Chapter 98

Seeing W's wide-eyed, curious expression, Nana pointed to the camp floor behind her, where countless canned foods damaged in the previous battle lay scattered... However, since some were on the snow and others were simply encased in grease, they still had some value for recycling.

Let's start by conserving resources...

"--OK."

PS: This chapter is 6.5K words. If the word count is incorrect, please refresh the page QAQ...

PS2: This chapter has been revised many times; it's quite difficult to give a madman logic.

PS3: 101 Loyal Dogs... This title is a meme too, lol.

PS4: Meow Meow Cat

PS5: Looking at this illustration suddenly reminded me... when should Grandma 42 be released?

4th Crimson Warm Winter: 102 Mending the Fence After the Sheep Are Lost

The sunset over the Snowfield of Ursus is a delicious caramel color, but even in summer, the warm sunshine above zero degrees Celsius is still fleeting compared to lower latitude regions... As the light gradually dims, the sky is slowly covered with a deep blue and black.

As night fell, the fluttering snowflakes slowly drifted down with the darkness, then, like butterflies, were blown aloft by the heat of the bonfires and disappeared.

Nana didn't know whether snowfall or rain was worse. Protected by her Halo, she couldn't Empathy with the Sarkaz present, whose attire was so polarized... But based on Feline's experience, Nana knew that Mary and Frostleaf must be having a very difficult time.

While the assassin had W's men clear out the supplies, Eileen had already begun setting up camp with her refugee group. Because the vehicles were blocked by trees some distance down the mountain, the entire process of moving the equipment took a considerable amount of time...

When W saw them preparing to move various tents, Originium heaters, and folding tables and chairs to the camp by manpower, he had a completely bewildered expression on his face.

"You guys... can't walk without a vehicle? It's one thing to carry a lightweight tent on your back, but a stove is hard to carry and lift... can't you make a sled or something to transport goods?"

"... Sleds? Ah, that's a good idea... In fact, we've only just entered the Snowfield area, and we haven't even prepared the most basic truck tire chains, let alone sleds."

"I have a lot of those things here... but since you've just entered the Snowfield area, does that mean most of you are still maintaining the habits from Kazdel?"

Upon hearing Nana and Ah Fu's nods of approval, W's seemingly ever-present smile seemed to carry a hint of something else. After instructing the Mercenaries to lend the refugees the human-powered sleds they had prepared for transporting canned goods, W glanced at the cooking area, which was already in operation.

Using the chimney of the semi-buried hut, the group had expanded it into a large stove. The Mercenaries and Nana's refugee camp cooked together here, while Sister Feline, who was sensitive to the cold, stayed here with her boy soldier bodyguards and the group's mascot girls.

Because they were unaware that they had almost been sent flying by W's bomb, and because the Sarkaz in their group seemed to know the enemy well, Mary and Frostleaf only regarded W as an ordinary Sarkaz Mercenaries who had had a minor conflict with their team on the road...

All I can say is that W is quite pretty when she's not in a hostile situation; as long as she doesn't speak, she's definitely a static beauty.

Since we've come all the way to the kitchen, W's first reminder is, as expected, about the food situation in cold regions:

"... Hmm, as expected... the food you eat is only up to temperate zone standards... don't you feel hungry eating so little?"

Ignoring the orange cat and the Little Fox's bewildered head-shaking, W looked seriously at her new ally and old friends:

"If you were eating three meals a day before, please eat six meals a day in the Ursus Snowfield... The low temperatures in the Snowfield are no joke, especially since we're currently in the mountains... Also, do you have a doctor? If possible, please monitor everyone's weight..."

"... I am a doctor..."

Responding to W, Nana picked up the two little girls who had excitedly reached out for a hug upon seeing her... Just like Mary and the others, these two little ones were completely unaware that they had narrowly escaped death in the afternoon's battle...

Because she felt it was unnecessary, Nana didn't mention the explosives to Ah Fu and the others at all... Silently weighing the little girls, Nana frowned slightly; the two little ones did seem to have gotten a bit lighter.

"Ah Fu, according to W's suggestion, increase the rations for everyone... Cook up all the edible cans that were broken during the battle..."

Seeing Nana announce the improved treatment, the group, who had been feeling the food rations were running low, erupted in cheers. While everyone enthusiastically gathered edible cans of food in buckets or lunchboxes, or even brought the still-intact cans to the kitchen, Mary and Frostleaf stood before the assassin:

"Um... Nana... are you free right now?"

"Leave the inventory and redistribution of the food to Eileen... Mary, you tell me, I'm listening."

