Does the mechanical girl dream of the Messiah?

"hateful!"

Galezo's voice was full of annoyance. Anyone could tell that he was in a very bad mood, so bad that he almost couldn't help but crush the communicator in his hand.

"What's wrong? What happened?"

This attitude made Lunicia hold her breath. She could tell from the tone that something was wrong. And it was obvious that it was an emergency related to the Northeast District issue and the ceremony of the four major families. After all, after Galezo put down the communicator, his eyes turned directly to her, and he seemed to be organizing his words.

"... Let's get straight to the point. The ceremony is about to begin. It should be after nightfall."

"what?"

This sudden news made Lunicia stunned, and even Ella looked surprised.

"I will immediately organize the assault according to the plan. You should also pack up immediately. The combat time will be advanced to fifteen minutes later."

"Wait, this..."

"It shouldn't be that someone is a traitor and leaked the information."

As if he already knew what Lunicia was going to ask, Galezo gave a direct answer: "If the information was really leaked, we should be facing the encirclement and suppression of the four major families now, instead of the ceremony being brought forward. In short, this is what happened, but the time has changed."

After saying that, he dragged Leopold, who had a puzzled look on his face, and Gian, who still had his arm hanging beside him, and rushed towards the barracks, probably to organize the soldiers. Only Lunicia and Ella were left looking at each other, not knowing what to say or do for a moment.

"...I see, Lady Luna, I think I understand."

Lunicia frowned and said, "I figured it out...I mean?"

"As Lady Luna said, as time goes by, the remains of the evil god in the north and the 'things' that will be summoned in this city are becoming more active... Then could it be that as the 'existence' of the ritual object becomes stronger and stronger, the requirements of the ritual itself are also decreasing?"

"what--"

Indeed, it cannot be said that there is no such possibility.

No, or rather, this is probably the best explanation for the current situation.

Originally, the ceremony must have had extremely strict requirements for the "time" factor, so the four major families would rather risk being discovered and obstructed and must postpone the ceremony to twelve o'clock. Now that this requirement has been relaxed, they will naturally create a fait accompli with the idea of ​​"rather than facing the risk of failure due to delaying too long, it is better to force it to be completed as soon as possible." In this way, it doesn't matter if it seems a bit ostentatious. As long as Mulande can be saved, no one can refute their approach with reasons beyond justice.

"It's understandable that the ritual requires '12 o'clock', but why did this requirement become 'nightfall' after being relaxed?"

At least for now, no one can answer Lunicia's question.

……

"Are you sure you want to do this, Lieutenant?"

"Don't call me lieutenant. It's so awkward."

"It would be great if you could die of awkwardness."

"My answer is: You have to do this. You have to do this."

Putting down the telescope in his hand, Galezo smiled bitterly. "If the situation turns out to be like what those two ladies said, with the main battlefield being under the cathedral, then we can do whatever we want. The guys from the four major families won't be able to force the situation out... But now, as you can see, we plan to fight directly in the city."

"Openly and without disguise."

"Yes, but it hasn't started yet."

The deployment of the city guards has been basically completed - although time is tight, Galezo still tried to ensure the integrity of the deployment to avoid failure after the battle begins. The place where he is now is just an empty space in the original plan, but now it has to be converted into a temporary headquarters due to changes in the situation. There is no complicated reason for this, and the reason can be understood at a glance.

"Should we inform Miss Lunicia? After all, the current situation..."

"She should have seen it. She will understand once she sees it."

This made Galeazzo quite depressed.

According to Lunicia and the others, because the ceremony would be held in the basement of the cathedral, they had set up a lot of traps there.

As a result, when Galezo officially began to observe the enemy situation, he found that for some reason, the four major families "this time" actually chose to directly block the Cathedral of Alexandria, and judging from their posture, the ceremony venue was probably not under the Cathedral, but on the "Time Domain Altar" at the top of the Cathedral. In this way, not only did all the preparations made by Lunisia for the decisive battle fail, but the offensive plan previously formulated by Galezo also had to be temporarily modified, such as setting up a stronghold and a command center before the battle began, waiting for the battle to officially begin.

