Chapter 148: The Path Flows with the Traveler - 4
Translator: RaidenTL
Chapter 148: The Path Flows with the Traveler - 4
The Meta Conveyor Belt: a land that flows like a river. The great artery of the Military State, carrying countless tons of cargo.
However, while the belt was an incredibly convenient means of logistical transport, if one were to ask whether it was a good means of travel, they would have to tilt their head in doubt.
The flowing land would subtly split and rejoin every time it passed a curve, the shock of which was transmitted directly into one’s body. You were completely exposed to the elements, be it rain or wind, and you couldn't get off wherever you pleased, forced to move along a predetermined route.
Add to that the Military State’s characteristically strict security checks at major facilities, and in reality, the only people who traveled via the Meta Conveyor Belt were newly assigned soldiers or residents of the cities near the belt.
That was why, when we went behind the windscreen, there were only a few people in sight. In fact, there were more containers visible than people.
“Hello! A pleasure to meet you!”
Behind the windscreen, a group of about five travelers were huddled together. An old military engineer with a face full of wrinkles, a mother and son sitting hand-in-hand, and a newly commissioned medical officer on his way to his first post. And…
“Looks like we’ve got more travelers! At least it won’t be boring now! Hey, Gand! Make some room!”
“…I am a colonel, sir. Is such a casual attitude truly appropriate?”
One of the Six Generals of the Military State, General ‘Sunderspear’ Patraxion.
And his adjutant and disciple, Colonel Gand.
They’re insane. What is a man of his rank doing here? Shouldn’t he be leading an entire division?
While I was reading a few of their thoughts, the general gestured toward the colonel.
Colonel Gand, his eyes sharp, glanced at the captain. He looked her stiffly frozen body up and down before whispering to General Patraxion.
“Master. Wasn’t the plan to hide our identities while on vacation? You can’t show that kind of attitude to a mere captain.”
“Jeez. Don’t whisper so close, it’s gross. Gives me the creeps.”
Rebuked to his face, Colonel Gand’s brow furrowed for a fleeting moment. He took a couple of steps back and, using some unknown method, conveyed his words to the general in a voice that was inaudible to me.
[…Sigh. Fine, the man might not know, but the captain clearly recognizes us and doesn't know what to do.]
“Tch. Being too famous is a problem, I guess. I wanted to hide my identity and reveal it with a flourish later.”
[As if anyone wouldn’t recognize the most famous of the Six Generals… If you know that, then decide on a concept. Either reveal yourself or get our stories straight.]
“Reveal myself? Get our stories straight? Kid, just because you’re an old bachelor, don’t you go showing your true colors! Haha!”
[…Are you an old geezer? Cut it out and just shut the captain up.]
The general grumbled at the incensed Colonel Gand.
“Can’t even take a joke. Your reactions are no fun.”
[The one who’s no fun is you… Ugh. Even a bad joke is still my master’s joke!]
“Alright, alright.”
The general snapped his fingers and looked at the captain. His lips moved slightly.
At the same time, the captain flinched violently.
The wind died down. Simultaneously, the general’s voice reached the captain directly, leaping across space.
It was a feat only possible for a master of the Geon Qi Art, one who could command even the atmosphere and the raging winds.
[Hey, Captain. Keep our identities a secret, will you? We’re actually on vacation!]
It was a demand that wasn't a demand, an order that wasn't an order. An order that a mere signaller captain could never defy.
Faced with the request from one of the Six Generals, the captain managed to move her stiff neck.
“Affirm…ative. Understood.”
[That said, we’re not exactly in a position to be using honorifics with you, so just act relaxed. Be a bit more casual with people. Don’t ruin the mood by acting all high and mighty just because you’re a captain.]
Wow. What a strange technique. He’s clearly saying something, but I can’t hear his voice. Only the captain can hear and react to it.
He looks like a martial artist, but I guess someone at the level of the Six Generals can use all sorts of weird skills. Ah, I’m so jealous. When do I get some kind of cheat skill?
