Surviving without God

Deep night. On the snow-covered plain, two long shadows were clearly drawn.

One stood straight and motionless, like a soldier on parade, staring toward the east. The other remained in a relaxed pose, sprawled carelessly right on the snow. The one resting was the first to break the silence.

— What, is your heart uneasy because we’re getting close to your homeland?

A dry reply followed.

— Cheonmae, during a mission it is better to refrain from digging into a comrade’s past just to irritate them. Especially if ❖ Nоvеl𝚒ght ❖ (Exclusive on Nоvеl𝚒ght) that past is not a pleasant one.

— Oh, come on. On a long and freezing night like this, if we don’t trade stories about the past, how else are we supposed to pass the time? Hm?

— ...Focus. We cannot afford to fail this mission.

The place where they stood was called the Laska Plain. A vast breadbasket in the far eastern part of the Union of Kingdoms, hundreds of kilometers from the Border City. These lands were what Luthien desired most — and at the same time dreamed of setting ablaze.

“If this region is crippled, the Union army’s supply line will be cut.”

Then Luthien’s plan to drive millions of the kingdom’s inhabitants into the jaws of an Evil God would be halfway complete. The problem lay in recent intelligence: instead of simple arson, Luthien had prepared... something far more radical.

Preventing that catastrophe was their current mission.

Moon Wolf shifted her gaze from her companion — who only pretended to be carefree but was in fact tense to the limit — and looked east again, toward where the Luthien Theocracy stretched across the horizon.

Caw!

At that moment, the cry of a raven split the night sky. The messenger broke through the snowstorm and landed smoothly on Moon Wolf’s forearm. At first glance it looked like an ordinary bird, but the gleam in its pupils and the metallic sheen of its feathers revealed the delicate work of magi-engineering.

A magical courier raven.

Near the Border City communication could be maintained through the magical network, but out here on the endless plain they had to rely on more classical methods. Still, at least it wasn’t a living bird — that was something to be grateful for.

Both warriors fixed their gaze on the two small scrolls tied to the raven’s leg.

— ...Two? Why two?

— I asked them to report any special incidents within the unit as well.

Cheonmae narrowed her eyes.

— Hm-m. Looks like you’re awfully eager to hear news about “that guy,” aren’t you? I keep seeing you staring at the sky like a puppy that needs to pee.

— ...I am performing my duties as acting commander. Perhaps you, as deputy, might show at least a trace of involvement?

— Heh. I’m responsible for brute force.

— Even though you’re weaker than me.

— Oh, that’s hilarious! Want to fight?

— Yes.

— ...I’ll let it slide only because we’re on a mission!

Mission report and news from the unit. Moon Wolf hesitated for a moment, but first reached for the military report.

— ......

The face behind her mask froze as if seized by winter frost. She had hoped for the best, but her foreboding had been correct.

— ...The transfer of the Reversal Artifact has been confirmed. And it happened two days ago. Earlier than scheduled.

At those words, Cheonmae’s playful expression vanished as well.

— The only question is who’s transporting it. Honestly, it’d be better if it were those idiots from the Society of the Holy Flame. At least they’re easy to deal with.

— The probability is low.

The Reversal Artifact meant a sacred relic of one of the Seven Evil Gods. The object they were pursuing was the recently summoned artifact of Jean Daet — “The Feast of Omnivorous Devouring.”

Officially it was advertised as a sacred root that brought rich harvests to the land. In reality, it was a cursed parasite that greedily drained the life force of the soil. Once planted, the earth lost its nutrients, crops withered, and eventually an entire region would die of a great famine.

In a distant forgotten age, a hero had destroyed it at the cost of his life. But now the cursed object had been summoned again.

— Cheonmae, prepare yourself.

Click!

Moon Wolf opened the umbrella she had been shielding beneath the falling snow. With the short sound of its opening came a low growl from beneath the ribs of the umbrella — like the breath of a beast crouched before a leap.

— We must assume the possibility that “he” will appear.

— I know... I’ve been ready for that for a long time.

Cheonmae lifted her own longbow as well — a weapon taller than she was. Its power resembled a siege engine more than personal equipment.

— At last I’ll see that legendary monster — the last of the Great Ones. I’ll definitely add his head to my trophy collection.

— ......

— Huh?

Normally Moon Wolf would immediately cut off such antics with a phrase like, “Cheonmae, stop your stupid jokes and focus.” But now she said nothing.

Sensing something wrong, Cheonmae slowly turned her head.

— Hey... hey! What’s wrong with you already?

Every gap not covered by the black wolf mask bulged with veins. Through the slits burned eyes like red coals. Seized by a violent killing intent, she seemed like a nightmare monster despite her graceful silhouette.

“It’s happening again.”

Under normal circumstances she was a calm and gentle woman. But the moment the name “Luthien” was spoken, that softness was torn apart by madness ready to incinerate everything around it. Even at the start of her service she had been dangerously sharp, but endless missions and the loss of comrades had pushed that state to the extreme.

