Chapter 202: The Land That Flows Like a River - 4
Translator: RaidenTL
Chapter 202: The Land That Flows Like a River - 4
The Meta Conveyor Belt is the flowing land, the most efficient means of transport in the Military State.
It might not be the fastest, but it was certainly the most efficient. One could simply get on and reach the western edge of the State from the eastern edge in a matter of days. If you wanted to go faster, you just had to move on top of it.
Whether by vehicle or, if you had no other choice, on foot, your speed increased the more you hurried. It was a masterpiece that possessed the efficiency expected of the Military State and an uncharacteristic flexibility—something even the rigid State could boast about.
But the land is impartial. Mother Earth bestows her mercy upon all equally, so even the land that flows like a river does not belong to the Military State alone. It allows anyone to tread upon it.
Friend or foe of the Military State, all are children of the earth.
Thanks to this, the Military State was currently wrestling with the headache of an enemy occupying the flowing land.
“…I’m going to get an earful for this.”
At a temporary headquarters established ten kilometers behind the enemy, though its exact location on the Meta Conveyor Belt—the flowing land—could not be specified.
Historia, having returned against the flow of the conveyor belt, stuck a cigarette between her lips and entered the largest container.
Inside, generals and other high-ranking officers were in a meeting, gathered around a map of the Military State. Some of them outranked Historia, but she simply gave a nod as she walked inside and found her seat.
A few of the generals turned their heads slightly to acknowledge her greeting. Among them, the cheerful-looking middle-aged man sitting at the head of the table deliberately furrowed his brow and called out to her.
“Major General Historia. Where have you been?”
“Just went to poke them a little.”
“I believe I made it clear that solo operations are forbidden.”
“That’s why I just shot at them and left. I didn’t engage directly.”
Historia replied curtly and sat down, her bold attitude showing a clear disregard for rank or protocol.
But no one commented on it.
She was one of the Six Generals, one of the Military State’s greatest military assets, despite her youth and lower rank. In terms of raw power, she was among the top five in the entire State—a one-woman army capable of carrying out operations alone.
You couldn’t force such an exceptional being into a conventional mold. Either the mold would shatter, or the being would lose patience and break out.
One of the generals came to Historia’s defense.
“Commander, the Major General was only conducting reconnaissance. She achieved results, so let’s leave the reprimands at that.”
“What? Hey, Lieutenant General. What would you have done if we’d lost one of the Six Generals because of this? Do you think we have strategies for no reason? The entire board is set for the sake of our allies. What happens if a key piece like one of the Six Generals moves on her own?!”
And, though some might not believe it, Historia was surprisingly diligent. She showed consideration for her subordinates and maintained at least a basic level of courtesy toward the other generals. Perhaps for that reason, the generals only occasionally pointed things out but otherwise left her alone.
Because…
“You’re one to talk. Weren't you the one who, as the Northern Commander, took a leave of absence to go pick a fight by yourself?”
Compared to Patraxion, who had brazenly submitted a vacation request and taken off for a duel, a Major General causing a little friction under the guise of reconnaissance was rather cute.
Patraxion answered shamelessly.
“Thanks to that, I was able to join this operation. If I’d been in the north, I wouldn’t have made it in time. And because I conducted a probe, we have a rough idea of the enemy’s strength.”
Historia chewed on her unlit cigarette and replied.
“I heard from the signaller. You got scared of the Progenitor and came back with nothing to show for it.”
“It’s not that I was scared; I just couldn’t find a reason to risk my life. Like you said, it’d be a huge loss if one of the Six Generals died in a place like that. Besides, I have a rabbit of a child and a fox of a wife waiting for me at home.”
“Such deep thoughts. Why didn’t they occur to you before you went looking for a fight?”
“…Listen to you, talking back to everything I say.”
“Phew… Ah, I didn’t light it.”
“And now you’re ignoring me?”
Historia was the only one who could speak so casually to Patraxion, the most powerful and experienced man in the Military State. The other generals, who kept their mouths shut, actually felt a sense of pride watching Historia say what they couldn’t.
“You little… You should really thank my daughter. If I didn’t have a daughter your age, I would’ve dealt with you a long time ago.”
Patraxion grumbled but stopped his chiding there. Instead, he turned his gaze back to the table and called for his chief of staff.
“Anyway, now that the general who went on reconnaissance has returned, let’s begin the meeting. Chief of Staff, your briefing.”
“In that case, I will begin.”
The chief of staff inserted a packet into his bio-receptor. As he infused it with mana, an alchemist woven from mana appeared and wrapped a sheet of cloth around his arm. Once the materialization was complete, the chief of staff unwound the cloth.
The cloth wrapped around his arm was a map of the Military State, created from the packet.
If a shape could be created, so could an image. Packet technology had advanced to the point where it could even store information, and the Military State was the first to adopt it.
When the chief of staff spread the cloth on the table, a large map detailing every region of the Military State literally unfolded before them.
