episode_0320

The words of those around him lingered in his ears like a prophecy. One day, the boy, harboring lofty dreams, made a firm resolve. He vowed to deliver hope to humanity through the power of science.

His conviction remained unshaken even as he became a young man. Rather, it hardened like steel. He believed he was the sole individual capable of improving imperfect humans and leading all people to a paradise of happiness. The throngs of people reflected in his eyes were nothing more than a foolish flock of sheep. Their withered brains could not even conceive, let alone embrace, such a noble mission. Yet, the young man did not despise the ignorant masses. Instead, a peculiar pity resided in his heart. Looking down at the lower classes, filled with jealousy and awe, he thought. It was regrettable, he thought, that they would never grasp the vision he held.

To eternally guide ordinary people down the path of wisdom. That was the calling the young man had cherished all along. A shepherd, staff of science in hand, guiding his young flock through the chaotic world of Lustrum. He believed that was his destiny.

At least, until he met his accursed relative.

“Bernike! You devil’s kin! This cursed woman is blocking my way again!” Raihan’s voice echoed through the mansion’s living room.

“How can that inferior genetic fragment be part of my bloodline? That cursed woman only has a high IQ, not true genius! Damn it, she must have stolen other people’s research and manipulated data. She just managed not to get caught. That’s the only way… it makes logical sense. But… how did that hellish woman! How did she get an Apostle!”

To Raihan’s furious monologue, his secretary cautiously countered. “Chairman, objectively speaking, Dr. Bernike is a recognized figure in academia. Her abilities have been thoroughly verified.”

At the secretary’s rebuttal, Raihan’s face twisted like rotten fruit. As a scholar, he closed his mouth before the undeniable truth. Instead, his rage found another outlet. Raihan kicked Experiment Subject 140, which was crawling on the mansion floor, as if lashing out at his helpless reality.

The human head attached to the lizard’s body sobbed silently.

“That’s the crux of the problem!” Raihan said, grinding his teeth. “You understand, don’t you? That hellish woman… she’s a mistake of nature! A monstrous mutation, a twisted mix of intellect and madness! How can such an abominable being be my relative? How can she share the same blood as me? It’s utterly disgusting. How can such a contradictory existence even exist?”

A profound sense of displeasure seized him. Though he didn’t know the cause, it was terribly irritating. It was always like this. Significant research tasks, groundbreaking projects, were invariably snatched away by that accursed witch, a variant branched from the bloodline of the wise Luminexa progenitor. She always got ahead. Always one step, then another. That fact was creating fissures in Raihan’s perfect worldview.

It was utterly unacceptable. This was something he *had* to do. And the witch even sought to monopolize historical discoveries.

His anger diverted in another direction.

“Those noble brats with nothing but shit for brains! Those old-fashioned fools of the foundation!” The world was overflowing with idiots who hindered progress under the guise of stability and order. Those who impeded development by advocating superficial ethics and morals, ignorant masses clinging to safety and tradition, lurking everywhere.

Outdated old humans, blind scientists. How preposterous it was to speak of royalty and nobility in this age? Like antiquated antiques who didn’t even know the preciousness of individual freedom and rights.

“The liberals were right. Weren’t they?”

“…That’s classified. I’ll pretend I didn’t hear that.”

As a scientist, he found the hunters from the old nobility pathetic. Humans were, in the end, organisms evolved from a single cell. Weren’t they just foolish primate degenerates with a narrower gene pool than even dogs?

Ultimately, the current system was nothing more than a masquerade of lucky monkeys. A world of pathetic apes who had merely gained abilities by chance.

“All humans are equal. Except for the imbeciles, of course! Don’t you agree?” Raihan snarled at his secretary.

“If the Chairman thinks so, then it is correct.” An emotionless reply emanated from beyond the secretary’s opaque mask.

Raihan stopped his outburst and slumped onto the sofa. “I’m trying to lead humanity forward, but those bastards with nothing but excrement in their guts can’t keep up!”

