Wasteland Echoer.

"So, Commander Wright, what do you think?" He Fengyi looked at Wright, who was still wolfing down his food, and asked with a slight upturn of her lips and a smile that was both flattering and friendly.

“I… wow, I’ll finish eating first…” Wright finished the meat skewers, potatoes, carrots, and bear meat in his hand, then picked up his chopsticks and ate most of the stir-fried vegetables and stewed chicken with potatoes. After finishing the few sushi rice balls on the plate, he gulped down a mouthful of bear meat and borscht.

Then, he grabbed the teapot next to him and gulped down a pot of boiling black tea before slumping into a chair, gasping for breath, chewing on some black bread for a while, before finally stopping eating.

After all that commotion, Dak and Hefengyiva both wore awkward yet polite smiles. The table was nearly empty, with only a few scattered pieces of food remaining. Having lost their appetite, they simply tidied up the table, leaving a plate of bread as a dessert decoration, and returned it to its original state.

To Dark's surprise, Wright, who had eaten enough food for about four people, did not seem to experience any discomfort, shortness of breath, or drowsiness. His digestive ability had been greatly enhanced by various fantastical and extraordinary powers, surpassing even that of the Lost Ones.

Moreover, Wright's abdomen did not swell up like that of an ordinary "heartless person" after eating a large amount of food. On the contrary, it only swelled up slightly for a moment when he was eating, and then returned to its original eight-pack abs.

“Now can we get down to business, Wright?” Dark recalled the court etiquette of the Crusaders that Wolfya had told him about. He elegantly scooped half a spoonful of sugar into his black tea, took a small sip, and looked at Wright.

Wright, realizing his embarrassment at the meal, smiled sheepishly.

"I... I really haven't eaten properly for a week. Along the way, I've either eaten some dry rations that I scavenged from the soldiers or caught a few live rabbits and gnawed on them. Of course, the day before yesterday, when I was extremely hungry, I think I even gnawed on a soldier for quite a while."

"However, now that we've eaten so much, we're not very hungry anymore. Don't worry, we won't be eating so wildly anymore."

“It’s alright, Torii Town isn’t short of food right now. My husband Artyom said when he came back yesterday that because Shaneva died, various parts of the Federation have started to declare independence. Therefore, the ‘food collection policy’ and ‘trade freeze order’ formulated by the Federation Council for the war have completely failed. The official trading post in the Far East Central District in the south has been flooded with a large number of people in a short period of time, including humans, the Lost Ones, and scattered independent armed members from various places.” As Hefeng Eva spoke, she took out a small piece of sugarcane used for making sugar from her bosom.

She removed the handkerchief from her hands and placed it in the center of the table, which was decorated in a distinctly Cruz royal style, and continued her explanation:

“Sugarcane is not grown in the north, and the ‘Heartless Virus’ can easily combine with sugarcane to form ‘aging hormones’ that cause sugarcane and other crops to rot quickly and are difficult to preserve for a long time. The fact that these kinds of crops are sold in the official trading posts in the south proves that even traders from the Water Province have come here to exchange goods.”

"This also indirectly proves that the entire Water Province, including the Southern Swamps, is still under the control of us Crusad humans. However, Ms. Hefeng Eva, this trade prosperity is probably unsustainable." Dak tapped the small piece of sugarcane and analyzed:

"Previously, the collapse of the 'Gnady Line' led to the fall of the entire west, and Shaneva's forced initiation of the war temporarily froze trade. Therefore, after her death, it was as if the entire Federation Council disappeared out of thin air, losing its ability to control the Federation."

"As a result, the pent-up demand of nearly a year was released in one place. Coupled with the fact that the trade between the Lost and the Independent Armed Forces was no longer restricted or that they were no longer able to restrict, this small boom was triggered. Last night, a round of 'Heavenly Punishment Fire' attacks were launched in various places. Even if the various places can temporarily put aside their differences and restore [order] while the trade is booming, short-term peace and short-term prosperity are like sugarcane infected with the 'Heartless Virus'. They will soon rot, disintegrate, and turn into ashes."

