Chapter XXII: Scouting Mission III

The Wildlands South of the Heian Kingdom, The Great Plateau

Month of the Garuda 37, 172 ,328 DE

I point to the cliffs to the west of the mine compound. "We can climb to that ledge about a hundred meters up. There's cover blocking their view from the compound most of the way up."

As we make our way through the forest, we have to stop twice to wait for returning patrols to pass by. After we reach the base of the cliff, we see more patrols leaving through the compound's gate, a total of ten, with five men in each. If the bitch princess only has around four to five hundred men in total, that would be a large percentage on patrol at one time. There must be more men in that compound.

Glancing at Vorn, I see him staring at the patrols with a grim expression on his face. He almost certainly knows more than he has told me. What is the bitch princess' purpose here? Why does Vorn appear so unhappy about the forces in this camp?

Tapping Vorn on the shoulder, I start climbing the cliff. A cleft in the rock face reaches almost to the top of the cliff and blocks the view of anyone in the camp until we reach the ledge. The forest foliage blocks the line of sight for any patrols. Even so, I climb as quickly as I can. Vorn does not appear to have any problem in keeping pace with me. No matter how much he might irritate me, I cannot deny his physicality. Other than Old Man Jones, who is high Rank Ferocious Beast in a human skin, he is about the only human who can keep up with me.

Reaching the ledge, I hug the cliff wall at its back. The ledge is deeper than it appears from below, a little more than two meters. It continues along the cliff face on the other side of the cleft, running almost two kilometers to a mine tunnel. Inside the curtain wall, the ledge slopes down to ground level at the back of the compound.

We move to where we can see in to the compound, and laying on our bellies, observe the activity. Just from those we can see outside the stone buildings, more than a thousand people fill the compound. At a glance, they should all be Cultivators, but only about two-thirds look to be warriors. The rest should be tradesmen or craftsmen of some sort: engineers, alchemists, forgers, architects, or something else.

Three airships have been moored at the old landing field. The two big ones we saw from outside the compound, and one much smaller airship hidden in their shadow. A large group of men move crated materials from one of the large airships to warehouses next to the airfield. From how many men it takes to lift each crate, their weight should be in the three to four thousand kilogram range. Cultivators, who appear to be craftsmen, periodically enter or leave the other large airship.

Is the bitch princess trying to build her own town? Where is she getting the supplies to support all these people? From what Vorn and his Amberites found, they are only buying enough supplies for four to five hundred people in Shizukana Gake. At best, That would only be half of what they need.

"What is that damned traitor up to?" As glares at the scene inside the compound, Vorn's words sound like unconscious mumbling. The tension in his tightly clenched fists has turned his knuckles white. He has not said anything about his relationship with his aunt, but he seems to take her actions as something far more personal than the betrayal of the kingdom.

"Are there safe passages through the Kami Kaze Mountains in this region?" Vorn's question catches me off guard.

The powerful winds along the peaks of the Kami Kaze mountain range are unnatural. They make it impossible to cross them in any airship I know of. High Rank Ferocious Beasts fly among the peaks, but not much else can withstand the tornado level force winds. The only passes low enough to negotiate lie west of the Sengoku Empire. The southern wildlands run tens of thousands of kilometers with no human habitation other than a few villages of half-wild savages.

I shake my head. "Nothing I've ever seen."

"Where is she getting supplies for this many people from?"

I shrug. "No clue. Do you know what kind of airships those are?"

"The small one is my aunt's personal yacht. It's a custom job. The big ones are Dunkle Sonne assault transports. They can carry troop or equipment. Each one can carry up to five of the largest classes of armored steamers."

Vorn's answer does not surprise me. Unlike the isolationist Sengoku Empire, the Dunkle Sonne empire is a moderately warlike power. They have been in an almost perpetual war with the kingdoms to their south for hundreds of years. Their Engineers have become experts in the crafting of military machinery.

"The airship I followed in the Demonic Wildlands is not here."

Vorn only grunts in acknowledgment and continues to glare at the compound.

Once the sun fully sets, the men and women in the compound stop work and head for an open square with dozens of trestle tables and benches. Cooks, who appear to be nothing more than common humans, lay out trays laded with food and pitcher of wine and warm beer. Old Man Jones insists on chilling his beer, and after trying it both warm and chilled, I have to agree with him. Drinking warm beer is about as appetizing as drinking piss.

Counting up the people, there are more the fifteen hundred men and women in the compound.

"When the compound quiets down for the night, I'm sneaking in. I want to see what is in the airships and the warehouse buildings next to the airfield."

"I'll go with you."

* * * * *

Vorn and I crouch in the shadow of a ruined building near the base of the ramp down from the ledge. Fortunately or unfortunately, the three-quarter moon rides high in the sky. At least, the bright moonlight creates deeper, darker shadows for us to hide in.

While waiting for a patrol to pass, I scan the landing field with its moored airships. Some crates sit next to one airship, but not a single person can be seen. Ten two-man patrols wander through the compound, but they follow fixed routes and maintain a consistent pace. The one walking away from us is the only one currently at the airfield. As it disappears from sight, I lead the way to one of the warehouses that the crates were being stored in.

A large, heavy padlock secures the warehouse doors, but using a couple of bent nails that were lying on the ground, it takes me less than a quarter of a minute to pick it. As I open the door enough to squeeze through, the hinges groan. Despite the seeming thunderous volume of the sound, it should not be audible more than a few dozen meters away.

Dozens of open crates lay scattered around, and a large framework stands in the middle of the warehouse. A round, metal platform, four meters in diameter, sits in the middle of the framework. Sigils cover the surface of the platform and every beam in the framework. I recognize the nature of some of the sigils, but I cannot make heads nor tails of the purpose of the framework.

As we circle the framework and examine it, Vorn scratches his head. An expression of obvious confusion shows on his face. "What is this thing supposed to be?"

I shake my head. "I have no idea. Some of the sigils are related to space or dimensions. Others are related to mass. But I can't tell what they're meant to do in this configuration. Whoever created this is using them in a way I have never seen before."

Looking through the open crates, we see metal parts that could be for some sort of automated manufacturing equipment. To date, I have only read about such equipment. No one in Shizukana Gake uses any form of automated manufacturing equipment. Though, it is supposedly popular in the Sengoku Empire. This type of equipment is commonly used in mass manufacturing to fabricate parts that need to have exact tolerances.

Finding an open toolbox on top of a crate toward the back of the warehouse, I borrow a couple of wrenches and remove a cross-brace from the metal framework.

As he watches me stuff the brace into my backpack, Vorn narrows his eyes. "Why are you taking that?"

"Old Man Jones might know what it is. Let's see what's inside that keep on the plateau."

With the door opened a crack, I wait for the next patrol to reach the airfield and circle through it. As soon as it leaves, we exit the warehouse, and I lock it up again.

"What's the point in locking the door? They'll know someone has been here as soon as they spot the missing part." Vorn keeps his voice to a soft whisper.

"I don't care what they know after we leave. I don't want them sounding an alarm while we're mucking about around here."

Staying low to the ground, I quickly circle the warehouse and head toward the keep.

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