From the current position, we can see the deployment of the four major families. The good news is that the four major families and the garrison division don't seem to have discovered the existence of the city guard team.

"Where's Jian?"

"He's going to go wherever he needs to go. I'm in direct command here."

"What's going on in the Northeast?"

"We told a group of church personnel and the Imperial Guards to change guard, and they really did change guard, and then we locked them all up inside."

"What a great idea."

"I am the commander, why am I explaining these things to you now?"

"Oh, yes, why? Where are Miss Lunicia and the others?"

"He will be in charge of the frontal battle with us. If there is really a dragon on the other side... we can't deal with the dragon and the garrison marshal alone."

"We can't handle any of them."

"That's it……"

drip-drip-drip-

The sound from the communicator on his waist interrupted the conversation between the two. Galezo looked at the text written in the caller column, and then pressed the answer button.

"Here's 'Brain'."

"This is the Eye." Regia's voice came from the communicator, "Operation completed, the main entrance has been cut off."

This was smoother than she expected. The chaos in the city had caused the Guards Division to block the road to the main gate of Muirand three days ago. In addition, they needed to spend more energy to deal with the problems in the city, so the defense of the "Dome Gate" was weaker than they expected. Before they had time to notify other troops, Regia had already led the troops to disarm and detain them. It might take some time for the Guards Division and the four major families to realize the fact that the main gate had been lost. As for when Geisenberg Fortress could retake this transportation hub, it was even more distant.

"I will rush back as planned. See you later."

"'Brain' received."

Galeazzo and Leopold looked at each other, then nodded to each other. He hung up the call with Regia and called the other party immediately.

"Here's 'Brain', 'Tongue', ready to go."

"Here's 'Tongue'."

Jian was looking down through the glass: the soldiers assigned to him were carrying out their tasks in an orderly manner and blocking the building. He was well aware of the combat effectiveness of those soldiers and their iron will, but these alone were not enough to completely reassure him. He knew very well that if the next battle did not go well, the pressure he would face would not necessarily be less than that on the frontal battlefield - if the Guards Division really intended to attack here, could they really defend the gate with only such a small force?

This kind of pressure made his expression a little bitter, but when he turned around, all people could see was the calmness and confidence on his face, as if all the entanglements and distress were nothing but bubbles and illusions, things that had never existed.

"Have you made up your mind, Mr. Laird?"

"To be honest...I still feel like I'm dreaming."

The middle-aged man called Laird shook his head solemnly and continued, "The origin of the Northeastern region, the conspiracy of the four major families, and the ritual of human sacrifice... any one of these things can be reported in several special reports. Even if you can provide some evidence, it is difficult for us to completely believe that all of this is true."

"Then you mean..."

"You can use the venue of the Mountain City News Agency at will."

Hearing this, Gian Batista's expression couldn't help but soften a bit.

He was not worried that the operation would be affected. After all, whether the other party agreed or not, he had to find a way to requisition the equipment here. However, if possible, it would be better to get the support of the owner of the venue. After all, they were none other than the Shancheng News Agency, the publisher of the Shancheng Newspaper, and also the largest media company in Muland.

"But there is a condition."

This sentence made Jian nervous again, and he could only ask: "What is it?"

"After this is over, allow us to have an exclusive interview with Mr. Galezo de Barbacro - we are not confident that we can monopolize other news, but we must get this aspect."

"Yes, I can give permission for Mr. Gallezo."

"And first-hand information on the matter, preferably before the Grand Council deliberates."

"no problem."

These are nothing. As long as the operation can go smoothly, these conditions that only concern the follow-up will not be a problem. Therefore, even without asking his superiors, Galeazzo de Barbacro himself, Gian can give a straightforward and definite answer.

