EP.203 Land Flowing Like a River - 5
When morning came, the Military Nation's forces began their march. Dividing their troops aboard the captured auto-carriages, they drove along the narrow meta-conveyor belt, dodging the occasional containers that appeared.
Racing across the flowing land, their marching speed was tremendous. They leaped over five administrative districts in a single breath and passed famous mountains and rivers in an instant. After a miraculous march accompanied by the literal earth-shrinking technique, at the end of their gaze appeared, far in the distance, a reddish container surrounded by ominous darkness. It was the container where the Progenitor and other hostile entities resided.
Halting the advance, Jeolchang refused the megaphone and shouted loudly.
"You are surrounded. Surrender peacefully and—"
Mid-sentence, he frowned and immediately readjusted his spear. Tap. Shouldering his long spear, he threw it with all his might without another word.
A blue meteor flew along the flowing land.
The spear that flew through the wind pierced through the container. Having passed through the back and disappeared, the spear soon shattered the front lid and burst out. With a loud noise, the cargo packed inside tumbled out like shredded innards.
Jeolchang's javelin sweep cleared everything inside the container. Partaxion calmly confirmed the items pouring out.
Beans and flour, and miscellaneous metals for alchemy, rolling along the headwind.
"...It doesn't seem like I swept away the enemy with my javelin. Right?"
The first to rush out, Jeolchang's adjutant and disciple, Colonel Gand, checked inside the container and shouted.
"That is correct! It's a general cargo container!"
"Right. We were deceived."
They hadn't neglected reconnaissance. However, to scout them riding the flowing belt, they had to approach via the belt from this side as well. Otherwise, they would only fall behind.
But if the opponent was a terrifyingly powerful being, the limit distance at which scouts could approach gradually grew farther.
Moreover, the opponent was the Progenitor Tirkanjaka. A master of authority who could directly manipulate darkness. Darkness was usually a scout's friend, but not this time. Every scout who discovered something had their communications cut off.
During the reconnaissance gap while she was cloaked in darkness, the containers were swapped.
"During the night, they switched out the container."
Jeolchang said calmly and hopped onto the auto-carriage. The auto-carriage, which had briefly stopped, began moving again.
Even knowing that they had hidden and moved further away during the night, none of the generals felt troubled or disappointed.
Because if the Military Nation were in that position, they would have done the same.
"...As expected. If they have pursuers on their tail, it's highly likely they took action during the night when they had freedom of movement."
"So they're using their heads too. They rationally chose to go forward."
During the night, the enemy's power including the Progenitor was superior even to the Military Nation's full strength.
This alone was a somewhat irrational and unfair calculation, but regardless, it was a clear fact. Fighting an undying immortal legion that doesn't deplete should never be done.
During that time, the Military Nation had to avoid engagement, and the enemy could act freely. And on this meta-conveyor belt, freedom came down to one of two choices—forward or backward.
The rational choice was forward. Moving forward brought them closer to their objective while simultaneously delaying the pursuit. Being able to drain the stamina of regular soldiers who had to walk on foot against the wind was also an advantage. Though there wouldn't be much difference in overall strength.
This was a fully anticipated result, and countermeasures had already been prepared.
The golem beside Jeolchang took in the empty container with its eyes and reported dispassionately.
『Meta-Conveyor Belt Manager, Military Nation Signal Officer Captain Piyu. Observation data updated, Point 1 is a dummy. Switching target to Point 2.』
Jeolchang, still looking toward the front of the belt, ordered without even glancing at the golem.
"Tell the Military Nation's daughter who went ahead that this was a dummy."
『I have already finished reporting to Director Historia. This information is more urgent for the detachment.』
"Ah, is that so?"
Scratching his head, Partaxion shouted loudly to the main force waiting for orders again.
"Anyway, we won't be able to move as fast during the day as at night. Now, prepare to march again! We pursue the enemy!"
"Yes, sir!"
The well-trained army began advancing in perfect unison. As if unrelated to the current situation, they moved forward, dodging the containers scattered everywhere and flowing along the path.
"Hey. Colonel Gand. Come here."
At that moment, Partaxion called his disciple. Responding to the call, Colonel Gand quickly ran over.
Though he was Jeolchang's disciple and his martial prowess was comparable to a general, in terms of position, he was merely a young adjutant. In contrast, Jeolchang was a commander who could outmatch even generals by several levels.
