Chapter 50: The Curtain Has Been Drawn

The reason Pela said this was largely because Serval, the big sister, had always been somewhat unreliable when it came to handling matters.
Of course, this "unreliability" didn’t mean she messed things up. Rather, Serval often came up with sudden, unconventional ideas that went beyond normal thinking.

For example, adding external drill attachments to snowplows or installing ballistic calculation systems on toasters... While not entirely impossible, was it really necessary to go that far?

Under Pela’s skeptical gaze, Serval let out a "Ahem!" and shot her friend a look that said, "Give me some face here."
Only then did she speak up: "Actually, I don’t think we need to assume the worst about their intentions. At least for now, having this new technology is nothing but beneficial for the Silvermane Guards, right?"

"While that’s true, still..."

Pela certainly agreed with the idea of being kind to others. However, the technology recorded here and what it represented couldn’t be brushed aside so easily.
She adjusted her glasses and spoke with a hint of anxiety.
"I’m just thinking that if we can figure out the source of this technology—whether it’s deciphering the ancient tech within or replicating other energy exploration technologies—it could significantly improve our current situation."

Although the city’s energy consumption has been somewhat alleviated due to the reduction in human activity areas, what about the massive energy demands of the restricted zones?
Maintaining the frontlines without retreating, let alone launching periodic counterattacks, can’t rely solely on throwing lives into the fray.

It’s often said that the Silvermane Guards suffer high casualties, but the Automatons aren’t faring much better—few of them remain intact long enough to avoid being scrapped.
The factories producing Automatons haven’t shut down for a single day, operating at full capacity 24/7 to ensure the frontlines are adequately supplied.

And after production, Automatons need to "burn geothermal energy" to function, just like how people need to eat to have the strength to fight.
Humans can skip a meal and still move, but Automatons will shut down the moment they run out of energy.

And that’s not all. The geothermal array cannons used for city defense need energy, and the central energy hub that powers most of the restricted zone’s equipment also needs it.
From weapons and equipment to energy mechanisms, none of these can be shut down.

Now, to uphold the Supreme Guardian’s will, the people’s sacrifices have far exceeded any returns.
Under this highly unsustainable operational model, just calculating the energy consumed over the years and the decreasing annual output of geothermal ore, Pela has already come up with a ledger full of deficits.

If it weren’t for the fact that they couldn’t obtain more accurate data from the lower district, she might have comforted herself with thoughts like, "We can hold out for a few more years, and maybe there are undiscovered large geothermal ore deposits."
Otherwise, Pela would have already shed tears in advance for the next Supreme Guardian, Lady Bronya.

On top of that, there’s another serious issue.
As rift erosion worsens, the Silvermane Guards’ defensive lines across the city are being forced to retreat. However, the frontlines absolutely cannot fall back, especially since the counterattack strategies of recent years have pushed the battle lines forward.

This creates a terrifying scenario.
The Silvermane Guards on the frontlines might unknowingly find themselves surrounded by the rift. Once they’re trapped by a sudden surge of rift monsters and lose their retreat path, what happens next is beyond what an intelligence officer like her can speculate.

Gathering intelligence, analyzing it, and providing accurate data—leaving the final decisions to the superiors—is her duty as an intelligence officer and a rule she must abide by.
But—

Perhaps due to spending time with Venti recently and being exposed to new ideas, she began to feel a hint of doubt about this somewhat "fatalistic" approach.
If the superiors could make the right choices, then there would be no issue.
But what if the superiors, or those in power, lacked the ability to make sound decisions? Should she just watch as her and her colleagues’ efforts were wasted, and everything went down the drain?

Such rebellious thoughts had always been buried deep in Pela’s heart, carefully hidden and never revealed.
It wasn’t until today, when she witnessed Lady Bronya’s transformation and even her confrontation with the Supreme Guardian...
That these thoughts, which should have remained hidden, surfaced alongside this potentially game-changing technology.

Perhaps she wasn’t the only one with such thoughts. Even Lady Bronya, who was born into the Guardian faction, had begun to question Lady Cocolia’s methods of governance.
So, as a mere intelligence officer, wasn’t it normal for her to have some reservations in private?

Those Silvermane Guards who had received unreasonable orders, even being sent to their deaths—did they truly have no complaints?
What everyone feared wasn’t sacrifice, but meaningless deaths.

Sometimes, it was an order that seemed to come out of nowhere, like a sudden whim.
After the Silvermane Guards seized control of a bridge at great cost, they were ordered to retreat overnight, leaving behind the bodies of their comrades.

Other times, it was policies based on subjective assumptions, ignoring any valid suggestions.
Like when the lower district was sealed off, and all Silvermane Guards were withdrawn, leaving its people defenseless against potential rift erosion.

These were things that anyone with common sense knew were reckless, yet the Supreme Guardian pushed forward with them anyway.
It was as if she was dragging everyone into the abyss of destruction. Just the thought of it filled Pela with urgency.

If even the Supreme Guardian, who was supposed to protect the people, had given up on survival, what were the Silvermane Guards and the citizens supposed to do?
Especially after thinking about her mother’s passing and the disbandment of the scientific exploration teams, which left the city completely isolated and cut off from the outside world, Pela grew increasingly worried that her fears might come true.

People couldn’t keep defending this city forever. If it weren’t for the large ore deposits discovered by the geothermal exploration teams long ago, which gave Belobog a lifeline, the city would have already faced an energy crisis.
Now, these teams, which had profound significance for the city’s past and future, were either disbanded or sealed away, never to be used again.

The Supreme Guardian chose to pour all resources into the bottomless pit of frontline warfare...
These undeniable facts forced Pela to make a decision—

At the same time, she glanced at Captain Gepard, a fellow officer who also served the Supreme Guardian and steadfastly upheld the principle of preservation.
Yet, Pela could also see that even this captain wasn’t without doubts, nor was he entirely willing to accept the Supreme Guardian’s unreasonable arrangements.

This gathering might just be the turning point.
A historic moment to shift the current situation and rally the living forces.