Preparing for battle was one thing... but now she was going too far.

Cheonmae realized she needed to redirect her attention quickly.

— So what about news of your favorite rookie? Aren’t you going to check?

— ......

...Moon Wolf did not ignore her partner’s desperate attempt. Taking several deep breaths, she forced down the boiling thirst for blood and untied the second scroll from the raven’s leg.

— ......?

Yet despite her effort to calm down, Moon Wolf’s crimson pupils widened again in shock. Even Cheonmae felt uneasy.

What news could shock Moon Wolf when she was already in full combat readiness?

— Well? What is it?

— ......

— Did someone die? Huh?

Moon Wolf did not answer. She simply stared in stunned silence at one line that clearly stood out from the dense report.

“Gan-za Samurai (Gan-za Samurai — crossed out) — Sniper with the Double Claw... no, Gan-za Samurai (crossed out) — Hunter at the Waning Moon single-handedly eliminated the Eldest and the Youngest of the Perfumers.”

Only after her astonishment subsided slightly could she convey the unbelievable message to Cheonmae.

— Gyu... the Hunter at the Waning Moon destroyed the Perfumers.

Cheonmae’s eyes widened at the completely unexpected news.

— Wow, is the Fourth Platoon really that strong? I thought after their commander died they turned into a bunch of trash.

— No.

— What?

— It wasn’t a platoon battle. He eliminated them alone.

Now came exactly the reaction Moon Wolf had expected. Cheonmae lost the power of speech for a moment, then simply collapsed onto the snow.

— No way... he’s that strong?!

Earlier, Cheonmae had argued with Moon Wolf, claiming Gunther’s skill was exaggerated.

— ...Heh-heh.

— What’s with that sly grin?

— I’m simply sincerely happy about the success of a subordinate.

Moon Wolf read the note again.

“Hunter at the Waning Moon single-handedly eliminated the Eldest and the Youngest of the Perfumers.”

That single line was enough for her to imagine what kind of battle Gunther had fought. She had observed him from the entrance exam, through the destruction of Mother, and up to the Labyrinth.

Gunther always fought as the underdog.

He grew quickly, but his luck with opponents was catastrophically bad. The enemies he faced were always several levels higher — overwhelming power.

“This time it must have been the same.”

But he did not fear that inequality.

He squeezed every drop of strength from himself, wasting neither strength nor a single tactical move. In that way he turned battle from a gamble into a calculated match. He acted boldly, wagering his life as if he possessed several of them.

That was what Moon Wolf liked about him.

War against Luthien almost always began with desperate inequality of power. In such situations most members of the organization could only barely hold the line.

But Gunther was different.

He stubbornly turned an “impossible battle” into a “possible one.” He went beyond mere survival. And in the end, as if performing a miracle, he tore victory from the jaws of defeat.

— ......

Moon Wolf quietly slipped the note — which was supposed to be destroyed — into her pocket. Cheonmae noticed but did not object.

Instead she voiced a sentence acknowledging Gunther’s achievement.

— After this assignment, he’ll become a platoon commander, right?

— ...Most likely. Grand Crow originally planned that appointment. And I will support it. — It’s only been two weeks since he joined? That’s a record, damn it. An absolute record.

The Execution Division did not operate battalions like other combat units. It was a group of elite specialists.

If a platoon in other units consisted of twenty or thirty people, here it was only four to eight. But their combat power was many times greater.

Therefore the authority of a platoon commander leading such units was enormous. It was a person capable of conducting operations independently. Inside the organization, they were considered a key figure with authority equivalent to junior leadership.

Moon Wolf and Cheonmae themselves had once walked the path of platoon commanders before reaching their current positions.

And although the Fourth Platoon was now half reduced and considered problematic due to incidents of disobedience... the achievement was still tremendous.

— At the next candidate exam I’ll be the examiner myself. Living without competent juniors is boring.

— Go ahead. If you find a rookie like the Hunter at the Waning Moon, I’ll applaud you.

— Kha-ha-ha!

Trading deliberately sharp jokes, they released some of the tension. For a moment the chill of war seemed to retreat.

But the comfortable atmosphere did not last long.

— ......

Cheonmae suddenly raised her longbow.

Creeeeak!

The sound of the bowstring — thick and strong like a rope — stretched across the silent snowy plain.

— ......

Silence followed.

Peering into the distance, Cheonmae whispered:

— He’s an even bigger monster than the rumors say. Even my skin’s itching.

— ...You see him?

— Yes. He’s coming. Fast.

A sinister aura thickened, surrounding them like blades of swords.

Sssss...

Black vapor began creeping into the edges of their vision.

The heart beat faster. Hair rose on end.

Amid the growing thirst for blood and the will to fight, Moon Wolf suddenly remembered the words Gunther had casually said before leaving.

“About that mission...”

Why had he said that strange thing?

...Even as she sensed the monster approaching, Moon Wolf could not rid herself of that question.

“What did he mean...”

