Felix was taken aback by Kjera's words. After a brief pause, he asked tentatively,
"Miss Kjera, are you thinking of… traveling?"
"To see the world with my own eyes," she replied with a gentle smile. "That's how you'd put it, isn't it?"
Her tone was light, almost playful, but there was a spark of sincerity behind her calm expression.
"The enterprise you run must be short on capable people, right?" she added. "What do you think—how about hiring me?"
Felix raised an eyebrow, slightly amused.
"What kind of work do you think would suit you, Miss Kjera?"
"…I'm not sure," she admitted honestly. "I've seen others at work, but I've never really experienced it myself."
Resting his chin in thought, Felix considered for a moment before suggesting,
"Miss Kjera, are you familiar with psychological counseling?"
"Oh?" Kjera tilted her head slightly, clearly intrigued.
"When I talk with you," Felix said, "I always feel… at ease. Relaxed."
"That's because you are the chosen child of Kjeragandr—the blessed one," Kjera interrupted gently before he could finish.
Felix smiled faintly. "Even so, I believe you have a gift for guiding others, for helping them open up and find calm. Some of the employees at Tomorrow's Development have been under a lot of stress lately. They could really use someone like you—someone who can make their hearts feel lighter."
Kjera's eyes brightened at once. She clearly found the idea appealing.
"All right, all right! So—what's the pay like? The benefits? Don't worry, I'm not too demanding," she said with a teasing grin.
They discussed the contract in cheerful tones. Felix wasn't stingy—in fact, he was almost generous to a fault. The salary, benefits, and housing terms he offered made Kjera nod in delight again and again.
However, it wasn't time for her to leave just yet. Felix's next destination was the Ursus border—a place far too dangerous for someone like Kjera, who lacked any combat ability. He decided to return for her after completing his business there.
Kjera didn't protest. She needed time to pack and prepare anyway.
"Miss Kjera really is kind," Platinum remarked once Felix rejoined the main group. "Whenever I talk to her, it feels like all my worries melt away. She comforts people with such grace… it almost makes me want to curl up and sleep."
Skadi nodded in quiet agreement. She too had exchanged a few words with Kjera, and the woman's presence had felt remarkably soothing—something she'd only ever sensed occasionally from Felix himself.
Loughshinny, Tomorrow's Development's acting representative and bookkeeper, smiled approvingly.
"To be able to invite Miss Kjera aboard is truly a blessing."
Degenbrecher, on the other hand, said nothing. She had long grown accustomed to her boss's habit of recruiting people wherever he went.
After bidding farewell to Enciodes, Felix and his team boarded their aircraft and set a course for Ursus.
---
The Frontier District of Kazdel had become the most densely populated settlement of all—now home to millions of players. The residential areas had expanded ring after ring, bustling with activity. The endless influx of newcomers had brought a kind of vitality that the land of Kazdel had never known before.
Mercenaries, however, viewed these strange arrivals with mixed feelings. To them, these undying beings were little more than "Sarkaz outsiders." Yet the so-called outsider never acted arrogantly.
As long as you didn't insult them or slander Tomorrow's Development, they treated you no differently than anyone else.
This confused many of the mercenaries. But curiosity quickly turned into caution when a few hot-headed fools tried to provoke the undead—only to be beaten half to death by a group of ten. When one of them screamed about unfair odds, twenty more joined in and left him three-quarters dead instead.
It soon became clear that these undead had no concept of "honorable duels." If they caught you, they'd swarm you—alone, you didn't stand a chance.
Still, not all mercenaries kept their distance. Some, led by Hoederer, established formal cooperation with Babel and settled within the Frontier District. In addition to taking commissions from Babel, they sometimes accepted requests from Tomorrow's Development itself, earning steady pay through posted missions.
The arrival of the Undead truly revived Kazdel's economy. Every night, they gathered for open-air markets—setting up stalls, trading, and selling to the Sarkaz mercenaries. Goods and currency flowed freely once more.
Soon, the Sarkaz began to realize just how profitable this could be. From the Undead, they could buy rare treasures: tea from Victoria, blades from the Eastern Nation, and countless other curiosities.
For the Undead, such items were easily restocked—they could come and go as they pleased. But for battle-hardened mercenaries who had spent their entire lives on war-torn soil, these goods were wonders of a distant world.
