Chapter 58

The frontier in a lull. A sudden bloodbath in the snowfield where the snow falls.

Elves and Rick's party watching from their respective camps could not help but shudder at the carnage unfolding before their eyes.

Kugugugugu....

Soon, from within the smoke and snow, one colossus rose, and one colossus collapsed in place.

Thud-!

The red colossus fell powerlessly to the ground.

The heat from sword and armor melted the surrounding snow, forcibly revealing the true face of the earth.

"Huff...! Huff...!"

Inside Glaepnir's cockpit.

Gasping for breath, Yaan forced down his violently trembling body and steadied his heaving chest.

[Warning. Nanomachine overload due to sudden Frame control switch. Recommend sedative administration.]

"No, leave me. If I pass out here, I think I'll really die."

[Acknowledged.]

Having forcibly calmed his trembling body, Yaan slowly turned and walked toward the frontline base.

Glaepnir, in an unguarded state.

Yet not a single observer dared lay a hand on him.

Grrrk! Grrrrk!

How much time had passed since then? Inside the red colossus, torn apart on both sides, the blood-soaked corpse of Delranel began to convulse.

Hrrk!

A cough followed soon after.

Vomiting clotted blood, Delranel rose on the spot and focused mana toward his forehead and heart.

Crack!

Agony as bone twisted. Yet the overwhelming mana surrounding him could not be pierced even by Yaan's pistol.

Aura shield. The protective barrier knights of the age of swords had wrapped around themselves.

"I won't die. I cannot die... until I have killed you...!"

Whether the Saint King's gift had been a blessing or a curse, no one could recognize Delranel as he hung in the cockpit and screamed.

***

Two days after losing consciousness in the snowfield battle, Yaan opened his eyes.

"...."

Perhaps the aftershock of combat had yet to fade; Yaan sat up in silence, dazed.

"Food. I brought some."

The girl in pure white, Ren, woke him from his reverie.

"...how long was I out?"

"Two days. The delegation is already ready."

Saying so, Ren handed Yaan a piece of bread.

Taking it blankly, Yaan sat chewing the bread in his hand, making no response.

"What are you thinking?"

After watching him a moment, Ren asked, and soon Yaan's lips parted.

"Revenge."

He was turning over the battle two days ago-or rather, Delranel who had fought it.

"The elf named Delranel. He looked like you."

"You didn't see the fight yourself."

"Glaepnir's video log. I checked it."

As expected, a woman without gaps.

"Covered in blood, screaming mindlessly."

"Better than that half-breed I met before, at least."

Recalling Rael's words, Yaan said so, yet his expression remained uneasy.

"The elf in the video. Signs of surgery. Similar to what the half-elf Rael had undergone."

"You mean nanomachine implantation?"

"No, mana infusion."

What in the world was that supposed to mean.

Yaan let out a hollow laugh at the absurdity, but having seen the grotesquely twisted figure himself, he could not simply dismiss it.

"More precisely, they cultured the genes of an elf with high mana affinity and implanted them. The site: the heart. Circumstantially..."

"It's the source of mana."

Where must one stab an elf with mana to disable them? He had heard it dozens of times.

'What creature wouldn't die if you stabbed its heart.'

Even as he thought that, Yaan pressed on with his questions.

"So the elf called Delranel ended up like that because of Hiram's research?"

"Not certain. But the underlying tech of the implant procedure looks similar to what we saw before."

"Enough to drive one mad."

Yaan spat the words as though sick of it. The mystery of Delranel's condition had been solved, yet his expression remained heavy.

"Rael, and Delranel whom I killed this time. Do you see their common point?"

"They had Ancient tech implanted in their bodies and died from the side effects."

"Like you, who underwent nanomachine surgery and received a left eye transplant."

At Ren's words, Yaan's movements froze.

"That is their final destination. Whether it be revenge or desire, those who forcibly alter themselves for their goal meet that end."

Hearing Ren, Yaan quietly touched his own left eye.

"A difference only in technical completion; in essence you and that elf are the same. The farther you go, the more you'll end up like him."

"I don't care."

"Would the others say the same?"

At that, Yaan lifted his head.

"What others."

"The people at your side. Those connected to you. Those you are responsible for."

"Relationships forged from necessity. Not human trust, but ties created to be used as tools."

"Most humans I've met build relationships that way. Yet even that, with time..."

Unable to bear Ren's rebuttal any longer, Yaan rose.

"What is it you want to say? That I should give up revenge if I don't want to die? Now of all times?"

Though he asked, Ren gave no answer.

"A life I threw away long ago. Laughably late to bring it up..."

"And me."

At her final words, Yaan's thoughts halted.

"...no."

It seemed not only Yaan's thoughts had stopped; realizing what she had said, Ren added in a small voice,

"...forget what I just said."

Saying so, Ren averted her head.

Watching her for a moment, Yaan felt something surge in his chest and hastily turned toward the door.

"...you said the delegation is already ready."