He lamented. Ignorant and show-offy knights who only handled metal and machines, and barbaric soldiers, had monopolized the best test subjects. What they would do was obvious. They would make vinegar out of the finest wine.

Coolly, the exclusion of Laflaxia was inevitable. Their history was marred by technology theft and industrial espionage. To make matters worse, the Laflaxia security department had kidnapped prospective joint research institute personnel and committed reckless sabotage to gain access to the institute.

After Bernike’s return, Restraid, who grasped the full extent of the situation, could not suppress his fury. If it weren’t for Laflaxia’s excellent capabilities and its position as a branch family of Luminexa, harsh measures would have been taken long ago.

Raihan fidgeted like a child who had missed out on the last limited-edition robot on display. Meanwhile, as Experiment Subject 140 remained motionless like a lifeless doll, the secretary mechanically dragged it to the incinerator. Raihan, having lost his outlet for anger, hugged the fragments of his shattered dream and slumped helplessly onto the sofa, sobbing.

Pathetically fumbling, searching for a breakthrough for the advancement of science.

“I can do it, only I can.” The shepherd of biotechnology muttered, gazing into the air with mad eyes.

**

While balancing training and classes, we Violets checked the relic equipment we possessed. Having focused solely on quantitative growth until now, we felt it was time to pay attention to qualitative aspects as well. We acutely realized this need after mastering tactical immersion techniques against the rogue masters last time.

“The sound is definitely different, isn’t it?”

When the sword was swung, a sharp, tearing noise echoed through the air. It was to be expected. This was the Death Throes of Lament. The weapon used by the Boundless Witch.

“The scholarship officer entrusted this to us, doesn’t that mean he trusts us?”

“I think so!”

Seijis is an excellent master skilled in martial arts. He would know how powerful this weapon is just by looking at it. It didn’t have special abilities like the Blade of Incandescent Flame, but it was incredibly sturdy and maddeningly sharp.

-Sizzle!

As Aether flowed through it, mana streamed along the blade incredibly smoothly, unlike any other weapon. The intensity of the flickering sword energy field was fierce. Compared to the level infused into other weapons normally, it seemed to have increased by at least two or three times.

“It’s all good, but it’s heavy!”

No. 1221 swung the Zweihänder in her hand repeatedly, her face filled with inquiry. This weapon is powerful. Although it was a used item, it had undeniably crushed armored combat suits manufactured by Restraid, specifically the hardest breastplate sections, in a single blow. There was a good reason why the Boundless Witch chose this. It was a bit heavy, but since we were used to handling heavy weapons and had strengthened our bodies, increasing our physical strength, using it wasn’t a big problem for us.

“What could it be made of?”

We looked around casually, but couldn’t guess. We showed it to the Helios Relic Excavation Department and inquired with the intellectuals we Violets knew, but everyone responded that they didn’t know.

“Everyone said it must be a product from another world.”

Even after thinking it over carefully, it didn’t seem like a human-made weapon or tool that had become a relic. The blade’s surface was densely engraved with intricate, hair-thin circuit-like patterns. Perhaps it came from another world, just like our other relics.

“Indeed, just looking at this Hand of Fate, it doesn’t seem like something a human would use, does it?”

No. 2434 moved the golden gauntlet on her hand. This too was equipment that boasted considerably powerful performance among our weapons. However, as our numbers increased, we felt the need to secure more new relics. Preferably offensive weapons or those that help with mana recovery.

“Right! Barrier necklaces aren’t very useful to us.”

The Violets checked each relic that would be useful to purchase. We wracked our brains, summoning all our non-existent knowledge, wondering where we could obtain good weapons. Unfortunately, perhaps because it was four years before the main story, we couldn’t immediately acquire the items we wanted, but by investing connections, time, and funds, we would surely find them.

“It’s fine! It’s not like there are enemies we can’t defeat without specific weapons, right?”

At No. 2’s valid point, all the Violets agreed and stopped being anxious. Even the staves recycled from what the Vanguard guys used were quite decent, so magic-related equipment wasn’t urgent, nor were firearms or other gear desperately needed.

“Then, what’s left is armor.”

