I, Kurumi Tokisaki, Am a Wanderer

"Eh? Eh? Eh?! Are you seriously going out in this weather?" Chlammy looked worriedly at the two girls.

The sky outside was steeped in the murky blackness of spiritual ashes, with clouds hanging oppressively low, threatening to unleash a storm at any moment.

In the far-off seas, the Dwarves and the Dragonia were once again locked in a long-standing standoff. Occasionally, dazzling explosions lit up the horizon.

Was it the Dwarves' Bombs or the Dragonia's Roar?

Perhaps both.

Either way, such forces were utterly fatal to the small human settlement, their destruction too overwhelming to even graze against.

"Mm… There's something I need to confirm at our original settlement," Kurumi said, feigning sincerity before the bright blue-eyed girl in front of her.

In the story shared with Rick, Kurumi and Schwi were described as the sole survivors of a settlement to the east of the wastelands.

The fact that Schwi was a Ex-Machina remained a closely guarded secret, as did the burdens Kurumi carried on her shoulders.

"Can't you wait a few days?" Chlammy frowned, her gaze filled with worry as she stared at the oppressive skies. "The weather… it's too dangerous."

"In a few days, there will be a special occasion," Kurumi replied with a soft smile.

The kind-hearted girl immediately jumped to numerous conclusions about somber occasions, like an anniversary of grief or loss.

"…Alright," Chlammy relented reluctantly. "Then why not let Rick accompany you?"

Even though she wished Rick could rest a bit longer, this was the future "leader's wife," after all. That was quite significant.

"Hah?" Rick tilted his head in confusion. "What good would I be?"

He hadn't wanted to accompany them precisely because he'd only be dead weight in their eyes. Now Chlammy was stirring up trouble with her well-meaning suggestion.

Thud—

Chlammy slammed her fist into Rick's head.

Idiot, idiot, idiot! At this rate, you're going to stay single forever!

…

"Ara, ara… That won't be necessary," Kurumi politely declined. "Rick-san~ still has plenty to do."

"Those blueprints~ we're counting on you for them."

"Blueprints?" Chlammy froze in confusion, feeling as though she was entirely out of the loop.

"Understood," Rick muttered, sounding resigned.

The blueprints were designs Kurumi had Schwi reverse-engineer as a secret project, primarily for the M-137 Gatling gun and M-3 flamethrower. If the settlement could replicate these, it would significantly enhance their defensive capabilities.

Kurumi and Schwi donned black cloaks and stepped into the icy wind, heading eastward.

The cold wind cut to the bone, but neither of them minded. Outside the cave, black forests loomed in the shadows of the overcast sky.

——Their claim of visiting a settlement was false; their true goal was to find the ruins of the Elves' capital.

The information about the ruins had come from the wreckage of a Dwarven airship, located east of the settlement—a city said to have been obliterated in a single blow by a powerful Flügel.

Any knowledge about the Elves was precious and scarce.

Because they could cast magic without a catalyst, tracking down information on them was exceedingly difficult.

If not for the Elves constantly bringing the frontlines near the settlement, causing endless anxiety, Rick wouldn't have bothered with those long-eared folks at all.

…

The journey from the mountain settlement to the Forest Elves' ruins would take about five days on a horned steed.

That would take too long.

After half a day of walking away from the snowbound forests, Kurumi finally released Schwi's hand.

Rick had expressed concerns that using spirit energy might attract other races, putting the settlement at risk. For that reason, Schwi had refrained from deploying her armaments.

But now that they were far from the Rocky Spine, there was no need for such precautions.

The tips of Schwi's twin tails quivered slightly, their translucent crystal ends glowing with a soft blue light.

『[Load]—Executing Script Code 1674B747E1F257-G』

『Activation—』

Ornate mechanical wings, akin to blade wheels, unfurled from Schwi's back as streams of sparkling light gently descended around her.

She floated up behind Kurumi, gesturing for Kurumi to extend her arms outward. Schwi's small hands slipped under Kurumi's arms, wrapping around her heart.

Whoosh—

Blue flames roared to life as Schwi held Kurumi tightly and shot into the sky.

