Ch.131Cradle of Life. Scofield Baby Factory (1)

“Welcome to the 13th century.”

“Happy 1201.”

January 1, 1201.

Now we have officially become mortals living in the 13th century.

Ah, of course, we should exclude the elf sisters, but since mortals outnumber them 3 to 2, let’s just say we won by majority vote.

“Sigh… The 13th century, huh… Somehow I feel like I’ve become an old person too.”

“Don’t say such things in front of someone who’s actually old. It’s sad enough being old as it is.”

“Hehehe…”

I laughed awkwardly, then caught the first snowflakes falling from the sky in my palm.

In Parcival, enough snow would have already fallen to build snowmen, but here, at a lower latitude, the first snow was just beginning to fall.

The first snow on the first day of the new year… isn’t that quite sentimental?

Of course, it’s only the first snow in this region; in other areas, it either hasn’t snowed yet or it snowed long ago.

But experiencing the first snow here where we’re walking—isn’t that a more important sentiment than such trivial details?

“I don’t know why, but I don’t really feel like it’s winter until it snows.”

“Oh? Is that so?”

“No matter how cold it gets, if it rains instead of snows, I just think ‘autumn is a bit chilly this year.’ Without snow, the impression of winter feels faint…”

This actually relates to street life as well.

The Relief Knights don’t consider it winter until it snows, so they only set up field shelters and distribution centers to prevent the homeless from freezing to death once snow falls.

Thinking about it now, nearly half of the fragments that make up my personality are memories of struggling to survive on the streets.

Well, I’m almost 17 now, so it’s just due to my lack of experience.

From now on, I’ll be spending more time in inns and caves than on the streets. Isn’t it about time I put aside my Parcival street rat ways?

“Anyway, we should be arriving soon.”

“It really took a long time~ I need to go to the baby factory and pinch those newborns’ cheeks.”

“Sister, are you some kind of vampire? Besides, if you try to touch babies without brushing your teeth, security will come running in horror.”

“Heeng…”

“Hahaha.”

Elves love babies.

It could be a racial characteristic… but it’s more like how elderly people brighten up when they see babies and try to give them candy.

After all, to elves who typically live 100 or 1,000 years, the youngest specimens of the already young human race must look especially soft and squishy.

“You’re like a grandmother.”

“Want to die, boss?”

“What will run out first? Your arrows or your aura?”

“Eeeek!”

“If you’re upset, hurry up and become an aura user so you can infuse your arrows with it.”

Teasing the grandmother who’s over sixty, we finally reached the baby factory in Scofield Plains.

More precisely, we reached a low hill overlooking the baby factory. Since the plains themselves were so flat, even this small hill provided a view of the entire area.

“This is… beyond just an industrial complex?”

“It’s truly an industrial city. The claim that it occupies half the plains wasn’t an exaggeration, it seems.”

I nodded at Simon’s words.

Honestly, we don’t really know how vast Scofield Plains is, but just looking from up here, the baby factory facilities stretching to the horizon were enough to make us feel intimidated.

At least the person who named these plains, Ryker Scofield, must have seen this sight before giving it his name, right?

If so, he achieved an unprecedented feat as an adventurer.

Even if not the same kind of adventurer as today, whoever discovered these plains after a life-or-death struggle during the dark period of the 13 Kingdoms deserves to be rewarded with the highest honor.

“Let’s pick up the pace now. We should have lunch inside there.”

When I said that, everyone spurred their warhorses.

The three warhorses carrying five people galloped down the slope, and before long, we arrived at the entrance to the industrial complex.

*

“Welcome to the 13th century baby factory. Please go left if you’re a customer, right if you’re a tourist.”

The guard at the entrance spoke in a businesslike manner.

But we and the other people obediently followed his instructions, mainly because there was a 40mm gun turret mounted above the guardhouse where he was stationed.

“I haven’t seen turrets like that since leaving Faerus Veil.”

“They have turrets like that in the Veil?”

“Police stations and military bases have thousands to tens of thousands of those turrets installed. Even stronger ones.”

“Ha. Even a decent aura user would be turned to minced meat in an instant.”

Faerus Veil is the heart city of the Faerun continent.

It’s not at all strange that they would have thousands or tens of thousands of turrets installed just to guard a single factory.

I didn’t see them when I was wandering around the Veil, but since they’re used for security at police stations and military bases, I suppose my perspective wasn’t unusual.

Anyway, we stood in the long line on the right, and the guards took the horses and cars that tourists had arrived in to designated parking lots and stables.

Some horses made sad noises, but they couldn’t allow horse dung and exhaust fumes into the factory interior where cleanliness had to be maintained.

“We will now begin disinfection. Everyone please raise your arms above your heads. If you do not agree to the disinfection procedure, you cannot tour the factory interior.”

After some murmuring, everyone raised their hands above their heads, and the staff began spraying disinfectant on the clustered tourists.

Chiiiiiiik!

“Ugh…! That’s cold…”

The disinfectant, like a cold fog exquisitely mixed between liquid and gas, began to spread in billowing clouds. Once it had spread to the end of the line, the staff sprayed again from the end to the beginning, completing the disinfection procedure twice.

“The disinfection is not yet complete, so please do not move.”

But this apparently wasn’t enough, as the staff huddled the crowd together again and tapped something on their tablets.

Suddenly, part of the ceiling support at the entrance detached, and something emitting red ultraviolet light descended from above!

“We will now begin ultraviolet disinfection. There is no harm to the human body, so please remain calm.”

As the staff member said this, the ultraviolet disinfection drone began to scrape over the crowd with ultraviolet light, like a plane shaving wood.

Ziiiiing…..

Like being bathed in red rain, the ultraviolet light brushed past us, and I didn’t feel any physical discomfort.

Perhaps it was due to the aura that firmly protects against external threats, but seeing that others didn’t show any reaction either, it seemed the process truly didn’t cause any physical harm.

“The disinfection procedure is complete. Tourists, please move according to the control staff’s instructions.”

Soon the disinfection procedure was completed, and staff members with red armbands, armed with electric shock batons and pistols, surrounded us.

“We will now begin the factory interior tour procedure. You must not touch the factory equipment, nor interfere with the staff’s work and labor. Also, newly made babies are in a very sensitive state, so approaching too closely could worsen their condition, so you must maintain a safe distance. If you violate any of these items, Scofield Baby Factory has the legal right to demand compensation for damages.”

After the long explanation, the person who appeared to be the senior among the agents blew a whistle and guided us.

Rumble rumble….

The crowd began to move as if they were one, and soon we boarded ten repulsor lifts.

“Huh… I didn’t expect to see repulsor lifts again.”

Using heavy equipment typically used for high-rise construction for tours seemed awkward to me, but others were just standing on the lifts, blankly waiting for departure.

Swoosh!

Soon railings began to rise around the edges of the lift, and after the staff who boarded with us checked that the railings were secure, they called for departure.

“Railings good!”

“Departing!”

Woooong….

The repulsor lift began to move heavily, and with a slight sense of inertia, we began to enter the factory.

“We now invite you to the largest baby factory in the world. Though our time is short, please fully appreciate the wonder of life that humanity has cultivated.”

Listening to the staff’s impressive words, we entered through the light of the lamps hanging from the factory ceiling.