Pathfinder
Vroooom—! Screeeech!
Three massive trucks kicked up clouds of dust as they came to a halt at the temporary outpost of Hongwei-7.
As the engine noise faded, Arva and Lena, who had been commanding the site, approached to greet me.
"Welcome, Commander."
"Nothing major happened, right?"
"No. There was nothing out of the ordinary in your absence."
I nodded at Lena's report and looked at her.
A deep neckline that clearly revealed her cleavage.
Lena's outfit—an audacious open-side design that slit all the way up to her hip—was as provocative as ever, no matter how many times I saw it.
I need to give Arva, Lena, and Karen all the love they deserve...
Additionally, as Helena had requested(?), I needed to make progress in my relationship with Luna.
But there hadn't been any events to lead to anything with her.
It wasn't as if I could just be brazen about it, either.
Still, since Luna had already been given a hint, I planned to be a bit more proactive.
A foursome with all the members of the Cerberus Squad? I couldn't pass that up.
"Commander?"
"Ah, I'm listening."
However, Arva and Lena were a bit intimidating.
"Currently, the aircraft carrier dismantling work is about 35% complete. The scrap metal and resources secured have already been sorted and are ready for immediate loading."
"That's a relief. We won't have any issues with metal resources for a while."
"Furthermore, the northern mine has also completed preparations for excavation. Once the C-008s are deployed, resource procurement will be possible immediately."
Is this why everyone hires competent talent?
In the short time I was gone, Lena had accomplished a great deal of work without me doing anything.
"Good work. Does that mean the production line for the mass-produced ECHOs will be set up right away?"
I scanned the screen of the tablet Lena handed me.
Why was it?
My gaze kept drifting toward Lena's provocative side profile.
Sigh... the instincts of a man...
Just as one's eyes naturally gravitate toward large breasts, the way her tight suit barely clung to her hips and flowed down to her thighs was insanely sensual.
In my heart, I wanted to slide my hand in there and feel her soft curves, but I barely managed to hold onto my reason and restrain myself.
In the distant future, a day would come when such things would be possible, but not right now.
"It is possible. However, to properly operate the ECHO production line, I believe I will need to return to the Ark for a short while."
"Is that so?"
"Yes. I need about four days for maintenance."
In the Ark, there was a versatile Production-type ECHO named Karen.
But in Lena's view, Karen seemed to lack the experience to handle both the production line management and maintenance on her own.
"Then shouldn't you head back immediately?"
"No. I intend to ensure the excavation equipment at the northern mine is fully set up before I return."
"That sounds exhausting."
In a situation where the Astral bastards could strike at any moment, Lena was pushing herself without rest to create mass-produced ECHOs as quickly as possible.
If she were human, it would have been a murderous schedule that would have caused her to collapse from overwork long ago.
Should I be thankful that she's an ECHO?
I'm grateful, but... I don't know how to repay her.
Even if she was an ECHO, I felt a sense of guilt as her commander.
If Lena were a character who appeared in the game, I would at least know which affinity items to use, but since she wasn't, I had no information regarding her personal tastes.
I'll have to ask Karen later.
Anyway, I remembered that she had been quite fond of it when I gave her a cola before.
So, I immediately used the Money Compass to purchase two cans of cola.
The price was 1000C.
But it wasn't a waste at all.
"This is...?"
"A gift for all your hard work, Lena. Drink it while it's cold."
"...Thank you."
As she took the cola can I handed her, Lena bowed her head with a faint smile.
I was in the middle of discussing the future schedule with Lena when Podic, who had been following me closely since I arrived, suddenly jumped up.
[Pooo—!]
"What is it, Podic?"
Is she in heat already?
Then, with her characteristic expressionless face, Podic moved her head and began to stare intently in one direction.
Click.
Simultaneously, Arva, who had been escorting me, instantly blocked my path and pulled out her heavy shotgun.
"Commander, please step back."
"...Huh?"
"Unidentified ECHOs. Two of them."
"...What?!"
ECHOs?
Could they be Wanderers?
I looked over Arva's shoulder in the direction she was facing.
In the distance, two silhouettes were walking out from between the ruins of collapsed buildings.
As if to show they had no hostile intent, they approached us with both hands raised above their heads.
