Inside an abandoned warehouse not far from Victoria's County Hillock, a unit of heavily armed Victorian soldiers was taking brief shelter. They had been dispatched on orders from Londinium to investigate two pressing matters: the rumors of a phantom military unit operating in the region, and the sudden, large-scale theft of refined Originium products.
Just moments ago, a suspect they had managed to detain was forcibly taken away by the local garrison force. Right now, several soldiers were huddled together, debating their next course of action.
"If ye ask me, why don't we just smash our way in and drag the bloke out ourselves?" a young Vouivre soldier suggested, her thick brogue cutting through the quiet room as she offered a completely reckless plan. "I reckon my weapon could punch right through their walls easy as ye like!"
It was clear she didn't actually expect her squad leader to approve such madness; she was merely trying to break the heavy, stifling tension hanging over the room.
"Honestly, not a bad idea," one of her squadmates chimed in with a grin. "Bagpipe, why don't you lead the charge yourself?"
"Aye, exactly! And if ye get caught, we'll just tell 'em ye lost yer mind after a bad breakup," another added with a laugh. "Only downside is ye probably won't get to stay in our squad after a stunt like that."
"Though that might not be such a bad thing! Bagpipe, you're certainly old enough to raise a few wee Vouivres of your own now. How about finding someone to settle down with first? I bet you'd look hilarious carrying a baby around!"
The soldiers bantered back and forth. Sitting in the center of the room, a blond Lupo warrior leaned back, watching her squad's antics without immediately cutting them off. A moment of lighthearted banter was a necessary valve to release tension; otherwise, the relentless stress of their work would break anyone's spirit eventually.
Still, she couldn't let the nonsense go on indefinitely. Seeing Bagpipe on the verge of tears from the relentless teasing, the squad leader finally raised her hand to quiet the room.
"Alright, that's enough jokes for one day," Horn declared, her voice firm yet composed. "Be careful, or Bagpipe might stick her pile bunker right into your rears tonight! Don't come running to me asking for justice when she does!"
"I would never use my pile bunker on someone's rear! The tail, maybe, but never the rear!" Bagpipe shot back at her captain in a huff, though she quickly straightened up and composed herself. "Ye're slanderin' my good name, Captain!"
The surrounding soldiers fell silent, waiting attentively for their leader's instructions. Horn laid out their search pattern without wasting a single second.
"Bagpipe, Cello, and I will head into town to investigate the theft," Horn instructed, pointing to a regional map spread out before her. "The rest of you remain stationed outside on perimeter guard. Keep an eye out for any traces of this ghost unit. Once we—wait."
Mid-sentence, Horn froze. A low mechanical rumble echoed across the plain outside—the unmistakable roar of a heavy Originium engine heading directly toward their position!
In an instant, every soldier grabbed their gear. A scout scrambled up the wooden scaffolding to the warehouse's high window, while the rest took up defensive positions below, awaiting orders.
"It's a long-distance Originium vehicle, non-Victorian build," the scout reported down in a hushed, tense whisper. "I can make out two female passengers inside. One looks like a Vouivre, but the other... I can't place her race. Maybe Aegir, or some other rare lineage. They're driving at a terrifying speed—are they trying to kill themselves out there on the wasteland? Hitting a single stray boulder at that rate will wreck the entire vehicle!"
A moment of hesitation settled over the squad. The oncoming vehicle didn't look like a threat sent to hunt them down, but who in their right mind would be speeding toward a volatile border town like County Hillock?
This region was on the verge of total unrest—it was the last place anyone would choose for a leisurely trip. If two travelers simply wanted to explore Victoria, taking a transit line to Londinium would be a thousand times safer!
"Hold your fire," Horn commanded after a brief pause, signaling everyone to stay hidden. "Let's observe their movements first."
Outside, the vehicle ground to a sudden halt near the warehouse.
"Can't you drive a little slower?!" Talulah grumbled, holding tightly onto the door handle with a pale, miserable face. "When on earth did you pick up such a terrible habit of reckless driving?"
Even with her formidable Draco physique, enduring Jeanne's wild driving through the bumpy terrain had left her stomach turning. She could hardly imagine how miserable anyone sitting in the passenger seat beside Jeanne must have felt on previous trips. Right now, the only thought in Talulah's mind was giving her friend a thorough physical walloping!
