Chapter 127

Patriot have now made a change; they are going to unite all forces that can be united.

And what about yourself?

Holding the microphone, Talulah pondered this: Should she... also use her full strength...?

It's not like a runaway girl who simply tries to escape her parents' control... Just as Medic said, true rebellion is using all the power you have to throw yourself into possibilities that your parents never even considered.

As for how that power called 'nobility' was driven, she had indeed received that kind of education.

[This is the Ursus Fifth Army Fleet. State your purpose.]

"... I am Talulah Aterlias... you may call me... Duke Koschei."

The silence in the communication seemed to indicate the other party's astonishment, but as if something had been released, yet a heavy weight pressed down on her, Talulah glanced at FrostNova in the distance, who had raised an eyebrow but remained silent, nodded, and continued:

"Get me Patriot... Patriot... I think you should be able to contact him."

[... Please wait...]

In the silence, time ticked by, and amidst Talulah's unwavering worry, a familiar voice came through the communication:

[I don't know, Talulah, when did you become a duke...]

"It's a long story, Your Excellency... I also... felt considerable pressure when I gave up this name... It can give us more advantages."

[...(muttering)... Yes, that's right... The Emperor would be happy to see a duke in our camp... even if she might have no control over her own territory... Your information is timely, which gives me a greater chance of gaining support...]

"... Confidence? What confidence?"

[Gaining influence among the New Nobility... whether it's the nobility or the military... it's impossible without connections and legal justification. I might have a voice in the military, but dealing with merchants and nobles requires a real reputation. By establishing your name in the military's communications system, you're probably preparing to reveal your identity to others in the ranks?]

"... Yes, the Inner Guards... the opposition's Inner Guards are harassing us... rather than letting them use my identity to sow discord, it's better to just say it directly."

[The right choice. FrostNova, her friends, and the Shieldguards will support you... You must make those struggling to make a living realize that what you've done for them is far more important than your noble title...]

"So, it is indeed true that you sought... the Emperor's support..."

[I am now standing before the Emperor.]

Even when meeting the emperor, the ferocious Wendigo did not remove his armor. His crimson eyes glanced at the emperor, who was reviewing the 'Duke Koschei's' records while speaking with his ministers...

To one side of the hall, the craftsmen of Saint Petersburg were busily maintaining the power armor support that had been temporarily brought to the reception room. The machine that was specially designed to armor the Wendigo was now rusted, and the base had been moved here from the warehouse, leaving the beautiful carpet with conspicuous rust stains.

"... Duke Koschei... I originally thought it was just a simple murder... I never imagined there was some kind of 'immortal evil god' involved? Why am I only finding out about this now...?"

"Because... Your Highness has not yet reviewed the documents that are of even greater importance. If they were in paper form, there would still be an entire hall full of them."

"Vite ..."

He seemed to want to say something, but then the emperor met the Patriot's scarlet eyes. Just staring at him was enough to shock the new emperor, for the Wendigo was only a 'rumor' to him, was now right in front of him.

Seeing that the emperor had stopped speaking because of the soldiers' gaze, the Inner Guards who had been hidden in the shadow of the flags stepped forward, accompanied by the sound of breathing machines.

"You are being extremely rude; this is His Majesty the Emperor."

"... I'm just watching, watching that person's successor."

4th Crimson Warm Winter: 133 Final Permission

Reaching out to stop the Inner Guards behind him from saying anything more, Emperor Feodor Vladimirovich of Ursus rallied his spirits and met the gaze of the army's legend:

"So, what did you see?"

"I saw a weak nation, I saw... the country I once served, weakened to this state."

"Yes, I don't want to refute the facts. But I'm still very happy, very happy that the hero who haunts my childhood memories has reappeared before me... just like you and your people defended the empire against the northern threat and created the original Inner Guards... and now you've reappeared before me, and I'm very happy."

As he spoke, the young emperor looked at the power armor maintenance frame, which seemed out of place in the magnificent reception room.

These devices, intended solely for Armored Wendigo, were abandoned several times, but successive emperors... including his most war-obsessed father, even after the last pure-blooded Wendigo left the army, never destroyed them.

