Chapter 200: A Brave New World (2)
Chapter 200: A Brave New World (2)
—Those French frog bastards are feeding us to a monster!
—Aaaah! The eldest son of the Zaitsev family cannot die here!
—Run away!
“H-hey! Don’t push!”
The comrades marching in front suddenly stopped and began shouting strange nonsense before breaking into a chaotic run. Dmitri, like a helpless sailboat tossed upon a vast sea, was swept away by the wave of people.
“Cough—cough! At this rate I’ll be trampled to death!”
“Aaagh!”
He was shoved from side to side, had his shins repeatedly struck by heavy boots, and was hit several times in the temple by someone’s swinging elbows as they ran. After struggling for a long while, Dmitri suddenly found himself left near the front of the formation.
Just what was ahead that made both young men and older soldiers alike panic and run screaming?
Let’s see what’s so terrifying.
…Huh?
“W-what is that?”
Dmitri murmured unconsciously in a trembling voice.
Something enormous—unlike anything he had ever seen—spewed black smoke into the sky. Its steel body reflected the sunlight, flashing so brightly that it hurt his eyes.
Was it perhaps the Ottoman monster called an elephant that his grandfather once spoke of? Or a creature created by a wizard, a witch, or gypsies through blood sacrifice?
If Satan from the Bible descended into the world of men, would he look like that?
His hands trembled, his legs shook, and he felt as though he might collapse onto the ground at any moment.
“Poooooo!”
“Eek! Aaaah!”
The monster roared, and Dmitri’s legs gave way as he fell to the ground. The fear he felt was unlike anything he had ever experienced.
Turning his head toward the backs of his fleeing comrades, Dmitri shouted desperately.
“H-hey! Wait! Take me with you!”
“Poooooo!”
“O Almighty God the Father, protect me with eternal light. Guide me with holy wisdom, and even if my path is wrapped in darkness, lead my soul with divine light. O Almighty God the Father…”
They say that when a man is cornered, he turns to faith.
Dmitri fell to his knees and began reciting prayers like an Orthodox priest.
“H-hey, what are you doing there?”
“Almighty—…Huh?”
“I asked what you’re doing.”
“What do you mean? There’s a monster over there…”
Dmitri trailed off.
The reason was simple: the voice speaking to him came from what he had assumed was the monster’s eye, where a man had stuck his upper body halfway out.
“A monster? Ah, you mean this Paris steam locomotive?”
Clang. Clang.
The man tapped the body of the locomotive with his palm, producing the hollow metallic sound characteristic of iron.
“Steam… locomotive?”
“That’s right. A steam locomotive. And we’re engineers from the People of Isaac technical corps. Engineers—not monster riders.”
“So that thing is a machine?”
“Haha, of course it’s a machine! What did you think it was? Though…”
The engineer looked Dmitri up and down and chuckled.
“It’s winter. Aren’t you cold kneeling on the ground like that?”
“…!”
Dmitri hurriedly pushed himself up from the ground. His legs still trembled slightly.
To think he had called a mere object a monster and even started praying… his face burned red with embarrassment.
“Ahem. So… who built this?”
“Heh. Changing the subject already? Feeling embarrassed?”
“N-no. I’m just curious.”
“For a Russian, you speak French rather well. Very well—our boss Guillaume de Toulon ordered it built.”
Guillaume de Toulon… the high official in France who had once shaken Dmitri’s hand.
To hear that name here.
“So what are you doing here with it?”
“A test run. We’re checking whether it runs according to the design.”
“And once it’s finished?”
“Well, that depends on how the boss wants to use it. It’ll carry goods and people. Transportation will become dozens of times easier than now. Compared to the current life of riding horses or oxen? Not even comparable. Humanity has finally gained power that surpasses living creatures. A tremendous advancement! Hahaha!”
“I see…”
Dmitri could not stop examining the steam locomotive again and again.
Like humanity seeing fire for the first time.
Like children encountering something wondrous for the first time.
But Dmitri’s reaction was not strange. Even in Saint Petersburg, said to be the most prosperous and developed city in Russia, nothing like this fusion of advanced technology and innovation existed.
“Dmitri?”
