"Become a person who can deeply mourn the injustices someone, somewhere in the world is suffering. That is the most beautiful quality of a revolutionary."
Ernesto Guevara
-----
The concentration of Evra particles unexpectedly recovered at a location where they were relatively thin.
As if to announce this, the neon mobile terminal vibrated with an incoming call.
At the same time, Moore's mobile terminal also vibrated inside the pouch.
Taking out the mobile terminal from the pouch, Moore removed the glove from his right hand, unlocked it with fingerprint authentication, and confirmed the call. The caller was identified as Syuen.
"...Haa..."
Presumably, it would be a report or urging about the progress. However, it was a contact from an ally in a cooperative relationship, so he couldn't ignore it.
While sighing, he opened the app, and numerous accumulated messages flooded in as he read through them from the top. In the midst of reading them, a new call came in.
"Hmm?"
Moore's eyes narrowed beneath his sunglasses.
Most were inquiries about the progress of the mission, as expected, but the last series of messages received was mysterious.
According to her, she bowed her head to Ingrid and attached a reconnaissance unit—meaning, she was talking about scouting.
If that's the case...
"Darling?"
Suddenly, a voice with a sweet tone came from the side, passing through the noise-canceling headset and vibrating his eardrums.
Just as Moore turned his deep brown eyes behind the sunglasses, a pair of slender arms, like snakes, entwined around his right arm holding the mobile terminal. While pressing firmly against the richly endowed chest with a soft and taut feel, Viper approached.
"What are you looking at all alone? Let's look together~"
The moment she tried to peek into the LCD screen, he quickly pressed the power button of the mobile terminal and darkened the screen. Then, transferring the terminal to his left hand, he stowed it in the pouch.
"Aah..."
"...I'm not fond of women prying into private matters."
"Eh~? I just want to know various things because I'm curious about Darling~"
"It's an honor, but—hey!"
"Hehehe, got caught."
Having exhaled a sigh, he urged Viper to move away and adjusted his grip on the assault rifle.
"You're naughty... hehe."
She puffed up her cheeks slightly, but for some reason, after gazing at Moore with slightly purplish eyes, she suddenly broke into a full smile.
"What's wrong?"
"It's nothing. More importantly... we're almost at the destination, Darling."
Viper, who had circled around from behind him, now entwined both arms around his left arm. While pressing the mechanized left arm with warmth against the fabric of the cold-resistant combat suit covering his left shoulder, she attempted to transfer the fragrance emanating from her shampoo and perfume to Moore by lightly rubbing her head against him.
"We're going to meet that legendary pilgrim."
Adjusting his pace slightly, Moore walked forward, and with her head resting on his left shoulder, Viper, who had wrapped both arms around his left arm, seemed to be trying to transfer the scent of shampoo and perfume she had applied to herself to Moore.
"What do you think, Darling? ...Snow White...? Do you think she'll like us?"
"Well, who knows? It depends on her... Still, I brought plenty of combat rations as an offering. Even if she gets upset, it'll probably be okay. Maybe."
She was like a hungry child. Realizing once again the importance of both meals and repertoire, Moore, who was somewhat tired of combat rations, had also brought some extra rations in his backpack. Although an unfamiliar person would be wary, it should help improve the mood.
"I'm relieved~. As you can see, we're not exactly the quiet type, so I wasn't expecting much."
"...As long as you follow the etiquette, she won't treat you rudely. Probably."
"Is that so? Then... Darling, I believe what you say, right? And, at least for now, Darling has control over our collar."
Leaning on him as they walked, Viper suddenly stopped and, as if standing on tiptoes, lightly pressed her lips to his left cheek. Not only that, but she continued to suck lightly, like a snake biting into his throat.
After finishing that, she flashed a bewitching smile, licked her lips, and then ran off to Crow.
"Commander?"
"Master?"
"What—"
When he turned around, the gazes of the squad behind him pierced him.
Annis approached leisurely, took out her mobile terminal, switched to selfie mode, and thrust the screen toward Moore.
It seemed to serve as a hand mirror—on the screen, faint traces of lipstick were visible on his left cheek and throat.
"Can this be removed by rubbing?"
"...I don't know."
