Endless Silver Machine

In the 916th year of the new calendar, the sunny and sunny May is the period when the vitality sprouting in nature is flourishing. The forest on the outskirts of the Warren Mountains, on the border of the Bis Empire, is no exception, showing a vitality that is so lush that its branches and leaves can cover the blue sky.

"So, where did we go now? We just kept going in circles! Miss Luo Luo, didn't you say that the map that should have been disposed of long ago can still be used now? Could you please explain a little bit? What about the current situation?"

The short-haired black boy leaned weakly against the thick tree trunk next to him that two or three people could not hug, and unknown bugs of different shapes and colors fell from the branches and leaves above his head. at the boy's feet.

Thinking that my sister would definitely pass out on the spot if she saw so many colorful things. At that time, let alone walking out of this forest, she might not even be able to take a step if she thought of the countless bugs among the branches and leaves ahead.

So the black-haired boy——Eka, the elder brother of the girl named Lolo, didn't let his sister know this cruel fact, but used the heels of his shoes to gather all the bugs that fell on his feet.

The girl in a plain white dress was still attracted by the paper map in her hand, and did not pay attention to Aika's good intentions. The long hair of the same color as the blue sky in May fluttered slightly as she repeatedly compared the surrounding scenery and the map in confusion.

"It's really not wrong, brother... You see, the map only shows that starting from our village, we must first pass through this forest. As long as we pass through this forest, there will be the inhabited Puffa Town in front of us."

"Okay okay. Sorry, it was my fault, following your instructions was fundamentally the wrong decision..."

Eka raised his head and glanced at the sky above his head, and a piece of emerald green suddenly filled his entire field of vision, even the only sun that could be used to roughly determine the current position of the two of them was covered by green shade.

"Indeed, the town of Puffa can be reached through this forest. I believe this map is correct. But ah, Miss Lolo..." Aika pointed out the key mistake that Lolo is still relying on that map. , "That map can't help us at all right now? It just uses a dot to indicate that this is a forest. The problem is that we can't get out of this forest at all now!"

"I'm sorry, I didn't know you were a road idiot, brother... If I had known that this kind of thing would happen, I should have asked Dad for a directional device before I set off..."

Luo Luo bowed her head to her brother full of apology, and her attitude was so sincere that one wondered if she really didn't realize the ambiguity hidden in the sincere apology.

"Can I understand this as your apology...why did I become a road idiot? Then please ask Miss Luo Luo to guide me out of this forest. Now we have lived here for two days. The food that came in is almost out, too, so I'm hoping to see the exit before the end of the day."

"Eh?"

Luo Luo didn't accept Aika's "request" for a while. Instead, she looked at the surrounding scenery again as if she wanted to get away with it.

Aika finally recognized the reality that there was nothing he could do at the moment. He sighed in his heart, knelt down and poked the fat bodies of the bugs rolling around on the ground with a branch he picked up casually.

I don't know what's going on, but Eka actually started to envy these carefree creatures at this moment...

…………

A week ago, Aika and her younger sister Lolo left the border village where they had lived for fifteen years, and were going to a neutral area on the continent, a supernatural ability research school without borders and races——Shuangyue Academy to participate in a Entrance examination after the year.

This continent is made up of different races, nations and tribes. A hundred years ago, after the "cross-border war" that swept across the entire continent, different races lost contact with each other, and various cultures were in a state of being left behind.

Humans were the most populous race on the continent before the cross-border war. In the entire continent, the development and utilization of magic by human beings is still at the lowest stage, and they are at an irreversible disadvantage in cross-border wars. The population has dropped sharply, until the emergence of magic equipment, and the introduction of the theory of magical machinery that integrates magic and technology. , to avoid the extinction of the race.

There are two existing countries in human beings—Bis Empire and Tebiri Kingdom. The former vigorously developed magic technology after the war and became the country with the fastest reconstruction speed in the continent. The latter embraced "technology" and "magic" within the country. The stalemate between the two parties led to the stagnation of reconstruction work.

With the further development of magical technology, the strength of the Biss Empire has been greatly enhanced, and the citizens of countless neighboring countries have come to the Biss Empire to see its elegance. In the past hundred years, the shadow left by the cross-border war has long since disappeared, and the vast land of the Biss Empire has once again bloomed with vitality.

