The Skeleton Soldier Failed to Defend the Dungeon-Chapter 105. The Tomb of Insects (4)

Bzzt!

Bzzt!

Bzzt!

The sounds drew closer. Countless massive wingbeats drowned the darkness, carrying vibrations so intense they felt violent. The endless clattering of friction reverberated through my bones.

I instinctively crouched lower. I never imagined I would be this on edge just from the vibrations of an insect swarm.

"Ah, hold on. Shall I drive them away?" Elwin said as if she remembered something.

Elwin reached into her pocket and tapped on a small device she had put away earlier. It was the same device that had created the translucent map in midair.

This time, I heard a voice from the exterior of the beetle. "Activating high-frequency emission mode: Perseus VHA-111."

A smooth sound flowed out.

Ziiiing.

The beetle spread its wings wide.

Thwack.

Unlike during its gliding mode, both wings fully extended to 90 degrees.

Fwee! Fwee!

The perpendicular wings emitted strange soundwaves. High frequencies barely audible to human ears radiated outward from the wing tips and the center of the vibrating beetle.

New vibrations mixed into the air. They were similar to the vibrations from the approaching insect swarm, but they also offset them. The offset didn’t only happen in the air. The pitch-black darkness racing toward us gradually veered away, passing by at a distance.

When faced with phenomena I couldn’t logically explain, adopting a sentimental stance wouldn't be easy. I was overwhelmed by the scene unfolding before my eyes.

I stood dumbfounded.

Elwin kindly explained, "They’re actually pretty delicate machines since they just emit the frequencies they dislike. We’re not heading to the center. We're going to just skirting around it."

Her explanation didn’t diminish the miraculous nature of the event. Maybe it was because there were so many parts I didn’t understand.

After a moment of silence, I managed to mutter a single word: "Magic."

The actions of the fox-masked sister seemed far more magical than those of the two court wizards who had guarded the emperor.

Elwin smirked. "Heh, I explained it properly, didn’t I? Didn’t like my explanation?"

"Magic..." I repeated.

"Sure, if that’s what you want to call it. So, what were we talking about earlier?"

I regained my composure. "You mentioned the Empire. Do they just leave this land barren like this?"

"Ah, yes, good question. The Tower once sent them to investigate here. All the tower lords and top-tier wizards came."

"The tower lords?"

"Yeah. They gathered the best of the best. You know, they were curious about why this was happening too. They froze and burned the mechanical debris and managed to reach the center for a brief moment. But you know what?" She paused, tilting her head slightly. "There was nothing. Just dirt!"

Elwin lightly kicked at the dry ground. Dust rose into the air, scattering everywhere.

The fox-masked sister looked at me against the backdrop of rising dust. "This land was completely empty."

"..."

I stayed silent. Since this was a subject I knew nothing about, silence was the wisest response.

"The mechanical debris—those insects—reappeared almost immediately. The wizards could only visit briefly before fleeing. Still, they were tower lords, so they made it out alive." Elwin shrugged and continued, "After that, they stopped investigating this place. They even erased the records. The Tower was embarrassed about running away."

However, I didn’t view them as pitiful or insignificant. The mechanical insect swarms numbered in the hundreds of millions. Even detecting just the edges of these swarms left me in awe. The fact that the tower lords of Azure had fought through and reached the center only made them seem more remarkable.

"Honestly, we should've gone there first," Elwin said regretfully.

I assumed she was referring to the Red Flake. "What were you planning to do there?"

"What else? Dig it up!"

"Dig it up?"

"It’s an empty wasteland, but the detected wavelength is ten thousandfold. If something’s there, it has to be underground. We’d have to dig down hundreds of meters, no matter what."

"..."

"Don’t worry, friend. I’m not asking you, a Skeleton Soldier, to do the digging. Elwin chuckled lightheartedly before adding, "This place will soon become the land of freedom. Once that happens, we’ll dig deep and investigate properly."

Her words startled me.

I whipped my neck around and asked, "The land of... freedom?"

She nodded. "It needs liberation, doesn’t it?"

"Liberation?"

"From oppression, privilege, and class. We need to free those wretched souls."

Elwin turned her gaze far behind us. The mountain range we had glided over came into view. Beyond that, I imagined vast lands where people lived, exploiting and desiring one another.

"You’re going to start a war?" I asked.

"If Ember and the Confederation launch a preemptive strike, victory will be within reach."

"Do you think the victorious Confederation will leave Ember untouched?"

The island nation of Embermere was a city-state that spanned just over 100,000 square kilometers. Compared to the larger powers flanking it, its area and population were less than one-tenth of theirs. Both the Empire and the Confederation could destroy Embermere alone without joining forces. However, Embermere survived as a third zone, balancing itself between the power and ideologies of the Empire and the Confederation.

"Are you saying Ember survives by maintaining balance?" Elwin asked.

I nodded. ƒгeewebnovёl_com

"Isn’t that how it has endured?" Elwin replied.

"Well, yes. Do you know much about it?" I asked.

Elwin smirked. "Not much."

