Wasteland Echoer.

Chapter 664 Transaction Confirmation
"So, the last item on the agenda for this 'temporary supplies meeting' has been approved. Let us congratulate the meeting on its complete success! And let us wish Torii Town a prosperous future!" Artyom was in high spirits, and his tone was much more relaxed.

Then, he walked up to all the attendees, raised both arms, and simultaneously raised them from bottom to top, performing an ancient military salute from Japan.

"Celebrate the future of the town! Long live!" Artyom said in a passionate tone, raising his arms high above his head with his four fingers together, like a fanatical warmonger.

Although they were discussing issues related to peace and development, this ancient cultural understanding could not conceal the hidden atmosphere of killing and bloodshed.

"Long live!" Those present performed a similar military salute to Artyom and responded with equally enthusiastic cheers.

Thus, after three rounds of military etiquette from the Eastern Province, all the representatives present, including members of the Military Commission and the newly appointed mayor Artyom, finally released all their pent-up displeasure.

When Artyom adjourned the meeting, the humans and Lost Ones who emerged from the "meeting room" all wore expressions of satisfaction and joy.

After everyone left, only Wright, Dark, and Artyom remained in the conference room.

"So, Dark and Commander Light, are you more confident about the future of Torii Town now?" Artyom said smugly as he pulled the switch to turn off the overloaded electric lights.
"Hefengyi and I originally hoped that you four officers could stay in Torii Town for a while longer and ask for your assistance and guidance, as well as suggestions for the establishment of a new trading post in Torii Town. However, Hefengyi told me this morning that you have more important matters to attend to and need to go to Nebusk. So I can only try my best to be a good host for the next week or two."

“We haven’t actually received full military and management training, so it’s probably difficult for us to offer you any effective advice. However, I’m quite worried about those kids. To be frank, there might be traitors within your ranks,” Darke posed a very pointed question.

"Traitor?" Artyom was taken aback at first, then his expression changed drastically. With his back to Dark and the other man, his smile froze on his face.

After pausing for a few seconds, he placed one hand on the door frame, sat down on the wooden table, and then turned to look at the two of them.

After a few seconds of eye contact, he sighed slightly and said:

“Even you outsiders have noticed this. The former mayor was negligent. Yes, there are traitors in the town, but not many anymore. The traitors who contacted the Lost Ones have been secretly assassinated by He Feng Yiwa, but we don’t have a better way to deal with those traitors who are in contact with the Federation’s several strongholds.”

“But you have to think about the children of Torii Town. With just the slightest disturbance, the traitors in the town lured them up the mountain, exposing them to the sight of the ‘heartless’ and the lost. If it weren’t for Hefeng Yiwa’s timely discovery, the children would probably be facing irreparable danger,” Dak advised with a worried expression.

“We also hope to protect these children as much as possible. Actually, Torii Town is somewhat of a secluded ‘Irishera,’ a ‘paradise’ in Krusd culture and a ‘Shangri-La’ in Khitanris culture. From the moment they were born, I have tried my best to prevent them from coming into contact with the ‘Heartless Virus.’” Artyom sighed softly, his expression grave.
“They are more human than the people of Nova. Hefeng and I have been teaching them Krusk and Flame Empire languages ​​as much as possible so that one day, when the Eventre region is opened up, they can return to their homeland as humans. You know, the Khitanris people have a strong attachment to their homeland.”

“I know, Adaloni is a dragon from Khitanris. Even after living in Crusde for a thousand years, he can’t forget the Flame Empire… his homeland,” Dark smiled.

“I do everything I can to keep those children away from war, away from the ‘heartless’ and the lost. I give them clean water, clean food, and teach them practical skills like agriculture, industry, metallurgy, machine operation, firearms use, and basic first aid… For the next generation, Hofengiva and I would give anything.” Artyom choked up for a moment, then continued:

"But first, Angelica embezzled food and supplies, leaving the children starving for a long time before this war. Then these traitors put the children in danger... I heard that the 'Relics of the Chosen Ones' not only contain the method to end the wasteland, but also a 'banner' that can turn the town into a protected area to resist the invasion of the 'Heartless Virus.' That's why I so urgently hope that you can help the town find those 'Relics.'"

