## Chapter 396 – Unintentional Intent (16)
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“First row of the defense force!! Forward!!”
“Mage squad! Fire!!”
– Fire!!
The heavily armored swordsmen straightened their ranks, and the mages each raised their staffs.
The monsters that were rushing towards them soon collided with the front line of the outpost’s defense force swordsmen.
They were pushed back by the heavily armed and almost impenetrable defensive line, and quickly annihilated by the barrage of fireballs that followed.
“Wow… it looks completely different when the scale gets bigger, doesn’t it?”
“It definitely feels different from when only Professor Eloise uses magic.
Maybe… this is what war is like…”
Two women in casual clothes, standing on the outpost’s ramparts and watching the scene, each voiced their impressions as they watched the defense force drive back the monsters.
This was also a half-day break, so Yui, who was keeping Carla company as she wanted to watch anything in the dungeon during their free time, let out a quiet groan as she recalled a past memory.
“It’s… definitely different…”
The Flora’s outpost suffered significant damage when monsters attacked.
Since it was a place where people living in the back alleys gathered illegally, avoiding the country’s attention, their armaments and skills were often lacking.
However, the outpost defense force in front of them moved as one, like well-trained soldiers, and seemed to be completely blocking the monsters with minimal damage.
It was somewhat different from the rampaging 모습 of Lanié and the beastman Henia in that it was more orderly, but the way they firmly blocked the monsters was similar.
Yui closed her eyes slightly, as if relieved.
‘If something like that happens again…’
Even though saving people was important, she hadn’t forgotten how difficult it was to achieve that goal.
“It won’t be this time… whew…”
“Huh? Yui!! Look over there quickly!! That!!”
“Ah… y-yes. That’s…”
Yui, who had been absentmindedly talking to herself, reacted a beat late to Carla’s voice calling her.
She nonchalantly turned her gaze towards Carla, who was pointing at something with her outstretched hand and jumping up and down.
“It’s Oppa!! It’s a Barum Hausen-style drone combat demonstration!!”
In the direction she was looking, five strange mechanical devices were visible, and behind them stood Antonio with Regulus perched on his arm.
“Regulus. Battlefield Protocol.”
– Chirp. Five connectable units, PTW-33687 and below, confirmed.
‘It can even talk…?’
A clear female voice flowed from the sleek golden eagle, and its chest mechanically opened to the sides.
Before long, Regulus’s 모습 changed into a subtle form, as if its inside and outside had been reversed.
“Unit status good, control sensitivity good.
Connection stability 89 percent.
Combat ready, commencing operation.”
And as it transformed into armor like a bracer protecting his arm, unlike ordinary bracers, it included various mechanical devices, and Antonio was manipulating it with his other hand.
The drones, as if starting up one by one according to Antonio’s hand movements, began to operate with the sound of steam, and as soon as they were ready, they rushed forward one by one, charging towards the monsters.
“Huh!? Like that…?”
The shapes of the drones were varied, with two units walking upright like humans, two quadrupedal units with sleek shapes like hunting dogs.
And even an aircraft that flapped its wings like a bird and flew in the sky, looking down and starting reconnaissance.
Carla, watching the 모습, widened her eyes in admiration and stared at the battlefield with a dazed expression.
“That’s what Oppa was preparing…
He was holed up in the workshop during his free time!!”
The hunting dog-type units would bite and hold onto the monsters, suppressing them or inflicting minor wounds to torment them, while the human-type units would attack those monsters as if finishing them off with the weapons they each held.
Moreover, the attack 모습 seemed different from Barum Hausen’s mass-produced drones in some ways, and even Yui tilted her head, watching the scene.
“Swordsmanship… Carla. Is that…?”
“You think so too, Yui?
Oppa is good at precision assembly, so…
Could it be a drone that imitates Groden’s swordsmen?”
Barum Hausen’s mass-produced drones were generally designed with mass production capabilities and efficiency in mind.
Therefore, the usage and tactics of the weapons were simple.
At best, they would smash the opponent with a heavy fist, or stab them with a sharp and heavy stake.
If not, they would cut the enemy in half with a blade, or bring a rotary saw to completely cut the monster.
“Flexible… even though it’s clearly a machine…”
“It must be a newly made drone!!
