Chapter 270: The Country of Steel and the Faceless Men - 11
Translator: RaidenTL
Chapter 270: The Country of Steel and the Faceless Men - 11
The Command Center was in a frenzy ahead of the battle. On top of their usual war preparations, they now had to deal with the hostile entities that had advanced all the way to the alchemic steel refinery. Even in the dead of night, the entire base was buzzing like a beehive that had been kicked by a bear.
What truly gave them a headache, however, were the escaped laborers.
The laborers I had set free had caused more than enough chaos. Unidentified workers openly roaming the operational area was enough to elicit mental screams from the signallers and staff officers. It would have been easier on them to just kill everyone, but they couldn't. There were too many, and worse, the group included refinery laborers, who were difficult to replace.
Amidst the chaos, a military automaton carriage arrived at the entrance. The soldiers demanded the countersign, and a young woman with light pink hair, dressed in a female officer’s uniform, answered as she stepped out of the vehicle.
The Princess, clad in a stiff military uniform, moved just as stiffly as her clothes. The epaulets indicating her rank and the medals pinned to her chest looked utterly out of place. With her round, gentle features and soft, light pink hair, the uniform created an indescribable sense of disharmony.
The Princess saluted, her posture rigid with tension.
“S-Salute. Lieutenant Natalia of the Ministry of Public Safety! I am on a top-secret mission!”
Her words were stuttered, her salute clumsy. She looked like a child desperately trying to imitate an adult—so much so that a guard might have felt a pang of conscience for even considering detaining her.
But the officer in charge felt no such inclination. After checking her epaulets to confirm her identity, he narrowed his eyes and asked.
“The Ministry of Public Safety, you say… You’ll have an Alchemic Seal, I assume?”
“H-Here it is.”
“Check, Re… Hmm. Confirmed. Lieutenant, this is just part of my duty, so don’t mind me…”
First, the fact that she belonged to the Ministry of Public Safety—an organization said to have the power to pluck the stars from the sky—chipped away at his resolve.
“I’m not trying to pry into state secrets… It’s a necessary procedure under a quasi-state of war… Lieutenant, where are you headed, and who are those riding with you?”
“These are laborers who came into contact with the hostile entities. Per Director Zigrund’s orders, I am escorting them to the Ministry of Public Safety for a more detailed interrogation!”
“The Director herself…?”
Second was the fact that she was a descendant of the Grandiomor Royal Family.
The officer felt nothing particularly suspicious or dangerous from looking at her face. Suspicion begins with hostility toward the unfamiliar, and the authority of the royal family erased even such minor doubts.
The power of a monarch, which began in the distant past and, while not the strongest, was the longest-surviving, made its presence felt even in these small moments.
“Sorry to take up your time. You may pass. Next… Hey! Halt! State your affiliation before entering!”
And just like that, we passed through safely. The Princess, about to bow her head, hastily corrected herself with a salute and scrambled back into the automaton carriage.
The soldiers cleared the way, and the military automaton carriage proceeded slowly into the base. The Princess sat down, pressing a hand to her chest in relief.
I, at the wheel, greeted her cheerfully.
“Great job! That was perfect!”
The Princess, who had been sweating bullets, took off her cap and let out a deep sigh.
“Phew… I thought my heart was going to explode…”
“You managed to fool that notoriously strict State officer so easily. Not bad, right? I’ll be counting on you again in the future!”
“No… I can’t. It was only possible because they didn’t really suspect me…”
“Of course. We had the Ministry of Public Safety’s Alchemic Seal that Hilde left behind. And you have your ability.”
And the countersign I’d learned by reading their minds. Procedurally, there was nothing to get caught on.
Of course, that wasn’t all there was to it.
“But that’s not the end of it, is it? The Command Center must have had a hand in us passing through so safely.”
“The Command Center’s will? You mean they turned a blind eye to us?”
“Yes. If a signaller had announced that a hostile entity was heading for the Command Center base and warned every officer with our descriptions, we would have been caught one way or another.”
