Chapter 103: The Tomb of Insects (2)

Elwin confidently gripped the horns with her gloved hands. The massive beetle let out a bizarre wail. As Elwin pressed down hard with her foot, a sharp vibration shot up through my spine.

Vroooom!

Sparks erupted.

Crackle! Crackle-crackle!

The massive beetle surged forward while the violent acceleration threw my skull back. The pitch-black seat enveloped me smoothly as if it were precisely tailored to my skeleton.

Vroooooooom!

The beetle was fast—too fast. It was at least five times faster than a galloping horse. Yet, the acceleration hadn't even peaked.

Whooosh!

The scenery blurred rapidly. The surroundings flowed faster and faster, turning into a smear of color.

Elwin seemed completely absorbed. Her fingers deftly manipulated the beetle's horns. Her thin, gloved fingers occasionally trembled slightly in exhilaration, showing she was alive and fully immersed in the moment.

Ahead, I saw a sharp bend in the road. Just before entering the turn, Elwin pressed lightly with her left foot.

Screeech!

She gave the right horn a slight tug while tilting the left horn upward.

Clunk!

The front and rear wheels adjusted in opposite directions, and the beetle turned the corner smoothly.

Swoooosh!

Exiting the curve, Elwin pressed harder on the right pedal. The wheels aligned and sharply increased speed. Her driving was nothing short of a miraculous display of skill.

Vroooooooom!

A sleek, refined woman's voice echoed inside the beetle. "Current speed exceeds 400 km/h. Drive safely."

"..."

I couldn't understand what was happening. As the speed increased, the scenery blurred into static, immovable still life. Yet, a peculiar calmness settled over me, mesmerizing me with the unfolding events.

My thoughts wandered to the marquis, and I tried to organize my thoughts, starting with what I could understand.

The marquis is dead.

The explosions had killed him. I vividly recalled the splattered blood and flesh, remembering how I had resigned myself to letting him drag me around. I had expected decades of imprisonment. I recalled some of the marquis' own words and some of what Rena had told me in my past life.

"Imperial High Command and Marquis of the Inner Province..."

"...one of the Empire's Four Swordmasters.

"

Such a man was dead, and the woman in front of me had killed him.

Then again, there was the emperor's assassination too....

The world's vastness stretched far beyond my imagination, making me feel overwhelmingly insignificant. In just a few days, I had grasped the true meaning of facing one of the Empire's greatest swordmasters.

Marquis Leandro, the knight in blue armor, possessed absurd strength that far surpassed my comprehension, even though I had once gloried in defeating lowly criminals. Despite using the heirlooms Gith-Za-Rai had left me in desperate resistance, Leandro swatted me away as if I were nothing.

Now, a member of Red Flake had effortlessly killed that swordmaster and was helping me. Yet, I had never heard of this woman in all my twenty years of life. This magical creature that was ten times faster than a horse was also beyond my comprehension. I realized just how small and pathetic I truly was.

Vroooooooooooom!

"Current speed exceeds 500 km/h."

The smooth voice snapped me out of my thoughts. The beetle was heading toward the end of the road, which was the summit of a mountain.

Is she planning to kill us both?

An overwhelming sense of defeat washed over me, strangely making me think I might not regret dying this way.

I glanced at Elwin. Her hands, gripping the horns, trembled slightly. She didn't look like someone prepared to die.

She's excited?

"Current speed exceeds 550 km/h."

We fell.

Three. Two. One.

Whooosh!

From the mountaintop, the massive black beetle soared into the air. Below was a sheer cliff.

Suicide?

A sleek, mechanical voice echoed as the beetle's closed wings suddenly unfolded. "Warning: Terrain below undetectable for 1,000 feet. Switching to flight mode automatically."

Clack!

The beetle's wings expanded and connected seamlessly to its body. A glowing blue light ignited at the tips. The beetle didn't fall.

Whoooooosh!

A gust of wind buffeted us, lifting the beetle even higher.

It's... flying?

Elwin manipulated the beetle's horns to guide it.

Clunk. Clunk.

With each precise movement of her hands, the massive beetle in mid-air responded.

Elwin said, "Look ahead."

As the beetle's wings unfolded, the view from inside expanded to a panoramic 270 degrees. A sea of clouds stretched ahead of us, and vastness unfolded below. The breathtaking view from above revealed the true scope of the world.

Each second seemed to stretch as the unfolding scenery drew me in completely. Fields of endless wheat, winding roads, and clusters of tightly packed houses centered around castles dotted the landscape.

That's... Yublam? And that... Erast?

From above, the gray castles looked smaller than a fist, and the houses appeared no larger than a fingernail. I realized how insignificant our lives were, struggling amidst such tiny places. My bones felt tightly bound, as though something was welling up inside me. At the same time, it felt as if everything was unraveling, scattering into the air like fragments.

Screeeech!

Hawks soared far below, their cries echoing faintly. In the distance, the eastern mountain range came into view, capped with perpetual, unmelted snow. Massive castles appeared like toys and humans like mere specks, but the world remained vast.

Flutter, flutter.

