How to Survive on the Armored Front

Chapter 36

Yaan and Ren wandered the entire village in the forest, searching for information about Rael.

Or rather, they investigated the ruin Rael had visited, deducing what the original technology there had been and how far Rael had progressed his research.

"What technologies have we found so far?"

"We visited six villages and found no information related to weapon technology."

Contaminated-water purification tech, seed-modification tech, crossbreeding tech between animal breeds, fertilizer-compound tech to restore fertility... every ruin scattered across the region held only nature-related technology.

"So that's why this place was named the Great Forest."

"A few experimental samples leaked outside. You could practically classify this entire forest as humanity's ancient legacy."

The elves living in this Great Forest should originally have had no food shortages.

But because the war erased all transient population toward the Great Forest and both armies entered the forest to plunder resources, the elves living within were forced into severe famine.

"Then a question arises."

Having opened with that, Yaan spoke to Ren.

"If the ruins in this area were made to create the forest, why is the weapon Rael mentioned-Tauros-stored here?"

Hearing the question, Ren turned her gaze toward Yaan.

"According to the data recorded in this facility, the Frame called Tauros is not a military weapon."

"What?"

A hologram showing the appearance of Tauros appeared before Yaan's eyes.

A huge pair of claws attached to a long tail, four legs supporting its massive body, and a giant arm on the front combined to resemble a scorpion.

"RR-31. Tauros. A construction Frame built for unmanned-zone pioneering under the civilization-restoration plan."

"It has a cannon on its back."

"It was weaponized as the war intensified. Even then, only one sub-particle cannon mounted on its back."

Imagining the recorded size, Yaan's expression turned blank. A body twenty times that of a colossus-an impossible monster to defeat.

"And one more thing."

"What?"

Ren, operating the console inside the ruin, hardened her expression.

"I sent a signal just in case, but the control AI's status is abnormal."

"Abnormal how?"

"This. A message sent by the AI embedded in Tauros."

Saying so, Ren showed Yaan the screen.

Seeing it, Yaan's face also hardened like hers.

'Restore humanity's glory restore humanity's glory restore humanity's glory restore humanity's glory restore humanity's glory restore humanity's glory....'

"It's insane."

Yaan gave a short verdict and sighed.

He had considered reaching Tauros first and taking the Frame for himself, but after seeing this, that idea vanished completely.

"Glaepnir, obsessed with protecting its pilot, already took one of my eyes. If I rode that thing..."

"The rider would effectively become a biological CPU, reduced to a processing unit that operates the Frame according to the machine's signals."

Hearing that, Yaan nodded.

"After I undercut Rael's standing and then kill him, the situation will be over."

Saying so, Yaan slowly loosened his body.

"Ren."

"Speak."

Quietly calling her name, Yaan gave her a broad grin.

If anyone other than Ren had seen it, they would never have called it a smile.

"You and I-let's do one job together."

***

"Big sis, did you also come here to see the Creator?"

A wagon carrying shamans gathered from each village.

Villages that had heard rumors of Rael began sending their shamans to the larger village without exception, so a plan arose to create a gathering point and escort them all at once.

"Yeah."

The red-haired elf who answered looked older than most shamans.

Compared to the mostly single-digit or early-teenaged shamans, the elf before her looked easily in her twenties.

"I never imagined there'd be a shaman still active at that age. I was shocked."

"That's why I fled the Church. Meeting the Creator makes this whole trip worthwhile."

Saying so, Yaan clasped the elf's hand and shook it after joining the escort.

The column set off, now transporting more than a hundred children toward the distant elf village.

"Your excuse-making is first-rate."

"Learned it from a senior in the Penal Corps. Taught me this, then died two days later."

"Any time you have to act on the battlefield?"

"Only when retreating and begging for my life."

Ten years on the battlefield-on a front where actual combat never ceased-bred such survival skills.

Hesitate for an instant and you'd be shot on the spot. Conditions perfect for acting with everything you had.

"Yaan."

"What."

A wagon pulled by two oxen. As the shamans aboard began nodding off, Ren, walking behind, asked the man trailing her.

"Red hair. Requesting impression."

"...doesn't suit you."

The sight of her changing hair color on the spot was astonishing.

Switching to red hair and brown eyes, lengthening her hair to her waist, Ren became a completely different person.

"Changed it to your taste, but-disappointing."

"Focus on the mission."

A choice clearly meant to resemble Rana's colors.

Yet Yaan only stared ahead at the approaching entrance to the large village, showing no reaction.

"Halt, halt! The guest left today-what do we do?"

"How long did he say it would take?"

"It'll take half a day. They found the main ruin entrance."

The main ruin entrance.

Hearing that, Yaan's eyes lit up.

"Aren't we the only ones guarding the entrances?"

"Scout-drone launch passages no longer in use. Some ruins have them."

Infiltration would be easy, but there was no time.

Soldiers wearing green seals the same color as Rael's hair ushered the group into hastily prepared shaman quarters.

"You there-hurry inside."

"Ah, sorry, but we'd like to look around the village for a bit."

"The village?"

Smiling sheepishly at the questioning soldier, Yaan spoke.

"After escaping the Church I've been busy non-stop. Before we see the guest, my partner and I want to look around."

"What, you two are lovers?"

"Yes. I risked my life to leave the Church for this person."

Saying so, Yaan stepped down from the wagon and pulled Ren into an embrace.

The soldier, pleased, patted Yaan's shoulder.

"The guest will bless you too."

"Thank you."

After speaking, Yaan took Ren's hand and disappeared with her into a remote part of the village.