If Tyr and the Regressor had been with us, the response wouldn't have been so lukewarm. Those two were too famous, and the Military State, wary of their power, would have issued warnings and prepared countermeasures in advance.
But we were different. Historia was powerful, of course, but her strength was within the scope of a single individual. Besides, until a few days ago, she had been a true soldier loyal to the State. If the Command Center was aware of what happened in Hamelin, they would know that Historia didn't so much hate the State as she was simply following me and Shiati.
I couldn't know for sure how they would react, but I knew the State’s ideology well.
The Military State is rational.
This wasn't a war between nations; the country was being shaken by an attack from a few subversive individuals. On top of that, with Historia on our side and Hilde out of commission, the Military State was weaker than ever.
If there was no reason for us to meet, I just had to create one. See? Even if you want to solve things with words, you have to start with a show of force.
As I steered us toward the most deserted roads possible, I cautioned everyone.
“Alright. We’re heading in the right direction, but stay on your toes. This is the Military State’s Command Center. Generals are a dime a dozen here. We don’t know where one of the Six Generals might pop out from, so be careful…”
『Control observation complete. Realization rate 97.4%.』
“Speak of the devil. Thinks he’s the tiger, does he.”
In the darkness, motes of light coalesced into a single point. A radiant light that dimmed the faint headlights of the Command Center formed a human figure. It stood there like a shadow made of light.
A pressed-down helmet, a body whose size was hard to gauge due to the glow, and a long, thin sword of light.
The Envoy, Eimeder. The guardian angel of the Military State.
And perhaps… the very incarnation of the Command Center itself.
“Everyone, back!”
Historia, the first to sense its presence, turned to face it, preparing for an attack.
But Eimeder did not point its sword of light at us. Instead, it simply stared.
A black mouth opened on its dazzling face.
『I will guide you. Follow.』
Then, without another word, it began to glide across the ground, as if it was a given that we would follow.
But it seemed the angel didn't understand the human heart. We, who were taught from a young age not to follow strangers, did not comply with Eimeder’s instruction.
Historia asked, her voice sharp.
“Guide us? Where?”
Eimeder’s body stopped with a creak. It seemed to have not anticipated our reaction. The pure white angel turned back and conveyed its will.
『Did you not come here to negotiate?』
“Negotiate is a strong word. A talk?”
『I will comply. However, this vessel lacks the means for proper communication. Therefore.』
A concise manner of speech meant only to provide information, and a body that could be replaced at any time. No matter how I thought about it, it was quite similar to a signaller.
And if there was a similarity, there was a reason for it. My theory was solidifying into fact.
“In short, you’ll guide us to the meeting place? I like how straightforward you are. Let’s go.”
『If you have accepted, I will resume guidance. Follow.』
Eimeder turned once more and headed off somewhere.
Until now, Eimeder had been a monstrous being that swung its sword without question. It had no sign of life, no mercy in its hands, and its power was great enough to briefly stand against Tyr. For such a monstrous angel to appear so calmly and guide us felt incredibly bizarre. The Princess, Shiati, and Historia all looked at each other, unsure of what to do.
There was, however, one exception.
“Mraow…”
Nabi, whose eyes gleamed as she stalked Eimeder from behind.
What is that crazy cat doing? The talks are going to be ruined before they even start. I have to stop her… no, it’s too dangerous for me to grab her.
“Azzy, get her! Hold her tight so she can’t move!”
“Woof!”
“Mreowch!”
Not yet, not yet. I brought her along in case they attacked, but still!
With a struggling Nabi pinned to the back seat, we drove the automaton carriage and followed the angel.
The angel gliding over the ground was remarkably fast and agile. Perhaps because it was made of light, it seemed to ignore the concept of inertia, changing direction while maintaining its speed. If I looked away for even a moment, it felt like it would vanish from sight.
