Chapter 11 - Divine Pioneer Group (2)
Chapter 11 - Divine Pioneer Group (2)
"I'm Mateo from the Technology Bureau."
"I'm Sophia from the Alchemy Association."
"I am..."
People scattered across the empire had gathered in one place.
Their status, origin, age, and occupation were all different, but they had one thing in common: everyone had a faint mark engraved on the back of their hand.
They were all Pioneers 'chosen by the divine.'
'In the end, you know it when you play the game. Every unit is important. If even one person can't do their job, it's a nail-biter—that's Hardcore Mode.'
I watched them calmly. I had already peeked at the screenshots players uploaded to the community, so I knew what traits they had and how much proficiency they possessed.
But I had already felt it.
Even though we were doing the same things, the experience felt by the player and the experience we, living in this reality, felt were completely different.
There was definitely something that couldn't be explained by traits or stats. It was only natural, since they were living people.
The variability of units I felt when playing the game, which I could never quite understand.
That was exactly it.
"I am Adrian Belpain from the Alchemy Association."
Just then, a middle-aged man who seemed to be the oldest among the 1st Pioneer group gathered here stepped forward, introducing himself as Adrian.
His body was steeped in etiquette that wasn't easy to learn, but his attitude was polite and flawless.
The Belpain family. It sounded familiar.
"They're a famous Count family in the North. They've left behind outstanding achievements in alchemy for generations, and the area around their territory is called the holy land of alchemy."
Seeing me tilt my head, Seira, who was behind me, whispered in my ear.
She said she was interested in high society before being summoned to Eisenblut, and she really knew the ins and outs of noble families.
"As you have all heard, they say the only ones who can enter the Corrupted Land and endure are the Pioneers who have received this special blessing, and the priests who have awakened their divine power."
Adrian looked at the mark on the back of his hand as if he were proud.
"Since even priests find it hard to endure there for long, in the end, we, just these 16 people here, must protect the pioneer settlement and install the purification devices."
Having seized the initiative, he smiled at the Pioneers looking at him and continued.
In reality, what he was saying now was also related to the game's gameplay.
Ultimately, the core of <Ultimate Field> was to pioneer the Corrupted Land, manage the pioneer settlement, and gradually expand the territory little by little.
The most important thing was the purification device, commonly called a Nexus, and purifying the erosion of the Demon World centered around it.
That was the only way ordinary people could enter the Corrupted Land.
"The most important thing in organizational life is establishing a system. Since we have to continue performing difficult missions among ourselves in the future, wouldn't it be better to have that in place beforehand?"
"Hmm... doesn't sound wrong..."
Rosaria, who was next to me, muttered at his words, which he delivered with a good-natured smile.
Not wrong, huh. She was right.
It wasn't wrong to say we needed to establish a thorough system beforehand.
However, it wasn't exactly right, either.
"Those of you here, selected by Him, each have different roles. There are even those who are more noble than I am."
Adrian maintained an attitude as if he had absolutely no greed, while subtly glancing at me.
Right there, I was certain of his intentions and his character.
'How devious.'
He was a type you often see in life.
The kind of guys who, once they join a group, try to take charge no matter what.
"Therefore, I would like to suggest that we decide who will lead the Pioneer Corps in the future through a vote."
Adrian proposed a vote.
It was quite a fresh idea in this place, which was a strictly hierarchical society.
"What's his intention?"
"The intention is obvious. The Alchemy Association has probably already coordinated everything. Especially considering the influence the Belpain family has in the alchemy world."
I chuckled at Hermann's muttering.
"The people from the Technology Bureau or the Exchange Bureau don't have that kind of cohesion, nor do they have anyone who will speak up more actively than Adrian. Even if candidates emerge, the votes are bound to be split."
A majority wasn't necessary.
In the end, you just need one more vote to win. Adrian was aiming for his control over the Alchemy Association and the disarray of the other organizations.
"Then what should we do? Should we just let that guy do it?"
"...No. Even if it's a meaningless act, you should never give a position of authority to a guy who says he wants to do it."
I shook my head at Seira's words.
Adrian seemed to be under some misconception, but most decisions were made by the Player, whom they believed to be God.
Even if we threw a fit saying we didn't want to do it, lost mental strength, and kept acting out, we fundamentally couldn't refuse those orders.
In other words, being a representative didn't mean there would be much to do proactively.
And as a result of many years of community activity, I believed that you should never give an armband to someone who steps up saying they want to do it.
"Then you do it, Leon."
"Yeah, we have 4 votes secured anyway. Your family and background are the highest, so you won't be looked down upon."