“This is their current location, and this is the position of our forces waiting behind them.”
On the territory of the Military State, demarcated by thick borders, the Meta Conveyor Belt was highlighted as a wide oval, looking like the nation’s skeleton. It was depicted clearly larger than its actual size, circling the entire State.
The chief of staff’s pointer came to rest on a spot in the southeast of that oval. The pointer moved slowly along the belt.
“If they continue on this path, they will stop briefly at the Far East Terminal before changing direction to the northwest. If they follow the belt, they will eventually circle the entire Military State. However, it’s unlikely they’ll remain in the State while being pursued. They will surely exit the belt’s flow either upon reaching the Far East Terminal, just before it, or somewhere along the way.”
The moment the pointer reached the Far East Terminal, it left the belt and began to move independently. After following the path, its sudden dash across empty land looked like cheating, but the chief of staff’s pointer calmly continued across the map at the same speed.
The pointer, racing across the roadless terrain, finally stopped at a certain location.
“We predict they will likely exit here and head for the Eastern Coastal Road. By land or by sea, they will use any means necessary to head north.”
Patraxion, who had been staring down at the map, looked with a slightly uneasy expression at the dark landmass located above the coastal road. A country depicted as dark and murky even on the map, a place that humans felt a revulsion even to speak of.
“North along the coastal road… to the Duchy?”
To the east lay the Sea of Leviathan, an eternally sinking abyss where unknown monsters ran rampant. Between the sea and the mountains was a dark land, perpetually shrouded in mist.
The chief of staff pointed to that place with his staff and nodded.
“The Progenitor Tyrkanzyaka is the sovereign of vampires. If she finds herself pursued after waking from a long slumber, it is logical for her to head toward the Duchy, where she has allies. That being is a nation unto herself… but she is still a vampire. Knowing her own weaknesses better than anyone, she would not stop in the middle of the Military State without an army at her back.”
The conclusion was simple.
Whether they intended to kill the enemy or simply subdue them, it had to be done before they reached the coastal road.
Historia, who had been listening quietly, spoke in a strained voice. No one could tell if it was because of the cigarette in her mouth or because she was simply filled with tension.
“We must concentrate our forces at the Far East Terminal and attack them. The Far East Terminal is a turning point, with a massive delta where the Meta Conveyor Belt is maintained. We can surround them there with sufficient troops.”
Although the chief of staff was one rank higher, he explained the situation to Historia with due formality, politeness, and detail.
“Headquarters, under the Commander’s judgment, has issued an order to apply pressure with the goal of expulsion if subjugation proves difficult.”
“But.”
“A large-scale encirclement is irrational. The enemy is small in number, powerful, and has multiple advantages. If we go as far as to encircle the Progenitor of the Duchy and end up killing her, it would put the Military State in an awkward position. We must maintain at least an amicable relationship with the Duchy. Furthermore…”
The chief of staff, as if hesitant to bring it up, glanced at the generals gathered there and added in a small voice.
“To begin with, we cannot even guarantee victory. After our political confrontation with the Sanctum, neither a Saintess nor a bishop has been stationed in the Military State. In contrast, the vampire is an ancient arcane being, a ruler of all things without life. If time drags on and night falls… we could be the ones who lose.”
It was a rational judgment, typical of the Military State, one that set aside all optimism.
But for Historia, it was unacceptable. Hamelin. So many lives buried beneath that cursed river. Was she supposed to let this go when the truth behind an incident she thought would never be uncovered was right in front of her?
If the Military State wouldn’t allow it, she would do it alone.
Just as Historia was about to shoot up from her seat.
『This is Military State Signaller Piye. Transmitting a direct order from Command.』
A dry, stiff voice echoed through the conference room. The stars filling the room turned their heads in unison toward the messenger who brought the news. Historia’s face, in particular, was fiercer and more desperate than ever.
The gazes of numerous generals focused on one spot. Though one might have shrunk under such pressure, the signaller continued her report calmly.
『Declassified as of this time. Per an emergency dispatch order from Command, General Prelvior will be arriving shortly.』
The moment the news was delivered, a stir spread among the generals. It was not a ripple of worry or fear, but a tremor full of the strength one feels when something steadfast is supporting their back.
Even Historia couldn’t hide her excitement, clenching her fists tightly.
Only Patraxion, sitting alone at the head of the table, pulled his carelessly worn cap down low. Hiding his expression, he muttered.
“They order active engagement avoidance when the enemy is heading for the capital, but now that they're trying to retreat, they call in that old hag, the Mage Marshal…? I don’t get it.”
The sole Magist of the Military State. The creator of Standard Magic.
A warrior mage, the most common type of magician.
The Milky Way.
Mage Marshal, General Prelvior.
“What is Command thinking? Are they planning to start a real war over just three people?”
Patraxion muttered quietly, addressing the Command that wasn’t there, whose true identity no one knew.
The Command that issued orders only through its signallers.