Editing HEAVY OBJECT:Volume4 Chapter 1 (section)

===Part 6===

When Quenser and Heivia said they accepted the request, the leader showed them to another wooden building.

Several metal containers were kept inside.

“You can use equipment and firearms from the Capitalist Corporations.”

“?”

“The Deep Optical’s maintenance unit is resupplied by air. Containers are dropped down by parachute. However, not all of them fall where they are supposed to. When the wind blows them off course, a third party can easily take them. But anything too high tech is not well suited for us.”

“I see.”

“If it’s Capitalist Corporations stuff, this would be…damn…it’s low-penetration 5.56 mm ammo. Well, whatever. Let’s take a pair of uniforms while we’re at it. I doubt it will completely fool them, but we’ll be less likely to get shot than if we keep on these Legitimacy Kingdom uniforms.”

“I hope we can find an explosive with similar properties to Hand Axe.”

As the two muttered to each other, they opened the door of a container and pulled out the equipment they needed.

Naturally, the light brown men kept their rifles aimed at them the entire time.

However, there was a blind spot.

Specifically, behind the opened door of the container.

A clay-like explosive could be attached in such a way to send the fragments of the steel door towards the men.

(In 3 seconds.)

“Did you really think we would overlook your signs?” said the leader.

The surrounding men frantically adjusted their aim.

The leader narrowed his eyes and asked Quenser and Heivia, “What do you think are you doing?”

“If I detonate this, you are the ones who will be blown away. And yes, I have made sure that the fragments and the blast will not touch us inside the container.”

“I asked you what you are doing,” repeated the leader calmly.

Even if Quenser and Heivia killed all of the people there, plenty of guards surrounded the facility. They would come running if there was an explosion and the two boys would certainly be cornered.

Quenser had no intention of running away by force.

“If I did not set up this farce, I doubt you would have answered my question. Especially because I want the raw truth rather than some disgusting whitewashed answer.”

“…What do you want to know?”

The leader had paused slightly before asking that.

He may have gotten a bad feeling about what the question was.

Quenser spoke without hesitation.

“Your claim is that those children lost limbs due to the Deep Optical’s meaningless bombardments, right?”

“Yes, and?”

“Like hell they did,” replied Heivia clearly. “Not even an old First Generation Object’s bombardment is that easygoing. If someone was hit by a stray shot, they wouldn’t even leave behind a proper corpse. There’s no way an Object would cause so many injuries on a level that would cause pain in others more than even a corpse would.”

“I don’t know if you intercepted some radio transmission or you found out in some other way, but you knew the Legitimacy Kingdom’s 37th Mobile Maintenance Battalion was coming to the Loyauté district from a very early stage.”

Quenser could feel his breaths growing shallow.

He was not controlling his emotions as well as he thought he could.

“And so you made them yourself. You made the materials you thought would get us to help you. If those injuries were not caused by an Object, then I can think of only one other cause.”

He took a deep breath.

It did not help.

Even so, he continued on.

“You carved those children apart yourselves, didn’t you?”

“…”

The leader remained silent for a bit.

Finally, he took a deep breath and spoke.

“Yes, we did.”

“Why?” asked Quenser quietly. His voice then grew to a yell. “Were you that intent on having us take on the Deep Optical!? We’re nothing more than a student and a foot soldier!! What value is there in setting up the Deep Optical as some horrible villain with some sob story!?”

“You understand nothing!!” shouted the leader as if to drive back Quenser’s voice. “We have our reasons why we had to make this so simple to understand! Do not claim to understand how it feels to be forced to take a blade to the children who are supposed to be the next generation!!”

“What possible reason could-…”

“In reality, it is much worse than that!!” 

Even the air in the room seemed to come to a standstill.

The leader continued speaking as he breathed heavily.

“Just as you said, an Object’s stray shot does not leave even a corpse. But you do not understand. You have not seen the true effect the Deep Optical has been having on this land.”

“So you made it visible because we couldn’t see it?” groaned Heivia. “You were dragging us up to a level where we could discuss it by dropping it down to a level we could understand? Do you really think that justifies this?”

“Let me tell you up front. We never forced this on them. That tragedy was put together out of volunteers.” The leader must have felt at least somewhat guilty because he began speaking more rapidly. “But there have been dozens or even hundreds of actual tragedies. They are still occurring even now in the Loyauté district. …If those wounds were enough to work up your anger, then you should be even more enraged over what is actually happening. Their atrocities have reached a level well beyond that.”

“Fine then,” muttered Quenser. “We’re going to face the Deep Optical eventually. The only question is whether it is sooner or later. Of course, that difference could decide whether we get rewarded or punished for it, but I will turn a blind eye to that. Just don’t think this is going to have a happy ending.”

“…”

“Whatever your reasons may have been, you did what you did. Do not forget that the day will come when you must pay for it.”