"...Hmph, your nose is held unusually high."
"It's not extending."
"...Haa..."
Rapi, who covered her forehead, let out a deep sigh that was carried away by the cold wind and disappeared somewhere.
They arrived at the coordinates where they expected to encounter Snow White, or the Pilgrim. The location was the site of a village abandoned decades ago.
It was a "magic zone" where the concentration of Ebra particles averaged 100% over a diameter of 2 km.
The expected error in the time of the predicted encounter was a maximum of 3 hours.
Snow White might have left this village three hours ago, or she might stay in the village for the next three hours, but...
"Probably, she seems to have left already."
"It seems so. Rapture debris is scattered around, and new enemies have arrived."
The area east and west of the main street that traversed the village was divided between the Counters and the Exotics, who were separately searching for Snow White's presence or traces.
Counters were responsible for the east side under Moore's command, but within the village, not only were there remains of Rapture, but also active enemy machines roaming around.
It was a search conducted while being chased by the work of encountering and engaging enemies.
Just a moment ago, a Rapture had been crushed by a grenade thrown by Annis, and it fell on the newly fallen snow, scattering its parts.
"Did she fight multiple Road-class entities?"
On the eastern side of the village, at the edge of the search range, what came into view for them was a trace—a straight line gouged into the ground, hidden beneath the snow.
It seemed like a flash of light from the weapon carried by the Seventh Dwarf—did Snow White mow down something?
However, it was unclear when this was gouged. Not today—it seemed. It was too covered in snow for that.
At this rate, it seemed unlikely to find any significant traces indicating that a fresh Snow White had stayed on the east side.
He decided to bring the squad back to the main street.
"Did Snow White really come here?"
"...Who knows. Well, if Raptures were cannibalizing each other, the abundance of debris makes sense, but..."
In response to Neon's question, he shrugged his shoulders. It was a gesture conveying the nuance of not knowing.
The most significant discovery was the gouged ground. Although it was only a story they were aware of, such an attack could only be carried out by someone like Nike—either Snow White or perhaps Laplace.
It was unlikely that famous figures like Laplace or the Metis squad would venture into such a remote area. So, by process of elimination, it pointed to Snow White.
Returning the squad to the main street, he saw Jackal jumping and shouting on the west side.
"Commander! Come over here~!!"
Guided by Jackal, they headed to the location where the squad had found traces of what seemed to be the Pilgrim.
"...Ah, there's no mistake. It's Snow White."
"That's right, Master."
The room, which had probably been a relatively large building's interior, showed signs of decay in various places due to aging, where once there was flooding. Moore picked up the packaging of combat rations gathered in the corner of the floor.
"Chili Macaroni & Beef... Macaroni with Tomato Sauce... These are definitely the rations I gave her."
"How do you know, Commander?"
"...Because these are the menus I got tired of."
Jackal tilted her head in wonder, but Moore gave a concise answer and dropped the packaging back to its original place. However, the pouch was surprisingly devoid of any sauce, not even a drop. She must have eaten it very meticulously.
"Here are parts of weapons... traces of assembly. This is undoubtedly Snow White's camp."
Looking at the pieces of bolts, steel scraps, and probably parts stripped from Raptures covering part of the floor, Anis seemed to have gained confidence.
"Anything else—?" Moore walked over to a table placed in the corner of the room. Spread out on the table was a map.
It wasn't hand-drawn. It seemed to be borrowed from somewhere.
"...The scale is 1/25,000. The north is in this direction... The magnetic north line is drawn too..."
Taking out a Lenzatic compass from a small pouch attached to his body armor, Moore confirmed north by the direction the needle pointed. He then took out his mobile terminal, opened the data of the surrounding map, and compared them.
Certainly, it was a map of the surrounding area. But why was this left behind?
"...There's a checkmark on the lighthouse symbol. What does that mean?"
"It might be a place storing resources, or it might be the location of a Nike that needs rescue. In the worst case, it might be a trap."
While Neon and Rapi discussed it, peering over Moore's shoulder from the side, Moore had a different impression.
The reason for leaving the map—either she simply forgot or intentionally left it behind, assuming she would come back soon. Either way, it was careless, but leaving the map itself wasn't an issue.