“Are you alright?”
“Hmph. Funny how you abandoned me earlier.”
“Hey now, we didn’t abandon you.”
The comrades who had just been screaming that Dmitri would be eaten by a monster now slowly approached again.
“So what is it?”
“A machine, apparently.”
“A machine this big? It just looks like a lump of iron.”
“What’s inside it?”
As fear faded and curiosity replaced it, the seven thousand Russian prisoners began observing this creation of modern science with their eyes, ears, and even their hands.
Step. Step. Step.
“If something like that came to our village, couldn’t we travel everywhere without horses?”
“I’ve always wanted to see Saint Petersburg. If this existed, maybe I could visit in a single day.”
“Hah. Only if the landlord permits it.”
“Well… maybe they would. Dmitri! What do you think?”
“Me? Ah… yes, I suppose.”
“You should say yes or no clearly. You’re such a bland fellow.”
“Haha… I suppose so.”
Step. Step. Step.
“Once I get home, I’ll barely have time to sow the fields.”
“Don’t you live near my village? I’ll help you plant. My family has an ox. He’s old but still strong.”
“That would be wonderful. One less worry!”
“….”
Step. Step. Step.
Among the murmuring soldiers and the rhythm of boots striking the ground, Dmitri walked in silence.
Back in Saint Petersburg, the recruiting officer had said:
“Fight for Russia and the Tsar! Punish the French who have abandoned their faith and humanity!”
“For the glorious future of Russia!”
During the long journey to Corsica and the hardships afterward, Dmitri had never doubted those words.
But after becoming a prisoner, things began to shake his world.
—Please stand up.
—In France we have neither masters nor slaves.
—We fight for liberty, equality, and fraternity. We will never mistreat prisoners.
If the French had abandoned faith and humanity, then what were the Russian nobles who abandoned wounded comrades and fled?
—That isn’t a monster. It’s called a steam locomotive.
—It’s an enormous advancement!
What future awaited Russia if the French were defeated?
Dmitri imagined only frozen wastelands where peasants tore their hands and feet farming barren soil.
“Dinner distribution! Line up!”
“Thank you.”
“Hey. What are you thinking about? Pay attention.”
“…Thank you.”
Dmitri accepted the bread from the French gendarme but did not feel like eating. He stuffed it into his pack.
“Gendarme, it’ll soon be dark. Are we really continuing?”
“It’s Paris. Keep moving.”
“What does that mean? Is Paris not dark at night?”
“…It’s bright as day.”
“…My God.”
Even Dmitri could not help staring.
It was another world.
Street lamps shone like suns across the streets while people walked freely beneath them.
Soldiers from Saint Petersburg and peasants from distant villages alike stood stunned by the magical sight.
“Keep moving.”
Step. Step. Step.
“Gendarme.”
“Yes?”
“Am I dreaming? Or is that magic?”
“No. It is reason and rationality.”
Step. Step. Step.
After marching further, the prisoners arrived at a large square and were allowed to rest.
“What’s happening now?”
“There is new information regarding the prisoner negotiations.”
“Home? We can go home?”
“Silence!”
The gendarme raised his hand.
—Will this be alright?
—The Controller-General must have considered everything.
—Understood.
The gendarmes exchanged glances before announcing:
“The Russian ambassador himself will address you.”
A man escorted by French gendarmes stepped onto the platform.
“Ahem.”
“Your Excellency! Please send us home!”
“Yes! We must prepare for next year’s harvest—”
“Silence! How dare defeated soldiers speak so boldly!”
“…What?”
The Russian diplomat, dressed in luxurious clothing, shouted angrily.
“Field Marshal Suvorov is an undefeated commander! What a tragedy! If only he had been served by brave soldiers, the Empire would not have suffered such dishonor!”
—The Empire’s greatest commander lost. It is your fault.
—If you had fought properly, we would have won.
Something was wrong.
Something terribly wrong.
“What do you mean? We followed the nobles’ orders!”
“Yes! Please send us home!”
“Home? Ha! You defeated parasites dare return to infect the Empire?”
At that moment—
A loaf of bread flew through the air and struck the Russian ambassador squarely on the head.