At the time she had brushed it off, but now those words kept knocking insistently at her mind.

***

— I won’t do it again. I promise.

The members of the platoon expressed deep dissatisfaction that Gunther had dealt with the Perfumers alone.

Tarsha reacted especially strongly.

— Ever since that time the commander almost died fighting alone, we’ve had enough! Don’t ever do that again, you hear me?!

Levain and Parco also could not resist throwing sharp remarks to express their disapproval.

— Gunther, we are not a burden to you. If we are comrades, then we must carry the load together. I hope this will not happen again.

— We might have seemed unreliable to you, but... learning about the cleanup afterward like this is, to put it mildly, disconcerting.

Blanc, meanwhile, remained silent and did not even look at Gunther.

Gunther had expected them to be unhappy, but not this much.

And yet, strangely, he did not feel unpleasant about it.

On the contrary, warmth spread through him.

They were angry only because they feared losing a comrade. If they knew he understood that, they would probably call him shameless. But what could he do?

Gunther liked this new, strange, yet comforting feeling of belonging to a team.

— ...It’s not what you think. The circumstances were simply different this time. I’m sorry.

— Gunther, and where is the phrase “I won’t do it again”?

— Let’s say... I’ll try not to repeat it.

— Ahh...

After several rounds of apologies, his comrades’ anger gradually subsided.

Brody, who had been curiously observing how her business partner was fending off accusations, gently joined the conversation.

— Nice to meet you! I’m Brody, Gunther’s partner. I have a feeling we’ll be seeing each other quite often!

With an elegant bow she placed expensive tea and sweets on the table.

The platoon members had already heard about her from Gunther himself and from the Information Department staff. Allies outside the organization were rare, but they did exist, so the unit was not taken by surprise and exchanged greetings with her.

Though only with glances over their masks.

— ...Well then, talk among yourselves.

As soon as Brody sensed the moment and withdrew, Blanc — who had been silent until now — took something from her bag and silently handed it to Gunther.

She still did not say a word and did not look him in the eyes.

Gunther looked closely at what he held.

Several packs of snacks — local delicacies from the hot springs.

— ...Thank you, Blanc.

— ......

Instead of the silent Blanc, Levain offered a brief explanation.

He told how they had managed to find Gunther so quickly.

When they had parted on the upper levels at dawn, Gunther’s face had looked so grim that it bothered them. They had planned to stop by the hot springs to buy something to eat and visit him, but just then a report arrived from the support team, and they rushed to assist without delay.

Parco snorted.

— First time I’ve ever seen a support team in such shock. They kept reporting: “G-g-g-Gunther, the Hunter at the Waning Moon, killed the Perfumer alone!” I thought their radio had broken.

— They’re probably sitting somewhere right now wondering how to recalculate the merit points.

— Yeah... this time Gunther really helped us with points. Even those in the same platoon get a share.

— Oh, now I feel kind of embarrassed for getting angry.

— I wonder when was the last time I got this many points...

While the platoon members joked among themselves, Gunther quietly shifted his gaze toward the window.

...The support team had vanished as suddenly as it had appeared, taking the bodies of the Perfumers with them and leaving no trace.

The open space covered with snow now looked infinitely calm and pure.

It was hard to believe that only a few hours earlier a battle had raged here, where blood and flesh had flown through the air.

“Hopefully this won’t bring trouble to Brody.”

As Gunther sank into his worries, Tarsha suddenly voiced a new thought.

— What, worried Luthien will come after your partner?

— Considering the circumstances, that’s entirely possible.

— Yeah, the circumstances are serious. But I assure you: for the next while the High Priest of Luthien will have bigger concerns than the disappearance of a couple of “Perfumers.”

— A couple of “Perfumers”...?

Gunther froze for a moment at that dismissive tone.

...And then he understood everything.

From the strange shadows that crossed his comrades’ faces.

From the heavy, oppressive atmosphere that clearly suggested they had not come here merely to comfort him.

A chill ran down his spine.

“It’s begun.”

Gunther stared at Levain’s lips as he prepared to speak.

...His premonition was correct.

— Gunther, Mayor Michela has returned to the city.

It was the funeral bell announcing the end of the first act.

Gunther repeated the words in a low voice.

— So Mayor Michela has returned...

Mayor Michela.

A half-blood in whose veins flowed the blood of the Labyrinth Clan.

The true mistress of this city.

The main opponent of Luthien’s policy within these walls.

...The fuse had been lit — the one that would turn the conflict between the city and Luthien into open full-scale war.

— ......

Snow continued to swallow the city, wrapping it in a white veil.

Yet in that silence Gunther felt something more. 𝙧𝙚𝙚𝔀𝒆𝓫𝓷𝙤𝓿𝒆𝙡.𝒄𝙤𝓶

The certainty that the return of one person would plunge the entire city into chaos — and that they would have no choice but to leap into those enormous waves.

Ding!

[Main Chapter 1, Episode 5 begins: “Before the Black Waves”]