However—
"If it's a trap, it probably wasn't set by Raptures."
Anis was making a reasonable point. Raptures wouldn't have bothered to invade such a small room and wouldn't have marked only the lighthouse symbol on this map.
Nevertheless—
"If it's an inside job, it's possible, right?"
Moore sensed that the gazes of Rapi and Anis standing beside him had shifted away from the map. Presumably, the diverted looks were directed at—
"Hey, hey. Why would we do something like that? You know, if we betray, we explode right on the spot?"
"Did you forget? The Evra particles here have an average concentration of 100%. If Shuen detonates a bomb, our distress signal won't reach."
As Anis lifted her hazel eyes and confronted Crow, who was leaning against the wall inside, he continued to read the map for the time being.
He compared the surrounding map with the latest information on his mobile terminal, and fortunately, there were no significant changes in the terrain.
"Hmm..."
As soon as he confirmed the contour lines, a growl escaped from his throat.
"What evidence do we have that we did something?"
"Do you understand the word 'circumstantial evidence'?"
Since the beginning of the operation, Crow's behavior towards Moore, such as disobedience to orders and insults, had been overwhelming. It was her Exotic squad that first discovered this place too.
Anis explained that they had time to do something to the map before they arrived here.
"You, I'll kill you."
"If you can, give it a try."
As if to say, "It will explode if you betray, right?" Anis provocatively challenged Crow, who began to walk towards her, away from the wall she had been leaning on.
In the tense atmosphere, a loud cough echoed in the room.
"...I'm sorry for interrupting, but we have to head to the lighthouse sooner or later."
Leaving the map on the desk, he put away the Lenzatic compass and, once again, turned his body while looking at the map on the mobile terminal.
By the way, as he glanced around the room, it seemed like he had intervened at just the right moment. Anis and Crow had stopped at a distance reachable if they both extended their arms.
"...It seems we have to head towards the lighthouse from here. It's the shortest distance, but..."
If they were going over the mountains, it would be a different story, but judging from the interval of the contour lines, a series of steep ridges continued. Moreover, if covered in snow, the difficulty would be tremendous.
For safety, the only option was to bypass the lighthouse and take the route into the depths.
"...And Anis, your 'circumstantial evidence' might not be good, but in the end, it's just an individual's impression. Of course, if this were a courtroom, it would be a different story..."
"Commander...! But those guys...!"
"Because they're outlaws? Or terrorists?"
With a calm tone, he defended Crow and, by extension, the Exotic, making Anis stare at Moore in astonishment.
At that moment, Crow began to inquire about the reasons why she considered the squad, including herself, untrustworthy.
Anis hesitated for a moment, and Crow, seeing this, responded with a scoff.
"Your commander seems to be impartial, doesn't he? Feel free to stamp us with as many biases as you like. I'll move according to those prejudices."
Ignoring Anis's hesitation, Rapi, in a calm tone, suggested to Moore to set up camp. Just on their way to this assembly hall, they spotted thick snow clouds in the direction where the lighthouse would likely be. Expecting an approaching blizzard, they decided to spend time camping while promoting recovery.
Moore nodded in agreement.
Next, Rapi requested Exotic to spread decoys. Once they confirmed that the squad had left the assembly hall together, she released a small sigh and approached Moore.
"Commander."
"Understood. Squad, gather."
He raised his left index finger in a circular motion, signaling the assembly.
As Neon and, a bit later, Anis gathered, he removed the sunglasses from his left hand and looked over the group.
"Anis."
"What?"
"Sorry about earlier."
Perhaps slightly displeased, Anis turned away.
However, in that situation, there weren't many other ways to defuse the tension. At least, there were limited options for resolving it peacefully.
But the reason Moore gathered the squad wasn't to offer a personal apology to Anis.
Moore took out his mobile terminal, displaying several messages received from Shuen on the liquid crystal screen, and showing it to the others.
As everyone read the contents, their expressions tensed.
"...So, that's the situation. Keep an eye on the Exotic."
They all nodded in acknowledgment. Having seen their agreement, Moore, accompanied by the squad, headed outside the assembly hall to sweep the surrounding area of Raptures.
