Xenuma's Eastern Front
Angel of Eden. 182
As we stood there together, Uriel looked up following his gaze and spotted me, calling out.
"What are you doing up there? Oh, is this wireless communication? It seems like short-range comms using the implant's android frequency."
"A~ah. Can you hear me? Am I doing this right?"
"I hear you clearly."
"I finished the mock training and was just flying around for fun."
"The jet suit is military equipment, not a toy. And before departure, return to the lab for a thorough inspection. If it malfunctions during a mission on the battlefield, repairs will be difficult on-site."
"Don't worry. Elisa already checked me thoroughly from head to toe."
"Well done. The train is arriving. I wish you luck."
"You be careful too, sister."
After our farewells, Uriel and the dimensional gate processing unit boarded the steam-spewing train. Watching the smoke-belching locomotive pull away, I descended swiftly toward Eden's walls. With the situation urgent, the expeditionary force that had finished preparations boarded the express train bound for Xenuma and departed.
Jadin, the Blackman Kyubey had assigned as my adjutant, manipulated a hologram and explained the situation in Xenuma.
"Orcs are pouring in over the completely collapsed eastern border fortress. Xenuma's eastern army has retreated with civilians to the second defensive line and is reorganizing. The orcs have occupied small fortresses between the border and the defensive line, using captured weapons to fight monsters while holding their positions."
"The orcs are conducting siege defense?"
"Surprisingly, yes. They're using the weapons left behind that couldn't be transported to repel the monsters attacking the fortresses."
It was astonishing that orcs, who were practically monsters themselves, were using human weapons to defend fortresses against other monsters. Still, thanks to the orcs holding the line, Xenuma's eastern army had managed a safe retreat. That was fortunate.
"Looks like we ended up owing the orcs a favor. So it's confirmed the orc migration was caused by the monsters."
"Yes. Xenuma plans to gather the orcs at the breached eastern border to use them as a shield against the monsters, while launching an operation to drive the monsters out from the northern border. Therefore..."
"Eden's forces are to support the eastern defensive line, right?"
Jadin, who had been explaining with a stern face, raised his eyebrows in surprise at my words before continuing.
"That's correct. They request that we provide flexible support to the eastern army, which has fewer troops and many wounded compared to the main force that will go on the offensive in the north, adjusting to the situation as needed."
"It's possible because we're an android unit that can move and deploy immediately without fatigue. They must have also valued our ability to provide aerial support."
"...Indeed."
Flexible support meant we would have to relocate countless times depending on the situation. It was an operation impossible for human soldiers who needed regular resupply and would tire from exhaustion.
"So when each unit requests support, we go there? Or do we decide on our own?"
"They asked us to prioritize the commander's independent judgment. I was a bit worried, but it seems worth trusting."
"Huh? You don't trust me?"
"Compared to Kyubey, whom I see often, I don't know much about you, Elisha."
"Eh? Jadin, you must not have been in Eden for long."
"It's been about two months since I arrived from my homeland."
No wonder he wasn't in my memory of meeting most Blackmen. He was a recent arrival. His physique was even larger and more imposing than other Blackmen, with excellent skeletal structure and strikingly handsome features. Once seen, he was unforgettable, which was why I had found his unfamiliar face puzzling.
Perhaps because he was an exceptional male, his sweet pheromones were stronger than most. I unconsciously inhaled deeply before catching myself.
"You know Havid too, right?"
"I've been close with Uncle Havid since childhood. He taught me martial arts."
"Oho~ So you're pretty good at fighting? Want to spar with me? I used to spar with Havid often."
He scanned my body from head to toe with a surprised expression again. The way he looked down at me seemed familiar.
"Your body is certainly much more trained compared to your sisters. But I'm stronger than Uncle Havid and one of the empire's top warriors. It would be troublesome if you got hurt during a pointless spar."
"I can beat Havid, you know?"
"Really? No matter how much you've trained, losing to a woman... Uncle Havid must be getting old."
He still couldn't easily accept that a renowned warrior like Havid had lost to a mere woman.
"You'll get hurt if you underestimate me just because I'm a woman."
