Chapter 32

Author Notes: I had been summarizing each chapter in 9 episodes so far, but... at this rate, it seems like it will become longer... Is there... no problem with that?

(Tl Notes: Nope.)

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If they continue like this, Counters should arrive at the research base around 1 PM. Moore compared the estimated arrival time, based on the flashing current location marker on the terminal's displayed overall map as they walked along the frozen riverbank, and stored it in his pouch.

"So, how long are you going to follow us?" he asked.

He slowly shifted his gaze down to his feet. Six gray-furred wolves, with mixed black and brown patches, had gathered around Moore.

"Do you think they've taken a liking to the Commander?", Anis wondered aloud.

"I don't recall hearing about wild animals, especially wolves, getting attached to humans...", Moore mused.

Anis tilted her head in puzzlement as she, too, looked down at Moore's feet. These were quite large wolves, and the group had an imposing presence. They had been sticking to Moore since they first encountered them.

"Was the Commander once a wolf king or something?" Neon joked.

"I'm a soldier, but I don't recall ever being a ...'wolf king'," Moore replied casually.

He observed the thick clouds approaching from the rugged peaks in the distance, concluding that a blizzard would hit within an hour.

"You're right. ...Commander, are your legs okay?" Anis asked.

"Yeah, they're fine. I didn't have any rejection reactions... and I'm grateful for the exoskeleton Ingrid provided."

Moore's right leg was no longer entirely organic. Below his knee, there were joint components attached, and the leg had been transplanted from a body made for Nikke.

[──Of course! That exoskeleton was specially made for Elysion, you know!]

"…Oh. Shifty, you were still there?"

Moore replied to the sudden communication from the operator with a voice that didn't sound particularly surprised.

"It seems to have excellent performance, but why was its production discontinued?"

[It was originally made for Nikke...]

Rapi naturally asked the question. Given that it supported Moore's weight, activity, and physical capabilities equivalent to Niké's, its performance was undoubtedly impressive. However, it was strange that such a piece of equipment wasn't being actively produced.

To this, Shifty responded, "It's faster to make a new leg than to wait for bones to heal."

According to her, Nikke's manufacturing technology had reached a point where it was no exaggeration to say they could produce it with minimal resources and maximum speed.

"..."

"..."

"..."

"…Shifty?"

Naturally, Moore asked about this issue. He could not completely deny Shifty's words. While she had stated the facts, he implicitly requested her not to make such comments during missions as it could affect their morale. It seemed that Shifty understood his intent.

[Oh, I'm sorry! I shouldn't have said that!] she replied apologetically.

.

.

"---No, it's alright. I'm just relieved... there are many others who can take my place," Rapi replied coolly.

Although he had reservations, Moore didn't outright reject Rapi's words. Even so, While her abilities, strength, experience, and knowledge were valuable, he couldn't ignore the existence of alternatives, ---especially when considering the squad's combat strength.

He let out a small sigh. His breath turned into a visible cloud in the frigid air, serving as a reminder of the harsh environment they were in. Moore bent down slightly, petting a few of the wolves that were now circling him in succession, before giving the order to continue moving forward.

"Squad, move out. Let's hurry---!!"

"Commander!!"

"SENSEI!"

The squad members voiced their concern as Moore led the way.

It was a simple hill, or so it seemed, but descending onto it turned out to be a bad idea. It appeared that he had broken through a snow cornice and tumbled down, shattering the icy surface that covered the entire frozen river, drenching himself in freezing water.

"Damn, I look really stupid right now."

Drenched from head to toe, he crawled back up, cursing his luck. And it seemed that his streak of misfortune was far from over.

He decided to change at least his wet underwear and reached into his backpack, which was vacuum-sealed for waterproofing. However, much to his surprise, the blizzard started much earlier than expected.

"---Wait for three minutes," Moore said.

"Huh!?"

Without hesitation, Moore began removing his wet body armor and then his combat suit as the snow began falling rapidly.