We hurriedly followed the angel, passing an armory stacked high with artillery shells, turning right at a container full of food supplies, and taking a wide turn around the outskirts where the Engineer Corps’ equipment was piled up. The sight of an angel, a symbol of divinity, striding through a land of steel and concrete was like two mismatched pictures pasted together.
“…Something’s strange.”
As we proceeded, the Princess suddenly muttered, looking around.
“Why… is there no one in the Command Center base?”
It felt like half a day had passed, but we had only been following Eimeder for about ten minutes.
But this was the Command Center base. The military capital of the State, where the majority of its forces were stationed, a place where officers were more common than stones on the ground.
That also meant it was so thoroughly managed that you’d be hard-pressed to find even a stray stone. No matter how well we were disguised, we shouldn't have been able to pass through so easily…
Unless someone had planned it.
I glanced around and said, “Looks like the Command Center doesn’t want to be seen meeting with us. They’re clearing people out. Listen. Just beyond here, it’s noisy with the sounds of soldiers working, isn’t it?”
“Why? There are only a few of us. Wouldn’t it be better for them to gather in force and pressure us?”
“Not necessarily. Right now, the Military State is about to negotiate with terrorists. As a nation, showing the humiliating process of negotiating with a mere soldier could lower morale.”
The Military State is rational, but it doesn't believe that every single person is. That’s why they limit information and control the actions of officers and generals alike.
The Princess, accepting this, came up with a new question.
“How could they clear people out so precisely from our path?”
“They must have used the signallers,” Historia answered.
“Soldiers give absolute obedience to the Command Center’s orders, and the signallers convey those orders. Most likely, along this route we’re taking… signallers are individually instructing any approaching soldiers not to head this way.”
“Ah, right. The signallers… In that case, are the signallers the Command Center?”
“Just because a priest speaks the word of God doesn’t mean you’d call the priest God.”
“But the Command Center isn’t God, is it? Someone could take control of the signallers, or a signaller could misrepresent the Command Center’s will for their own greed, right? Why doesn’t anyone suspect that?”
It was a question that hit the nail on the head. But Historia had an answer for it.
“The signallers don’t do that. No, they can’t. Because they don’t exist.”
“What? But the signallers do exist, don’t they?”
“No one has ever seen them. There are those who claim to have guided a signaller on dispatch, but no one knows where they are or what they do. What greed could beings who never even show themselves have?”
There are too many examples of corrupt priests to count. A priest interacts with their flock daily, extracting faith and donations from them, so if they have a greedy heart, the ways they can cause harm are endless.
But the signallers have no contact with anyone. They live in a world completely isolated from the mortal realm, communicating only in a limited fashion through golems.
At this point, they weren't even priests, just God’s trumpeters. Tools for the sole purpose of conveying a voice.
“No one knows what the signallers do? Not even you, the Gunmaster of the Six Generals?”
At the Princess’s question, Historia hesitated for a moment before answering.
“That’s right… Not even me, one of the Six Generals.”
Her mood suddenly soured. Historia turned her head away sharply and fell silent.
‘That’s right. I don’t know anything. I was loyal to the State to help my friend, but I understand neither my friend nor the State. Am I… just a sharp tool, used without knowing anything at all?’
Historia, who had once been part of the Command Center, felt a sense of disillusionment and watched the passing scenery in silence.
The automaton carriage rolled on in an uncomfortable silence.
『We have arrived.』
At last, Eimeder stopped beneath a massive wall.
It was a smooth, seamless wall. There were no windows, no doors, not even a small ventilation shaft. It looked more like a box than a building.
I had seen it before. When Tantalus had been turned upside down, a small, crumpled steel box of a similar shape had emerged from the ground. The only difference was that this one was several times larger.
Eimeder raised its white sword and, without any hesitation, thrust it at the wall.
Historia watched Eimeder intently.
‘There was a seam. An incredibly fine one. It inserted the blade into it without a hair’s breadth of error.’
My belief that it was seamless had been a mistake. The pure white sword slipped into a crack so fine it was invisible. To my eyes, it looked as if it had pierced straight through the wall, but Historia’s sharp gaze had spotted the existence of the seam.
