“Oh, right. Got some news out of Yulong. There’s a new heavenly emperor marching around.”
“What, again?” How many self-proclaimed rulers can one country even have? Ever since the old one died, there’s been a new heavenly emperor popping up in every major city. It made the broken remains of the country like a collection of competing city-states.
“Well, this guy’s pretty serious, apparently. He’s waged a war against all the other self-proclaimed leaders and slaughtered them. He’s been pretty brutal in his means so far.”
“How so?”
“He’s ruthless. Bribery, assassination, he even had one of the homes of his competitors blown up. The biggest threat though? His Steel Battalion.”
“Steel Battalion?” I frowned as I heard Relisha’s words. I had some suspicions.
“Just as the name suggests, it’s a force of steel soldiers that operate autonomously. We currently believe they must be based on the Frame Gears, or some form of plagiarism.”
“I knew it...” I figured the stolen Frame Gear parts would come into play at some point. But they’d managed it sooner than I expected. They must have had serious technological or financial backing.
And that probably meant, though I was assuming here... Gordian, the Golden Order, had stolen our parts, created the Iron Soldiers by reverse-engineering the tech, and brought it over to the new self-proclaimed heavenly emperor in Yulong. The Golden Order had members ranging from merchants to scholars, after all, they probably had many contacts.
Hell, it was even possible that this new emperor was a member of the organization too. I didn’t really think he was a blood relative of the previous guy anyway.
“Tell me more about it? How similar to a Frame Gear is it?”
“Ah, sure. There’s definitely a resemblance. Look here, one of our guild members sketched one. Here, this one.” Relisha passed me a slip of paper from the huge pile on her desk.
“Mm, I see... There’s definitely a resemblance.” The image depicted a metal giant with long arms and stubby legs, it was fairly short but made up for that with how broad it was. It had a short neck too, and generally looked somewhat malformed. It definitely looked durable and stable, though. Hm... So this is one of his Steel Battalion...
It sure looks like a Frame Gear... No idea how it’ll actually fare in battle though.
“And how many of these things are there?”
“There isn’t an exact number, but our guild report states around one-hundred exist. He used these machines to attack the other independent cities, and succeeded in no time at all.” That made sense, there was no way a normal soldier could fare against mechanized infantry. If there were a few they might’ve been able to fight back, but not against a hundred.
“So what do you think this new heavenly emperor intends?”
“Likely to unify the entire nation under his banner. He could probably do it with the support of those machines.” The Steel Battalion was definitely formidable. Unifying Yulong was probably something he could do with their power, Relisha was right.
What should I do...? The tech was definitely stolen from Brunhild. I don’t feel good about it being used for warfare or anything. But at the same time, I can’t just barge in... I’m a bit mixed in general here...
Still, if Gordian is behind this, then I can’t just let it lie. They might have malicious intentions. Guess I could come up with an easy excuse to interfere.
“Alright, then... They stole our Frame Gear, so let’s steal one of theirs. How about that?”
“Hm?” Relisha raised an eyebrow in surprise.
◇ ◇ ◇
“...And that’s why I’m gonna steal one of their Steel Battalion!”
“Ohoho... Superb. I like this idea, Touya. You’re gonna let me give it a thorough, deep analysis when you get it, right?” Doctor Babylon grinned menacingly towards me as she spoke. She was probably wondering about what they’d done to her tech.
Yumina, Lu, and Hilde, the three princesses, were staring at me with wide eyes. Sakura was technically a princess, but she was raised and lived as a regular noble. Elze, Sue, and Leen also seemed pretty enthusiastic about the idea. Linze, Yae, and Sakura just seemed a bit puzzled.
“A world leader talking about something so dishonorable as stealing? Just what are you planning?”
“Don’t call it stealing! Call it, uh... Unauthorized eternal borrowing.”
“That’s the same thing!” Hilde frowned. She was the honest type, so it made sense.
“It’s fine, I’ll hide my identity. Look!”
