I decided not to investigate, but I couldn’t help but think about it.
What on earth could be the purpose?
Most of the scientists from Ex Machina were crazy, but they weren’t stupid.
There was no way they had unleashed such a huge mechanical device upon the world just for the sake of experimentation.
“The intricately interlocked gears and the steam engine that powers that huge body are quite fascinating… but as a weapon, it lacks too many qualities.”
At a glance, it seemed like an advanced piece of technology, but in reality, it was nothing more than a toy.
I observed Ariel soaring through the air and the gear-driven machine that was spewing flames at her.
– Kuuoooooo!
“That roar doesn’t sound like it came from the steam engine. Did they put in a speaker or something? It really is just a toy.”
The firepower of the flamethrower was far weaker than its outward appearance suggested, and the precisely meshed gears looked like they would collapse with the slightest jab.
“A toy meant to be shown off. Nothing more, nothing less.”
Then what could be the reason that such a toy was running wild?
I soon came to understand the mad scientist’s intention.
More precisely, I realized it the moment I saw an old engineer frantically rush in to stop Ariel mid-spellcasting.
“P-Please stop! Lady Ariel! You shouldn’t destroy it!”
His eyes brimmed with greed.
It was obvious what the man who had just appeared was thinking.
“Wh-What?! Then what should I do?!”
“You must subdue it! But please, can you make sure it doesn’t end up completely incapacitated?!”
It seemed he wanted to study the high-performing toy and absorb Ex Machina’s technology.
“What kind of ridiculous request is that… More importantly, who even are you?!”
“I am Coran Lekias, from the Imperial Technology Department.”
Well, the situation was rather ironic.
The mechanical device causing a rampage had an entirely exposed structure. The intricately interlocked gears spinning inside were clearly visible, and just by observing it from the outside, one could easily gather a wealth of information.
The puzzle came together simply.
It was blatant, to say the least.
“A diversion… no, a decoy. Are they trying to divert attention from something?”
It was blatant, yet an irresistible decoy of the highest caliber.
Ex Machina’s technology was so advanced that even though the Empire knew where their base was, it deliberately pretended not to. They were constantly waiting for an opportunity to steal that technology.
But Ex Machina knew this as well.
They knew that the moment their technology was stolen, they would lose all value and be cast aside like worn-out tools.
That was why the geniuses of Ex Machina created security systems before unveiling any inventions to the world.
In case their creations ever fell into others’ hands, they embedded them with all kinds of self-destruct mechanisms.
However, this one was an exception.
Regardless of self-destruction, it had been designed so that its structure could be analyzed just by looking at it from the outside.
“It’s going to be noisy for a while.”
I sighed as I looked at Ariel flustered and overwhelmed by the high-ranking official who was delivering a lengthy speech.
It seemed a storm was brewing.
***
“Haah… haaah… I-I’m back, Sir Johan.”
“You’ve worked hard.”
In the end, after being pushed around by the Empire’s high-ranking official, Ariel returned utterly drained.
She had brought it on herself. She should have just ignored him and destroyed the thing right away.
Using her abilities, Ariel had trapped the Ex Machina’s mechanical device inside a space of her own making.
The Ex Machina’s mechanical device was continuously emitting steam as it wandered around, trapped within a transparent wall.
It was truly a perfect containment.
And nearby, the imperial official who had previously tried to dissuade Ariel, along with the engineers who arrived after him, were seen setting up barriers, sketching the device, and taking photographs as they conducted their investigation.
“Exquisite.”
“Well, huu… what is?”
The location where the device was now contained was within the grounds of the Cradle. In other words, it was a place that could claim ownership.
At the moment, the Imperial side had taken the initiative in the investigation, but the Cradle would likely send its own investigative team soon.
Still, since both sides were official institutions sanctioned by the Emperor, there likely wouldn’t be any serious conflict over ownership.
They would probably exchange sharp words for a while, throwing verbal jabs at each other, but in the end, it would most likely lead to a joint research effort.
One might think that security around the Cradle would become even tighter since both institutions had the Emperor’s approval, but the problem was that most engineers were essentially madmen.