Thanks to her, I learned the truth by reading her thoughts. Phew, it would’ve been embarrassing if I’d pretended to know.
“It’s—it’s cutting the wall! It’s slicing through a steel wall like tofu!”
Tsk, tsk. Another one with poor eyesight. Let me open your foolish eyes.
“Look, there’s a tiny seam in the wall. It inserted the sword of light into that gap.”
“What? A seam? Oh, I think I see it…?”
There’s only one reason to stick a knife into the crack of a box: to pick the lock.
Historia only saw the seam, but having broken into my fair share of safes, I could roughly guess the building’s structure.
“A gap that only something like light could squeeze into. There’s probably a lock in there. It’s going to use that sword of light to undo the lock from the inside and open the door.”
Just as I said, Eimeder lifted the sword it had inserted into the seam. There was a click as something unlocked.
Immediately after, light poured out from the fine crack in the wall.
Grindddd.
The tightly shut wall split open. The sound of gears turning echoed along the surface, and a square door receded inward.
Its role as a key fulfilled, Eimeder stood perfectly still. Without even the slightest twitch that a living being would have, it was like an inanimate object that had guarded this spot for centuries.
Right. Eimeder was the key. A windowless room that could never be entered without being broken. I had wondered how the signallers got in and locked it…
“And there’s no one else who uses a sword of light besides Eimeder, right? A door that can only be opened by Eimeder, the angel of the Military State. What does that mean?”
“That the ones inside are the ones who summon or control Eimeder…?”
Correct. The Princess was worth asking questions to.
Eimeder spoke in a resonant voice.
『Enter.』
“Can we all go in?”
『It matters not.』
Then, as if it had become the door itself, it turned its body to the side, opening a path for us to pass. I sent Nabi, who was still reaching for Eimeder, and Azzy, who was holding her tightly in her arms, in first, then gestured for the Princess and Shiati to follow.
After sending in the two beasts who could cause trouble at any moment, I strode inside. One of the Military State’s greatest secrets was showing me its inner sanctum of its own accord.
Passing through the narrow opening, I found myself facing a bizarre space.
There was a large round table piled high with paper. Countless documents were strewn across it, and the walls on all sides looked as if they had been wallpapered with torn pages from books. Tiny letters were written everywhere, all on documents containing the State’s classified information.
Piles upon piles of documents. Countless pieces of information contained within. In itself, it was a disorderly array of text, but to someone with the relevant knowledge, it held immense value.
And the beings that created that value were…
『Call A. Request adjustment of supply volume due to destruction of alchemic steel refinery.』
『Inventory: 89,400 units. Estimated duration: 38 days. After which, inventory will be completely depleted.』
『Required production increase: 3,200. Probability of achievement in current state: 0.72%.』
『Value judgment required on this matter. Add to meeting agenda.』
…dozens of communication magic golems.
It felt like I had walked into a toy country. Was it to maximize the use of space? All the magic golems here were small or miniature. Some were the size of my palm, and even the largest didn't come up past my waist.
Small magic golems of all shapes and sizes scurried about, reading and transcribing text. Some deftly moved their fingers to write, some typed away at golem-sized typewriters, and others pressed their heads to megaphones and shouted something. The golems didn't resemble humans at all, which made the scene all the more like a fairy tale, charmingly cute.
Nabi, having spotted the toys, tried to lunge forward, but Azzy desperately held her back. Right. Two Beast Kings are necessary. One Nabi to cause a ruckus, and one Azzy to stop her when she gets excited.
While the two beasts tumbled on the floor, I spotted a set of doors on the far wall.
Steel doors were set at regular intervals. The space between them was narrow; if I stretched out my arms, I could touch one door from the next. There was one, two… twenty-six of them.
It was clear the doors weren't used often. Otherwise, there wouldn't be papers piled high in front of them.
I read the text on the small nameplate above the series of doors.
『Communications Headquarters, directly under Inner Circle Command. Module I.』