Chapter 103
"The reason for my previous battle with W and her subordinates was mainly the Halo above my head... This is the result of the millennia-old feud between the Sarkaz and Sankta... Fortunately, after my sincere reassurance and explanation, W and the others have confirmed the truth that I personally harbored no hostility..."
Upon hearing Sankta's explanation with his side-swept bun, FrostNova glanced at W, who had a triangular scarf draped over one hand. This static beauty, after carefully choosing her words in Nana's explanation, suddenly raised her middle finger at Nana, clearly having a different understanding of the process of 'soothing' and 'explaining'.
However, FrostNova also understood that the conflict between the Sankta and the Sarkaz was much longer than that between the Infected and the general population of Ursus... She didn't care about that; the white-clad Cautus warrior just wanted to know why this refugee group's 'navigation messenger' was choosing to go to the Snowfield instead of taking the proper official road.
Faced with the White Rabbit's direct question, Nana struggled to find the right words:
"... There are several reasons for this... First, we were essentially 'driven' to the Snowfield, not of our own volition. The Kazdel Military Council's pursuers put a lot of pressure on us... And another reason is... while wanting to obtain assistance, there are also some things I want to remind you of..."
"Remind?"
"... Do you know about Ursus... no, the 'The Unspeakable' that's expanding southward from the Far-Northern Icefields?"
Seeing the White Rabbit's bewildered expression, Nana shook her head:
"It seems you are unaware. In that case, I will personally convey this 'reminder' to Patriot... To demonstrate that this is not an excuse for my ulterior motives, please bring me before him as soon as possible in the future... As for why I didn't tell you, why I didn't 'show' the evidence, I have already told W the whole story... Of course, if you are willing to bear that heavy burden, go and ask W... She has no 'Pollution,' so the information from her might be considered a third form of Pollution, and its effectiveness would likely be halved again..."
Seeing that both of their gazes were now on him, W waved his still-intact right hand:
"Trust her, she wasn't lying, this is indeed necessary... The old man will say you did a good job too."
Seeing W's rare, serious statement, FrostNova narrowed her eyes slightly.
"... That would be best... So, what kind of assistance do you want? Let's be clear first, we're just the Infected together for warmth; in terms of strength... we're definitely not capable of participating in the Sarkaz Civil War."
Seeing that the White Rabbit's tone generally seemed to reject the entry of 'Sarkaz refugees', Nana remained silent for a moment before saying:
"So, you don't want to help us... We're supposed to be a team helping the Infected... Is it because the Sarkaz the Infected aren't considered the Infected?"
Nana's question was actually quite pointed here, causing many Yeti queuing to receive supplies to stop what they were doing and frown at the center... However, the Sarkaz didn't seem interested in this topic. The persecution of the Sarkaz on this land was already systemic... Compared to that, the persecution of the Infected in Ursus was child's play.
FrostNova hadn't considered the underlying logic behind why the Sarkaz Mercenaries, despite the Infected, had higher morale than other groups. But the gray-haired Sankta's words made this Snowfield warrior realize an oversight she'd never considered before:
"... Yes, we supply W and her Mercenaries group, and they are actually operating under the guise of the Guerrillas... So the Sarkaz the Infected are certainly the Infected, but... the Sarkaz the Infected's civil war is not the Infected's civil war. You need to understand that..."
"... I understand... these Sarkaz under my command are merely members of the White Emperor Faction... the characteristic of this faction is advocating peaceful negotiations with the outside world, and allowing the new generation of Sarkaz to live normally on this land is considered one of their phased goals... and the root cause of the Kazdel Civil War is also this..."
"... What... political faction is this?"
"No, you can think of it as... an agreement with a concept... For example, among W's remaining subordinates, while not all of them agree, they all have some White Emperor Faction ideology... Those who attacked me as soon as they saw my Halo, whose thinking was blocked by the hatred of the 'Holy War,' have all been killed by me..."
It was unclear how much of the seemingly dashing but always frowning Cautus, Nana, understood from her explanations. Nana waited a moment, observing the questioning look in his eyes before continuing:
"So, what is the attitude of your so-called the Infected team towards my convoy, these Sarkaz who just want to live peacefully and coexist peacefully with the outside world?"
"I heard from W that you belong to an organization that rose up to improve the situation of the Infected, which is why I want to gain your support... In my opinion, the members of the White Emperor Faction should be your natural allies."
