༺ A Far Away Tale. The Sword And The Spear – 1 ༻
“Haha! People these days are quite likable. That old military engineer and you guys too. Oy, little sister! You were about to step forward before the engineer, weren’t you?”
Now that he had revealed his identity, the Captain, who was singled out, hastily saluted. The General nodded his head in satisfaction.
“A Captain should have strength of their own, but still, you must be careful when surrounded by guns! If your Qi Arts is not fully matured, it’s dangerous!”
“…It is an honor.”
Although my mind reading indicated that the Captain didn’t actually intend to fight, she nodded anyway. The pleased General looked at me while stroking his chin.
“And Little Brother! Just as courage to step forward is necessary, so is the courage to hold someone back! Well done! Kyah, if you were just 10 years younger, I would have taken you as my disciple!”
It seemed that he thought quite highly of me.
Nice. Let’s flatter him some more. Flattery from someone you acknowledged usually felt much more real than from a complete stranger.
“If I could go back 10 years, I would definitely seek your guidance, General.”
“Oooh wow. Little Brother sure knows how to make someone feel good! Hahaha!”
The General pounded on my shoulders vigorously with an immature smile. Then, he turned his head to look at the old military engineer.
“Despite your old age, your vigor is impressive! Indeed, those so-called knights don’t have the spirit you do. It really is quite regrettable!”
“Ahh. It’s an honor, General. It’s a great honor to meet you like this….”
The old engineer looked as if he might die of heart failure at any moment. Overwhelmed and hardly able to breathe, he praised the General in a sporadic, trembling voice.
“I’m just sorry that I can’t offer anything even after meeting the one who punished the kingdom….”
“What? Nah, nevermind that!”
The General waved his hands, as if it was far too burdensome to hear such a thing.
“Punish? That’s not the case. I didn’t really have any grand cause. Just, you know? I was annoyed by those who abused their power only to bully the weak. I just wanted to show them what a real duel was…. Honestly, I was just going to charge in and bite the dust. But then, a coup d’état happened and I unintentionally became a General.”
He wasn’t in league with the Military State.
It was just that the Military State took advantage of his duel.
In fact, because the coup d’état was as impulsive as a personal whim, the kingdom crumbled without being able to resist.
Of course, the biggest credit went to Patraxion, who singlehandedly fought in urban warfare which was unfavorable to soldiers.
“Still, that doesn’t diminish General’s duel. It is an undeniable fact that you alone advanced from the outskirts to the inner castle, fighting a hundred duels.”
“Good grief, you’re making me feel too burdened to be called a General. If someone heard you, they might think I singlehandedly destroyed the kingdom. Well then, anyway! Now that my identity has been exposed!”
After finishing his words, the General leaped up. Colonel Gand, keeping pace, shook off his spear and followed him.
“Alright! It was a fun journey, but it’s time to part ways. I have things to do, you see.”
“Ah, you mentioned you were on vacation, right?”
“It’s a vacation only in name. In reality, it’s actually volunteer work. A little mistake I made has come back to haunt me. I should clean up my own mess, shouldn’t I?”
With that, the General clicked his tongue and muttered to himself.
“Tch. I thought they had enough talent and the right mindset. You really never know with people.”
From my reading of General Patraxion’s memory, the ‘they’ he was going to stop were nefarious criminals with asymmetric power.
They were extraordinary powerhouses that even the army couldn’t stop, consisting of a man, a woman, and two beastkins. These monsters caused so much damage when confronted that the State even sent down orders of ‘Active Engagement Avoidance’, which was practically a command to flee.
By now, as anyone could have guessed, they were definitely the ones I knew.
But why were they here?
“Anyway, I need to get off around here. And from here… Hey, Gand. Where are we supposed to go?”
Colonel Gand, who happened to be examining a map just then, answered.
“We must visit the garrison near Falkaris for information and gear.”
“Alright. Anyway. You’re saying it’s nearby, right? It really is time for us to part ways now.”
Before we could even say farewell, the General jumped down without hesitation. Colonel Gand followed right behind him.
Despite the Meta Conveyor Belt moving at a considerable speed, when he landed on the stagnant earth from on top of the Belt, it seemed as if all such speed had disappeared for him. There was no embarrassing tumbling or staggering. The General and his adjutant walked away as casually as if they had jumped down a small hill.
“Ahhh… General.”
The old military engineer gazed at the General’s back ceaselessly.
The distance quickly grew and soon, they were out of sight. I spoke to the Captain.