"Lives are at stake here, so speed is everything!" Jeanne defended herself, keeping her eyes fixed on the path ahead. She was terrified that if they delayed by even a single hour, all that would remain of County Hillock would be the charred ruins from her dream.
"Besides, you know perfectly well that I don't rely purely on eyesight when I'm driving!" Jeanne added smoothly.
Had anyone else offered such a flimsy excuse for driving like a maniac, Talulah would have tied them up and lashed them with her tail by now. Closing her eyes, she took a deep breath, forcing down the lingering nausea.
Noticing Talulah's pale complexion, Jeanne felt a twinge of guilt and gestured toward the structure ahead. "There's a building up ahead. Let's pull over, take a break, and grab a bite to eat!"
"A break is fine, but skip the food," Talulah snapped back, her eyes narrowing. "I'm genuinely worried I won't be able to keep it down. Given your lethal driving skills, I am not touching a single morsel until we reach County Hillock!"
Jeanne brought the transport to a stop right in front of the warehouse. But just as she stepped toward the entrance to check if it was safe, her senses picked up faint signs of life inside.
And there are quite a few of them!
The two girls exchanged a quick, knowing look. After Talulah gave a subtle nod, Jeanne approached the heavy wooden doors and knocked twice, calling out casually, "Is anyone inside?"
In a desolate stretch of wilderness like this, asking if a building was occupied was a clear signal to whoever was hiding within: We already know you're in there.
After a brief silence, a calm, disciplined voice echoed from behind the timber: "Please enter."
Jeanne pushed the door open and stepped inside, only to find themselves face-to-face with a squad of elite, heavily armed soldiers. Seeing their uniform gear, Jeanne felt her heart drop. Had the dark tragedy from her nightmare already begun to unfold?
"We are Horn's Squad of the Victorian Stormtroopers, currently conducting a classified operation in this sector," Horn declared, her hand resting near her weapon as she observed the newcomers. Her tone was sharp and unyielding; on Victorian soil, a soldier had no reason to hide her identity from two lone travelers. "State your identity and your reason for entering this area."
"We're... well, she's from Ursus, and I'm from Laterano," Jeanne offered smoothly, constructing a statement that was technically true. "We came here to visit a mutual friend!"
Since their immediate destination in County Hillock was the local Rhodes Island branch office, claiming they were visiting a friend wasn't a complete lie.
Doesn't sound like a cover story... Horn pondered silently, though she didn't lower her guard in the slightest, keeping her fingers resting near her sidearm.
"If that is your purpose, I strongly advise against going to County Hillock right now," Horn warned, her brow furrowing slightly. "The local situation there is extremely delicate and volatile. Proceeding into town right now could put your lives at serious risk."
If there wasn't danger, I wouldn't be rushing there in the first place! Jeanne thought to herself, though she merely offered a polite nod and sat down on a nearby crate with Talulah, acting like two ordinary, cooperative travelers.
"Also... please exercise extreme caution," Horn added, offering a rare piece of advice. "A massive quantity of refined Originium products was stolen from a warehouse near the district recently. If you aren't careful, exposure could easily lead to Oripathy infection."
While details regarding the theft were classified, the news was already an open secret around County Hillock. Warning two clueless travelers hardly violated military protocol, and Horn had no desire to watch innocent civilians contract Oripathy before her eyes.
Yet, to her surprise, the girl from Laterano simply smiled and nodded in gratitude, as if the danger of Oripathy meant very little to them.
Sitting side by side on the crates, Jeanne and Talulah exchanged a subtle glance.
A massive shipment of stolen Originium products!
That meant the terrifying blast Jeanne had seen in her vision was fast approaching reality!
Meanwhile, off to the side, Bagpipe had been staring intently at Talulah for a long time. Finally, she leaned over to a squadmate and whispered in wonder, "Is that lass a Vouivre? Her horns look right uncanny!"
Her squadmates glanced over and nodded in agreement. While the woman had physical traits similar to a Vouivre, the heavy, imposing pressure radiating from her felt fundamentally different.
Hearing their conversation, Horn suddenly froze.
A traveler who looks like a Vouivre, but radiates a presence that isn't Vouivre at all...
That could only mean one thing: she belonged to the ancient royal bloodline—the Draco!
Horn's eyes widened as realization struck her like a thunderbolt. Reaching for her tactical terminal, she quickly pulled up an intelligence profile that had been circulating through high-level military channels recently, searching for a specific name:
Talulah Artorius!