Surviving in the 121st Century - Chapter 56



Only Noblemtl

*

“We won! We won! The winner of this war is my Urata! The one who sank off the west coast was that stupid son of a bitch, Donchaba! Not me!”

A rabbi shouted as he pounded the desk. He was wearing an ornate uniform with gold decorations on a black background, and the medals on his shoulders and chest jingled as he pounded the desk.

In front of him, about eighteen Rabitos were standing there, seemingly at a loss for words. They were a mix of those in military uniforms and those in suits and glasses, and it was unusual that they were all carrying a bundle of documents.

At that moment, Rabito, who was wearing his medals like armor, slammed the desk again.

“But why! Why are we bankrupt!”

“···”

Urata’s general, Rahiman’s shouts left his staff speechless. It’s not that they had nothing to say.

Excessive road and city development that did not match the national budget, endless military expansion without consideration for the future, extreme control over the market economy, and in the midst of all this, the general’s endless extravagance and the splendid corruption of his family members who were stuck in high government positions, etc.

It was a problem that many Rabito countries had, and it was a sign of ruin that they would eventually collapse because they could not solve the problem. And because they always tried to solve the problem in an extreme way, war was also constant.

“What about Jasoo’s factories, farmland, and the assets the bank owned? Are they all on the verge of bankruptcy?!”

“···That, that, although it was a temporary evolution, we already have too much debt to maintain the army··· and on top of that, there is a food shortage··· and if we even delay the excavation of Rostang···”

“Didn’t you hear what I just said? I took Jasso’s factories and farmland! I’m going to extract food and products from there!”

Rabito, who was wearing glasses, was unable to continue speaking as his hands began to tremble. Then, Rabito, who was wearing a military uniform next to him, answered with his eyes downcast.

“The resources of Jasoo… are partly destroyed, but the influence of this union country does not reach the entire Jasoo territory…”

“So, you decided to hand that pig doctor over to Siapo, right? How is that operation going?”

“That, that, right now… I’ll check it right now.”

“These idiots···”

Rahiman’s eyes blazed with anger once again. He screamed.

“You idiots are the staff of the Union State! So you’re saying that no one has a solution to this problem right now?”

“···”

Despite his urging, the staff members were sweating profusely. It was not that there was no way to solve the problem now. If they reduced their military spending, reduced excessive development projects, and sorted out the chaos within the country, even now, not all the problems would go away, but at least they could delay bankruptcy.

Of course, the general would also have to reduce his extravagance and root out corruption in high-ranking positions during the process. Even if it was difficult and painful, it was the way for Urata to survive.

But Rahiman lowered his voice the next moment and said:

“Prepare for war.”

“···yes?”

“Can’t you understand these simple orders now? Prepare for war! Produce military supplies! Enlist soldiers! Build Battlewings! Prepare for blitzkrieg!”

The staff looked at Rahiman blankly, either as if they had no idea what he was talking about or as if they understood his meaning. Rahiman shouted again.

“It’s a war against the Siapó! We’re going to pillage their territory and finances to find a way out!”

“Now, general!”

“Well, we haven’t yet recovered from the damage caused by the fight with Jasso-”

“Which country do we owe the most debt to? It’s Siapow! If the bugs of Jaso were parasites to our economy, Siapow is like mosquitoes! Now that we’ve eliminated the parasites, we must also eliminate the mosquitoes by filling up their puddles!”

After that, the staff tried to stop General Rahiman, even though they were sweating profusely and risked being purged. However, his will did not change, and eventually, all the staff members left the general’s office with half-hearted expressions.

Left alone in his office, Rahiman suddenly stumbled and eventually lost strength in his legs, slumping down on his office chair. In that brief moment, he reached into the drawer of his office table and fumbled, his face looking several years older.

Soon, a flat, square iron case emerged from the drawer, which was too large for the size of Rabito. General Rahiman opened the case with his slightly trembling hands and took out the syringe and vial inside.

The moment the syringe was filled with medicine and the tip of the needle was pointed at the general’s forearm.

[Rahiman.]

“···!”