But few tourists would think of visiting the frontiers of the Bis Empire. Because magic technology has not been fully popularized here, in other words, the border area is still at the rural stage, and the prosperity here is completely incomparable with the national central cities around the imperial capital.

The most basic means of transportation in the Biz Empire - based on magic technology, the magic train powered by molecular power furnaces can only build stations in individual towns. Therefore, the elders who have lived in border villages all year round hope that the younger generation can leave the village and bring prosperity to their hometown.

Aika and Lolo were persuaded by their parents with similar reasons and they went on the journey. Their primary goal is to reach a nearby town, take the magic train to a large city where civilian airships can be taken, and then fly to the legendary Frost Moon Academy.

The supernatural ability research school without borders and races maintains a neutral position in the continent, and manages a neutral area equivalent to the country, a unified currency and other common items in the continent. It is said that the students who graduated from that academy have never been ordinary, and each has its own special features.

Of course, the premise is to be able to successfully graduate from the Frost Moon Academy.

Although it is only a few steps starting from the village, passing through neighboring towns, neighboring towns, and finally reaching the neutral area, it is actually not as simple as imagined. Aika and Luo Luo are now trapped in the depths of the forest where they can't tell the difference between southeast and northwest, and it is difficult to even take the first step.

Because there is still about a year of preparation time before the official exam, the parents of Aika and Luo Luo discussed to let their two children complete the so-called "adult project". In other words, it is to sharpen yourself during the journey and become a unique person.

"You must take good care of my lovely Lolo. If there is something wrong with her, then I will not be soft on you."

"What about me, Dad? If something happens to me, will you make Luo Luo cry?"

Aika asked casually.

"How is it possible? How can a man make a girl cry!"

Whenever I think about this conversation, Ika gets angry. What kind of father is this? Does it not matter what happens to your own son?

What concerned Aika the most was what his father would do next.

He leaned over and said something in Luo Luo's ear, and her cheeks flushed immediately. I don't know if she agreed to something or for other reasons, she nodded heavily, and then stared at Eka closely with her water-blue moist eyes, which seemed to have a look of vigilance.

No matter how you think about it, it's a mystery... But most likely it's just words of encouragement to Luo Luo. After all, he is just a father who dotes on his daughter.

Lolo has indeed been more proactive these two days than when he was at home, and sometimes Aika even felt that Luoluo was taking care of him all the time, and that he seemed a bit unqualified as an elder brother.

He looked back at Luo Luo who was sitting on a flat rock and studying the map, and sighed.

"No matter how you look at it, there will be no road in the forest at that point on the map. It will be dark soon, so prepare to set up a tent to rest. I'll go around and see if I can meet wild animals or the like. If I'm lucky We can have barbecue tonight."

"It's better not to disturb the beast on purpose..."

"I said before that the food we brought is almost finished. I don't know when I can go out of this forest. I can be self-sufficient if I can get local materials. I won't go too far. If you have anything Call me loudly, and I will definitely be back right away.”

Regardless of Luoluo's objection, Aika turned around and walked deep into the forest alone after speaking.

"So, brother, you idiot..." Luo Luo put down the map in his hand, "Dad specially told me to pay more attention to him when we are alone together. Although 'pay more attention' may have that meaning...but The most important thing to worry about is that he always thinks about what to do and what to do is dangerous, right? It’s really not reassuring..."

Feeling slightly uneasy, Luo Luo stood up and quietly followed Aika.

…………

Aika walked deep into the forest along the fluorescent marks on the tree trunks to prevent getting lost. This was the way he and Luo Luo discussed after getting lost a few days ago.

"If there is no Luoluo, what will I be like..."

can't even imagine...

Aika shook her head, put aside unnecessary assumptions, and continued to pay attention to the movement around her.

There was a slight sound of running water in the distance, and he had come to the edge of the stream that he passed yesterday.

This creek seems to flow far away, and it also has a width that most wild animals cannot step into. It is no problem to use this place as a natural line of defense.

"I really hope to meet a human who is familiar with this place at this time..."

Of course, this is just an extravagant wish, even the person who said this is very clear.

Because, at this moment, he didn't feel any breath of human life in this silent forest.

…………

It was at this moment that Lolo, who was following Aika, rushed out of the bush where he was hiding.

Aika noticed the movement behind her, and before she could turn her head, she was thrown to the ground by her petite body.

At the same time, a black figure passed by the place where he had just stood.

"Lolo, you..."

"Brother, be careful!"

