EP.152 A Story from Far Away. Sword and Spear - 1
"Haha! I really like the people these days. That old engineer, and you lot as well. Hey, little sister over there! You were about to step up before the engineer did, weren't you?"
Now that the other party had revealed their identity, the captain who had been singled out hastily saluted. The general nodded with satisfaction.
"A captain must have some personal martial prowess, but you still need to be careful when surrounded by guns on all sides! It's dangerous if your qi cultivation isn't fully matured yet!"
"...I'm honored."
Reading her thoughts, I could tell she hadn't exactly been about to fight, but the captain nodded anyway. The general, who had been gazing at the captain with satisfaction, stroked his chin and looked at me.
"And little brother! The courage to stop someone is just as necessary as the courage to step forward! Well done! Hey, if you were ten years younger, I'd take you as my disciple!"
It seemed he thought quite highly of me.
Good. Let's flatter him more here. Flattery from someone you've acknowledged always feels more genuine than from a complete stranger.
"I, too, would find a way to seek you out and receive your teachings, General, if only I could go back ten years."
"Wow. Little brother here knows how to make a man feel good! Hahaha!"
The general grinned boyishly and clapped me heavily on the shoulder. Then, he turned his head to look at the old engineer.
"Remarkable vigor in your old age! Indeed, those so-called knights don't have half the spirit you do. Such a shame, truly!"
"Ahh. It is an honor, General. To meet you like this is the greatest honor...."
The old engineer looked as if he might drop dead from heart failure at any moment. Overwhelmed to the point of breathlessness, his voice came out in fits and starts as he praised the general.
"Meeting the one who brought judgment upon the Kingdom... I am merely ashamed that I have nothing to offer you...."
"Nonsense. Put it away!"
The general waved his hand dismissively, looking burdened.
"Judgment, you say. I didn't have any particular great cause. I just, you know? Couldn't stand seeing those with a bit of power only picking on the weak. Wanted to show them what a real duel tastes like.... Honestly, I was just planning to charge in and die. It just so happened a coup broke out, and I ended up a general before I knew it."
He hadn't conspired with the military state.
The military state had merely hitched a ride on his duels.
In fact, it was precisely because of that—because the coup had occurred as abruptly as a personal whim—that the Kingdom had been unable to mount a proper defense and crumbled.
Of course, Patraxion's achievement of single-handedly fighting through urban warfare, a soldier's worst nightmare, played the biggest role in that.
"Still, that fact doesn't diminish your duels, General. The undeniable truth remains that you marched alone from the outskirts to the inner castle and fought a hundred duels."
"Geez, this is so overwhelming I can't even be a general properly. Anyone listening would think I brought down the Kingdom single-handedly. Well, anyway! Now that my identity is out!"
Having finished speaking, the general leaped up nimbly. Colonel Gand, matching his timing, shook off his spear and followed after him.
"There! It's been a pleasant journey, and now it's time to part ways. I have things to do."
"Ah, you mentioned a vacation, right?"
"Only in name. It's practically volunteer work. Something I discarded poorly has come back a bit too big. Shouldn't I clean up the trash I threw away myself?"
Having said that much, the general clicked his tongue and muttered.
"Tsk. I thought he had enough talent and the right mindset. As expected, you never really know what a person will become."
Reading General Patraxion's memories, the 'them' he was going to stop were heinous criminals with asymmetric combat power.
Monsters beyond the standard, comprised of one man, one woman, and two beast-kin, whom even the army couldn't halt. It was said they were roaming the military state, having caused such immense losses in battle that an 'active engagement avoidance' order—essentially a command to flee—had been issued.
By now, anyone would suspect it. They are definitely the ones I know.
But why are they here?
"Anyway, I need to get off around here soon. From here... Hey, Gand. Which way do we need to go?"
Colonel Gand, who had just pulled out a map and unfolded it, answered.
"Let us visit the garrison near Falkaris to gather information and procure equipment."
"Good. Anyway, it's around here. Now it's time for us to part ways."
Before we could even properly say goodbye, the general jumped off without a hint of lingering attachment. Colonel Gand followed behind him.
The meta-conveyor belt was definitely moving at a fairly high speed, but when he stepped off the belt onto the ground, it was as if all velocity vanished. There was no unsightly tumble or staggering. The general and his adjutant walked away as casually as if they had jumped off a small hill.
"Ahh... the General."
