Chapter 7

“Drones, kill all those armed with guns.”

Bang, bang, bang!

The sudden eruption of gunshots, .22 caliber bullets simultaneously flying toward their targets, and the thugs armed with guns all collapse to the ground.

Red blood flows across the ground, and the fallen ones don’t move again, never getting a chance to counterattack. Following this, an announcement echoes in Edu’s mind.

– Gained 13 experience points.

– Gained 22 experience points.

– Gained 18 experience points.

– Gained 23…

This same announcement had sounded when she’d made an example out of one of them earlier.

‘So even people with malice are treated as mobs?’

She briefly paused to ponder the question that arose, but then remembered that now wasn’t the time for such considerations, and refocused on the situation at hand. In front of her stood the bulky figure, looking completely flustered.

“Uh, how did you-”

“Of course I’ve been watching from the start.”

“…From the start?”

The bulky man swallows hard, his confident demeanor now rigid, beads of sweat rolling down his oily skin, betraying his inner turmoil.

“Did you really think I wouldn’t notice you guys circling the house at night?”

“…”

Was it an unexpected response? The bulky man stood frozen, like a mute who had eaten honey.

“As hard as you tried to hide, there’s no escaping the eyes above.”

As Edu gestured toward the sky, a small drone, equipped with a mini radar and video transmission device instead of a turret, descended and hovered above her hand.

Last evening.

Despite experiencing the adverse trait of indigestion after eating a strange jelly bread, Edu’s knowledge as a seasoned AOE player did not allow her to let her guard down. Hence, her precaution: summoning drones to the maximum height above the house and keeping them concealed.

In total, she had five drones. One carried radar and video transmission equipment for identification and command, while the other four were armed with .22 caliber turrets and heat grenades for removing threats. These drones were also given the command to eliminate any suspicious figures approaching the house.

“Could it be… Was the act of appearing sick an attempt to deceive and lure us?”

Finally realizing the truth, the bulky man’s body trembled.

“Even the times when you looked weak or fell at the bald guy’s shop—was all of that an act too?!”

“…”

Hmm, that was just due to the adverse traits.

Edu had this thought, but there was no need to correct such erroneous assumptions that favored her side.

“… So, did you figure it out now?”

“Th-this can’t be-”

Edu’s gesture of raising her finger made the bulky man cry out hastily to her.

“Wait!! C, can we-”

“Talk?”

“Yes! Why can’t we solve things without violence through conversation?!”

The desperate cry, lacking any authority or composure, made Edu smirk slightly.

“Talking, talking sounds good.”

“Then-”

“But I’m sorry.”

Edu moved her index finger side to side and clicked her tongue.

“Haven’t you forgotten?”

Her hand rose high.

“Negotiations failed.”

“Wait-”

Bang, bang, bang, bang!

The rapid-fire gunshots.

“Argh!”

“Ck-”

The final cries of the subordinates falling powerless from the bullets.

“Help-”

The bulky man’s desperate plea towards Edu was cut off as soon as a red dot from a laser pointer appeared on his head, followed by another gunshot.

Bang!

His head snapped, and that was the end.

The street grew silent.

The surroundings were filled with the faint scent of gunpowder, the sharp tang of blood, and the metallic clinking of .22 caliber shells bouncing off the ground.

Even amidst all this, Edu calmly inspected her surroundings.

After confirming once more that no one remained alive by chance, she relaxed the alert state of the drones.

“Mili, Sita, it’s okay now.”

“…”

“…”

The lack of response made Edu call out their names again.

“Mili, Sita? Are you okay?”

“Ah, Ah! Yes, yes, I’m fine.”

“I-I’m fine as well.”

Overwhelmed by the situation, they had been paralyzed, but only now did they snap out of it and respond.

“Are you okay? Scared?”

Given that Mili and Sita, who had lived in outlands, probably hadn’t clashed with such rowdy gangs or seen people die up close, Edu inquired about their pale faces.

“A, a little.”

“…Edu-san is amazing.”

Mili trying to force a smile and Sita’s voice slightly tinged with admiration amidst her fear.

