Глава 16

Before anyone extends their hand, Mantra moves her thick tail down and wraps it around Eloysius to hoist her up, then releases her gently onto the ground.

Ugh...

I've never been treated like this!

(Shakes head)

Alright not the best time for that so sorry Captain.

I'll get to the point. Most of the bodies down there are indeed Patrol Unit members—the first and second layers, at least.

I found this too.

The crowd looks at the fragile crystal fragment in her hand. Most of it has been charred, but the neat circuit proves it used to be a chip.

Quite a few on the ground down there. Fragments like this one, or even less.

It seems like they made a difficult choice.

You're putting it lightly.

(Shakes head)

Captain says, the miners probably attracted the Patrol Unit with their chips, and then offed them all in one shot.

After all, they only got the time to remove everyone else's chips after eliminating their pursuers.

This sort of organization and ability... certainly not your garden variety miners.

Their leader definitely has military expertise... or perhaps something else.

Something else...?

An Ursine folktale. 'The great Yurodstvo descends upon those in distress, and leads them out of dire straits'... just a tale born of boredom, though, so don't pay it much mind.

But we ought to find them before their actions become more radical.

After all, it's just the Patrol Unit today, but tomorrow it could be the military police, and then... it might just be the Royal Guard.

We have to find them before things get even worse.

Mantra... what are you looking for?

Mantra's eyes sweep through her surroundings, and after a long silence, Amiya hears her voice in her mind.

That young Imperial Guardswoman reminded me of something.

The <i>Yurodstvo.</i>

I think... I remember seeing this word in Dr. Kal'tsit's documents. It was related to Ursine research on demons...

A long, long, time ago, I too was on Ursine soil.

After a few mishaps, I was taken to be a Yurodstvo.

Only then did I learn of an unrecorded Ursus secret, so hidden that even libraries in Sargon's City of Gold did not know it.

The people of Ursus venerate the Yurodstvo; they believe the Yurodstvo's love transcends both the mortal realm and suffering, and this is how it has the power to lead one astray.

So you think what's happening here is related to the Yurodstvo? But shouldn't the Yurodstvo be at the heart of Deity Grypherburg...?

Only a hunch of mine. Everything that has happened here gives me a sense of unsettling familiarity.

Amiya follows Mantra's gaze and scans the area, but does not catch anything unusual.

Perhaps I was overthinking. But I also found some unexpected delight.

Raidian has left a beacon nearby.

News from her? Wonderful!

So this is how you and Raidian communicate—

(Nods)

Back at Babel, Raidian was my first assistant.

But her talent far exceeded that role, and she led her own squad after becoming an Elite Operator.

I heard there used to be many on Rhodes Island who feared you before Raidian joined us...

Occasionally, it proves to be true.

Some of our colleagues are better at speaking than thinking, and interactions can be problematic, while I am no expert at 'explanation.'

That is how my 'fearsome reputation' got passed around the Rhodes Island water coolers.

A few emergency operations where I probed into minds without prior notice, and after several rounds of exaggerated retellings, I became a witch who could stick my hand into their heads to toy with their minds.

Oh! I heard this one, in a story Theresa told me... I thought it was a Sarkaz legend.

Perhaps that was a true Sarkaz tale. The Speaker would have been defending me in saying that.

After Raidian joined Babel, she stood among those defending my reputation.

But today... Elysium is the flagbearer in that regard, as are you.

It's our responsibility!

(Nods)

Just as I thought.

Found them.

Mantra reaches out to wipe snow off the beacon's base, and slowly the symbols on it are revealed.

She feels the faint signals left on them, and some words gradually float into her mind.

'Ursus-Kazimierz Border'

'Reunion'

<p=1>Central Far North Mining District, Ursus</> <p=2>Three days ago...</>

You know what, doctor?

We beat those Patrol Unit monsters!

Please, calm down and don't move! It's a deep wound!

Haha! No big deal, my life would've been well-lived, even if all I managed was ending the lives of those brutes.

How can I even relax like this?

I never imagined this. Those high and mighty Patrol Unit guys couldn't either, I bet. That one day they would have to bow down to the Infected!

He even asked us to spare his life? Lucky I went straight for his head!

Rankin was right. No one can tread on us forever! We'll drag those old bastards down from their ivory towers one by one, and let them have a taste of the ground!

But...

*sigh*...

Rankin, we've already searched the place.

A total of ten Ursine medium-sized military trucks, with little fuel left. If everyone gets on, it'll only last us around two hundred kilometers.

Besides weapons and medicine, we found some food and water. It's not much, though it's no medicine either...

That's pretty good already.

I don't think these were worth the price we paid...

Right, we discovered a container door with extra encryption on it... we need an identification code.

Hmph... Can anyone here tell me what other secrets are lying around here?

Patrolling the mines at this hour, on this day? No telling me you stumbled here from boredom.

I don't know...

I'm just a driver! No better than a burdenbeast, I go wherever the captain tells me to!

The code or your life. Choose.

I don't know! I really don't know!

They've never given us the code to prevent the goods from running off! Only the recipient can open it!

'Running off'? What kind of 'thing' would do that?

Answer me! What the hell's inside those containers?

I...

Nikto, give me one of those explosives.

Rankin, what are you—

Just do as I say!

Rankin sticks a small Originium bomb on the container's lock. A simple move, but he almost drops it from how fast he's breathing.

Ah...

The door slowly falls.

Rankin sees no fewer than thirty to forty bodies packed in a ten-meter-squared container, all long deceased, with no exception.

Some had struggled to the very last, their Originium crystals piercing into neighbors with messy, bloody wounds—no doubt, they were stuffed in here still alive.

Rankin can no longer tell what stole their lives away, and he does not wish to think about it...

Did you know?

I, what—

Drop the act!!

Who was it... who gave you the order?!

The mine boss—No, the Grand Duchess! She made us do it!

She cares about the miners here! Those in charge here get punished if the head count drops!

They always have to patch up the gap by buying some Infected with their own funds whenever one miner escapes—sometimes they get non-Infected to solve their problem, and it costs more.