This answer was undoubtedly what Shancheng News Agency wanted to hear, but President Laird obviously did not intend to wade into this muddy water too actively. He just walked aside without commenting, made a path between Jian and the studio, and then made a "please" gesture. He did not think that the city guards had a clear chance of winning, but if the four major families really wanted to investigate afterwards, with his status, as long as he put forward the excuse of "I was coerced", the other party would have no way to deal with him, which was also a fact.

Jian picked up the communicator and said, "It's ready."

The instruments here have been debugged in advance. He only needs to let his assistant operate outside while he connects the radio and communicator together, and then it can be used.

"Tongue, turn on the city-wide broadcast. I'm going to make a speech."

"As you wish."

……

The shelter fell into an unspeakable silence.

Not everyone is particularly confident in their own homes. In the current chaos, people are more willing to trust the shelters built by the Muirand government than homes that may fall, be polluted, invaded, and become like a foreign world at any time. The nobles may still have some confidence, confidence in their homes and confidence in themselves, but the citizens can only place their hopes on those shelters, some of which are old stone buildings, some are underground in small churches, and some are in sewers. Their locations may be different, but they all have similarities.

Solid, enclosed, crowded - and oppressive.

You can hear the anxious heartbeat, the disordered breathing, and the trivial sounds of the rubbing of clothes. Even so, no one will think this place is noisy. They will only regard this place as a silent prison, so quiet that it is almost suffocating.

The people who came here had different experiences on the road. There were panicked office workers, students, and children who had been separated from their parents but still followed the evacuation notice to escape here. The teachings of the adults came in handy at this time. If you encounter an accident such as a disaster, just follow the voice on the radio and go to the shelter. This can be regarded as a practical experience. However, what will happen if you squeeze into this shelter, and what should you do next? Even the experienced adults can't come up with any effective ideas.

Who could have predicted such a situation?

It should have been a relaxing and enjoyable National Day holiday, a day when no matter how busy people were, they could reunite with their families, people would attend celebrations and banquets held everywhere, use their savings to enjoy restaurants they would not normally be able to experience, and enjoy wonderful performances at the Muirland Theatre. It should have been a day like this - but the reality was smoke and war, alien monsters, and homes that could become lightless at any time. Those weird screams made the uneasy people feel panic and disgust, and despair could easily creep into people's hearts.

A dark shelter. A crowded environment. A dull atmosphere. No sign of improvement. Gunshots coming from nowhere. The sound of cannons. The rustling sound of crawling. A vague whisper that seems to be right beside my ear. Who is the enemy and who is protecting me? Where did those monsters come from and will they retreat as I wish? What is more terrifying than what can be seen with the naked eye is the unknown. The future is unknown, and what will happen in the next second is also unknown. No one knows whether this place is reliable or whether I can return to my past life. The nightmare scene seems to be still vivid in my mind.

At the beginning, there were not many people in the shelter. Those who were most easily shaken came here on the first day, and the number of people here continued to increase as time went by. People would cheer each other up at first and say some encouraging words, but it didn't take long before a silence mixed with anxiety and restlessness began to spread. People's will seemed to have become a string, a string that would break if it was gently plucked. The atmosphere changed from anxiety to fear, and it seemed that fear would give rise to chaos and frenzy at any time, becoming a hotbed of curses and violence.

The trembling children, their purity seemed so out of place in this environment. They witnessed the slaughter of humans by evil spirits, and the fall of the city they thought was indestructible. Their parents were not necessarily around, and even if they called the name of God, they would not get a response. The radio seemed to only have repeated evacuation notices.

It's like an announcement that tomorrow will never come.

Buzz————

However, at this moment, the mechanical radio in his hand suddenly changed.

The automatically broadcast evacuation notice came to an abrupt end, replaced by a faint, inexplicable buzz. The gradually growing fear and malice were interrupted. People looked at each other, not knowing what was going on. They could only turn their eyes to the radios that were emitting the inexplicable sounds. Only those who often listened to the radio knew that it was probably a sign of something to be broadcast.

At a time like this, who would make a broadcast?