Anis immediately turned around, her back to Moore, as the frozen combat suit fell onto the snow. Neon followed her too when she saw Moore's shirt come off, revealing his well-trained body underneath. Rapi turned her back from Moore as well.

"It's so cold..." Moore shivered as the freezing wind blew against his wet skin. It was like a brief swim in freezing water. He quickly undressed, shedding everything from his boots, socks, and even his exoskeleton.

His new right leg appeared thinner compared to his left. Although it was made for Nikke, it still performed well, but its slight differences in size was due to his robust build.

Opening his backpack, he used a towel to at least wipe the surface of his assault rifle and handguns, removing any water droplets. Despite rigorous testing to ensure they could function in cold environments, it was better to be safe. He breathed heavily into the barrels and slides of the guns to clear any remaining water droplets. Then, he finally dried himself with the towel and started putting on his replacement clothes.

Exactly three minutes had passed. Moore had swiftly completed his maintenance and change of clothes, but his body had become painfully cold. He instinctively wiped his runny nose.

"Commander, are you okay now?" Anis asked.

"Yeah, I'm fine. ...It's not like I have anything to lose," Moore replied.

"Why would you start undressing in a place like this? Don't you have any shame!?" Neon exclaimed.

"Shame? ...Isn't it just a matter of whether you have it or don't, regardless of being a man or a woman?" Moore replied.

At least, Moore didn't continue with his statement that "Unless for the bedroom."

(Tl notes:...At least you have that much of tact.)

Anis certainly wasn't in a position to criticize, considering she'd showered in the Commander's office. Moore thought about when the boiler would finally arrive.

While Moore left his wet clothes on the snowy ground, the wolves approached, sniffing and showing interest. With fur that looked much warmer than regular winter clothing, they earned a wistful glance from Moore before he commanded them to move forward again.

Soon after, a fierce blizzard descended, and their visibility was reduced to just 10 meters.

Advancing in these conditions was extremely perilous. Additionally, the blizzard was interfering with their communications, making them unclear.

Moore wasn't particularly superstitious, but he couldn't help but feel cursed. Why did they always encounter spontaneous or accidental troubles during their operations?

As communication deteriorated, and visibility worsened, Shifty began guiding them towards an abandoned bunker nearby to escape the blizzard.

Following her navigation, they headed north-northwest, but the blizzard continued to intensify.

"Are you okay, Commander?" Anis asked.

"It's cold, but I'm fine. Frostbite is starting to set in, though..." Moore replied, feeling a tingling sensation like needles pricking his skin. He had changed his gloves and socks to new ones, but perhaps he hadn't completely dried his skin.

"That won't do. Neon! ...Take off your clothes and hug the Commander!"

"---Huh?"

"WHAT!?"

—What on earth is she saying? Did she have some sort of error code embedded in her brain?

Both Moore and her disciple, who walked alongside her, turned to her in shock, their mouths agape.

"Press your bodies together to raise the Commander's body temperature!" Anis suggested, flaunting her ample bosom as if it were an ingenious idea.

Moore, shivering due to the onset of hypothermia, began assessing whether this proposed solution made any sense, despite the... extravagant demonstration.

"Why don't you do it then, Anis? You're bigger and have a larger surface area than me!" Neon protested.

"Huh!? W-well, I can't do it!"

"Why not? I'm just making a practical suggestion!"

"Ugh! I can't do something so embarrassing!"

"I'm embarrassed too, you know!"

"If you don't want to, just say so!"

"I don't dislike being with my sensei! Rather, it's probably you who hate it, Anis!"

"What are you saying! I—I also lik---!!! UEh!?"

"....Enough. Can you two stop arguing with me in the middle? I can tolerate it, so don't worry. We'll treat it when we get inside the bunker," Moore interjected, his mind racing as he was caught in the midst of their bickering.

Recently, he'd noticed a growing lack of mercy from them, so Moore considered not being hated as a good thing.

While looking forward to completing the mission safely and treating Anis to a beer as a gesture of gratitude when they returned to the outpost, Moore followed Rapi's lead as she led the way through the blizzard.