Maybe they’re doing a test battle in a controlled environment?”
In the scene they were watching, Antonio’s drones were not smashing the monsters with such simple movements, but were demonstrating swordsmanship that, while not elegant, was clearly balanced.
Moreover, the aircraft floating in the sky seemed to be clearly showing the state of the battle, even guiding the operator safely by adjusting the encirclement between the drones even if other monsters came running.
Furthermore, the 모습 of not only Antonio but also several engineers working together to coordinate the battlefield using their respective controllers was truly reminiscent of modern warfare.
Just as Antonio and several engineers had cut down dozens of monsters with their drones,
– Warning. B-19 Piston overpressure.
Pressure adjustment failure.
Physical deformation of the lower part of the unit due to heating.
Chain functional degradation detected.
“What? Suddenly…?”
As one engineer panicked at the sudden sharp alarm, Antonio, who was closest to him, turned his head.
“It’s… going out…!!”
“It can’t last long…
Regulus. All units, switch to auto mode.
Close combat protocol!!”
– Close combat protocol.
Changing body mode.
Antonio, who was in some ways the commander directing the five drones, realized that the situation of the engineer next to him was gradually worsening, and immediately switched the drones to automatic combat mode so that they would fight on their own.
Then, Antonio rapidly deployed Regulus, which had been in the form of a controller on his arm, and transformed it into armor.
Before Antonio could even get into position, a monster that had broken through the drones’ formation, which had become vulnerable after switching to automatic combat mode, rushed towards the engineer.
“Ugh… ughhh!!”
“Oh no…!!”
The 모습 of the monster rushing towards the screaming engineer before Regulus’s form change was even complete.
Antonio quickly ran over, believing that Regulus’s defense would be better than the engineer’s bare body, and blocked the monster’s path, at that very moment.
“Antonio is in danger!!”
“O…!! Oppa!!”
Everyone who was watching the battle from behind, as well as Carla, who was watching the battle from the ramparts, were startled by the sudden unexpected situation.
Just as Yui grabbed Carla, who was screaming and clinging to the railing as if to stop her from jumping off the ramparts.
“You…!! Not while I’m here!!”
The appearance of someone who instantly blocked the path between the monster and Antonio, who had acted dangerously, and powerfully knocked the monster away with the side of their sword as if hitting a home run was revealed.
“Not while I’m here!!”
Antonio, who had been helped, nodded to her with gratitude at her triumphant smile as she shielded the sunlight and looked up at the monster flying high into the sky as if watching a home run ball.
“Hey. Get a grip and get up quickly.
We received help, Lady Lanié.”
“Hehe… don’t mention it?”
‘Lanié…?’
Yui, who had watched the whole scene while stopping Carla, let out a sigh of relief, but was watching Lanié, who seemed to be wearing heavy armor unlike usual.
‘Is that heavy armor… a modified Nemea…?
But why is she with Antonio again…
Could it be… are they really in that kind of relationship…?’
Since Nemea could take the form of clothing, it wouldn’t be difficult to take the form of armor.
The inner space would be empty as the volume increased, but Nemea itself was not a material with ordinary defense, so there would be no major problems with defense.
More than anything, Yui, who was more shocked by the sudden discovery that Lanié was next to Antonio, felt like she had a lot to say to Vivian, who hadn’t told her the details.
Thinking of Hye-ryung, who admired Antonio, she was inwardly curious about the inside story of their relationship.
‘She even followed him to the dungeon…
It could be because of work…
But there’s something more to it than that…’
Unlike her usual playful self, Lanié was clearly shy, and Antonio was giving her an embarrassed smile.
Moreover, Carla, who was watching from the side and glaring with angry cat eyes at Lanié’s actions of rubbing her shoulder against Antonio, was also joining the line of suspicion.
“Who is that woman again?
She’s flirting with Oppa!!
That’s my spot!!”
In the end, Yui, hearing the sound of “kyaong,” was becoming increasingly distraught with so much to worry about on both sides.
And her eyes were fixed on a figure wearing a deeply pressed cloak, who had been about to jump off the ramparts following Carla just a moment ago.
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A corner of the outpost.
Behind some buildings that were relatively inconspicuous to others,
“It was you after all, Hye-ryung.”
“…… Pretend you don’t know.”