The Undead, too, had grown fascinated by the Sarkaz mercenaries' skills. These seasoned fighters—veterans of countless battlefields—possessed abilities that the Undead could only admire from afar. Techniques such as Forced March, Field Repairs, and Trench Construction were all but second nature to them, and after taking part in joint missions or completing personal contracts alongside the Sarkaz, the Undead had gained far more than just experience—they had earned respect.
At present, the most popular activity among the Undead was to partner with Sarkaz mercenaries on Babel's commissions.
The Sarkaz who worked under Babel or within the Frontier District were, for the most part, open-minded individuals. Though they still carried deep pain in their hearts, they no longer lashed out like rabid dogs without a home. Word of the Frontier District's safety began to spread, and soon, some residents of Kazdel's Mobile City—those with families and foresight—started quietly preparing to relocate.
For years, the Mobile City of Kazdel had served as General Theresis's fortress, a bastion of militarism and war ideology. Yet many parents had come to believe that such an environment was no place to raise their children. Under the cover of night, they packed up their homes and fled the city in secret.
Their departure was met with disdain and mockery from the Sarkaz who remained within the Mobile City—but notably, no one tried to stop them.
That was the current state of Kazdel.
---
Captain Yanfei of the Yanyu Pavilion Squad raised a hand to shade her eyes, scanning the jagged terrain ahead. "Wow… was that place bombed out?"
Beside her, Ines shook her head. "No. That's natural terrain. Keep walking a little further and you'll see the cliffs. The path ahead gets rough, and those mutated beasts we're hunting nest around there."
Yanfei glanced at the cool, sharp-featured woman next to her and smiled, nodding. She had taken on a joint mission from Babel—partnering with a group of Sarkaz mercenaries—to eliminate Originium-infected creatures that had been attacking civilians. It was the kind of task that demanded heavy firepower, and Yanfei had accepted it without hesitation.
Their deputy, Xi Yiye, yawned. "We'll probably have to walk a bit longer. I'm fine with that, but how's everyone's water supply holding up?"
The members of Yanyu Pavilion began chatting among themselves, checking their canteens and packs. Ines returned to her own group, glancing at Hoederer, who was still bent over a hand-drawn map.
"Find anything?" she asked.
"An Originium catastrophe hit this area about a month ago," Hoederer replied, tapping a dark circle on the parchment. "After a month, the Originium particles should've dispersed, but the crystal pillars are probably still standing. We should avoid them on our route."
"Got it."
Folding the map, Hoederer looked up with a faint smile. "By the way, how's it going with the Pioneer?"
Ines paused briefly, a faintly curious look crossing her face. "I haven't spent much time with him. Mostly, I've been passing along your messages and recording what he wants sent back to you."
"And besides that?"
"Plenty of reconnaissance," Ines answered. "Lord Pioneer grants a remarkable degree of freedom to everyone. Tomorrow's Development feels like a larger version of Babel in some ways. So far, I've only dealt with their logistics and contract divisions—but there are also industrial and scientific branches I haven't had the chance to access."
"Industrial and scientific…" Hoederer murmured thoughtfully.
Then he chuckled. "By the way, why do you keep calling him Lord Pioneer?"
"Just a habit," Ines replied casually.
Hoederer grinned wide. "Well, I think he's a remarkable man, that's all."
"What's so remarkable about him?"
The voice came from across the camp—a young girl tinkering with a bomb, her movements confident and precise. She had short silver-gray hair, with two red, antenna-like strands curving sharply over her head, and her crimson eyes glimmered with mischief and danger.
"W…" Ines said quietly.
This girl had been a wanderer they'd encountered during a winter mission earlier that year. Recognizing her potential as a mercenary, Ines and Hoederer had given her the codename W, passed down from a fallen comrade.
From that day onward, the nameless girl became the new W.
Hoederer sighed. "He managed to draw countless adventurers here—to Kazdel, of all places. He's broken through the wall of hatred that's long divided us, and he's given Her Highness's ideals room to breathe. Tell me that isn't remarkable."
He leaned back, crossing his arms. "And with those adventurers came others—people from all across Terra. Some opened shops, some became teachers, others healers. They all settled in the Frontier District… yet none of them entered the Mobile City of Kazdel."
He looked toward the horizon, voice lowering.