General Rahiman’s hair and ears stood on end. Rahiman raised his head in fright at the low, resonating voice.

At the same time, the space in front of his table began to shake strangely, and soon a small flash of lightning appeared, as if it had cleared away the space and appeared through the gap.

Twice as tall as a regular Rabito. Long limbs and fingers like Ologna Esai. A smooth, matte suit that covers the entire body. Thick protective pads on the shoulders, chest, knees, etc. But what caught the eye the most was the round front of the helmet that reflected the viewer like a mirror.

Rahiman, who saw his own face distorted on the glass screen, put down the syringe he was holding and sighed.

“Damn it. If you came in, at least make a sound to let me know you came in.”

[Do you want the other Rabitos to find out about our meeting?]

“Hey, what if we get caught? Then what would those ignorant bastards know?”

Rahiman, who had been speaking indifferently, soon looked at the front of the helmet that was quietly reflecting him and coughed in vain. The voice of the unidentified person rang out again.

[If you have left personal records or made useless remarks with such thoughts in mind, please correct them now.]

“No, well, that’s what I mean. Wasn’t it in the terms of our contract from the beginning? Not revealing your identity to anyone. I know that too.”

At that moment, the unidentified person’s left hand suddenly grabbed the air. Then, a bluish light flowed out from the outer armor on his forearm, and Rahiman slowly rose into the air from the chair with a choking sound.

[If you know the terms of the contract so well, you probably know what will happen if they are not fulfilled.]

“Khuh…! Ah, I see…! What, I see what you mean…!”

The numerous medals on Rahiman’s uniform jingled as he struggled in the air. The general who had been fiercely pushing his staff just a moment ago was now a mere rabbi, croaking in the air as if his throat was being strangled by an invisible force.

The unidentified person who had been harassing Rahiman in this way soon released the grip on the air. The blue light disappeared, and Rahiman also fell to the ground with a thud.

“Ugh···! Ugh···!”

[What is the progress of the excavation?]

A cold voice. Rahiman, who was panting, quickly stood up, leaning on the edge of the table so as not to offend the voice.

“Progress, progress… We are deploying all available personnel…”

[Are you really putting all your available resources into it? I just heard that you’re preparing for war again.]

Damn, you were listening from the beginning? Rahiman muttered to himself, trying to keep his expression straight.

“There’s nothing I can do about it! They’ll be after me in Siapo anyway! Even if I don’t attack, they’ll sooner or later invade first using the excuse of not paying their debts!”

Rahiman spoke as if he was going crazy, but he couldn’t raise his voice. If someone outside heard him and came inside, it would be a big deal. However, the face of the unidentified person was so still that his struggles were meaningless. A glass mask that made it impossible to guess the expression inside. A mirror that made Rahiman feel terrible.

Rahiman’s face, reflected in the smooth glass, was a mess of fear and anxiety. And Rahiman could no longer look at that face and lowered his gaze.

How long did the silence last? To Rahiman, the silence was so terrible that the voice in the glass mask broke it.

[The Baika merchants will provide funds in a few days. Use the money to replenish your armaments and increase the size of your army. Make sure that the Rabitos of Siapo don’t dare to attack first. Also, bring more Rabitos of Jaso and send them to the excavation site.]

Rahiman, who had been delighted by the news that the Bykans would provide financial support, looked surprised at the subsequent input of Jassoin.

“More, more? Dozens of people are dying every day right now···?”

[Why is that a problem?]

A face so inorganic that no emotion could be found. Rahiman unconsciously lowered his gaze again.

“No problem···”

[And the White Esai who is active in the land of Jasso. Why is it still alive?]

“That problem, we have already deployed the armored special forces… Soon, soon, we will have news…”

[I hope that next time I visit, there will be some positive news. Both from the excavation site and from the White Esai. Also, remember once again that no transaction or conversation between you and me will leave any traces whatsoever. Do you understand?]

“Of course. I will try to live up to your expectations···”

Rahiman answered with a sense of misery. However, the unidentified figure nodded as if he was satisfied with the misery, seemingly not caring about his feelings.

