Interlude

At the Royal Weapons Development Bureau - where the Hunter Units were created, turning the tide in the previous war - the deeper inside the building, the more stringent the security, until finally even the general of Wiltia's army couldn't enter without permission.

In the farthest point of the Bureau's underground, the director, Daian Fortuner, sat in a chair, humming to himself as he listened to a young,  red-haired girl.

"... That is everything I have to report about Svelgen Avei's activities in Organbaelz."

"Good work! Well, well, well that is quite an interesting outcome, isn't it?"

When Sven had escaped from the research facility, Daian dispatched the red-haired girl - Rebecca - to pursue her.

"But... this Dolchev... he's quite the idiot, isn't he...? It's already been a year since Pelfe was annexed. Since the middle of the Great War, that area has belonged to Wiltia. If there was something important there, I would have long ago had my hands on it."

In order to maintain their national identity, the August Federation showed no tolerance for dissenting opinions and promptly purged them all.

Daian was amused at that thought that because they had killed so many of their own people, the August were now starting to run low on talent.

"Oh well... Fools do foolish things and die in foolish ways over and over throughout this world. It's not uncommon. More importantly, Rebecca, you said Sven escaped this Bureau to chase after this Lud Langart?"

"Affirmative."

In contrast with her lovely appearance, Rebecca answered Daian in a cold, robotic voice.

"Hehe... So he's the man she chose of her own free will, the man she loves..."

The Autonomous Humanoid Hunter Units were created to be immortal soldiers, a weapon similar to humans, but without their limitations. But these official justifications were nothing more than a means to gather the budget, materials and manpower for the research that Daian was in fact trying to conduct.

"Rebecca, you know the origin behind the name of Europea, don't you?"

"Affirmative. Records indicate it was named after an empire that existed one thousand years ago."

"That's right. Do you know the origin behind the name of the European Empire, too?"

"Negative. There is no valid answer in the database."

That was correct.

The creation myths of the long-lost empire were not passed down because no one knew the reason for its demise.

"It's the name of a girl from a time long, long ago. And she was so unbelievably beautiful that finally even God came down from heaven to marry her."

It was a story that many thought was nothing more than a far too fantastic fairytale, and Daian told it with a grandiose tone of voice.

"God said to the girl, Europa, "If you become my companion, I will give the entire world to you." And, the rules of the European Empire claimed to be descendants of Europa. So they believed that this world was their own."

The story might just be an affirmation that the European Empire's rule was approved by God, and therefore nothing more than a divine right of kings.

But Daian thought there was more to the myth.

All myths and legends are based on some reality.

The European Empire that existed one thousand years ago was a civilization with technology far superior to the modern era. Nothing was beyond the realm of possibility.

Daian decided to verify the myth, and tried to revive a descendent of the ancient empire's rulers.

He got hold of remains that had been miraculously uncovered, analyzed the genetic information and successfully reproduced the genetic code. Something extraordinary occurred.

The Doors, which held the legacy of the lost Empire, - impenetrable even by cannon fire - opened before the genes of the imperial rulers.

Daian was sure.

The world that God gave was "an imperial civilization that has a mighty power, enough to take over the world as your own."

Dolchev's belief that, "Ancient doors will open with the blood of the promised maiden." was most likely misinformation given to him by Daian's apprentice, who had obtained limited knowledge about Daian's research before he defected to August.

Other Doors like the one in Baelz Mine existed in large numbers throughout the world.

He had opened several already, but the Doors concealing even more powerful artifacts would not open with the genetic material he had cultivated in the lab.

Something more human was necessary.

Daian would bring Europa back. Using the cultivated cells as a base, he used machinery for most of her organs and substituted her heart and brain with a Rezanium reactor.

He had succeeded in making her seem human, but it still wasn't enough.

She needed her own will, her own spirit, and her own soul.

He was reviving the girl loved by God.

But in order to be loved, she also had to love.

So Daian transplanted Avei's soul into Europa's body, and brought Sven into the world.

"She's the key to unlocking the wisdom of the world. And the man she loves will stop the kings claiming to be the imperial descendants, and he will certainly become a just ruler..."

Daian was thoroughly enjoying himself.

He couldn't help but be happy the being he had brought into this world would turn it upside down from its very core.

"Inquiry."

Rebecca raised her hand.

"What is it?"

"If she is so important, is it a good idea to leave her where she is?"

While August's guesses were incorrect, they knew what was required to open the Door, so the intelligence agencies of the other countries might already be at work.

Even Wiltia's military and its nobility weren't invulnerable to temptation.

Someone might overhear something and try to have her killed.

"Rebecca... Do you know the most important element for making love strong?"

Rebecca Sharlahart was an Autonomous Humanoid Hunter Unit he had created, model number SA-R2.

Daian understood exactly what she could do, and what she did and didn't know.

"Negative. There is not a valid answer in the database."

There wouldn't be, would there, was what Daian stopped himself from saying."

"Adversity... Overcoming hardships, hand in hand with the person you love, nurtures that love and makes it stronger. It's not enough for her to become aware of her feelings. When she realizes her true desires..."

Daian walked to the other side of the room, where hidden in the inner most part of the Development Bureau was the most classified of classified information, and put his hand out.

"This Door will open!"

Over a hundred meters tall and firmly shut, Daian placed his palm on a Door far larger than the one at the bottom of Baelz Mine.