“Come on! Over here! We’re going to be spending a long journey together anyway, let’s get comfortable!”
In any case.
My opponent was one of the Military State’s Six Generals. He might be a bit eccentric, but if he found out I came from the Abyss, things would get very complicated. I’d be interrogated, of course, and there was a chance I could be summarily executed.
He might be hiding his identity now, but considering the reason he’d request a ‘vacation’ at this particular time… he must have a keen interest in information about the Abyss.
I had to divert his attention from this dazed captain, whatever it took. I grabbed her hand. A startled tremor ran through her entire body.
“Bbey! What are you spacing out for? These are the people we’ll be with for the next few days. You have to say hello!”
I approached them, holding the captain’s hand tightly.
The engineer and the medical officer saw the captain’s uniform, stood up, and gave a short salute. The mother, who looked like a civilian, clutched her son and cowered in fear. I gave them all a gentle smile.
“Hey, don’t be so nervous! Our Bbey might have some fancy rank insignia, but she’s just a bit stiff. She’s a sweet kid who couldn’t even hurt a chirping chick! Right, Bbey?”
Faced with my bright smile, the captain couldn’t bring herself to deny it and managed a clumsy smile of her own.
“Aff…irmative. That is… correct.”
“Aww, look how nervous you are! It’s okay! This is when you should be talking to people!”
“…Please, do not mind me.”
‘General Patraxion is here. It would be better to remain quiet… but I can’t tell him that!’
Staying quiet is not an option. Like it or not, we have to spend at least a day together. In that case, it’s better to be loud and divert their attention.
Secrets are best buried not in silence, but in noise. Acting hesitant right now would only make us look more suspicious.
Alright, since it’s come to this.
“Bbey. You’ve gotten so stiff since you were commissioned. You used to follow me around calling me ‘oppa, oppa’…”
“?!”
As I spoke with a wistful look in my eyes, the captain’s head turned with the creak of a golem.
‘This damn human, of all the inconvenient times to pull a prank…! Can’t he be satisfied unless he’s pulling some stupid prank, no matter the situation!’
“I guess you’re more successful than your big brother now. You probably don’t even want to acknowledge a pathetic, embarrassing oppa like me anymore… sob.”
‘For the rest of my life! I never want to acknowledge you for the rest of my life! If possible, I’d like to forget I ever knew you! Completely!’
“It’s alright, everyone. She’s just had a hard life, always suffering under a failure like me. She’s stiff because she’s nervous, so please be gentle with her. She’s a kind soul at heart.”
‘Don’t be ridiculous! How long do you think I’ll let myself be dragged into your pranks!’
How long? Probably until we part ways? There’s no reason not to use a fake identity.
Besides.
“Hey! That’s not right! No matter how much of a failure your older brother is, you can’t be like that! How about you take this chance to make up and call him oppa!”
The meddlesome general chimed in, grinning from ear to ear. His adjutant, standing beside him, pressed a hand to his forehead and sighed, but he didn’t look like he was going to step in for the captain.
“…! I’m sorry, I didn’t quite hear you?”
“I said, why don’t you take this chance to make up with your oppa! You two looked so close earlier!”
“Uh, ugh…”
The pathetic trembling of her lips was a pitiful sight. But she couldn’t refuse a request from one of the Six Generals. The captain clamped her mouth shut, clenched her trembling fists, and said:
“Please, stop… Oppa…”
“Wow! I never thought I’d hear you call me oppa again in my lifetime!”
As I feigned tears and started clapping, a round of applause erupted. Even the adjutant, who had been sitting there trying to act cool, was smiling warmly.
The general slapped my shoulder and boomed excitedly.
“You’d better become an oppa your sister can be proud of! That’s your duty, and that’s what family is!”
“Thank you, Hyung-nim. This is all thanks to you!”
The general didn’t seem offended by the overly familiar address.
“Hyung-nim? Hahaha! This fellow is quite the charmer! Sit here! With a friendly little brother like you around, this trip won’t be boring!”
“It’s an honor!”