Was it because he, like himself, had grown up listening to the legends of the man before him? Or perhaps, even at the very end, that warmonger was hoping that the Shieldguards would return to his side?

The young emperor was unaware, and the Patriot didn't care.

Wendigo, who could exert immense pressure on the Inner Guards simply by standing there, gazed at the young emperor, whose features vaguely resembled the late emperor, and said with a mixture of nostalgia and relief:

"You don't need to be so happy so soon. My arrival may not be all good for you... Your father once promised everyone a peaceful and prosperous life, and for that we fought and we killed, but in the end he didn't keep his promise... Although I simply left back then, if I come back and am betrayed again..."

"Patriot--!"

Seeing the Inner Guards angrily reach for his knife, the emperor, faced with such blatant disrespect, simply smiled indifferently.

"Of course, a traitor will be betrayed. This has been repeated countless times in drama and history... My father made a promise that he could not keep. To this day, I still cannot understand why he thought he could rule this land by force... After thinking about it, the only explanation is that the Khan who trampled all civilizations underfoot gave him too much of a shock."

"Captain Patriot, please allow me to address you by your rank... When the entire land was immersed in the Western-led Originium Industrial Revolution, transforming history from the earth into Mobile City, I knew that the laws of the old era no longer applied to the ships of the new world."

"When I learned of the emergence of the 'Light of Ticarondo' in Columbia, I thought of you. I wondered, if Ursus had its own the Infected hero, would the people be less anti-intellectual today...?"

[Heh... then you'll have to hire more 'Rhodes Island' people. After all, without education, people won't understand good and evil, loyalty and treachery.]

Talulah's barely suppressed mocking laughter came through the public-play communicator. Patriot could tell that the Inner Guards in front of him already had murderous intent.

But violence cannot uphold any dignity, especially since the Infected have never had any dignity to speak of. Therefore, they are the least likely group to be conquered by violence... The emperor was quite open-minded about this; he simply looked at the gilded microphone with a sudden realization:

"Ah... Your Grace, I almost forgot about you. It seems you also have some thoughts on this topic? My information indicates that the former Duke... the Undying Black Snake, seems to be a staunch supporter of the Emperor. The Duchy of Chesico has always been a major stronghold of the Old Nobility... Hmm, it seems that it briefly experimented with preferential treatment for the Infected and a special the Infected zone strategy similar to those in Columbia and Great Yan some time ago, but it was later canceled. May I ask why?"

[Because this was a trap set for me by Black Snake... The strategy itself was a measure I wanted to take to alleviate the public opinion conflict among the Infected, but Black Snake used his twisted logic to say that what I did was only to make the 'weak' more convinced of their own weakness.]

[He said that my designation of the Infected special zone only reinforced the belief among the city's inhabitants that bullying the weak was their right... and what followed was the orderly ostracization of the Infected within the city... that guy orchestrated an orderly massacre of the Infected behind the scenes, and I almost believed that our people were like that... but thankfully I investigated and found out the truth, which is why I couldn't tolerate it any longer and ultimately drew my sword against him.]

Hearing this statement, which was consistent with the findings of the Inner Guards's investigation, the Emperor sighed and nodded, then looked at Patriot again:

"The undead have always been a key focus of surveillance for all countries, but compared to the Great Yan in the East, our country's 'Black Snake' seems to be more active."

"What I find most intolerable is that, compared to those arrogant fools who collude with the Border Guard in an attempt to carve out their own territory and become kings, the Black Snake's tentacles have even reached into the Inner Guards."

"I don't recall having any Inner Guards detail deployed on the Infected in the Northwest Snowfield... but the Northwest Snowfield borders the Sami region, and it has been our front line against Demons since ancient times..."

As the craftsmen hung the brand-new Wendigo armor on the racks, the double-headed eagle shield, crafted with the new alloy formula, shone like a mirror. The Emperor narrowed his eyes in amazement.

"I know why you've come... and I need a role model, a hero among the Infected... I wonder if you would be willing to once again defend that frontier?"

In response to the emperor's frank words, the Patriot once again looked at the Ursus eagle emblem:

"... You know perfectly well that even if I don the armor with the double-headed eagle emblem again, the first thing I'll do upon returning to the Snowfield is still to wipe out those mining areas that exploit the flesh and blood of the Infected..."