The wilderness stretched vast before us, and time was abundant. Under the night sky, it was just the two of us. Elwin decided to become a bit chattier.

"Shall I start with something recent?" Elwin asked.

When the Confederation was tired of criminals fleeing to Embermere, they threatened to forcibly send investigators there. In response, Embermere openly contacted the Empire’s Director of Urban Development. They signed an agreement to transfer civil engineering knowledge in exchange for mithril ore.

When the Empire attempted to forcibly obtain weapons engineering, Embermere bribed the Defense Committee members of the Allied Congress. After demonstrating the power of their new armored golems, they leased three units at favorable prices, strategically placing them along the Empire’s border.

If one side unsheathed its sword against Embermere, then Embermere moved closer to the other side. However, it never engaged in charity. Instead, it always achieved its objectives by bribing those in charge or intimidating them with assassination threats.

"We’ve lived by turning the Empire and the Confederation into puppets we control. While we stayed out of it, they shed each other’s blood endlessly," Elwin said.

The story only deepened my questions.

"Why would you abandon something so advantageous?" I asked.

Elwin replied, "The strings have been cut. The Empire is no longer under control. The lines we established have all been strangely severed. We’ve already killed Elton Clemens, but if this doesn’t have an effect, we’ll have to act before the year ends."

"So, you wanted the emperor dead but also sold that desire at a high price to the Free Confederation?"

"It was a major opportunity. Of course, we made sure to take the credit."

Afterward, Elwin elaborated on the plan for Embermere and the Confederation to cooperate in invading the Empire.

So, this is what it was about.

The history I thought I knew was unraveling completely.

T&T’s inner circle only mentioned the Empire preparing for war. Did they not know about the plan for the Confederation and Embermere to preemptively strike the Empire?

If they had known, there was no way they wouldn’t have mentioned it. They wouldn’t have hidden it, especially considering they even shared information about serving Demon King Purson.

They didn’t know either.

The plan for the Confederation to strike the Empire first was top-secret information within Red Flake, the seven-member assassination guild. The bigger picture remained unclear, but too many massive clues were being handed to me.

War...

I’d never considered trying to prevent the decade-long war among humans. Even if I wanted to stop it, everything wouldn’t end just by stopping the emperor. I’d also have to stop Red Flake—the organization the fox-masked sister belonged to—Embermere, and the Confederation.

It was a daunting task.

I kept my mouth shut.

***

Another day passed. The fox-masked sister shared more stories with me.

Elwin talked about the beetle-shaped relic and explained many details about Perseus. "It’s rechargeable. You have to let it charge starlight while it’s off."

"Starlight? What’s the point of turning it off during the day? Wouldn’t it be better to just use it then?" I asked.

"The sun is also a star, my friend."

I already knew that much, of course. "The sun is... a star? That’s quite the joke. Stars come out at night, and the sun comes out during the day."

Elwin glanced at me briefly.

Then, as if giving up, she said, "Fine, I misspoke. It charges with both sunlight and starlight."

I felt slightly mocked. "Hmm..."

"..."

"By the way," I said, breaking the awkward silence with a question that had long intrigued me. "About that ten thousandfold thing..."

"Yes, my friend? Speak."

"If it’s discovered, can anyone use it?"

Elwin stared directly at me.

"Why? Do you want it?" Elwin asked, her tone suddenly sharp.

"..."

"Do you want it?" Elwin repeated.

I remained silent.

Elwin slowly enunciated her words, almost biting them out. "I cannot let you have it."

The darkness around us grew cold.

"I will never allow you to have it. Red Flake manages the relics."

I instinctively took a step back.

Clatter.

"Hehehehe..." Elwin chuckled. "Even if someone else managed it, it’d only be a headache. Understanding it is crucial. If it’s used recklessly, who knows what consequences it might bring? Leave it to us."

After that conversation, I couldn’t bring myself to ask her anything further. Elwin's brief display of attitude had left me utterly overwhelmed. Though she lightened the mood with jokes, I couldn't initiate another conversation for two days.

***

I had a direct, practical question that I could no longer suppress. "I have a question... Where exactly are we going?"

The fox-masked sister poked her head forward momentarily before she turned back to me and exclaimed, "Ha! Took you long enough to ask!"

"I trusted you," I replied.

"Of course! We’re going to Ember. Where else would I take you after sharing war plans? The Imperial Capital?"

We're heading to Embermere?

I had guessed as much.

"So, the direction... isn’t this wrong?" I asked.

Elwin often displayed the translucent map in the air. Every time I saw it, my doubts solidified further. To go to Embermere, we needed to head south. We had to travel through the long, narrow Cabrolta Isthmus that connected the Empire and the Free Confederation. From the middle of the isthmus, we’d take a ship. Sailing a bit north along the coastal waters, we’d arrive at an island. That was Embermere.

"We should be heading south... but it seems like we’re going east." I guessed at the possibility and asked, "Are you planning to follow the coastline all the way down? Wouldn’t that be too roundabout?"

"Hmm? Coastline?" Elwin murmured, her expression puzzled. "We’re going to cross the sea."

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