9th Grade Civil Servant In Another World Chapter 82 - Interlude (1)

District 13’s commercial district was unrecognizable.

It was thanks to Lucas, who had bought up the entire commercial district, bringing in a famous architect to completely transform the street.

More precisely, it was Erika who had done it after being entrusted with the task by Lucas.

On the day the construction finished and they moved in.

Reporters bustled about from early morning, and crowds of onlookers gathered. It was a scene similar to when Lucas had opened his tavern about a year ago.

Smooth stone-paved streets, residential-commercial buildings that were much more refined than before, beautiful signage and organically connected spaces.

To Lucas’s eyes, it probably looked like a premium shopping mall from Korea.

Thanks to District 13 office director Walter Schlik doing everything he could to accommodate them, the construction had finished incredibly quickly.

He walked around the street where all traces of the fire had disappeared, breathing in the clean air free of ash, and smiled brightly.

10 o’clock sharp.

Erika appeared, her jet-black bob and sharp eyes making a striking impression.

“Thank you for attending, Director.”

She bowed politely to Schlik first. Since he held the highest rank at this gathering, it was the attitude of a true working professional.

“I am Erika Brightner, secretary to Mr. Lucas Redan. As Mr. Redan has been commissioned into the 36th Infantry Division, I will be taking over management of this commercial district.”

Pop! Pop!

The reporters’ hands moved busily, and camera flashes burst forth.

“This place was a symbol of sorrow just a few months ago. People who lost their homes in an instant were driven to the streets, forced to endure the bitter cold throughout winter.

But now it’s different. The acrid smoke has disappeared and the collapsed buildings have been beautifully rebuilt. Mr. Redan wanted to revive this space filled with memories.

Everyone, we promise you this. There will never be such tragedy again. We will protect everyone.

This place will now become a symbol not of sorrow, but of reclaimed happiness.”

As Erika’s clear voice faded, applause followed.

“Thank you.”

Coming down from the podium, Erika gave a bitter smile.

The mask was familiar now.

***

The commercial district began operating with vitality and bustling activity.

With many more shops than before and the corresponding increase in foot traffic, the street was always crowded.

On the burned tavern site stood a five-story building housing ‘Redan Mining Company.’

People who had worked under Fael came in as employees, managing the commercial district, handling accounting, and providing legal consultation.

Lucas had properly organized teams of management support, sales, financial accounting, legal affairs, and so on.

It was such a skilled setup that one might briefly suspect his past, as if he’d had a long corporate career.

Of course, most employees belonged to the ‘production team’ and had left for the Great Desert, leaving many departments as mere shells.

Still, with over thirty registered employees, it appeared to be a small but solid emerging company.

Erika, who had settled into the secretary’s office on the fifth floor, also worked hard to earn comments like “Wow, that company is really impressive!”

Working as the CEO’s secretary and acting president, she came to work every day in luxurious designer suits, and sometimes patrolled the commercial district with employees who were also dressed in designer suits.

The shop owners were friendly toward her. Lucas and Erika had made it possible for the people who had originally lived here to return.

So about half of the commercial district consisted of familiar faces from before.

Erika was swept up in waves of work.

Having majored in political science at university and memorized only Supreme Leader’s words by heart, she had to study new fields until her head nearly split every day.

Lucas had essentially dumped the work on her with his “act first, report later” policy.

When reading documents became too frustrating, she would go down to the café on the first floor, drink a cup of coffee while pretending to be relaxed, then come back up.

After work, she headed to the house right behind the company.

It was originally a house they had bought to hide the people rescued during the Ossel headquarters raid. Now it had been remodeled into a stylish residence.

She had considered staying at Mrs. Schmidt’s boarding house, but Oscar had vehemently opposed it.

“You and me living together? That would cause strange rumors! Besides, this is property that Lucas inherited.”

The inheritance Mrs. Schmidt had left was originally being managed by Oscar, but when the missing Lucas and Daniel returned, it was divided exactly into three parts.