“Geez. As I live and breathe. To think I would meet General Patraxion. He’s a better person than I thought.”
The Captain responded slowly.
“…Affirmative. However, I am concerned about the minor rule violation. He used his leave at his own discretion.”
“What are you going to do about it? He’s someone who overturned an entire country because he was unsatisfied with it. In fact, it’s possible he has actually mellowed down now.”
“Affirmative.”
It was truly a fleeting connection, like the passing wind. He was a decent person and thanks to him, things went smoothly. Moreover, I even heard about the whereabouts of old friends.
By the way, was the Regressor trying to smash apart the Military State in this round? Why was she wandering around the State announcing her whereabouts?
Well, surely, if she had a brain, she couldn’t boldly walk up all the way to the capital. There was no possibility of us crossing paths.
If I continued on like this, I would reach Amitengrad in half a day. Once there, I could probably hear where they were headed next.
I’m suddenly kinda curious. What might they be doing?
***
People in Falkaris, a focus city, realized that fear and curiosity were emotions that could coexist.
A few hours ago, an alarm sounded. A monotonous voice informed that nefarious criminals that crawled out from Tantalus were currently moving straight towards Amitengrad, with Falkaris in their path.
A few quick-witted ones ran away immediately, while those who couldn’t afford to escape huddled inside their rooms, praying that the nefarious criminals were not sadistic killers.
And to be fair, they really weren’t.
“Hand over the largest room. We need to rest.”
“I-It will be provided!”
“How much?”
“Excuse me? For a traveler who isn’t a soldier on official duties, a large room is 1500 alkeis per night….”
“Here.”
The supply officer, who defended his position while prepared to die, received alchemic gold worth 10,000 alkeis. While he was in such a daze that he couldn’t even think of giving change, Shei extended her hand.
“It’s an advance payment. If anything gets damaged, just use that.”
The supply officer, whether he liked it or not, was faithful in his duties. The key to the large room fell on Shei’s palm.
After settling in the room, Shei was accosted by Nabi for a tribute.
“Myaaa. Give mew today’s, today’s tribute!”
“….”
Shei silently took out today’s portion of mana herb cigars and bequeathed them to Nabi’s mouth. Tyrkanzyaka observed this carefully before speaking.
“You’re gradually losing sincerity in performing that task for the Cat King, aren’t you? Is it tiresome?”
“…N-No, not yet. It’s still fine. It’s just…”
“Just?”
Shei muttered while watching Nabi happily purr and deeply inhale the mana cigar.
“I can’t be Nabi’s caretaker forever. There will be a day when I need to part ways with Nabi. I was just wondering what she would do when that day comes.”
“Such a pointless worry.”
Tyrkanzyaka clicked her tongue, then straightened her posture and gave Shei heartfelt advice.
“What do you possibly need to take responsibility for? Creatures can walk their own paths with their own feet. What path they choose after leaving is not your responsibility. You should learn to let go appropriat….”
It was certainly advice filled with experience, but while speaking, Tyrkanzyaka fell silent and bowed her head after thinking of someone. After all, even she was chasing after someone who was walking his own path.
This time, Shei was the one to offer some simple reassurance.
“It’s okay. Apparently, it is hard to see one’s own flaws.”
“…Alas, I’m so grateful! So, how long do you plan to stay in a room with only women? If you’re done with your business, leave!”
Tyrkanzyaka snapped back sharply. Shei groaned softly, surveying the interior of the room.
Frankly, Shei didn’t need to stay in this room. No one here were easy opponents and unless someone was at the level of the Military State’s Six Star Generals, they wouldn’t even be able to scratch them.
And with a reliable force like Tyrkanzyaka, there was no need to worry about where these individuals might run off to.
However, being constantly treated as a man was getting quite annoying. Shei pondered revealing her gender. It was a bit extreme, but showing her naked figure might clear up the misunderstanding.
The problem was, how to naturally show her bare skin….
Since Tyrkanzyaka was quite conservative, it was difficult to find an opportunity. Right when Shei was considering visiting a hot spring…
Tyrkanzyaka, sensing a strange presence, turned her head.
“A guest has come, Shei…. Hmm? They came all the way to the door, but then turned right back.”
“Ah. I think I roughly know who it is.”
When Shei opened the door, instead of a guest, a neatly placed letter awaited her. Shei snorted as she picked it up.
“It’s those Resistance guys.”
“By Resistance, do you mean those akin to revivalists?”
“Precisely. They seem to have contacted us after hearing our story.”
“Story? What story? Didn’t we just come out of the Abyss?”