The armor issue was a bit tricky. While we could replicate shields and armor, there were limitations to a certain extent. The performance of protective gear that all Violets could be equipped with was, at best, capable of blocking bullets and some magic, and deflecting fragments. It was exactly the average for hunters in this world. To go beyond this, the best course of action would be to acquire a large quantity of high-grade defensive gear sufficient to equip all Violets.

Moreover, with a few exceptions, most armor would be torn apart by the energy fields infused into cold weapons. Without mana flowing through them, bulletproof plates sold in the used market or special armors from professional workshops would be cut down by sword energy just the same.

“Still, it’d be good to have one or two, wouldn’t it? Perfect for creating variables.”

So, the Violets decided to repair the used armor they had salvaged, inheriting the spirit of the rogue masters.

“Good heavens, what in the world did they do to get it so crumpled?”

“I don’t know, they said they fought a mid-to-high-level demon beast…”

There were instances where technicians were dumbfounded by the crumpled breastplate, but in the end, they spent money to repair and even repaint it.

The Armored Knight Violet was born.

The rumbling power core, the amplified strength and mana, transmitted through the entire body. No. 221 strode through the factory building as a test.

“I am Knight Violet!”

Now, we Violets no longer feared artillery shells. If Irene’s clan had more money, they could buy plenty of these armors and establish an armored knight unit.

“Since we have armored knights, next we’ll get Vanguard equipment or try making it ourselves! Violet Vanguard!”

“Just Vanguard and Steel Guard won’t be enough, will it? What was that name again? Let’s try emulating the Patent Decapitation Unit and Arsylt’s Elite Unit too!”

Imagining the Violet Vanguard and Violet Knights marching through the center of Lustrum made us excited.

**

Folding away our imaginative wings, we headed to the maintenance depot, anticipating a historic moment. Today was the day the Iron Fist of Ruzilin, the Type 15 Super-Heavy Tank, would officially begin its reassembly.

“Finally!”

After having its rust and grime completely removed and all regeneration processes completed, the Iron Fist of Ruzilin only needed its essential parts installed and its engine and armaments attached.

“Wow… the tank we saw back then is… so huge!”

Enrica, who had accompanied us after finishing her studies at home and claiming to be bored, was overwhelmed by the tank’s grandeur, her round eyes widening further. The sheer intimidation emanating from the super-heavy tank’s massive chassis was truly overwhelming. The fact that the two of us watching in front of it happened to be beautiful girls around 150cm and 140cm tall also played a part.

“Isn’t it cool? That tank is our friend and subordinate! I’ll give you a ride once the work is done.”

“Huh? Okay. By the way, that thing hanging from the crane feels similar to my energy. Is it a nuclear reactor?”

“Oh! That’s right. How did you know?”

It was indeed an intuition worthy of Enrica. What was being installed today was the nuclear power pack, the very heart of the super-heavy tank. They said they would first attach it and try running it as a test.

The engine room opened, and the reactor slowly slid into place. After several checks, a technician signaled that it was ready to start.

“Iron Fist! How does your new heart feel?”

“I feel immense power! It’s beating much more vigorously than my old heart. I feel like I can run much faster!”

“Of course! You’re an old tank. Technology has advanced a lot since then, so it’s inevitable that your new heart would be more powerful.”

Perhaps because it was a fairy, or because it was its own body, it could immediately tell what had improved and what had worsened. Its reaction to the new heart was significantly positive.

-Thump!

A dull, heavy bass sound vibrated through the maintenance depot. The low-pitched resonance gradually intensified. Soon, steam billowed out.

“Good, I feel power overflowing! This is it!”

Iron Fist’s reaction was positive. All the technicians also confirmed no issues, so it was clearly a successful integration.

An anomaly occurred around that time.

“No. 221! Go closer to the tank. Don’t you feel something? Mana is gushing out.”

“Oh, you’re right?”

The Iron Fist of Ruzilin slowly, gradually began to emit mana. And that mana was gathering and flowing in a specific direction.

No way.

“The mana regeneration rate…!”

“It’s gotten faster!”