Chapter 56

"Kerdan border region! Final stop!"

The Kerdan frontier frontlines-once a place of ancient weapons and large-scale invasions-looked remarkably stable compared to when Yaan had first joined the Penal Corps.

"My hometown, missed for a fortnight."

"What exactly did you come here for?"

"What else? We came to pick up the company commander."

Shaking his head as though sick of the sight of the fifty soldiers who had come all the way from the northernmost continent to the southern coast for him alone, Yaan boarded the convoy truck waiting at the train station.

"Hey, it's been almost two months, hasn't it?"

"We had a mission in between. We're about a month and a half behind schedule."

Yaan, heading toward the frontier base with his soldiers in tow. This time, unlike when they had first left, the only ones returning to this place were Yaan, Dandel, Ren, and the rest of the Greyhounds.

"Does His Highness Prince Klaus or the Commander have no intention of coming back to the frontier?"

"We're only here on assignment. There's no longer any reason to use this place as our base."

Klaus had stayed at the anchorage as a technical adviser to examine the White Shark's wreckage that Yaan had destroyed; Cain had been summoned by his family.

'By the time your mission ends, I should have this matter wrapped up. We'll meet again then.'

Recalling Cain's parting words in Bainsburg, Yaan pulled a cigarette from his pocket and lit it.

Flick-!

"Oh, where did that lighter come from?"

"Some navy captain I'm not that close with gave it to me."

"Ah, you mean Admiral Kail?"

While Yaan and Dandel exchanged idle chat over cigarette smoke, the familiar sight of the frontier base began to appear in the distance.

"Loyalty! Welc-"

"Cut the crap, I know your face."

The soldier who had once looked down on Penal Corps members greeted Yaan as he returned to the base.

The fortress walls were even thicker than when he had first seen them, but there were no longer any knights of House Lorenz or continual goblin invasions.

"The knights of House Lorenz rode the train with us. I heard something happened in their family."

"He told you every last detail?"

"Yes. They'd drop by our barracks now and then for drinks."

Knights drinking with the Penal Corps?

At the absurd statement from one of his soldiers, Yaan grimaced and pushed open the barracks door after two months away.

"Ugh, shit, finally some leave."

The moment he reached his room, Yaan spat that out as if exhausted, set his briefcase down in a corner, then headed to the base command post.

He needed to show his face to the newly appointed commander who had taken over from Prince Klaus.

"Loyalty. Knight Second Lieutenant Yaan Verkut, reporting in."

"I-I'm Daril Jackson, the new commander here. Pleased to meet you."

On his left breast he wore both a knight's insignia and the Penal Corps brand.

Having learned who Yaan was through the Imperial papers, the commander treated him with extreme caution.

'Being a knight has its perks.'

Seeing the commander-a baron-bow and scrape despite his rank, Yaan could only give a bitter smile.

"I was told the delegation arrived ahead of us."

"Ah, those people went to the elf village for a moment. Said they had business to discuss..."

"The elf village?"

Asking that, Yaan nodded as though recalling something.

"Then I'll go meet them and discuss the schedule. That's all."

"Y-yes! That sounds good..."

Seeing off Baron Daril with those words, Yaan stepped out of the office, then turned back as if remembering something.

"Commander?"

"Y-yes!"

The commander stared at Yaan, tense as a wire.

Having never seen actual combat, tasked only with personnel management and dealings with the elf village, the raw presence Yaan exuded was almost unbearable for him.

"Speak freely, sir. You outrank me."

"Ah, er! Th-that... understood... yes..."

Why was every superior he met like this?

Muttering under his breath, Yaan left without another word and walked toward Glaepnir parked in a corner of the maintenance yard.

[Good morning, file-]

"Shut it. We're heading to the village."

At first, just starting this thing up had drained every ounce of stamina he had.

Comparing now-dodging particle fire at a pirate stronghold-to then, Yaan set off toward the elf village.

"We have a guest!"

"The guest has returned!"

The village where Rana had lived.

Few of the thatched or tiled houses remained; most buildings had been replaced by Imperial concrete structures.

'House Lorenz really flexed their muscles here.'

Whether the Empire valued the timber and natural resources from the Great Forest, relations between the elf village and the Imperial Army looked better than expected.

Supplies marked with the Vailsar Trading Company's logo were piled everywhere, and children-using the sacks as sleds-raced across the hills surrounding the village.

"Oh, that colossus!"

"Hey Rick! Look at that! It's the one from the papers!"

"Seeing it in person is even more striking. It's completely alien."

At the unfamiliar voices coming from beyond the cockpit, Yaan turned his head.

Three figures in red uniforms were waving this way.

He had expected a delegation under the Emperor's direct command to number at least twenty, but it was only three?

- Confirming. Are you the delegation of His Imperial Majesty?

When Yaan asked over the loudspeaker, the three nodded and shouted back.

"Rick Dolores, leader of the delegation! Let's talk in person!"

"Right! It's unfair you're the only one riding in that warm colossus!"

"Emily. Even so, it's rude to speak to the knight like that."

So the Emperor's delegation was full of oddballs rivaling Kail.

Thinking so, Yaan opened Glaepnir's cockpit hatch and stepped out.

In front of him stood a brown-haired young man, a black-haired woman,

and a middle-aged man in red monastic robes.

"Pleasure to meet you. I'm Knight Yaan Verkut of the 87th Independent Company."