"The Sarkaz do not discriminate against Oripathy. On the contrary, because of their Originium sensitivity, the Sarkaz have many effective methods to suppress Oripathy outbreaks... By working alongside you, the Sarkaz can shed their stigma of being 'demons' from the outside world, and the world can also know through you that the Sarkaz are just ordinary humans who want to live a good life... In this way, while gaining support from professional warriors like the Sarkaz, you also receive a large number of Oripathy countermeasures..."
"But now that we've actually met, you don't seem to welcome the Sarkaz... You're still isolating your fellow countrymen, who are also suffering from Oripathy, under the guise of 'Mercenaries'..."
"Now, please tell me... is the Reunion Movement really an organization that emerged to liberate the Infected and improve their situation, as you claim?"
Faced with Nana's serious question, FrostNova hesitated for a moment, glancing nervously at her companions. After receiving affirmative answers from several of the Yeti who had been listening, FrostNova reaffirmed her resolve and said firmly:
"Yes, that's the kind of organization we are... We are... The Guerrillas of the Infected... Sarkaz the Infected, and also the Infected."
"... Very well, now please tell me... the Reunion Movement's action plan, the Reunion Movement's combat objectives, what are your phased goals? What kind of future do you want to lead your team to?"
Faced with Nana's next round of questions, FrostNova was completely speechless this time. Seeing that her 'elder sister' couldn't utter a single word for a long time, the Ursus woman who had watched the whole thing frowned and stepped between the two:
"That's enough, please stop bullying me like this..."
"Bullying people? No... I'm asking about something very important... Or is it that the Reunion Movement hasn't even considered these things?"
Looking at the Ursus woman who was shielding FrostNova behind her, her imposing figure completely blocked the hesitant Cautus. Nana, who was already short enough to have to look up at FrostNova, had to crane her neck to look directly at this Ursus woman who was probably two meters tall and carrying a long sword.
"Program, demands, goals... Where do the Infected in the barren Snowfield of Ursus have the time, energy, or even a shred of warmth to think about these things... Do you know what Oripathy is like?! Patients lacking medication may have to endure knife-like pain for half the day, while almost at the same time, people in our settlement die of famine every day!"
"To reduce the burden on the non-combat personnel at the camp, we voluntarily wandered the Snowfield. On the day we set off, two more children died of diarrhea... and all it took was for those two children to drink a couple of sips of water from a bucket because they were thirsty!
"In this Snowfield plain! Even firewood isn't something you can find just anywhere! We brave the freezing winds to search for unfrozen rivers, we search the desolate wilderness for anything we can eat!! And now you're high and mighty asking about this so-called 'future'?!"
"Is this the mindset of people from Laterano Holy City... who come from a land of endless milk and honey?"
Seemingly getting more and more agitated, FrostNova, who had been stunned for a moment, pulled her back as the burly woman reached out to grab the short Sankta by the collar.
Reminded by FrostNova, the Ursus woman looked around. Although the Yeti in her party seemed indignant at her words, the Sarkaz... whether they were Sarkaz in monastery-style robes or Sarkaz Mercenaries carrying weapons, all had indifferent expressions.
It's just war, famine, plague, and death... things the Sarkaz experience every day, nothing worth making such a fuss about.
But... FrostNova saw it clearly: as her teammates approached the Sankta, the Mercenaries... especially W, were indeed frowning and placing their hands on their weapons...
Although it might seem absurd that the Sarkaz Mercenaries would confront the Guerrillas over a Sankta, the unified silence of the Sarkaz forces speaks volumes about their stance.
And Nana... the cat disguised as Angel, offered her judgment from a completely third-party perspective... Her words made FrostNova's eyes twitch:
"I can hear that the suffering you have endured is real... but I must tell you, those Sarkaz in similar circumstances... I have a complete plan for them..."
"Although this objective was written with the goal of escaping Kazdel... I think it's equally relevant for you the Infected in Ursus... Let me just say the ultimate goal... I want to send them to Columbia to start a new life. Are you interested?"
Seeing the diminutive Sankta say this, FrostNova hesitated for a moment, then absentmindedly gave a perfunctory reply:
"... For something like this, you need to talk to my dad... and the Patriot, or the leader..."
"I know the Patriot, but who is your leader?"