"... I couldn't find the guns of my predecessors... they weren't in the cellar..."

Holding Mary's hand was a consolation, but Frostleaf, carrying her greatsword, shook her head when she saw Nana's gaze directed at her.

"I couldn't find my weapons either; it seems the original weapons inventory here was all moved away..."

Didn't I give you a greatsword?

"... My weapon is custom-made, with my own spell medium and custom casting unit... It's very expensive, six months' salary..."

Frostleaf's words made Nana purse her lips... Although Nana had a pretty good idea of what level of staff weapon could be made with six months' salary from an army soldier... the fact that it wasn't as good as the one she had given her was another matter; the important thing was that she couldn't find her own thing.

He quickly turned his gaze to W, who had been scratching the back of his head and pretending not to hear anything since the beginning. The guy who had been chattering incessantly before had suddenly fallen silent, so there was definitely something fishy going on.

After staring at this guy for a while, seeing Nana's gaze that was either full of doubt or certainty, W clicked his tongue helplessly:

"Tsk... okay... you're probably looking for this."

As he spoke, W pulled a pistol from his back waist... This large, all-metal pistol was black in body, with a gold slide and gold flowers adorning the lower half of the barrel. It also had a slide rail for mounting sights on the slide and the lower part of the barrel. However, it was unclear whether it originally had no accessories or if those accessories had been removed later; it was now just a bare gun.

Although W looked reluctant when she took it out, Nana took it without a second thought. After checking it briefly and finding the magazine empty, Nana pulled the slide to confirm the chamber was also empty before handing it to Mary.

"... Keep it safe, although... when you return to Laterano, the Notarial Hall will probably come looking for you to take back this weapon..."

"Yes, I know, at least I brought back my senior's weapon..."

"And then, there's a Springfield rifle, and Frostleaf's weapons, right... W, do you remember?"

W initially considered bringing up the idea that Mercenaries wouldn't spit out what they'd already eaten, given Nana's direct approach... but then thought it over and realized there was no need to cause trouble over something like this, so he simply shrugged and readily admitted that the item was in her possession...

In fact, when the Mercenaries and the guides from Reunion Movement found this place, the first thing they did was raid the armory, which was exactly what Reunion Movement needed.

Mary's Desert Eagle, with its ornate decorations and extensive gold plating, was immediately taken by W, the team leader, and the same goes for her rifle... The Sarkaz have always maintained a great passion for collecting Laterano Gun, as if not doing so would make them racial traitors.

Compared to the sheer number of Firearms Arts they possess, comparable to those of collectors, the Sarkaz actually know how to use Firearms Arts is quite small.

Even W admitted that her main purpose in collecting these things was to sell them... As for the strange Firearms Arts hanging on her waist, it was actually just a gun-shaped staff.

"... However, I do have a Firearms Arts similar to a small Originium projectile cannon... That thing requires special Etch Rounds, so until we have a big spender, it'll probably stay in storage... Hey, here's the rifle you wanted, I'm returning it to you now."

He took the rifle from the Mercenaries. It was W's 'relic' that someone had specially brought from the parking lot... Unlike the ornately decorated pistol, this wooden-handled Springfield bolt-action rifle was made of blackened wood. The stock was not only stained with blood, but also had marks on the side indicating that it had been used to resist slashing. It was obviously a battle-hardened weapon.

Nana also checked the chamber. Unlike the pistol over there, the owner of this rifle seemed to have been killed before he could fire. Surprisingly, the magazine was still loaded with five Etch Rounds... Nana pulled the bolt and ejected the bullets one by one, then handed the gun and ammunition separately to Mary, who was biting her lip and clearly suppressing her emotions.

Watching Miss Orange Cat silently tuck the Desert Eagle into her belt and, feeling for the wounds and bloodstains on the rifle, hoist it onto her back, Nana didn't disturb Mary... but instead turned to look at Frostleaf:

"... What kind of weapon do you have? Is it also Firearms Arts?"

"No, I don't have a talent for Firearms Arts, I use a battle axe... 1.7 meters long, all metal, with a spearhead..."

Hearing the Little Fox's description, W nodded in understanding, then gave his subordinate a look and said:

"As for the axe, someone else probably took it to chop wood. I'll have someone go and ask... Also, the ammunition, since it's a high-value item, might have been taken to be sold on the black market. I'll go and inquire; if I have any, I'll have it sent over as well..."

Seeing W's current obedient appearance, Nana nodded in satisfaction:

"... It's a pleasure working with you."