"Become a person who can deeply mourn the injustices someone, somewhere in the world is suffering. That is the most beautiful quality of a revolutionary."
Ernesto Guevara
-----
The concentration of Evra particles unexpectedly recovered at a location where they were relatively thin.
As if to announce this, the neon mobile terminal vibrated with an incoming call.
At the same time, Moore's mobile terminal also vibrated inside the pouch.
Taking out the mobile terminal from the pouch, Moore removed the glove from his right hand, unlocked it with fingerprint authentication, and confirmed the call. The caller was identified as Syuen.
"...Haa..."
Presumably, it would be a report or urging about the progress. However, it was a contact from an ally in a cooperative relationship, so he couldn't ignore it.
While sighing, he opened the app, and numerous accumulated messages flooded in as he read through them from the top. In the midst of reading them, a new call came in.
"Hmm?"
Moore's eyes narrowed beneath his sunglasses.
Most were inquiries about the progress of the mission, as expected, but the last series of messages received was mysterious.
According to her, she bowed her head to Ingrid and attached a reconnaissance unit—meaning, she was talking about scouting.
If that's the case...
"Darling?"
Suddenly, a voice with a sweet tone came from the side, passing through the noise-canceling headset and vibrating his eardrums.
Just as Moore turned his deep brown eyes behind the sunglasses, a pair of slender arms, like snakes, entwined around his right arm holding the mobile terminal. While pressing firmly against the richly endowed chest with a soft and taut feel, Viper approached.
"What are you looking at all alone? Let's look together~"
The moment she tried to peek into the LCD screen, he quickly pressed the power button of the mobile terminal and darkened the screen. Then, transferring the terminal to his left hand, he stowed it in the pouch.
"Aah..."
"...I'm not fond of women prying into private matters."
"Eh~? I just want to know various things because I'm curious about Darling~"
"It's an honor, but—hey!"
"Hehehe, got caught."
Having exhaled a sigh, he urged Viper to move away and adjusted his grip on the assault rifle.
"You're naughty... hehe."
She puffed up her cheeks slightly, but for some reason, after gazing at Moore with slightly purplish eyes, she suddenly broke into a full smile.
"What's wrong?"
"It's nothing. More importantly... we're almost at the destination, Darling."
Viper, who had circled around from behind him, now entwined both arms around his left arm. While pressing the mechanized left arm with warmth against the fabric of the cold-resistant combat suit covering his left shoulder, she attempted to transfer the fragrance emanating from her shampoo and perfume to Moore by lightly rubbing her head against him.
"We're going to meet that legendary pilgrim."
Adjusting his pace slightly, Moore walked forward, and with her head resting on his left shoulder, Viper, who had wrapped both arms around his left arm, seemed to be trying to transfer the scent of shampoo and perfume she had applied to herself to Moore.
"What do you think, Darling? ...Snow White...? Do you think she'll like us?"
"Well, who knows? It depends on her... Still, I brought plenty of combat rations as an offering. Even if she gets upset, it'll probably be okay. Maybe."
She was like a hungry child. Realizing once again the importance of both meals and repertoire, Moore, who was somewhat tired of combat rations, had also brought some extra rations in his backpack. Although an unfamiliar person would be wary, it should help improve the mood.
"I'm relieved~. As you can see, we're not exactly the quiet type, so I wasn't expecting much."
"...As long as you follow the etiquette, she won't treat you rudely. Probably."
"Is that so? Then... Darling, I believe what you say, right? And, at least for now, Darling has control over our collar."
Leaning on him as they walked, Viper suddenly stopped and, as if standing on tiptoes, lightly pressed her lips to his left cheek. Not only that, but she continued to suck lightly, like a snake biting into his throat.
After finishing that, she flashed a bewitching smile, licked her lips, and then ran off to Crow.
"Commander?"
"Master?"
"What—"
When he turned around, the gazes of the squad behind him pierced him.
Annis approached leisurely, took out her mobile terminal, switched to selfie mode, and thrust the screen toward Moore.
It seemed to serve as a hand mirror—on the screen, faint traces of lipstick were visible on his left cheek and throat.
"Can this be removed by rubbing?"
"...I don't know."
