Chapter 95

"... Are you still bothered by the fact that you were carried away by the Pincer Beast?"

Seeing the obvious teasing and curiosity in the eyes of the Little Fox and the golden cat beside her, Nana turned to look at Ah Fu seemed to be always ready to be by her side:

"... Once we get to the Easter Egg Point, I'll need to find a suitable melee weapon..."

"Of course, sir... but perhaps you have other options?"

As he spoke, Ah Fu beckoned over a young man who had previously claimed to be from the guard team... but upon hearing that it was the Sarkaz greatsword on his back that was being asked for, the young man immediately looked as if he had lost his parents, and it took the others a long time to drag him away.

"Ahem... Sorry, please don't mind his reluctance, after all... this is a finely crafted greatsword."

"Greatsword?"

If this is a sword, it's far too big.

Huge, thick, heavy, and rough, it was practically a block of iron.

"Yes, although it looks like an ordinary weapon... no, judging from its appearance alone, it can't even be called a weapon. It's just a huge, door-like Oriron... but in fact, to facilitate spellcasting in battle, its iron hilt, along with the blade inside, is a single branch of the 'Teekaz Root'... That is the military magic medium of Sarkaz since ancient times, widely used and highly praised by both the Council and the Committee."

"The Council's craftsmen originally intended to forge it into... the Demon King's sword, but as you know, due to the civil war, many projects were forced to stop... The blacksmiths could only temporarily add a handle, mixing it in with those crudely made Mercenaries weapons..."

Looking at the dark, iron block that Ah Fu had pulled out, which was as tall as herself, Nana wanted to call it a 'weapon', but... this thing was clearly beyond Nana's carrying capacity and aesthetic sensibilities...

The assassin considered herself a city dweller; she'd never seen anyone in the city carrying around a door panel and iron block for no reason. She couldn't very well answer that it was for fitness when asked... So even though Ah Fu confidently asserted that this thing would be perfect for her as both a staff and a weapon, Nana still wanted to say no.

However... after all, Alfred had been very cooperative throughout the journey, and their collaboration had gone relatively smoothly. Nana didn't want him to feel neglected, so after gesturing with her greatsword for a moment, Nana looked at Frostleaf:

"... Why don't you try it?"

P. S.: I typed this while the IV was running... The surroundings were quite messy, and my concentration wasn't great QAQ...

Feeling a bit better... I'm a little worried that people might think my recent updates have been disorganized and short, so I've decided to do a final push at the end of the month... I'll do as much as I can, and please don't be offended if I collapse on the way...

PS2: Frost Dragon-Slayer, sever destiny here!

--Frosty Frostleaf

At a crossroads in her life, guided by those who cared for her, Frostleaf no longer mechanically wielded her weapon to end others' lives. She began to ponder why she, who no longer wished to fight, had taken up that sword...

"If even living can no longer be considered freedom, then let us die freely!"

Talent skills are omitted below~ Feel free to leave a comment here if you're interested.

PS3: Meow Meow Cat

4th Crimson Warm Winter: 099 That represents everything going smoothly.

To give away a finely crafted greatsword with special significance to someone else was simply unacceptable to the Sarkaz team... especially since Frostleaf seemed rather hesitant; her "I need to think about it" expression made the Sarkaz guys look like she was completely ungrateful.

Faced with the Sarkaz youth's eager eyes and his suggestion, "Or, let's use that instead?", Nana, with a deadpan expression, recalled the way these men had hesitated and held weapons when she was carried away earlier, and decisively refused.

"You all know this isn't an ordinary weapon, so if possible, I'd like to give it to someone who can use it..." Lin

"We... we can also strive to become legendary warriors! We've received that kind of training..."

As they spoke, the three young men from the guard squad demonstrated what was supposedly Originium Arts taught to them by Ah Fu... Nana also took a look at Ah Fu during the air raid. This usually reliable old man blushed upon hearing the title 'legend,' turning his head away to avoid Nana's gaze.

'Sharpening,' 'Physical Enhancement,' and 'Arts Resistance Barrier'... these are essential skills for members of the Babel Guard.' While they can indeed be used with focused concentration in front of these three, they are clearly far from practical application in real combat...

