It was snowing in Manros.
Amid the ruins, only nine-year-old Krogar had managed to get in line and receive a bag of food. He ran home with it.
Along the way, he saw adults clearing away the rubble.
Everyone was brimming with enthusiasm. The virus had been broken down, and after a hundred years, people could finally return to the surface and rebuild their civilization.
A radio broadcast played from a utility pole by the street, reporting the latest news:
After more than a hundred years underground, the public welfare agencies had returned to the surface and begun a detailed investigation into the Battle of Manros.
They had discovered that the war experienced by the Manrosans generations ago had been far more complicated than the historical records described, and the casualty count had been nowhere near as low. Manros had lacked proper public welfare agencies during the era of slavery, and the chaos of war had made it difficult to determine the true number of casualties.
The number of casualties recorded in history had reached ten digits, and it was still growing.
On his way home, Krogar saw some adults gathered around a church, tearing down a statue of the Emperor.
Once the church and statue had been destroyed, disc-shaped atmospheric creatures descended from the sky and sucked the rubble into their mouths.
Creatures like these were everywhere, helping the Manrosans clear the surface ruins.
They looked terrifying, but at least they meant no harm.
When he got home, Krogar put the food on the table, went into the back room, and pushed open the door.
"The last ruined city on the surface is being cleared. Half a year ago, the Marshal began calling for people to migrate to Industrial Zone 32."
"This last ruined city will provide more workers