’s delegation.”

“Is there anyone I need to care about? Eve. What’s with that expression?”

A slightly uncomfortable light appeared in the eyes of his usually expressionless secretary, Eve.

“No. There’s nothing Your Excellency needs to concern yourself with.”

Eve handed him the list while answering in her monotone voice. However, Kruger quickly scanned the list and threw it on the table.

“Lucas Redan. He must have sweet-talked the Queen.”

He laughed “Ahaha” while stroking the golden dragon Chryseus.

“He’ll make a great success as a swindler. Let’s hear what sweet words he’s spouting.”

“You don’t need to concern yourself with—”

“Shut your mouth, Eve.”

“Yes.”

Eve quietly withdrew as ordered, and Kruger gazed down at the city from the window, lost in thought.

‘What an unusual way to beg for attention. He’s an unheard-of type of careerist. If he hopes I’ll find him interesting, he’s incredibly naive. If he thinks he’s setting a trap I’ll inevitably fall into, that’s also the height of naivety.’

A descendant of royalty.

How did he think he could handle such a massive bomb when he threw it?

“You said you were of royal blood?”

While enjoying dinner with Queen Rubellia, he asked about Lucas Redan’s background as if hearing it for the first time.

“Th-that’s right. But Your Excellency! I believe, as Your Excellency taught us, that all Schufabens are equal, and I think the royal family is a relic of the old era, an obstacle that must be removed for Schufaben’s progress!”

Lucas Redan, still flushed and acting emotional, shouted loudly.

“Ahahahaha! But didn’t you use the halo of royal bloodline to dominate Rubellia high society?”

“Th-that’s…!”

Redan instantly looked dejected.

Kruger watched him with an amused expression, then spoke in a gentle voice.

“I know several descendants of the Berg royal family. Some lead decent lives, but most haven’t accepted equality and republicanism and have fallen into unsavory ideologies.”

“Ah, those damned bastards!”

“Would you like to try enlightening them?”

“If Your Excellency commands it, I’ll accomplish anything!”

Lucas Redan shouted as if he was about to slam his forehead on the table.

“You wanted to enlist but were rejected, weren’t you?”

The investigation file on Lucas Redan included the opinion of Second Lieutenant Dominik Schuster, the instructor who had examined him long ago.

‘Overflowing with passion and loyalty to the nation, but too weak physically to be active on the battlefield.’

Redan certainly looked very sickly. When he received the medal, and now.

“Y-yes. I ran there as soon as I became an adult, but…”

“We can’t deprive you of the opportunity to serve the nation.”

Expectation and fear swirled together in Lucas Redan’s eyes.

Like a bug.

***

After traveling for a full three hours, I arrived at the 36th Infantry Division facilities halfway up the mountain.

Passing through barbed wire with signs forbidding civilian entry, the moment I saw the spacious parade ground and concrete barracks, my breath caught.

After taking a deep breath, straightening my uniform, forcing my dirty expression into something gentle, I waited for my aide to open the carriage door.

And finally, feeling the cold air, I stepped out of the carriage.

“Long live the Great Supreme Leader!”

A sound that shook heaven and earth echoed through the air.

Spread before me was the sight of dark-complexioned men in military uniforms performing the Schufaben-style salute, striking their left chest with their right fist.

“Long live the Supreme Leader!”

After responding with proper discipline, I looked around at the soldiers.

The 36th Infantry Division’s 22nd Infantry Regiment’s 1st Battalion.

‘Damn it!’

I almost cursed again.

According to the Schufaben army structure,

Squad: 10 men

Platoon: 50 men

Company: 250 men

Battalion: 1000 men

Regiment: 3000 men

Brigade: 5000 men

Division: 10000 men

Corps: 50000 men

That’s roughly how they operate.

But the men before my eyes, even by rough count, were only about 300 strong.

There are limits to incomplete organization, but to have the title of battalion while only being company-sized!

I’ve been assigned as the commanding officer of this battalion.