"Of course you can do that. I issued a notice three years ago to shut down those mining areas, but the situation has only worsened due to the insincerity of the Third and Fourth Army and the inaction of local officials..."

"... Are you saying that you yourself are completely without fault?"

The emperor waved his hand in advance to signal the Inner Guards to be quiet, and after a moment of silence, he uttered a sentence that Talulah on the other end of the microphone speechless.

[I only regret that I am not that ancient eagle, unable to possess such immense power... If I could sweep across the world on my own, how could the nation have fallen into such a state?!]

Blinking blankly, Talulah recalled once again the twisted logic of the Black Snake, which Medic had endorsed.

Yes, three years ago, the Council Faction led by the emperor had the weakest control over the army in history. At that time, the Third Army on the border had been controlled by the Black Snake, Talulah often saw people in military uniforms raising their glasses in celebration at the ball at Duke Koschei's mansion.

According to letters that Talulah later came across, the Emperor and the Council regained control of the military. This was after the Fifth Army was notified to re-equip itself with Originium Engineering devices and related equipment at Saint Petersburg, and after it laid down most of its weapons in Chernobog and returned to the capital. This led to a major reshuffle of the officers, and the New Nobility gained the strength to challenge the 'Border Guard'.

The emperor of Ursus wasn't idle all these years. Despite being different from most of the Infected came from rural or commoner backgrounds, Talulah never truly thought like a noblewoman.

She... has always acted recklessly like a child.

Thinking about it this way, the Black Snake was able to tolerate her all this time... perhaps it also had the thought that 'this silly girl will eventually become like me' in it. It is only because of that simple-mindedness that Talulah could see the world in such a simple black-and-white way.

While Talulah was lost in thought, the Emperor and the Patriot had already reached an agreement.

The Ursus Fifth Army will reinstate the 'Shieldguards' formation, with 'Armored Wendigo' Patriot promoted three ranks to colonel to lead and train the new Shieldguards against potential Demons threats.

Saint Petersburg will provide him with a brand-new 2,000-meter-class battlecruiser as his base of operations, with Patriot as the ship's commander. The captain will prioritize the commander's reasonable orders.

[... And as the price for such freedom of action, Captain... no, Patriot, your first task is to deal with the out-of-control Inner Guards and the Border Guard on the ice plains who are outwardly compliant with the Council but inwardly defying it... In return, I will send you brand new armor.]

[Our artisans have continued to improve the Shieldguards's equipment for decades, although... I can tell you, because of your previous defection, we had to add security locks to the new Shieldguards armor...]

[Because it can be shut down from afar by Saint Petersburg, it makes it difficult for the new generation of soldiers to wear it as an honor as they used to. Of course, I suppose if you think I have betrayed you again, even hiding bombs in your armor wouldn't stop you from returning to me.]

[The Shieldguards Guard armor of today is no longer the symbol of glory and honor it once was; it is now a sinister and terrifying prison... But you are free... Just as you can still move freely even when wearing power armor without a motor.]

[I will not make any concrete promises to you like my father did; I will only guarantee that I will move in the direction I believe is right.]

[If you think I've made a mistake, you can write a letter, or even push open the gates of Saint Petersburg like you did today... As long as you remain the steadfast shield of Ursus, I believe the soldiers will not stop you.]

Hearing the heavy footsteps on the other end of the microphone and the sound of the rusty machine starting up again, Talulah was suddenly startled by the touch on the back of her hand... Turning her head, she saw Medic pointing at the microphone that Talulah was holding tightly, his ears twitching. Only then did Talulah and return the equipment to Medic.

After clearing his throat slightly, Medic connected with his client.

At the ICA, bypassing the broker and directly terminating the contract with the client is clearly a violation, so Medic's behavior was somewhat unnatural... However, everyone interpreted it as Cat's unconscious nervousness, and clearly everyone had misunderstood something.

There was no need for the cat to explain such a thing. She originally had something she wanted to ask the Patriot, but as for the Emperor... he might know too, so it didn't matter.

"Your Majesty, this is Rhodes Island's order fulfillment personnel. I have some questions regarding the current mission that may require your answers..."