A hazy blue comet streaked through the black-and-red heavens, leaving a long, shimmering trail in its wake.

"Schwi…"

"~Nya… Onee-sama?" Schwi's entire body pressed against Kurumi's back as the comet-like energy beneath her provided as much comfort as possible during their flight.

The chilling wind, laden with Black Ash, whipped across Kurumi's face as she rested in Schwi's embrace. Curious, she began asking Schwi about her past.

The ruins of the Elves' capital lay far from the Rocky Spine. Even at Schwi's top flight speed using her armaments, it would take several minutes to reach, giving Kurumi ample time to chat.

"Schwi, you were disconnected from the Cluster, weren't you?"

…

The mechanical girl fell silent, seemingly lost in some unpleasant memory. Though a machine, Kurumi could distinctly sense Schwi's unease.

"~Ne… Yes." Schwi's already soft voice was tinged with lethargy.

"I didn't mean it like that," Kurumi said, gazing down at the desolate plains rushing past below. She reached up and grasped a small lock of Schwi's strong yet silky black hair.

"For such a cute unit like Schwi to be disconnected… that's their loss."

"But since you've been disconnected, then… the command to analyze the thing you call [Heart]—whose order are you following?" Kurumi tilted her head slightly, resting it against Schwi's chin.

…

Schwi's clear, amber-like eyes grew dazed.

Over 210 years ago—long before Schwi had even been created—there had been far fewer gods.

A lonely ancient Old Deus, unsure of its purpose for existing, sought companionship and created five small cubes.

Those were the prototypes of the Ex-Machina.

But machines had no hearts and could not answer the god's questions. So, the god vanished, never to be seen again.

Since then, the question of [Heart] had lingered in the Ex-Machina's database. But—who had issued the directive to analyze it?

"Because… I wanted… Schwi, Schwi [Judges]." The small body trembled, her vision filled with glaring red warnings.

—Warning0000 Unknown Error—

—Warning0010 Unknown Error—

Steam hissed from Schwi's head.

"But… isn't 'wanting' and 'feeling unhappy' the very definition of [Heart]? Isn't that what [Emotion] is?"

In Schwi's eyes, the world began to glitch, like a graphics card malfunctioning and causing screen artifacts.

—[Contradiction]—[Error]—[Violation]—[Error]—[Contradiction]—

Strings of green 0110 raced through her mind, accompanied by clicking noises within her head.

Schwi's flight wavered, her soft body stiffening momentarily. She jerked up and down erratically.

But then, as if guided by some external will, she steadied herself.

"Onee-sama, I don't know," Schwi replied earnestly.

Seemingly seeking to avoid the topic, Schwi tightened her hold on Kurumi.

[Expand Armaments]!!!

—[Speed Violation]—

A torrential surge of spirit particles erupted from the tips of Schwi's mechanical wings. She suddenly accelerated, breaking the sound barrier in an instant.

——

"Lady Think…"

A voluptuous young woman hurriedly returned to her residence in Melvoll.

She turned her head slowly.

Her beauty was dazzling beyond description, her snowy-white skin glowing softly.

A few white-and-blue scraps of fabric hung loosely on her figure, barely covering the essentials. Most of her fair skin was exposed.

Her enchanting form was the Elves' greatest creation—"God of Forest" Kainath' most exquisite masterpiece.

"Nina," she addressed the breathless young girl who stood before her. "What's happened?"

"There's… there's been a spirit response," Nina stammered, clutching her flat chest as she struggled to catch her breath. Compared to the buxom First Enchanter, Nina's figure was practically nonexistent.

The First Enchanter gently placed her finger on Nina's forehead, calming her instantly before prompting her to explain.

"There was a strong spirit response… near the ruins of the capital."

Beneath her flawless beauty, a pair of long, delicate ears twitched slightly.

She was a Elf.

They're coming.

——

The battered remains of a once-beautiful city bloomed like a shattered lotus before Kurumi and Schwi.

Schwi dove sharply, slamming toward the ground before halting abruptly.

The violent winds swept away thick layers of accumulated Black Ash from the earth.

