Chapter Thirteen: "For My Lord, Reclaim the God-Given City.

One hour earlier.

At the moment when the space fighter jet had just taken off, hundreds of city guards were trudging through the snow on the only route from the God-Given City to the Ancient Mountains.

"Hurry up! Pick up the pace! This mission is critical; it’s a direct order from the Chairman himself, and all the council members are watching us. If anyone screws up, don’t blame me for making sure they can’t mess up ever again!" barked a squad leader, urging the guards under his command.

There were a dozen such squad leaders, all using every possible means to drive their men forward. Because of the hasty departure, many of the guards were ill-prepared, even lacking proper clothing. The gas heaters issued by the government were meant to be one per person, but they only received enough for one every three men, so they had to take turns warming up by clutching it close to their chests.

Originally promised one heater each, the guards quickly discovered they had only received a third of the expected amount. As for where the missing heaters went, well, those had undoubtedly found their way into the Captain's pockets. Though the guards grumbled, they dared not complain openly; it was better to save their energy for the trek. Falling behind in this white hell meant certain death.

At the front of the column, the highest-ranking officer of the several hundred guards—the Captain of the Third Regiment—sat comfortably on a sled, wrapped in thick blankets with several gas heaters inside. He quietly congratulated himself on his generosity: he hadn’t kept a single heater from his men—this time.

It wasn’t that he didn’t want to; rather, this mission was simply too unusual. With so many eyes watching, if his men froze to death in the middle of the journey, not only would he be left with no troops, but the nobles in the council waiting for word from the Ancient Mountains wouldn’t forgive him.

As for why the original allocation of heaters was one per person, yet he had received only a third? Clearly, the council members and the logistics officers each took a cut. To receive even a third was actually decent.

After a grueling day’s march, the guards finally caught sight of the Ancient Mountains in the distance. With luck, they could rest tonight and make it there by noon tomorrow. The Dyson Sphere that blocked the sun’s light meant that beyond the borders of the God-Given City, there was no difference between day and night. But the people from the city had long developed a regular biological rhythm; even outside its walls, they still needed rest.

They were not far from the city’s boundary; its direction was marked by a faint beam of light in the sky, signaling it was time to rest. They would spend the night in a cave on Halfway Mountain, a midpoint landmark named for its location along the route to the Ancient Mountains. Countless travelers seeking parts in the Ancient Mountains had used this cave for shelter over the years. It was relatively warm and a great place to ward off the night’s chill.

“We’re at Halfway Mountain, brothers! Just a bit further, and we can rest!” one squad leader called out, encouraging his weary soldiers.

Fatigued and freezing, the guards quickened their steps toward the shelter at the promise of a break. Just then, from the direction of the Ancient Mountains, a mechanical bird-like shadow shot up into the sky with a deafening roar, its fiery tail cutting a bright streak against the darkened heavens. The guards murmured nervously among themselves, and even the dogs pulling the Captain’s sled began barking.

“What happened? What’s that thing in the sky?”
“Who knows what that is. Could it be a mechanical demon?”
“The mechanical demon found us?”
“Is it really a demon? Should we run?”
“Run where? If we go back, do you think the council members will let us off?”

The guards’ anxious whispers spread throughout the ranks as they watched the shadow soar upwards with uncertain expressions.

“No one stops! Keep moving!” The Captain, rising from his sled, yelled at them sternly.

Although he too felt terror at the unknown object in the sky, he knew all too well that returning now would lead to punishment. As high-ranking as he might seem to the lowly guards, in the eyes of the noble council members who controlled the God-Given Mechs, he was merely a dog.

So, under his threats, the guards had no choice but to continue onward.

Meanwhile, high atop Halfway Mountain, six mechanical sentinels of various designs—some with four legs, some with six, and even one with two—easily traversed the steep terrain. Each sentinel carried a figure on its back, who now looked down upon the several hundred guards below.

These six figures were none other than the young Rant, young Mari, Uncle Simon, Leonard, Duane, and Ulrich—the six from Rhine.

They, too, noticed the shadow of the space fighter jet soaring skyward. Bowing their heads, they offered their respect.

“The Great Lord of the Old Days has returned to His palace in the heavens. He watches over us,” said Leonard, turning toward the sight of the God-Given City illuminated by a heavenly beam, his voice resounding. “Let us go forth, for our Lord, to reclaim His blessed city.”

“For our Lord, reclaim the God-Given City,” the others echoed, their voices filled with fervor.

Even young Rant, young Mari, and Uncle Simon, who had experienced these miraculous events, were now filled with the same intensity and reverence. They had been granted the power to control mechanical demons by the Great Ruler of the Old Days. Each of them possessed a mechanical demon that obeyed their commands flawlessly.

What a glorious and magnificent honor this was, akin to the ancestors of the noble council members who once commanded the God-Given Mechs in the legends.

And now, they too were part of that legend, poised to forge a new one.

“Move out! Glory to humanity!” they cried.

Yes, they had finally learned the true name of the Old Ruler—a name known only to a select few among the nobles, carefully concealed.

The six, mounted upon their mechanical demons, charged down the mountainside toward the several hundred city guards below.

This would be their first battle to reclaim honor for their Lord.