YOU REAP WHAT YOU SOW [8]

Regressor Instructions Manual Episode 1001

You reap what you sow (8)

"What do you mean?"

"You need to move right now. That's the order from above."

"Shouldn't you explain the situation before giving such orders?"

"Explanation is difficult. Anyway... You need to move right now, or rather, in 4 minutes."

"Seriously... What does that even mean?"

I knew it would be hard to understand. Those in the so-called combat sector wouldn't find a reason they could accept.

Even I, who participated in the expedition as the field commander, found the command difficult to comprehend, so how could they?

"If you hold the title of field commander and sit in this position... shouldn't you at least have an idea of what's happening?"

"I'm sorry, but..."

Every time, it was inevitable that friction would arise. Typically, these situations occurred either within the fortress or outside.

While the importance of field commanders was acknowledged, and clans and guilds began hiring administrative roles as a trend, it was still challenging to completely change the overall approach of adventurers.

The haste with which everyone entered the war, without the combat units being fully prepared, was to blame.

As much as developing countries undergoing rapid economic progress inadvertently faced side effects, the existence and utilization of field commanders also came with many unintended consequences.

The combat units inherently distrusted field commanders, believing their methods were always right, and that the commanders were clueless idiots with no proper hunting or war experience.

The field commanders weren't exactly favorable towards adventurers either. From our perspective, they were troublemakers.

It was an expression of inferiority complex that hadn't been treated as a major profession until now, but it was also an undeniable fact that an irrational sense of superiority existed.

Within clans and guilds that went on dungeons or hunts, the phrase "conflict with the commander" was enough to describe an incident.

In reality, even in adventure journals and media, cases where commanders gave incorrect orders resulting in the annihilation of party members, or incidents where party members didn't cooperate with commanders leading to accidents, were hot topics of interest for those who had set foot in this industry.

'But for now...'

"Order from above. Regardless, I'll try contacting them again."

-Reason not required. Execution of orders required. Operation begins in 4 minutes.

'For heaven's sake...'

Hastily, I left a message on the communication channel. Most likely, other units were facing a similar situation.

-Reason not required. Operation begins in 3 minutes and 55 seconds.

I'm a Level 1 field commander. A first class field commander has access to almost all operational information. As a first class field commander with limited access to information Republic's military and an Honorary Cardinal could access information to some extent.

Originally, that's why I decided to participate in this expedition under such conditions.

-Request for operation information access approval. Level 1 combat field commander, code name Genius.

To be rational, there was no need to know the reason. If an order came from above, they had to follow it, as it was their mission. However...

'I need to know the details of the operation.'

That way, I could adapt to variables. If I were a frontline commander, I might not have made this choice, but I had some degree of authority...

Above all, I needed to convince those who followed the operation. That was the biggest reason a compulsive obsession took root in me.

It was me, who was a latecomer, who knew better than anyone else that it was the driving force that had brought me to this position.

'Please grant approval...'

"...."

Please.

-Limited approval granted. Operation begins in 3 minutes and 10 seconds.

In a situation where I could only clench my fist, but even that was just temporary.

"...."

"..."

"What the heck..."

"..."

"What on earth is this..."

[Raphael's Movement Route 42 Route Transmitted]

[Modification requested]

[Modification request confirmed]

[Request for Operation 7 Unit Content Modification]

[Current Unit Location and Bahamut's Expected Movement Route]

[…...]

[Bahamut's Expected Movement Route Variable Probability 12.24%]

[...…]

[Additional Expected Movement Route 13 Routes Added. Confirmed]

[...…]

[High probability of Troop 42 loss. Correction]

[...…]

In an instant, the screen before my eyes starts to fill up completely. Countless texts, incomprehensible coordinates and paths, symbols that seem to look like a maze start to fill the screen.

Change is constant. Changes in vast amounts of tactics that are so extensive that they're difficult to understand continue to take place.

To exaggerate, it feels as if it's a living organism.

The things within this screen seem to move and think on their own. The map that seems to unfold the entire underground temple is covered in numerous lines.

Thousands, no, tens of thousands of lines intersect with each other. You can understand what this is.

It seemed like it marked the movement path of forces or someone, but I couldn't make heads or tails of it.

It looked like the movement path of the boss monster was made up of red lines, but even the red lines branched out in hundreds of directions.

'Expected movement route.'

This is the expected movement route of the monster.

I can understand it. It's not a matter of understanding or not understanding. Even my eyes that have participated in countless operations see all of this as if it's a code.

[Unit 22 Operation Success Probability 92.5%]

[Modification requested]

[Modification request confirmed]

[Unit 22 Operation Success Probability 99.1%]

[Casualty Probability 0.9%]

[Operation approval]

'Displaying the success probability of the operation as a percentage gauge?'

Is that what they're doing with the operation they created, or rather, are creating within these 4 minutes?

[Blue Guild Operation Success Probability 95.7%]

[Modification requested]

[Modification request confirmed]

[Blue Guild Operation Success Probability 99.8%]

[Casualty Probability 0.2%]

[Operation refusal]

[Modification request confirmed]

[Blue Guild Operation Success Probability 100%]

[Casualty Probability 0%]

[Operation approval]

Inhuman. I don't understand this myself, but I had a feeling I might understand what this signifies.

