The group traveled in comfort.
It was so pleasant that one wanted to grumble about what yesterday's journey had even been.
First off, heating and air conditioning were fully equipped.
Second, there was no need to wear those stifling protective suits — all they had to do was sit on the cushioned seats.
Smiles overflowed on everyone's faces.
Zaza wanted to complain, wondering what all that grueling marching from yesterday had been for.
No — he knew that complaining would be unreasonable and selfish. But facing this absurd level of comfort, it was only natural to feel that way.
Zaza was a person of common sense, which meant he didn't adapt as quickly as the children did.
And the one person he'd considered a fellow common-sense individual — Lindou — was now enthusiastically engrossed in driving the tank-like vehicle.
"Hyah-haahh! This thing is awesome!!"
He was a completely different person, riding the high with total abandon…
(Lindou, I never thought you'd become like this…)
Zaza sighed at the sight.
But he couldn't complain. Lindou had been driving for everyone this whole time, so that much was surely acceptable.
The others driving their own buses were probably just like Lindou. That much was evident from how the lead vehicle swerved and the others followed in perfect tandem.
Besides, the children were enjoying the current situation.
Outside the windows stretched a frozen, barren wasteland — not exactly scenery for the eyes.
Yet Lindou, as if to entertain the children, deliberately showed off his advanced driving skills, skimming past boulders at the last second.
And instead of honking a horn, he used the sonic cannon to smash rocks in demonstration.
The sonic cannon was the only armament remaining on the bus now that its main weapons had been removed. But its power was ridiculously high.
Even on this terrible road, the vehicle maintained an average speed of eighty kilometers per hour without issue, and it handled better than a small car.
Rumors said it could even float in the air for short periods — leading Zaza to suspect it might outperform any universal tank currently in existence within the Empire.
Incidentally, entering water was apparently no problem either.
It was fully equipped with radiation-proof, poison-gas-proof, anti-biological weapon, and various other defensive barriers, sealed so tightly that not a single drop of water could get in.
Needless to say, the climate control system also included air purification functions.
Inside this vehicle, one was promised an environment more comfortable than an underground nuclear shelter.
The performance was so impressive that Zaza momentarily wondered whether this was really a bus.
And it wasn't only Lindou who was riding the high.
Kalman was the same, and all his subordinates were equally excited.
"Captain Kalman, this is incredible! We just got back from patrol, and our previous Enhanced External
"And there was no visual darkening from the acceleration — visibility remained perfect. Even in the middle of the electromagnetic storm, every sensor was displayed inside our heads… We could fully grasp and control all our performance!"
"And this thing called the 'Thought Communication Line' — I don't know how it works, but we can exchange intentions with each other even in the electromagnetic storm! It's faster than talking with words — we can share opinions in real time!"
"Absolutely incredible modifications. With this, I might be able to take on the entire Kalman Armored Division from before, all by myself!"
"You idiot, that's going way too far!"
"Totally. Bwahahaha!"
They confirmed their massively upgraded capabilities with each other, laughing together.
Their excitement was only natural.
It truly was. Zaza understood that feeling well himself.
Because…
Zaza had also undergone the modification surgery.
This new body — the Mobile Body — boasted performance that shattered Zaza's common sense.
According to Veldora, this body shared the same structure as Michel, one of the Quad-Generals.
He'd listened half-doubtfully, but now that the surgery was complete, Zaza was starting to think that might not have been a lie after all.
Because the body's responses were completely different from before.
The reactions that had always troubled Zaza, that he had to suppress with medication — the rejection response his brain felt — had vanished.
It was so natural he almost mistook it for returning to his original body. The responses felt entirely human.
For example, if his hand hit a chair, he felt pain. If he touched a wall, he felt its coldness. If he were to touch fire, he'd feel its heat.
If he slapped his own cheek, he felt real pain there.
In other words, tactile sensation had returned throughout his entire body.
Including pain, human-like five senses had been restored, and his brain was delighted by it.
As a result, his stress levels had been drastically reduced.
Despite being a mechanized soldier, his strength was now capped at roughly that of an ordinary person — that was Zaza now.
But he absolutely had not returned to a flesh-and-blood body.
That much was obvious from the fact that he could call up a monitor inside his brain whenever he focused.