“You are wearing that again, you are?” Yae sighed a bit as she recognized the silver oni mask. It seemed to have a bit of a negative connotation with her for some reason. But I loved it, it let me hide my real identity and also go all-out!
“Then if you steal these machines... Will you be going alone, will you?”
“Nah, I was thinking of taking Tsubaki and Kohaku with me. I don’t want too big of a group, it’ll increase the chances of getting caught.”
“I want to go, too. Can’t I, Touya?”
“You can’t.”
“Hmph. Bully...” I promptly rejected Sue’s request. I didn’t expect her to be at any risk with me, but there was still the chance things could go wrong.
I didn’t tell Kousaka about this, either. He would’ve absolutely vetoed the idea.
“Why’re you doing this, though? Isn’t it fine just to leave them be?”
“I don’t know if they’ll use their mechanized soldiers against other nations afterward. Felsen, Hannock, Xenoahs, Roadmare... I want to know the potential of the enemy, just in case.”
“Then why do you have to go and do it, Touya?”
“It’s my personal prediction, not a national one. I can’t have someone do this on my or Brunhild’s behalf.” I gave general replies to Elze and Linze, but in truth I wanted to find out the true mastermind and take them out for good.
There was just one thing I was worried about.
The king of Felsen had talked about the former Golden Order’s ambitions.
“These people attempt to revive ancient techniques and make use of them, out of sight. This is the purpose of Gordian, the Golden Order.”
It made me wonder if their goals were still the same. If this Neo-Gordian Order was trying to revive the same kind of forbidden magic.
I had a hunch that aiding the current claimant to Yulong’s throne was a part of their ambitions. I couldn’t say for sure, though. It was just a gut feeling.
My gut feelings tend to be right, though... Is this an effect of my divinity, perhaps? Eh... I guess that’s fine... It’s not like it’s an issue.
Using such ancient, taboo techniques took a lot of power. They wouldn’t easily be able to do such a thing. The possibility of it being dangerous or destructive was extremely high, and they could probably cause a major incident by invoking something so primal.
If that was the case, then I had to take them out before it got to that point. I needed to acquire solid proof of their activities before I could make my move, though.
I had a feeling I was going to be in for a wild ride.
◇ ◇ ◇
The former glorious capital of Yulong, Shenghai, was now no more than a pile of rubble and trash. There was no trace of the gaudy city that sat there once before.
The Phrase had done a real number on the place, and it honestly made me more than a little uncomfortable. Just looking around really gave a sense of scale for the awesome power that Upper Constructs wielded.
Our group had just gated over from Brunhild, when Kohaku suddenly raised a warning growl.
Kohaku was glaring off in a certain direction, and it didn’t take long for us to see a group of vagrants heading toward us in that direction. They were holding knives and axes.
“Hooh... Boy... Leave your money, leave the girl. If you do that, we’ll let you live. Scram.” One of the men raised a dirty laugh as he yelled. The girl he was referrin
g to was Tsubaki, who stood by my side.
“Who are they?”
“Likely a group of scavengers. They’re probably salvaging valuables from the remains of the capital.”
So they’re vultures... Gross. A group of villains, more like.
“Bastard! You listenin’ to me?!”
“I’m not deaf. I can hear you just fine.” They were way too impatient, it was a real annoyance. They surrounded us in a circle, knives at the ready.
“Burst forth, Fire! Crimson Eruption: [Explosion]!” I had a feeling they weren’t interested in diplomacy, so I aimed an explosive spell at a nearby mound of rubble. A massive sound echoed out as the debris fizzled out into nothing.
Huh? Were my spells always that strong? Is this another side effect of my divinity? I wondered if I’d end up joining the actual gods at the rate I was going. Immortality definitely didn’t sound like a bad deal.
“Eeeeeek!”
“Shit, it’s a mage! Get the hell outta here, boys!” The would-be bandits began to scatter in all directions.
So it’s already this lawless, huh...? Guess I’ll head toward wherever the new heavenly emperor is. I pulled up my map and made it display the surrounding area.