"To be honest, I'm not happy... but what can I do? You're my partner now... Look, you told me to return this thing that could sell for several thousand Lungmen Dollar, and I did... But the atmosphere here doesn't seem right for me. I'm going to stay with the old man and the maid. If you need anything or if there's anything related to our cooperation, just come find me."

Watching W leave, the man casually grabbed a few cans from the pile of open cans in the kitchen and started eating them as he walked away... Nana wanted to say that she wouldn't be short of a bite or two of food, but as the stomachs of the young girls around her began to rumble... Nana looked up and realized that the kitchen was actually in a state of having more ingredients than cooks.

After all, most people are busy salvaging broken cans these days... and their own cook... a round-headed, chubby Sarkaz middle-aged man, managing to control the heat and five or six pots without indiscriminately mixing all the different types of canned goods together into a culinary disaster resembling a hot pot adventure. That's already quite an achievement.

Seemingly noticing Nana's attention, the cook straightened his back and tensed for a moment. However, as Mary began to caress her weapon, the atmosphere grew increasingly somber. Then, the rumbling of the two little ones' stomachs suddenly eased the tension considerably.

Seeing Mary unconsciously touch her own belly, Nana, holding the two little ones, looked at the pile of canned goods that had been brought to the kitchen... There were still many traces of Nana's Witchcraft on them.

"Anyway, let's eat first... Let's try to finish these broken cans today. If we can't finish them, it'll be a waste if we can't take them with us." Lin

Following the children's questioning gaze, Sister Mary quickly realized she couldn't completely wallow in grief... Because of her Feline condition, she couldn't offer much help right now; Nana's task for her was to look after these two youngest members of the group...

Through her subsequent task of preparing food for the two young girls, Mary quickly regained her composure.

However, as night fell, the wind howled, and although the temperature remained below zero, the melting snow absorbed geothermal heat, and the increased humidity made it clearly noticeable that the ambient temperature was dropping rapidly.

Even the Sarkaz Mercenaries had burrowed into their tents, using blankets or coats to ward off the cold wind. Sister Feline, theoretically even more susceptible to the cold, didn't go to the semi-buried house arranged by Nana to rest... Unable to sleep, she followed the flickering dark red Halo and found Nana. The assassin was tending to a fire that seemed on the verge of dying out in the cold wind. The two simply sat together, saying nothing for a long time.

In the dim light of the oil lamp and the flickering campfire, Mary, her body wrapped in a sheet, trembled slightly as she stroked her gilded pistol against the assassin.

Looking helplessly at the campfire, which was deliberately kept barely visible, Nana glanced around at her surroundings.

"... Mary, the nights in the Ursus Snowfield are cold, even in summer..."

"... I'm sorry, I..."

Can't sleep?

"... Just closing my eyes, the deaths of my senior and that former guard member seem to replay before my eyes... I didn't seem to have this problem during the time I was captured..."

"... It's the traumatic stress disorder caused by those two relics... plus, you also developed acute Oripathy because of it... so it's understandable that the memory is so vivid."

"Feel sorry..."

Even though it had nothing to do with her, Sister Mary just kept apologizing.

"I'm sorry, was I... too weak...? If only I could be stronger..."

"This assumption is meaningless... because I don't know what constitutes strength, or how to become strong..."

Enduring the sensation of Cole poking her cheek with his finger, Nana reluctantly assured Cole that she hadn't bullied anyone before being allowed to continue speaking.

"However, if all you want is the power to protect yourself... then I don't think it's too late to start."

"Huh?"

Turning to look at Mary, whose face was full of surprise, Nana said what had suddenly come to mind:

"... Let me teach you how to use a gun."

"Huh? Is that alright? I don't have a license to use the Laterano Gun..."

"I haven't received official permission either... but I know that if you can use Firearms Arts normally, then when the Laterano Government finds you, you'll likely be able to legally keep one with you... after all, you're a member of the church, and Laterano always prefers clergy who are proficient in using Firearms Arts."

"As for the time spent in the Snowfield, you can never have too much protection, can you...?"

In the darkness, watching the two people talking silently by the campfire in the distance, W reached out and closed the tent, then looked behind him:

"So, what's this guy... who seems to be Bloodfiend, but also looks like Sankta? What's going on?"

P. S.: Just a quick note... With so many organizations and characters involved in the plot, it feels like the development of their relationship with the protagonist is becoming a bit overwhelming... But they can't be completely absent either, otherwise people will wonder why these two suddenly became friends...