"...Hmph, your nose is held unusually high."
"It's not extending."
"...Haa..."
Rapi, who covered her forehead, let out a deep sigh that was carried away by the cold wind and disappeared somewhere.
They arrived at the coordinates where they expected to encounter Snow White, or the Pilgrim. The location was the site of a village abandoned decades ago.
It was a "magic zone" where the concentration of Ebra particles averaged 100% over a diameter of 2 km.
The expected error in the time of the predicted encounter was a maximum of 3 hours.
Snow White might have left this village three hours ago, or she might stay in the village for the next three hours, but...
"Probably, she seems to have left already."
"It seems so. Rapture debris is scattered around, and new enemies have arrived."
The area east and west of the main street that traversed the village was divided between the Counters and the Exotics, who were separately searching for Snow White's presence or traces.
Counters were responsible for the east side under Moore's command, but within the village, not only were there remains of Rapture, but also active enemy machines roaming around.
It was a search conducted while being chased by the work of encountering and engaging enemies.
Just a moment ago, a Rapture had been crushed by a grenade thrown by Annis, and it fell on the newly fallen snow, scattering its parts.
"Did she fight multiple Road-class entities?"
On the eastern side of the village, at the edge of the search range, what came into view for them was a trace—a straight line gouged into the ground, hidden beneath the snow.
It seemed like a flash of light from the weapon carried by the Seventh Dwarf—did Snow White mow down something?
However, it was unclear when this was gouged. Not today—it seemed. It was too covered in snow for that.
At this rate, it seemed unlikely to find any significant traces indicating that a fresh Snow White had stayed on the east side.
He decided to bring the squad back to the main street.
"Did Snow White really come here?"
"...Who knows. Well, if Raptures were cannibalizing each other, the abundance of debris makes sense, but..."
In response to Neon's question, he shrugged his shoulders. It was a gesture conveying the nuance of not knowing.
The most significant discovery was the gouged ground. Although it was only a story they were aware of, such an attack could only be carried out by someone like Nike—either Snow White or perhaps Laplace.
It was unlikely that famous figures like Laplace or the Metis squad would venture into such a remote area. So, by process of elimination, it pointed to Snow White.
Returning the squad to the main street, he saw Jackal jumping and shouting on the west side.
"Commander! Come over here~!!"
Guided by Jackal, they headed to the location where the squad had found traces of what seemed to be the Pilgrim.
"...Ah, there's no mistake. It's Snow White."
"That's right, Master."
The room, which had probably been a relatively large building's interior, showed signs of decay in various places due to aging, where once there was flooding. Moore picked up the packaging of combat rations gathered in the corner of the floor.
"Chili Macaroni & Beef... Macaroni with Tomato Sauce... These are definitely the rations I gave her."
"How do you know, Commander?"
"...Because these are the menus I got tired of."
Jackal tilted her head in wonder, but Moore gave a concise answer and dropped the packaging back to its original place. However, the pouch was surprisingly devoid of any sauce, not even a drop. She must have eaten it very meticulously.
"Here are parts of weapons... traces of assembly. This is undoubtedly Snow White's camp."
Looking at the pieces of bolts, steel scraps, and probably parts stripped from Raptures covering part of the floor, Anis seemed to have gained confidence.
"Anything else—?" Moore walked over to a table placed in the corner of the room. Spread out on the table was a map.
It wasn't hand-drawn. It seemed to be borrowed from somewhere.
"...The scale is 1/25,000. The north is in this direction... The magnetic north line is drawn too..."
Taking out a Lenzatic compass from a small pouch attached to his body armor, Moore confirmed north by the direction the needle pointed. He then took out his mobile terminal, opened the data of the surrounding map, and compared them.
Certainly, it was a map of the surrounding area. But why was this left behind?
"...There's a checkmark on the lighthouse symbol. What does that mean?"
"It might be a place storing resources, or it might be the location of a Nike that needs rescue. In the worst case, it might be a trap."
While Neon and Rapi discussed it, peering over Moore's shoulder from the side, Moore had a different impression.
The reason for leaving the map—either she simply forgot or intentionally left it behind, assuming she would come back soon. Either way, it was careless, but leaving the map itself wasn't an issue.