The old engineer gazed endlessly at the general's retreating figure.
The distance rapidly widened until they were soon out of sight. I spoke to the captain.
"Wow. Meeting General Patraxion in person. He's better than I thought."
The captain replied slowly.
"...Affirmative. However, I am concerned about a minor rule violation. He used his leave without authorization."
"What are they going to do? He's someone who flipped a country just because he was pissed off. He might actually be holding back his temper right now."
"Affirmative."
It was a connection like the wind. He was a decent person, and thanks to him, the work went smoothly. I also heard news of my old friends' whereabouts.
Anyway, is the regressor trying to destroy the military state this run? Why is she roaming around leaving traces all over the military state?
Well, if she has any sense, she won't be marching right up to the capital. Our paths won't cross.
Just half a day more like this and we'll reach Amitengrad. Once I get there, I'll probably hear news of where she went.
I'm suddenly curious. What could she be up to?
***
The people of the base city Falkaris realized that fear and curiosity could coexist as emotions.
A few hours ago, an alarm had sounded. A dry voice announced the horrifying fact that heinous criminals had crawled out of Tantalos and were currently moving in a straight line toward Amitengrad, with Falkaris lying directly on their path.
A few swift-footed individuals fled immediately, while those without the means to escape huddled down and barricaded themselves indoors.
Praying desperately that the criminals weren't pleasure killers.
They weren't.
"Give me your biggest room. I'm going to rest."
"R-right away!"
"How much?"
"Pardon? F-for travelers not on active military duty, a large room is 1,500 Alke per night..."
"Here."
The supply officer, who had braced for death while holding his post, received a pension coin worth 10,000 Alke. While the officer stood dumbfounded, unable to even think of giving change, Shei extended her hand.
"That's in advance. If anything gets broken, cover it with that."
Willingly or not, the supply officer was faithful to his duty. The key to the large room dropped onto Shei's palm.
As Shei unpacked in the room, Nabi whined for her tribute.
"Meowww. Today's, give me today's tribute!"
"..."
Without a word, Shei took out the day's magic herb and placed it in Nabi's mouth. Tirkancjaka watched the scene intently before speaking.
"You're gradually becoming less sincere in your service to the Cat King. Is it becoming a bother?"
"...Ah, no, it's fine for now. It's just."
"Just?"
Shei murmured while watching Nabi, who was purring happily and sucking deeply on the magic herb.
"Because I can't just look after Nabi forever. There'll come a day when I have to part ways with Nabi. I was just wondering... what to do then."
"What a truly pointless worry."
Tirkancjaka clicked her tongue and straightened her posture, giving Shei genuine advice.
"How can you claim to be responsible for anything? A creature with its own feet walks its own path. What path it walks after leaving is not your responsibility. You must learn to let things go appropriately..."
It was advice clearly born of experience, but halfway through, Tirkancjaka recalled someone and bowed her head dejectedly. Even she was chasing after someone who had walked their own path.
This time, it was Shei who offered shallow consolation.
"It's alright. They say you can't see your own flaws."
"...Truly, thank you! So, how long do you plan to stay in a room with only women? If you're done with your business, get out!"
Tirkancjaka snapped sharply. Shei groaned softly and looked around the room.
In truth, Shei didn't strictly need to remain in this room. None of the people here were easy opponents, and unless it was someone at the level of the Military State's Six Generals, they couldn't even leave a scratch on them.
As long as Tirkancjaka was here as a reliable force, she wasn't worried about where they might run off to, either.
But being constantly treated as a man was getting annoying. Shei pondered whether she should reveal her gender soon. A bit extreme, but showing them her unclothed form would clear up the misunderstanding.
The problem was how to naturally show her bare skin...
Tirkancjaka was so conservative that it was hard to find an opportunity. Shei was contemplating whether she should find a hot spring somewhere when it happened.
Sensing an unfamiliar presence, Tirkancjaka turned her head.
"A guest has arrived, Shei... Hmm? They came right up to the door and then just turned back."
"Ah. I think I know who it is."
When Shei opened the door, she was greeted not by a guest, but by a single neatly placed letter awaiting her. Shei chuckled and picked up the letter.
"It's the resistance guys."
"By resistance, do you mean people like a restoration army?"
"Exactly. It seems they heard about us and decided to make contact."
"Heard about us? Did we not just emerge from the Abyss?"
"We suppressed five companies and smashed two Creature of All Things bases on our way here. The rumors must have spread."
