Chương 161: Chapter 44: "Yu and Lenks Investigate the Ancient Capital"

The next day. After getting ready, I decided to set off with Lenks to investigate the ancient capital, Estrayl. Lilna, fully recovered thanks to Lenks, offered to come along, saying, "Should I go too?" but having Lenks is already more than enough. Instead, I asked her to stay on standby in case something happened while we were away. She readily agreed. Stepping out of the villa with Lenks, I stretched greatly and inhaled the morning air. It didn't taste very good.

Or rather, since coming to this world, I haven't felt the air was delicious even once. Is it the scenery with almost no beautiful nature that makes me feel that way, or is the air actually polluted? Probably both. For a departure, the scene was too much in the middle of a big city to evoke any deep emotion. Besides, this isn't a leisurely trip, but mainly an investigation. Still, I felt a little excited.

"A trip for two, just like in Iskira, huh?"

"Yeah."

"I'll be in your care for a while again."

"I'd like to say 'Sure', but."

"What?"

"Before we leave. There's something I want to try. Could you hold my hand for a bit?"

"Eh, okay." When I held his hand as told. The next moment, a floating sensation I remembered feeling many times enveloped my body. Before I could think'Is this—', I was standing in an unfamiliar place with him.

"We arrived. This is Estrayl."

"... Huh?" The surroundings had completely changed from a moment ago. As far as the eye could see, it was a snowy field of monochrome gray. I say 'as far as the eye could see' because a blizzard of the same color was constantly dancing, significantly worsening visibility. The sky was covered with black, murky clouds endlessly. From there, gray snow continued to fall. The heartless fierce wind slamming against us with the snow tried relentlessly to freeze our bodies.

To me, stunned and unable to move due to the drastic change from a moment ago, Lenks nodded deeply and said.

"As I thought, I could fly. I can't use it across worlds, of course, but if it's a place I've been to once, well, it's like this." I see. Yeah. Wonderful. Very much. With you, we don't need a Trive Gate. But you know.

"Sigh. There goes the flavor of the journey." And here I thought we could enjoy a trip together for the first time in a while.

"The situation is pretty urgent, right? Be grateful. I also put up protection to shield you from radiation while I was at it."

"Yeah, thanks."

"What's with that unenthusiastic reply."

"It's true that when everything can be done as a matter of course, you don't feel as grateful. At this rate, we could have brought Lilna too." If you encounter this narrative on Amazon, note that it's taken without the author's consent. Report it.

"Ugh. I kinda feel bad now." Scratching his cheek looking a bit awkward, Lenks quickly pulled himself together, looked around, and narrowed his eyes sadly.

"The fact that we could fly here normally means that, unfortunately, there's no mistake this is really that Estrayl... What a terrible state..." According to Mom's story, the cityscape was gorgeous and advanced like a fantasy land. Now, not even a fragment of such things could be found. Far from the smell of civilization, not even the shadow of living creatures could be felt. The snowy field of death continued endlessly. Nuclear Winter. It seemed like a scene from the end of the world.

If I had gone alone, helpless loneliness might have attacked me.

"What should we do? I don't think we'll find anything, though."

"No. Rather, given this state, it shouldn't have been dug up poorly. Maybe if the underground part is safe, it might remain untouched."

"But how?"

"Just leave it to me." Lenks held up his hand and began to concentrate on something. Then, suddenly, the blizzard in the entire area stopped dead. Watching with bated breath, he eventually locked onto a target.

"There." Simultaneously with that word, the snow piled up far away disappeared all at once. He didn't melt it; it literally vanished without a trace. And where the snow disappeared, something that looked like an entrance to the underground opened up.

"Alright. Let's go."

"I want a little time to be surprised, you know." Following Lenks to the place where the snow disappeared, we went down the stairs to the underground. The stairs were quite long. When we descended to the end and proceeded further, we entered a room lined with rows of rusted metal shelves. The shelves were mostly empty with nothing left, but some still had metal plates remaining.

"This is..."

"A government document archive or something, I bet. It's quite spacious."

"Let's split up and search."

"Got it." When I flipped over a metal plate that caught my eye, it seemed some characters were engraved on it. But unfortunately, the letters were worn out and looked unreadable. I beckoned Lenks over.

"What?"

"Can't you use that? The thing you used to fix Lilna." Lenks stared intently at the metal plate and shook his head with a troubled face.

"Even for an object, when it comes to the level of thousands of years, it's a bit tough. Unless it's a FabL with a dedicated ability to manipulate time, it might be impossible, you know? Haven't met one yet though."

"If there's someone who can do that, they could change history and do whatever they want."

"True. But the scary part is I can't say for sure there isn't one. Seeing as someone like me exists."

"Terrifyingly persuasive." Most of the documents we found were unfortunately in no condition to be read. But there was just one that was luckily in good preservation condition, and we could read most of it. What was written there was shocking content. 【Project D Document: Estotia Cycle 2531, Day 268/401】 『As a result of that Interstellar Invasion War, our home planet received a thorough attack, and we lost everything. We survivors... made a bitter decision.

The conservation management and data collection of the home planet will be entrusted to the Computer System, and the actual work will be assigned to Natura. To execute the plan perfectly, we decided to manufacture multiple types of general-purpose Natura. Details will be discussed again at a later date. We plan to grasp the environmental status of the home planet appropriately and repeatedly conduct... tests. Note that the unit test period will be 200 Cycles... 』"Interstellar Invasion War...

It wasn't a nuclear war...!?"

"Certainly. The civilization level didn't seem like something that would take devastating damage from a mere nuclear war. Makes sense. Or rather, the whole text smells fishy."

"Really." However. What does this mean exactly? Combining it with the memories left in the'World of Heart', I decided to think it over carefully once more. Excluding the false history. Building up only what seems to be facts. In the past, it was called Estotia. Humans lived building a terrifyingly advanced civilization. Natura were strictly household robots. Then came the Interstellar Invasion War. Attack on this planet. The devastated planet. Lost everything. The bitter decision of us survivors. Project D.

Manufacturing of multiple types of general-purpose Natura. The intended killing between Natura and Humite. Management by computer. Data collection. Test. 200 Cycles. When a possibility where all lines connected into one emerged. I gasped.

"No way. No, if that's the case..." If this prediction is correct—what a thing!

"Now, if only I had solid evidence of the present..." Even if I know, it might not solve anything. Just knowing doesn't change anything. Still, I must reveal this truth. Those who died without knowing are too unrewarded. Perhaps, the enemy we truly should fight is——. The Central Factory. If my prediction is correct. If we go there, we should surely understand the truth. With Lenks here now, storming in is neither reckless nor anything.

"Lenks. Please. Can you take me to Diesnatura?"

"Sure. Easy peasy." Just when my hand was about to touch Lenks' hand——." Wait. That would be a little boring." Gasp! Turning around at the voice——. Before we knew it, he was there. A black-haired boy was staring at us with a disgruntled face. He hasn't changed. He has terrifyingly cold eyes that look like they could kill a person with just a glance.

"You are..."" Will...!" Called by name, he floated a fearless smile.

"Good day. It's been four years. Yu."