"Hmph, so I've been underestimated too. Very well. I'll take you on."
He spoke with confident demeanor. He claimed not to know much about me, yet he seemed unaware I possessed a full-body prosthesis. Had the people around him not informed him of even that? Since we couldn't spar on the train, we agreed to do so after arriving at Xenuma's front lines and returned to discussing the operation.
The train announced its arrival with a long horn blast. As the loud sound echoing everywhere woke me from sleep and I tried to clear my foggy mind, I heard rustling beside me.
"Hmm... We've arrived."
"Ah?"
The sweet scent brushing my nose told me exactly who was lying next to me.
"Uh... Jadin?"
"Yes."
"Why are you here..."
"You fell asleep during the meeting, so I moved you to the bed."
I must have dozed off during the long meeting. More importantly, why was he sleeping naked beside me?
"A woman sleeping defenselessly in front of a man means she permits sharing the bed, so we slept together. Is there a problem?"
"Mmm."
At some point he had stripped me too, and I was now naked in his embrace. Feeling my body and mind grow languid from the thick pheromones, I asked Elsa.
'Elsa, can you hear me?'
'What's wrong?'
'Is it okay for me to be exposed to a Blackman's pheromones like this? You don't seem to be taking any special measures.'
'Hmm~ Jadin, was it? Even if exposed to that man's pheromones, all your senses will feel normal. Sensory control is handled by the artificial brain, separate from the Abaddon brain which is biological.'
'The artificial brain had an unexpected advantage. Then I don't have to worry anymore. This man's pheromones are more to my liking than I expected.'
From the moment we first met, his pheromones had been the most appealing scent among all the Blackmen I had encountered. It was even more intense and refreshingly sweet than Havid's, to whom I had once been imprinted. If pheromones were no longer a danger to me, there was no reason to avoid them. I exhaled the breath I had been holding and inhaled deeply. Enjoying the unique sense of happiness the pheromones spreading throughout my body brought, I spoke.
"That might be the meaning in Daviwana, but not in Eden. Honestly, you have other intentions, don't you?"
"Other intentions, you say?"
"The purpose of Blackmen sharing a bed with women is obvious. I know everything."
"Hahaha, but you want it too, don't you? You're deliberately inhaling my pheromones right now."
"They're the most pleasant pheromones I've smelled so far. Sniff sniff."
Pheromones that acted on women's brains to secrete narcotic substances, intoxicating and addicting them, were in a way a powerful drug exclusive to females. Normally, one would avoid such addictive substances, but thanks to the artificial brain freeing me from addiction, they were now just a pleasant walking perfume.
"If you get imprinted, you'll become my woman. Are you still okay with that?"
"That won't happen, so don't get your hopes up. Haa~ It feels good."
"Tch, that's a shame."
The more I buried my nose in his chest and inhaled the pheromones, the better I felt. But the train had arrived, so it was time to return to work.
"Hup~ Let's get ready to disembark."
"I'll look forward to our next bed."
He reluctantly hooked a finger through my nipple piercing, tugged, kneaded my breast, then rose from the bed. The penis dangling between his legs, even without an erection, boasted considerable size. The quality and quantity of vital energy gathered in his shaft and testicles surpassed even Gwangnam, who ranked high in that regard, making it clear at a glance that he was a strong male.
'Among all the males I've met so far, he's one of the most exceptional.'
'Then secure his genes.'
'Huh?'
'To create the sisters' bodies, it's good to secure excellent genes. The gene pool you've collected so far is good, but the more superior genes you secure, the more outstanding and diverse talents the bioroids can have.'
'That sounds similar to Abaddon.'
Abaddon also had the instinct to collect human genes to create superior offspring. One reason the angels coexisting with Abaddon in Eden actively engaged in prostitution was also for gene collection.
'Then I should collect Jadin's genes when the opportunity arises.'
'Sleep with various men besides that man and collect their genes too. The larger the gene pool, the better in many ways.'
'I know that, but I have preferences too, you know? If it's Master's order I'll obey, but otherwise it has to be a man I like. So I'll do as I please.'
