Chapter 258 - 222: Interlude Event 2: My Heart is on Fire

As an Emperor’s Shield veteran, Manon knew all too well what the recruitment officers on the front lines were like.

They couldn’t care less about the background of a Mortal or a low-level Technician Priest. As long as you were alive, once they got their hands on you, there were only two outcomes: survive until victory or die on the battlefield.

Of course, you couldn’t blame the recruitment officers entirely.

When the war grew so intense that a five-thousand-man infantry company thrown into battle couldn’t last thirty minutes, even the bastards from the recruitment office would return to the Divine Emperor’s light alongside those soldiers.

It was no surprise, then, that they resorted to any brutal method necessary to replenish troop numbers.

Let alone an unofficial Technician Priest loyal to the Capet Dynasty.

Manon was certain that once Gwen set foot on the Verne Front Line, even if Reinhardt used the name of the Vengeful Angels to stop the recruitment officers’ forced conscription, the young Technician Priest would, at best, make it back to the Orbital Port before some other bastards from another recruitment office kicked her right back to the front.

The old dogs at the recruitment offices didn’t care what kind of power or backing you had. It wouldn’t matter even if you brought up the Grand Governor.

Those bastards would only ask if you were willing to pledge your loyalty to the Empire.

If you said no, you’d be shot.

If you said yes, then what are you still doing here? Get to the battlefield and prove your loyalty!

Clearly, the young Oil Girl, Gwen, had no real concept of the front lines. In a way, she was countless times more fortunate than the unlucky souls from her cohort who had been assigned to the front-line Infantry Legions.

Seeing Raphael’s serious expression, Gwen hesitated for a moment before continuing, "Lady Catherine’s orders were for me to cooperate with all of your actions unconditionally. If I just leave like this..."

Reinhardt’s gaze was imperious, his voice cold and cruel.

"Raphael, give her the coordinates for Verne."

So much so that when Gwen met his gaze, she felt the pressure mounting within her.

Manon, sitting on the bench, flashed a wide, toothy grin and gave Gwen a thumbs-up. It was impossible to tell whether he was praising the young woman’s courage or just wishing her good luck.

Then, ethereal blue text from the system appeared in Reinhardt’s vision.

[Interlude Event · Part Two: My Heart Aflame.]

[Even if you don’t doubt the combat prowess of Albert and the Steel Wings Mobile Combat Team, falling into the Demon Void Realm along with a Demon Mother Ship is still extremely perilous.]

[You remember the fine wine stored at the winery, still unfinished. Albert promised you that you would finish it at the next victory celebration, but for some reason, you have a very bad feeling.]

[Event Objective: Dead or alive, the banner of the Radiant Angels must not fall. Find them in the Demon Void Realm and bring them back to the Real Cosmos.]

[Event Reward: Domain Insight, Weapon and Equipment Upgrade Components x1.]

Just as the system text described, although Reinhardt remained calm on the surface after receiving the parchment, a terrible premonition gnawed at him.

First, the Lord of the Radiant Angel Legion had fallen.

Now, Albert and his men were trapped deep within the Demon Void Realm...

By having the patience to ask for the Oil Girl, Gwen’s, opinion at a time like this, Reinhardt had already shown considerable mercy.

After getting the coordinates from Raphael, Gwen quickly adjusted the ship’s course. Instead of returning to the Iberian World, they would now land on a nearby world and then travel directly to Verne via the Net Path.

The entire journey would take two days.

On the ship, the three members of the Vengeance Angel Squad saw Reinhardt’s prolonged silence and knew he was worried about the safety of the Radiant Angels. But with the loss of Seventy-Six, that bastard full of gallows humor, comforting people was a difficult task. For these Knights who valued strength above all else, it was truly asking too much.

Gwen, however, was immersed in the excitement of "excavating" the Wizard’s Secret Treasures and remained completely oblivious to the heavy atmosphere on the ship.

After retrieving the last two damaged Wizard’s Secret Treasures, she held them in her hands as if they were priceless artifacts and presented them to Reinhardt.

"What amazing creations... It’s a shame they’re so badly damaged. If they were repaired, they might still be usable."

As she spoke, she glanced toward Reinhardt, the desire in her eyes plain to see.

Reinhardt didn’t even glance at the two Artificial Level Wizard’s Secret Treasures. "You’re the one who retrieved them," he said coldly. "Keep them."

"Sir, are... are you sure?! I didn’t..."

Manon interrupted, "Taking us to the Verne Front Line is no simple task. You’re not an official member of our unit, so just consider these two items your payment."

Matthias shot the mountain-of-a-man Manon a glance before closing his eyes to meditate.

’This Emperor’s Shield veteran is fine in every way, except his personality is far too easygoing. It’ll get him killed sooner or later.’

’She’s just some low-level Artificial Creation Officer whose name he couldn’t even be bothered to remember. If it weren’t for Hurst’s mission, this woman would never have had the chance to meet them in her entire life.’

More than his contempt for Gwen’s low-class status, what annoyed Matthias was her naivety and foolishness.

’A complete waste of time.’

As for Raphael, due to matters of faith, he had nothing more to say to these heretics who worshipped the God of All Machines. He simply kept to himself, writing and sketching in his Angel Holy Scripture.

Continuing to perfect his ultimate ideal.

...

「Two days later.」

「Verne Star System.」

The ship, which should have been arriving at the Verne Orbital Port according to its planned route, began to shake violently just as it was about to enter the Verne Star System!

Gwen, who had been lost in her research of Witchcraft Technology, was jolted awake as if from a long dream.

She snapped her head up, her gaze flying through the window to the Net Path outside. The route was shifting from a distorted warp back to the Real Cosmos, and her expression changed in an instant!

She scrambled to the control room and jacked the neural-interface cable into the ship.

As she worked frantically at the controls, she cried out in disbelief, "How is this possible?! Someone has blockaded the entire star system’s Net Path! I... Dammit—!"

When she looked up again, an out-of-control Demon Ship billowing thick smoke flew past at high speed, like a deep-sea whale almost scraping the top of their vessel!

When the shadow of this behemoth passed, the sight before Gwen’s eyes nearly made her forget how to breathe.

The space within the star system was a web of brilliant light, woven from the dense crossfire of ship cannons. A shattered asteroid belt had been knocked loose, carrying immense amounts of space junk and ship debris—a cosmic sandstorm—hurtling straight toward them!

Gwen felt cold sweat pour down her forehead, and her hands on the ship’s controls began to shake uncontrollably.

The ship she was piloting was just an ordinary small merchant vessel. It had no Energy Shield or onboard weapons. Crashing headfirst into an asteroid belt of this magnitude... ’She could already see their fate: the ship destroyed, its crew dead.’