Chapter 392: Defense Battle 6

「Well then, let’s enter」(Mile)

Mile completely ignored the desperate beastkins who tried to stop her. Of course, Rena’s trio also accompanied her.

No matter what happens to Mile’s group when they enter the holes, it doesn’t really affect the beastkins. But they still tried to stop the girls. Is it against their policy to let the girls go to the dead land?

Perhaps these guys weren’t so bad, that’s why they tried to stop the girls…

However, they don’t have the authority to stop Mile’s group, and if they try to stop the girls by force, it will become a fine criminal act.

They couldn’t do anything because it might result in the rumor “Four young girls were attacked by the beastkins”

After all, the beastkins seemed to care a lot about their honor or something like that.

The merchants may have had some thoughts, but in the end, they didn’t say anything.

And Mile’s group already told the merchants, “If we don’t return, turn back and head to the Imperial City where you can hire other escorts and return home.”

But… the probability of that happening is very low, no, it won’t happen…

Although it’s in the middle of an escort mission, there’s no problem as it has also been approved by the merchants as “part of the investigation on the Empire.”

Then, “Red Oath” entered into the dark hole with a magical light.

「I wonder if we have walked about 500 meters …」(Rena)

「It’s only about 300 meters」(Mile)

This hole does not go straight underground, it does not require stairs or ladders as the slope is low.

Therefore, the girls just walk downhill normally.

Even so, the girls are heading toward the mountains, they are still “diving into the Earth/underground” rapidly.

Although Rena tried to count the distance with her steps as she walked, her calculation was denied by Mile.

Well, they are walking in a dark cave, so that illusion is unavoidable.

After the party went on for a while…

「A group……」(Mile?)

They were surrounded by 6 golems.

But Mile’s group isn’t really worried.

From the stories told by the beastkins, they know that the golem here is trying to avoid killing the sub-humans as much as possible, and Red Oath doesn’t appear to be strong.

Mile’s group isn’t here to have a fight with the golems.

Ultimately, their purpose of coming here is just “investigation”.

And why did Mile give everyone such an optimistic explanation?

Of course, it’s possible for the nanomachine to communicate with the other party.

Last time, they were able to communicate not only with that Terminal but also with the Scavenger.

And Golem seems to call a Scavenger when things go beyond his control.

Therefore, Mile thought that she could make some kind of the first contact if he didn’t repeat what the beastkins did, such as one-sidedly attack on the golem that they encountered.

And if it fails, Mile can just go away.

Mile somewhat expected this might happen again, so she was already replenishing scrap irons that had decreased after donating the last large amount.

「Hey now, chi~chi~chi~chi~chi~chi~chi…」(Mile)

「As I said, they are not a bird……」(Rena)

Ignoring Rena’s retort, Mile takes out the scrap iron from the item box and presents to the golems.

The golem stops and stares at it.

… The pattern is exactly the same as last time.

After a while, the scavenger appeared.

He looks at the scrap metal, has a quick glance at Mile’s group and grasps the scrap metal…

「Eh (Are)?

Is it less responsive than last time?

Is it less than appreciated?

Is the iron quality worse than a broken sword or a pot with a hole?」(Mile)

Suddenly, the scavenger made a crazy move when Mile said that.

Then, after being frozen for a few seconds, he suddenly started to move in a panicky and impatient manner, and somehow gave instructions to the golems.

No, he hasn’t spoken or gestured, but it seems reasonable to think that the behavior of the golem changed as soon as the behavior of the scavenger changed.

Then the golems changed positions.

From the formation that surrounds Mile’s group, three Golem move to the back of the passage, and the other three move to the entrance side.

「Mi… Mile, this is……」(Rena?)

「Yes, it looks like the escort formation……」(Maevis)

「Look like?」(Pauline)

「…Guarding the back and front, the “Absolute protection team formation”?」(Maevis)

「「「……」」」(Rena’s trio)

Then, under the guidance of the scavenger, “Red Oath” advances deep into the cave.

And the place where the girls arrived after a while…

「… Blacksmith?」(Rena)

As people of this world, Rena’s trio would think so.

「Factory?」(Mile)

While Mile would think so.

Rena’s trio can’t think of anything other than “Blacksmith” where metal is processed and sparks are scattered.

They have never seen or heard of any other facility.

However, this was obviously not a “Blacksmith” level, but a much more advanced one, a “factory”.

It’s not a small one for repairing and manufacturing golems that Mile had expected, but a much larger one …

Mile expected it was at most only a “surviving control system” like the last time, so what she saw betrayed her expectations.

(…… Nano-chan. Did Nano-chan instruct them to bring us here? ) (Mile)

【No, this time we didn’t contact the other side yet.

I don’t think we should act without Mile-sama’s permission…](Nano)

(Ah, yes, thank you.

It would be helpful if you kept doing that.

Can you guess the current situation?) (Mile)

It can’t be helped.

As it is, Mile doesn’t understand anything, so relying on nanomachines here is unavoidable!

So Mile told herself.

【Yes, this is also one of the archeological remains, as Mile-sama thinks.

And the Scavengers are in charge of repair while the Golems are in charge of defense, and that group of machines under construction.

There’s no terminal like the last time here, it seems that this facility is active at the discretion of the Scavenger](Nano)

(Eh?

Then why is it so sweet to deal with the Sub-humans?

In a typical golem habitat, wouldn’t they kill any enemy on sight?

And this special treatment for us is…) (Mile)

【Do you really want to hear it?](Nano) T.N: (^_^)

(Eh…?) (Mile)

【Do you really want to hear it?](Nano) T.N: (^_^)

(… I really want to hear it) (Mile)

Unavoidably, Mile desperately asked the nanomachine to check the situation.

【……Under control](Nano)

(Eh…?) (Mile)

【Under-control.

This ruin, all the scavengers and golems are under the control of Mile-sama.](Nano)

(No, I don’t understand!

Tell me more!) (Mile)

Nanomachine explains step by step to the confused Mile.

【At that site, Mile-sama took over the authority of “manager”, right?](Nano)

(Ah, yes…

For those hard-working mechanical intelligence, it’s worth doing something like that,

I wish I could give them a peace of mind…) (Mile)

【That intention is fully reflected](Nano)

(I see, I’m glad…) (Mile)

【And thanks to the removal of some restrictions,

They expanded their range of action, dispatched a repair team to other ruins that had stopped functioning, increased production of Scavengers locally, and began to restore the function of the ruins.

This is one of them.

So…](Nano)

(So…) (Mile)

Somehow, Mile started to have a bad feeling.

【Of course, it’s the same for this ruin.

Everything is under Mile-sama’s control.

Mile-sama is the ruler (administrator) here](Nano)

「I KNEW IT~TTTTT」 (Mile)

That bad premonition was a good hit, Mile screamed…