It has been three days since then, and the journey has been proceeding smoothly.
Finally, signs of civilization have come into view.
“Ah, a road! There’s a road over there!”
“Well, of course they’d make a road. What do you take us for, Nozomu?”
We had been traversing the plains on all fours, but we have finally encountered a road.
This road suddenly comes to an end in the middle of the plains. It’s not paved or cobbled but merely consists of the undergrowth cleared away and the ground leveled. Its abrupt termination suggests that some kind of development effort was attempted but was abandoned midway due to unforeseen issues.
Was it the budget, or the lack of manpower? Perhaps some political disagreement?
Regardless, as long as the ground remains as even as this, we can proceed with our tires.
Our current vehicle, the simplified production model, wasn’t designed for rough terrain. We’ve been holding back on speed due to safety concerns, but now we can finally let it rip.
“But why does the road end so suddenly?”
“The Exgiel Border Territory is among the least prioritized regions of the four marches.”
Apparently, the Baron Exiel of the Border, who lays claim to this entire plateau as his territory, holds a position in the Canopy Holy Capital that is practically equivalent to exile.
Further south from here lies a barren wetland where water mixed with salt creates knee-deep mud, making any development impossible. The plateau itself suffers from water shortages, and the bedrock is too hard to dig wells, thus limiting expansion. To the north, the Central Mountains completely block access to the center of the kingdom. To the east, the climate is rapidly becoming arid, creating vast steppe regions unsuitable for colonization.
“Therefore, since only gentle races like the Sylvanians and Tech Gobs reside on the plateau, there didn’t seem to need to focus defenses here. That’s why the budget has been severely cut. I wonder if there’s even a single platoon of Magius Geanaite in the provincial capital?”
“That sounds like a bleak situation.”
“I’ve never seen such a desolate border territory before.”
Given the lack of colonization efforts in the arid zones, it seems the inhabitants of the Canopy Holy Capital are primarily agricultural peoples. Although farming could potentially be pursued in these areas, the lack of resources suggests either a lack of funds or a deficiency in irrigation technology.
And with it being a position akin to exile, it’s understandable that the benefits of the Holy Capital’s 3D modeling machines rarely reach this region.
This truly is a place that one might liken to being exiled or even treated as a penal colony.
“Alright, regardless of the circumstances, a road is still a road. Let’s gratefully make use of it.”
Alright, let’s push it to the limit. Everyone, check your seatbelts.
Once everyone had double-checked that they were securely fastened to the streamlined vehicle, I switched the vehicle to four-wheeled mode.
With that, the legs, which had been extended for running, folded up neatly along the chassis. The entire shape transformed into an aerodynamic ellipse, while the hooves flattened into tires. The built-in fluid motors began to rotate.
“Alright, we’re about to reach speeds incomparable to our previous ones. Everyone ready?”
“Didn’t we already go fast enough…?”
Despite our usual speed of 60–80 km/h, reaching up to 160 km/h is nearly twice as fast. Even the Sylvanians, who are used to speed, were startled. Galatea clung tightly to her seatbelt, screaming, while Ridelberdy’s lips flapped in the wind since he had accidentally left his mouth slightly agape. Even the normally swift Sylvanians showed signs of unease from the velocity.
What can I say? You should see our unified military vehicles. They’re far more robust, with certain armored wheeled vehicles capable of reaching a top speed of 600 km/h on paved roads. Compared to that, what we’re doing now is more like a casual tour.
Back on Old Earth, vehicles regularly exceeded 100 km/h, racing down highways all the time. Let’s use this opportunity to get acclimated.
Besides, don’t worry—it’s safe. Selene ensures the road ahead is secure, so as long as I don’t crash, neither will anyone else. It’s designed just like a roller coaster… well, except there don’t appear to be any amusement parks in this area.
“Captain, my apologies for interrupting what must be a breeze, but there’s a fallen tree 2 kilometers ahead.”
“Thank you, I’ll slow down.”
I received the alert from my companion and naturally began to decelerate, but then noticed something odd. We are in a grassy plain surrounded by knee-high grass, with groves of trees visible in the distance, but there are no natural conditions that would cause fallen trees to obstruct the road.
And given Selene’s warning, these aren’t small twigs or branches that could be easily dispersed, but serious obstructions.
“Multiple heat sources detected.”
“Huh?”
As an unpleasant premonition crept over me, thermal imagery from aerial reconnaissance appeared on my retinal display. There were over a dozen people lurking in the grass, their heat signatures blending subtly with the surroundings.
Ah, so these are highwaymen?
We stopped about a kilometer from the fallen tree, and I headed over to where Galatea was.
“S-surely we’ll die… Gear Caliber wasn’t designed for such maneuvers!”
“Galatea, sorry to disturb you, but it seems we’re about to be ambushed.”
“W-what are you saying?”
I explained how the road was blocked by a fallen tree and multiple heat signatures were hiding nearby. She immediately identified them as bandits.
This area lacks regular travel routes, leaving it isolated from nearby settlements, but occasionally merchants come seeking tools made by the Tech Gobs, making this an opportune spot for ambushes.
“By the way, how does the Holy Capital typically handle bandits?”
“A live capture is usually sentenced to mine labor, while the severity of the punishment depends on the intended victim—many don’t survive.”
Hmm, that’s harsh. Considering we’ve encountered someone resembling Galatea, couldn’t things be done more peacefully?
I’ve dispatched countless adversaries, both in reality and VR, so I have no resistance, but I don’t want to establish a fearsome reputation in our first visit to a new area. Even if we defeat everyone, word could still spread through influential people hiring mercenaries, or warnings hidden in our supplies. That would be a nightmare.
