7 – Ruins, Albion (7)
“…The departure…”
Scarlett Peridot trailed off. I raised my hand to mark the date on the calendar in her place.
“On that day.”
“It’s in 7 days.”
“I think it’s better to advance rather than leave exactly on the date.”
“…That’s a good suggestion.”
Scarlet Peridot swept her arm.
“…I’m nervous. It’s something unpredictable.”
“Now that I’ve come, my mind has changed…”
“If that’s the case?”
Scarlet Peridot glanced at me. I shrugged my shoulders.
“We have to drag you out, even if we have to knock you out.”
“What’s your opinion?”
“I’ll worry about it later.”
“……”
Just tossing jokes back and forth.
It was clear that she wasn’t sincere either. If she had no intention of going out in the first place, she wouldn’t have asked like this.
Scarlet Peridot turned her head. Her expression was not visible, but she poked my side with her elbow.
“You’re so indecisive.”
“Because I don’t want Scarlet to die. But what if I refuse to go?”
“I’ll throw you outside.”
“Sounds similar, right?”
“Very similar.”
Scarlet Peridot carefully checked the facility’s interior. She organized the remaining supplies and double-checked the system’s expiration dates.
There was no ease in her mind just because there was one week left. Setting a date only made things more urgent.
Frontier Online.
Why was it named ‘Frontier’ and nothing else?
The reason was simple. The outside was filled with humans who had fled from another dimension. They have settled in various regions and are conquering this fantasy world.
These so-called humans were outsiders. Beings such as dragons, elves, and giants were all indigenous species.
The playable characters were limited to human races because they were the protagonists of this world.
Even the creatures called Harvesters were extradimensional beings that followed humans.
The purpose of humans was solely survival. Amidst that, the indigenous creatures and species were nothing more than mere hindrances.
They were hostile to the dragons.
They enslaved the elves.
They used orcs as laborers.
They exploited the dwarves’ labor force.
They restrained merfolk with collars.
They made werewolves into night watchmen, and so on…
Humans had enough hatred for the indigenous species. That’s why they were met with hostility by everyone here.
Nevertheless, what was the way to survive?
Their advanced technology. In their civilization, which the indigenous species couldn’t catch up to after decades of warfare.
In short, it was chaos outside. The war between the indigenous species and humans was ongoing, and there were frequent conflicts between humans and humans, as well as between the indigenous species and their own kind.
Amidst this, Harvest, who followed the traces of humans, mixed in.
An era where blades were closer than words and violence was closer than kindness.
Outside was like a mountainous hell. If this land didn’t have a fast resource replenishment rate and infinite resources springing forth, it would have perished soon.
Moreover, I am a dragon now.
I am not a life form welcomed by humans. I am a life form that has earned enmity from other indigenous species due to its characteristic arrogance.
I have to become stronger.
To survive.
…Just so that she doesn’t die.
“What are you thinking?”
“…I spaced out for a moment.”
I finished the combat simulation. The final score was S-rank in various battles, including the urban combat.
Having achieved the highest points in all of them, I casually loosened my neck. It was the same with Titan battles.
Completed the S-rank difficulty Titan Course clearing all 5 stages.
There were terrain features that helped, but it was an outstanding record. It was almost as if I defeated five Titans controlled by players simultaneously.
From difficult weapons to simple ones, as well as artillery and the unique magic of dragons, I mastered them all.
I could proudly claim to have become stronger. Far stronger than before. However, whether this performance would continue in reality was uncertain.
Even when I fought against Harvest’s janitor, it felt different from the simulation.
I let out a sigh. I had plenty of thoughts aside from combat.
Even if I managed to escape the outskirts of Albion, would life in the city be comfortable?
Beyond worries, there were more worries waiting. There was only one way to surpass them.
First, let’s give it a try.
Just being afraid won’t change anything.
“Scarlet, could you help me?”
“What do you want me to do?”
“I want to actually handle a Titan.”
…Wait.
Now that I think about it…
“Scarlet.”
“Yes?”
“Titan core.”
I stared at hundreds of empty shells.
“Do you think I can replace it with mine?”
. . .
The core of the ‘Flametail’ I brought. It contains not only simple combat sensors.
A secondary artificial intelligence is embedded in the Titan’s core. It makes judgments on its own and assists the pilot.
And it likely contains the combat records from when Dracon died.
If that’s the case…
Could the reason for my arrival here also be recorded here?