The monitor displayed "Normal / Combat" in flashy, attention-grabbing text.
It was practically begging him to press it.
There was a switch inside his head, just waiting.
Currently, he was in Normal Mode.
Zaza was too scared to flip that switch.
All he had to do was direct his consciousness toward it with a pressing sensation, but… he had a premonition that doing so would subject him to even more beyond-common-sense power.
Kalman's subordinates had probably pressed that switch.
And the result was their current state of excitement.
"Hey, Zaza, I wanted to ask — inside your brain, there's a…"
"Don't ask, Kalman. If it's about whether there's some kind of switch or whatever in there, I've got no intention of answering."
Zaza wanted to pretend it didn't exist.
Despite having steeled himself, a greater anxiety than before the surgery was now besetting him.
It was the anxiety of suddenly having obtained power that felt far too vast.
Kalman must have felt the same, because after hearing Zaza's response, he nodded deeply.
In other words, the same display existed inside Kalman's brain as well.
"I see. Yeah, that makes sense. But man, this is really something."
At those words, Zaza looked at Kalman.
"Did you… maybe try switching it?"
"Yeah. Going in blind would've been bad. The instant I switched, it felt like the flow of time slowed down. All sensation disappeared from my body, but there wasn't a single problem. The brain monitor displayed a full-body diagram, and I could operate my body as if I were controlling that diagram."
Kalman was a career military man, so he'd been more attentive to his own condition than Zaza, who'd been in intelligence work. He said he'd run a performance check.
Sensations like pain, heat, and cold were all converted into displayed information. Numbers appeared, and through their decrease, he could read the damage he was currently taking.
He said he'd tested it by lightly cutting his arm with a vibration blade, and the corresponding number dropped. However, after a brief passage of time, the number returned to normal, and the wound on his arm had vanished.
"So there's a self-repair function too…"
"Yeah, seems that way. And when you enter Combat Mode, you can remotely control the Enhanced External Equipment — no, I mean the Mobile External Equipment. You can summon them, use them for reconnaissance, even have them carry out simple combat automatically."
"…You're serious!? I hate to say it, but at this point, anything goes, huh?"
The fact that they even had a communication method independent of wired connections — in an electromagnetic storm that jammed nearly everything except the military's classified satellite communications — was already astonishing enough.
And yet, with the modification surgery they'd received, they could now conduct not just wireless voice communication but even remote operation through the "Thought Communication Line."
Zaza's common sense was on the verge of collapsing with a crash.
Just a little peek — that's what the little devil of temptation whispered in Zaza's heart.
But Zaza held himself back with iron will.
He noticed that the smirking gazes of people observing him were directed his way.
(No way. I want to test it in case of emergency, but now is not the time. I'm not becoming their toy — no thanks.)
Zaza thought this and admonished himself.
"What's wrong, Zaza? Don't be shy. Go ahead and test that power to your heart's content."
"That's right, Zaza. I'm excited too, so why don't you go outside and fight Kalman for a bit!"
Why should I — should he retort?
Were they trying to make him a toy after all — should he complain?
"
"Indeed. Since we're using
Veldora, without mincing words, directly suggested that Zaza and Kalman have a mock battle.
And
Were they really that set on making them fight?
Could it be that they were even placing bets on who would win between Zaza and Kalman? Or whether a melee-type or firepower-type was better suited for combat?
That thought flickered through Zaza's mind.
I have to confirm this, Zaza resolved.
"Hey, Veldora. I hate to think it, but you're not placing bets or anything, are you? Like who's stronger between me and Kalman, or whether a melee type or firepower type is better for combat. You and Ramiris wouldn't be doing something that petty, right?"
Knowing full well it was disrespectful, Zaza asked Veldora with narrowed eyes.
And the result…
"I-I'm not doing any such thing! I would never engage in something so trivial!"
"W-What are you saying!? W-Wait a minute, Zaza — what do you take us for!? You think we modified you just to confirm something so irresponsible!?"
"Zaza. I commend you for not lumping me in with those two. So you understand, yes? I have no interest in such low-level matters!"
Just as Zaza had suspected, both Veldora and Ramiris were acting suspiciously.
They insisted they'd never even thought of such a thing, but their behavior was itself the clearest answer.
