Combatants Will Be Dispatched - Volume 1 - Chapter 1.4

4 

On the road toward the fortress city, the armored woman gives us the rundown. 

“It came without warning. The demon nation that neighbors our kingdom of Grace declared war upon us without provocation.” 

The other members of the search party were off investigating the object that fell out of the sky—which was probably me and Alice. Once deployed, a heavy-duty parachute is a bit of a hassle to lug around. Which is why Alice and I had decided to leave it at the landing zone. I try to push any concerns about it being connected to our appearance to the back of my mind as I turn my attention back to our guide. 

“Well, that got dark really quickly. So what exactly are they after? Resources? Food?” 

The armored woman shakes her head no in response to my question. 

“They’re after land. I don’t know what it’s like where you’re from, but around here, there’s a limited amount of habitable land. There’s a giant monster called the Sand King that’s turning their country’s land into desert. But at the same time, they’re hemmed in by the Darkwood. Which is likely why they’ve decided to focus on our kingdom.” 

Sand King, monsters, evil forests—I’m not hearing a lot of encouraging keywords here. Is this planet really worth invading? At the very least, it seems more than the locals can handle. 

“The demons are probably aiming to conquer our kingdom, take over our lands, enslave the population, then use the slaves to settle the Darkwood. However, there’s an ancient prophecy that’s been passed down for generations in our kingdom.” 

“Prophecy…?” 

In spite of all the dangers, I feel a giddiness welling up in my heart. 

“That’s right, a prophecy. When mankind faces the wrath of the Demon Lord, the gods will anoint a champion with a mark on his hand. After facing many travails, the Chosen One will defeat the Demon Lord…” 

I remove the power armor gauntlet and show off the top of my hand. 

“Well then, it would seem that I am your Chosen One.” 

“That’s a mosquito bite.” 

Alice lets out a soft snort of exasperation, but my expectant gaze was never meant for her. I look up at the armored woman hopefully. 

“…Um…well…I hate to dash your hopes…but the mark has already appeared on one of the kingdom’s princes.” 

Dammit… 

My shoulders slump, and my eyes droop. The spring in my step is gone as I trudge along the road. I suppose the armored woman noticed my disappointment; she speaks up, trying to change the subject. 

“H-hey…so I don’t think we’ve been properly introduced! My name is Snow. I command this kingdom’s Royal Guard. What are your names?” 

“Combat Agent Six.” 

“I am Alice Kisaragi, the high-spec pretty-girl android.” 

…… 

“You know…you should probably rethink the whole calling yourself ‘high spec’ and ‘pretty girl’ thing.” 

“At least I’m using a name. Have you been called Combat Agent Six for so long that you’ve forgotten your actual name?” 

Snow tilts her head after our introductions, repeating our names several times to herself as if trying to sound out the words. 

“Com-ba-day-jent Sicks…? Ah-liss Key-sarah-ghee…? And what is an android exactly?” 

It appears that my full code name is actually kind of hard to pronounce in the local language. 

“You can just call me Six.” 

“You may simply refer to me as Alice. That will suffice.” 

“Very well. So do you understand the situation our kingdom is in? We have no issue welcoming you as guests if you’re willing to put up with the war. If you’re short on travel funds, I can at least find you some work. I mean, I’m sure our meeting isn’t just a coincidence; I’d like to think there’s some higher purpose at work.” 

Snow smiles at us in what I assume she thinks is a reassuring and gentle way. For someone in my line of work, it’s not hard to see through that expression and sense there’s more lurking beneath the surface. Alice, of course, chooses this moment to break into my thoughts in Japanese: 

“<Hey, Six. This is a great opportunity. Ask her to find you a job. It’d be a good chance to evaluate the average combat skill of the natives. It’s also a lot easier to sabotage the castle’s defenses if we’re living there.>” 

“<You’re pretty ruthless, even for an android. But it would be nice to have a source of income while we conduct our survey. And it looks like we can avoid the need for identification if Snow’s our way into the country.>” 

Snow looks at us suspiciously as we converse in what is, to her, a foreign language. 

“My apologies. This man is a bit…dim, so I was explaining the situation to him in our native language. Please don’t worry about his combat abilities, though. What he lacks in brains he more than makes up in brawn.” 

“Could you stop sneaking in insults at every opening? …Oh, whatever. As Alice says, I’d be happy to work for you as a mercenary or such. Just tell us what you need.” 

In response, Snow flashes that shady smile of hers. “Of course! We’d be happy to have you. I’m looking forward to seeing what you’re capable of…heh…heh-heh-heh.” 

“Open the gates! It’s Snow, Princess Tillis’s personal knight and captain of the Royal Guard. I’ve brought a pair of travelers we encountered on the road.” 

In response to Snow’s command, the soldiers open the gate and salute. 

“Welcome back, Captain! And travelers? That’s a welcome surprise… Where did they come from, and how did they get here, I wonder…? Regardless, I’m sure you’re all tired; please head to the castle and get some rest.” 

We enter through the gates and are greeted by an unexpected sight. Alice, riding behind Snow on the unicorn and cheerfully cleaning her shotgun, also pauses to stare at the same object. 

The city itself is a collection of what appears to be pretty solid buildings of brick. Given the lack of power lines, it doesn’t look like they’re using electricity yet. 

The people milling about the city are diverse, with a wide range of skin and hair tones. Judging by their clothes and the things they’re carrying, it seems pretty safe to assume that this country is as technologically advanced as you’d expect from the castles and armored knights we’ve seen so far. 

However… 

“Hey, Snow…what is that exactly? It looks like a tank to me.” 

Sitting on the road just inside the gate is a rusted scrap heap that looks like it was once a battle tank of some sort. 

“…Wait, you know what that artifact is? That’s an ancient weapon that once saved this kingdom from a giant magical beast. It was back before the city’s walls had been built. The weapon stood its ground here, stopping the magical beast in its tracks. They tried to save its technology and preserve it using magic, but as you can see, the years have taken their toll.” 

If this is an ancient weapon, that means there used to be a civilization advanced enough to build tanks. That probably means it was at least as advanced as Earth is now. All this talk about Demon Lord prophecies and armored knights got me into a fantasy world mood, but suddenly it seems like we’re in a postapocalyptic sci-fi setting. This bears investigating… Hey, wait a minute! 

“Magic…? Did you just say there’s preservation magic cast on that thing?” 

“Wh-what are you all excited about? I mean, I can’t use it myself… Hey, don’t look so disappointed! I can’t help it! The use of magic is a rare skill, after all.” 

This planet has magic…… I suppose that makes sense if there’s a Demon Lord and magical monsters. It makes perfect sense. Still… 

I raise my hands to the sky and yell out. 

“EXPLOOOSION!” 

…… 

“You did mention his…strange outbursts… Is this one of them?” 

“Exactly right. He engages in odd behavior like this from time to time, but when he does, it’s best to simply leave him be.” 

Snow and Alice whisper behind me as I stand there with my arms held high.