Wheelchairs Have the Privilege of Cutting the Line

"That can't be right! I remember there wasn't this little food last time!"

"Aren't you aware of the recent resource shortage? If you're unhappy, tell Talulah, or do you not even want these things anymore?"

"... knew!"

Watching the Reunion team members storm off, Gil, who was also a warehouse guard, looked at her companions with concern.

"Is this really okay? Some people have already noticed that the amount of food is wrong..."

"What's there to be afraid of? There's still plenty left in the warehouse. We can just add more next time."

After confirming that no one was around, the responder took out the vodka that had been buried in the snowdrift.

"Glug... glug... ha! This is definitely more potent. I wish there was more."

"Frank!"

Seeing her companion's ostentatious display, Gil quickly closed the half-open door.

"Can't you be more careful? What if Talulah finds out we're stealing supplies from the warehouse and we get kicked out?"

"Tch! So what if they found out?"

It would have been better if he hadn't mentioned it, because once it was brought up, Frank started complaining.

"Haven't you heard? The treatment in the forest is so good, Talulah goes there all the time, but what about us? We don't even have the right to go in!"

Gil remained silent.

He had certainly heard the rumor; his companions who had come out of the forest all spoke of life there with smiles.

Warm housing, ample food, easy work... sounds much better than the Reunion Movement.

Gil didn't understand why those people would come out if they already had this kind of life, but he didn't hold a grudge against them.

In any case, with the help of the Reunion Movement, their lives are much better than wandering the ice fields.

Even though they were unwilling to fight, Talulah provided logistical support.

"There might be some reason, right? Besides, isn't the leader always active on the front lines? We people don't really have the qualifications..."

"What do you mean you're not qualified!"

Frank kicked open the door in annoyance, and the cold wind that rushed in made him shrink his neck.

"Cough! She clearly said everyone is born equal, so why do those Guerrilla get special supplies of medicine!"

Seeing Frank's agitated expression, Gil silently closed the door again.

Why? Because they are fighting on the front lines and are key combat personnel.

Of course, Gil didn't say this aloud. Although Frank had a rough personality, he was generally quite nice to him.

Without him, I wouldn't have survived until I was rescued by the Reunion Movement.

Seeing that Gil did not respond, Frank assumed that she also agreed.

"Oh, right! And those villagers, even though we bought the goods at a premium, they all still have such sour faces!"

Pressing down on his arm, sensing the hardness of the raw crystal beneath his clothes, Frank's face contorted with rage.

"If the Infection Patrol hadn't been afraid to come here lately, they might have already sold us out."

"Talulah is just a lucky idiot. If I were leading Reunion Movement, I would never have left those threats behind!"

"That's enough. Didn't someone else sell to us at a lower price?"

Gil couldn't help but offer a few words of explanation.

Although most villagers treated the Infected very badly, there were also some good people.

Gil recalled the kind elderly couple and heard that their Infected granddaughter was also involved in the Reunion Movement.

"Perhaps Talulah had her own reasons? At least she did what she said she would do."

"Then why won't you let us into the forest?" Frank grabbed a piece of frozen meat and stuffed it into his coat.

"If those useless brats can get in, why can't we? Or is there something shady hidden inside?"

"..."

Gil fell silent again; the cruel icy wilderness had taught him to be quiet.

Frank remained silent, silently ruling out Gil from his impending plan.

He has already discussed it with the others, and they will go into the forest together tonight.

Those people who came out of the forest said there are many empty houses in the Village Town, so it's not a big deal if they occupy a few, right?

"You're welcome, it's nothing."

Even so, I still want to thank you.

Talulah bowed again to express her gratitude, which made Gorth feel helpless.

"There's no need to be so formal. Accepting necessary investment before the Reunion Movement is fully mature is perfectly reasonable."

"I understand, but it's a matter of attitude."

Talulah straightened her posture, her once somewhat naive face now bearing a more steely air.

"Mr. Patriot said that since I have become the leader of the Reunion Movement, my every move represents the face of the Reunion Movement, and the same applies to the deal with the Black Forest."

At this point, Red Dragon scratched his head somewhat embarrassed.

"We've been trying to find people with military industry knowledge, but the Infected we've been treating at the mines recently are mostly ordinary villagers. The people you're looking for... are probably in a larger mine."

"It's alright, just do your best."

As expected, it's not easy to find people who truly understand machining.

Gorth felt a little regretful, but he wasn't in a hurry.

The necessary facilities have been delivered by Vane, along with the completed blueprints and the finished mechs from the Dungeon.

As long as the relevant knowledgeable personnel can be found, the construction of the mecha force can be completed quickly.

He didn't hide these preparations from Talulah; on the contrary, he had already provided some [Sentry Piloted Mech] as immediate combat power for the Reunion Movement.