Lucas had insisted on inheriting the house, while the other two took the bank deposits.

But anyway, since Lucas and Erika, Daniel, and Oscar were sharing assets, it all became joint property in the end.

Currently, all White Raven Order members were scattered and living separately, so they only met once or twice a month to organize information, apart from those occasions.

Daniel and Lucas were even farther away.

Surprisingly, the information-gathering work was proceeding smoothly.

Thanks to her company work, the information flowing to Erika had dramatically increased, and Oscar, Richard, and Georg were also getting promoted or becoming increasingly skilled at their work, causing information to overflow.

In the end, it was incredibly busy days without a moment to breathe.

***

“Buy a newspaper! Newspaper! Just 10 pelts! Today’s issue contains Supreme Leader’s words!”

A few people among the passersby showed interest at the voice of the boy going through puberty and approached him.

“Give me any one.”

“Thank you!”

Georg, who was sixteen but looked only fourteen due to long-term malnutrition, wiped his runny nose in the chilly weather and adjusted his bag.

Just a few years ago, when late autumn came, his dried-out hands would crack so badly they bled, but now he didn’t have to worry about that thanks to the warm wool gloves Erika had bought him.

Actually, these gloves were something Erika had secretly put in his bag after he had refused them several times.

Back then, Georg had really hated receiving help from anyone to the point of death.

Actually, it was similar then and now. He still lived in the slums and worked hard roaming the streets like this.

But Georg genuinely loved his job as a newspaper seller.

Loving newspapers, he read articles every day, touched newspaper pages, and felt proud of his work collecting countless pieces of information while thoroughly knowing every nook and cranny of District 13.

Not only could he play a big role in the White Raven Order he belonged to, but he also felt like he was practicing for when he would become a journalist someday.

Of course, there weren’t many newspaper sellers who possessed such a positive attitude toward life as he did.

They’d work hard all day just to earn enough money for one meal, sleeping in shacks where cold wind whistled through or in dark alleys between buildings, cursing their lives.

Georg’s leisurely attitude might only be possible because of the support from the White Raven Order, making it somewhat hypocritical.

Maybe it was because he had already secured his position as the boss of District 13’s newspaper sellers.

However, at least the children under Georg were satisfied with their relatively better living conditions.

Because Georg had cleanly divided up the chaotically entangled business territories and distributed income, and through negotiations with landlords, had managed to rent a shabby apartment for them to live in.

There had been fights stained with blood, several teeth, shouting, and tears before that could happen.

After running away from the orphanage, it was almost miraculous that Georg had driven out District 13’s dictator.

He didn’t want to recall the memory of completely shattering one leg of that huge guy during a fight on the frozen banks of the Mire River.

“Buy a newspaper! Newspaper…!”

“Boss!”

As Georg was raising his voice while pulling his worn coat closed, a small boy called ‘Hedgehog’ because of his perpetually sticking-up hair popped out of an alley.

“Hedgehog, did you already finish selling?”

“No, that’s not it! Boss, she appeared again! That witch!”

“What? Where is she now?”

Georg frowned deeply and ran after Hedgehog.

“Damn! She’s so persistent!”

A few months ago, a red-haired girl had appeared in District 13.

That kid, who had apparently escaped from some facility, quickly spotted the gaps Georg had missed and started selling newspapers while dodging around like a little mouse.

Actually, at first he thought she was a boy. With her short hair, skinny body with no curves, tall height, and flat cap with shabby clothes, she looked exactly like an ordinary newspaper boy.

It was only when he went to find her after getting a report about a new face and heard her voice that he realized she was a girl.

Georg demanded she either join his group or get lost, and the girl answered with her fists.

He had bled so much from his nose that day.

‘I think my nose bridge is still crooked.’

He touched his nose tip while running and grumbled internally.

At first he had tried to resolve things peacefully, but after getting one-sidedly beaten up, his pride was hurt and they ended up fighting and grabbing each other’s hair.