"......"
I narrowed my eyes and examined their attire.
Overworn and frayed gray coats with unit marks faintly visible on their chests. They weren't simple Wanderers.
Rather...
A squad from another Ark.
And they looked like Original Squad ECHOs, not mass-produced ones.
The moment I confirmed the faces of the two ECHOs as they drew closer, I let out a low exclamation inwardly.
It's the Pathfinder Squad?
They were a squad from my memories.
◇◇◇◆◇◇◇
The Pathfinder Squad.
Compass, Zero, Sherpa, and Bait.
Consisting of four units, they were a fundamental squad that had existed since Echoes of Humanity — ECHO was first released.
Unfortunately, because their skill composition was ambiguous, they weren't a performance-based pick.
Still, in the story, they were aces belonging to the reconnaissance squad of Ark 14, active across various fronts and rugged terrains.
They just had bad luck with their commander. What was that incompetent bastard's name again?
He was a guy who only appeared as a shadow without character illustrations, so I couldn't even remember the bastard properly.
Was it Lin Ao, maybe?
Anyway, he was some Chinese fellow who had zero ability but spent his time oppressing the ECHOs, eventually blowing up the entire Ark—a truly cancer-inducing character who made users clutch the backs of their necks in anger.
The massive accident where the Ark was completely destroyed was around Chapter 27... and the Pathfinders disappeared around Chapter 26?
My memory was hazy, but I vaguely recalled the plot.
I think it was in a side story that naturally opened up as the main story progressed.
It started with the leader, Compass, and Sherpa being half-destroyed after falling into an Astral trap during a reckless operation.
But just when it seemed things might improve because Bait exerted superhuman strength to break through the encirclement and return to the Ark to request support, the fleet commander of Ark 14, instead of sending a rescue team, ruthlessly cut them off.
Of course, it led to the cliché where the protagonist appears at the worst moment to rescue them...
Everyone cursed the writer for being a psycho.
The process was absolutely miserable.
The leader, Compass, was hit by a Named-grade Astral during the retreat and was absorbed by the creature, vanishing without even leaving genetic information behind.
Sherpa, who witnessed that horrific sight beside her, likely had a mental breakdown and became a shell of her former self.
And Bait, whose distrust of humans reached its peak upon hearing the news, left the squad in a fit of rage.
She reappeared much later in a spin-off story called Omega Howl.
As a member of the Wanderer group Omega Howl, she played the role of invading Ark 14, massacring numerous humans and annihilating the Ark.
And the Wanderer group...
"...Wait?"
As my thoughts spiraled, a strange contradiction emerged.
In the original story, Moi should have been the leader of Omega Howl and the one who took Bait in. But she was currently living in my Ark, serving me very faithfully and sexily.
In other words, the Omega Howl that Bait would join didn't exist.
Does that mean Ark 14 remains intact?
Well, Omega Howl appearing is a matter for much later, so it's not something to worry about now. But there was another strange point.
How did a squad from Ark 14 get all the way here?
Regardless, I looked at the two approaching us with a peculiar gaze.
In terms of distance, it was beyond simply crossing a continent; it was a gap roughly equivalent to the distance between Europe and Northeast Asia.
It was an impossible distance for a mere reconnaissance mission.
Moreover...
Only two members of the Pathfinder Squad were approaching us.
The leader, Compass, and the supporter, Sherpa. The sniper, Zero, and Bait were nowhere to be seen.
Just as my doubts deepened, Compass, who had stopped before us, gave me a disciplined salute.
When I nodded, she lowered her arm and spoke.
"Greetings, Fleet Commander. I am Compass of the Pathfinder Squad from Ark 86. And this is Sherpa, a member of the same squad."
"......?"
I tilted my head at her introduction.
"Ark 86?"
"That is correct."
Not Ark 14?
Damn these timeline shenanigans.
The current timeline is about 30 years before the protagonist of Echoes of Humanity — ECHO becomes active.
In other words, the Pathfinder Squad was likely on Ark 86 at this time and would later change their affiliation to Ark 14 due to some event.
I mean, what's the point of knowing the future story?
The timeline differs by more than a generation.
◇◇◇◆◇◇◇
"Nice to meet you. I am the Commander of Ark 69."
