EP.202 The Land That Flows Like a River - 4
The Meta Conveyor Belt is the flowing land. It is the most efficient means of transportation in the Military Nation.
It may not be the fastest means, but it is certainly the most efficient. Just by riding it, one can reach from the eastern end of the Military Nation to the western end in a matter of days, and if one wishes to go faster, they simply need to move as much as they want on top of it.
Be it by vehicle, or even on foot if necessary. If one hurries, their speed is added to its own. It was a masterpiece possessing the efficiency typical of the Military Nation and an uncharacteristic flexibility, one that would make even the rigid Military Nation shrug its shoulders in approval.
However, the land is fair. The Earth Goddess bestows her mercy equally upon all, so even the land that flows like a river does not embrace only the Military Nation. She allows everyone to walk upon it.
Be they enemies of the Military Nation, or allies. All are children of the earth.
Thanks to this, the Military Nation was suffering from a headache over the enemies occupying the flowing land.
"...I'm going to hear an earful."
Due to the nature of the Meta Conveyor Belt, the flowing land, an exact location could not be specified, but a temporary headquarters had been established 10km behind them.
Having returned against the flow of the conveyor belt, Historia entered the largest container with a cigarette in her mouth.
Inside the container, high-ranking officers including generals were holding a meeting with a map of the Military Nation spread out before them. Among them were some with higher ranks than Historia, but Historia merely gave a slight nod of her head as she went inside and found her seat.
A few generals slightly turned their heads and acknowledged her greeting. Among them, the middle-aged man with a cheerful impression who sat at the very head seat frowned deliberately and called out to Historia.
"Major General Historia. Where have you been?"
"Just went out and poked them for a bit."
"I'm sure I told you solo operations are prohibited."
"That's why I just shot my gun and came back. Without fighting them directly."
Historia retorted briefly and took her seat. An unhindered attitude as if she didn't care about rank or formalities.
However, no one mentioned it.
She was a Six-Star General; though young and low in rank, she was one of the Military Nation's greatest fighting forces. Simply in terms of strength, she was among the top five in the Military Nation. A one-woman army capable of conducting operations alone.
An out-of-standard existence cannot be forced into a mold. Either the standard gets shattered, or the existence can no longer endure and breaks out—one of the two.
One of the generals defended Historia.
"Commander. The Major General only followed for reconnaissance purposes. There were results, so let's leave the scolding at that."
"Hah? Hey, Lieutenant General. What if we lost a Six-Star General then? Do you think operations exist for no reason! Everything is laid out for the sake of our allies, so what happens if the core, the Six-Star Generals, move around as they please!"
And, though some might not believe it, Historia was surprisingly steady. She cared for her subordinates in her own way and showed at least minimal courtesy to the other generals. Perhaps because of that, even if the generals occasionally pointed out her faults, they didn't really interfere.
Because.
"When you're one to talk? You went and fought alone after taking a leave while being the Northern Commander."
Compared to Patraktion, who arbitrarily submitted a leave request and took off for a duel, a Major General who caused a little friction under the guise of reconnaissance and then deviated was considered cute.
Patraktion answered shamelessly.
"Thanks to that, I participated in this operation. If I were in the North, I wouldn't have made it in time. And thanks to me conducting a skirmish, we roughly know their forces too."
Historia replied as she chewed on her unlit cigarette.
"I heard from the signaler. You came right back without any results because you were scared of the Progenitor."
"It wasn't fear, I just couldn't find a reason to risk my life fighting. As you said, wouldn't it be a loss if a Six-Star General died in a place like that? Besides, a daughter like a rabbit and a wife like a fox are waiting for me at home."
"I wonder why you didn't have such deep thoughts before going there."
"...Talking back at every turn."
"Puh.... Ah, I didn't light it."
"Now you're even ignoring me?"
Historia was the only one who could comfortably deal with Patraktion, who was unrivaled in both strength and experience in the Military Nation. The generals were proud of Historia, who spoke out refreshingly on their behalf while they kept their mouths shut.
"You brat... you'd better be really grateful to my daughter. If I didn't have a daughter your age, I would have disciplined you long ago."
Patraktion grumbled but stopped blaming her there. Instead, he cast his gaze back onto the table and called the chief of staff.
"Anyway, since the general who went on reconnaissance has returned, let's start the meeting. Chief of Staff. Explain."
"Then, I will begin."
The chief of staff inserted a packet into his bio-terminal. As magical power was infused, an alchemist made of magical power wove a piece of cloth and wrapped itself around his arm. After the manifestation was complete, the chief of staff unraveled the cloth.
The cloth wrapped around the Chief of Staff's arm was a full map of the Military Nation created by the packet.
If it could create forms, the same went for pictures. Packet technology had developed to the point where it could even contain information, and the Military Nation was the first to adopt it.
When the chief of staff unrolled the cloth on the table, a large map revealing the entirety of the Military Nation literally spread out.