However—
"If it's a trap, it probably wasn't set by Raptures."
Anis was making a reasonable point. Raptures wouldn't have bothered to invade such a small room and wouldn't have marked only the lighthouse symbol on this map.
Nevertheless—
"If it's an inside job, it's possible, right?"
Moore sensed that the gazes of Rapi and Anis standing beside him had shifted away from the map. Presumably, the diverted looks were directed at—
"Hey, hey. Why would we do something like that? You know, if we betray, we explode right on the spot?"
"Did you forget? The Evra particles here have an average concentration of 100%. If Shuen detonates a bomb, our distress signal won't reach."
As Anis lifted her hazel eyes and confronted Crow, who was leaning against the wall inside, he continued to read the map for the time being.
He compared the surrounding map with the latest information on his mobile terminal, and fortunately, there were no significant changes in the terrain.
"Hmm..."
As soon as he confirmed the contour lines, a growl escaped from his throat.
"What evidence do we have that we did something?"
"Do you understand the word 'circumstantial evidence'?"
Since the beginning of the operation, Crow's behavior towards Moore, such as disobedience to orders and insults, had been overwhelming. It was her Exotic squad that first discovered this place too.
Anis explained that they had time to do something to the map before they arrived here.
"You, I'll kill you."
"If you can, give it a try."
As if to say, "It will explode if you betray, right?" Anis provocatively challenged Crow, who began to walk towards her, away from the wall she had been leaning on.
In the tense atmosphere, a loud cough echoed in the room.
"...I'm sorry for interrupting, but we have to head to the lighthouse sooner or later."
Leaving the map on the desk, he put away the Lenzatic compass and, once again, turned his body while looking at the map on the mobile terminal.
By the way, as he glanced around the room, it seemed like he had intervened at just the right moment. Anis and Crow had stopped at a distance reachable if they both extended their arms.
"...It seems we have to head towards the lighthouse from here. It's the shortest distance, but..."
If they were going over the mountains, it would be a different story, but judging from the interval of the contour lines, a series of steep ridges continued. Moreover, if covered in snow, the difficulty would be tremendous.
For safety, the only option was to bypass the lighthouse and take the route into the depths.
"...And Anis, your 'circumstantial evidence' might not be good, but in the end, it's just an individual's impression. Of course, if this were a courtroom, it would be a different story..."
"Commander...! But those guys...!"
"Because they're outlaws? Or terrorists?"
With a calm tone, he defended Crow and, by extension, the Exotic, making Anis stare at Moore in astonishment.
At that moment, Crow began to inquire about the reasons why she considered the squad, including herself, untrustworthy.
Anis hesitated for a moment, and Crow, seeing this, responded with a scoff.
"Your commander seems to be impartial, doesn't he? Feel free to stamp us with as many biases as you like. I'll move according to those prejudices."
Ignoring Anis's hesitation, Rapi, in a calm tone, suggested to Moore to set up camp. Just on their way to this assembly hall, they spotted thick snow clouds in the direction where the lighthouse would likely be. Expecting an approaching blizzard, they decided to spend time camping while promoting recovery.
Moore nodded in agreement.
Next, Rapi requested Exotic to spread decoys. Once they confirmed that the squad had left the assembly hall together, she released a small sigh and approached Moore.
"Commander."
"Understood. Squad, gather."
He raised his left index finger in a circular motion, signaling the assembly.
As Neon and, a bit later, Anis gathered, he removed the sunglasses from his left hand and looked over the group.
"Anis."
"What?"
"Sorry about earlier."
Perhaps slightly displeased, Anis turned away.
However, in that situation, there weren't many other ways to defuse the tension. At least, there were limited options for resolving it peacefully.
But the reason Moore gathered the squad wasn't to offer a personal apology to Anis.
Moore took out his mobile terminal, displaying several messages received from Shuen on the liquid crystal screen, and showing it to the others.
As everyone read the contents, their expressions tensed.
"...So, that's the situation. Keep an eye on the Exotic."
They all nodded in acknowledgment. Having seen their agreement, Moore, accompanied by the squad, headed outside the assembly hall to sweep the surrounding area of Raptures.