“……”
I bit my lip. The Titan’s core was replaced with Dracon’s exclusive Flametail.
Noisy boot-up sounds. The machine started moving with a clanking sound.
…However.
What I wanted wasn’t there.
“There are no records.”
“……”
“But…”
She furrowed her brows.
“Pilot Dracon synchronization rate 95%… What on earth…?”
“Is it high?”
“It means you can use it almost as if it were your own body. Dracon, you’ve already achieved an S-rank in marksmanship and all combat abilities. Imagine being able to use that in this gigantic machine.”
“……”
It’s almost as if it’s a natural disaster. Just the size of the body alone exceeds 6 meters.
“The average synchronization rate…”
“At best, it’s 70%. Among the innate warriors, the highest recorded synchronization rate is 72%… Also, Flame Tail belongs to the Guard class. Although its body size is average, its durability and hardness are unimaginably high.”
“…Hmm?”
“If the synchronization rate is 95%… It’s possible. It might dramatically increase the probability of survival…”
She glanced at me briefly. She held her breath.
“Drakan, I have a question.”
“What is it?”
“I’m not sure how long it will take, but there’s a relatively inconspicuous and faster way out. Time would be significantly shortened, but it’s like a gamble. Which one do you prefer?”
“Of course, the former.”
“…Never mind, don’t worry about me.”
“Still, it seems like the former is better.”
I nodded my head.
“I can’t leave you behind in my home.”
“……”
Scarlet Peridot blinked. She turned her head.
“…I told you not to worry…”
She touched her cheek lightly. Then, she let out a small sigh.
“You’re right. There’s no need to shoulder unnecessary risk. Instead, it would be better to store the core separately.”
“Would it be useful to just carry the core?”
“The synchronization rate represents the bond between the auxiliary artificial intelligence and the pilot. Some consider it as evidence that machines are alive. By repairing parts of the core, it can be utilized in other bodies.”
“…So, what you mean is…”
“This will be your own Titan, Drakan.”
She took out the core from the Titan and handed it to me.
“You’re my second comrade. Congratulations, Drakan.”
“Second?!”
“…The first one is me. Isn’t it?”
I chuckled at her shyly spoken words.
“I made a mistake.”
“……”
It’s almost like a natural disaster. Just the sheer size of the body alone exceeds 6 meters.
“The average synchronization rate…”
“At best, it’s 70%. Among the innate warriors, the highest recorded synchronization rate is 72%… Moreover, Flame Tail belongs to the Guard class. Although its body size is average, its durability and hardness are extraordinarily high.”
“…Hmm?”
“If the synchronization rate is 95%… It’s possible. It might drastically increase the probability of survival…”
She briefly glanced at me. Her breathing stopped.
“Drakan, I have a question.”
“What is it?”
“I’m not sure how long it will take, but there’s a relatively inconspicuous and faster way out. Time would be significantly reduced, but it’s like taking a gamble. Which one do you prefer?”
“Definitely the former.”
“…Never mind, forget about me.”
“But still, it seems like the former is better.”
I nodded my head.
“I can’t leave you behind in my home.”
“……”
Scarlet Peridot blinked. She turned her head.
“…I told you not to worry…”
She lightly touched her cheek. Then, she let out a small sigh.
“You’re right. There’s no need to bear unnecessary risks. Instead, it would be better to store the core separately.”
“Would carrying only the core be useful?”
“The synchronization rate literally represents the bond between the auxiliary artificial intelligence and the pilot. For some, it is considered evidence that machines are alive. By repairing parts of the core, it can be utilized in other bodies.”
“…So, what you mean is…”
“This will be your own Titan, Drakan.”
She extracted the core from the Titan and handed it to me.
“You’re my second comrade. Congratulations, Drakan.”
“The second?!”
“…The first one is me. Isn’t it?”
I chuckled at her shy statement.
“I made a mistake.”
Yes.
She was my first ally. The person who listened to my entire story, and took my side.
I fiddled with the Titan Core. A high synchronization rate of 95%.
…Dracan had clearly said during the tutorial that he rode this Flame Tail for the first time. Nevertheless, why is the synchronization rate so high…
Does it simply mean that his talent is excellent?
Or is it because ‘I’ am inside this body?
No one could know the truth.
…
Flames rose. The third day before leaving.
Scarlet Peridot, who was fiddling with the empty Titan, made a mistake. After dismantling the engine joint and checking the structure, she accidentally failed to reconnect it.
“… Ugh.”
