Chapter 221: Future Markets 『 Part Ten 』
「 Meanwhile, with Topaz and Svarog.
Topaz was escorted to a vast, desolate expanse—a colossal staging ground where only a handful of floodlights struggled to pierce the gloom, offering meager visibility.
"To think it would be in a place like this… However, I don't see a single mech or weapon anywhere. We are surrounded by nothing but solid bedrock. Unless…"
"Precisely. The armaments are concealed within the towering cliff faces." Svarog confirmed her suspicion.
"No wonder! No wonder we couldn't locate this alleged arsenal anywhere—" A thought struck Topaz, and she snapped her head up. "Wait a minute! You said these weapons have been hidden here the entire time? Does that mean… during the Great War between the Architects of Jarilo-VI and the Legion, these weapons were never even deployed?"
"These automatons have never left this facility since their construction. When the IPC evacuated this planet over seven centuries ago, the knowledge required to activate this batch of weaponry was lost to the remaining inhabitants."
"Utilizing the blueprints left behind by the IPC, the Architects constructed the first generation of replica automatons. However, within the Resistance led by Alisa Rand, the vanguard remained comprised of flesh-and-blood humans."
"…Oh, is that so? The legends surrounding this world are becoming increasingly captivating." 」
「 .....」
〜Demon Slayer World〜
"Hah? Isn't this 'IPC' crowd a bit too wretched? They didn't even bother telling the people of Belobog how to activate the automatons?"
Sanemi Shinazugawa only had to imagine himself in their shoes for a second to feel the rage rising. It felt like spending a fortune to forge a Nichirin Sword specifically for slaying demons, only to be told after it was finished that the blade was for display only—that he'd have to kill demons with his bare fists, yet still pay the full price.
"Under these circumstances, shouldn't the debt owed to the IPC be subject to some form of remission?"
Shinobu Kocho also felt this was terribly unfair. For the people of Belobog, it was equivalent to spending the money and losing lives, while their descendants unknowingly accrued seven hundred years of interest. It was the maximization of pure loss.
"Remission? What remission? Shinobu, can't you see the true face of the IPC by now?"
Sanemi sneered coldly.
"The IPC only has eyes for money and that… Amber Lord of theirs. Aside from that, they are no different from man-eating demons."
"Demons kill your physical body, but the IPC seeks to wring every ounce of value from your existence. These bastards don't care about 'sacrifice' or 'resistance'; they only care about profit. They just love relying on the size of their fists to bully people within the rules they set up themselves!"
"…"
Shinobu lowered her head in silence. Initially, she had thought that if the IPC ever pioneered a path to Earth, she could leverage their technology to eradicate demons once and for all… but now it seemed she had overlooked a critical question from the start—what would be the price?
The crushing weight of the IPC might be even more terrifying than demons. They have no fangs, yet they display their "fangs" in invisible ways. Faced with humans just like herself, Shinobu felt an overwhelming sense of powerlessness.
—
「 Having said this, Svarog posed a question to Topaz: "Without the intervention of the IPC, this world is destined for ruin—do you believe in this conclusion without a shadow of a doubt?"
"…" Topaz lowered her head in contemplation for a moment before finally nodding. "I do."
"Before coming here, I reviewed countless case studies and reached a unanimous conclusion: of all the worlds plagued by a Stellaron, not a single one has ever escaped the fate of annihilation."
"Even with the assistance of the Astral Express, even if things appear to be improving on the surface… these are merely temporary windows of respite."
"Long-term crises usually lurk beneath the veneer of prosperity, completely imperceptible to the average person."
Svarog nodded. "Understood."
"Understood? That's it? You don't intend to express your own opinion?" Topaz's tone held a hint of expectation.
Svarog indicated that while it did possess opinions diametrically opposed to Topaz's, they were irrelevant. It was merely a tool, not a decision-maker; it simply wished to verify if Topaz's answer was sincere. 」
「 .....」
〜Frieren: Beyond Journey's End World〜
"…Annihilation, heh. It appears this little girl failed to reference the case of the Xianzhou Luofu."
Serie's fingertips tapped lightly on the armrest of her throne, her nails clicking crisply against the marble.
"The Xianzhou is a civilization that coexists with 'calamity.' Over the long eons, they have likely grown accustomed to crises on the level of a Stellaron."
"During the Stellaron outburst on the Luofu, the true killing move was not the Stellaron itself, but Phantylia… Relying solely on a Stellaron, the Disciples of Sanctus Medicus could hardly have stirred up any significant waves."
"But Lady Serie…"
Genau suddenly spoke up from the side.
"Because of this incident, the Xianzhou Luofu has thoroughly offended Phantylia and the forces of Destruction. Looking at the long term, isn't this also a massive crisis lurking within?"
"If that Lord Ravager were to return in the future and join forces with the Abominations of 『 Abundance 』, then I fear…"
The Luofu of today has only just emerged from a crisis. While the surface is calm, the predatory gazes of Destruction and the Abominations of 『 Abundance 』 certainly fit the description of the "long-term crisis" Topaz spoke of.
"Hmph, then there is even less need for outsiders to worry. The Astral Express will not sit idly by, and if the Luofu is in peril, the other Xianzhou ships will not remain indifferent. Furthermore, as the one orchestrating the entire board, Elio of the Stellaron Hunters possesses a gaze that reaches further than anyone else. If the Luofu truly faced an existential issue, he would have made arrangements in advance."
—
「 After leaving Rivet Town, Topaz's whereabouts became unknown. She arranged for a large number of subordinates to occupy the area and conduct asset assessments.
Himeko proposed avoiding direct confrontation with the IPC personnel. Gepard fully agreed; he decided to deploy a type of stealth-explosive automaton to knock out a group of IPC staff without anyone noticing.
The automatons worked effectively. Soon, the group arrived at a high platform and met with Svarog.
He had not engaged in conflict with the IPC personnel and informed the group that Topaz was just ahead. Regarding Topaz's perspective, he informed them truthfully: "In her view, merging Belobog into the IPC is the only path of 『 Preservation 』. Although I hold a different viewpoint, my current computational capacity cannot find evidence to refute her."
Despite saying this, Svarog still hoped that both sides would avoid armed conflict as much as possible.
"Of course. The Express Crew never advocates for conflict. However, once the situation fast-forwards to the drawing of blades, we never shy away. That is how we have come all this way, is it not?" Himeko smiled faintly.
The group took the elevator to the nearest plaza, where Topaz had been awaiting them for some time.
"Finally here~ I thought you weren't going to make it." Topaz turned around, looking at the approaching trio, and let out a curious "Huh?" sound. "The lady beside Miss March… I feel like she looks somewhat familiar?" 」
「 .....」
( Translator-kun: Just hear me out, Himeko is— )