"This is their current location, and this is the location of our allied forces waiting behind them."
Within the territory of the Military Nation, demarcated by thick borders, the Meta Conveyor Belt, emphasized as a wide ellipse, looked like the skeleton of the Military Nation. It was depicted distinctly larger than its actual size, circling the Military Nation.
Over the southeast of that ellipse, the chief of staff's pointer cast down. The pointer moved slowly along the belt.
"If they continue like this, they will briefly stop at the Far East Terminal and then change direction to head northwest. If they continue to follow the belt, they will circle the Military Nation. However, since they are being pursued, they will not stay in the Military Nation indefinitely. Surely, upon arriving at the Far East Terminal or just before, they will slip out of the belt's flow midway."
The moment the pointer reached the Far East Terminal, it left the belt and began to move independently. Running through empty land after following the road until just a moment ago looked like foul play, but the chief of staff's cane ran calmly across the map at the same speed.
The place where the pointer reached after running through the roadless empty land was--
"I predict they will break away like this and head for the Eastern Coastal Road. Be it by land or by sea. They will head north by any means necessary."
Patraktion, who had been staring down at the map, looked at the dark land existing above the coastal road with a somewhat uneasy expression. A country depicted darkly and murkily even on the map, one that humans would feel repulsed to even mention.
"If it's north along the coastal road, to the Principality?"
The Sea of Calamities that appears if you head straight east. An abyss where unknown monsters run rampant, forever sinking. Between the sea and the mountain range lies a dark land, always filled with fog.
The chief of staff pointed there with his cane and nodded.
"The Progenitor Tirkanjaka is the monarch of vampires. If she wakes up after a long slumber and is pursued, it is rational to head toward the Principality where her allies are. That existence is a nation unto herself... but she is still a vampire. A being who knows her own weaknesses better than anyone would not stop in the middle of the Military Nation without leading an army."
There was only one conclusion.
Whether to kill the enemy or to subdue them. They had to be subdued before they reached the coastal road.
Historia, who had been quietly listening, spoke in a suppressed voice. No one knew whether it was because she had a cigarette in her mouth, or simply because she was forcing a lot of strength into her voice.
"We must gather our forces at the Far East Terminal and attack them. The Far East Terminal is the point of return, where a massive delta that maintains the Meta Conveyor Belt exists. With sufficient forces there, we can surround them."
Though the chief of staff was one rank higher in position, he explained politely and in detail with proper formality toward Historia.
"Under the Commander's judgment, Headquarters has ordered us to pressure them with the goal of repelling them if subjugation is not feasible."
"But."
"A large-scale encirclement operation is irrational. The enemy is small in number, powerful, and has multiple footholds. If we end up killing her while conducting an encirclement operation against the Principality's Progenitor, the Military Nation will be put in a difficult position. At the very least, we must maintain amicable relations with the Principality. Furthermore..."
As if finding it difficult to bring this up, the chief of staff looked at the generals gathered here and added in a small voice.
"In the first place, we can't even guarantee victory. After politically clashing with the Holy See, neither a saint nor a bishop has been stationed in the Military Nation. On the contrary, the vampire is a primordial mystery, a being that commands all lifeless things. If time drags on and night falls. The side that loses could be us."
A rational judgment typical of the Military Nation, setting aside any optimism.
But this was unacceptable to Historia. Hameln, the countless lives buried beneath that cursed river. Was she being told she had to miss the truth of that incident, which she thought she would never find, when it was right before her eyes?
If the Military Nation wouldn't accept it, then even alone.
The moment Historia was about to spring up from her seat--
[This is Military Nation Signaler Pyi. I am delivering a direct order from Headquarters.]
A dry, stiff voice echoed through the conference room. The stars filling the room turned their heads in unison toward the messenger who brought the news. In particular, Historia's face was fiercer and more desperate than ever.
Countless generals' gazes headed to one place. Anyone would be intimidated under them, but the signaler calmly continued his report.
[Declassified as of now. By order of emergency dispatch from Headquarters, General Prelvior will arrive shortly.]
The moment the news was delivered, a wave of agitation spread among the generals. That light was not worry or fear, but a tremor full of power felt when something solid backed them up.
Even Historia couldn't hide her excitement, clenching her fist inwardly.
However, Patraktion, who was sitting alone at the head seat, pressed down on his sloppily worn hat. Covering his face so his expression couldn't be seen, he muttered.
"When we were heading to the capital, they ordered active combat evasion, but now that they're trying to retreat, they call that old hag, the Magic General...? I can't understand it."
The sole Magister of the Military Nation. The creator of formulaic magic.
The most typical mage, and a War Mage.
Eunhasu.
Magic General, General Prelvior.
"What are they thinking, Headquarters. Are they planning to fight a real war against just three people?"
Absent from here, and whose true identity no one knows.
Toward the Headquarters that only issued orders through signalers, Patraktion muttered softly.