Seira and Rosaria told me to take the armband instead.
I didn't say it out loud, but I looked at them with an expression that asked if they were crazy.
And anyway, if we voted like that, we couldn't beat Adrian.
"Sophia, you're sure you've secured those 2 people, right?"
"Trust me. Both people from the Technology Bureau are from my hometown, and I've known them for a long time."
"Good. If what Marcus said about his cousin in the Exchange Bureau is true, that's effectively 7 votes. It's almost certain."
A time for discussion while taking a break.
Adrian, who was gathered with the people from the Alchemy Association, smirked as he checked the others visible in the distance.
His confident assertion to decide the leader by vote was all based on well-founded confidence.
It was because he was confident he could pull in 3 more votes from other sides, not to mention the Alchemy Association he had a tight grip on.
7 votes out of 16. A figure just one vote shy of half. He predicted victory with that.
'The Technology Bureau, which has branches all over the empire and is large in scale, is awkward because it's a mix of young recruits and veterans. The Exchange Bureau is a mix of elves and humans. The ones I'm most wary of are over there.'
Adrian turned his gaze.
Unlike the others who looked awkward and distant, there were 4 people who looked particularly tight-knit.
They were wearing black uniforms and carrying their respective weapons, and just looking at them made you feel an unnecessary sense of intimidation.
Their average age was in their teens, making them look the youngest, but having received harsh training at Eisenblut, they were perhaps the most organized and powerful among the Pioneers.
There was even a child of a great noble family mixed in, whom even the status of a Count's second son couldn't handle.
"Hmm, I must never get on their bad side."
Adrian muttered to himself for no reason.
In any organization, military power is bound to be important in the end.
Since the abilities of the Guardians, who were superhumans and human weapons themselves, were already famous, Adrian planned to thoroughly coax and tame them first if he became the representative.
"Will they support you, Adrian-nim? What if others vote for one of them?"
"Don't worry, Sophia. The others aren't fools either. There's no one who would entrust the future of the group to kids who don't know the ways of the world, having only learned how to fight while locked up in a military academy."
Adrian shook his head at Sophia's worry.
Those young wolves wouldn't be easy to coax, but it wouldn't be easy for them to gain the support of others either.
He still believed victory was his.
"Vivian-nim, you really should run... if not, that human man will become the representative."
"I don't want to. I didn't like it from the beginning. Why are they so insistent on creating such a troublesome and unnecessary position? Honestly, the greed of these humans..."
The Exchange Bureau, an organization created by the empire to interact with non-human races within it and to conduct technology and research together with them.
Vivian, an elf shaman belonging to that organization, clicked her tongue as if displeased by her fellow elf's words.
The other two elves within the Exchange Bureau would unconditionally support her, so if she stepped up, she would have 3 votes including her own, but she had no intention of doing so.
"Still, you should run. Even if you lose the vote, we shouldn't let a prejudice form within the Pioneer Corps that elves don't want to do anything."
"Then you do it, you brat."
"No, it would be even weirder if a junior who has only been here 20 years steps up when there's a 120-year senior!"
The other elves, who were a bit more sensitive about their standing and influence within the organization, tried hard to push her as a candidate for representative.
Vivian furrowed her brow, but perhaps unable to completely ignore the words of her kin who were grabbing and shaking her from both sides, she sighed repeatedly.
"Vivian, one of the deputy directors of the Exchange Bureau. We'll pool our 4 votes for that elf woman. 3 votes from the elves plus ours, that's 7 votes in total. That's enough."
There was someone keeping a close eye on Vivian.
Leon, who was wearing his uniform cap pulled down, chuckled and explained the operation to his peers.
"It's my first time seeing an elf in real life. But, are you sure she's reliable?"
Seira, who was stealing glances at the elves with curious eyes, raised a question with a face that showed she was half-doubting.
Because Leon, who was clearly seeing Vivian for the first time, was confident as if she would be fine.
"She doesn't want to do it. That's enough."
"???"
"And... she's probably capable enough."
He didn't bend his conviction.
Above all, he had already seen something.
Vivian Lashupra.
The trait she possessed, 「Strong Sense of Responsibility」.
"Then the remaining 9 votes. If Adrian takes 8 of them, it's meaningless."
"Even if Adrian becomes the representative, I think it's meaningful to keep him in check so he can't run the show alone... but if Hermann succeeds, there won't be a problem."
7 votes have a high chance of winning, but they don't guarantee victory.
Hermann had already set out to bring in at least one more vote.