How Not To Summon a Modern Private Military Company in Another World-Chapter 55

The door didn’t open.

Not because it was locked—but because Lyris stopped them with one hand raised.

"Wait."

Ragna froze mid-step, claws half-curled. Mira’s grip tightened on the towel she was still holding, useless but instinctive.

Another thump rolled through the ground. Heavier. Metallic. It came with a low vibration that settled into the bones instead of the ears.

Then voices outside. Calm. Short. Controlled.

Boots passed the door at a jog.

A radio crackled in the corridor.

"...copy, visual confirmed... continue sweep... no deviation..."

Ragna leaned close to the door, ears twitching hard. "That’s not combat. They’re not panicking."

Mira swallowed. "Then what is it?"

Lyris exhaled slowly. "Routine."

The wall panel chimed again. The same neutral voice spoke, longer this time. The tone didn’t rise. Didn’t rush.

Whatever was happening, Atlas had done it before.

Ragna grimaced. "I hate that."

The thumps moved past their building, receding down the lane. The vibration faded into the larger hum of the base.

Silence followed. Not empty silence—working silence. Generators. Distant engines. The faint murmur of voices carried on the air through metal and concrete.

Mira finally lowered the towel. "Do we... go back to bed?"

Ragna looked disappointed. "You’re kidding."

Lyris glanced at the door, then the bunks. "We stay put. If they want us involved, they’ll come get us."

Ragna crossed her arms. "I don’t like being left out when something big is stomping around."

Mira gave her a tired look. "You also don’t like being shot by thunder sticks."

Ragna opened her mouth, then closed it. "...Fair."

They waited.

Five minutes passed. Then ten.

No alarm. No shouting. No weapons fire.

The wall panel chimed again—once. Different tone. Softer.

Then a knock.

All three stiffened.

Lyris went to the door and opened it halfway.

Ward stood there, helmet off, tablet under one arm. His sleeves were rolled up, and there was dust on his boots.

"Sorry about the noise," he said. "Didn’t mean to scare you."

Ragna leaned around Lyris. "You brought a walking metal beast past our room." 𝘧𝑟𝑒𝑒𝘸𝘦𝘣𝑛𝑜𝘷𝑒𝓁.𝘤𝘰𝓂

Ward blinked. "Oh. That."

"That," Mira repeated flatly.

Ward scratched his jaw. "Maintenance walker. Cargo platform. We run it at night so it doesn’t clog traffic lanes during peak hours."

Ragna stared. "You run giant metal things around villages at night."

Ward shrugged. "Keeps them from breaking during the day."

Lyris studied his face. No tension. No aftermath.

"So there’s no threat," she said.

"Nope," Ward replied. "Just logistics."

Ragna muttered, "I’m starting to hate that word."

Ward glanced past them into the room. "You three good?"

Mira nodded. "Just... surprised."

Ward gave a small smile. "Yeah. That’ll keep happening."

He tapped his tablet. "Albert wanted me to check in. Let you know tomorrow’s schedule shifted a bit."

Ragna perked up. "Shifted how?"

"Earlier start," Ward said. "You’re joining morning rotation."

Mira frowned. "Rotation?"

"Breakfast. Movement. Brief observation blocks. Nothing dangerous," Ward added quickly. "Slice-of-life stuff, if you want to call it that."

Ragna narrowed her eyes. "Why do I feel like that’s a trick?"

Ward shrugged again. "Because it’s boring. And important."

Lyris nodded. "We’ll be ready."

Ward hesitated, then added, "Also—no more surprise thumps near the guest wing tonight. Walker’s parked."

Ragna looked mildly disappointed again.

Ward stepped back. "Get some sleep. You’ll want it."

He left.

The door closed.

For a moment, none of them moved.

Mira let out a long breath. "I don’t know how they live like this."

Ragna flopped back onto the bunk. "I do. They trust their walls."

Lyris climbed back to the upper bunk, but she didn’t lie down right away. She sat, elbows on knees, listening to the base settle.

Eventually, sleep came.

—

Morning arrived without sunlight.

The lights brightened gradually, soft at first, then steady. A chime followed—gentler than the night alert.

Ragna groaned. "If that’s an alarm, I’m killing it."

Mira sat up slowly. "It’s... polite."

Lyris was already awake.

The wall panel spoke again. Same calm voice.

"Guest Wing occupants. Morning cycle has begun. Breakfast service available in five minutes. Escorts available upon request."

Ragna stared at the panel. "It talks like a librarian."

Mira swung her legs off the bunk. "I miss birds."

They dressed in the same plain clothes from the night before. Lyris tied her hair back. Mira struggled briefly with unfamiliar fastenings. Ragna gave up and left the shirt slightly crooked.