“Uh... Let’s see here... The new capital was called Heilong, right?”
“That’s correct. Right here... Northwest of our current position.”
“Alrighty, let’s get going.”
“W-Wait a moment... Do you intend to fly there?”
“Huh? Yeah. Why?”
Kohaku and Tsubaki made pained expressions. Seemed like they hated flying just as much as the others did.
I could’ve used [Teleport], but I wasn’t used to operating it at long range, so I didn’t want to appear above a river or something. Seemed like I had no choice.
“...Alright, then. I’ll go to Heilong myself and open up a [Gate] for you guys when I land.”
“That would be greatly appreciated...”
“Y-Yes, it very much would be.” If I knew they’d be so fussy, I would’ve brought Gungnir. Still, I could fly faster than any machine all on my own, so it’d be fine.
It was fine by me really. All I had to do was invoke [Fly] and then zap off at full speed.
It took me about three minutes to get there at my top speed. As the landscape shifted beneath me, my eyes finally settled upon a city. It was Heilong, the new capital.
Man... That was just a three minute flight, why’d they have to make such a big deal about it? I grumbled as I made my descent into a forested area.
Once I was out of sight, I opened up a [Gate] to Shenghai. Kohaku and Tsubaki came through a few moments later.
“Alright, we’re ready. Oh wait, I gotta disguise myself.” I used [Mosaic] to censor my body as I quickly changed my clothing. The people of my old world would associate such mosaic censorship with stark nudity... But I didn’t quite strip down to that degree.
“How... fancy...” Tsubaki stared at my Silver Oni outfit and had a fairly interesting reaction. I was a little surprised, since the getup didn’t seem particularly gaudy to me. Mask and hakama aside, it didn’t strike me as all that special.
“N-Not the color or style or anything, it’s just... Your outfit just feels... Evil? I know this is a mission to steal and all, but... It doesn’t feel very befitting of a ninja.”
Hmph... Being berated by a ninja feels a little funny... Still, no big deal. Not like we’re here solely for infiltration, after all.
I took Tsubaki and Kohaku with me to Heilong. There was a little bit of trouble at the gate, but we managed to bribe the guard for entry. It was at this point that I realized how corrupt the guardsmen were in the area. They felt out of place.
Heilong was a traditional Chinese-styled castle town. It had various rows of red-tiled houses lining the streets. There was a tall tower in the distance, and some stalls lining the street paths. I saw some paper lanterns here and there, too.
There was a large castle around the middle of the town, too. I didn’t get a good look at it, though. Walls were too high.
It was a town with a lot of things in it, here and there. I saw people shuffling around lifelessly, like they were depressed. I suddenly felt a strange sensation, though.
“Kind of feels like we’re being watched...”
“That’s because we are. You’re being stared at.”
“...I told you that your outfit stood out as evil, didn’t I?”
Bleh... No point worrying about it now. Besides, people are just looking.
“So, now what?”
“Intel, Tsubaki. You need to collect info on the Steel Battalion. Kohaku, you go guard her. If you can find information on where they are and who made them, that’d be ideal. Don’t chase after them or anything, just get the information if you can. We’ll meet up again tonight.”
“Understood.”
“Yes, my lord. I’ll contact you if anything happens.” Tsubaki and Kohaku promptly vanished into the hustle and bustle.
I decided to take it upon myself to hear from the townsfolk about the new heavenly emperor.
“Hm... One would typically go to a bar for this kinda thing, right?” Even though I was following that logic, it was still midday. I decided that checking out a store or a restaurant would be just as good. I hadn’t eaten lunch either, so it was good timing.
“Uhh... Hm. I’ll go there, then.” I headed toward the roadside and sat in a weathered old chair. There was a menu on the nearby table, but I didn’t recognize any of the dishes at all. I wondered what this ‘Meat Ramein’ thing was, especially. Presumably it had meat in it, but I didn’t know about what kind of meat.