What surprised Zaza, though, was that Beretta also appeared to have been involved in the bet.
"So Beretta, you were in on the bet too? Which one of us did you put your money on — me or Zaza?"
Zaza had held himself back from asking, but Kalman went and dropped a bombshell instead.
Hearing that, Beretta stiffened on the spot.
(Kalman — are you some kind of fearless hero!?)
Zaza was stunned as well, unsure how to react.
"Ho-ho-ho-ho-ho. Heavens no, Kalman. Lord Veldora would never engage in something as vulgar as gambling."
It was Sharma who saved the situation.
"Well said, Sharma. As expected, Zaza and Kalman both lack vision. One must always look at the big picture!"
"Y-Yes, exactly! Master is absolutely right!"
"We'll let it slide this time, but do be more careful going forward."
Riding Sharma's words, Veldora and the others successfully smoothed things over.
Naturally, this was only possible because Zaza hadn't pressed the issue — but that went without saying.
◇◇◇
The mock battle between Zaza and Kalman was called off.
Veldora and the others wanted to conceal the fact that they'd been placing bets, and they feared further mention of the matter.
And so the group proceeded to their destination without any problems.
Well — problems did arise, but…
Patrolling automated combat machines.
Mutated monsters — different from the Super Beasts — born from radioactive mutation.
And armed mechanized thieves who belonged not to the Dawn's Light resistance organization, but to no one.
Monsters living in the barren wasteland, devoid of anything resembling human hearts.
Such threats would never let something as novel as this bus pass by unchallenged.
They were naturally targeted, but Kalman's subordinates swatted them all aside with ease.
"The performance is just absurd…"
"I know, right? That was incredible. Did you see it just make a ninety-degree turn?"
"Yeah. Changing trajectory freely at speeds exceeding the speed of sound… Setting aside the body, what kind of toll does that take on the brain?"
"No idea. I have absolutely no idea…"
There was no role for Zaza or Kalman to play.
Super performance. Super firepower.
Having shattered yesterday's common sense, Kalman's subordinates crushed the enemy with overwhelming combat power.
With them standing guard, the bus's defense was impenetrable.
"If things go well, we'll be there in two weeks — at worst, maybe three or more. I'd given up on everyone making it here safely, but at this rate, we'll arrive at our destination in less than an hour."
Zaza murmured with a faraway look.
It was a wonderful thing, of course, but it was all so easy, so unreal, that he couldn't quite feel it was true.
Relaxing in the air-conditioned bus seat with cold drinks provided for everyone…
It was only natural that Zaza thought, "Wait, really?"
"Come on, don't overthink it, Zaza."
Kalman consoled him with those words, then casually picked up the chilled water beside him and took a drink.
Pure water, free of any concern about toxins. Delicious.
That luxurious coldness elevated Kalman's mood.
It banished his anxiety and worries, and strengthened his desire to trust Veldora and the others.
And Zaza felt exactly the same.
"You're right. Worrying won't change anything."
Zaza nodded in agreement.
If there were people who could perform such extraordinary modifications overnight, then perhaps anything truly was possible now.
Worrying would only make a fool of himself — Zaza had finally come to terms with that.
(That's right. That's exactly it. Clinging to common sense is what really makes a fool of you!)
Zaza had finally reached that realization.
And so, Zaza and the others arrived at the destination Michel had indicated.
They entered the passcode and opened the door to the hidden base embedded in the ground.
Beyond the door in the rock face lay a staircase leading down, which opened into an underground space.
It was spacious enough to fit a thousand people comfortably.
However, since the living quarters hadn't been cleaned and the life-support systems hadn't been checked yet, they couldn't relax just yet.
On top of that, they needed to contact the other resistance bases and discuss future plans.
There was much to be done.
That was what Zaza and Sharma were thinking, but…
"Yo, Kalman. We've been waiting for you."
"Rights! If you're here, that means the one who prepared this place was—"
"That's right. Me, myself. On Lady Michel's orders."
A prior group was already waiting in the underground space.
Several dozen fully armed soldiers.
"Kalman, who are those people?"
Lindou stepped protectively in front of Sharma, eyes wary, and addressed Kalman.