Luo Luo showed a sense of anxiety that was rarely seen at ordinary times.

After being reminded by Luo Luo with such a tense voice, Aika focused his attention on that black figure.

Judging from the size of the other party, it should be the other human beings that Eka "thinks about day and night" in the lost forest.

But the body covered by the dark robe reveals a strong sense of disobedience. The man's arms hung naturally at his sides, and his hands were hidden in long sleeves.

Ignoring the time when Aika tried to understand the current situation, the eyes under the dark hood clenched tightly on Aika, and the figure disappeared in place again.

Luo Luo was still lying on Aika's body at a loss. Aika, who reacted, hugged Luoluo's shoulders, and lowered their bodies at the same time. The person held something in his hand and passed Aika's eyes.

This time Eka saw clearly that there was a dagger hidden in that person's hands, and the flickering cold light of the blade proved its sharpness.

"Hey, wait a minute! We mean no harm!"

While dodging the two daggers that kept attacking, Aika tried to get a dialogue with the person whose identity and purpose were unknown. But if only saying that could actually stop this inexplicable attack.

Aika, who was always trying to use communication to solve the problem, suddenly stepped on the uneven dirt ground while avoiding it. A cold light flashed across his cheeks as he was unsteady on his feet, and a tingling and warm wet feeling flowed down the side of his face.

The opponent's athletic ability is obviously higher than that of Aika, and his physique seems to be much smaller than that of Aika. Although the way of wielding the daggers does not seem to have undergone special training, it is still getting more and more difficult to capture the trajectory of the two daggers.

So far, using communication to solve problems doesn't seem to work. If he didn't subdue that person as soon as possible, Aika didn't have the confidence to escape the fatal attack by luck.

"The pupil of the flames—"

The silver-white wristband worn by Ika on his right wrist responded to his call, and the silver-white spears appeared from a magic circle shaped like some kind of coat of arms. The beautifully shaped silver-white gun is dotted with petal-like light lines, and the gun body does not look heavy, but instead brings a sense of lightness without losing balance to Eika.

Eka raised his silver-white twin guns, and pulled the trigger without aiming. Because he did not suppress the output of magic power as usual, but used an explosion mode that does not restrain magic power. In this case, he can only choose the simplest and rude method.

The opponent noticed the rapidly expanding magic power in the double guns before Eka pulled the trigger, and quickly drew back the dagger to widen the distance between the two. It can clearly draw the line between the person holding the gun and the person facing the gun. This weapon was given to Aika by his parents before he left.

The dazzling magic light erupted at the muzzles of the double guns, and the magic power bloomed with a silver-white brilliance almost at zero distance. The gust of wind blowing in place swept away, and the gravel and dust fell into the rippling stream.

Because Luo Luo was far away from the center of the battle, he was not affected by the explosion of magic power. The front of her line of sight has been obscured by the rolled up dust and gunpowder smoke, making it impossible to know the situation in the battle center.

Although he really wanted to see Aika safe and sound immediately, Luo Luo didn't rush into the melee circle rashly.

Because she can't be the strength of her brother in battle, in this case she can only obediently be the younger sister protected by her brother.

Therefore, hiding this inexplicable unwillingness in his heart should at least not become a burden for him in battle.

…………

The dense fog of dust with very low visibility gradually dissipated.

Aika was not seriously injured, but the huge waves from the magic burst at zero distance blew his body away, and his back slammed into the tree trunk behind him, causing faint pain from time to time.

The other party must have also been impacted to the same extent, and now that the surroundings have fallen into silence again, they should not be able to rush over as aggressively as before for the time being.

Although I don't know why he became the target of that person's attack for no reason, and the dialogue between the two has not been established, but if possible, Eka would rather not know the answer, as long as he doesn't meet that person again.

At this time, it's great that Luo Luo can make people feel at ease. When confronting that person, Aika was worried for a moment that Luoluo would break in between the two of them to stop him, but she did not make such a risky move, so that Aika could concentrate on facing the situation in front of him. enemy.

Vision gradually became clear. The attacker in the dark robe did not flee, but also fell not far from Aika, seemingly losing the ability to continue fighting.

Aika stood up on her knees. Although the bones of the whole body are aching, but it is not yet possible to relax our vigilance.

"Brother, are you okay?"

"well enough……"

Luo Luo trotted towards Aika and supported his crumbling body. With Luo Luo's support, Aika staggered and approached the person who fell on the ground.