Colonel Gand moved as swiftly as if he were a regular soldier and stood beside Jeolchang.
With an endlessly serious attitude, Jeolchang pointed at the container he had pierced and spoke.
"Hey. But when you pierce a container like that, doesn't it look like you skewered a spear from the asshole to the mouth? When I did that before, all the innards popped out through the mouth. The container is similar, right?"
"…."
He didn't show it, but the expressions of the generals nearby who heard the conversation rapidly deteriorated.
The morning of destiny dawned. As dawn broke, a round glowing sphere peeked its head out toward the world from far below the eastern horizon.
The sun was sometimes described as the face of a god or an absolute being, but at the very least, it clearly lacked anything resembling personality.
Otherwise, it wouldn't poke its face out from the east every single day without getting tired for eons.
"Woof! It's morning! Woof!"
Cancellation. This dog too—how long has it been since we met, and it wakes me up every morning without getting tired. If I don't refuse, it looks like it'll wake me up for eons.
Let me sleep more. Why is this dog trying to wake me up when it's not even the Abyss....
"King of Dogs, leave him be. Let him rest while he can."
"Woof? No! Morning, wake up to be healthy! Regular life, important!"
"You won't die from missing a bit of that accursed sunlight. Besides, dawn has barely broken—what's the rush?"
As expected, Tir. Only Tir genuinely thinks of me.
What? Morning is the time to wake up? Who decided that?
Don't adjust yourself to the world. Make the world adjust to you! The time you wake up is morning, and until you sleep, it's today!
"Woof! Spoiling you is bad! Bad for health!"
"If the sun's absence would harm Hugh's body, I'll take responsibility and make him a body where that's not possible."
'Since Hugh likes sleep, even if he became a vampire, it wouldn't be too bad...'
"Up we go! Wake up like Aji! Nice to meet you, today's sun!"
Being alive is important. To be able to face that morning with dignity—how could I not be happy.
Anyway, now fully awake, I opened the container door and surveyed the outside. Through the cold that had settled during the night, the warmth of dawn seeped in, while the world on the meta-conveyor belt was still being pushed backward.
In the vast farmlands in the distance, crops were growing lushly, and between mountains and fields, people greeting the morning could be seen traversing the world.
The verdant land seemed to drink in the morning sun to the fullest, as if trying to swell its body. Seeing scenery clearly different from yesterday, I realized anew that we had moved quite a bit during the night.
"It seems you moved us a lot during the night. It must have been heavy."
"Just as things submerged in water have no weight, the same is true for things within darkness. No matter how heavy, it's no problem."
Last night, having prepared the dummy container, we swapped out the entire container. While the Regressor set traps around the area, Tir lifted our entire living container and moved it.
Floating buoyantly while buried in darkness, the container had excellent ride comfort despite its imposing appearance. Even I, who had been anxious, fell asleep before long.
Thanks to that, the Military Nation side, which didn't notice our movement, fell far behind. Even if they chased at full speed, they wouldn't arrive until after noon.
"However, as I said yesterday, the wind was blowing hard so I couldn't move far."
"Well, that's to be expected. Tir's method of movement is closer to floating in the first place."
Those who walk on the ground can go faster if they just endure the wind a bit, but Tir lifts things using darkness, so she can't take full advantage of being on the meta-conveyor belt.
Well, I should be satisfied that the distance has widened at all.
"Anyway. Hugh, I have something to ask. Rather than fleeing like this, wouldn't it be better to defeat the enemy at night?"
It seemed Tir wasn't pleased with being passive and asked again.
'If we just teach a lesson to those who block my path without fear, wouldn't that do? If we give them a severe scolding, they wouldn't dare to pursue us.'
Is this the mindset of the strong? It seems those who can fight armies alone think this way.
Well, if it's possible, there's nothing bad about it... but there's no need.
I calmly repeated the explanation I had given yesterday.
"To do that, we'd have to turn back. For us who need to leave the Military Nation as soon as possible, there's no reason to deliberately go back."
"Sometimes going back is the faster path."
"In most cases, the fastest path is the fastest. We who are pressed for time have no reason to choose the path of retreat."
"...Hmm. If you say so, then so be it."
