EP.238 Dark Zone
The inside of the Meta-Conveyor Belt is also called the Dark Zone. Unlike the Fog Duchy, this name was given entirely for its symbolic meaning. The Dark Zone is not pitch-black at all. Rather, it is much brighter than other regions.
Lights that allow work to continue even at night.
Searchlights that track down fleeing people.
Lighthouses on tall spires that watch over the forced laborers.
Even though it is bright enough to see ahead at night, paradoxically, this land is the Dark Zone. The people of the Inner Circle cannot go outside the Belt until they finish their sentence. Therefore, what happens inside is not transmitted outside the Belt.
Hence the Dark Zone. A void created by an absence of information.
Unlike the idyllic outside of the Belt, the inside is the land of forced laborers dragged here for rule violations or crimes. It is full of people who continue their penal labor without even being able to claim the bare minimum of freedom.
"Gasp, gasp."
In the communal farm, one of the Military State's Seven Great Inventions, the Chimera Beans, are growing vigorously. The large-podded beans look so tempting that a farmer who grew them would feel full just by looking at them.
However, the laborer was not a farmer, and he felt no sense of reward in tending the fields and harvesting crops. This field was not his, and he didn't want it, yet it was forced upon him.
Chimera Beans grow fast and yield a large harvest, but they require a massive amount of water and tremendous labor. If the extra branches are not pruned regularly, the vines grow wildly and then tumble under their own weight. Chasing away the birds and insects targeting the lushly grown beans was his job.
As a prisoner and forced laborer, he frantically broke the branches of the Chimera Beans even while exhausted. As he performed this simple labor, he recalled how he ended up here.
He beat up a supervisor who demanded a bribe over a speck of power. Full of vigor, he couldn't stand the sight. Even when his solid fist struck the supervisor's jaw, he felt not a single ounce of regret.
But now, a year later, he regretted that day every single moment.
If only he hadn't used his hands back then, he wouldn't be going through this now.
In his current state, he couldn't find even a fragment of the anger that drove things to this point. His only wish was for today to pass quickly, for this grueling labor to end sooner.
The moment the word 'escape' comes to mind, terror overwhelms him. He shouldn't even think of escaping. Setting aside the searchlights watching in all directions, he had seen many times those who disobeyed orders being dragged further inside.
He didn't know what was further inside, but one thing was certain... even after a year, no one had ever returned. That fact made him even more terrified.
If there was one small comfort... it was that the supervisor he beat up, who dared to take a bribe in the Military State, was dragged deep inside and disappeared. That was his only meager consolation.
In the Military State, only the Military State can exploit someone. Thinking so with a cloudy mind, he slashed the bushes with a blunt sickle.
It was then.
『Military State Signalman Rio notifies all forced laborers. All laborers are to stop their work and return to their quarters immediately. Repeating. All laborers currently performing labor are to return to their quarters immediately. This is an order. That is all.』
He doubted his ears. For a Military State laborer, the early termination of labor was akin to a god. In the sense that one always searches for it but it never comes. Yet suddenly, he was welcoming a god.
Wondering if he had misheard, he looked up at the sky. It was still bright. There was still a long way to go before work ended.
The supervisor screamed. The sight of him shouting that there would be disadvantages if they didn't go rest right away was enough to cause cognitive dissonance for an ordinary laborer. He gathered his tools and moved with all his might to go take a rest.
"You live long enough and see days like this."
Truly, an unexpected fortune that came by sheer coincidence. It was only that, but for some reason, he felt life was a little more worth living.
Riflemen without a Rifle Master are powerless. They can't even act as a check against the enemy. Intermittent bullets pounded the outer wall of the automail carriage, but the vehicle body, which was already hard to penetrate, was currently under Tier's control. The bullets striking the alchemy steel reinforced with her immense mana simply bounced off in vain.
Driving the steering wheel and rushing forward like that, I spotted an obstacle blocking the road ahead. It was a grid-shaped alchemy steel caltrop and a large barricade.
I immediately shouted.