As he spoke, Dak activated the dark magical energy within his body, attaching it to the small piece of sugarcane.

Immediately afterward, the sugarcane began to shrivel and wither rapidly under the influence of dark energy, and then, under Dark's heavy slap, it truly turned into countless black powders.

"It seems Commander Dark is a rare talent. No wonder even a demanding leader like Commander Nabrius could grant you such a high position. Regarding the supplies... the town's committee will be meeting later to discuss this. We would appreciate it if you could attend as a representative of the Federation officers and give us some practical advice." Hefeng Eva looked at Dark, her smile tinged with admiration.

“Of course. But Wright, would you be willing to help Lady Hefeng Eva find the Chosen One’s relics?” Dark turned the subject back to the original question and looked at Wright.

At this moment, thanks to the large amount of food he had consumed, Wright's magical energy was quite abundant, and he also had plenty of various extraordinary powers, putting him in a state of exceptional spirit and slight excitement.

He only thought about it briefly before agreeing to Hefeng Yiwa's suggestion:

“Of course, no problem. And the compensation you mentioned is quite reasonable. However, I do have a special connection with the person making the decision, and I have only one additional request.”

"Please speak." He Feng Yiwa gestured for her to speak, then crossed her hands over her abdomen, bowed slightly, and smiled at Wright.

“If the Chosen One’s treasures are weapons, relics, mechs, or monsters, I’m not interested. But if they are written materials, please let me read them carefully before you proceed. Back in the Zhrine Empire, I received some obscure messages left by the Chosen Ones through my power.” Wright gripped his right arm, briefly recalling the awkwardness of his right hand uncontrollably writing the Flame Empire’s script in Chekavsk, and said:
"There may be some kind of connection between Him and me, and I hope to figure it out before I go to the Flame Empire."

“Of course, no problem. The treasure of the Chosen One is not important to our Torii Town. We just want to know what it is, and then give the treasure to the right human to help end the war,” Hefeng Eva readily agreed.

At the same time, a series of urgent yet polite knocks came at the door. He Feng Yiwa hurriedly ran to the door and opened it.

With a creak, the heavy, white wooden door opened, and a man with a weathered face and covered in scars entered. After exchanging a few brief pleasantries with Hefeng Eva, he walked into the restaurant wearing tattered, filthy combat boots and came to stand before Dark and Wright.

However, the man was startled when he looked up and was startled by the “Dark Touch” behind Wright, which had swelled to the size of a person and was still writhing desperately. He almost raised his gun and fired, but the gun went off accidentally.

"Husband, what are you doing!" He Feng Yiwa was also startled. She quickly took off the "Ice Wolf" rifle commonly used by hunters, threw it at the door, and apologized to Dak and Wright.

“I’m sorry, sirs. This is my husband, Artyom. We received news yesterday that the mayor was killed in action during the ‘Fall of Atlas’ campaign. Therefore, my husband has temporarily taken over as the deputy mayor. He must have been dealing with things all morning and his head is a little foggy. Please forgive him.”

“It’s okay, I’m used to it.” Wright shrugged and sat back down with Dark.

While the couple were having a brief conversation, Wright and Dark simultaneously looked the man up and down.

The man before him, Artyom, wasn't particularly tall, about 1.7 meters, but he was very robust, with a fleshy face, a high nose, a full beard, and brown hair—a typical Crusader. However, one ear was missing half its length, and there were dark brown burn scars near the other ear, indicating he was indeed a retired soldier.

Artyom was wearing a heavy cotton overcoat and wasteland-style gray-yellow cotton trousers. He carried a military-grade aluminum water bottle and a fairly sharp dagger at his waist. Only after He Feng Yiwa helped him take off the cotton coat did she reveal a sweater underneath that was very much in the simple style of the Khitans.

