9th Grade Civil Servant In Another World Chapter 92 - The Clown (5)

I closed my eyes and quietly traced the scene from that time.

The snowfield scattered with blood, flesh, and bone.

Actually, there was no need to remember it. The truth is useless, after all.

“Simple. It was New Year’s Day, and I was taking the majors to watch the sunrise when guys in Cortana uniforms showed up. We fought hard, but most of them were killed. Fortunately, I was protected by my aide Captain Himmel, so I only ended up with a sword wound to the chest. It seems a few of their guys died too…”

“Eight infiltrated in total, and three died.”

“Ah, I guess that’s right. Is this enough?”

“Keep insisting on that story. Unless you want to be eliminated.”

I nodded at the advice that wasn’t really advice.

“I know. By the way, why did you come instead of someone from Ferint? You’re someone who has no connection to this at all.”

Johann turned his head to stare at the pure white left wall.

“Major Appel Damier and Captain Alina Himmel are also confined in this building. I interrogated them before coming here.”

“You should have told me that sooner!”

When I got irritated, Johann fell silent. Right, I’m the one who needs something.

“Sorry. I guess you let them live too. What were the interrogation results?”

“Officially, the same as yours.”

“Unofficially?”

“Appel Damier is with Ferint, carrying out the Supreme Leader’s orders.”

“Ah, so that’s why Ossel is in charge of this?”

“Right. The Supreme Leader uses Ossel to keep Ferint in check, and Ferint to keep Ossel in check. Appel Damier survived, but he’ll have to live under our surveillance from now on.”

Silence settled over the room. I struggled desperately to organize my complicated thoughts.

“Did you receive orders from the Supreme Leader? Is that why you came here?”

“Lieutenant General Kaiser passed them along.”

“How much does the lieutenant general know?”

“Originally, matters from the Supreme Leader’s residence can’t be disclosed to outsiders.”

Wow, what thorough security.

“Cunning bastard. He’s using you to keep even the lieutenant general in check.”

Making everyone watch and trap each other. So they can’t betray the absolute ruler. It’s a bleak society of distrust.

“I’ll probably have to kill the lieutenant general.”

After a long silence, I whispered, and Johann twisted his lips.

“How touching. You’d kill someone for my sake.”

“You’re both equally bastards, but Leon Kaiser is someone else’s bastard while Johann Werner is our bastard.”

“Wasn’t the bastard you?”

“Not anymore.”

I straightened my back and smiled.

“Lieutenant Colonel Johann Werner, you can’t kill me anymore, can you? Either I’ll climb above your head, or the Supreme Leader will kill me instead of you. Which one are you betting on?”

“…Bastard.”

***

After Johann left, I felt much more at ease.

He had told me many things.

Public opinion demanding punishment of Cortana was rising. Fake news that I was still not in my right mind had been spread. The protest crowds were growing day by day. What started as people purely wishing for my recovery had gradually transformed into radical groups shouting to invade Cortana.

‘Looks like provocateurs have infiltrated.’

All the circumstances clearly pointed to one purpose.

Kruger intended to thoroughly exploit me.

As a symbol to shake up and unite the people, as kindling for war, as a mascot for his regime.

I’ll be discarded after all the sweet juice is squeezed out of me, but that day hasn’t come yet.

Earlier, Johann clenched and unclenched his hands with bulging veins, looking like he wanted to strangle me, and asked dryly,

“But how did you know?”

“What?”

“How did you know things would flow this way?”

“Ha…”

I let out a scoff of disbelief.

“I told you so many times! Guys like Kruger are all the same—they end up causing trouble because of greed.”

When I got irritated, Johann stared at me intently.

“You’re really blind. At least you won’t be in danger. You’ve become a hero to the outside world.”

“I was already a hero.”

“Much more so now.”

“A national idol! How glorious.”

I let out a long sigh and collapsed face-down on the bed.

What should I do now?

—

“Mr. Redan, please wake up.”

I woke to gentle hands shaking my body.

“Come on, wash up and come out. There’s somewhere you need to go.”

“Yes? Where…”

“You’ll know when you get there.”

I read extreme tension behind the nurse’s bright smile.