As for "legendary warrior"... Nana pretended not to hear the term. This term originates from the Western Kazimierz knightly competition; only there would they add a prefix like "legendary" when introducing their competitors... Clearly, these three had taken Ah Fu's tactics seriously. (Angry)

The Little Fox in front of Nana is a genuine former Columbia army member with real combat experience... Sounds unremarkable, right? But ask anyone in the know: who do you think would win in a battle between an ordinary soldier and a series of unique legends?

Those were clearly ordinary soldiers.

To discourage the three young Sarkaz, Nana bluntly stated that she would only acknowledge their qualifications as warriors when they could defeat Frostleaf in a no-rules duel... This not only made the Sarkaz's eyes light up, but even Frostleaf frowned:

"I don't think I've agreed to fight for you yet..."

"It's alright, I don't need you to fight for me. I just need you, as a former soldier, to avoid the embarrassing situation of being completely unequipped in a critical moment..."

"... My weapon is at the Easter Egg Point..."

"So next time I slack off on the road, or like this accident... I get dragged away, and the other enemies will target Mary next. Do you expect them to protect the others?"

Seeing Nana pointing at the three unconvinced commoner Sarkaz, Frostleaf lacked confidence... She felt that this Fallen Angel overestimated her, given the difference in their physical abilities and the psychological difference between them.

After all, in terms of height, arm length, and weight, the three Sarkaz youths in front of her were overwhelmingly superior... It was precisely because she had fought against Sarkaz Mercenaries many times on the battlefield that she would never underestimate these three guys who had just used Originium Arts...

But... Frostleaf also had to consider what Nana had said...

This team is strange. The leader's tone was extremely uncertain and ambiguous when he said they could be the Guerrillas... But one thing Frostleaf had to admit was that she couldn't count on anyone else to protect Mary.

So, even though she no longer wanted to fight for the Guerrillas or wield her sword against the innocent, Frostleaf still took the greatsword that felt like a block of iron.

Compared to the weapons she had chosen in the past, this thing was obviously much more difficult to wield... It was enormous even for Sarkaz; the petite girl wielding a weapon that was a head taller than her was quite a contrast in Frostleaf's hands.

As the girl used it as a staff, azure ice spread from the tip of the blade downwards, forming a sharp blade. The cold air even crossed the hilt, freezing Frostleaf's hand and grip together, while simultaneously providing the girl with a pair of frost-covered arm armor that extended to her shoulders.

"... Hmm, I used a little too much force. Sarkaz's magical mediums are very sensitive..."

Ah Fu's assessment was the same as Nana's, but as she continued to master the weapon, Frostleaf quickly adjusted her spell... The outward-expanding icicles quickly retracted and returned to the normal shape of the arm armor.

Frostleaf, however, remained frowning.

"This isn't the effect of my spell..."

"Of course, Miss, this is an effect that comes with this sword... You can use those magical armors to resist enemy attacks, but its main function is to resist magic and stray bullets on the battlefield... In terms of physical damage resistance, it is probably not as good as normal armor, but you can use it in conjunction with regular armor."

Frostleaf pursed her lips at Ah Fu's explanation, as if she could equip any heavy armor with this weapon.

As the girl began to slowly fine-tune the 'Iron Staff,' the three Sarkaz youths who had wanted the weapon had completely lost their will to fight the Little Fox before them.

After all, they couldn't even activate the sword's built-in functions; the difference in their spell proficiency was obvious. As for combat, they hesitated even to cut down the Pincer Beast, clearly indicating they needed much more training...

"... You've all worked so hard carrying this burden all this time..."

These words were spoken by Eileen to the three Sarkaz youths, who had been watching from the sidelines for a while... Eileen was reminding them that everything here belonged to Nana.

As for why it was called a 'burden'... that's in contrast to the reality that the iron block is no longer a burden.

With things having come to this point, the three had no choice but to give up... However, out of youthful pride and curiosity, they still asked Nana for a training match with Frostleaf that wouldn't involve using real weapons...?

Frostleaf, having accepted the weapon, couldn't refuse. And as it turned out, before reaching the level of physical difference that of Elders, even Sarkaz could get a peaceful sleep like an infant when hit on the head with a stick.

This impromptu and instantly ended match concluded perfectly with Frostleaf's three-hit kill.

This caused Frostleaf, who had always believed there was something hidden within the team, to suddenly show a helpless expression...