After that, without any particular greeting, a small light flashed around his body. The light seemed to draw in the surrounding space and cover the user’s body, and in a moment, the black suit disappeared. The empty space seemed to ripple slightly, and soon, no trace could be found.

Rahiman stood there for a long time after he had disappeared, looking around the office. Then, after some time had passed and he was sure that he was the only one there, he picked up the syringe on the table with trembling hands and injected himself into his arm.

“Ugh···”

He groaned and fell on the chair. All the pressure, fear, and pain melted away like snow in his mouth. Fireworks and joy followed. All that remained were thrills and pleasure.

General Urata lay alone in his spacious office, lost in the paradise of his mind.

*

After parting ways with the Pig Doctor’s revolutionary army, Jincheol and his party headed straight east toward Solkain. Vast grasslands, lush trees, winding hills, and dry rocks adorned the path of their journey.

What amazed Jincheol was the flora and fauna he encountered along the way. They looked to be no different from those of ten thousand years ago, but upon closer inspection, he saw plants with unfamiliar leaf shapes and branch surfaces, as well as a buffalo that was much larger than he had ever seen and had three-pronged horns.

There was also an animal that looked like a lion. I couldn’t get close, so I could only see its outline from a distance. It was a small group of five or six. They were rolling around in a corner of a grassy meadow, hiding under the shadow of a large rock, avoiding the midday sun.

A lion in the old American soil? Did it escape from a zoo and survive for ten thousand years? But since we’ve already seen Tyrannosaurus-like creatures, a somewhat unusual lion doesn’t seem like much. And what about the snails that eat corpses?

And during the journey, the other party members, especially Ramien, did not mention their lover since last time. However, judging by the way his eyes were shining brightly, it seemed that he would turn the whole place upside down and find his lover once he arrived in Solkain.

Doljumeok received a kind of check from Ramien confirming the daily wages for that day, and Jincheol thought that she was very frugal. Yes. Money matters must be handled strictly.

But what made Jincheol flustered more than anyone else was Maro.

Jincheol and his party originally planned to leave Maro behind when they found a suitable place. They didn’t know what would happen on their journey, and if a fight broke out, it could be very dangerous.

But when the guy passed through the village, he would keep his mouth shut and stick close to Jincheol and his group. He didn’t have a face that could ask them if they liked it here.

It wasn’t like he was a burden. He helped with cooking, car maintenance, gun inspection, and other chores. He never said no to anything he was told to do, and even the smallest tasks were his own. It was as if he was telling them not to abandon him, so the group couldn’t tell Maro to leave.

Here is where Jincheol was confused. It was the relationship between Maro and Doljumeok.

Stone Fist, a balding gorilla with a fierce face, and Maro, who couldn’t even reach his waist. However, the two became quite close. Maro learned cooking, camping, and even driving from Stone Fist. Stone Fist may be blunt, but he wasn’t cruel, and he didn’t get angry at Maro, much less strike him with a fist.

When asked about it, Doljumeok gave a short answer.

“A child of Gar must be cared for with patience.”

I asked him what that meant, but Doljumeok didn’t answer any further. Instead, he was sweeping the truck with a face that looked deeply thoughtful, and Jincheol felt a little uncomfortable watching that serious look, so he didn’t ask any further questions.

Jincheol, who was thinking about his past journey, raised his head and looked at the sky. A bird with large wings was flying across the clear sky. If Jincheol’s sense of distance was not wrong, each wing of the bird was two or three meters long. It was truly a huge bird.

“At that level, I think I could easily defeat someone like Rabbit.”

“Actually, accidents do happen sometimes. In the countryside, they tell children not to climb to high places.”

Ramien, who had come up to him without him noticing, answered like that. Jincheol let out a hollow laugh.

“A bird like that flies so close to the city?”

“That must mean Solkan’s current state is a mess.”

From the moment she stood next to Jincheol, Ramien had been looking straight ahead. Jincheol also turned his gaze. As she had said, in the distance, he could see a city that looked like an old ruin or ruins.

It was Solcan.