After a quick shower, I found a perfectly fitted luxury suit prepared for me.

Once I was fully dressed, the nurse led me outside.

I walked down the pure white corridor and exited through the main entrance. I had prepared myself for the dazzling sunlight I’d face after so long, but what actually greeted me was the gentle moonlight.

“Huh…”

A massive, beautiful, clean, and elegant floating castle.

Just like when I followed the Queen. Well, only about six months had passed.

‘Looking at the moon, it must be around midnight.’

The place I’d been confined was a simple rectangular single-story building. Next to it, small ivory-colored buildings were clustered together.

I walked quietly after the nurse, stepping on the blue-green grass that pleasantly tickled my ankles.

After walking a bit between buildings with yellow light flowing out, a huge and beautiful arched gate appeared.

“Thank you for your service.”

A man in a civil servant uniform took over from the nurse.

“You’ll need to wear a blindfold now.”

I obediently wrapped the black cloth around my eyes.

Relying on the civil servant, I walked for quite a while longer.

Walking on paved roads, climbing stairs, passing through places with cool shadows, taking an elevator, and going through several rooms before finally stopping.

“Lucas Redan for an audience.”

“Understood.”

A soft woman’s hand led me again. I heard the door close behind me.

A pleasant yet spine-chillingly cold baritone voice rang out.

“Welcome.”

The black cloth covering my eyes slipped away.

I wasn’t surprised. There was no reason to be. But I pretended to be.

“Su-Supreme Leader, Your Excellency!”

I struck my chest near my ribs hard enough to break them and shouted.

“Long live His Excellency the Great Supreme Leader!”

“Military service has really put some spirit into you.”

Against the backdrop of the white moon rising beyond the large window, Kruger stood there.

“Eve, you may withdraw.”

“Yes, Your Excellency.”

***

“Relax those shoulders a bit. Aren’t we being too formal with each other?”

Kruger approached with a seemingly casual smile and patted my shoulder. The bread I’d eaten earlier felt like it was going to come back up.

What? What’s this “with each other”?

“Y-Your Excellency, how could I dare…”

Kruger sprawled in a large armchair like a throne.

“Major Redan.”

“Yes! Major Lucas Redan!”

“Sit.”

He gestured with his chin, so I sat in the simple chair across from him.

Of course, with my back perfectly straight. My face was probably deathly pale too. This wasn’t acting.

Kruger chuckled and uncorked a bottle on the table.

“There’s even a brewery inside the residence. Did you know?”

“I’m sorry! I didn’t know!”

“It was built during the kingdom era. They were afraid of poison in alcohol, so they built a brewery in the castle and watched the craftsmen. Of course, there was also a butcher shop and a leather workshop. They processed hides right next to the king’s bedroom! Before spells for processing fur were invented, the royal castle reeked of shit and piss! Ahahaha!”

Kruger laughed like a psychopath. I laughed awkwardly too. This is torture.

“Don’t you think it’s foolish? The royalty, I mean. Unable to read the flow of the times and refusing change, they fell behind.”

“Y-yes. It’s the natural consequence of refusing the values of equality and republicanism while clinging to privilege!”

“Of course, there were outstanding ones too. Young people who dedicated their noble bodies to the state to erase their ancestors’ evil deeds… Major Redan, you and your subordinates have truly done great work.”

“Your Excellency…”

I gazed at Kruger with sparkling, moved eyes, pretending to be touched.

“Here’s a small gift.”

He poured ice-filled glasses full of alcohol and offered one to me.

‘Shit.’

This body is weak to alcohol!

I gripped my mental faculties tightly and received the glass with trembling hands. Following Schufaben custom, I covered the glass and my lips with my hand so they couldn’t be seen and drank.

The first glass must always be downed in one shot!

A fragrant yet strong and sharp taste filled my mouth.

I sent it down my throat as slowly as possible, but the alcohol hit my brain with a zing.

‘Damn, what proof is this? He’s determined to get me wasted.’

While I cursed internally, Kruger held out his glass.

“Pour me one.”

When I carefully poured for him, he also downed it in one shot.

Like that, we poured for each other and drank.

After three or four glasses, I could feel my face getting red-hot.