She genuinely hadn't expected that the young and strong men in this team didn't even have street fighting skills. Taking down three adult male Sarkaz men who were a third taller than her with just three blows—if this were in the military, Frostleaf would brag about it for a year... But what if these three were allies, and might even be teammates for a long time? Frostleaf's blood pressure instantly spiked.

"... Are they really a 'security guard'?"

"He just claimed to be... I told you, everyone here is a civilian... Do you believe me now?"

The main problem was that disbelief wasn't an option; the Little Fox could tell whether the other side had any combat skills... And after realizing that the team's actual combat strength consisted only of herself and the Fallen Angel before her, a sense of urgency suddenly crept up the Little Fox's spine:

"... They need a lot more training if they want to take on that kind of responsibility..."

"Indeed, but the current situation is that we spend most of our time in the vehicle, and even training can only be conducted during camping sessions like this one."

Nana's words seemed to remind the Little Fox. Afterwards, Frostleaf considered the firewood sticks she was carrying and glanced at the Ursus military weapons that were casually bundled together.

"Could I train them? I see we have quite a few long spears; those can be very effective for new recruits..."

"What ever."

After receiving Nana's approval, Frostleaf first picked out three spears that were in relatively good condition, and then kicked and shoved the three unconscious Sarkaz youths to their feet... Since everyone heard that it was Nana who gave the order, the others didn't react to Frostleaf's rough behavior. After all, even Ah Fu said that this was normal military training style. If this were a military camp, the others would feel out of place.

But clearly, Nana didn't expect Frostleaf's spur-of-the-moment idea to militarize the group... From the refugee's perspective, these Sarkaz were already obedient enough... Nana couldn't keep bringing up the fact that they were just watching the show when the Pincer Beast carried them away.

And then, it was just an ordinary night.

Kate brought news from the Little Cat's side: Manfred was indeed preparing to inspect the interior of the Exploration Vehicle bit by bit. At his pace, this would delay everyone there for several weeks.

This isn't a big problem. The Exploration Vehicle itself is fast enough. Even if it's delayed for two months, it will only take half a month to catch up with Nana, who is limited in mobility by using a small truck. Moreover, they have an autonomous driving system like PRTS, which is completely different from the convoy that needs to camp every day.

As for Manfred himself, who gave his name and claimed to be a colonel, there's even less to worry about.

Nana's plan involves having the Little Cat keep watch in the open, while Jessica, who can transform at any time, is lurking in the shadows. She might be used as a hostage by the others to collect environmental samples from Ursus during a conflict, thus ensuring the Exploration Vehicle's basic functionality while minimizing the risk of this dangerous character...

Thus, although the Exploration Vehicle itself may still suffer heavy losses in the event of a conflict, the safety of Rhodes Island's Senior Operator and the trust of all operators are far more valuable.

With Kate switching shifts with Cole, Nana could finally focus her attention on the Security Bureau's mission for the time being... Amid the crackling of the campfire, Nana began to examine the transmitter that someone had installed on her convoy.

Now that the camp has three more 'guard trainees' who are doing nothing but getting beaten up by Frostleaf, the team's overall alertness should actually be lowered.

Nana initially assumed that since they had installed transmitters on her team, there would definitely be observers around them...

The official Ursus team probably wouldn't be so secretive, but if it's the Guerrillas group... then isn't that exactly the kind of people Nana wants to contact?

It is now known that the Ursus Inner Guards is imposing strange restrictions on the Infected groups. As the 'Reunion Movement,' which is known even to small teams on the northwestern border, their status is probably what the Inner Guards is concerned about... Most importantly, if they don't have other needs for these groups, Ursus has absolute initiative in suppressing or negotiating the defection of mere the Infected, whether it's the Inner Guards or the army group.

Why is it being left unattended like this, almost like raising a venomous insect? Nana thinks that if she just looks at the 'Reunion Movement,' she can probably find the answer.

So, here's the question...

How am I supposed to find that tiny Infected Guerrilla Force in the vast, boundless Snowfield of northwestern Ursus?

With the owner of the transmitter refusing to contact her, Nana had no choice but to try her luck with the guerrilla the Guerrillas that Frostleaf belonged to, which was largely composed of bandits... Hopefully, they could at least leave some contact information for other groups.