I’m wearing the lofty rank of major general, but I’m not a division commander, not a regiment commander, but a battalion commander!

The ominous feeling that had been creeping up slowly materialized and engulfed me.

‘That bastard Kruger!’

I thought the easiest and fastest way to eliminate Kruger was to leap to those heights where he stood.

Whether as a subordinate or as an enemy.

So to build up my weight class, I even joined hands with Queen Rubellia and became the big shot known as the ‘returning hero’ to ambush the Supreme Leader.

Whether he’d take me as a subordinate or an enemy was up to chance, but I guessed he’d probably try to keep me below and use me.

But to use me like this!

I promoted the title of royal descendant so much, yet instead of becoming Kruger’s rival, I became a decorative accessory to power!

No, I wanted that, but I didn’t expect such shabby treatment.

Standing before the battalion members saluting with discipline, there were about ten young men with major rank insignia in sloppy postures.

They’re probably the ‘poor young people who wasted their lives clinging to royal bloodline without doing anything’ that Kruger mentioned.

They’re managing their expressions somehow, but you can see their dead eyes rotting away.

The culprit who got them dragged to this harsh northern border is right in front of them, so they can’t help it.

***

“Are you aware that the hero Lucas Redan was once rejected from enlistment due to poor health? But his loyal spirit seems to have remained strong.

Through Queen Rubellia’s state visit, Mr. Redan, who got to meet Supreme Leader His Excellency, pleaded for an opportunity to serve the nation and people.

Moreover, young people who heard this story followed Mr. Redan and chose to enlist, and they were surprisingly revealed to be descendants of the fallen Berg royal family. The Berg royal family has a history of committing unspeakable crimes and massacres during the ‘revolution’ process while opposing His Excellency the Supreme Leader and the revolutionaries.

The young people were deeply moved by Mr. Lucas Redan and submitted a petition saying they now want to wash away their parents’ generation’s original sins and truly prove their loyalty to Schufaben.

In response, His Excellency the Supreme Leader issued a special order. Mr. Lucas Redan and the royal descendants will enlist in a unit in the Colt Mountains to defend the border…”

“What the hell is this bullshit?!”

The day after the dinner on the floating castle, I was listening to radio news in my hotel and spat out my coffee.

Erika, Daniel, Oscar, Richard, Georg, as well as Fael, Assad, and Hannah who were with me did the same.

So this was the ‘opportunity to serve the nation’!

Bundling me together with trash royalty and dumping us at the border like sorted garbage?!

“There’s no way to… reverse this, right?”

At my desperate mutter, Erika glared at me.

“Of course not.”

“Damn it!”

“You’re taking this as an opportunity too?”

Watching me hold my head in agony, Fael giggled and asked gently.

“Of course I have to! But the pain is a separate matter! The military! Military service with this body!”

I pounded the wooden floor and wailed, but everyone rushed to stop me, saying I’d damage the expensive hardwood floor.

“Yahoo! I’m a major general now!”

I guess this is what they call riding a tiger. It’s exactly like being on a tiger’s back, so I accepted the Supreme Leader’s special order in a crazy, excited state.

The day Kruger personally pinned the stars on me, I bent almost in half, bowing in gratitude for his grace, and passionately declared that I’d reform the rotten minds of the royal descendants.

Then I secretly ran to Johann to get personal information on those forced to enlist, and held a press conference while creating a joyful atmosphere.

Naturally, the newspapers excitedly poured out articles.

「Royal Descendants Finally Kneel!」

「The Banner of Equality and Republicanism Flies High Once Again!」

「Our Hero Lucas Redan Revealed to be Descendant of Fallen Royalty…」

「Volunteer Enlistment Declaration Burning with Loyalty!」

Playing hero once again like that.

Finally, after dividing up White Raven Order affairs and business matters among my friends, I boarded the train following the ‘aide’ who came to escort me. Grinding my teeth.

Since I’ve come this far.

I’ll be a truly magnificent decoration.