'Just think of it as your little sister's request.'
'Well, if it's a request, I'll consider it.'
While conversing with Elsa, I donned the dress uniform for android unit commanders. Unlike combat uniforms, it was formal wear for ceremonies or peacetime. Unlike the standard android bodysuit that clung tightly and blatantly displayed the figure, this one resembled human military uniforms that properly covered the body. The uniform made specifically for me wrapped snugly around my curvaceous form. Thanks to the undergarment that doubled as underwear, my breasts were lifted and pushed forward, making them particularly noticeable, but overall it was unremarkable. By the time I finished dressing, ten minutes had passed according to the clock on the wall.
"Quite some time has passed since we arrived. Let's hurry."
"Huu, come here."
Jadin took my shoulder and stood me in front of the mirror. Then, with a hand large enough to cover my entire face, he held a tiny comb and began brushing down my hair. Watching him braid it up, I asked.
"You're surprisingly skilled at handling a woman's hair?"
"What do you think of Blackmen? We all have mothers who gave birth to us and women who raised us. This much is basic courtesy."
"Ah~ I heard there are many slaves so they usually do communal child-rearing."
"A father's slaves cannot participate in child-rearing. So I was raised by specialized child-rearing slaves along with my brothers."
"Wow, there are specialized child-rearing slaves. Daviwana is fascinating in many ways."
"It's common among the upper class. There, all done."
At his words, I turned my head left and right, looking at my reflection. The voluminous updo hairstyle unique to Daviwana that Kyubey had once done caught my eye. Eastern continent updos were usually simple and elegant, but the western continent preferred styles that deliberately added volume to appear fuller. That was why western continent styles stood out so much.
"I'm an Edenite, you know? Why the western continent style?"
"Among Eden's queens, western continent-style hair, clothing, and even food are currently trending."
"I wondered why I was seeing it so often lately. It's in fashion? Why?"
"Hmm. With many Blackmen settled in Eden and many queens following them, their culture naturally flows in and mixes. There are queens who stubbornly cling to Eden's original culture, but most prioritize serving their masters."
"Well, Kyubey likes Daviwana culture from the start, so that makes sense."
Kyubey liked Daviwana so much she had decorated the underground city's city hall building in Daviwana style. Being a hot country with a deeply ingrained sex slave culture, there was a lot of exposure and male-oriented culture, which perfectly matched Kyubey's tastes.
After finishing up, Jadin even draped a decorative short cape over my shoulders, and we moved to disembark the train. Before getting off, I connected to the android network. As the number of connections with androids increased, my range of perception expanded accordingly, and over ten thousand consciousnesses flowed into my own. An enormous amount of consciousness poured in at once, causing a brief intense strain, but it soon stabilized and the connection completed safely.
'Whew~ That dizzying feeling every time I connect to the network never changes.'
'Even if they're low-grade AIs that move only on orders without emotion modules, connecting over ten thousand units is bound to be like this. It's only possible because we've minimized connection channels per unit and optimized parallel connections.'
'Couldn't we create intermediate command entities?'
'We can't entrust command to AIs without emotions. We'll assign command to your sisters once they're created.'
'I see.'
I didn't really understand, but if Elisa had judged it that way, there must be a valid reason.
"I'll open the door."
Jadin placed his hand on the door switch and spoke. When I gave a small nod, he pulled the switch down with force. With a hissing sound of escaping air, the firmly closed steel door opened and bright light poured in. Along with the sound of vigorous trumpets, the magnificent sight of countless soldiers standing in formation with rifles at the ready came into view.
"Prepare to welcome the allied nation Eden's support forces!"
"Salute!"
"Fire!"
Bang! Bang!
At the cry of the soldier in the ornate uniform standing in the center, the soldiers lined up on both sides raised their muzzles skyward and fired. After two shots, the soldiers lowered their rifles and saluted, followed by the military band beginning their performance.
Suppressing my blank expression by adjusting my program to maintain a composed face, I stood there until Jadin tapped my back, then descended from the train together and walked along the long red carpet laid out before us.