Thinking this, the whole team passed the night... Nana got up early to patrol the surrounding area, and casually used Ursus crossbows with a lower poundance to hunt a few rabbits to supplement the children and the training Sarkaz with some protein and fat. She didn't know if these Ursus rabbits were a specialty, but the fat content was visibly much higher than the rabbit meat Nana bought in the city.

Of course, that's not the main point. The main thing is that Nana wants to give the rabbit pelts to Athena the tailor to process and make rabbit fur gloves for the children... After Nana, Nana's patrols to find other the Guerrillas observers will probably become the norm in the future, and if possible, Nana hopes that everyone will have enough warm clothing by then.

It's important to know that as the convoy traveled further north, the tundra terrain was gradually being replaced by Snowfield.

Although the surrounding snow is not yet at the level of a true Snowfield, as the person responsible for the lives of these people, I must start preparing in advance.

Perhaps it was because there were no pursuers behind him that slowed down his sensitivity to time, or perhaps it was because watching Frostleaf beat up those three young people who were determined to protect others every day with a critical eye always made him feel amused... and so three days passed quickly.

As the surrounding snow and the rabbit pelts drying inside the car visibly increased each day, on the afternoon of the third day, Nana finally saw the 'Easter Egg Point' sign marked by Frostleaf, representing the bandit gang the Guerrillas she and Mary had previously met.

Now that the trees have unknowingly changed from birch to pine, against the backdrop of snow that doesn't melt even during the day, it's indeed a bit difficult to notice the white strips of cloth hanging on the branches if you don't know in advance.

What saddened Nana the most was that, in order to conceal their supplies, the Guerrillas hid their cellar behind a semi-buried cabin in the woods. Due to the dense surrounding forests and the obstacles of potholes and rocks, it was clearly not a place that vehicles could drive through.

Fortunately, Frostleaf still remembered where the Guerrillas's parking lot was. After directing the convoy there, and confirming that Mary and Frostleaf wouldn't cause trouble, Nana, who had returned to the passenger seat, thought to herself, "Oh no..."

She saw five cars in that parking lot.

"... Three jeeps, two identical Ursus military supply trucks... There are white cloth strips marking the rearview mirrors... Frostleaf, were there so many vehicles hidden here when you set off?"

In response to Sister Nana's question, Frostleaf had already started reaching for the overhead luggage rack below... where her greatsword was located.

"No, those guys should have taken most of the vehicles with them when they took us to the village... The white cloth strips are a common symbol of the Infected Guerrilla Force."

"... So, either your former colleagues have returned... or a new the Guerrillas heard about their capture by the Military Police and is coming to plunder them?"

Hearing Nana's seemingly light laugh, Frostleaf, who had already raised her greatsword, began to have ice armor covering her arm:

"What to do? wu yao ba ⊙ liu yi"

"... Isn't this obvious...? Why don't you go and say hello..."

As they spoke, three trucks stopped outside the 'parking lot,' blocking the only exit. After a quick exchange, Nana decided to go alone...

"Remember, run the moment you hear gunfire. If you see a beam of light, don't worry about me. Just find a way to contact Rhodes Island and report the code name 'Medic'..."

What if you don't hear anything?

Listening to Frostleaf's silly question, Nana checked the chamber of the pistol, then got out of the car:

"If you can come to me without hearing anything, it means everything is going smoothly."

P. S.: I'd like to know a more natural way to fast-forward time... I'm going to get an IV drip later, and it would be great if I could fast-forward the IV drip time too.

PS2: Meow Meow Cat

4th Crimson Warm Winter: 100 W

She slung the gun case over her shoulder, checked the ammunition... She habitually clenched her fist, but her current outfit didn't include gloves. The paracord bracelet on her wrist directly contacted her skin, making Nana frown.

Although it sounds easy, the situation is actually extremely urgent... An ambiguous third party has already occupied the target location. Even if the other party is a complete novice, they will definitely come to check the situation after hearing the engine sound.

If possible, Nana prefers to reveal her Feline form, using the powerful hearing of her primary ear to aid her in detection and judgment...

But the sudden transformation of a Sankta into a Feline was still too shocking. Moreover, considering that 'Medic's' disguise could not be ruined, Nana ultimately did not touch the Halo above her head.

Hey! Who's there!?