Glancing at Nana's still indifferent expression, FrostNova glanced at W again... Seeing the white-haired Sarkaz shrug to indicate there was no need to worry about him being an official Ursus spy, FrostNova said seriously:
"That's the fighter of the Snowfield, the banner of the Infected's resistance... Talulah."
P. S.: I'm not feeling well... but I still have to write 16,000 words...
PS2: Meow Meow Cat
4th Crimson Warm Winter: 108 Convergence
Overall, the conversation between Nana and FrostNova, the commander of the Reunion Movement's "Yeti" unit, was rather heavy and serious.
The existence of the Infected Guerrilla Force was deliberately forced and maintained by the Ursus government, Nana had previously made similar deductions... After a careful discussion with this Reunion Movement cadre about the current situation of the Ursus the Infected, while Nana sympathized with them... she felt that her guess was more likely.
Deliberately amplifying social contradictions, disobeying the emperor's subjective adjustments, concentrating the Infected in detention, and using the most revolutionary working class for reform... it's as if they're openly trying to fill the Infected in this area with resentment and then specifically supply the Guerrillas with fresh, hate-driven manpower.
Especially after hearing FrostNova say that the majority of Reunion Movement's main team was composed of such people, Nana's suspicions about 'Talulah' instantly reached their peak...
Because of this series of actions, only 'Talulah' perfectly utilized the cynical person created by the Old Nobility.
No matter how much FrostNova portrays the so-called "Infected Guerrilla Force" as revolutionary figures who "oppose tyranny" and "change their fate," Nana, who has suffered several attacks by the Infected in just a few weeks in Ursus, cannot ignore the fact that the Infected Guerrilla Force are essentially madmen who feel they have no future. They not only rob others of their property, but they also prey on nuns and children, and even use Active Originium arrows to spread Oripathy to others.
In comparison, even ordinary highwaymen know that if they manage to steal valuables and release the hostages, people will be more inclined to pay up to avoid further trouble the next time they rob someone on the same road—a basic level of rational thinking... But this kind of rationality seems to be a rare quality for the Infected.
After all, whether it's W's Mercenaries or FrostNova's 'Yeti', there's a small group of people who seem to have no desire to listen to anyone... It seems to be their instinct to rush over with their weapons at the slightest sign of trouble.
This explains why the stigmatization propaganda against the Infected by the Old Nobility Faction of Ursus was so successful... Nana thinks that half the credit goes to the Infected of Ursus for their own self-destructive actions.
Having lived in Columbia, Nana knew that the real discrimination in society was against the poor... Without money, regardless of whether you were the Infected or not, life would be very difficult... and those who Oripathy were mostly impoverished people from the lower classes.
In Columbia, the lowest-income groups are the ones who garner the most sympathy for those the Infected... In Columbia communities where the Infected, there may be a distinction between the Infected and non- the Infected based on state government policies, resulting in a so-called 'official citizen' status... but this does not prevent them from living and working together.
Before the Infected show signs of worsening symptoms, they could easily share sandwiches, drink coffee that costs a dime a cup, play basketball, and go to the theater together...
In Ursus, however, the Infected, lacking an action plan, clear combat objectives, and even the officers unaware of the phased goals, devoured everything in their path like mad dogs unleashed from their cages.
Having gained spellcasting abilities due to Oripathy, they were driven by Ursus, exacerbating the already prevalent hunger and cold... Then, driven by the instinct for survival, they displayed the violence they had acquired to everyone... Zero
Unable to enter the heavily guarded Saint Petersburg to retaliate against the Old Nobility who devised these strategies... they could only operate in deliberately neglected places like the Snowfield.
They stole, they robbed, completely unleashing their animalistic instincts, even frantically spreading Oripathy, intending to kill everyone they encountered.
Poor Mary was turned into an acutely the Infected in this way.
As the lower classes of Ursus gradually distanced themselves from the Infected, the Infected were forced to rely on their own violent organizations for survival. With the military deliberately ignoring them... this created an opportunity for the organization known as the 'Infected Guerrilla Force' to emerge.
This kind of behavior, which resembles raising a venomous insect, ultimately gave birth to the 'Reunion Movement'... No wonder Nana found 'Talulah' suspicious; with this information laid bare, anyone would suspect that the Reunion Movement was backed by members of the Old Nobility. V
The only remaining question is why those Old Nobility did this.