I trotted after the general. The captain, who had been watching my back, wore a dumbfounded expression, but her thoughts kept racing.
‘This is not the time for this. He may be on vacation, but General Patraxion is this nation’s foremost star. A legendary figure who brought down the kingdom with his own hands.’
Her worries seemed excessive, but considering the true identity of the general before us, they were probably insufficient. The Six Generals of the Military State were beings who stood far above even the other generals called monsters. They weren’t war machines; they were walking wars unto themselves.
World-class powerhouses whose mere approach to a border would put neighboring countries on high alert.
‘He might figure out our identities from a single casual conversation…! If that happens, I won’t be able to protect you!’
But her worries proved to be unfounded.
“I’m going to ask you a serious question, little brother. Answer honestly. Depending on your answer… we could become ‘enemies’.”
The general steepled his hands under his chin and glanced at me with eyes that seemed to carry all the sorrows of the world. His gaze was impossibly heavy.
The first topic General Patraxion brought up after having me sit down was…
“As a weapon, which is better: the gun or the spear?”
A debate on weaponry.
At his words, everyone nearby placed a hand somewhere on their face and began to ponder deeply. The general who had posed the question spoke first.
“I will state my position first: I’m on the side of the spear. Of course, I’m not forcing this on anyone, so feel free to state your own opinions.”
As if anyone could. When everyone remained silent, the general scratched his head and called out to his most convenient subordinate.
“Hey! Gand! What do you think?”
“…I am currently polishing my spear, sir.”
“That’s why I’m asking! The spear, how is it? Think it’s better than a gun?”
Colonel Gand glanced at the general, then replied nonchalantly while tending to the spear in his hands.
“I can’t very well spit on my own face. I’m for the spear as well.”
The general clicked his tongue and grumbled.
“Tch. Boring.”
Crrk. The grip on the spear shaft tightened. Colonel Gand answered through gritted teeth.
“…I take it back. I don’t know about anything else, but every single person who uses a spear has a rotten personality.”
“That includes you, then?”
“If it means I can spit in my master’s face, I’ll gladly drench my own.”
After Colonel Gand’s remark, no one dared to speak up. As everyone was subtly exchanging glances, the child held in his mother’s arms raised his hand and shouted.
“I vote for guns!”
Like any mother with a bold child, she was flustered and quickly tried to cover his mouth. But the general waved his hand faster and asked.
“Little friend! Why is that?”
“Because they’re cool! They go bang, and then thwip!”
“That’s right! Indeed, in terms of intimidating or suppressing the enemy, the gun is an excellent weapon!”
The general seemed pleased with the spirited answer and laughed heartily. Thanks to the child’s pure opinion, the conversation started up again. The old engineer raised his hand and offered his view.
“I’ll cast my vote for the gun. The kingdom, which was a nation of spearmen, was destroyed by the hands of gunmen. Doesn’t that mean the gun is better?”
The medical officer, who had been sitting silently, cautiously chimed in.
“I believe it’s the spear.”
“Oh. And your reason?”
“Because spear wounds are much messier and harder to treat than gunshot wounds. Unlike a bullet, which at best tears through flesh and gets lodged in muscle or bone, a spear shatters flesh and muscle and even breaks bones.”
The medical officer fiddled with the first-aid kit at his side. It was an opinion that could only come from someone who had seen truly gruesome injuries, and it carried a different weight.
“Hmm. An opinion from a medic, so it has a touch of realism! Well then, what about you, little brother?”
So it’s finally my turn. As I cleared my throat and prepared for a grand speech, the captain stared at me with an expectant look in her eyes.
‘General Patraxion is a master of the spear, with the epithet ‘Sunderspear.’ It would be better to say you prefer the spear in front of him… You probably don’t know this, but you’re not completely clueless. You’ll agree with the general’s opinion. I believe in you.’
Good. The message came through loud and clear. My eyes shining, I stated firmly.
“Guns, without a doubt.”
‘Why…! Why must you always choose the worst possible option!’