They had an extreme aversion to anyone intruding into their domain, which would likely lead to frequent conflicts with the Cradle’s security forces.
Even investigating the identity of a single researcher would not be an easy task.
Given the power and influence held by the researchers themselves, even Olga Hermod would have a hard time trying to suppress them by force.
If things went that way, the barrier between the Cradle and the outside world would become significantly weaker.
“It’d be the perfect opportunity for someone to break in from the outside.”
“Could you maybe not keep everything to yourself and share some of that with me?”
It had seemed likely ever since Saintess Tillis announced she was entering the Cradle.
She was someone who had made countless enemies, so it wasn’t surprising to think a few lunatics might appear, stirring things up for revenge… but it seemed that whoever hated Tillis this much was rather meticulous.
Considering they were going so far as to attack the Cradle’s outer defenses to rally other enemies, that much was clear.
“Lady Ariel, you look exhausted. Would you like to head back?”
“I could tell… you weren’t listening to me, but that was kind of sudden.”
“You just seem very tired.”
“…I’m fine. You worked up the courage to come out here, Sir Johan. I can’t just turn back just because I’m a little tired.”
“It wasn’t really about courage, though.”
I didn’t really have any trouble getting out of the cradle.
The place was already wrecked anyway.
I was just waiting for the storm to pass.
Unlike during the Cult incident, Tillis wasn’t targeting me this time.
Besides, even if Ariel wasn’t around, Yuna was, so things would’ve been fine.
“I’ll make sure to protect you!”
“Ah, sure.”
What kind of resolution was Ariel making in her head, anyway?
She was completely unreadable.
In the end, I couldn’t bring myself to leave behind someone so full of determination, so I took her with me and headed toward our original destination.
And since I wasn’t completely without manners, I figured I’d at least buy her an ice cream on the way back.
It was just then when we were about to get the ingredient I needed and head home.
“…Another attack.”
Ariel came to a sudden stop as if she had sensed another incoming ambush.
I was stunned.
“How do people even live around here?”
Seriously, how does anyone survive in this place?
I mean, I knew something blew up every time I stepped outside, but twice in one day? This place is uninhabitable.
“Maybe we’re just unlucky. Both you and I have a lot of people after us.”
“Man…”
As if being Cradle students wasn’t enough of a target on our backs, it seemed like that was only adding fuel to the fire.
I looked around for a while, wondering what kind of crazy lunatic this attacker might be this time.
“Hmm, looking closely… is he one of ours?”
A muscular man with his upper body naked soon appeared.
His presence felt more like that of a barely socialized beast.
“……”
No, he really was just a beast.
Like I suspected the moment I called him “one of ours”, the man was a beastkin.
Ariel frowned at the sight of the man.
That narrowed down the attacker’s identity to just one possibility. Though to be honest, I figured it out the moment I saw him.
“He’s one of the Barbarians.”
The resistance force from the northern region that was already long annexed by the Empire. “The Speartip of Snow Blossoms”.
They called themselves a resistance, but in the end, they were dismissed as nothing more than barbarians.
Just looking at the way he carried himself and how he was completely detached from anything resembling civilization, it was obvious how brutal and savage they were.
Though it all began with their determination to topple the Empire, the “speartip” they raised had long since begun pointing indiscriminately at anyone.
Even fellow beastkin, those they once would’ve called kin, were no longer exempt.
Still, the only reason they survived this long despite acting like utter fools was because they had the strength to back it up.
In terms of raw fighting power, they could go toe-to-toe with Lemegeton, the top terrorist group.
No need for further explanation.
The “Great Warrior” who led The Speartip of Snow Blossoms is even considered one of the final boss candidates.
“A traitor who fled from nature has no right to beg for mercy.”
“Where do these bug-like things keep crawling out from?”
“Good grief, Lady Ariel. You should really watch your words. I don’t mind, but a noble lady ought to maintain her dignity, don’t you think?”
“It’s fine. If I kill him here, the only witness will be Sir Johan anyway.”
Ariel’s hatred ran deep.