As they landed, Kurumi crossed her arms over her chest, rotating her upper body.

——Ow.

"Schwi…" Kurumi sighed. "If I were anyone else, you would've snapped me in two."

"~Nya?!?!" Schwi's amber eyes widened in surprise.

"Well then," Kurumi squatted before Schwi, reaching out to rub her floppy mechanical ears.

"From now on, you're only allowed to hold me. Got it?" Kurumi's narrowed eyes glimmered with a smile as her hand slid down to pinch Schwi's cool, soft cheek.

"Okay," Schwi agreed. "Only Onee-sama."

"Good, good. That's right." Kurumi chuckled, taking Schwi's hand as they walked toward the Elves' ruined capital. "Schwi is such a good girl."

…

The colossal ruins bore scorch marks and signs of destruction. Upon closer inspection, Kurumi deduced that, like the other ruin they had visited, this one was likely destroyed by a Flügel's Heaven's Strike (Heavenly Smite).

However, the scale of destruction was vastly different. To obliterate an entire Elf capital in a single blow—a nation wielding boundless magic—would have required an attack capable of cleaving rivers and seas.

Walking through the unique architecture woven from wood, Kurumi noticed many structures still bore remnants of crimson divine sigils.

"That's the blessing of the God of Forest, Kainath," Schwi explained, scanning and recording the information.

"A God of Forest…" Kurumi murmured, her fingers brushing over the textured surface of a wooden structure.

Many of the collapsed buildings bore heavy burn marks. Yet, amidst the rubble, vibrant flowers of various colors had bloomed, as if adorning a divine garden.

Even in this blood-red sky devoid of day and night, and a land soaked in Black Ash, the Elves' capital still retained its divine protection.

Kurumi wove her way through the wreckage, searching for the spot Rick had specifically mentioned—the library.

The Elves, with their advanced magical knowledge, would have likely built a well-guarded library to preserve their magical texts.

Even without Rick's reminder, Kurumi would've noticed it herself.

After all, amidst the ruins, one building stood out—it was only half-destroyed, towering over its surroundings.

The library's architecture was peculiar, seemingly lacking a door. Kurumi and Schwi slipped inside through the intertwining gaps in the trees.

Though the building bore the scars of bombardment, the lower floors were remarkably well-preserved, as if someone had protected them.

Inside, the decor was exquisitely detailed, with intricate patterns resembling blooming flowers.

Even here, vibrant flowers of gold and crimson grew in abundance.

This had indeed been a library, though the shelves meant for magical texts were now empty, violently ripped apart as if looted by raiders.

Whatever scraps remained, Kurumi collected into her storage—piling infinite items into her dimensional warehouse was just a matter of adding to a number. She'd hand them all over to Rick later.

Schwi continued scanning the structure's data, particularly the blessings left behind by the Elves.

Ex-Machina were a terrifying race. Any attack they encountered could be analyzed, replicated, and customized into near-identical armaments within a second.

These replicas were known as Pokryphen.

While they might not achieve the full power of the original, they could reach 30% to 80% efficiency.

Most frighteningly, once an attack was analyzed and uploaded to the Cluster, all Ex-Machina could then access it.

Weapons like the Flügel's Heavenly Smite or the Dragonia's Far Cry, which carried severe side effects for their original users, became mere tools for the Ex-Machina.

As long as there was sufficient spirit energy to draw upon, the Ex-Machina could use these armaments endlessly.

…

"Onee-sama… There's a complex concealed barrier underground," Schwi pointed toward the flower-covered ground ahead.

Before Kurumi could react, Schwi thrust her hand into the metal floor in front of her.

Creak—

Screech—

The sound of breaking barriers and twisting steel filled the air.

Schwi, standing barely over a meter tall, effortlessly lifted a steel slab more than ten times her size.

For a moment, Kurumi was utterly speechless.

…

An overwhelming spirit energy emanated from below. Schwi positioned herself protectively in front of Kurumi as they descended a long, spiraling staircase.

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

40 Advanced Chapters Available on Patreon: 

Patreon.com/DaoOfHeaven