I sincerely apologize. I have been bedridden due to illness until now.
The forest northwest of the Canopy Holy Capital is called the “Forbidden Ground,” and it belongs to no territory.
A radius of 5km around it is strictly off-limits, and a 50km vicinity is restricted from colonization.
The reason such strict quarantine measures are in place is because it is said that demons reside within the dense woods.
Demonic entities wielding magic that hunt humans.
“Is there no information on that area?”
“Every investigation team sent there has vanished without exception. It has been forbidden ground since the time of the Patriarchs.”
“That sounds rather troublesome.”
So even though we are told not to go, we now have a pressing reason to venture there.
Let’s put the “Valley of Death” aside for now. The culling has been done there, so things should be quiet for a while.
However, now that we know Virgil has acquired a factory capable of manufacturing railguns in the north, securing Block II-2B for mass-producing Titan-2 units has become urgent. We need to properly “enlighten” the heretics by lining up guardian deities; otherwise, warfare will lead to excessive casualties.
We certainly don’t have the luxury to fight amongst ourselves. It’s absurd to allow such愚蠢ness.
“But those demons are genuinely dangerous. They cannot communicate, and they attack every human on sight, suspending them upside down and flaying them alive.”
While it feels like a propagandistic exaggeration of the enemy’s cruelty, the Cardinal Secretary’s words carry some weight. Considering the previous investigation teams all perished and the detailed information from those incidents, it is presumed such atrocities did occur.
“However, I lack the confidence to wipe out a dragon with just one guardian, and I can’t control the northern people with their unshakable unity alone.”
“That’s true, but… ”
“Still, there’s only this much military force stationed nearby. I believe it’s sufficient to take a gamble with, don’t you think?”
“Then… ”
He seemed to want to suggest extracting more forces, but I waved a hand in refusal. Given the situation where Virgil’s attack could come at any moment, reducing our forces here would be absolutely unwise.
If the Titans-2 can carry out their intimidation by Selene’s remote control, that’s fine in principle. However, if enemies press on regardless, the city will have to defend itself alone with limited firepower.
With the rebuilding of our forces progressing slowly, sending precious knights into dangerous situations risks losing their home base altogether. That’s an unacceptable outcome.
We must keep the knights stationed in Canopy Holy Capital to serve as deterrents.
“Anyway, rest assured. We’ve also bolstered our forces.”
“From the forbidden factory section?”
“Right. We’ve established five multi-legged combat vehicles there, more than capable of handling half-hearted enemies. Also, our tank forces have expanded to three units.”
At the “Inanna 12” factory, I had set up routines to continue producing parts even in my absence. Upon returning, I found five APCs completed, greatly increasing our transport capacity for personnel and supplies. We recruited twenty members from Tech Gob, and another twenty from Sylvanian, swelling our total to nearly one hundred, forming a company-sized force.
Furthermore, we mass-produced mortars—though in the dense woods, they may not prove very effective—our forces have significantly increased regardless.
With this much strength, while dealing with large Nosferatu would still be challenging, we have enough force to scatter other enemies with our expanded firepower.
With this capability, we certainly won’t fail in the forbidden grounds.
“…I shall provide the data later. Though they have not been explored since the time of the Patriarchs, I still think it will be helpful.”
“Even if its usefulness is uncertain, I appreciate the offer greatly.”
“But please, be extremely cautious. The balance of power we have now only exists because of you.”
I understand. My actions deter Virgil from large-scale movements—he’s likely opting for assassination tactics using expendable pawns. Given this, I intend to stay vigilant, avoid reckless actions, and return safely. Once that promise was made, Aurelia seemed satisfied and proceeded to retrieve information through the console in the guest room.
Continuously issuing warnings, I boarded the newly built Dicotumus-4 to leave, ensuring no one would notice my departure. Even the crafty Virgil must not have a means to annihilate me outright—otherwise, he would have already used it—and thus, I confidently navigated the streets.
“The footage quality is terrible.”
While I was browsing data, lounging in the cockpit with my feet on the console, Selene, who had been nestled in the jumpsuit’s chest pocket, popped out for direct connection.
“Captain, your posture is improper.”
“The strict formality gets to me eventually. So, what do you think of this?”
“Given the old data, it’s inevitably flawed. Shall I attempt some corrections?”
After agreeing, she adjusted the data from the Magius Geanaite helmet’s recording device, mending the damaged information based on conjecture. There lies the great difference between numerical selfhood and artificial intelligence.
They work like us, relying on experience-based instincts and “hunches” which defy verbalization, unlike rigid entities awaiting exact definitions—like individuals who draw people eating ramen without hands.