"Emily. I'm common-born, so I have no family name."

"Swain Rue. I serve the Creator Church."

Together with Rick-who had introduced himself earlier-the four finished their introductions. Soon the woman called Emily began looking Yaan up and down.

"What is it?"

At Yaan's bewildered expression, Emily spoke as though she found him fascinating.

"You're younger than I thought. After hearing you had an audience with His Imperial Majesty, I assumed you'd be my father's age."

Having said that, Emily continued to look Yaan over with interest. It was Rick-her fellow delegate-who stopped her.

"Emily. Mind your manners toward our escort."

"Oh, is that so?"

Seeing Emily laugh at that, Rick sighed and stepped forward.

"Allow me to apologize. My colleague is rather free-spirited..."

"No need. Don't worry about it."

At Yaan's words, Rick gave an awkward chuckle and approached.

"We should have greeted you at the base, but after seeing conditions here, we simply had to come."

"Is there a problem?"

They looked like ordinary village youths, but these were people who had received orders directly from the Emperor-

humans wearing the red uniform that symbolized the Emperor's own guard.

Though they spoke casually, each of them was a high-ranking official comparable to Cain Lorenz.

He couldn't afford to drop his guard.

"Problem? Quite the opposite!"

"Pardon?"

At the unexpected answer, Yaan asked again, and Rick continued with a smile.

"Until last year, you had to move covertly through this area while disguised. The moment we were spotted, the elf tribesmen would attack."

Last year had been the height of the war with Alfraia, under the command of a commander later purged.

"But now, not only is that no longer necessary, even if we go straight to the elf village there's no resistance at all. They're actually trading with the Imperial Army."

"Thanks to Prince Klaus's orders."

He had been the first to arrange the trade with the elves-yet it had still meant fighting the Alfraian knights.

"So the route to the Holy See is much easier now. Honestly, we hadn't planned to request an escort..."

Rick trailed off as he spoke.

Could there be another reason? As Yaan showed his doubt, Emily cut in, pointing at him.

"His Imperial Majesty commanded it personally. He said to bring you all the way to the Kelt Holy See."

"Me, Your Highness?"

Just as Yaan asked again-

"Wh-what is that!"

"Guests, take cover! Something's coming!"

The elves shouted, having spotted something in the distance.

At the same moment, a warning tone from Nill began to blare through Yaan's left eye.

[Warning. Unidentified Frame approaching at high speed.]

"What?"

A sudden enemy assault; but there was no time to freeze.

"Nill."

Thud-!

The moment Yaan called the name, Glaepnir dropped to one knee and accepted him.

"A colossus moving on its own...?"

"Emily! Evacuate the elves! Hurry!"

Rumble-!

Glaepnir rose, crushing through the underbrush.

Yaan lifted his head and looked toward where the warning tone was sounding.

"What is that?"

A red mass charging straight at him with ferocity.

Reading the charge, Yaan immediately leapt toward it.

- Gyaaaah!

"What, is it someone like Rael?"

Recalling the half-elf who had rampaged in madness, Yaan frowned and caught the onrushing form.

Thud-!

A shock wave from the collision in the forest flipped trees root and all.

Crack-!

[Warning. Enemy output increasing.]

"What?"

Whooooom-!

In an instant the red colossus seized both of Glaepnir's arms; soon it began dragging Yaan and Glaepnir with overwhelming output.

"Hold on, what is-"

- Yaan! Yaaan Verkut!

Realizing the near-bestial voice was calling his name, Yaan's eyes flashed.

"You know me?"

Even as he spoke, Glaepnir flung off the arms that held it and drove a fist into the red colossus.

Clang-!

The sound of armor striking armor.

Unable to withstand Glaepnir's raw strength in combat output, the red colossus's armor tore away in chunks.

[Armor material nearly identical to standard colossus. Outputting scan data.]

Analysis complete, Glaepnir displayed a translucent image in one corner of Yaan's vision.

"This is insane-three mana cores?"

Seeing the internal structure of the giant colossus, Yaan swore under his breath.

- Yaaaaaan!

But there was no time to be shocked; the red colossus came on like a mad thing.

Hovering in mid-air, it began pummeling Glaepnir mercilessly with the spikes mounted on both arms.

"Damn-!"

The sudden onslaught pushed Glaepnir back several steps; this was pure output, not weaponry, a brawl begun.

[Enemy Frame behavior pattern analysis complete. Tactical database online. Dynamic sensors recalibrated.]

Yet that lasted only a moment; Yaan's left pupil dilated and contracted repeatedly, deciphering the red colossus's movements.

Crackle-!

First, second-then, after slipping the third blow, Yaan caught the colossus's fist and began twisting its arm.

Crunch-!

- Aaaaargh!

The red colossus's pilot screamed as though his own arm were being broken.

The red colossus took a few steps back, widening the distance.

"Artillery support?"

[None confirmed. Presumed concern over civilian casualties.]

"Shit, then we take it by hand."

Muttering, Yaan lowered his stance.

But the red colossus, now at a distance, apparently judged further combat impossible and slowly withdrew from the battlefield.

- I will kill you, Yaan Verkut.

A cold voice drifted from the colossus.

- I will kill you and avenge my comrades! My name is Delranel! I became a monster for revenge!

Delranel's voice rang out. Yaan, brow furrowed, watched the red colossus recede and muttered.

"Delranel? Who's that?"

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