The opponent should have been directly affected by the magic burst and fell into a coma. Aika who made such a judgment squatted down beside that person, and Luoluo stood nervously behind Aika.

Reaching out cautiously, he lifted the dark hood that hid his assailant's face.

"Eh?"

Beautiful long golden hair protruded from under the hood, and the delicate face hidden under the hood was displayed in front of Eka.

"Girls?"

Aika couldn't hide her surprise at the moment. The assailant who almost drove him to a desperate situation a few minutes ago was actually a girl who looked about the same age as him.

"Why would she..." At this time, Luo Luo noticed that the unidentified girl was not just in a coma, "Brother, she seemed to be suffering when she was breathing, and her face was not very good..."

Lolo stepped forward cautiously, bent down beside Aika, and gently placed the back of his hand on her forehead.

"It's so hot..." Luo Luo frowned, this is not a serious illness that can be hesitated considering the identity of the other party, "We must quickly cool her down, otherwise it will be very dangerous to continue to have a high fever."

"oh oh……"

Luo Luo can always make judgments calmly when encountering things that make people feel at a loss, and he has also learned medical knowledge in order to take care of himself. Aika knew that following her arrangement now was the most correct choice.

"If possible, I hope my brother can help me prepare enough water." Luo Luo reached into the blonde girl's clothes without hesitation, "Sure enough, the underwear is all wet..."

"I see, anyway, you can't just leave it alone, right? Let's send her back to the tent first."

Although Aika's whole body was sore, it was no problem to carry her back to the tent with Luo Luo, not to mention that their tent was not far from here.

To be on the safe side, Aika found a rope from her carry-on luggage and temporarily tied up the hands and feet of the unconscious blond girl. This is the most gentle emergency treatment, so that if she wakes up in the middle, she can't do anything to Luo Luo.

After that, Eka took enough cool water from the stream according to Lolo's instructions, and then it was Lolo's job. Because Luo Luo reminded Aika many times that she was not allowed to enter the tent without her permission, Aika had to stay outside the tent and wait patiently for Luo Luo's treatment to end.

Aika had no clue about this sudden attack.

Neither Aika nor Lolo had seen the face of the blond girl before, and she was undoubtedly a stranger who had never met in the past. Why did she have life-threatening hostility towards herself when she first met her?

Apart from asking the cause and effect after the blond girl woke up, Aika now has no basis for speculation.

…………

Night fell.

The forest at night is still filled with the sound of unknown insects chirping.

Accompanied by the not-so-lonely forest nocturne, Eka, who was sitting by the fire, felt drowsy.

"Brother?" At this time, Luo Luo came out of the tent, "It must be very hard today, brother, do you want to go to rest early? I can take care of it here."

She held wet clothes in her hands, which should be the wet underwear of the blond girl.

"Let's talk about it after she wakes up at least." Aika tried to cheer up in front of Luo Luo, not wanting her to see her listless appearance. "How is she?"

"The fever has basically subsided, and I should be better tomorrow after a night of rest."

Luo Luo skillfully built several short supports with thicker branches, and spread the clothes beside the fire.

Aika looked away a little guilty because she caught a glimpse of a girl's underwear that she wouldn't normally see with her own eyes.

"Brother, what should we do next?"

Needless to say, Lolodo, Aika also knew that the current situation was not as peaceful as it appeared on the surface. Even for a delicate girl who was seriously ill, it was an undoubted fact that she attacked Aika and Lolo without warning.

Before confirming the other party's identity and purpose, Aika couldn't take her lightly. Naturally, it was impossible to fall asleep peacefully tonight.

"Ask when she wakes up, don't think so much now."

"Um……"

Luo Luo sat next to the fire next to Aika. Warmth enveloped the whole body, accompanied by the subtle insect chirping one after another, and a relaxed silence flowed between the two.

"elder brother."

"Um?"

"Should I sleep here tonight?"

"Well... Indeed, there is only one tent, and you can't be alone with her..."

Aika was troubled. Ignoring his brother's troubles, Luo Luo rested his head on his arm.

"Good night, brother."

"……Um."

Feeling the reassuring weight, Aika patted Luo Luo's head.

Soon, the subtle insect chirping and insect chirping one after another finally disappeared. Only the occasional "cracking" sound of the fire and Luo Luo's steady breathing surrounded Aika.

…………