Whether she didn't understand or not, Tir expressed her dissatisfaction. Ah, this is modern tactics. It's different from a thousand years ago.
'I should show a magnificent appearance of defeating the enemy, so that Hugh would trust and follow me a bit more. Recently, I feel like I've only shown unreliable behavior. Because of that, he stubbornly refuses to become a vampire...'
So you just wanted to show a cool appearance? You're not some hot-blooded youth!
Well, she is hot-blooded, but that hot blood is quite different!
I should speak a bit more calmly when dealing with Tir from now on.
"Even if we take the offensive, if they retreat, that's that. Then we'd be forced to make a choice again from there. Whether to close the distance or go back again. Both choices would result in more losses than our original plan. In the end, we can't even recover our initial investment. Our goal is not to annihilate the enemy but to escape. Therefore, it's rational to prioritize that and act accordingly."
"Would a nation's army retreat so easily?"
"The Military Nation does. It's that kind of country. Have you ever heard the term 'active combat avoidance'?"
'Active combat avoidance... Ah, you mean avoiding battle since there would only be losses from confronting the enemy.'
Having experienced it firsthand when heading from the Abyss to the capital, Tir accepted it much more easily. Though Tir still couldn't imagine the sight of a legion that would discard everything and flee.
"What if we retreat and they cling to us persistently?"
"When they cling persistently like dogs from their side. That's exactly the time to fight."
"Woof? Me? Cling persistently?"
I mentioned a dog, and Aji, thinking it was being called, approached. Aji wagged its tail weakly and spoke as if regretful.
"Sorry, I, can't bite humans! It's a regret!"
"It is a regret, honestly."
"But, I'll try my best! Woof! Tissue paper, hate!"
"What tissue paper... Are you perhaps talking about me? Is it because if I get torn like tissue paper, your investment becomes tissue paper?"
"Woof!"
Answering brightly, Aji had an attitude as if it had become my owner or debt collector.
I should give it money and tell it to stop. I'm at a loss for words. I thumped Aji's head. My hand hurt more, but humans have a dignity they must protect even by enduring pain.
"I haven't received any investment from you yet? You little punk, investment is something you have to prove your worth to be acknowledged for."
Even after being hit once, Aji didn't particularly resist and said.
"I will!"
"You can't even bite humans, so what will you do?"
A dog helping is still just a dog. When I gave a sharp remark with a face showing no expectations, Aji hesitated for a moment then suddenly lifted its head. In its clear, large brown eyes, there was a strong resolve unlike a dog.
"Woof! I'll bite everything except humans!"
Oh. That might actually be reliable?
Aji, answering with firm resolve, soon turned away from me and headed a bit further inside. There, the Regressor who had guarded the rear briefly last night to check the scouts and came late, was lying limply on the bed.
As if waking humans was its duty, Aji approached the Regressor's bedside and barked loudly.
"Woof! Wake up! It's morning!"
"Oh dear. Aji. Daddy came home late yesterday so he's tired. Wake him slowly."
"Who's your daddy..."
'Well, if it were mom maybe... Ugh. No, this isn't right. Is it because of that guy's influence? I feel like I'm slowly starting to see Aji and Nabi as pets too...'
The Regressor, clutching his head, quickly composed himself and sat up.
"The sun's risen... The enemy hasn't appeared yet?"
"Not yet."
"Just have a quick meal... And let's slowly prepare."
Whether familiar with eating during combat, the Regressor began gulping down hastily prepared rations without even taking out the Manhanjeonseok. I also opened canned food for Aji and Nabi, placing one in front of each, and forced down the canned rations.
During that time, Tir, who had no need to eat, watched quietly, then urged us when we finished.
"Let's hurry. If we had to move at night, wouldn't it be better to move during the day as well?"
"Ah, there's no need for that."
Before my words even finished, gunfire echoed from far away in the distance.
Rat-tat-tat. Though it came from quite far away, it was certain they were aiming this way. The familiar sound of bullets striking the container's outer wall rang out.
Familiar with it, the Regressor tossed the canned food and took out a canteen, gulping down water. I too swallowed the remaining food in my mouth with a gulp. The amount eaten wasn't much, but my stomach, tightened by tension, didn't show any signs of deficiency.
"Because during the day, we won't be able to move as easily."
Delaying tactics.
A unit intending to hold us back until the main force arrives had appeared.