Fortunately, she wasn’t hurt. She just got soaked in cooling water that cools down while turning inside the Titan’s body.
“Puff.”
“… What’s so funny?”
“No, nothing.”
I quietly felt mischievous at her appearance, as if falling into the water.
“Oops.”
“Eugh?!”
She, who turned over the cooling water again, became angry.
From Noble mtl dot com
“Dracan!”
“Why?”
“You should experience it too!”
She clung to me. Her strength was weak, but her skill was excellent. My body was overturned in no time.
I could resist, but I didn’t put any force on my body. If I resisted forcibly, she would be hurt.
Moreover…
It was supposed to be a joke.
“Puff?!”
“How does it taste?”
She laughed. I laughed too. It was a childish game of throwing cooling water at each other. But for some reason, it was very enjoyable. Even while the cleaning machine was moving next to us, we sprinkled cooling water on each other.
Rolling around, splashing on the face, and even pinching each other.
After tumbling for a while, I lay down flat in the cooling water. It might feel stuffy, but I already knew that it didn’t affect the body in the first place.
Above all…
It was enjoyable too.
“Scarlet.”
“Yes?”
She turned to look at me while wiping her face. The fact that her pretty white hair was completely wet was somewhat charming.
In the first place, she was pretty… how should I put it… there was a natural charm about her.
She displayed great courtesy even in a slightly odd sitting posture. I sat facing her with a grunt.
“What do you want to do if we get out of here?”
“…I guess we need to find medicine first.”
“And then?”
“I think we need to earn money. Albyon’s currency can’t be used in other cities.”
“So, besides that…”
She was somewhat pragmatic. There was a tendency for her to focus on what was right in front of her rather than pursuing dreams.
“It’s about dreams.”
“You mean dreams?”
Scarlet Peridot wiped her head vigorously. I took a towel and gently wiped her long hair.
“I can do it myself.”
“I want to do it.”
“……”
Scarlet Peridot entrusted her long hair to me. I slowly and carefully wiped down her hair.
“If it’s about dreams… I’m not sure. I’ve always lived focusing only on what’s in front of me.”
“Didn’t you have anything you wanted to do?”
“Well… hmm…”
She glanced at me briefly.
“If I were with you…”
“Yes?”
“No, it’s just something I said to myself.”
A small cough.
“If we are being particular, I want to live in a quiet place.”
“Like a cabin on a lake…something like that?”
“That would be suitable. I hope there are many books.”
“Simple, right?”
“Is it really simple?”
She glanced ahead.
“I prefer quietness and reading books. I’m scared of change. I like having my own definite space. I’ve never had dreams or even tried dreaming.”
“Why?”
“Because I’ve always had illness with me. My parents saw me as a fragile glass artwork that could easily break. Even if I had something I wanted to do, they prevented me from doing it. Before I could do anything, they would come up with reasons for me to stop forcefully. Living like that…has tangled my personality in this way.”
“I like Scarlett’s personality.”
“Why are you talking about that so casually?”
“Because I mean it sincerely.”
“… “
Scarlett Peridot quickly turned her head.
“I, I don’t really dislike it either. Drakan, you always listen to me…and give me advice, which I follow. You’re like a well-behaved dog.”
“A dog that listens well?”
“I never said that! From the beginning, you didn’t even play jokes, and now you’re just getting too involved!”
“We didn’t have any relationship back then.”
“…And now?”
“Now…”
She roughly dried her hair. I quietly put down the towel soaked in ice water.
“I can’t be without you.”
“… “
She flinched. Though I didn’t touch her, the tremor was palpable.
…Did I say that for no reason?
I tried to act nonchalant, picking up the towel and standing up. But she abruptly grabbed my hand.
“I, I also…”
Scarlett Peridot whispered.
“Fe, feeling the same…”
Suddenly, the movement of the machines came to a halt. The color of the lights momentarily changed to red.
A trembling facility. As if about to collapse, violent vibrations engulfed the entire facility.
“…Huh?”
Scarlet Peridot stood up silently. She hurriedly ran to the maintenance machine and operated it.
An emerging map of the facility appeared. And within it, dozens, even hundreds, of red dots started blinking.
“…We’ve been spotted at the entrance.”
Scarlet Peridot’s complexion turned pale.
“It was closed immediately, but they’re breaking through the door. Drakan. Harvest’s army is coming here right now…!”
Tsk, can’t the author start the story with Mc getting his girl pregnant xD.