Mary is the catalyst for Laterano's investigation of Columbia; it's impossible to just raise her favorability a few times and then leave her waiting for later NPC quests... In comparison, Frostleaf seems more like a freebie... However, she's already a Rhodes Island member, and in the next volume she'll be returning to Columbia to catch up on the John Wick she left behind, so it feels like we can take our time...

In short, I need to speed up my typing, otherwise, who knows when I'll be able to lift the Doctor's coffin.

I'll take a nap and then write another chapter.

PS2: Meow Meow Cat

4th Crimson Warm Winter: 103 Elysia

The night on the Snowfield plains was longer than I had imagined.

Perhaps it's because the nights are physically long on the Snowfield plains, or perhaps it's because you have to be constantly on guard against the two eyes behind you; the intense concentration makes the already long passage of time feel even longer.

The Halo enhanced by the Doctor truly allowed Nana to experience the benefits of being Elders being, keeping watch alone on Snowfield night with howling winds... Even in summer, the Mercenaries would give her a thumbs up and praise her for being a tough guy.

Nana didn't care about external evaluations... She was just a little worried that after she had completely gotten used to the physical enhancements the Halo gave her, she would still be able to return to that weak, real life that belonged to Feline.

Of course, power should be used to its fullest potential. Only in this way can one be worthy of the creator of this power, and of those who gave it to and supported her... So Nana didn't say she had any concerns about the 'Halo Form'... On the contrary, she was quite happy with this power after acquiring it.

Compared to her past self, who had to consider every possible step to ensure the success of the mission, the physical condition of the Elders gave Nana many possibilities that she never dared to imagine in the past... Standing in the cold wind all night, ignoring the chill, was just the most basic attempt.

She continued to stay awake, despite her discomfort, using the faint light before dawn to search for signs of surveillance. This was both a test of herself and a test of her commitment to the mission... But unfortunately, Nana still didn't find any surveillance personnel or devices.

Perhaps we could ask W for relevant information?

However, considering the limited amount of information contained in the device itself, and the fact that she and W had just reached an agreement without creating any value for her, while instead taking away many of the spoils that originally belonged to her... After thinking about it, Nana realized that such constant demands would not be conducive to future cooperation between the two parties, so she could only postpone this idea.

Let's wait until we really can't find any more clues before considering doing this... After all, W has already agreed to introduce Nana, hasn't he?

When Nana returned to the camp after completing her patrol, the Mercenaries and refugee group members had already woken up. After a night, the group of Sarkaz members were no longer as clearly divided as they had been at the beginning.

The refugees shared the clean water that was specially carried in vehicle Number Three, while the Mercenaries, with their stronger physiques than ordinary Sarkaz, took on most of the physical labor... The various supplies that were dug out of the cellar last night were piled up on the ground like small mountains, and Nana had already informed Eileen yesterday to distribute them.

Overall, this was a spoils-picking process. Nana's team chose first, then the Mercenaries started selecting... The rest were loaded onto the trucks by Nana's team; these belonged to Nana's team. Finally, the Mercenaries loaded the trucks... The remaining items were to be provided to the Reunion Movement.

Clearly, this method of distributing supplies is completely unfair. Nana even asked if the Reunion Movement would investigate if they did this... W's attitude was completely indifferent...

"The Operations Department themselves have the highest priority in selecting spoils of war; feeding their own brothers is the most basic thing... And if the situation on the integration side worsens, each unit must share its rations with the settlements or hand over any sellable spoils of war for procurement... Such things happen occasionally, but Dragon Lady usually prioritizes contacting cities to procure supplies, so overall these are relatively rare cases..."

"As for pursuing the matter? The Reunion Movement is an alliance formed by several teams. People will lend a hand if they see something they like, and turn away if they feel something is wrong. It's normal... Although that Dragon Lady seems to have started making small moves against the opposition recently, she's only targeting some rotten people, so it's alright. I have no objection, and everyone is used to this kind of thing."

The whole conversation seemed to be saying, "I can't beat you, so you choose first, no problem, no objections," a sarcastic tone that Nana definitely understood... Although Nana, being a city girl and a government employee, still had doubts about how long such a loose group could last, since it was none of her business, the assassin simply listened and put it out of her mind, because W had handed her a belt with different styles of ammunition pouches already hanging on it.

The green canvas bag contained Springfield Etch Rounds, while the black polymer magazine catch held five fully loaded Desert Eagle magazines... Clearly, this was the Etch Rounds agreed upon yesterday.

"To avoid any misunderstanding, I'll explain in advance that these items were secondhand when they came into my possession... They weren't spoils of war from my team, but rather items I obtained from other teams."