So, despite Galatea’s dissatisfaction, I proposed a more peaceful resolution.
After racing at such high speeds, our approach must have been noticed from 2 kilometers away. Now that we’ve stopped so abruptly, they are likely wondering what’s happening.
Let’s capitalize on this opportunity.
〔Peter, gather a few warriors skilled in stealth〕
〔As you command, Lord Nozomu〕
I led a group of Sylvanians with stealth capabilities into the tall grass beside the road, crouching low and remaining hidden. Thanks to my Reinforced Exoskeleton, maintaining a crouched position wasn’t burdensome, and the armor was designed to avoid any noise from cloth rubbing together.
But the Sylvanians were far more skilled at hiding than I was. Moving low to the ground, they were both quick and silent, an impressive feat achieved through their hybrid body structure combining traits of rabbits and bipeds.
Managing not to be left behind, we soon arrived near the fallen tree.
“…They’re not coming, huh?”
“Maybe there’s some kind of equipment malfunction?”
The bandits spoke a language derived from the same linguistic system Galatea had taught us, though their tone carried an ordinary, unthreatening vibe.
“Hey, maybe we should give this up. It’d be better to help travelers and earn some money that way.”
“Damn it, we can’t back out now! Without a big payday here, the estate will never…”
Unaware of being watched, they discussed their plans aloud with remarkable volume. Their armaments were pitiful: only one of them bore a mechanical bow (likely of Tech Gob origin), with the rest wielding crude farm tools and spears.
I wonder how they thought they could pull off highway robbery with those.
Maybe they have their reasons, so let’s hear them out.
I pulled a small can from a pouch on my belt and distributed it to the Sylvanians.
Of course, these were no ordinary cans. They were flashbangs: devices that, through the rapid reaction of aluminum and magnesium, produce a sudden, intense flash and sound.
I had Selene prepare a few of these non-lethal weapons, particularly effective against carbon-based organisms, to avoid accidentally killing anyone and causing resentment. They’d also allow us to seize the advantage with minimal risk, making them very practical to carry.
Besides, using these would minimize the chances of mishandling for the Sylvanians unfamiliar with combat. Handing them a fragmentation grenade would be risky—should they accidentally throw one incorrectly and end up blowing themselves up, I might cry for half a day in absolute sorrow, based on real-time experience.
Anyway, everyone scattered and pulled the pins on the flashbangs, their optimal throwing posture and blast radius displayed via the FCS’s integration. Then, we hurled them at the bandits.
“What the…”
Three seconds after hitting the ground, the timing mechanism activated, and the explosive burned, causing a chemical reaction between the aluminum casing and magnesium. This resulted in a tremendous flash, far brighter than staring directly at the sun, along with an ear-splitting sound.
“Ahghghghgh!? I can’t see! Owww, kill meee!”
“Wha… my ears! Ahhhhhh?!”
Unable to endure the simultaneous loss of their two most relied-upon senses, the bandits promptly collapsed one by one.
Calling the wolf-like vehicles over via radio and instructing the warriors to surround the bandits, I seized what appeared to be their apparent leader, a man who stood out from the group.
“Calm down, your eyesight and hearing will return shortly. Can you hear me?”
“Earrrrghhh… my ears hurt… the world is spinning…”
“That would be the effect of a weapon designed to damage your vestibular system.”
Hmm, but he certainly doesn’t resemble a typical bandit. He wore no armor, only a shirt and pants made of linen and cotton, with mismatched buttons crafted from wood and animal bones. The fabric was frayed and worn, clearly indicating a lack of funds.
This was less the kind of highwayman I’d defeated innumerable times in VR, and more like a villager seeking help due to bandit troubles.
Upon closer inspection, his hands were covered in calluses from farm work, and his nails were filled with stubborn dirt, evidence of toil. His body, while clearly muscled, was shaped by agrarian labor rather than military training, as evident in the developed muscles on his arms and waist.
“Three warnings: movement will result in death, refusal to answer will result in death, lying will result in death. Do you understand?”
Grabbing his collar, I pressed the bayonet to his throat. Sensing the cold metal, the man immediately ceased resisting.
“I-I understand! I’ve got it! We surrender! We haven’t done anything yet!!”
“But you were about to do something. Right?”
Through his leathery skin, darkened by working long hours outside, I could see his tensed muscles sweating profusely.
His few wounds were neither blade cuts nor deep but instead superficial scratches caused by wood and stones, further suggesting his inexperience as a highwayman—likely their first attempt.
Well, if they were experienced, one would have to question just how lackadaisical this region truly is.
“What were you about to do?”
“Can’t you tell?! It’s robbery! We need… we need the money!”
“Why do you need the money?”
“I-it’s that the manor’s power plant is about to shut down! And those damn soldiers just took all the fuel, using the war as an excuse…!!”
Hearing his cry of despair, I unintentionally loosened my grip slightly.
“Uh… ?” Looking at Galatea, she emphatically shook her hands and head side-to-side in protest.
“It’s not us! We only paid for provisions and water!”
“They’re not soldiers, they’re private troops under the regional governor! All we got was some excuse about war and had everything taken away from us!”
This seemed to indicate a deeper issue beneath the surface.
Given that the group was clearly committing their first offense and appeared desperate, I decided to let them go this one time.
First, we’ll have them guide us to their manor—it’ll give us the chance to learn firsthand about the conditions of this area, given the extent of their hardship that drove them to plan such a robbery.
There’s much to be learned from their experiences…
【Planetary Exploration Notes】: In the Canopy Holy Capital, the focus seems more on penal labor over public executions. Sending offenders to mines to excavate relics is, in practice, the harshest available punishment.
I’m terribly sorry—I ended up drinking heavily and overslept until this hour.
