Chapter 5: The Far Eastern Russian Grand Duchy
1
Considering the circumstances of its founding, it might seem surprising, but the Far Eastern Russian Grand Duchy and the Japanese Empire maintain an ostensibly equal alliance.
While their nominal main enemy was monsters, their actual primary targets were the Soviet Union—or more specifically, the Russian Republic—and socialist nations like the Republic of China and the Korean Republic that were established with Soviet support.
However, since those nations they considered their main enemies have all been overrun by monsters, their current relationship has shifted from a military alliance to one with stronger economic ties.
Japan primarily exports food and weapons. Far Eastern Russia primarily exports mineral resources and other raw materials.
What they particularly appreciate is the Kusanagi-type. Rather than using it as a weapon, they apparently use it for flood control, infrastructure construction, mine development, and underground resource extraction. What a peaceful application indeed.
There’s naturally a reason why they can use such supposedly precious machines for such peaceful purposes.
That reason lies in the unique monster situation in the northern continent.
“The characteristic of monster invasions in the northern continent is that while there are few large and medium-sized ones, there are an extremely large number of small ones. In some cases, you might see zero large types, five medium types, and 500 small types.”
“The balance is poor… or perhaps, in a way, it’s normal?”
“Well, who knows.”
If demons and demonic races were using monsters to destroy humanity, not preparing large types would be an irrational formation. However, if the purpose is to torment humans, having more small types seems more suited to that goal.
After all, attacks from large types can vaporize humans with just the aftershock, even without a direct hit.
You need at least a powered suit or protective gear just to stand on the battlefield.
And if you’re vaporized in one hit, there’s no suffering involved. Considering that, it might make sense that there are no large types among the monsters that periodically attack towns and villages… perhaps.
Incidentally, according to materials compiled by the Japanese side, the small monsters that come to Japan apparently start with the same numbers as those on the continent, but their numbers decrease because they drown during the crossing—not river crossing, but sea crossing.
In any case, this situation of “few large and medium types, many small types” apparently suits the testing of powered suits designed primarily to fight small types.
“Well, I won’t say it’s meaningless for you, being a military man, to speculate about their intentions. But what’s important for us right now isn’t their intentions. Whatever their intentions are, we need to use this situation effectively.”
“Yes. You’re right about that.”
Yeah. That’s exactly right. We didn’t come all the way abroad just to speculate.
Mogami-san is correct about this.
But there’s something I just can’t understand.
“Um. If I recall correctly, powered suits are equipment for regular soldiers—or rather, for people with low compatibility rates with magic crystals, right?”
“That’s right.”
Right. If someone has high compatibility, they’d become a machine pilot after all.
“What I’m testing this time is a custom-made model for people with somewhat higher compatibility rates, correct?”
“That’s right.”
General-purpose powered suits are already being manufactured by zaibatsu corporations.
And we can’t compete with them in terms of versatility or price, since they already have more than sufficient experience and production lines.
That’s why the conclusion Mogami-san and his team reached was to “manufacture custom products that, while fewer in number, have consistent demand.”
More precisely, it seems to be the policy of his wife, who handles the management department as the de facto president while Mogami-san only looks at machinery. Well, regardless of who proposed it, what they’re saying is very correct and understandable, and above all, it’s about someone else’s company management, so I have no intention of objecting.
But this is really questionable.
“Doesn’t it have four arms?”
Yes. The powered suit that Mogami-san brought out saying “test this for me” has four arms—more precisely, it has “arm-like appendages with pointed tips” attached to the shoulders.
“That’s right.”
“That’s right” my ass!
“Powered suits are affected by the pilot’s physical condition even more than mecha, right? They’re exoskeletons! Rather than enhancement, you’re adding parts that shouldn’t normally be there!”
I don’t feel like I can move it properly.
This is completely different from the four-legged beast types, which had precedents.
“Ah, yeah. I think what you’re saying is reasonable, yeah.”
“Just thinking it doesn’t mean anything, you know.”
No, seriously. How am I supposed to move this?
Could this guy be planning to kill me here?
“Well, wait. Calm down. Originally, we thought the same way. On top of that, we focused on how much firepower we could output.”
“I see.”
Why are you so obsessed with firepower… ah, no, I guess it can’t be helped since it’s a custom product.
I question why you didn’t go for mobility, but I understand the need to add distinctive features.
“To output firepower, you need either weight or rate of fire. But there’s a limit to weight.”
“I suppose so.”
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Even if you give me a weapon too heavy for the powered suit to support.