"In a country, a province, a city, or a stronghold, the most hopeful are not us old bones, nor those who wield weapons and fight all day long, but these children. With children, human civilization has the possibility of continuing. The propagation of a race always depends on these young ones."

“I understand, Mayor Artyom, what you're thinking.” Darke subconsciously rubbed the “memory crystal” in his pants pocket and replied:
“I may already have a way to find the ‘Relics of the Chosen Ones.’ Give me two days to prepare, and I will find a way to help you find them, just for the sake of the children. However, regarding the traitor, I would like to give you a famous quote from Khitanris, which was also told to me by one of my deceased brothers.”

"Please speak," Artyom said, wiping away the tears from the corners of his eyes and nodding.

“‘Hesitation leads to disaster.’ This brief period of peace won’t last long, and the Federation Council is no longer capable of being reassembled. Shaneva’s death essentially foreshadows a widespread civil war. If you don’t want to get your hands dirty, then secretly expelling them is one way.” Dark walked up to Artyom, leaned close to his ear, and whispered:

“They’re now willing to prey on all the children. You probably know what they’ll do next. Having children means having a future, and having a stable environment unaffected by the ‘heartless wave’ is the only way to ensure that Torii Town will eventually replace the official trading post.”

……

After a brief conversation, Artyom drove Dark and Wright to the end of the town's "newly established industrial street," a temporary storage area for various military supplies.

As soon as they got out of the car, they saw the two young men who had previously acted as guards at the "Military Commission office" helping Hoshino Shota and Adaloni repair the mechanized combat vehicle.

Seeing that Dak and Wright had gotten off the car one after the other, the two young men hurriedly came up to them and handed them the "Imitation-Mad Bear" pistol and the Commander's pistol that they had temporarily kept.

“I’m sorry, officers. We were just following Mayor Artyom’s instructions to inspect your vehicles first. We were afraid of losing our weapons, so we carried them with us.” One of the young men, with white hair, bowed slightly apologetically. “It’s alright, it’s our duty, we understand.” Dark nodded slightly, took the pistol, and didn’t make things difficult for the young man.

Artyom, on the other hand, stepped forward very enthusiastically and introduced Dark and Wright:

"These two are my carefully cultivated new generation of capable men. Don't underestimate them just because they are guards now. In a few years, they will be able to stand on their own. The one with white hair is called 'White Bundle' and the one with red hair is called 'Red Bundle'. They are both names given in Khitan Lis, which are very easy to pronounce."

"Although it is the coldest time of the year now, spring will arrive in less than a month. At that time, the rising moisture will be very unfavorable for the storage of various types of shells. I want them to make some desiccant and combustion aid according to the information left by the dwarven ancestors who served the old empire, and build two underground warehouses for emergencies."

"The dwarves'...craftsmanship?" Dark murmured, recalling the "White Night Archives," a place where a wealth of extraordinary data was buried, accessible only by passing through the "Earthline" built by the dwarven ancestors.

I wonder if the "Dedication Group" took as much data and future technology as possible with them when they left. It's best if these extraordinary creations of the old empire don't fall into the hands of the Federal Council.

“Of course.” Artyom’s smug tone interrupted Dark’s thoughts:

"Although many of the dwarves' inventions became obsolete after Ivan XXII, such as alchemy and bronze cannons, most of the techniques for maintaining weapons in the future will never be obsolete. Potions are not suitable for ordinary humans like us in our town; industrialized preparations are more suitable for us."

Artyom said, looking at the "white bundle," and asked:

"Have the officers' mechanized vehicles been repaired yet?"

"Mayor," Bai Shu stepped forward, his face full of worry.