I liked the look the captain was giving me. At the same time, the general’s eyes lit up challengingly as he sought my opinion.
“Hoh. And what’s your reason?”
Sunderspear, an epithet given to one who had reached the pinnacle of his art. Before the legendary spearman who had severed the fate of the kingdom, I proudly stuck to my views on weaponry.
“First, range. A spear’s range, no matter how you slice it, is only as long as the spear itself. In comparison, a gun’s range is tens, even hundreds of times longer. That alone is an overwhelming difference. You could say the spear’s only advantage, its reach, becomes utterly meaningless before a gun.”
“Hoh.”
Having his spear negated to his face, Sunderspear muttered, sounding a little displeased.
“But aren’t guns also ineffective unless at close range? At any significant distance, they can’t even pierce the muscle of a moderately trained person, and if someone uses Qi Deflection, they can repel a shot fired from point-blank range.”
“You can’t base your thinking on Qi users. By that logic, a Qi practitioner can catch a spear with their bare hands, can’t they?”
“But unlike a bullet, a spear can be infused with Qi. It can tear apart the bare hand that tries to catch it and pierce the body.”
This, too, was a statement from someone with practical experience.
General Patraxion, known as Sunderspear, would personally lead his troops to the front lines and turn his enemies into meat pulled from a skewer. Countless people had tried to block, parry, or catch his spear, but none could boast of the achievement.
The only ones who had even made a show of catching his spear were the soon-to-be corpses who had received it with their bodies.
But still. I tilted my head and offered an innocent rebuttal.
“But that’s the Qi Art being strong, not the spear, right?”
“Pfft.”
The general turned his head with a fearsome expression. Colonel Gand, Sunderspear’s adjutant and a fellow spearman, wiped his mouth with his hand and feigned a neutral expression.
“That traitorous bastard… Maybe I should excommunicate him…”
For the sake of the disgruntled general, I listed a few of the gun’s shortcomings.
“Well, I admit it’s not a perfect weapon. Guns aren’t very effective against armored opponents. It’s not cost-effective to use high-level alchemic steel for consumable bullets, but people will wrap themselves in shiny, high-quality armor to protect themselves. The difference is stark.”
“And yet, even considering all that, you say the gun is better?”
“Of course. Range is everything for a weapon. Even if a thousand warriors charge, only eight can fight at once. But if you have a thousand archers, you have to block a thousand arrows, right? Numerical superiority translates directly into military power!”
“My, what a great war critic we have here. Anyone would think you’ve actually fought in a war.”
General Patraxion grumbled with a sullen face. I scratched my head and gave a vague smile.
“Hahaha. I just like imagining these things. When I think about being a general and giving orders, my heart pounds and it gets exciting.”
“Hmph. You wouldn’t think so if you actually did it.”
“I want to try it myself precisely because I’m curious whether I’d think that or not. Though in reality, I’m just a clumsy grunt. Even so, I still prefer guns. You can use them even when you’re far from the enemy, right?”
It wasn’t a lie. To make a story convincing, you have to mix in a little truth.
I do think guns are good weapons.
Because I’m more afraid of guns than spears.
As a mind reader, it’s unlikely I’d get hit by a stray spear, but the possibility of getting hit by a stray bullet is always there. Seeing people fire away without even knowing where their own bullets are headed really makes me hate being a mind reader.
To be unable to dodge even after reading their thoughts. Doesn’t that seem unfair? There was a time I read the killing intent aimed at my left heart, twisted my body to the right, and the bullet grazed my right ear. Is that even a fight? Is it a fight when your life can be threatened by an idiot who doesn’t even know where his own gun is pointing?
Well, anyway.
“Very good. I’ve heard your views on weaponry, little brother.”
The general, not being very magnanimous, glared at me, holding a grudge. I shrugged and passed the buck.
“It’s not all my own opinion. Most of the details I heard from my little sister.”
“Hoh. So you’re a pair of…”
‘?! Deny! Deny! Deny!’
The captain, suddenly put on the spot, could only scream alarms inside her head.