“This… it’s a forest of ferns and cedar, quite a dense jungle indeed.”
“Man, this is going to be messy. Blocked vision is definitely a bad omen.”
“That’s what the knights of those times were worried about too. They’re cutting away branches with blades… here.”
As the blurred outlines in the corrected video became clearer, a knight leading the camera-wielding operator abruptly disappeared from sight. The imagery alone makes it a full-blown jungle horror, suggesting a monstrous assailant far from ordinary human capability.
“It’s a hand, pulling them out of the frame.”
“How on earth did it approach without detection?”
The scene resumes with a scream—its brevity implying swift execution. This incident proves both the ineffectiveness of Magius Geanaite armor against these “demons” and the potential existence of artifacts or unknown principles unique to this Terra 16th.
Their skills in stealth seem remarkable indeed.
“Let’s see how our sensors and reconnaissance drones fare, then.”
The forest density might limit visibility to only about 5 meters. Anything beyond is obstructed by foliage and trees, demanding extensive deployment of drones to mitigate danger.
Without them, we might end up with a horrifying fate like those in cheesy horror films—a knight turning to warn their rear guard only to realize they’ve vanished.
Unlike those cinematic fools, this knight acted wisely, retreating on their own. The rapidity of their escape, without screams or calls, suggests a priority to retrieve information. However, their efforts seemed fruitless. A sudden shake precedes a 180° inversion of the view and cessation of movement—evidently, the knight’s head was taken.
Ah, so that’s why the information was recovered from the abandoned armor—the warning level was indeed that high. Yet, I started questioning whether the exploration party had committed grave taboos themselves.
First, any person living amidst the forest likely holds it sacred. Invading it with Gear-Armor, cutting down branches indiscriminately, would naturally offend any inhabitant.
Moreover, their sizable group was excessive; a close-knit culture might perceive it as an invasion, warranting retaliation.
Finally, camping openly before the entrance and rushing in would defile the domain in any culture. The team likely intruded under the Canopy Holy Capital’s paradigm, without probing the “demon” dwellers’ sensitivities. Thus, a lack of communication is not surprising.
We need to proceed with maximum care, avoiding provoking the locals. If they, like the Tech Gobs, cherish their settlements, the clash could escalate into war.
“One moment there… a figure appears holding the head, doesn’t it?”
“The moment of the throw?”
“Let me correct the image. However, with backlighting and motion blur, it’s not entirely reliable…”
As the figure’s fleeting, few-frame image gets adjusted, the vague shadow resolves into a monochrome humanoid shape—one that electrifies me instantly.
“An Elf!!”
“Pardon?”
“Isn’t this silhouette of an Elf?”
Excitedly pointing at the outline resembling the Elves from the legendary tales of the renowned J.R.R. Tolkien—though not officially canonized, many admire him and include me in their number—the image strikes a nostalgic chord.
The tall, slender build, the intricate hair-braided head suggesting pointed ears mimicking sensors.
This must be an Elf! I had speculated that someone in crafting this Terra 16th must be a fantasy enthusiast, and indeed, here’s proof of it!
What a pity this might be an Elf responsible for killing our compatriots, else we might have shared some fine drinks over it. As I excitedly compared this corrected still to various data—from the cheese-laden Elves of a VR game I had played just before falling asleep, to records salvaged from ancient archives, even to post-mechanized human creative renditions—Selene, weary of my antics, collapsed all the data with a wave of her arm.
“Captain, you’re jumping to conclusions. The Tech Gobs only mimic goblins in appearance and aren’t truly fantasy monsters”.
“But, they appear rational and fitting the description perfectly!”
“How many visual elements are you selectively perceiving? There are various elements—camera lenses, exposed servomotors, dangling wires.”
“But, it’s an Elf! Wonderful, Elves!!”
Even our race might resemble Elves somewhat, my colleague suggested tepidly, but there’s a key difference…
Despite our unaging and near-immortal states, we’re not Elves. Some individuals even wear pointed or bamboo-shaped ears as accessories, thinking they are Elves, but we are fundamentally distinct!
It’s about the essence of fantasy!
“Mechanized humans often suddenly explode in incomprehensible directions.”
“Can you stop being so formal all of a sudden?”
Amidst our digital sparring, the Dicotumus-4 under automatic pilot continued on, heading toward where my comrades waited on the outskirts—bearing my fanciful reveries.
【Exploratory Notes for the Planet】The Church canonically venerates scientific masters but also unofficially celebrates the creators of recovered timeless masterpieces.
Religious practitioners, or what might be called archaeologists of the old world, adopt an adult attitude: “Go ahead and indulge in your interests as you please.”
I aim to update this by 18:00 on 2024/08/23, if possible.