"Departure prep... Dandel has finished it."

"Then we'd best hurry."

Already more than two days behind schedule; any further delay could disrupt the plan.

Forcing himself to move, Yaan donned his uniform and left the room.

"Company commander, are you all right?"

"What are you saying, do I collapse every time I fight?"

"Take care of yourself. You're pushing yourself at your age."

The company members offered a word each as he exited. Normally he would laugh it off, yet today their remarks felt unusually etched into his mind.

"Ah, company commander. We're ready to depart anytime."

"Good. We move out at once."

"Company commander, are you sure you're all right?"

"I'm fine. This isn't my first time."

Pretending nothing had changed, he still could not erase the ache in his chest.

"...."

The room Yaan had left. Sitting on the bed where he had just been, Ren quietly ran a hand over the spot where he had sat.

"Emotion circuit anomaly detected. Emergency, situation...."

***

"I can hardly believe that was already two days ago."

"Indeed. You felled the monster that terrorized the central front, did you not? I had only read about it in the papers; this is the first time I've seen such a battle in person."

"There was reason for His Imperial Majesty to grant a private audience."

If the battle against Delranel had yielded anything, it was the way the delegation now looked at him-utterly changed.

"Above all, that colossus performed simply magnificently!"

Swain in particular showed keen interest, sticking so close he kept firing off questions.

'Making connections with high-ranking officials is fine, but... what a pain.'

Swain was now rattling off his research on the similarities among Glaepnir's form, the Creator's intent, and the scriptures, and Yaan wanted to plug his ears.

"If everyone is ready, we'll depart now."

"Yes. We're fine. This will be the safest trip to the Church we've ever had."

The martyr's cradle, the saint's cradle.

Calling itself that and hiding deep in the forest, the Church was the most closed-off nation on the continent.

A land with no railroads, not even roads.

A fortress impossible to enter without the guidance of those who knew the way.

Thump. Thump.

Eleven Greyhound company members escorting the delegation who knew the path, and Glaepnir bringing up the rear.

How long had they walked along the snow-covered forest path? Before them appeared a flood of tightly packed trees.

"We'll guide you from this point on, Lieutenant Yaan!"

The delegation fussed over whether to call him Sir Verkut or Knight, so he had told them to use his rank.

At the call for a photograph, Glaepnir with Yaan aboard stepped forward.

"Please follow the path marked on the map! It's the route we used!"

Now he understood why the escort force had included a colossus.

"They don't avoid building roads...."

"Construction is impossible due to the growth rate of the genetically modified plants."

Ren, back to her usual self, pressed against Yaan's back and provided the supplement.

- I'll take the lead.

Having said that, Glaepnir plunged into the flood.

Regulating ground pressure, stamping the earth with its feet, slashing trees with the sword at its waist, it advanced step by step, carving a path.

"Halt! Midway point! We'll camp here tonight!"

When they had covered about half the distance marked on the map, Rick's voice came from below.

- Preparing the campsite. Be careful.

Watching the delegation, now in travel-worn fur instead of red uniforms, Yaan uprooted trees and cleared a large open space, then planted his sword vertically and tied a rope from it to Glaepnir's cockpit hatch.

"Company commander! Take the tent!"

- Throw it well. Miss and I'll have to tie it again.

So said Yaan, but the company members' skill was flawless.

With practiced hands they threaded the tent between the hatch and the sword as a support, then spread it out into a huge shelter.

"What about drainage?"

"No rain today. I've leveled the ground, so just lay it out and light the fire first."

"How do you call the weather right every single day?"

'Because my left eye burns.'

That was what Yaan thought, but he doubted they'd believe him, and he didn't want to invite trouble, so he kept silent.

In less than thirty minutes they had erected quarters for thirty.

With only five people to occupy a space like a grand hall, it felt almost lonely.

"Check the night watch, keep proper alert!"

"Meal's ready!"

"Whoa, I've been eating these combat rations for two weeks straight?"

"Then starve if you don't like it."

While the exhausted soldiers stretched out and began to chatter, the delegation appeared.

Both hands full of bottles.

"You've all had a hard day. I've never seen quarters this spacious in my life."

"Join us for a drink. From here on is Church territory; the Alfraian Army can't invade."

So saying, the delegation passed cups to the soldiers.

Far from the exalted station of direct subjects of His Imperial Majesty, their humble manner left the soldiers bewildered, but they took the cups.

"Is it really okay to drink this?"

"Their ranks are higher than the company commander's, so shouldn't it be fine?"

While the soldiers tilted their heads at the liquor in their cups, Emily approached with a smile and poured into the cup in Yaan's hand.

"...We're on duty."

"But we can't drink alone, can we? It's an order from a superior, so feel free."

When the red uniform said that much, refusing would be worse.

At his gesture toward the watching soldiers, the company members brightened and began to drink.

Soon the sun set completely.

Lamps shining in the middle of the snowfield and cups warming there comforted the tired soldiers.

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