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Translator: Vine
Chapter Title: The Lucy Project
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Lieutenant Lucy, you like this, don't you?
After telling Lucy the location of the dessert shop and leaving headquarters, I got into a jeep and headed for the munitions factory Lieutenant McCal had mentioned.
After driving for about 30 minutes, the driver gently applied the brakes.
The jeep, slowly decelerating, came to a complete stop at the entrance of the collapsed munitions factory.
"We've arrived, Commander."
I nodded once to the driver, then opened the door and stepped out.
Entering through the half-destroyed main gate, I saw patrol personnel gathered not far away.
The soldiers and Lieutenant McCal, who had been chatting, turned their heads at the sound of my approach.
Upon seeing me, they quickly saluted.
"Commander! We were waiting for you!"
I casually returned the salute and approached them.
"Where's the lab?"
"Ah. This way."
Lieutenant McCal pointed to the ground.
I turned my head and saw stairs leading down into the basement beyond a wide-open iron door.
"An underground base, huh. Those Kingdom bastards really love building things underground."
"Indeed. Perhaps because they're allies of the Federation, their methods strongly resemble those of rats."
The soldiers nearby let out dry laughs at Lieutenant McCal's joke.
I also offered a faint smile and looked back at Lieutenant McCal.
"Your humor has improved. More importantly, how thorough was the search?"
"We merely assessed the general situation. It doesn't seem like they set any traps, so you should be able to look around comfortably. If it's alright with you, I'll accompany you, Commander."
"No. I'll go alone. You and the soldiers guard the entrance."
"Yes, Commander!"
After hearing his reply, I descended the stairs into the basement.
As I went down the stairs, the surroundings grew darker, so I took out the flashlight I had prepared and pressed the power button.
Click─
Light from the flashlight illuminated the path ahead brightly.
At the bottom of the stairs, there was another iron door, which was open, presumably left that way by Lieutenant McCal.
Cautiously stepping inside the door, an epoxy-coated floor stretched out before me.
Long tables and various experimental tools were lined up neatly on the glossy floor.
Things like flasks and microscopes.
Some of the equipment had such strange forms that I didn't even know what they were used for.
'What on earth did they do here…?'
I wanted to grasp the situation, but it seemed all samples obtained during their research had been removed; apart from various tools, nothing else remained.
As I observed the dusty interior, I found an open automatic door.
Stepping inside, a wide corridor stretched out.
Iron bars were installed on both sides of the corridor, and each section, partitioned like a room, contained a bed and a set of tableware.
It was structured like a prison, but there were no people.
Given that all the doors were open, it seemed they had been taken away.
I took a deep breath and continued walking.
Because there was another iron door at the end of the corridor.
I walked to the end of the corridor, grabbed the iron door's handle, and pulled.
Creak─
The door stopped halfway open.
I steadied my breath and pulled the handle with all my might.
Then the iron door swung wide open, and ash scattered.
'…Ash?'
Puzzled, I looked inside and saw that the floor was completely covered in ash.
'They burned something. A large amount, too.'
If something was burned in large quantities here, it was probably paper.
Documents containing the lab's records.
'But it's crude. Signs of a hurried escape are visible everywhere.'
They must have built an underground base because they were conducting research that shouldn't be known to the world.
In that case, it would be normal to properly dispose of the experimental equipment, or the tableware and beds inside the barred cells, when withdrawing.
The inability to do so means they withdrew in a hurry and lacked time.
'They probably didn't expect the Imperial army to enter the city via supply routes overnight.'
It's highly likely that they burned valuable research materials because time was pressing.
They probably set the fire and then fled without even checking if the documents were properly incinerated.
I looked around once and easily found unincinerated papers.
Of course, they weren't in perfect condition.
About half of the top or bottom was burned.
Still, it was enough to ascertain the full story of the incident.
I picked up a few sheets of paper from the floor and flicked off the ash clinging to the surface.
Then the characters written on the paper became visible.
『…The ultimate goal is to develop cutting-edge combat weaponry that can provide a turning point in the war. If humans can be turned into weapons through the fusion of magic and science, it would not only crush the Empire's ambitions but also allow the Kingdom to rise as a great power…』
There were many charred areas, making it impossible to discern other characters.
I turned the page.