That’s when the girl spewed vicious curses and left, but ever since then, whenever surveillance became even slightly lax, she would invariably appear to get on Georg’s nerves.

“There she is, Boss!”

At the entrance to the slums, that kid with her now-longer hair tied up and hidden under her cap was visible.

“Hey! Red-hair!”

When Georg shouted and approached, the girl frowned and spoke dismissively as if he were pathetic.

“My name is Nina Perez, you brat. Not red-hair.”

“Brat?!”

“I’m older than you, and I’ve told you my name so many times but you still can’t remember it. Just go away. You’re interfering with business.”

Nina replied indifferently while handing change to a customer.

Georg held back his seething breath. Getting drawn in would hurt his pride.

“Perez, why do you keep doing business here?”

“Why do you keep interfering with my business?”

“Because this is our territory! I told you I wouldn’t touch you if you joined the group!”

“How childish. If you’re going to play gangster, leave me out of it. I don’t want to live crammed between boys in that bug-infested old apartment.”

Georg tried to calm his rapidly beating heart.

Nina’s existence was a big issue for the children on District 13’s streets. He had to either drive her away or recruit her.

He recalled the flowing eloquence of his White Raven Order seniors, especially Lucas, and opened his mouth.

“Thinking it’s childish is more childish. From our perspective, this is a business with big interests at stake. Naturally we can’t just leave competitors alone. I want to handle this as gentlemanly as possible, but it’s troublesome if you keep being so uncooperative.”

Then she snorted.

“Now you’re trying to awkwardly imitate adults? And gentlemanly? You ripped out a handful of my hair last time.”

“That was self-defense. You attacked first.”

“Boooo!”

“The boss is right!”

The newspaper sellers who had surrounded them at some point jeered at her.

“So choose. Join the group, or leave the territory. I really don’t want to break your leg. What’ll it be, Perez?”

Nina frowned and fell into thought. Then an overly excited kid cupped his hands and shouted.

“Why go easy on her, Boss! Just beat her up and chase her away!”

“Right! Right!”

Other boys who joined in raised their spirits, and then.

“Get out of our territory!”

Thunk!

“Ow!”

A rock flew from somewhere, and Nina screamed and collapsed while clutching her head.

“Hey, are you okay?”

Startled, Georg crouched down too, and she lifted her head slightly.

Her cap had slipped down, and her disheveled red hair swayed in the cold wind. Between it, her tear-filled green eyes sparkled.

Whether it was because of the contempt contained in those eyes or something else, his heart sank with a thud. He whirled around to glare at the boys.

“Who threw the rock?!”

The noisy laughter at Nina died away completely.

In the cold silence, Georg approached the boy whose face had turned white and slapped his cheek.

“How dare you! When the boss! Was negotiating! You interfered!”

Thwack! Thwack! Thwack!

At the serious-sounding impacts, the surrounding boys read the mood. The beaten boy whined and blubbered.

“I’m sorry, Boss…!”

“Stop it.”

Nina, who had picked up her cap and put it back on, grabbed Georg’s shoulder.

“Are you okay?”

“No blood, so it’s fine. I thought about it, and let’s form an alliance.”

“Alliance?”

“Yeah. I’m not part of your group. I won’t live together or share income. But I’ll act together. Like lending help when there’s work, or only doing business in assigned territories. In exchange, I’ll pay territory fees.”

Georg pretended to think for a moment, then nodded.

“Good.”

“Then we’ve made peace.”

Nina extended her hand. When he reflexively took it, she shook it a couple times and let go.

“Where’s my territory?”

“Uh, well, I’ll tell you tomorrow.”

“Got it. See you tomorrow then?”

Georg stared blankly at Nina’s retreating figure as she walked away coolly.

That night.

Lying on the worn-out mattress under tattered blankets with the other boys, Georg couldn’t easily fall asleep.

Someone was tickling his heart with feathers.