They probably wouldn't reveal it. Even if all of this was created relatively quickly within these 4 minutes, they probably wouldn't reveal details about this operation.

'Perhaps that's a way to reduce variables.'

Perhaps... Perhaps they view humans like parts of a machine.

They probably think that performing tasks like gears, without knowing what they should do, who they should fight against, without personal emotions, can reduce variables.

If not, there's no way they could measure things like survival probability as a percentage gauge.

It's different from boasting about the success probability of an operation that was prepared for three months, saying it's 80% or 90%.

They are analyzing humans like data, thoroughly, as if they're machine parts. This analysis extends to their tendencies and abilities.

'Am I allowed to see something like this?'

Am I allowed to look at something like this? Even though approval came from above for this, these things...

-Operation starts 1 minute 9 seconds before.

"Do you have any insights?"

"I... I'm not sure. It's an order from above."

"What we're seeing now is..."

"I don't really know. I... But... We won't fail. We'll definitely succeed."

I have no idea how my expression must look right now. Am I smiling, or do I have a disgusted face?

But regardless of that...

-Operation starts 10 seconds before.

The orders didn't wait for them.

"We'll move."

We could only move our troops. There are six missions assigned to the units.

One is to move to a specific location and then cast long-distance magic with designated coordinates.

Two is to move to a specific location and then cast divine magic.

Three is to move to a specific location and then heal the injured who are waiting.

Four is to move to a specific location and then join forces with other allied troops.

None of these tasks have happened yet. There are no wounded. This operation is based on the assumption that other units will have wounded during the operation.

They don't even consider their deaths. They might even be worrying about the possibility that there won't be any wounded. They might consider that as a variable too.

'This is insane.'

I've never seen anything like this in the manual or in any adventure I've read.

"Formation! Formation!"

"Right now..."

"Formation! Take your positions! Positions!"

"What are we doing right now..."

"At least give us a reason..."

"For heaven's sake! I have no idea either!"

Everyone looked at me with anxious faces, but it didn't take long before their expressions changed.

[Uwaaaaaaah!]

Because I heard that sound,

Kwaaaaaaaang!!

[Uwaaaaaaah!!]

The sound gradually getting closer is something everyone would understand.

After arriving at the designated operational position, the ground continues to shake. The faint rumbling sound gets closer and closer.

The sound that feels like it's going to tear my ears apart keeps resonating.

As the violent sound of "crunch, crackle!" draws nearer, tension starts to appear on the faces of the troops.

The heart is pounding. No, my entire body is trembling.

Even though we haven't encountered the enemy yet, a fear of potentially dying dominates my entire body.

If I don't want to die, have I to follow orders. That much is understood. The orders from above were probably created with that intention.

"What... is this..."

"I'm preparing magic."

Specify the coordinates precisely. Even though my hand is trembling slightly, there's no need to be overly tense.

Our unit has already made mistakes before, and their errors probably fall within the range of what they call "variables."

'It's okay to make mistakes.'

My hand trembled as I input the coordinates.

'Don't be nervous.'

Because of the tension, my lips wouldn't stop quivering.

And then...

"Fire... Fire!"

At the same time as the sound, the moment the magic shoots up into the air.

Kwaahhhhhhh!!!

A massive hand just brushed past in front of me. Although it certainly happened in an instant, it felt as if time were passing slowly.

The magicians reflexively send their spells, and the vanguard troops freeze at the sudden assault.

But that's not all. Although the massive hand turned everything around it into ruins, it doesn't pass by where we stand.

I felt like the gigantic hand was brushing past my hair, but it didn't touch me.

Not even the shards.

[Uwaaaaaahhhhh!!!]

Eventually, what appeared in my line of sight was the colossal body of the monster. Without me realizing it, my legs went weak and I sank down, but the magic I fired hit the creature in the back as ordered.

I can't tell if it had any effect or not. It probably didn't.

That monster isn't paying any attention to us.

Although it's a stretch to call it an alternative, a doll that fell from the upper floor with holes in it comes closer to the creature and its spear brushes past its back before it disappears.

It felt annoyed. The shields pile up, layer after layer, around the creature that swung its arms in an irritated manner.

The woman holding the spear disappears below as the translucent barrier shatters before reappearing as a semi-transparent layer and sliding downward.

Kwaahhhhhh!!

With the sound, the creature disappears again, breaking through the ceiling.

Voices responding to its movement pour in from all around.

"Fire!"

"Raise your shields! Raise your shields! Raise your shields! You bastards!!"

'What the hell is... What's going on? What the hell are we doing?'

"Hold it for one second. One second! Just hold it for one second!"

[Oooohhhh...[

"Priest!! Priest!!!"

"Aaaahhhh! Aaaahhhhhh! Help... help me... Please save me..."

"Leave the injured behind and move!"

"But..."

"Damn it! It's an order! Leave the wounded and move!"

"..."

"Move, you bastards, move!!"

[Uwaahhhh!!]

The creature breaks through the wall once again and disappears where it passed.

Nothing is left in the wake of the monster, other than the troops left dazed amidst the rubble and a path created only for their next mission.

Even though everything became incomprehensible, in the midst of it all,

A dry voice pierces through again.

-Next operation, 20 seconds before start.