"Ms. Shea! The road is blocked!"
"I know too."
The regressor immediately kicked off her seat, leaped up, and stood with her feet planted on the front hood of the automail carriage. Holding Ji-Zan out to the side, she threw it with a long stretch of her arm as the carriage got close enough to the barricade.
Jigon-ryu, Earth Sickle.
The spinning Ji-Zan flew and collided with the barricade.
At that moment, the barricade and caltrops rang with a metallic screech and flew in all directions. That sickle, which feels light only to the one recognized by it, feels heavier than a large automail carriage to any other existence. What if it comes flying while spinning?
Barricade or whatever, it was nothing but a scarecrow in front of the spinning Ji-Zan. The heaviest thresher created by the earth fiercely harvests the steel crops.
A roar and an explosion, and flying steel fragments. Amidst that devastating scene of destruction, I stepped on the pedal even harder.
"Breaking through! Everyone, brace yourse—Ugh!"
The vehicle bumped so hard that I ended up hitting my head. It was because debris remained even though the regressor had cleared it like that.
This thing that gives a kick-in-the-ass impact even from tiny bumps... was it made for people to ride? No, the Military State doesn't see its citizens as humans in the first place.
"This damn automail carriage...! Ms. Shea! Don't you have a better means of transportation than this cheap automail carriage? Something awesome that can carry all of us and run!"
"You think something like that exists?"
The regressor stood stepping on the side of the automail carriage, stretched her body out, and snatched Ji-Zan sprawling on the ground. It was a feat akin to acrobatics.
Having retrieved Ji-Zan, the regressor returned to the passenger seat. I grumbled while holding the steering wheel.
"Then how about a tool that flies in the sky! When I saw you earlier, you were flying well on the wind!"
"There are a lot of people right now. The heavier it is, the harder it is to ride the wind."
"You can just put in more effort!"
"You tell me to use it recklessly when it's not your own power..."
The eyes of the regressor, who was snorting, widened. She immediately reached out and pushed my body aside.
"Dangerous!"
Pushing me out of the diagonal line, the regressor thrust the Cheon-Aeng through that gap.
Heavenly Sword Qi, Sa-Il.
The invisible sword qi shot from Cheon-Aeng brushed past my nose. Instantly, my vision blurred, and a loud explosion was heard in the distance. A shell flying towards us had exploded in mid-air. For a moment, I felt a hot heat on my left cheek.
"Those bastards, it seems they were trying to pin us down with the barricade and snipe us! Hmph, no way! Who would get hit by something like that!"
Snorting and speaking confidently, the regressor looked a bit cool today. I spoke my honest impression.
"Ms. Shea, you're a bit cool. I think I might fall for you."
"Eh?! D-Don't say useless things even at a dangerous moment like this! Focus on driving!"
When I briefly turned my gaze at the words to focus on driving, I saw a mobile artillery mounted with a cannon on top of a carriage aiming its barrel this way. Just as the regressor said, it seemed their strategy was to isolate us on the road and unilaterally pour shells at us.
I stepped on the pedal even more.
"They are not on the road. It doesn't look like they can follow us from far. How about we keep intercepting like now and escape?"
"I'm a bit reluctant to do that."
"You can't? Was what you just did a coincidence?"
"Of course not! It's the Principle of Cladding. I explained it to you, so you know, right? When using the Principle of Cladding, it's not hard to hit something in empty air. That's why we can't fly in the sky for fear of being intercepted too..."
The regressor muttered as if she felt sorry.
So if there was no risk of being intercepted, you would have flown in the sky. You weren't a cheapskate after all. I guess I was misunderstanding you.
"But it consumes stamina and concentration, so I don't want to strike down each one. How about it, shall we trust Tirkanjaka and endure it with our bodies?"
"My body?"
"I meant the car's body, but if your body has the ability to endure too, that would be even better."
"Nonsense. I am a fragile creature. I won't be able to endure if I get hit by a shell, and even if the car gets hit, the impact will mess up my driving! Treat me with care!"
"Tch, so it won't work after all."