“I heard that only the defense force and the investigation team are allowed to enter this dungeon.
We can say that Professor, who is close to Carla, made a place for us as investigators.
The fact that you’re here now means…
Does Hye-ryung know what kind of position she’s in…!!”
“What does that matter?”
Yui’s voice was raised slightly at the natural voice, even though it was a little subdued.
The person who collided with Carla, who was excited and happy, at the moment they first entered the dungeon.
Putting aside the fact that it was Hye-ryung, the problem was that she knew that person shouldn’t be here.
Yui took another step forward and grabbed Hye-ryung’s hand, who was trying to slip away to the side.
“With this incident, no Chao Xing people were included in the investigation team, except for a few medical staff.
Even I received special treatment with the professor’s guarantee, on the condition that my actions were restricted as a medical staff member.
Chao Xing people who didn’t receive proper identity verification couldn’t even enter!
If Hye-ryung keeps loitering around the investigation team like this, and her identity as a Tang Mun person is revealed…!!”
The Groden political world was already turned upside down by the Flora’s attack incident, and Hye-ryung should have been refraining from acting while the Tang Mun was somehow trying to smooth things over.
But what if it was revealed that the Fuji successor of the Tang Mun, who was suspected of being the culprit at the time, was secretly involved in the Barum Hausen investigation team this time?
“The disguise is perfect, so it doesn’t matter.
I’ll worry about that even if you don’t.
Then I’ll be on my way.”
Yui was also aware of the situation between Hye-ryung and Antonio, so she couldn’t say that she didn’t understand Hye-ryung’s position.
‘I… I’m going back to my home country.’
She probably didn’t want to miss the journey that might be the last one with Antonio.
But Yui was stopping Hye-ryung, who was trying to act nonchalant, and clinging to her, thinking that she shouldn’t do at least this kind of thing.
“This isn’t like Hye-ryung! Why did you become like this?
The Tang Mun is already noisy enough because of the last incident.
What if an even bigger problem arises because of this…”
The Tang Mun was Hye-ryung’s strong supporter, but it was hard to see it as a warm family.
If that was the fate of most prestigious families, it was fate, but especially due to the nature of the family, the Tang Mun was known to be even more harsh on its descendants.
The Kazunomiya were no different, and she herself, who had been protected by her talented and kind older sister, was also a living witness to such a biased history.
Even for the Kazunomiya, Yui had such confidence.
The Tang Mun, one of the most outstanding families in Chao Xing.
Compared to them, the Kazunomiya were probably less than the Tang Mun, but not more than them.
“Hye-ryung… please!!
You can’t go against the family!!
If you cause any more trouble, the Tang Mun won’t stand still…!!”
Although the Tang Mun would be infinitely generous to an outstanding successor, a Fuji successor, they would not forgive that successor for ignoring the family traditions and tarnishing their name, especially with such a big deal.
Then, it was obvious what kind of treatment Hye-ryung, who was already in a sufficiently dangerous state, would receive from the Tang Mun when she returned, after they had grasped all the details.
“I told you to stop!!”
But Hye-ryung, shaking off Yui’s hand, was shouting at her as if lashing out in a very agitated voice.
“I am Tang Hye-ryung!!
I am the Tang Mun, and the Tang Mun is me!!
So who is going against whom?
Me… the Tang Mun…!!
Can’t I even do what I want?”
Unlike the words that were extremely confident, Yui was just staring at her silently, hearing the voice that was becoming tearful as if her nose was tingling.
“I told you!! Antonio is my man!!
Why can’t I… why can’t I be by my man’s side…?
Why is everyone… so eager to separate us…!!
I’m so… so…”
Yui’s steps, which had been trying to approach Hye-ryung, faltered and stopped at the voice that was gradually breaking.
In the end, Hye-ryung wouldn’t be able to stop unless the fundamental problem was resolved.
And in the end, that problem was something that no one could solve for her except herself.
Whether it was resignation to accepting fate, or a step further to winning it, it was entirely her own.
But just one thing.
“Okay. I understand!”
Yui, who had been pondering for a while and taking a deep breath, was soon approaching Hye-ryung, thinking hard about what she could do.
“W-what? Why are you coming…”
“I’ll give you one last chance.
So… don’t fail this time.”
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