"My lords, let me introduce myself. My name is Artyom Amata Kazama, I am 46 years old, and like Hefeng Eva, I have the blood of the Khitanris. However, I was born in this Torii town, so I can be considered a native of Crusad." After a brief handshake with Dark and Light, Artyom continued his self-introduction:
"I joined the 1st Army Corps of Nebsk in 527 AD, serving as the deputy leader of the 'Cold Wind Assault Team' under the 6th Brigade. I participated in several battles against the 'Heartless Wave' in the east, as well as the military operation to retake the city of South Uhta. Later, due to a leg injury, I was ordered to retire by the Nebsk City Council and returned to Torii Town, where I lived for more than 20 years."

“This time, I originally wanted to rejoin the war with the 1st Nabsk Army, but Hevchenko told me that Commander Nabrius’s army had a high probability of failure, so she asked me to join the 6th Khoputov Army with those young men to participate in the war.”

“You guys have chosen the right direction,” Dark commented.

“It wouldn’t be accurate to say we chose the right side. Of the 1500 people from our town who went to war, only 327 returned. The officers in Khotov, however, were very pleased that we chose the right side. They gave us over a dozen mechanized tanks and trucks, allowing us to transport back a lot of weapons, clothing, medicine, daily necessities, and a batch of canned goods, as compensation for Shaneva’s forced requisition of supplies.” Artyom said, pulling a brand-new pack of “inward-curling cigarettes” from his pocket, lighting one with a sterling silver lighter, taking a few deep drags, and continuing:

"I met two other officers near the warehouse just now, Adaloni and Hoshino Shota. I also saw your damaged mech. I just checked it briefly, and the engine has a problem, plus the fuel is low, so it can't start for the time being."

"It's not difficult to repair. The day after tomorrow, I'll take some new rubles and a few young men to the official trading post in the south to purchase some scarce supplies. That way, the whole town will be able to survive until autumn without any problem."

“That’s good, as long as it can be repaired. But, hasn’t the south started to get chaotic yet? From here to the official trading post in the Central Far East, we have to go through Hoputov and some strongholds of independent armed groups. Aren’t you afraid of being robbed?” Dak asked.

“That’s not a problem. The officers in Hoputov have given us a lot of new weapons this time. We can handle anything, not just fighting the independent armed groups, but even fighting the Lost Ones. If the officers need to purchase any supplies, just have Hefengyva give me a list. You can pay after you’ve bought them,” Artyom said.

After sitting for only a few minutes, Artyom glanced at the brand-new mechanical watch, then quickly put on his cotton coat and said to Dark and Wright:
"In fifteen minutes, the Third Provisional Meeting on Supplies of our Torii Town Military Committee will begin. This morning, Hefeng Yiwa gave me a brief overview of the two officers' situation. If you don't mind, we would appreciate it if you could participate and offer some practical suggestions for the town."

“Of course, no problem.” Dark nodded slightly and agreed.
"This is something we can do."

……

The Military Commission of Torii Town is located on the edge of the town, in a corner of the "God's Edge Mountain", at the end of the road where the mountains, farmland and town meet.

Small towns like Torii Town are generally not given any importance within the Crusd Federation. Unlike large cities such as Nebusk and Icefield City, they do not have a complete dual structure of strategic and governing groups. Usually, a small "committee" serves as the town's administrative body.

After the death of the former mayor, Artyom, who was highly respected, took over as mayor, which was considered a popular choice. Few people objected to letting such a retired soldier manage the town.

After about ten minutes of driving in Artyom's jeep along a smooth road, Dak and Wright saw the unassuming but well-built two-story house.

Unlike large cities, the administrative offices in small towns are usually guarded by only one old man. It was only because of today's "temporary meeting on supplies" that two young men with black hair and brown eyes were brought in to act as guards, carrying rifles.

After handing over their firearms and weapons, and waiting for the two young guards to register them, Wright and Dark followed Artyom into the courtyard. A dozen or so townspeople who had come to attend the meeting were already waiting at the entrance. After a few brief greetings, the group followed Artyom into the conference room on the second floor. (End of Chapter)