Russia Lostbelt
Higashino Makoto stood in the corridor of the Chaldea temporary base, arms crossed, looking at the tightly closed conference room door in front of him.
Fujimaru Ritsuka's voice came from inside the door; she was discussing something with Leonardo da Vinci and Sherlock Holmes.
I couldn't hear the specific content clearly, but I could occasionally make out a few words.
Lostbelt, Alien Priestess, bleaching...
They are making a plan.
He didn't care what plans they were making. But he felt there were some things he needed to tell them.
He pushed open the door.
Six people sat around the conference table: Fujimaru Ritsuka, Mash Kyrielight, Leonardo da Vinci, the doctor, and the newly arrived, overweight director.
Several people simultaneously looked up at him.
Higashino Makoto walked to the empty side of the long table, pulled out a chair and sat down, landing on the back of the chair. Utaha walked up behind him and stood still.
"Mr. Higashino, you've come at the right time. We were just discussing solutions to the new crisis of Human Order."
Fujimaru Ritsuka spoke, her tone tinged with confusion.
"I happen to have something to tell you."
He leaned back in his chair, his fingers tapping lightly on the table.
"News about the Lostbelt, about the Crypter..."
He blurted out a lot of things, piecing together those vague memories and pouring them out.
The locations, names, and settings of the seven Lostbelt, as well as Kirschtaria Wodime.
There is also Alien God, a being hidden behind the scenes.
The meeting room remained silent for a long time after he finished speaking.
Fujimaru Ritsuka's lips parted slightly.
In other words...
Fujimaru Ritsuka's voice was a little hoarse.
"The captain is still alive, and he's standing against humanity."
"I guess so, although his intentions were good, that's for sure."
"The Alien God..."
"Yes, it's your director, but the old director is the real mastermind."
Higashino Makoto tapped his fingers lightly on the table.
That's all I know. You'll have to find out the other details yourselves. Let's split up from now on; I have some things to do.
"However, I suggest you stay in Chaldea, or find a place to hide and wait for me to take care of this."
Fujimaru Ritsuka frowned slightly. She understood his choice; he wasn't Chaldea member and had no obligation to stay with them until the end.
But he gave them information, which was a great help.
He stood up and walked towards the door.
"Mr. Higashino, we can't entrust everything to you!"
Fujimaru Ritsuka's voice came from behind.
"Suit yourself. Remember to call me if you get into trouble, and I'll do my best to help you."
"Where are you going?"
"Let's go to the Russia Lostbelt first. I captured their princess, so I should go and see what's going on there. There should be something interesting there."
He pushed open the door and walked out, with Utaha following behind him.
Footsteps echoed in the empty corridor. Utaha walked beside him, her eyes the Unassailable on him.
"Higashino- kun, aren't you going with them?"
"Why bother with them? To be honest, their power is far too weak. I'd much rather they stay in Chaldea and wait for me to deal with them."
He stepped out of the gates of Chaldea. The sky outside was gray, and the snowfield stretched out endlessly beneath his feet. The wind blew from afar, carrying a biting chill.
He stretched out his hand and gently drew a line in the air. A dark spatial rift appeared silently before him. Through the other end of the rift, he saw a sky full of snow and a vast white earth.
Let's go.
He stepped into the crevice. Utaha followed behind him.
When Higashino Makoto emerged from the crevice, his feet touched the snow.
The snow was thick, making a crunching sound as he stepped on it; his boots sank almost completely into the snow.
The wind blew from afar, carrying ice pellets that stung my face like needles; an ordinary person wouldn't be able to survive.
He squinted and looked ahead. All he could see was white. The earth was white, the sky was gray, and the wind and snow howled between heaven and earth like a hungry beast.
The temperature is very low, minus 100 degrees Celsius, or even lower.
His breath froze in the air, but was quickly dispersed by the wind.
His body resisted the cold; the skin beneath his clothes remained warm.
Utaha stood beside him, her black maid outfit fluttering in the wind.
Higashino Makoto wasn't worried about her. As a guardian, her rank was high enough that this bit of cold wouldn't make her lose her composure.
He looked around and saw the outline of low buildings in the distance, like a village covered in snow.
He didn't rush over, but instead closed his eyes and extended his senses in all directions.
The Muninn flew out from the tattoo near his ear and landed on his shoulder.
"My lord, there are signs of life about three kilometers ahead. There aren't many, around twenty. They're very weak, probably not Servants, but more like modified humans."
"Hmm, it should be the Yaga, a species unique to this Lostbelt."
"Yaga?"
"The humans in this Lostbelt were transformed into hybrid Orc, a mixture of wolves and humans, to withstand the cold. They possess extremely strong bodies but consume a massive amount of calories; they will starve to death if they do not eat for three days. The original humans, known as the 'Old Species,' are now extinct."
They evolved an extreme dog-eat-dog culture, devoid of any kinship or friendship; the weak, even if they are their parents or closest relatives, will be immediately abandoned.
He recalled the memories in his mind, as well as the information he had extracted from Koyanskaya; this should be how it should be.
To be honest, there's really nothing in this world that he cares about, but as part of his collection, it's worth putting in a little effort.
He opened his eyes and walked in that direction, with Utaha following behind.
The wind and snow howled around them, but parted half a meter in front of him, as if pushed aside by some invisible force.
After walking for a while, a village came into view.
Several shacks made of animal hides and bones stood crookedly in the snow.
Dried meat strips hung by the door, swaying in the wind and making a slight clattering sound.
Several figures moved between the shacks. They looked like humans, but not quite. They were over two meters tall, muscular, and their skin was covered with short, gray hair.
Their faces were human, but their jawbones were more prominent, their teeth sharper, and their eyes were Kohaku, gleaming with a wild, animalistic light in the dim light.
They wore animal skin clothing and carried bone knives at their waists.
Upon seeing Higashino Makoto and Utaha, their bodies tensed simultaneously, their hands gripping the hilts of their bone knives, their Kohaku eyes filled with vigilance and ferocity.
Higashino Makoto didn't stop; he continued walking forward.
A Yaga blocked his way, taller and more muscular than Yaga others.
His mouth split open, revealing a row of sharp teeth, and a low, beast-like growl came from his throat.
Where did you come from?
Higashino Makoto stopped and looked up at the Orc who was over two meters tall.
Well, to be honest, it feels pretty average, somewhat similar to the demi-human races in the Ainz Overlord World.
After thinking about it, I'll use Koyanskaya's identity for now.
"Merchants NFF Services."
"Merchant, what about the food you brought?"
Higashino Makoto opened his backpack, took out a large pile of high-calorie food, and began to speak.
"Here."
Yaga frowned. It was indeed food, but the merchants from before shouldn't have acted this way.