But before Kalman could answer, the man called Rights smiled wryly and raised both hands.
And said:
"Whoa, whoa — I'm not the enemy. I've been entrusted with the operational unit for the southern region under Lady Michel's secret orders."
Even so, Lindou didn't drop his guard.
"Can you prove that?"
He directed the question at Rights.
Kalman himself had only just been told Michel's true intentions, and he hadn't yet figured out who could be trusted.
So he looked to Zaza with his eyes, asking—
"Sorry, I'm not in a position to know everyone in detail either. More to the point, those of us who carry secret orders don't maintain any contact with one another. Lady Michel's judgment was that if one person's mouth were to slip, it would put everyone else in danger."
"I see." Lindou and the others accepted that.
But that made it all the harder for Rights to prove he was an ally.
"However, the fact that you were waiting for us means you'd been informed of the situation by Lady Michel, right?"
"Exactly. Lindou, you're worrying too much. Lady Michel is secretly aiding the resistance, and very few people know about it. Why? Because that act would unquestionably constitute treason against the Empire. Knowing that, and still being here — that alone proves they are Lady Michel's operational unit."
"B-But Zaza! If that's the case, couldn't they have told us directly…"
"No, that would be difficult. Like Zaza just said — if one person's mouth slips, it puts everyone else in danger. Though I doubt it's the case, they also have to account for the possibility that imperial spies may have infiltrated the resistance. Everyone affiliated with the Empire has an identification tag embedded in them. As far as the Empire is concerned, we were purged and killed. At that time, our identification tags were destroyed."
"That's right, Lindou. I no longer have an imperial identification tag either. That's why I can't enter the cities, and routine communications could only be conducted outside of urban areas. It's inconvenient — without allies inside a city, preparing evacuation shelters would be impossible. You can understand why such people's identities need to be kept secret, surely?"
"When you put it that way…"
Indeed, an outside collaborator without free access to supplies would find it impossible to prepare an evacuation site like this.
With that explanation, Lindou was finally satisfied.
"I'm sorry. It seems I was too suspicious of you all."
Lindou apologized.
Rights laughed and forgave him.
"Of course you'd be on guard. Our official mission is environmental survey and resistance suppression, after all. Though we've earned a reputation as a bottom-tier unit, what with how often our transport supplies get stolen."
With that, Rights drew laughs from everyone.
◇◇◇
Thanks to Rights and his group having already prepared the shelter, Sharma could move ahead of schedule.
She left the children in Veldora's care and set about contacting the leaders of the other resistance bases.
Accompanied by Zaza and Lindou, she entered a room with communications equipment.
"As I reported last time, we have arrived at the safehouse prepared by Lord Michel."
Sharma promptly sent out her report to each base leader.
*'So, there was someone inside the Empire we could trust after all…'*
*'Michel, you say? She'd be one of the Quad-Generals — the highest rank in the Empire. Sorry to say, Sharma, but I thought you were all being deceived.'*
*'The story was to gather combat power, wasn't it? I'll support you all. I'll mobilize as much strength as I can.'*
*'Lord Zaland, isn't that premature?'*
*'Maybe. But listen, Lord Brancia — either way, we're at a dead end. With the deterioration of the environmental maintenance systems, more people are falling ill. Finding a new base from scratch would be difficult. Whether this is a trap or not, we have no other hope.'*
*'That's…'*
*'Indeed. We need to reconsider our thinking as well… We'd planned to make our judgment after observing your movements. We'll reach a conclusion by tonight.'*
The responses from each base were varied.
Some bases hadn't yet reached a conclusion, partly because Sharma's group had arrived earlier than expected.
But more importantly, the majority of the bases didn't fully trust Michel, and had judged that Sharma and the others were being deceived.
Now, however, with Sharma's group safely arrived at the new base, some began to consider that they could trust Michel's word.
In any case, the discussion wasn't going to reach a consensus at this pace.
On the elder's recommendation, the day's communications were concluded.
Each base would hold their own discussions once more, and the conference call would resume tomorrow morning.
That settled that. Now it was a matter of waiting for each base's response.
That was what Sharma and the others believed.
Michel had asked them to gather trustworthy fighting forces.
But while keeping certain information hidden.
Each base leader had been told that their collaborator was Michel — and that had been done with Michel's approval.