The effect was remarkable. Although the direct combat power of a single mech was not as good as that of an elite Shieldguards, the combination of a sufficient number of artillery formations perfectly demonstrated what firepower coverage meant.

Unlike local equipment that needs to be reloaded with shells, mechs powered by Magic Crystal Ore are a nightmare for mines.

The surrounding mines have all been Reunion Movement, and this trade of supplies is also in preparation for the all-out offensive against the large mines.

"Wow, that was fast..."

Gorth looked down at Talulah. Had that once carefree, Dimwitted Dragon truly become a leader?

"Tutor?"

"... Don't be afraid of difficulties; the Black Forest will always be your strong support."

Talulah a lump in her throat; she hadn't heard such words in a long time.

"Don't worry, Master! Talulah will never let you down!"

"Okay, take this."

Talulah broke off a piece of candle flame from the tip of a branch above her head and handed it to him, looking at Gorth with a puzzled expression.

"So the candles Eno and the others were holding were really the ones from your head? Does that count as a gift?"

"Consider it a pass."

Thinking of the Patriot and the others, Gorth broke off a few more pieces and handed them over.

"Recently, there have been a lot more things in the experimental forest, making it somewhat dangerous and inconvenient to enter."

"Carry these candles with you; they will guide you when you enter the village, and the creatures of the forest will not harm you."

"Danger... is there?"

"It's not dangerous for you."

Gorth estimated the combat strength of the plant group and concluded that most of them posed little threat to Talulah.

The Mandrake Flower avoided the other party altogether.

As for the underground Giant Crab Twins and the King Snow Ape frequently patrols his territory.

The former is busy developing mineral veins, while the latter has been following the Yeti Squadron lately, and has become perfunctory in patrolling its territory.

As a result, the Gardener actually had more work to do, but they seemed to enjoy it.

"That's true, after all, it's your forest."

Talulah nodded knowingly, realizing she had misunderstood something.

"But isn't one candle missing? Or did you already give it to Alina?"

My friend often goes out to exchange supplies for the Reunion Movement; surely my mentor hasn't forgotten that?

"She doesn't need it."

Talulah: "???"

Gorth didn't offer any explanation to Talulah, but instead sent her away to attend to her own affairs.

Could he say that he was worried about Alina's safety and had Shadow Wolf follow her the whole time?

Although it might seem a bit like stalking, Alina always greets her shadow whenever she goes out, you should know that, right?

With a sigh, Gorth sank into the shadows.

He didn't want to do this, but the girl's safety was truly a concern.

According to Vane, the girl was originally destined to be killed by the vile Infected that Talulah had released.

Gorth certainly wouldn't stand idly by and watch this happen, but the scale of the Reunion Movement is now much larger than in the original story.

Even if Talulah intends to vet the integrity of her personnel, there's no guarantee that some won't slip through the net.

This is unavoidable.

The reality in Ursus simply doesn't allow the lower classes to have much morality. Even though the Reunion Movement now emphasizes education, its development time is still too short.

Back at the Workshop, Gorth began assisting with the construction of the new factory.

One cannot remain in one's own shadow for long. For the sake of the mechanics who have not yet arrived, a new factory is still necessary.

Instead of building upwards, Gorth expanded the factory underground.

While hiding in the Black Forest might seem redundant, it does make subsequent ore extraction easier.

As for the safety above, the crystal Giant, resurrected at Vane's request, have settled there, and Gorth also asked Gregor for a few Fire Grand Knight.

The presence of two elemental life forms, one of ice and one of fire, should be of considerable help in the subsequent alloy refining process.

Yes, the new alloy.

Since he was going to build the Cherokee Alpha anyway, Gorth decided to increase its strength.

Compared to the world's advanced materials technology, robust materials are essential for humanoid armor to withstand the bombardment of moving warships.

The strongest known material in the region is D32 Steel.

Gorth's inventory: a large amount of Pure Gold, a large amount of Magic Crystal Ore, some Ice Steel (a special ore that protrudes from the back of Cave Ice Worm), and finally, legendary materials...

Reshiram's shed dragon scales.

Given the Dragonkind's inherently robust physiques combined with Vane's Immortal Body, it's foreseeable that this material will possess exceptional defensive capabilities in both physical and magical defense.

However, this same powerful effect makes disassembly and manufacturing extremely difficult.

Boom--!!!

The surging, massive logs transformed into giant hammers, relentlessly pounding the scales on the forging table under the enhancement of fire enchantment.

With little effect, Gorth commanded the Crystal Giant and the Fire Grand Knight to alternately unleash elemental current attacks.

Unfortunately, the smooth, shiny surface of the dragon scales suggested that the results were minimal.

