Vast grasslands stretched as far as the eye could see.
Leinard stood motionless, stunned, staring blankly at the horizon.
The wind brushed against his black nano armor, carrying with it the scent of fresh earth and wild blossoms.
"Nano... then this mask is unnecessary?" Leinard asked calmly.
"Positive. Air purity is safe for human respiration," Nano replied.
Absurd.
For Leinard, it felt as if he had stepped into a paradise spoken of only in fairy tales. Clear skies. Untouched land. No smoke. No industrial towers.
No war.
He allowed himself a moment to breathe it in.
But survival came first.
He activated his scan and surveyed the area.
No buildings. No towers. No satellites. No thermal signatures indicating urban density.
Nothing.
Then the realization struck him.
He had already suspected it - but he had pushed it aside. He did not want to accept it.
"I have been asleep in that capsule... for a long time, huh?" he muttered.
But how long?
Not short. That much was certain.
A century?
His mind raced.
Then came the most painful realization.
"The Iron Empire... really fell."
His voice lowered.
"My household. My soldiers. My empire... and my liege..."
His head lowered.
"I have failed you."
Silence answered him.
Sadness crept in, cold and heavy - but Leinard was not a man who allowed grief to paralyze him.
Emotion could wait.
Survival could not.
"Nano. Is the scout function available?"
"Affirmative. Scout function operational. Would you like to activate it?"
"Yes. I need direction."
A metallic shift echoed softly as a section of his armor separated, reshaping into a small spherical drone. It hovered briefly before soaring into the sky.
Its visual feed linked directly to his helmet.
Miles of green.
Forests.
Rivers.
Untouched wilderness.
Then-
There.
A line cutting through the landscape.
A road.
Not cement. Not reinforced alloy.
Dirt.
Primitive... but undeniably man-made.
"That's civilization."
There was only one issue.
It was far.
Very far.
At least a full day on foot.
"Nano. Are the thrusters functional?"
A slight pause.
"For the tenth time, Sir. Thrusters remain unavailable due to energy-saving protocol."
Leinard exhaled slowly.
"By foot it is..."
Meanwhile - Far Away
A carriage rolled along that very dirt road.
Inside, a beautiful young woman sat by the window, watching the landscape pass in silence.
Her expression was calm, but her fingers were tightly clasped together.
"Father is ill... yet my elder brothers fight among themselves for the throne."
She lowered her gaze.
"I have no choice. His Majesty requested to see me. I must return to the kingdom."
Her maid, seated across from her, leaned forward gently.
"Princess Lily, please do not worry. Everything will be alright."
Princess Lily offered a faint smile.
But beyond the carriage walls, something stirred in the distant forest.
Something watching.
The Kingdom of Valemere once prided itself on its economic brilliance and formidable military strength.
But now?
It was only a hollow shell of its former glory.
Since King Aldric Thorne Valemere IV fell gravely ill, internal conflict had spread like rot beneath polished marble.
Both of her brothers fought relentlessly for the throne.
They seemed more concerned about each other than about their dying father.
Princess Liliane Aurelia Valemere - known to most simply as Princess Lily - lowered her gaze as the carriage rolled forward.
She had been studying abroad by royal decree. Her father had sent her away, supposedly for education and diplomacy.
But she understood the truth.
She was sent away to protect her.
Loved by the masses, admired for her kindness, and respected for her intellect - her presence alone threatened the fragile balance between her brothers.
Crown Prince Darius, backed by the War Faction a coalition of generals, veteran knights, and nobles of military blood pushed for aggressive dominance.
Prince Lucien, supported by high-ranking aristocrats and merchant lords, maneuvered through politics and influence.
The kingdom stood divided.
And now she was returning to the heart of it.
"How am I to navigate this..." she whispered under her breath.
Her maid glanced at her but said nothing.
The wheels of the carriage continued to turn.
Unaware that destiny was already moving toward them.
Meanwhile----
Leinard walked.
Step after step through endless fields.
"If only the thrusters were operational..." he muttered.
Occasionally, monsters emerged from the grasslands - strange creatures that should not exist outside laboratory containment. He dispatched them efficiently, conserving energy, studying patterns.
Some were small, rodent-like creatures with translucent skin, their veins glowing faintly beneath the surface. They moved in erratic bursts, as if their muscles fired without rhythm. Others resembled elongated reptiles with segmented tails that crackled with faint sparks of energy each time they struck the ground.
One leapt from the tall grass without warning, jaws splitting unnaturally wide. Leinard pivoted, blade flashing in a precise arc. The creature fell before it could even screech.
He did not waste movement.
Each encounter became data.
Attack pattern. Speed. Bone density. Reaction time.
"Nano, record mutation structures," he ordered quietly.
"Recording. Biological composition inconsistent with archived laboratory specimens."
That troubled him more than the attacks themselves.
These were not escaped experiments.
They were thriving.
By the time the sun began to descend, exhaustion tugged at even his disciplined mind.
Then-
He saw it.
The road.
After a full day of walking, the dirt path stretched before him like salvation.
"THE ROAD!" he shouted, unable to suppress the surge of relief.
It felt like a castaway spotting a rescue ship on the horizon.
Civilization.
Proof he was not alone in this world.
But as his gaze shifted to the right-
His visor zoomed instinctively.
Movement.
Dust rising.
Metal clashing.
A carriage.
Surrounded.
Under attack?
"Eh?"