“It’s not a big deal. Anyway….”

Shifting her gaze while looking around, Edu noticed the dead bulk and his gang.

Even if this was self-inflicted, it was strange that about twenty people had died at her command, and because the drones had actually pulled the triggers, it all seemed surreal.

‘…’

But further scrutiny of their bodies was meaningless, so Edu shook off the irrelevant thoughts and focused on her objective.

The first thing to do was go to the Explorer’s Guild, and she had to pass through the wall’s gate to get there.

“Let’s go to the gate, then?”

“Yes, yes!”

In response to Edu’s suggestion, Mili glanced at Sita, and both quickly quickened their pace through the street strewn with bodies.

They soon arrived in front of the towering Wall, revealing its imposing majesty.

Its surface, so bright it seemed to emit light itself, was covered with turrets and surveillance cameras installed densely, constantly moving and scattering various noises.

A key isolation facility protecting Fangju from the outside world, the Wall was also a symbol of Fangju’s defense mechanisms.

And around the gate of the Wall, guards, armed in white clothing with red embellishments matching the Wall, stood vigilant.

“Wowww…”

Mili gaped in amazement as she stared up at the wall, and though Sita didn’t verbalize her emotions, her eyes sparkled.

“You never been to the Wall before, both of you?”

“Yes, yes. There was no reason to come…”

“Hmm, that’s understandable.”

Living in the outlands is a daily survival struggle, so why would anyone care about a meaningless wall without necessity?

“Well, staring at this won’t make hunger disappear or food appear out of nowhere, right?”

“That’s true.”

“Still…”

Sita looked back at Edu.

“It’s quite grand and impressive, though.”

“Isn’t it?”

“Yes.”

Though on the outside I remained calm, inside, I was quite moved. Having seen the Wall countless times in AOE, I could confidently say that reality was far beyond virtuality.

The game and reality are different. This high, white wall, the dense artillery atop it, the never-ending sound of moving metal from the cameras—they all combined to give an extraordinary impression!

The dormant robotic power within me stirred and surged again!

Ah, almost drooled.

“Hmph, shall we go?”

“Yes, yes!”

As they approached the gate, the Fangju guards, who had been leaning casually against the wall, turned their heads towards them.

“Huh?”

“Outlanders?”

They exchanged a few words, and one of the soldiers approached them, raising a hand.

“Hey, non-citizens, stop right there.”

The tone was slightly gruff, laced with a hint of warning. Upon hearing it, Mili and Sita halted as the soldiers surrounded and surveyed them.

“Stay still and don’t move.”

The commanding soldier’s words brought a slightly tense atmosphere. When he nodded slightly to one of his subordinates, the subordinate stepped back and activated a scanner on his shoulder.

“This might hurt your eyes a bit, but bear with it.”

With the commander’s warning, a dazzling flash startled everyone simultaneously. A blue hologram quickly scanned each of them before vanishing.

“I’m sending the scan data, Commander.”

“Good.”

The commander tapped his helmet twice, and the scan data from earlier appeared in front of it.

“Hmm… Two outlanders, and… one citizen?”

A flicker of surprise appeared on the commander’s usually stoic face.

“My apologies for our somewhat aggressive method earlier. May I ask why the citizen ventured into the Outlands?”

“Oh, personal matters.”

“…? Into the Outlands?”

The commander turned to Edu as he spoke. His expression suggested he doubted the sanity of anyone who would willingly venture into such a dangerous place dressed like that.

“Yes. Ah! I should inform you of this too.”

“What else-”

“Summon, Little Drone.”

– MP is being consumed to summon a summon.

A blue glow emanated from Edu’s body, and a small drone appeared in the air.

Whirring…

“Ah, you’re an Awakened One, my apologies for not recognizing you.”

“It’s fine, not everyone walks around with ‘Awakened’ written on their forehead.”

The commander gave a wry smile at the light-hearted joke.

“My apologies for the intrusion, though, what exactly are these two outlanders doing….”

“Personal assistance…”

“Got it. Wait, sorry for asking so many questions. Hey, open the gate!”

“Yes, Commander.”