"Obviously! Hurry up and go take care of them!"
The regressor, hearing my urging, seemed like she wanted to do that, but something was bothering her as she looked ahead with worry.
"I want to do that too, but if I leave my spot here..."
"Oops! You won't be able to break through the next barricade! Then I'll be in danger! Stay by my side from now on! You mustn't go anywhere!"
"T-That's why. Why do you always say it like that... Tch, whatever. I hate using mana, but should I try calling down lightning..."
It was when the regressor was about to summon lightning. With a neighing sound, the white horse that had been following alongside the automail carriage broke away from the formation and began to run toward them. Riding on it side by side were the Princess and Siati.
The regressor spoke as if she had just remembered.
"Right. There was the Resistance too, right? Let's leave it to them."
"Can those two do it? The Princess doesn't look physically strong or anything...?"
I said in a doubtful tone.
Naturally. Siati seemed to have gained some new abilities while participating in the Resistance, but the Princess with the pink hair had no martial prowess yet kept throwing herself into danger as if she had a flower garden in her head. I had to be doubtful; only a fool would trust that.
Seeing me looking suspicious, the regressor reacted as if she found it amusing.
"There's something you don't know too? Hehe. Well, this isn't easy to know. Even the Princess herself probably doesn't know."
"What is it?"
"Should I tell you? If you ask politely, I might tell you."
Her boasting was annoying, so I just read her thoughts right away.
The knowledge I had learned in previous rounds was not visible to my mind-reading, but thanks to the regressor recalling that memory now, I could read it too.
'The Princess is of the Grandiomor royal family. The Grandiomor royal family was one of the five lords who drove out the human king. Especially the Princess, the last surviving blood relative, possesses the ability to evade human hostility.'
The ability to evade hostility? I looked again at the white horse running in a straight line toward the enemy.
The artillery unit seemed a bit troubled. Should they intercept the white horse running toward them, or attack the automail carriage rushing toward the command center.
The automail carriage still had the regressor, who blew up the flying shells in mid-air, shining her eyes. Even to protect themselves, intercepting the white horse would be a rational decision.
However, the artillery unit did not change their gun muzzles. They persistently aimed only at us and prepared the next shot.
I said, confirming that sign with a sidelong glance.
"By any chance, is it an ability that prevents her from becoming a target of attack?"
"Pretty close? How did you know?"
"Because even though someone on a horse is charging right at them, those gun muzzles are still aimed only at us!"
Like the riflemen, the artillery soldiers were not highly recognized for their utility. The loud and slow shells were only useful when the enemy was densely packed, and even then, those who were somewhat strong could swat away or catch the shells.
Still, they were better than the riflemen. At the very least, the cannons had the power to smash castle walls or passing carriages.
Just like now!
"Precisely, it's the ability to evade hostility. A power that makes her less betrayed, makes her feel the least dangerous even when attacked, and makes everyone lenient towards her. An ability possessed only by those who inherit the lineage of the ancient king. It's also the reason the Grandiomor bloodline could continue for so long..."
"That's not what's important right now! The hostility that avoided them is aimed at us! We're in danger!"
It was when I shouted like that.
Siati, who was riding hanging behind the Princess, took off the glove on her left hand. It wasn't the prosthetic right hand, but her scarred left hand that was revealed.
Among them, the most prominent were the joints of her left fingers, twisted at every knuckle.
Ugly fingers that were noticeable even from a distance. As everyone watched her actions.
Siati raised her hand for everyone to see and bent her left pinky finger 'upward'.
At the same time, the barrel of the main cannon was bent upward with a crunching sound, in a shape very similar to Siati's finger.
A roar erupted. The barrel, cast in steel to withstand the aftermath of an explosion, was grotesquely bent upward like Siati's finger, ending up looking up at the sky. Whether the shell inside exploded, crimson flames and smoke erupted.
Siati put her glove back on. As she signaled something, the Princess turned the reins and returned this way. Although they had thwarted the enemy's target, the Princess's expression didn't look too good.