Chapter 94

"Rhodes Island is a very important company in Kazdel... but that's all... Please don't mistake my patience for indulgence..."

[... Then let's be frank. You find your traitor, we'll do our mission. Our patience with you is almost at its limit...]

After a brief silence, Manfred finally weighed his options and revealed the only way he could continue the mission without escalating the conflict:

"... I will search that Exploration Vehicle in the name of the Kazdel Military Council."

[Out of respect for the committee... yes... but only by yourself.]

"... One person can't complete the search mission alone."

Our ships are highly automated; we can see every corner just by watching the monitors.

"... I don't believe it. I need my soldiers to board the ship and check."

There are only twelve people on our bus, most of them women. Do you think your request is reasonable?

"I guarantee in the name of the committee that we will not harm anyone without cause."

Seeing the young officer's serious expression, Andy suddenly fell silent, then said something that made Manfred realize something:

[The Sarkaz Military Commission has no reputation whatsoever.]

"... you..."

At that moment, Manfred suddenly realized that the other party was not Sarkaz... He had just habitually mistaken them for those Dead Soul on the committee who served as advisors and constantly clamored for 'honor' and 'revenge'.

[... You can't even tolerate your own kind who want to live peacefully with the outside world, so what else are you talking about...?]

Faced with the undisguised rejection of the Dead Soul before him, Manfred was immediately reminded of the era of the Teekaz. Back then, 'Kazdel' referred to the entire land, and the 'Feline' were merely foreign tribes trampled underfoot. There was no such thing as the Sarkaz, these 'rootless' people...

That time... was the origin of all the suffering and struggles of the Sarkaz now.

Manfred had so much to say, so many rebuttals he wanted to throw at the Dead Soul before him to change his narrow-minded and irrational rejection, but he couldn't say it.

The Sarkaz's history, as weighty as the earth itself, was disregarded by the other party; the Sarkaz Royal Court's unquestionable reputation was scorned by the other party... After facing the Sarkaz who betrayed history, he now encountered the 'Sarkaz' who knew nothing about history.

From which battle should he refute the other side as nothing more than a traitor who has stolen the title of Lord of the Earth, and from which lineage should he argue that the other side's current rebellion is a great disrespect to his former master?

What Manfred couldn't understand was that even though the other party had allowed him to board the car for inspection, the restrictions they imposed on him were a blatant expression of their determination not to cooperate.

Is it really only when a knife is held to their throats... like with those Ursus people before, that these alien races will cooperate obediently?

But... the problem now is... it's yourself who's being held to the throat with a knife.

The danger wasn't just the strange flying sorcerer in front of them; during the past few days of surveillance, Manfred had also sent scouts to conduct close reconnaissance of the suspicious Exploration Vehicle.

Although the internal equipment could not be determined, everyone was already aware of the existence of those two small naval guns.

No matter how much the Sarkaz scoffed at the cannons that required time to prepare, were slow to react, inflexible in their use, and less accurate than those used in Teekaz rituals... no one was foolish enough to completely disregard them.

Kazdel's walls, reduced to ashes, are now part of the painful memories. No one would believe that those two naval cannons would stand by and watch their own crew fight alone now that the enemy is fully prepared.

So even though his anger was burning fiercely, Manfred remained incredibly rational... He realized that Rhodes Island, while eager to fight him, still had to abide by the operational rules of the 'international corporation' and immediately made a judgment:

"... Your suggestion is good, then I'll conduct the inspection myself... But I need to warn you beforehand, I know it's easy to fake surveillance footage, I need to see your members in person, and then personally check every room and any possible hiding places... This might be time-consuming... maybe weeks or even months... Is that alright?"

Seeing the Sarkaz, who were usually known for their savage violence and constant displays of toughness, behave this way, Andy tilted his head in surprise. Then Manfred noticed that one of the Dead Soul had disappeared, only to reappear... Finally, he heard the voice of the little Feline himself again:

"Okay, but... if you do something bad, if you're a bad person... bad people... I'll kill them all... just like bad people hurt us... I'll be watching you."

Watching as Little Feline once again drew a fleeting contrail across the sky, Manfred's men stepped forward with complex expressions.

"Colonel... is this necessary..."