The Immortal Lash and former Lieutenant Colonel Kalis decided to move in a direction that circumvented the military state far away. Lash asked Shei to send her regards to the teacher before moving off into the distance.
Finding Hughes was the primary goal, but separately, Shei was efficiency-minded by nature. Whenever she spotted a Creature of All Things base along the way, she would briefly stop by, smash it to pieces, and resume her journey.
"News travels fast indeed. We didn't even dally that long coming here."
"The military state has messengers and communication devices, and other places must have devised their own methods."
Shei smirked and tore the letter up. Tirkancjaka was puzzled by the firm attitude, devoid of a shred of hesitation.
"How peculiar. I thought you harbored a great hatred for the nation called the military state."
"You're right. I hate the military state."
Shei snapped her fingers. Flames surged up and engulfed the letter.
Watching the letter burn away without leaving even ashes, Shei muttered.
"More than anything else, the lack of an alternative is what I hate most."
Shei had once tried to destroy the military state. That damned nation was always the first enemy Shei faced, and it felt like she had to overcome it to move forward.
And she succeeded.
Through thorough preparation and efforts spanning several regressions, Shei once brought the military state to ruin. She became a hero of the newly formed Free Republic, just like the masterpiece Patraxion.
And then, she left the country, swallowing a bitter aftertaste.
After that, she never set foot on the soil of the Free Republic again.
Across all regressions.
"Clueless romantics, remnants of the old era, those who just hate the military state. The resistance is a collective of these three groups. The nation drawn by people born into different circumstances, carrying different dreams... is a world where everyone is equal and happy."
As soon as she heard Shei's words, Tirkancjaka grasped their essence and nodded.
Thinking that the masses of humanity hadn't changed even after hundreds of years.
"A utopian ideal with no answer."
"Exactly. They all have goals but haven't prepared a path. There's no way people like that can even maintain the status quo..."
To be precise, she had witnessed it firsthand.
She freed the overworked laborers and decided to employ workers with proper wages instead.
Especially the most crucial meta-conveyor belt. At least that facility, the core of the military state, had to maintain the status quo. It was the minimum condition for running a country.
But it didn't even take a month for the belt to stop.
The meta-conveyor belt was a convenient, useful, and indispensable facility, but it had a flaw: if cargo was missed at a docking point once, it would go missing for over a week. Even a single mistake placed a proportionate burden on the nation.
A week of disappearance, schedules delayed because of it, soaring costs, and plummeting trust.
The workers, realizing the importance of this task, took the belt hostage and demanded better treatment. You couldn't blame the workers. No matter the pay, the labor was lethally demanding.
The gentle nation born from the rejection of the military state was dragged around by them.
Gears ground to a halt. The whole country creaked and groaned.
Having ultimately broken the nation, Shei took in the changed country a year later and, deeply heartbroken, left.
"...Rather than entrust it to the likes of them, I'll just selectively devour the Creature of All Things and leave the rest alone. And once you grasp its operating principles, the military state isn't that troublesome."
"You're saying you've grasped their operating principles, Shei?"
"Of course. Look. We're blatantly heading for the capital, but the nation isn't trying to stop us with full force."
"Now that you mention it, it is a peculiar case. If an enemy marches toward the royal capital, they should concentrate all their power to stop it."
The reason was far too simple, and just as deflating. How utterly dismayed Shei had been when she learned this fact in a previous regression.
And how much more she came to hate the military state because of it.
"We smashed five companies but didn't kill a single person. The military state reached a conclusion here: we're too strong to suppress, but at the same time, the four of us are too insignificant to justify concentrating their full force. They don't see it as profitable, so they're actively neglecting us."
Active engagement avoidance. Don't even fight because the cost-benefit doesn't add up.
It was a judgment truly befitting a nation mad about efficiency.
"If they were really determined to fight to the death, they'd gather at least three of the Six Generals and come find us. If they commit forces half-heartedly and suffer losses, it'd be a national-scale loss. But since they can't casually pull the Six Generals from their positions, unless it's a Six General with disgustingly little to do, they won't come..."
That was when Shei murmured those words.
Aji's ears perked up. Nabi frowned and bristled her fur.
Just like the beasts, Shei and Tirkancjaka also sensed the blatant fighting spirit and rose from their seats.
With a face that said 'what must come, has come,' Shei murmured.
"Here they come. A Six General with disgustingly little to do."