My head was already spinning chaotically, and it was hard to keep my eyes open properly. I secretly bit down on an ice cube as a stopgap measure, but there was no way this could dispel the drunkenness.

When I swayed unsteadily, Kruger laughed heartily.

“You’re not much of a drinker.”

“I-I’m sorry!”

He leisurely pulled out a cigarette and lit it.

“Well, at least your body has relaxed. Looks like the tension has eased quite a bit.”

“No! How could I dare relax in front of His Excellency the Supreme Leader!”

“Stop being so stiff. We share a secret. Let’s drop the pretense now.”

“Y-Your Excellency…”

“Tell me. Why did you lie about receiving orders from me?”

Finally!

I secretly pressed my fingernail into my palm under the table. Pressing hard enough to draw blood cleared my head a little.

My swaying vision became clear. I straightened my posture and met Kruger’s gaze, bowing my head slightly.

“Your Excellency, please hear me out, though I’m being presumptuous. I wished to become Your Excellency’s servant. As a child, I dreamed of being a soldier following Your Excellency’s orders, and after failing the military entrance exam, I wanted to become a civil servant and somehow serve Your Excellency. But as a lowly civil servant, I could never…”

“Be satisfied?”

Kruger, resting his chin at an angle, asked with apparent interest.

“Yes. I wanted to work by Your Excellency’s side, on more important matters. So I acted like I defeated the traitors who kidnapped Miss Brightner. I wanted to stand out somehow. I approached the Queen of Rubellia thinking it might catch Your Excellency’s eye…

Your Excellency sent me to a small border unit. Of course, I know border defense is very important work too. But in my ignorance, I disappointingly spent my days feeling dissatisfied.

Then I suddenly realized. That Your Excellency wouldn’t have sent me and the majors there without reason. I understood You planned to use us as the foundation for national revival. I also knew someone near me must be receiving Your Excellency’s orders.”

“So you went around exposing my plans? So it would reach my ears?”

“I’m sorry, Your Excellency! Please behead me!”

My body was bent at a full 90 degrees. That angle, combined with the excessive alcohol and the childish praise spilling from my mouth, made me feel like I’d vomit any moment.

‘I didn’t lie.’

It was true that I’d committed all these acts to catch Kruger’s attention.

Only the motivation wasn’t respect or awe, but malice.

“What an embarrassing love confession. I’m getting goosebumps.”

Kruger muttered as if genuinely disgusted.

“I’m sorry! I’m sorry! I’m sorry!”

Bang! Bang! Bang!

“Please kill me! Please kill me! Please kill me!”

Bang! Bang! Bang!

I pulled out all my acting skills. With eyes glittering with madness, I crawled to Kruger’s feet and slammed my forehead down.

This is marble flooring, damn it. It hurts like hell. This isn’t something a subject does to a king.

But Kruger would like it, even knowing it’s an act.

“Please behead me with Your Excellency’s own hands! I’ll gladly accept it!”

“Enough, enough.”

Kruger waved his hand.

“I told you to drop the pretense.”

“I’m sorry…”

“Major Redan, do you know why I spared you? Why I bothered to treat you and bring you to the residence?”

Kruger’s vivid blue eyes seemed ready to pierce through mine.

I lifted the corners of my mouth.

With eyes trembling as if crying or laughing, I looked at him and crawled closer on my knees until my forehead touched his shoe.

“Because I’m useful to Your Excellency.”

“What are you?”

“Schufaben’s hero.”

“And?”

“Your Excellency’s clown.”

“Hahahaha!”

Kruger laughed delightedly.

“Correct, Major Redan.”

“Thank you!”

I secretly poked my eye. Tears and snot streamed down.

“You’re qualified to stay by my side. Shall we make a toast?”

Kruger poured all the remaining alcohol into the bowl with ice and tongs. A smile flashed beyond the pouring liquor.

“Drink it all down.”

“It’s an honor!”

My hands shook uncontrollably. Trembling, I lifted the bowl and drank it all.

Alcohol spread from head to toe like electricity. I collapsed to my knees again. My legs wouldn’t obey me.

“Y-Your Excellency, for my disgraceful behavior… I’m sorry…”

And I lost consciousness.