Michel had even said that if a spy were to infiltrate, they could use that to root out traitors among the base leaders. His willingness to make himself bait was admirable, and Sharma now fully trusted Michel.
Each base leader had been told that they needed to gather forces at Michel's request.
There was a possibility of conflict within the Empire, and the resistance should take action to exploit it.
They explained that cooperating with Michel would earn her goodwill and secure her support going forward…
It was only natural for the base leaders to be suspicious.
They too had comrades they needed to protect. They couldn't afford to waste their forces.
Persuasion would be difficult, but not impossible — that was Sharma's thinking.
As several base leaders had said, each shelter was already at its limit.
The surface was overrun with all manner of threats, and even hiding in the oppressive underground had its limits.
If that was the case, then they had no choice but to push forward.
And if so, now — while they still had reserves — was the greatest opportunity.
They had confirmed that there was an ally inside the Empire: Michel. That was precisely why cooperating with Michel to topple the current regime was the path to the resistance's survival.
Sharma steeled her resolve and sharpened her focus for tomorrow's meeting.
But the situation was not so kind.
A difficult problem awaited Sharma and the others that none of them had anticipated.
Having finished communicating with each base, Sharma's group returned to the main hall — and found an unfamiliar person there.
The stranger was covered in wounds, making it clear that combat had taken place.
Kalman and Rights were currently tending to the person.
"Who is that?"
"This is Michel's adjutant — a man named Gigil. Apparently something happened. He arrived here just a short while ago, barely clinging to life…"
Kalman answered Sharma's tense question.
It seemed he had escaped from the Empire.
There were no pursuers.
Gigil had apparently dealt with them himself, so that the location wouldn't be tracked down.
That was probably why he was in such dire condition.
"We've administered treatment medicine, and his condition is improving. The loss of consciousness was only temporary—"
"—Where is this?"
While Rights was explaining, Gigil opened his eyes faintly and murmured a question.
"Oh, you've regained consciousness just in time. Lord Gigil, it's me — Rights. Do you recognize me?"
"Rights… So this is the fifth underground shelter that Lady Michel prepared?"
"That's correct."
"Pursuers?"
"None. Kalman's subordinates are providing perimeter security, and they report no sign of enemy presence."
"So that was everything after all…"
Gigil let out a sigh of relief after saying that.
Kalman nodded and added:
"Lord Gigil, I'm Kalman. Lady Michel has revealed her true intentions to me, and I am now your comrade as well."
"I see. How reassuring. And everyone — I apologize for making such a sorry first impression. I am Gigil, adjutant to Lieutenant General Michel, and one who knows her heart. I am not your enemy, so please rest easy."
Gigil bowed, and Sharma, followed by the other executives, returned the greeting.
Then — unable to read the room, or rather, unwilling to — a man addressed Gigil bluntly:
"So, this Gigil. What exactly did you come here for?"
Hey!? Zaza panicked.
Not just Zaza — Kalman and Sharma as well.
Even Rights was speechless at the sheer rudeness of the man.
Gigil was Michel's adjutant — a supreme noble belonging to the ruling class of the Empire.
And this man's attitude toward him was far too brash.
Rights was about to step in and caution him, but—
"Now, now, Lord Veldora, please be a little more polite. In fact, we'll handle the negotiations, so could you perhaps go look after the children over there~?"
It was Lindou who jumped in to smooth things over, dousing the situation before it could ignite.
"Kuhaaahhahaha! The children are perfectly cared for by yours truly and have just fallen asleep. Besides, the first step in negotiations is critical. Leave it to me — I won't do anything unreasonable."
That's exactly what worries us!! those who knew Veldora thought in unison.
But none of them dared say it out loud.
"Ho-ho-ho-ho-ho. Lord Veldora, we cannot trouble you with such menial matters."
"Y-Yes, my lord! There's a fully prepared room ready for you — why don't you go rest there!"
"Hmm. You're not trying to exclude me, are you…"
As Veldora grumbled and was about to leave—
"I-That's right! This is no time for that — Lady Michel has been captured! We absolutely need everyone's help—"
Gigil's face went pale as he delivered that unbelievable bombshell.
And the situation took a sudden, drastic turn.