"That alone speaks volumes."
W clicked her tongue in irritation. "That so-called 'Pioneer' is doing the same thing Her Highness has always wanted to do. And yet, she was the one who thought of it first…"
"But Her Highness can't command that many adventurers," Hoederer replied calmly, undeterred by W's sulking. "All those adventurers are employees of Tomorrow's Development. Without them—and without the Pioneer—there might not even be a Frontier District. Without his support, Her Highness would be under far greater strain."
"I don't buy that that Sankta man is so kindhearted."
W snorted twice, her voice dropping as she begrudgingly conceded the point. She had never liked the Pioneer much, mostly because during her conversations with Theresa, the princess would sometimes say things like 'The Pioneer once said…' or 'Felix mentioned…'
Over time, those words festered into jealousy. Why does that man get to occupy a place in Her Highness's heart? You, a man steeped in sin!
But when it came to verbal sparring, even someone "educated before birth" couldn't win against the likes of Hoederer.
Ines, who had been quiet, spoke thoughtfully. "One of Tomorrow's Development's slogans is about finding a way for the infected and uninfected to coexist. They employ many infected themselves—and even provide regular medical care."
W fell silent.
After a moment, Hoederer turned to Ines. "When the Pioneer returns, I'll need you to head back to Lungmen and continue monitoring the Sarkaz movements. If necessary… you can even join Tomorrow's Development."
Ines nodded slightly. "Tomorrow's Development holds significant influence among the Sarkaz. Perhaps even the Pioneer himself doesn't realize just how large his impact has become."
"When the civil war ends, we'll follow Her Highness and rebuild Kazdel together~" W said brightly, then perked up as another thought came to her. "Oh, right—if the Pioneer ever visits the Frontier District again, I want to see what he looks like."
Hoederer and Ines exchanged glances. Ines's eyes asked an unspoken question, and Hoederer gave a subtle, almost imperceptible nod in reply.
Unlike W, who served both their mercenary company and Babel, the two of them worked independently—liaisons between Babel and the Frontier District, beholden to no single faction.
Even so, Hoederer couldn't shake a growing concern. When the civil war finally ended, every Sarkaz mercenary would have to choose a side. If General Theresis were to win, Tomorrow's Development might be wiped from existence—and the Sarkaz would once again walk the path of hatred, standing against Tomorrow's Development… and against all of Terra itself.
That, he feared, would be the worst possible outcome. Deep down, Hoederer sincerely hoped Babel would be the one to seize the final victory.
---
In early July, after thorough inspection, a transport aircraft crossed the Ursus border. Felix sat inside, gazing northward as the machine roared through the sky. Along the way, he passed several mobile cities housing mining operations—columns of black smoke rising like pillars into the heavens.
On the forums, he located the Ursus Frontier Sector board and found coordinates to Mr. Han and the other players' encampment. The map was hand-drawn by players, surprisingly accurate. Thanks to the summer thaw, the frost had receded, revealing the soil beneath—making navigation much easier.
Before long, the players stationed at the camp noticed something unusual. A dark shape loomed in the distant sky, drawing closer with the low rumble of engines.
"Damn it, enemy attack! Sound the alarm—move, move, move!"
The infected players scrambled to action. They'd been playing cat-and-mouse with the Ursus patrol squads for days, always managing to drive them off. Using strength and cunning, they'd taught those cowardly inspectors to stay far away.
Mr. Han cursed under his breath as the alarm blared. He drew his long blade and climbed the watchtower, narrowing his eyes toward the approaching craft. As it drew closer, he squinted—then froze.
"…Wait a second. That logo—"
A beat later, he swore aloud. "Oh, hell— that's Tomorrow's Development's insignia!"
"What?! Tomorrow's Development? Is Pioneer here?!"
"False alarm, false alarm! Damn it, put your weapons down—it's friendly!"
The camp erupted in noisy relief. The transport descended and touched down with a heavy thud, the hatch slowly opening.
At the front stood a man with a glowing halo and radiant wings, clad in a sleek, heavy overcoat. His gray hair shimmered under the sunlight, his golden eyes calm yet commanding.
"OHHHHHHHHHHH!!"
The players broke into cheers.
Felix spread his arms and smiled.
Never before have I had such a perfect start. Cheer for me—celebrate my arrival!