“...Whaddya buyin’?” The stall owner called out to me suspiciously. His eyes were fixed on me, like he was concerned. It was probably because of my mask.
“Ah, er... I’ll have that meat ramein.”
“Sure. One meat ramein comin’ right up.” I decided to people watch as I waited for my food. I saw people coming and going all over the place. I suddenly noticed a distinct lack of women and children in the crowd.
I noticed a disproportionate amount of young armed men walking around. They were wearing pauldrons with a shape that vaguely resembled a Dragon’s head. I wondered if they were the town militia.
Some kind of incident going on? That’s a lotta guards walking around...
“Here. Meat ramein.”
“...Wait a second...” I looked down at the bowl of noodles and meat and came to a stunning realization.
Ramein is just ramen! Wait, no... They’re a little different. The noodles are thinner and shorter. Kinda looks like somen, though.
I slurped up the soup, but it was way too thin and gruel-like. The noodles kind of tasted cheap, too. Kind of like the sort of food you’d get on a plane or in a hospital. The meat was tough too, almost like beef jerky. I thought it might soften if I dipped it a bit in the soup, but... Nope, it was as tough as a leather boot.
Well whatever, let’s just chow down... This is... Huh...? What the hell’s with this flavor and texture...? It kinda tastes like... rubber? It kinda smells raw, almost...? What the hell kind of meat is this thing? Seriously.
“Hey, shopkeep. What meat is this, anyway?”
“Troll flank steak.”
“Hgh... K-Keep the change!” I slammed a copper coin down on the table and promptly left.
Wh-What the hell are you trying to feed me, here?! What the hell...
I grumbled in quiet disgust, but I didn’t want to make it too obvious on my face.
This area of the country was near Xenoahs’ border, so it seemed like some kind of demonic fusion in their cuisine was going on. From what I understood, people of noble families like Sakura and Spica culturally avoided eating the meats of magical beasts. It was hardly tasty, so I didn’t blame them for not partaking.
It was true that we’d eaten Dragon meat in the past, though... But that taste was on a whole other level than something like troll meat. I wondered if perhaps D
ragons had evolved to be so powerful in order to avoid being hunted for their tasty meat.
I wanted to drink something to wash the bad taste out of my mouth, but I didn’t want to check out a store and get something bad again. I opened up my [Storage] and took out a thermos of water.
Aaah! After that crap, even this normal water tastes amazing... Hm...?
“Scour the area! They can’t be far! Keep looking, fools!” A fuss had been kicked up all of a sudden. There were soldiers all over the place. It seemed like they were looking for someone, which meant something must have happened.
“You there! I’ve never seen you before! What’s with the mask?” One of the soldiers glared at me. I wasn’t too surprised, really. I looked super suspicious.
“I’m just a travelin’ adventurer, son... Burnt my face real bad back in the day, so I wear this mask ta mask them there scars.”
“Really? Prove it!” I quietly used [Mirage] to change my face beneath the mask. The soldier approached me quickly, so I began to remove the mask. The image he was presented with was a grizzled, hideously scarred man.
“Ugh... Alright, got it. Put it back on.” The soldier was visibly nauseous after seeing ‘my’ face. I put my mask back on and used the chance to get a little more information out of him.
“What’s happened, hm? What’s the noise all about?”
“It’s troubling, but we’re after dangerous criminals. They attempted to kill His Greatness the Heavenly Emperor. A group of two men and a single woman. They likely serve one of the other fakers claiming to be the real rulers...”
Oh my... Is this just what happens in Yulong? Assassination attempts all day? Apparently he’d been attacked in his courtyard. The bigger issue was the fact that assassins had managed to get this far, though. The heavenly emperor was successfully defended by his personal guard, and the would-be assassins made their escape.
“One of the males in their group, a man wielding a bo staff, was injured around the shoulder. If you see anyone like that, let us know.” The soldier nodded toward me before dashing off. Yulong seemed like it was dangerous as ever.
In Another World With My Smartphone: Volume 10 Page 9