"At first, we thought it was a problem with the engine. After the repairs were completed, the mechanized vehicle still couldn't run properly. Later, my two superiors and I inspected the entire mechanized vehicle as thoroughly as possible and found that many connecting parts were worn out and needed to be replaced with parts."

"What's strange is that the aging parts look like they've been used for decades, but the tank as a whole is still relatively new. To fully repair it, we still need to go south to the trading post to purchase a batch of parts, as well as gasoline specifically for mechanized combat vehicles. This mechanized combat vehicle is probably intended for use by high-ranking officers, and the parts are all standard and easy to replace, but the gasoline type is relatively rare and needs to be purchased specially."

"How much do you need? We can pay." Wright was getting a little impatient and decided to ask directly.

"Don't worry about the money, officers. Both Hefeng and I have said that once the 'Relic of the Chosen' is found, the town will cover all expenses. We will also provide you with sufficient supplies so that you can make your way to Nebusk smoothly." Artyom lightly patted "White Bundle's" head as a warning, then smiled and said:
"Tomorrow, I'll have 'White Bundle' and 'Red Bundle' take a procurement list and make a special trip to the official trading post to purchase supplies for you. Of course, I also hope that all officers will put the search for the 'Relics of the Chosen Ones' on your agenda."

“That’s no problem. Tomorrow, let Ms. Hefeng Eva take Wright and me to the Divine Mountain again. I’d like to familiarize myself with the surrounding environment of the ‘relic’s location’ first,” Dark nodded.

“Of course, no problem. I think Hefengyeva would be happy to be the officers’ guide.”

……

At 11:45 p.m., in the basement of "Zhenxin No. 02".

The boundless darkness almost enveloped the small, enclosed basement. The moment Wright and Darker followed Heffield Eva into the room, the entire room seemed to flicker with a dim yellow light for a moment before quickly going out and returning to its dim state.

"This is my divination room. In the past, to avoid arousing suspicion from the Federation officials, I decorated it as much as possible in the style of a Western Continent magician. But in reality, I only know Eastern Bagua divination and the common 'Ordinal Set' divination." He Feng Yiwa walked to the center of the room, sat down in a peach wood chair at the peach wood square table, and casually took down the bronze mirror that was floating in mid-air.

Immediately afterwards, He Feng Yiwa put it aside, looked at her slightly distorted appearance in the mirror, tied her hair into a bun, and kept making a "clucking" sound like a ghost grinding its teeth.

About a minute later, the extremely unsettling sound finally stopped. He Feng Yiwa, who looked like a practitioner of Eastern Taoism, put the crystal ball back in the drawer, took out three copper coins, a piece of yellow Xuan paper for recording divination, and a brush made of animal hair.

Then, as He Fengyiwa continued to chant Khitan Lis incantations, the two rows of bookshelves piled with Krusd's famous works embedded in the wall were replaced by two rows of ancient Khitan Lis books with a strong sense of antiquity under the changing light and shadow.

Soon, two stone lions with blue-glowing pupils appeared at the entrance of the room. Wisps of ghostly blue light, like the glow of a soul, began to appear from the top of the room, while countless wisps of smoke, similar to those produced by melting dry ice, rose up beneath the feet of the three, making them feel as if they were in the underworld of the Khitan Ris culture.

"You two want me to divine two things, right? One is your future, and the other is the relic of the Chosen One. I think you two would rather use supernatural powers to divine in the mysterious realm above the Gray Dream, so that you can perceive the obstacles and obscurations ahead of your destiny, break free from the shackles imposed by humans, and then think about your true destiny, right?" He Feng Yiwa, who had changed into a blue cloth coat at some point, asked in a calm tone.

“Not only that, we also want to know how to climb to the top of the world’s power. Ms. Hefeng Eva, you know very well that humans are no longer trustworthy, the lost lack wisdom, and only those who are ‘divine’ can seize the highest power and completely end the gloom of the wasteland.” As he spoke, Dak took a brand-new ruble coin from Wright’s pocket and slapped it on the peach wood square table.