So what? Manfred could probably guess:

"Should we grovel? If we don't, and a real fight breaks out, I don't care and there's still hope, but you'll definitely be relegated to the memories of the earth... Remember, although our mission is to find the uncontrollable Bloodfiend and the traitor she rescued, ultimately, we were sent out only to appease the Sanguinarch..."

"If the loss of manpower was due to traitors or unknown Bloodfiend, that would be an honorable death in battle. But to die at the hands of a security guard from a pharmaceutical company... a company that's willing to provide the Sarkaz with the blocking drugs... that's just not worth it."

With Manfred's reassurance, the Sarkaz soldiers, who had been somewhat indignant, calmed down. Seeing their superior officer actually preparing to retrieve backpacks from the stuck vehicle, the adjutant stepped forward and said:

"So, Colonel, do you need us to continue providing cover?"

"No, this is a long shot... You just continue your search until Ursus people to 'protest.' Since Rhodes Island doesn't want to directly turn against me, they won't do anything to me. I'll eliminate the interference of those Dead Soul. Once we're out of the influence of Rhodes Island's Dead Soul, we might find new clues. Then you can go back to what you were doing..."

"Learn."

After taking the Witchcraft Guidance Compass and watching Manfred leave alone... the adjutant silently mourned for a second for his superior, whose future would be dominated by that high blood pressure-induced wasted time, and then opened the map he had scavenged from the village.

Besides the large villages and towns officially registered by Ursus, the information also included intelligence obtained through torture and intimidation.

"... Besides villages, what else could make it easy for those traitors to get supplies?... Mines, and the Guerrillas... Let's sweep them up one by one."

P. S.: I was able to upload successfully using a hotspot... The problem is, I don't know whose hotspot I used...

PS2: Keep writing, trying to finish the temporary version too, my legs are killing me QAQ

PS3: Waaaa Cat II

4th Crimson Warm Winter: 098 Roadside Rest Zero

Watching the Sarkaz soldiers drive away from the sandpit and disappear into the distance without a backward glance... Nana lowered her gun, glancing uncertainly through the scope one last time... After confirming that Manfred had indeed walked to her Exploration Vehicle, Nana scratched her head, somewhat puzzled: What...

"... He actually held back... was the pressure from the Rosemary too strong?"

Nana initially thought that Andy's Columbia civil servant-style communication would definitely lead to a fight.

But since the other party has held back, it's not necessarily a bad thing. Getting the committee to put Rhodes Island back on the whitelist is exactly what Nana wanted... As for whether to accept Kazdel political prisoners... that should be Kal'tsit's decision... and whether to 'openly accept' them is another matter entirely.

Nana can't let this kind of leverage fall on her... If it gets linked to Columbia, it won't just be a matter of work error anymore.

Aside from that, the biggest problem with the Sarkaz officer boarding the vehicle for inspection was simply that it prolonged the Exploration Vehicle's stay. Rhodes Island's visa permit in Ursus is permanent, so that's not a big deal.

Just as Nana finished thinking this through and put away her Guardian Gun, which she rarely used and even when she did use it, she seldom used it to kill people, the convoy became incredibly quiet. The atmosphere, as if no one dared to breathe, left Nana somewhat bewildered, but she still had to announce her conclusion first:

"... Alright, the committee members have been fooled..."

"No fight broke out?"

"No... they didn't give us a chance... that officer chose to inspect it alone as we requested... that way, even if he gets given the cold shoulder every day, he'll probably inspect every inch of the deck very carefully..."

With a light laugh, Nana gestured to Ah Fu to inform the other vehicles that they could depart, and continued:

"Rhodes Island hasn't had any trouble with Kazdel... that's a good start... and once they confirm Rhodes Island is safe, I'll send you over, so you're safe for now... If there are continuous inspections, it'll be easier to fabricate a reason for any 'conflict' on our side... However, the ice cream, soft beds, and shower rooms I promised you might be temporarily unavailable... Can you please be patient?"

Nana asked the last question about the two little ones who had put away their weapons and climbed onto her lap again.

Seeing them blinking and nodding like chicks pecking at rice, Nana smiled and gently touched the little girls' cheeks:

"Good."

As news of their safety reached others, the atmosphere visibly eased, especially after the Sarkaz soldiers in the distance had completely left. The refugees on Nana's side finally breathed a sigh of relief.