"... It won't work."

It was somewhat regrettable; Gorth had originally planned to give Vera a surprise.

While Terra's native heavy armor offers excellent defense, it is largely ineffective against magic.

If Vera could be provided with a well-fitting suit of armor, her chances of survival would be greatly reduced.

However... Terra's materials technology is advanced; is there a solution?

Thinking of this, Gorth sent a private message to Vane.

[Vane: How to forge special alloys? You changed your job to blacksmith?]

[Gorth: Make armor for the second daughter, isn't her birthday coming up soon?]

[Vane:... I almost forgot! Wait, why didn't you give me a gift for my birthday last time?]

[Gorth: Did you feed the skin to the dog?]

[Vane: Ahem! We certainly have the crafting techniques, but some core technologies, like those used in the Great Yan Imperial Guard's equipment, are very difficult to obtain.]

[Gorth: So you mean there's a simpler one?]

[Vane: The Petram family possesses unique metallurgical techniques, and the alloys they forge are extremely strong; they should meet your requirements.]

(Petram: The race of the operator Cuora, which can be understood as turtle.)

[Gorth: Where are they?]

[Vane: Probably Columbia.]

[Gorth:...]

What? Do I have to travel all the way from Ursus to Columbia?

What is this? A travelogue of the Black Forest?

After closing the dialog box, Gorth was speechless at Vane's unreliability.

[Vane: Wait! Ask me something else! Don't underestimate my intelligence network!]

[Gorth: Then find a way to immediately raise the moral standards of the Terra race. I'm currently struggling with education and propaganda.]

By casually tossing the Reunion Movement's problems to the other side, Gorth thought Vane would calm down for a while, but unexpectedly...

[Vane: Huh? How did you know I had a way?]

[Gorth: Tell me about it.]

[Vane: Ahem... First of all, I'd like to formally introduce to you the three special plans I've devised based on the actual situation in Terra.]

Firstly, [Suspended Loop]

A plan modeled after Ares in Academy City.

The original device was a nanoscale surveillance mechanical swarm, spread throughout the city and powered by air convection, enabling it to collect intelligence across the entire city without blind spots, becoming Aleister's core eyes and ears for controlling the city.

Vane's Improved Version--

They evolved from Bloodline Heir into tiny clusters, their Immortal Body providing energy; they can live by basking in the sun, and they can also live without it.

Furthermore, it has the We Many of biological terminals for recording and investigation, and can be managed with one click while monitoring, a boon for lazy people!

Not only that!

The improved Bloodline Heir Cluster can also fulfill the original function of the Seaborn, improving the planet's environment while also enhancing the physical condition of the native small animals.

Advantages: Full map view, villains have nowhere to hide, privacy killer!

Cost: Long coverage time, potential decrease in Originium Arts adaptability, and the risk of joining the We Many (is that even possible?).

[Vane: How was it! How was it?]

[Gorth:... Are you going to spy on the entire Terra?]

[Vane: What are you talking about! Do you think I can handle everything?]

[Gorth: You actually have this idea?]

Speechless at Vane's erratic behavior, Gorth still approved of the plan itself.

The benefits are obvious; just the ability to see the entire map means we no longer need to worry about Alina and the others' safety.

[Gorth: Let's reserve our opinions for now. What about the second plan?]

[Vane: Hmph~ I took player Gorth's advice into account and combined it with player Vera's talents to fix player Gregor's tendency to accidentally damage friendly units.]

Secondly, [the Underworld Paradise]

Overview: As the name suggests, it aims to create an Underworld Paradise for souls to rest in.

Necessary conditions for completion: Spare Crown capable of storing souls, the Shadow World possessed by Gorth that can be replenished with magic and grow, Gregor's endless energy, Vane's Cizera, the Staff of Illusion, and Vera's resurrection ability...

[Gorth: I don't quite understand... how did you manage to put all these things together?]

[Vane: Don't rush, let me explain slowly.]

The Four Catastrophe are known to have a chivalrous heart, but every time they rescue small animals, their immense power inevitably affects some innocent people.

So how do we solve this?

1. The Underworld, which is the Shadow World of the Gorth, serves as a repository for souls.

2. Based on Gregor's infinite energy and ability to become elemental, use the Staff of Illusion to create a second Gregor.

Known to be a raging core formed from ley lines, it uses illusions to continuously expand, elementalizing and branching into artificial ley lines that spread across the entire Daichi.

3. It is known that the Spare Crown can store souls. By having Phantom Gregor wear the Spare Crown, the storage range can be expanded to the entire continent.

4. The collected souls are sent to the Underworld for artificial judgment.

The virtuous bestow peace and happiness, a perfect dream created by Cizera.