Even if you completely abandon mobility and aim for a long-range sniper type, coffin cannons and beast types would be sufficient for that.
“So we decided to steer toward increasing the rate of fire.”
“‘We decided’ isn’t the point. I understand wanting to increase the rate of fire, but literally increasing the number of hands—how is that supposed to work?”
How am I supposed to move hands growing from my shoulders?
“Hmm. That’s when our guys were racking their brains, and you appeared.”
“Huh?”
Me? Did I do something?
“The command system you use when operating the Mikage-type. We thought we could use that to move them.”
“…Ah.”
I see. Instead of moving them freely like real arms, you’re reducing them to entities that only perform predetermined movements. That way, it might indeed be possible to move them.
“I understand that part. But since these are parts that don’t normally exist, won’t the weight get in the way? Especially for people called masters.”
They’re masters precisely because they can fully utilize their own bodies, right?
If they carry extra weight, they’ll have to readjust everything, won’t they?
Do we have time for such trouble?
“About that, well…”
“What about it?”
“I thought the same thing at first. But that’s narrow-minded.”
“Huh.”
What’s gotten into you suddenly? Did some British gentleman possess you?
“You look puzzled. Listen first. Okay? First of all, the users we’re targeting aren’t masters. They’re people with low compatibility rates with magic crystals. You’re not exactly a master either, are you?”
“Well, that’s true.”
So since I’m the one testing it, regardless of magic crystal compatibility, it would be problematic if only masters could use it?
“And the enemies we’re targeting aren’t humans. They’re monsters.”
“That’s also true.”
Yeah. That’s absolutely right.
“Martial arts are originally designed for fighting humans. I won’t say that the techniques of masters specialized in that are meaningless, but when considering anti-monster combat, I think the most important thing isn’t the technique displayed when closing in, but the firepower that prevents them from closing in.”
“…I see.”
Does that have merit?
“Of course, this one unit alone would be meaningless. But if about ten units form a formation and fire away, don’t you think we could expect considerable effects?”
“Hmm.”
It’s simply double the rate of fire. If we make it a bit heavier, we could equip heavy weapons too.
This would certainly be more efficient than sending in one master.
Additionally, by assuming multiple-unit operation from the start, the number of orders would increase.
It’s beneficial for both the military and Mogami Heavy Industries.
Frustratingly, I have to admit it’s well thought out.
“However, all of this is just theory on paper at this stage. That’s why we’ll first have you, who’s most familiar with the command system, operate it to accumulate data and make improvements. After that, we’ll have regular soldiers use it and make further improvements. That’s the purpose of this test.”
“I see.”
As expected from someone who’s already being watched warily by zaibatsu corporations.
He’s not just a technology geek. He’s thinking things through properly.
“So what I should do here is first operate the auxiliary arms using the command system. After that, investigate operability, weapon accuracy, and durability against recoil, correct?”
I need to clarify the objectives.
It would be troublesome if something comes up later.
“Something like that. Additionally, we want to investigate the growth and optimization process through magic power obtained by defeating small monsters. We also want to see the behavior when equipped with weapons powerful enough to take down medium types.”
Hmm? Do powered suits grow too?
Ah, no, this is equipment for people with low magic crystal compatibility. Even with low compatibility, if they’re using magic crystals, they would grow too.
I understand that Mogami-san wants powered suits to grow just like mecha.
That’s how engineers are. That’s fine. But…
“You’re quite greedy, aren’t you?”
If you’re too greedy, things will get tough later.
Mainly in terms of my hardship.
“It’s just the maximum goal. We came all the way abroad after all. Besides, if we don’t show results of that level, people back home might say we ‘abandoned them and ran away.'”
“Would they say that?”
In reality it’s different, but nominally we’re the ones who were given unreasonable demands.
“Depends on the damage over there. Basically, those types are first-rate at self-preservation and self-justification, always saying ‘it’s not my fault.’ Considering that, there’s a good chance they’ll blame us with some convenient excuse. If there’s a possibility, we need to be cautious, right?”
“I suppose so.”
I do think caution is necessary, but I don’t think the organization is lenient enough for such arguments to pass… no, maybe I’m being complacent. The zaibatsu and military cliques are our enemies. There’s no such thing as being too cautious.
“That’s how it is. That’s why we’re going to create achievements here that won’t let those guys say stupid things.”
Achievements, huh.
I understand the discussion and concept, but I don’t even know if I can operate it properly in the first place. What are you planning to do about that?
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