At my introduction, the eyes of the two ECHOs shook violently.
"Ark 69... I heard it was annihilated by the invasion of the Crawler Queen?"
"Correct. It got smashed pretty thoroughly."
I shrugged and gestured toward the surrounding ruins.
"But I survived, and as you can see, I'm currently restoring it. There's still a long way to go, though."
"Ah—!"
At my nonchalant answer, Compass wore an expression of genuine relief.
"What a relief. The embers of humanity still remain here."
I gave a faint smile at her pure reaction, but my mind was quickly recalling information about Ark 86.
Ark 86...
For starters, it was an Ark I hadn't seen in the story.
But it was in my memory.
It was a name I had heard briefly through Cordelia.
The one that operated a large-scale armored vehicle force and absorbed Ark 74, which was collapsing due to the Carapace Lord.
The fleet commander there was some woman named Lin something...
Anyway, according to Cordelia, she was an extremely cold and terrifying individual.
I didn't think I'd ever cross paths with her...
I definitely never imagined I'd make contact in this manner.
"So, what is the purpose of Ark 86's elite squad coming all this way? It can't be just to check for survivors..."
Could it be to secure resources from the fallen Ark?
But even so, the geographical distance was far too great.
At my question, Compass' expression hardened, and she glanced at Podic.
Sherpa, who was beside her... well, she seemed to have fainted on the spot upon seeing Podic. Her legs were shaking so much it was almost pitiful.
"I will tell you the truth. We came here tracking the signal of a Named-grade Anomaly."
"This one?"
As I pointed to Podic with my chin and held out my hand, Podic let out a [Pooo—!] sound and grabbed my hand eagerly.
Then, she began rubbing her cheek against the back of my hand. She was exactly like a giant puppy.
"...Yes."
The two ECHOs stared blankly at the sight before swallowing hard.
"Why?"
"That is... the Astral Named being called the Harvester is targeting the Hachishakusama."
"......"
"If that thing absorbs the Anomaly, a Great Catastrophe will occur. Therefore, we came here intending to secure or eliminate it before it is taken by them."
It was roughly the scenario I had expected.
So, other Arks also wanted to prevent the Astral bastards from getting stronger by absorbing the Named anomalies.
Of course, since all the Arks in this vicinity had been smashed, it seemed only Ark 86 had moved.
"I understand what you're saying, but you're a bit late. A battle has already taken place once."
"We are aware. However, the main force of the Harvester will move before long. And..."
Compass trailed off with a troubled expression.
I could easily guess what she was trying to say.
She was likely going to say that if the Harvester itself started moving, we couldn't stop it with our current forces.
"We have already sent a request for support to our Ark, but we do not know when the troops will arrive."
"Support, huh..."
Are they suggesting we join hands to fight the Astral?
Honestly, I didn't think a happy-go-lucky situation like that would unfold.
Given what I'd heard about the personality of the woman who was the fleet commander of that Ark, I didn't know if she would help me or eliminate Podic and absorb us as well.
But I can't treat innocent ECHOs as intruders...
Having seen their tragic end through the story, it was even harder to be cold to them.
For now, observing the situation seemed best.
"Anyway, I get your point. But that doesn't mean I intend to hand over the Hachishakusama."
"Then..."
"However! Since the situation is serious, I'll discuss it internally first. In the meantime, please rest. Arva, Lena."
I cut off Compass, who was about to say something, and called the two ECHOs.
"We have guests, so please treat them well."
"Understood."
As soon as my order fell, the two opened the cargo bed of the Mercury Howl with efficient movements.
Then, they began spreading out things they had brought from the Ark on a makeshift table.
Bread that smelled savory and freshly baked.
And a basket piled high with strawberries so fresh that red juice seemed ready to drip.
"...Eh?"
The eyes of Compass and Sherpa widened as if they were about to pop out.
"W-What on earth is this...?"
At the shocked reaction of the two ECHOs, which didn't deviate an inch from my expectations, I popped a strawberry into my mouth with a satisfied face and chewed on it.
Then, I shrugged at the bewildered Compass and Sherpa and spoke.
"You must have worked hard coming from so far away. Eat your fill."
Ah...
This is what Bread and Strawberries are all about.