"Former... former... Ursus Third Army Group... Act... Acting Warrant Officer... Ponetov... salutes you all. Ursus shall endure forever!"
Grizzly tremulously performed a standard Ursus military salute. He hoped that by showing he had once fought for the Empire, they might grant him a way to live.
"Once a soldier of Ursus, yet fallen to such a state... take your own life in a moment; let there be one less stain upon the soil of Ursus."
The man in the center spoke with a voice that made one's skin crawl. There was no emotional fluctuation in his words, as if he were not facing a group of living people, but merely ants by the roadside. That voice made Grizzly want to flee several times over, but his legs refused to obey; he couldn't move a single step.
"You... half a month ago, did you witness any strange sights? Or the appearance of a scene resembling a Catastrophe?"
Facing the questioning of the Emperor's Blades, the crowd did nothing but shake their heads. They had never seen, nor even heard of, the scenes he described. Even if they wanted to confess, they had nothing to give.
In the next instant, black spikes pierced through the bodies of several people, suspending them as they struggled in agony. Listening to the wails around them, everyone's faces turned ashen.
"Still unwilling to speak? Perhaps you will be the next to die! But next time, you won't die so comfortably."
"We... we really don't know anything! We truly don't! In this tundra these past few months, we've seen nothing but snow!"
Several people plucked up the courage to explain, but the next moment they were impaled by tree-like growths erupting from the ground, their bodies left hanging from the branch-like protrusions.
"Too much noise. You lack reverence for the Empire."
Now, everyone understood. These three fellows had never intended to let them go; they were playing a game of cat and mouse!
"Fight them!"
Someone found the courage to shout those words, and the crowd actually took up arms and rushed toward the Emperor's Blades. That meaningless fury was born from hearts filled with endless terror, transformed into mindless rage.
But such rage could not make them stronger; instead, it accelerated their deaths. Black mist began to permeate the air, and in the next moment, everyone collapsed.
After the three Emperor's Blades departed, Grizzly stood up, trembling with lingering fear. When the agents had attacked, he had feigned death, and to his surprise, he had actually pulled it off, picking up a second chance at life.
While he celebrated his wit in escaping the disaster, he hurriedly fled the area. With the money his guerrilla unit had, he was fully capable of starting a new life in another city.
However, he did not notice the black, unknown substance entering his body. He hadn't escaped because of his wit; the enemy intended to use him to find something. Since that unknown power possessed the ability to suppress them, if the black mist within this man's body disappeared, it would mean he had found a lead, saving them the effort of searching aimlessly across the tundra.
The Emperor's Blades watched the fleeing wretch. If they didn't need him as a "scouting mouse," how could they be kind enough to leave him alive? As they had said before, this man was a disgrace to Ursus!"
Communicating in low tones, the three vanished into the boundless wind and snow. Due to the Emperor's orders, they had no contact with local authorities, which was why they were searching for clues without a clear destination.
"Mr. Executor, another group of victims has been found here."
After an unknown amount of time, Lemuen and Executor arrived at the scene. Looking at the tragic sight, they remained calm, observing the surroundings and staying alert for the elusive Emperor's Blades.
The two were well aware of Ursus's secret units. As a nation that had once been at war with them, Ursus border troops still harassed Laterano from time to time. Naturally, they knew exactly what the Emperor's Blades were. However, Ursus rarely dispatched them during the war with Laterano; after all, "Holy Water" still had some effect against them.
"Tch, these beasts have no mercy for their own citizens! Ah, sorry. I didn't mean you."
After seeing the plight of the innocents, even the experienced Lemuen couldn't help but comment. But she immediately remembered that her teammate had also killed his own nationals.
"It is quite alright. I do not mind such things."
Hearing that calm voice, Lemuen couldn't tell if he was used to such remarks or if he truly believed he was different. The surroundings fell silent once more.
Lemuel, Mostima... where are you guys! Someone save me, I really can't get along with this kind of personality...
Because Executor was not the talkative type, once she stopped speaking, only the sound of walking remained. In this environment, the relationship between the two felt extremely awkward.
"Um, Mr. Executor. What is the Notarial Hall's attitude toward the Saintess? Is it a matter of bringing her back no matter what?"
She was curious about their stance. After all, even in Laterano, not everyone would welcome this Saintess. Her existence could shake their own positions. Such people were mostly those who craved power; to them, how could faith in God be as important as their own status? They just didn't dare to oppose it openly.
"I have not been given any mandatory orders. Everything will be discussed after meeting the individual. Thus, the final decision will be reached through our mutual consultation."
Executor answered in his usual rigid manner, as if the matter had nothing to do with him and he was merely a bystander.
"And if Ursus intends to move against the Saintess too? The two of us might not necessarily win against the Emperor's Blades!"
Executor fell into thought for a moment. Finally, he spoke: "If a battle with the Emperor's Blades becomes necessary, once I activate my 'Commandments,' I am confident in taking them down with me. However, in that event, please escort the Saintess away as quickly as possible."
Executor's tone was incredibly flat, as if the person who would die in that scenario wasn't him at all. This indifference toward his own life surprised even Lemuen.
She had heard that the Notarial Hall's Executors were emotionally detached, but she hadn't expected it to be to this degree. Should he be called an ace? To be able to speak of his own death so calmly.
However... she couldn't bring herself to abandon a teammate and flee. If Mostima knew about this, she likely wouldn't choose to run or abandon a comrade either, just as it had been back in Kazdel.