“Well, we subdued five companies and obliterated two bases of the Human Regime on the way here. Seems the rumor has spread.”
Rasch the Undying and former Lieutenant Colonel Callis decided to move in a direction that circled far away from the Military State. Rasch asked them to send his regards to Teacher as he left.
Although finding Hughes was the primary goal, Shei, who was the type to value efficiency, made a detour to destroy any base of the Human Regime in sight before going along their way.
“The news travels quite fast. It didn’t even take that long for us to reach here.”
“It’s because there are signallers and communication devices in the Military State, and other places have their own measures as well.”
Shei chuckled and tore the letter. Tyrkanzyaka was puzzled by her decisive attitude that didn’t even show a hint of hesitation.
“How strange. I thought you hated the Military State.”
“You’re right. I do hate the State.”
Shei snapped her fingers. Flames engulfed the letter.
While watching it burn without even leaving ash behind, Shei murmured.
“But the thing I hate the most is that there isn’t a single alternative.”
Shei once tried to bring down the Military State. This damned country was always the first obstacle in her path, so she believed that only by overcoming it could she move forward.
And she succeeded.
After thorough preparations and efforts that spanned several rounds, Shei once brought forth the downfall of the Military State. Just like Sunderspear Patraxion, she became the hero of the newly formed Free Republic.
And then, with a bitter aftertaste in her mouth, she left the country.
After that, she never set foot in the land of the Free Republic again.
In any of the rounds.
“Hopeless romanticists, remnants of the old era, and those who just hate the Military State. The Resistance is a collective of these three groups. People of different origins and dreams would come together to create a nation where…everyone is equal and happy.”
Upon hearing Shei’s words, Tyrkanzyaka nodded, realizing the true nature of these people.
She thought to herself that humans truly haven’t changed, even after hundreds of years have passed.
“It is an unrealistic idealism.”
“Exactly. They all have goals but haven’t prepared the path forward. There’s no way such people can even maintain the status quo….”
To be more precise, she saw it with her own two eyes.
She liberated overworked laborers, paying them wages to work instead.
The Meta Conveyor Belt was especially of the utmost importance. At the very least, that place, once a key facility of the Military State, had to be maintained. It was a minimum condition necessary to operate the country.
However, it didn’t even take a month before the Belt stopped.
The Meta Conveyor Belt was an essential facility, both convenient and useful, but if cargo was missed just once at a terminal, it would be lost for over a week. A single mistake imposed a significant burden on the nation.
One week of disappearance led to delayed schedules, rising costs, and plummeting trust.
Realizing the importance of this task, the workers held the Belt hostage, demanding better treatment. It wasn’t their fault; regardless of the wage amount, the labor was genuinely lethal.
The kind country that emerged as a result of rejecting the Military State was dragged around by these liberated workers.
Akin to having its veins clogged with oil, the entire country creaked under the strain of its own kindness.
As a result, Shei, who inadvertently ruined the country, observed the nation that had changed so much after just a year, before leaving in deep sorrow.
“…Rather than letting those bastards take care of it, it’s better for me to specifically pick off the Human Regime and leave the rest. And besides, the Military State isn’t too troublesome once the principles behind their actions are understood.”
“Are you saying you have figured out their principles, Shei?”
“Of course I have. Just look at us. We’re heading straight for the capital, but the country isn’t using all their power to stop us.”
“Come to think of it, it truly is unusual. Normally, if someone was to march towards the Royal Palace, they would mobilize all forces to concentrate on preventing them.”
The reason was all too simple, yet just as futile. Shei was utterly disillusioned when she discovered the truth in the previous round.
As such, she ended up loathing the Military State even more.
“Though we destroyed five companies, we didn’t kill a single person. The State concluded that we are too strong to be subdued, but too insignificant to concentrate military forces on. It’s not cost-effective, so they are actively neglecting us.”
Active Engagement Avoidance. If fighting does not result in a profit, just don’t engage at all.
It was the very definition of a decision made by a nation obsessed with efficiency.
“If they were determined to fight us to the death, at least three of the Six Star Generals would come. After all, it would be a national loss to use them halfheartedly. But they can’t easily pull such assets from their positions unless it’s a Star General with nothing better to do…..”
It was right when Shei was mumbling this.
Azzy perked up her ears. Nabi furrowed her brows and bristled.
Just like the beasts, Shei and Tyrkanzyaka also felt the blatant vigor and stood up.
Shei murmured with a look that seemed to say the time had come.
“Here he is. A Star General with nothing better to do.”
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