The leaders of the four major families seemed to have not appeared for some time. Did they abandon the city? The Grand Council could not be convened at this time. Who could speak on behalf of the Grand Council? The nobles in the House of Lords must be very busy now. Is there anyone among them who can appease the crowd with a convincing enough identity?

No one expects this, and as long as you don't have any expectations, you won't be disappointed afterwards.

"Hello? Hello—can you hear me, guys?"

The voice coming from the radio was not the voice of the head of the four major families, nor the voice of the Secretary of State, nor the voice of the representative of the Grand Council. It was the voice of a man that no one seemed to have heard before. It was so strange that it even made the listeners around the radio feel puzzled. Who was he, and what did he want to say? These questions suddenly disrupted the desperate thoughts and made the slow brain work randomly.

The strange speaker seemed unfamiliar with this sort of thing, and after fiddling with it for a while, the sound continued to come out of the radio.

"It seems to be operating normally... Ah, I'm sorry, fellow citizens, I just scared you. At the same time, I have to apologize to you again, because this broadcast is not a notice to lift the alarm. I can't bring you any good news, nor can I promise you when you can return home. Fellow citizens may still hear the sound of cannons and gunfire, and the roar of monsters. I can't guarantee you when these sounds will disappear."

What is he talking about?

Some were confused, some didn't understand, and some thought they were just having borderline crazy auditory hallucinations.

However, the voice continued speaking.

“What I want to do here today is not to offer false comfort to reassure you.

Quite the opposite - what I am about to do is to issue a declaration of war against those who want to bring about a false sense of peace."

Chapter 75: Gunsmoke

Galeazzo probably felt it more than anyone around him about what it meant to ask for trouble.

After all, he was now the perfect example of someone asking for trouble.

There are certainly benefits to exposing some things in advance. If not, Galezo feels that he will not be able to laugh when the four major families counterattack him in the end, so he needs to seize the initiative and seize the so-called position in public opinion. However, sometimes, the more you get, the more you have to pay.

The advantage brought by the surprise attack was not completely eliminated, but thanks to his broadcast, the enemy also reacted faster than expected, and turned to pour fire on these inexplicable obstacles. They were indeed startled by the broadcast of the declaration of war and the sudden attack, but this at most allowed the city guards to advance their front line a little, but it was not enough for them to officially attack the Alexandria Cathedral. Half an hour had passed, and the two sides were still fighting in the streets for who knows how long.

boom----!

A shell smashed through a residential house next to the headquarters and exploded violently, with a loud noise and shock wave. Debris fell like raindrops and hit Galezo on the head. He couldn't help but break into a cold sweat, not because he was wearing a helmet today and could avoid being hit on the head by falling rocks, but because he was glad that there was no one in the house next door and he didn't need to worry about the personal safety of the citizens.

"Damn it! The heavy fire squadron immediately finds the enemy's artillery position! Destroy them!"

"Yes, sir!"

This was also one of the reasons why he had to make a speech to the public and declare war.

The main battlefield of the "last time" was either in the defense zone in the city, inside the northeastern district, or under the Cathedral of Alexandria. These areas were far away from the sight of the citizens, so it didn't matter if no announcement was made in advance. If you lose, everything is over. If you win, you need to consider the issue of rhetoric.

The current situation is somewhat different from the "last time". This time, the four major families directly occupied the entire Alexandria Cathedral as a ceremony venue, and their defense line was extended all the way to the urban area outside the cathedral. Even if some citizens complied with the broadcast's request to take refuge, there were still quite a few citizens who could see what was happening here: the fact that the City Guard and the Guards Division were fighting in the city.

What impact will it have on the citizens' emotions, what kind of misunderstandings will arise, will it cause unnecessary casualties, what will happen to the responsibilities of the Northeast District... In addition to the moral issue of undeclared war, if the city guard does not take the lead, the four major families will have ample room and reason to discredit them. Not only will they be defeated if they lose, but even if they win, a lot of legacy issues will be visible to the naked eye. This is a situation that Galezo does not want to see at all.

"...Tsk, I'm going to the front line.

This side will continue to conduct the command, and if I lose contact, you know who to listen to."