Elwin was adept. She pulled, spread, and subtly adjusted the beetle's twin horns. The massive beetle maintained a steady altitude, responding precisely to her movements. It pierced through the clouds momentarily, climbing higher before descending slowly once more.

Elwin finally said, "This heritage is remarkable. You can see the view below clearly, right? It's made of polycarbonate resin."

"Poly... what?" I asked, utterly perplexed by the unfamiliar term.

Elwin chuckled softly. "

Hehe.

I don't know much about it either. I'm just quoting what's been recorded."

The masked, solemn member of the assassin's guild shrugged slightly.

At that moment, a violent, thunderous melody erupted within the beetle.

"Detected awkwardness within the airborne vehicle Perseus V.H.A.-111. Playing music. DUDUDUDUDUDUDUDUN♪! DDUDUN! DDDUN!"

Is this... magic?

The music resonated from nowhere, filling the air as if summoned. Or perhaps it was closer to a deafening cacophony. The "music" was harsh and rugged. Its rhythm was unprecedented, chaotic, and unpredictable—like a storm announcing its arrival. Each beat reverberated and rattled my bones as if the sound sought to split and embed itself deep within me. Each note seemed to reach into me, evoking an almost involuntary convulsion.

I fixed my gaze downward, even as the intense music pounded around me.

Diririririririk!

As the gliding continued, the speed grew even further. The beetle veered northeast, leaving cities like Erast and Yublam far behind as it curved around the mountain range.

Below, a vast plain stretched endlessly, devoid of the golden wheat fields and the autumn-painted forests. There were no human dwellings—only desolate, barren land.

Was there such a place?

"What... is that place?" I asked.

"The landing site," Elwin answered.

The music stopped.

Elwin gripped the twin horns tightly, navigating the beetle carefully. She seemed far more focused than during the glide, refraining from further conversation.

"Current altitude: 1,000 feet. Deploying auxiliary landing gear."

The noise outside the beetle intensified, and the barren plain approached rapidly.

Thud! Thud! Thud! Thump!

The beetle jolted violently upon contact with the ground. The impact resonated through me, leaving an unsettling sensation in my bones.

Clunk! Clunk!

The massive beetle skidded roughly across the plain before coming to a halt. Slowly, my senses returned.

Bzzzzzz!

The beetle's wings opened.

Swoosh!

Elwin dismounted first, moving with featherlight grace. I hesitated, momentarily frozen, as I gazed outside. The jet-black beetle now rested firmly against the ground, its wings slowly retracting.

I let out a small sigh. "

Ah.

"

The outside world was bright—early morning, just before dawn. Little time had passed from fleeing from the marquis. It felt like only an hour—perhaps less than twenty minutes—had elapsed. And yet, during that brief span of time, I had been utterly entranced.

Clatter.

I finally dismounted, though my spirit rather than my physical self wavered. I glanced to my side, and Elwin met my gaze.

"Was this magic?" I asked.

A soft chuckle came from behind the fox mask. "It's heritage. Ancient magic rediscovered from a bygone era. Well, something like that."

Elwin leaned against the beetle.

As the rising sun bathed her in light, she asked, "So, how was it? Did you enjoy it?"

I nodded. It was exhilarating—something I had never experienced before.

Elwin laughed. Though the fox mask obscured her face entirely, I felt as though she were smiling behind it. I wanted to see what lay beyond the mask but restrained myself.

There was always a reason why someone wore a mask. Removing it thoughtlessly was unwise. Moreover, Elwin belonged to the assassin's guild, Red Flake. Seeing her face could be the last thing I ever did.

I gazed out at the endless plain stretching before us. For a moment, we both remained silent.

Then, I asked, "Are we resting here for a while?"

Elwin shook her head firmly. "

Hmm?

Nope."

Then she pulled on her black gloves with practiced ease.

She casually walked to the back of the beetle. "Now we push. We need to conserve fuel."

"..."

"There's nowhere to recharge out here. Every drop counts. Let's get moving, alright?"

***

Half a day later, we dutifully pushed the beetle along.

Clatter! Clatter!

Pushing the beetle was the least I could do. At first, I was baffled by the idea of pushing it, but thinking about how Elwin had rescued me from the marquis, I felt like I could push for months if necessary. There was no reason to complain.

As we pushed together, Elwin offered a brief explanation. "This thing's name is Perseus. He's an amphibious glider, a masterpiece of engineering."

Engineering.

I recalled Gith-Za-Rai's words:

"Ember is the city of engineering."

"So, you're saying Ember can produce things like this?" I asked.

It was hard to believe. With such capabilities, there was no way they could have fallen so helplessly to the Empire's invasion as its first victim.

However, Elwin shook her head. "No. It's lost technology, knowledge buried deep underground. Now? It's unimaginable. They can't even make the fuel anymore, let alone the machines themselves."

"How many of these exist in Ember?"

Elwin tilted her head curiously. "Why do you ask?"

"Well, the imperial emperor..."

I paused, catching myself before mentioning that the emperor was preparing for war. The emperor had been killed before my eyes, and Elwin had carried the evidence of it back to Embermere.

"

Hmm?

" Elwin hummed.

For now, I decided to observe and remain cautious.

"No reason. Just wondering."