Ignoring the faint sound of a ventilator coming from the other end of the microphone, Medic, who had dealt with the Inner Guards before, knew exactly what was muttering to himself.

"First, in our ongoing efforts to resolve the Infected problem, we discovered multiple instances of Demons Pollution... After confirming with Grand Duchess Talulah... Koschei, we have essentially determined that these were intensification measures orchestrated by an Inner Guards acting on the orders of the Black Snake, targeting the Infected population..."

"Leaving aside the investigation process for now, given that a conflict with that Inner Guards is inevitable, we may need your written permission... only then can we legally take action against the out-of-control Inner Guards."

After a moment of silence, Medic continued in his bland, business-like voice:

"Furthermore, if you wish to make use of that traitor's 'The Dominion,' we have a contingency plan for sealing the 'Black Snake'... It's a scheme that uses Sarkaz Cyclops Sorcery as a foundation to materialize the intangible... thereby ensuring you a completely safe 'Duke Koschei'... I wonder if you'd be interested?"

... n

Listening to the loyal Inner Guards beside him, who, though practically gritting their teeth, still offered their approval, the emperor looked at the document quickly copied and printed by the scribe, a slightly incredulous smile appearing on his face: g

"As expected of the legendary Catastrophe Messengers, the Light of Ticarondo in Columbia... Even Sarkaz Sorcery can't stump you? I'm almost tempted to ask if you'd be willing to transfer your citizenship to our Ursus..."

[Please don't say that. I was simply subjected to a real threat from that Inner Guards and 'Snake Scales,' so I had no choice but to resort to this dangerous method.]

[Just like in emergency medicine, forceful chest compressions to revive the heart can break ribs... I had to use this costly method to fight the immortal Black Snake... and this cost even included one of the Inner Guards himself.]

"You know very well what 'Inner Guards' means... even if he may no longer be loyal." (Part 3)

[Yes, this will be an unjust Judgment... though his crimes seem to me beyond description...]

"... It's alright, I've already bestowed my 'favor' upon him." (skirt)

Just as Medic was wondering what the emperor meant by those words, he suddenly heard breathing through his cat ears... The sound that had been breathing in perfect rhythm with the person on the other end of the microphone suddenly appeared right in front of him, and Medic almost started performing a traditional Columbia martial arts routine...

[Ah... don't overreact, that's my messenger...]

Yes, I saw him.

As the ventilator hummed rhythmically, Colonel Ursus, a tall man with numerous tubes inserted into him, seemingly encased in a machine, took out a golden letter opener with both hands, handed it to Medic, and then vanished without warning, just as he had appeared.

This is... 'Nonlinear Movement'?

Suddenly understanding how the Inner Guards had vanished from the drone and shipboard optical system, Medic didn't have time to think. She immediately focused her attention on the letter opener that the other party had given her.

"This is..."

[This is something the Emperor often used; we usually call it... 'the Emperor's Grace'... Well, although it's a letter opener, it's not usually used to open letters.]

Smelling the complex scent of blood and the indelible crimson stains, Medic understood the purpose of the knife.

"Both thunder and rain are 'favor'? I think I understand now..."

[Okay, go ahead and do it... I give you permission.]

He put down the microphone and looked at the reception room, which had been empty except for a stand that had been there for some time... As his loyal Inner Guards reappeared from the shadows, the young emperor smiled, a rare sight indeed.

"Whether it's Demons external enemies, Inner Guards traitors... or even just the Infected and the 'nobles' themselves... if there's a problem, eliminating it is a good thing."

As the emperor sentenced one of his comrades to death with a few words, the Inner Guards, whose age was unknown, simply looked at the mess in the hall with a heart as calm as a still lake.

May everything in this world be as you wish.

P. S.: To be honest, I'm not really keen on writing about emperors, ministers, imperial guards Inner Guards, nobles, etc... YJ himself doesn't really have that kind of flavor... I personally don't have much of a concept of this kind of thing either. If what I write doesn't have the flavor it should have... then I can only say that everyone's taste is normal (facepalm).

In short, the cat has obtained the necessary tools and permits, and she will no longer care about her status as Inner Guards.

PS2: Meow Meow Cat

4th Crimson Warm Winter: 134 Black Snake Capture Plan