The wicked inflict suffering, throwing themselves into the furnace to serve as fuel.

The innocent victims are given a new life, and Vera resurrects them and then compensates them financially.

5,...

[Gorth: Wait! Isn't this plan wrong!?]

Gorth quickly interrupted Vane's explanation, asking if the plan was simply too impractical.

No! It's precisely because of its high success rate that it's terrifying!

[Gorth: How did you come up with such a plan? You're practically creating a...]

[Vane: God... right?]

[Gorth: This... this is too much. It's like holding the lives of the entire continent in your hands. It's not human at all...]

[Vane: Then what is a human being?]

A good person who accidentally commits a bad deed is doomed, while a bad person who does a good deed is a prodigal son who turns over a new leaf.

No, that's not right.

This Daichi is abnormal; it clearly possesses basic moral values, and the laws of various countries are quite sound.

But why aren't those high and mighty people afraid?

Is it because those at the bottom are not a threat?

That's one reason, but I believe even more that they've lost their sense of awe.

Does this world need a god?

Vane didn't know.

Equality for all is easier said than done.

But at least one thing is certain: everyone is equal.

All life ultimately ends in death.

Then why not create a world for the dead?

Weren't they fearless? We embrace their souls and judge their sins.

I want the perpetrators of violence to never be reincarnated, and the good to be freed from suffering.

The eldest brother often says that good people are rewarded, but that's not enough.

Not only should good people be rewarded, but evil people should also be punished!

[Vane: How's my tagline? Does it have a powerful impact?]

[Gorth:...]

Gorth was so shocked that he was speechless, and for the first time he felt that he knew very little about Vane.

Will this plan work?

It works incredibly well.

If everyone knew that a world of the dead truly exists, then everything they did in life would be judged there.

Regardless of one's inner thoughts, at least outward moral behavior will be greatly regulated.

Adding to Cizera's dream, it was tantamount to giving the deceased a second life.

Furthermore, it also addressed their concern about harming innocent civilians when eliminating enemies.

But Gorth was speechless.

Too arrogant...

Even when the text is typed by someone you know well, the arrogance is almost palpable.

Without a doubt, those who devised this plan never placed the living beings on this Daichi on an equal footing.

He was constantly watched by an entity throughout his life, and even his death was subject to judgment by that entity.

Just imagining such a life made Gorth feel uneasy.

On the other side, Vane was also waiting for Gorth's reply.

He was well aware of the arrogance of this plan, but so what?

The life of this Daichi is nearing its end, and the civilization on Daichi remains in chaos.

In times of chaos, harsh measures are necessary; Vane saw no problem with that.

Of course, it wouldn't be worth it to get a beating for it, so he chose to start with the third brother, who was the easiest to persuade.

You'll be on my side... won't you?

[Gorth:... Isn't this plan flawed?]

Vane breathed a sigh of relief; not refusing meant agreeing.

[Vane: Of course! Controlling the expansion of phantoms, maintaining and managing ley lines, the standards of judgment, the limits of the Crown, the staff of the Underworld... there are just too many missing aspects.]

[Vane: Even setting all that aside, how this project will continue after we leave is a question.]

[Gorth: But?]

[Vane: But! There are always more solutions than problems. Brainstorming can always lead to a solution!]

So...

[Vane: What do you think, third brother?]

[Gorth: I'll sit and watch.]

[Vane:???]

[Gorth: What else? What do you expect me to say? Accuse you of being heartless, or mock your naiveté?]

[Gorth: It was all done with our best interests in mind, and the plan itself had good intentions. Are you afraid I'll blame you?]

[Vane: Huh~~ Why does your speech suddenly sound disgusting?]

[Gorth: I told you not to worry!]

[Gorth: Even if your status in this family is low, you're still incomparable to others.]

[Gorth: I support you, go for it.]

[Gorth: The boss and the others are reasonable. At worst, I'll take the blame along with you.]

Gorth was still talking when Vane stopped looking at him.

Very nice...

Reclining in Whitesmith's wheelchair, Vane twirled around lightly.

Nothing has changed.

[Gorth: Hey? Hey! Are you even listening to me?]

[Vane: Oh, I didn't leave you space to send it.]

[Gorth: Never mind... what about the other plan?]

[Vane: I won't tell you.]

[Gorth:???]

[Vane: I'm not telling you.]

[Gorth: You motherfucker...]

After closing the Group Chat, amidst the shocked gazes of the guards at the door, Vane laughed wildly and drove his wheelchair toward the breakfast shop across the street.

"Boss! Give me a loaf of bread! I have a really good appetite today."

Hey! Don't cut in line!

"Stop arguing! Cutting in line is a privilege reserved for wheelchair users!"