When his face reappeared moments later, it had returned to its original emotionless expression.

"Acting like lovers. Good."

"Is that so."

With that, Yaan surveyed the village.

Soon spotting a large mansion on high ground, Yaan followed a secluded mountain trail behind it.

"So this is the house Rael lives in."

After confirming the soldiers guarding the mansion, Yaan concealed himself below it.

Discarding their monastic disguises, the two drew the daggers fixed to their black combat suits.

The two people hiding in the darkness, waiting for the next shift to appear.

After waiting for about two hours, Yaan-having confirmed the changing of the guards-signaled to Ren, who had been waiting behind another sentry.

"On three, we rush."

"Roger."

When Yaan's fingers counted precisely to three, Yaan and Ren appeared simultaneously behind the yawning guards' backs.

"Wait, who are you-?!"

Thud!

Yaan's dagger pierced the lung in a single, precise thrust, preventing any sound from escaping.

He left the blade in place to stop the bleeding, then snapped the neck to finish the kill.

"Your side?"

"Clear."

The two hid the corpse beneath the mansion.

After repeating the process four times, the interior guards were completely eliminated.

"Good. Move inside. First, locate the shamans...."

"No. That won't be necessary."

Ren shook her head, cutting off Yaan's words.

"What do you mean?"

"There are no more life signs inside the house."

"Then where did Rael take the shamans?"

Ren raised her hand toward Yaan, who asked again.

Her finger pointed beneath the building.

"The basement."

***

-This is the third raid already.

The excavation base that had repelled the goblin attack.

The knights joked like that, but their voices were thick with exhaustion.

The mana-driven colossus offers near-infinite power without fuel, but at the cost of draining the rider's stamina.

-We're really benefiting from Lieutenant Yaan's Frame.

-Waking up to the sound of machine guns has become normal.

The knights, worn out by prolonged movement, could feel their mana reaching its limit.

Meanwhile, Glaepnir-operating automatically without a rider-was wiping out goblins and doing its share to protect the defenders.

-Everyone okay?

-If it weren't for the Commander, we'd have been breached. We owe you our lives.

Unlike the other colossi that had halted, exhausted, Cain's gray colossus was still moving perfectly.

That was the biggest reason he could be called the Empire's strongest knight.

Even before comparing combat skill, his innate mana pool was on a different level from others-even elves.

-From the next battle, I'll ride a page. Against goblins, this Frame uses too much mana.

Cain opened the cockpit door and stepped down. While savoring the heavy feel of the ground, Dandel appeared before him.

"I'll track those heading toward the nearby village."

Cain smiled and nodded at those words.

"Defense is much easier thanks to you. I'm counting on you."

"Thank you. Then."

Dandel turned around after finishing his words.

Before long, the Greyhounds had gathered in one place, awaiting Dandel's orders.

"From now on, we chase the fleeing goblins!"

"Yes, sir!"

Dandel nodded at the soldiers' shout and looked into the forest.

"Greyhounds! Advance!"

The 87th Independent Company moved in perfect unison at Dandel's shout.

"They took down all those goblins and still have energy left?"

"Just like the name says. A real pack of hounds...."

The Greyhounds stood in the middle of the excavation site, almost buried in goblin corpses.

Watching them disappear into the forest shadows without a trace of fatigue, the soldiers shook their heads in disbelief.

***

Screeech!

The old wooden door creaked open.

The basement, deeper than expected, reeked of a pungent smell, as if poorly ventilated.

"This smell...."

Yaan grimaced at the air filling the basement.

A faint undertone of human waste.

And a strong scent of blood, strong enough to overwhelm it, wafted from below.

"Ren."

"Beginning scan."

Ren-her hair and eyes returned to their original color-swept the dimly lit basement with mana light.

"It's this way."

Yaan took the lead, speaking.

Reaching the source of the blood, Yaan entered slowly, pistol raised.

"Hard to see."

Saying that, Yaan pulled a flare from his pocket.

He slammed it into the earthen floor and struck the fuse; brilliant white light began to flood the dark basement.

As the light revealed the entire basement, Yaan's face twisted in a sneer.

"Bingo. Just as expected."

Countless children were tied to the walls, slumped over.

"They're collecting blood from each sample. About a hundred children."

Yaan examined the children's faces as Ren spoke.

"Ah, ahhh...."

"Mom, Mom... why did you leave me...."

"Heh, heh heh heh...."

Yaan clicked his tongue at the children's vacant eyes and rambling.

"They're not in their right minds."

"Hallucinogens. Administered for control."

"Running experiments while they're at it?"

Saying that, Yaan lifted the arm of one bound child.

A clear tube drew blood from the child's vein, converting it to a transparent liquid via the nearby device.

"This device changes the composition."

"Extracts nanomachines or specific components from the blood."

"They draw the desired material, then adjust the ratio in their own blood."

Saying that, Yaan examined the machine.

Three cylinders squeezed blood up and down, filtering it through pumps, filters, and reagents containing special components.

"Ren. Grab one of these. We're taking it."

"Why?"

"Shit. Look at this."

As Yaan inspected the machine, his mouth twisted and he swore.

"As you can see, humanity's filtration device. Originally...."

"Not that."

Yaan lifted the machine, cutting off Ren's words.

He showed Ren-not the device itself-but the name and emblem branded like a logo in the corner.

"This is...?"

"Yeah."

Ren's face showed the same incomprehension.

Phew, Yaan exhaled sharply and ground out,

"Why is the Belkuth family's crest and seal engraved on this machine?"