When they opened the door, the corridor was brighter. Activity had increased. Soldiers passed at a walk, not a run. No tension.

An escort waited near the end of the hall. A woman this time. Short hair. Rifle slung.

"Morning," she said. "I’m Chen. I’ll take you to chow."

Ragna glanced at the rifle. "Is that coming with us?"

Chen smiled thinly. "Always."

They followed her out into the base.

The difference from the night was stark.

Where darkness had hidden scale, daylight exposed it.

More buildings. More people. More movement.

Lines formed and dissolved with practiced ease. Personnel moved with cups in hand, talking quietly. Vehicles rolled through designated lanes without honking or shouting.

And the smell.

Not oil this time.

Food.

Ragna’s ears rose instantly. "I smell bread."

Chen nodded. "Bakery unit runs early."

Mira blinked. "Bakery. Unit."

They entered a wide structure with long tables, metal trays, and a steady hum of conversation. No shouting. No chaos. Just... people eating.

Ragna stopped dead. "This is a tavern."

Chen laughed. "No. It’s a mess hall."

The food wasn’t extravagant, but it was abundant. Eggs. Bread. Something fried. Fruit cut into neat sections.

Ragna loaded her tray without shame.

Mira took less, cautious. Lyris took what she needed and sat where Chen indicated.

Around them, soldiers ate and talked. Some laughed. Others stared into mugs, half-awake.

No one stared too long at them.

Ragna took a bite of bread and paused. "...This is fresh."

Chen glanced at her. "Yeah. Supply line runs daily."

Mira chewed slowly. "You feed thousands like this?"

Chen shrugged. "If we don’t, they don’t work."

Lyris watched a group nearby arguing over something trivial—sports, maybe. She didn’t know the words, but she knew the rhythm.

Normal.

After breakfast, they were guided through more of the base—but slower this time.

Ward met them near a smaller building marked with a simple symbol.

"This is admin," he said. "You won’t love it."

Ragna groaned. "I knew it."

Inside were desks. Papers. Screens. People writing, typing, filing.

Mira’s eyes lit with wary interest. "Records."

"Everything’s recorded," Ward said. "Movements. Supplies. Decisions."

Ragna scowled. "Sounds like a nightmare."

Ward smiled. "It’s accountability."

They weren’t asked to do anything yet. Just watch. Observe.

A soldier checked in supplies. Another filed a report about a damaged vehicle. Someone else logged civilian requests from Aldo.

Mira leaned toward Lyris. "They track everything."

Lyris nodded. "Which means nothing disappears quietly."

They moved on again.

Midday found them back near the residential block—not the guest wing, but Aldo’s section.

Villagers were already at work. Under supervision, but not forced.

Some learned to use simple tools. Others helped in kitchens. Children attended a makeshift class under a canopy, watched by two Atlas personnel and one villager elder.

Marla spotted them and waved.

Lyris returned the gesture.

Ragna watched a group of men learning to reinforce fencing with unfamiliar materials. "They’re not just keeping them alive," she said. "They’re changing how they live."

Ward, who’d rejoined them, nodded. "That’s the point."

Mira frowned. "Won’t the kingdom notice?"

Ward didn’t sugarcoat it. "They already have."

Lyris turned. "And?"

"And they’re arguing about it," Ward said. "Which buys us time."

The rest of the day passed like that.

Observation. Short explanations. No pressure.

They ate again. They rested. They watched.

It was unsettling in a different way than danger.

By evening, Ragna looked restless.

"I haven’t swung at anything all day," she complained.

Ward glanced at her. "You want to?"

Her eyes lit up. "Yes."

"Training ring," Ward said. "Non-lethal."

Ragna hesitated. "...Non-lethal?"

Ward smirked. "You’ll live."

The ring wasn’t a pit. It was a padded floor inside a reinforced room. No crowd. Just a few instructors.

Ragna faced a soldier in protective gear.

"Rules?" she asked.

"Tap out or get tapped," the instructor replied.

Ragna grinned. "I like him."

They clashed.

Ragna was fast. Strong. Her instincts were sharp.

The soldier was disciplined. Grounded. Predictable in a way that frustrated her.

She won—but not easily.

When it ended, she was breathing hard, fur damp with sweat.

She laughed, sharp and genuine. "Again."

Ward shook his head. "Tomorrow."

By nightfall, they were back in the guest wing.

Tired. Fed. Quiet.

Ragna collapsed onto the bunk without complaint.

Mira sat at the table, writing notes in her own script. Observations. Comparisons.

Lyris stood by the window again.

The base lights glowed steady against the dark.

No thumps tonight. No alarms.

Just order.

Behind her, Ragna spoke into the quiet.

"...I don’t hate this."

Mira didn’t look up. "That scares me more than the walker."

Lyris didn’t turn.

She watched Atlas breathe.