And holding the Frostleaf of Frostleaf, whose furry fox ears twitched as if on guard at all times... Sister Mary watched as Nana carefully put the Firearms Arts back into their weapon cases and asked:

"So, what's next..."

"Okay, go retrieve your things."

While they're at it, they'll also empty out the hideouts of those unfortunate men who were arrested.

Without being too explicit, Nana tapped on the driver's seat. Ah Fu understood immediately, opened the map to confirm the direction the Sarkaz pursuers were heading, and then chose a completely opposite route to continue northward.

"Speaking of which, their method of finding us..."

"They probably did track us down by following the traces of Witchcraft. But they would never have imagined that Rhodes Island actually has... those kinds of Dead Soul... They'll probably think their search ritual was interfered with by the Dead Soul. After confirming that the car was indeed a false alarm, we might have a long period of safety."

"... I think you're being too optimistic Ah Fu... After all, those soldiers aren't stationed there; they're probably ordered to continue their mission... And without knowing the breadth and precision of their search, it's impossible to be completely certain of their safety."

"For most of the past, even this kind of superficial security has been extremely rare for us, Your Excellency."

"Anyway, you all know what's going on... Also, to prevent you from getting too cocky, I still have to say... we don't even know who put that transmitter here."

Everyone could only smile wryly at Nana's dampening of their spirits, but after witnessing the 'Fallen Angel's' 'subordinates' shake mountains and the earth with their metal wings, and even the Court's regular army had to avoid their sharp edge, even the most pessimistic Sarkaz girl couldn't help but wonder... if things had actually taken a turn for the better.

Are their circumstances no longer as bad as they used to be?

If Nana were to answer, the answer would certainly be no.

The Rhodes Island Operations Team's ability to withstand enemy attacks and their ability to withstand danger themselves are two different things...

After all, on the way to the 'Easter Egg Point', when they were about to cross a stream and riverbank... the sudden attack of the Pincer Beast and the nearly splitting of the No. Number Three carriage gave the Sarkaz, who thought they were safe after temporarily eliminating their pursuers, a major setback.

Fortunately, upon noticing the danger, Nana leaped forward and kicked the adult Pincer Beast, causing it to stumble. She then scrambled onto its back to buy time. The butler and Eileen quickly organized the group, armed with weapons generously provided by Ursus. Following Frostleaf's suggestion, several former 'guards' bravely charged forward, using short guns to dislocate the Pincer Beast's leg by inserting them into its joint...

Then the struggling, fleeing Pincer Beast carried Nana, who had a blank expression on its back, for a full two kilometers... Finally, when Nana realized that this guy really wasn't going back, she drew her gun and emptied a pistol magazine, roughly at his heart, before finally stopping the car-sized beast.

As Nana dragged the Pincer Beast towards the car to prepare a snack for everyone, she, being a city cat, suddenly understood why everyone, regardless of whether they were from the countryside or refugees, and regardless of age or gender, carried a long knife at least 45 centimeters long... If Nana had had a proper melee weapon, she wouldn't have been dragged so far by the injured and frenzied Pincer Beast...

While Nana's chitinous butterfly knife was both beautiful and sharp, resembling a work of art, its obvious lack of lethality led Nana to ultimately choose shooting.

Because of this delay, by the time Nana finally managed to find the Sarkaz by the riverbank with dinner, not daring to stray too far for fear of getting lost or missing them, it was already as dark as night.

After Nana finished listening to Ah Fu's roll call and inventory of the losses... it really was night.

Having grown accustomed to the bright lights of the city, Nana also disliked the pitch-black wilderness at night. As for the journey to the checkpoint, which should have been completed that same evening, it was clearly forced to be delayed once again.

However, there is also good news...

Even though her clothes were stained with a fishy stench, and her black outer robe had several tears torn in it by the sharp shell of the Pincer Beast, Eileen worriedly spent half an hour checking and cleaning Nana's white dress underneath...

But seeing everyone gathered around the campfires with satisfied smiles, and the two little ones... plus Xiao Frostleaf, who was the star of the day, wolfing down her lunchbox, it was a worthwhile experience.

Sitting with Sister Mary, watching the little ones eat until their bellies were bulging but still reluctant to put down their bowls, Sister Mary, who had previously been somewhat afraid of the Sarkaz, no longer had the expression of avoiding them that she had at the beginning.