『…Although most magic has been lost, effective spells still exist. Abilities like enchanted bullets and temporary physical enhancement can be used by most soldiers, but specialized techniques such as optical camouflage or gravity field generation require high innate talent.』
I turned the page.
『…What if talent could be artificially created? For example, what if ordinary soldiers could possess strength comparable to the Imperial Guard? This experiment, which began with that initial question, involved injecting enhancement substances into unidentified volunteers with high magical aptitude…』
I turned the page.
『…To put it simply, all attempts failed. All volunteers exhibited abnormal magical reactions, causing vomiting, diarrhea, abdominal pain, delirium, hallucinations, and self-harm. The magical improvement was also negligible, deemed unusable in practical combat. Furthermore, regarding whether those who endured such suffering would swear loyalty…』
I turned the page.
『…According to recent data provided by the Federation, there is one successful subject. Currently, it is unique, and its magical enhancement far exceeds the anticipated range. Therefore, our researchers pay homage to the Federation and have named the code for the upcoming project after this subject…』
After reading the last part of the page, I narrowed my eyes sharply.
"…named the Lucy Project."
The Lucy Project.
It was clearly written at the end of the report.
*
Taking the report, I left the lab and sternly instructed Lieutenant McCal that the discovery of this research facility was to remain strictly confidential.
Afterward, to clear my head, I patrolled the nearby area, and in the afternoon, I headed to the dessert shop where I had arranged to meet Lucy.
As I entered the shop, soft classical music eased my ears.
While admiring the subtly Gothic-themed interior, someone at a window table waved a hand.
"Major! Over here!"
I turned my head, and it was Frien.
For some reason, Lucy was sitting next to Frien.
Puzzled, I approached and asked.
"Cadet Frien? I didn't expect to find you with my adjutant."
"I came for dessert and coincidentally spotted Lieutenant Lucy. I heard you were also coming, Major, so I waited. Oh, and I've already ordered everything, so you can just sit down."
"Ordered? You did?"
"Yes. Lieutenant Lucy told me you were practically singing about wanting éclairs. So, to save you time, I pre-ordered them."
I see. It wasn't a bad idea, so I assented and sat opposite Frien.
As I did, I glanced at Lucy.
'…A test subject? Lucy?'
Even in the game, Lucy's past wasn't revealed, so this was the first I'd heard of it.
Furthermore, human weapons like Lucy don't appear until the end of the game.
No, there is one more in the enemy nation, but that person is purely exceptionally talented, so they were an exception.
That meant their cutting-edge weapon development project would continue to fail even far into the future.
'Anyway…'
How could Lucy, a test subject of the Federation, swear loyalty to the Federation?
Was there something else I didn't know?
As I stared, puzzled, my eyes met Lucy's.
Her blood-red eyes felt a little more eerie today.
"Major? Is there something you wish to say?"
Searching for an excuse, I bluffed.
"Oh, nothing. Just that your beauty seems particularly striking today, so I couldn't help but look."
Perhaps surprised by my answer, Lucy blinked a few times, then gave a slight nod.
"…Thank you."
Thinking I had gotten away with it, I let out a sigh of relief, then felt Frien's gaze.
She was looking at me with displeasure for praising Lucy.
Just as I wondered why, a waiter approached with a tray.
"Thank you for waiting. Who ordered the éclair and coffee?"
"That would be me."
I raised my hand, and the waiter smiled, placing the éclair and coffee down.
Next, they placed mint chip ice cream in front of Frien and Lucy.
Lucy stared blankly at it for a moment, then looked at the waiter.
"Excuse me, just a moment. I think there's been a mistake with the order."
"Oh? That can't be…"
As the waiter looked flustered, Frien interjected.
"It's correct. You can go now."
Thanks to Frien's bright smile, the waiter awkwardly nodded once and returned to the counter.
Once the waiter was out of earshot, Frien maintained her smile and said.
"Lieutenant Lucy, you left the menu ordering to me, didn't you? And since you didn't say you wanted anything specific, I ordered mint chip ice cream. I thought you'd like it."
Even so, shouldn't she have asked the person directly at least once?
Feeling that it was a bit much, I turned to look at Lucy and involuntarily broke out in a cold sweat.
"…"
Because Lucy was glaring at Frien as if she wanted to kill her.