The soldier receiving the order hurried to contact the upper levels, and the gate which had been firmly shut began to slowly open.

A beam of bright light filtered through the crack.

“Thank you for your hard work.”

“Yes, thank you.”

The commander gave Edu a military salute, to which the soldiers followed suit.

“… Best of luck.”

The reverent and resolute demeanor left Mili and Sita slightly bewildered, but Edu smiled faintly and returned the salute.

“Yes, thank you, everyone.”

Walking through the gate, the group moved further into Fangju, with Sita and Mili stepping in while feeling perplexed.

“Whoa?!”

The sudden appearance of the blue sky, streets so clean it was incomparable to the outlands, and the well-ordered cityscape made Mili exclaim like a young girl.

Even Sita, who didn’t voice her reaction, couldn’t hide the slightly gaping mouth that betrayed her astonishment at the drastic change in scenery and environment just beyond the Wall.

“What do you think? Impressive, right?”

“H, huh?”

At Edu’s question, Sita was startled and blushed slightly. Watching the cute reaction briefly, Edu also turned her gaze towards Fangju.

The blue sky, white clouds floating gently above, and far in the distance, the artificial sun shining, casting a warm caress over the skin.

The artificial sky so indistinguishable from the one she had seen on Earth demonstrated the excellence of technology in this age and in Fangju.

“Then, let’s head to the Explorer’s Guild, shall we?”

“Yes, yes. Uh, where should we go?”

“This way works.”

Though I had never been to Fangju in reality, the geography I had learned in AOE remained vividly in my mind.

As we walked, Sita looked at me as if something had come to her mind.

“Edu, I’ve been curious since yesterday. Why are you heading to the Explorer’s Guild when you said you’re going to the academy?”

“Oh, I forgot to explain that.”

“Right.”

Of course, to an outsider, it must be confusing why I said I was going to the academy and was now heading to the Explorer’s Guild.

I glanced at Mili and realized she probably had the same question, as her occasionally turning head towards me seemed rather adorable.

Anyway, I intended to act and move forward with these two, and we had many things to overcome together. So it might be a good idea to clarify my objective to them now.

“To put it simply, consider my entry into the Explorer’s Guild as the preparation to become a hero.”

“To become a hero…”

“Yes, preparation to become a hero.”

“Are you considering becoming a hero?”

“That’s correct.”

At the word hero, though well-known, Mili and Sita tilted their heads slightly in curiosity, perhaps seeing it as too abstract a goal.

In fact, “hero” in this context refers to one of the many strategies in AOE—often seen as orthodox and low-risk, leading to a happy ending route. However, since the player character ultimately becomes a hero using this method, what I said wasn’t entirely wrong.

“In this era, a hero is needed, someone who can unite people’s hearts and lead toward the future, a common focal point for everyone.”

“A common focal point…”

“However, there’s a problem. That is, using conventional methods, it’s unlikely to attract much attention.”

“Is that so?”

“Indeed, sure—building recognition over time might eventually achieve becoming a hero, but it isn’t efficient. Hence, filling in the gaps on my own.”

If there aren’t enough achievements, then achieve enough; if attention isn’t being drawn, then take actions to draw it; if the story is lacking, create it; if the companions are insufficient, expand their numbers—it’s all about taking initiative, thinking, moving, and obtaining results.

“Uh, why the Explorer’s Guild, though? If becoming a hero is your goal, can’t that be done in the academy?”

Back to square one.

“That’s true too, Mili, but becoming a hero isn’t just about capabilities—it’s also about the story.”

“Story?”

“Yes, the story.”

I grin at their curious expressions.

“Which do you think would attract more attention—someone talented from the academy, or a top Explorer’s Guild member suddenly transferring into the academy?”

“Ah!”

Both their exclamations of realization.

“That’s right.”

With that, I looked up and realized we had arrived at our destination.

A building with an ostentatious, medieval castle-like appearance stood before us, the symbol of the Explorer’s Guild—the magnifying glass—shining brilliantly at its center.

More dazzling than what I had seen in AOE, this building was undoubtedly the Explorer’s Guild.

“Let’s go in!”