"However, I didn't expect you to make that kind of expression... Um... I don't seem to know your name yet?"

"... Nana..."

"Nana... Sister?"

Seeing Mary's hesitation, clearly indicating doubt about Nana's true identity, the assassin tilted her head... because Nana felt that Mary probably just wanted confirmation from her to put her mind at ease, so Nana made a cross shape with her fingers and then said:

"Yes, hello, Sister Mary."

"..."

"... Do I have to do evening prayers together to prove my status as a nun to you?"

No! That's not what I meant.

Seeing Sister Mary's embarrassed wave, Nana breathed a sigh of relief... Although her status as a nun wasn't as fake as her other identities... she didn't really understand any proper nun's lessons. She had studied with the priest for a few months, and it seemed she could only sing the Kyrie... If anyone ever asked Nana what her nun's lessons were like, Nana thought she could just fool them with a gun Firearms Arts demonstration.

"Anyway, this is your first time hunting, isn't it? I suddenly realize... you don't seem like a local..."

"As I mentioned yesterday, I was crossing the border from Kazdel, which happened to be where Ah Fu and the others were... As for hunting... I've used grenades before... but that was just to drive away pests... As for the serious hunting you mentioned, I've never actually done it."

Hearing the 'gang leader' who she had previously perceived as omnipotent suddenly admit and acknowledge her weakness, Frostleaf, while letting the two Sarkaz girls play with her ears and tail, kept a close eye on 'Sister Nana' who was chatting with Mary... Although Sister Mary seemed to have confirmed that this group of people were good, Frostleaf felt that she could observe them a little longer.

Or rather, after being sold abroad as a human being by the government and her trusted superiors, Frostleaf found it difficult to completely trust others again.

"I think so... after all, you seemed quite surprised when you were being carried away by the Pincer Beast ~"

"In the past, the infected creatures I dealt with didn't have the concept of retreat or escape... Also, when I lifted it up, I thought others could kill it..."

"Such a large beast would be difficult for even a trained professional hunter to hunt... The Guerrillas do have quite a few part-time hunters, and Little Frostleaf seems to have been a frequent hunter before, right?"

Seeing the topic suddenly shift to herself, Frostleaf was still acting as a little girl's plush toy, drooped her ears and looked away.

"All I can do is use traps to catch some small animals to supplement our food supply..."

Although she didn't know why the fox suddenly seemed depressed, Nana's tone was quite straightforward:

"But your instructions during the day were very timely..."

"That was... I used to follow the Columbia the Guerrillas when I thought they were Colombian forces... After I protested against their military operations against civilians, they said I was just a hired hand, and then I was imprisoned..."

Seeing Frostleaf's gloomy appearance, with her bangs covering her eyes, even Sister Mary, who was as radiant as sunshine, only patted the Little Fox's head. Even the two Sarkaz girls, who didn't quite understand what the adults were saying, sensed that something was off and ran over to Eileen and Lady Athena.

Seeing Mary sitting back down beside her, looking somewhat flustered, Nana sighed and started a new topic:

"Let's talk about that ' Easter Egg Point we're going to tomorrow... Even though it's just a temporary storage point for supplies, shouldn't it be a proper base? Let's fill in the terrain and landmarks on this map."

In response to Nana's question, Mary accepted the stylus Nana handed her with a worried expression. Since Nana was determined to send the two of them to Rhodes Island even if she couldn't bring them back to Columbia, Nana didn't hold back and directly took out her watch Terminal.

Faced with such a high-tech item, Mary, who claimed to be a Victoria, displayed the typical simplicity of a church member—completely clueless about where to begin.

However, upon seeing Mary's pleading eyes, Frostleaf from Columbia sighed, threw off the blanket on her lap, and quickly began working on Nana's Terminal map.

After all, although Anna's projection looked high-end, it used Columbia standards in terms of graphics and details, which Frostleaf, who had served in the Columbia Army, was able to use quickly.

"There's a rock here, and the route is roughly like this. The Guerrillas also have some of their own markers that can be used as route indicators... But isn't this map, with its contour lines, terrain features, and landmarks... a bit too detailed?"

"After all, it's a military map of Ursus, so I think it's to be expected that it's detailed in terms of terrain... but I'm a little annoyed that it doesn't mark the areas where dangerous creatures congregate..."