With the Infected Guerrilla Force in Ursus lacking popular support, what exactly do the old Ursus Old Nobility need this potentially self-destructive dagger for...? This is what Nana can't understand right now.
Clearly, the Reunion Movement has fallen into the negative cycle of the Infected created by the old Ursus Old Nobility Faction... If there's any way for them to find salvation now, it's naturally through their own subjective initiative... (Delete)
Although no one knows what conspiracy awaits them, as long as these the Infected leave Ursus, whether to clear land in the Columbia Wilderness or work in factories like the Ticarondo Infected District... or go to places with politically tolerant policies towards the Infected, they will eventually be able to return to a normal life.
This applies to both the Infected in Ursus and the refugees in Kazdel.
Therefore, Nana thought it was possible to invite FrostNova and her team to leave... If that 'Talulah' was not a member of the Old Nobility, and if the Inner Guards had nothing to do with her, then targeting the gathered manpower on the periphery would be a way to break the deadlock.
Thus, Nana shared her views on the Reunion Movement with W and Ah Fu, with whom she had close cooperation... And after everyone set up camp, time flew by, and they waited for about three days...
Ignoring the fact that Nana made Cole and Kate run back and forth for the sake of Aili and Xiya, who were either unconscious or in a daze, and the Little Cat's hesitant message that gave Su Sulo and Folinic Nana's side a hard time... Under the guidance of two professional medical operators, Nana's people prepared diapers and oral liquid for the two little ones...
If possible, Nana would like to prepare the glucose IV drip she used in the car... but the team's conditions don't allow it, so she has to give up.
After the Yeti finished resupplying and resting, FrostNova received a notification after contacting and reporting Nana's situation to the Shieldguards and FrostNova Reunion Movement further north.
Patriot and Talulah agree to meet with Nana... They seem very interested in Nana's... 'rescue'.
"... But why did you do this? Even if you're half Sarkaz... you saw how those people rejected us, and you know how Ursus treats Kazdel... I can't understand why you're so kind to those the Infected. FrostNova is probably wondering about this too..."
Sitting in the Jeep equipped with snow chains, listening to W's seemingly complaining remarks, Nana, who had asked Ms. Athena for a piece of black cloth to temporarily cover her eyes, speechlessly pushed the cloth up a corner, revealing her disguised SilverAsh pupils:
"Because I help people regardless of class, affiliation, or nationality... I'm willing to help you and Ah Fu and the other Sarkaz, and I'll lend a hand to unlucky Columbia like Frostleaf, not to mention I've helped Sister Victoria like Mary... The Infected in Ursus won't be diminished by my involvement in conspiracies... In accordance with the Lord's will, I will bring paradise to the world."
"... You make it sound so real."
A guy who looked like Bloodfiend was actually praising the religious idols of the Sankta. W had seen this guy do this several times on the way, but it just didn't look right... No, she had to take a closer look.
"So what? The Infected were transported abroad like Ah Fu and the others, and then 'Black Snow' was handed over to professional warriors like Patriot... Hmm, I just realized that Nana, you've dissected the entire Reunion Movement in just a few words~ Or is this your real purpose?"
Nana rolled her eyes at W but didn't say anything... Her only goal from beginning to end was to complete the investigation of the targets of the Inner Guards' attention... At most, she could also cover the Exploration Vehicle to complete Rhodes Island's science popularization mission... As for refugees, the Infected, Columbia boy soldiers, Sister Victoria... those were things she couldn't stand and dealt with on the side.
It's just that Nana often finds the side quests more troublesome than the main quests... Just like life, the small things are the real tedium, and the same goes for quests.
[This FrostNova Yeti, W... and Nana, can you hear me?]
"The Originium interference is minimal, I heard it very clearly, FrostNova, please speak."
Still sitting arrogantly in the passenger seat, W kept the radio on speakerphone the whole time. Although keeping it on 24/7 drained the battery, this way Nana in the back seat could hear what was being said inside the organization, and more importantly, it proved he wasn't secretly contacting anyone else behind her back...
W was fairly aware of his own credibility, so in order to secure his future employment and also to ensure his subordinates had a place to retire, W behaved like Little Cat in front of Nana.