As someone constantly forced to gauge society’s gaze simply because she was beastkin, it was no wonder she resented the Speartip of Snow Blossoms.
Wasn’t that also why she wore that cumbersome witch’s hat every day? To hide the rabbit ears sprouting from her head?
“Now then…!”
Boom!
Before the barbarian could even finish his sentence, spells came flying.
Ariel’s magic, unleashed in full earnest, seemed to form dozens of blasts in less than a second.
“How pitiful! Relying on cheap tricks instead of trusting your own body!”
Yet the nameless barbarian was tougher than expected.
Despite taking Ariel’s magic head-on, he didn’t retreat a single step. Instead, he charged straight at her.
“Tch.”
Thud!
But the barbarian’s advance came to an abrupt halt as if he was nailed in place mid-air.
An invisible wall formed from Ariel’s ability. Telekinesis.
A one-sided attack.
Though the barbarian endured the magical onslaught without retreat, in the end, he couldn’t push past the telekinetic wall.
“Khah!”
Crash!
The barbarian’s knees finally began to buckle.
The outcome was already decided.
From the beginning, they were the kind of creatures that didn’t bother using their heads. There was no chance they had some hidden trump card.
At this rate, give it a little more time, and the only thing left where the barbarian once stood would be a blood-red lump of meat.
But…
“Ugh, I told you to just go back.”
Ariel had already used far too much magic today.
When she went to the workshop for potions, she’d likely drained her mana once already. And right after emerging from the Cradle, she had to seal one of Ex Machina’s mechanical devices.
Then came the relentless magical bombardment against the barbarian.
She had already reached her limit.
Of course, on the surface, she looked completely fine and she probably believed that herself.
No, she might even have been feeling euphoric.
And that meant one thing.
“Lady Ariel, you’re going to die if you keep this up.”
It was a sign her condition was worsening.
A disease where a body unable to contain its own talent begins to transcend the physical world.
When one casts magic repeatedly in a short span, the boundary between the body and mana starts to blur.
And the more that boundary fades, the closer one draws to the truth and the more one transforms into an Archmage.
“Tch…”
I moved without hesitation.
Then, as if she had lost all reason, Ariel floated in the air and kept firing off spells one after another. I grabbed her.
Thankfully, it seemed she didn’t recognize me as an enemy.
“Eh?! Sir Johan?”
I held her in my arms and started running at full speed.
“Wha, what… wha… what is this?!”
Had she lost all feeling in her limbs and now even her tongue was starting to slur?
There was no way I could set her down and expect her to run on her own.
“Kuha, kuhahahaha!”
“What the hell is that now? The Speartip of Snow Blossoms? That’s straight-up an Under Chain!”
He took that full barrage of Ariel’s magic, and he still has the strength to chase us?
The barbarian, drenched in blood and charging straight at us, looked like something out of a horror movie.
“Sir Johan! Put me down! This time I’ll finish it for good!”
“Shut up and stay still.”
As if things weren’t bad enough already, the girl in my arms had no grasp of the situation and was hell-bent on getting herself killed.
Was it the high of battle?
Ariel had no awareness of what kind of state she was in.
She had probably fallen into this kind of condition plenty of times before.
But she had the convenient power of telekinesis.
She could probably mimic walking or running with it, even if her body was giving out.
That’s how she picked up such a bad habit.
“I’ll handle it, so quit worrying and just stay put.”
I quickly scanned my surroundings.
It wasn’t to get a feel for the terrain.
I searched for Yuna’s location and soon managed to find her.
She was perched on a nearby rooftop, looking in this direction.
The smile on her lips was breathtakingly beautiful…yet chilling.
It was as if she had appeared just to show me that smile; the moment our eyes met, she vanished from sight.
It was only for a brief moment, but she had been watching as if she found the situation amusing.
“Hoo… is that so?”
I understood what Yuna was thinking.
I had intended to ask for her help, but it seemed she wanted me to handle this situation on my own.
And that could only mean one thing.
“So, you’ve already made your judgment?”
In other words, she believed I had enough strength to get through this on my own.
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