[We'll be leaving the Pine-Needle Forest soon... Notify the Sarkaz who are with you that after about ten kilometers into the plains, the Rhodes Island Pharmaceuticals Exploration Vehicle that Nana has been talking about for so long will be catching up with us from behind... Old Patriot said it's a small Landship that's just over a hundred meters long. When it catches up from behind, the ground vibrations and light might be noticeable. Make sure to tell the driver on duty not to drive the vehicle into a ditch because of these things.]
"Ah... W received. Now forwarding the message to each group's walkie-talkie."
As W began recounting FrostNova's words on the Reunion Movement channel, both W herself and Mary beside Nana were watching Nana, with the little nun's gaze showing the most concern:
"Um... Nana... what did you mean when you said the other day... that if you reunited with Rhodes Island, you would disappear?"
"Literally... After the handover with Patriot is complete, I will transfer you all, as well as the work of negotiating with Reunion Movement, to Medic, an operator at Rhodes Island. They will take care of your affairs from now on... After all, I have other missions to complete, and you can trust her as much as you trust me... Rhodes Island is my partner, and their Exploration Vehicle have better equipment and security. Just follow Medic's instructions from now on."
Looking at Nana, who used to be very responsible, but whose personality seemed to have completely reversed after coming to Rhodes Island, W asked curiously:
"Aren't you also a member of Rhodes Island? You look familiar; we should have met in Kazdel... Aren't you coming back to that car with us? You clearly said they're as important to you as His Highness is to me?"
"Yes... that's right... but that won't stop me from continuing my solo mission... Don't worry, I'll handle things properly with Rhodes Island, you won't end up not being able to board the ship..."
Seeing Nana's confident demeanor, W twitched the corner of his mouth, seemingly resigned to his fate, but ultimately didn't allow himself to transform from an ice sculpture into a sand sculpture.
"You really trust me... Aren't you afraid I'll just blow Kal'tsit to smithereens with a bunch of bombs?"
"... You... you probably won't have the chance to do that... there will always be someone watching you."
As Nana responded to W with a bright smile, a shadow slowly rolled from behind, obscuring Nana's SilverAsh eyes... accompanied by the sighs of the Sarkaz over the radio.
Unlike traditional tracked Landship, the Exploration Vehicle, equipped with elastic suspension and tires with better shock absorption, doesn't cause a magnitude 3 earthquake when it passes over the convoy, unlike ordinary Landship. Furthermore, its high-performance Originium Reactor makes its operation quiet and elegant. When the entire Exploration Vehicle is in operation, apart from the sound of the tires rolling over the ground, there is only the hum of the cooling fan, making one marvel at how worthy it is of being a special vehicle used in polar regions.
As the gray-haired Angel cat propped its head up by the car window and watched the entire Exploration Vehicle gradually become the one at the front of the convoy, Nana's lips curled up slightly. After nearly half a month, she was finally able to touch her own white, cloud-like, worrying little Feline with her own hands again.
Mrs. Cole said that when she first confronted Patriot, she was at full power... That was a peak level that even Rhodes Island hadn't dared to test. Nana vaguely remembered that, according to the Elite Operator around ACE, Rosemary at full power could completely shatter Landship like Rhodes Island... Thinking of this, Nana couldn't help but feel sorry for Su Sulo and the others who were not far from the battlefield at the time.
When I get back, besides strengthening the training and comforting of the Little Cat, I also need to pay attention to how my adult teammates view the Little Cat... mainly their attitudes.
Although Nana felt that everyone on Rhodes Island was already very friendly, teenagers are still quite sensitive... Nana not only had to encourage her to stand up for her teammates, but also had to tell Little Cat that she almost caused harm to her own people... According to Cole beside her, Nana needed to find a balance between encouragement and reprimand.
[This is Rhodes Island Pharmaceutical Company. Out of humanitarian considerations, we are now opening health consultations, physical examinations, and Oripathy treatment-related activities for all the Infected... Those interested in participating, please register at the flat area ahead... Repeat...]
As Su Sulo began preparing to have everyone stop the car according to her plan, Nana fiddled with the ends of her SilverAsh hair, checking the condition of the 'Black Snow' sample in her pocket while pondering the appropriate time for 'herself' to disappear:
"Hopefully... it will go smoothly..."
P. S.: Still not feeling well... I'll just write a 4k bit for now... I'll keep trying in July (slumped over)
PS2: Meow Meow Cat