Rust - Chapter 641



Only Krnovel

RUST [RUST]-641

pop!

Kwaaaaang!

As if to celebrate our arrival in Nantes, a huge fireworks shot up from the other side. It looked like a powder keg had gone off somewhere.

“Fuck. What are you guys doing? Shouldn’t you be digging and setting up a tent? Are you going to freeze to death watching the fire?”

At Dick’s shout, the mercenaries joined forces and dug the ground.

“Wouldn’t it be better to do it wearing that exosuit?”

“What about the battery? Should we use the battery to keep the good power?”

Since they were people who had awakened their full physical abilities, even if they were just naked, their strength was 3-4 times that of an adult male. Although it was weaker than the output of the new exosuit, digging through snow and ice was no problem.

The mercenaries dug into the snow hole in an instant and immediately set up a new tent. The cold-proofing ability of the tent, made with technology that had reached a singular point, was amazing.

“Every time I use this, I feel like it’s magic. It’s magic.”

“Yes. Honestly, if you go to the Empire or Britain, you’ll lose all of this.”

“Don’t you think the French government forces would do that?”

“but···.”

“Hiding your performance is also a job.”

The outside temperature is below -40 degrees, but the temperature inside the tent is 20 degrees. I just turned on a small heater, but the temperature did not drop. There was even a heat exchanger to circulate comfortable air.

It was clear that all of my equipment, even my tent, would be taken away. Even my panties and socks. The Sacred Kingdom’s cold weather equipment was that overwhelming.

“At least half a day. If you’re not completely exhausted, I’ll rest for a full day. Everyone, stop talking and get some sleep. We’ll take turns on night watch. For now, let’s stand for an hour each.”

Dick, who had sorted out the situation, closed his eyes first. He was the last in line.

‧

‧

‧

While the gunfire and the occasional terrible scream continued, the spare emergency beacon Dick Herold carried continued to blink desperately.

It was fortunate that it was on silent mode, as it would have been noisy if it had been on. Dick quietly slid the signal into his bag.

‘You idiots.’

You can just stay somewhere and send an emergency signal? No matter how advanced the technology of the Holy Kingdom is, can you send a signal across the ocean in a situation of radio interference?

Just making short-range wireless communication work was a huge achievement.

‘I said if it’s 3 days late it’s a week.’

A few days later, there was talk of sending a communications balloon into the stratosphere to act like a geostationary satellite, so if we were going to use an emergency signal, we would have to use it a few days later. Of course, there was no reason to tell him that.

Dick closed his eyes comfortably. The gunfire continued until daybreak.

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empire.

Unlike last year, New York was frozen in white, and there were quite a few people walking around. People were walking even in the bitter cold of -40 degrees Celsius.

“Whew- If I didn’t have this coat… It’s horrible to even think about.”

“That. Is that clothing made in the Holy Kingdom?”

“Yes. Are you okay?”

“I put it on and it was okay.”

My colleague, dressed in outerwear like polar explorers, a thick sweater and undergarments, nodded and asked.

“So how much is that coat?”

“One with the Holy Kingdom gold coin.”

“Are you crazy? You’re burning that to buy clothes?”

“There’s no way around it if you have to work in the winter. Old clothes are expensive too.”

This was already the second winter of severe cold. With refugees flocking in from all over, the price of winter gear was skyrocketing.

Not having winter gear meant freezing to death, so it was only natural that the prices of high-performance winter gear would rise.

As the real winter began, temperatures continued to drop below minus 40 degrees Celsius, just like last year. Fortunately, the Empire was well prepared.

Roads have been heated and owner-occupied cars have been fitted with snowmobiles to enable them to travel on snow and ice.

Empty offices were turned into indoor farming facilities, people began farming in the forests of buildings, and slums that had been gutted by rats were renovated and turned into chicken coops.

Although production was not high, people began to adapt to the harsh cold as fresh vegetables, fruits, and chickens began to be distributed in the middle of winter.

“Wouldn’t it be better if we renegotiate the free trade agreement?”

“I hope prices will stabilize, even if not as much as before.”

Ki-soon passed between the two people walking to work. The woman following Ki-soon was openly holding a gun and a knife.

“Your Majesty, the slums are dangerous.”

“They said that everyone who lived here died, so that’s fine. And since we’re here, we should see how the Empire raises chickens.”

The technology of the Holy Kingdom was constantly developing. However, there was not much technology that could be used right away.

The same goes for breeding facilities. Even if cutting-edge breeding facilities were built, introducing them throughout the Holy Kingdom was a separate issue.

It was realistically difficult to install the latest equipment in the Canadian region managed by Kisun. They were currently pouring their power into the floating city, and even if they installed it in Canada, the distribution problem would not have changed.

If you were distributing by airship, there was little difference between leaving Detroit a few hours earlier and leaving from Canada.

So what Canada needed was a little better technology than what was already available. From that perspective, the imperial chicken-raising methods were worth checking out.

“If the Empire could do it, Canada should be able to do it too.”

“You said you would give me the information, so wouldn’t that be enough?”

“It’s agriculture and livestock farming. It’s good to see it with your own eyes at least once.”

“···If that’s true, I will take the lead.”

“Okay. The Imperial agents will take care of escorting you.”

“······.”

Despite Ki-sun’s optimistic attitude, the knife-wielding woman did not let her guard down. The place they went to was a slum that had once been devastated by a swarm of rats.

The red brick housing complex was full of holes like cheese. The same goes for the patina on the road. Fortunately, it wasn’t frozen.

Ki-soon’s narrowed eyes turned sharply toward the patched-up building.

“It’s a hot wire.”

“yes?”

“We’ve installed heating wires throughout the building and road.”

“······.”

This is it. I thought there was a sensible way to do it. It was just a crazy scene with electricity extracted from a modular nuclear power plant.

As Ki-sun had predicted, there was no special technology in the chicken coop inside the building. It was just filled with typical factory-style chicken coops that were on the verge of being abandoned.

Kkoooook!

Swish! Swish!

A chicken pecking at a chicken coop made of special material.

“Your Majesty. These chickens···.”

“Oh. I think so.”

If I hadn’t seen it with my own eyes, I wouldn’t have known. If I had seen it on CCTV footage, it would have just looked like a chicken pecking at the chicken coop.

But it wasn’t. The chickens were pecking at the same places they had pecked before. Steadily and little by little, the chicken coop was being torn down.

‧

‧

‧

“Führer Den Brown said as he put down the report.

“Yeah. What do you think of the breeding facility?”

“The chicken was big.”

President Den Brown laughed at Ki-sun’s unexpected answer.

“Is the chicken big? Yes, it is. It is big.”

“Do you keep it for a long time?”

“In the past, I would have raised them for 50 to 60 days or more, but in the current situation, that’s too much of a luxury. I’m raising them for about 30 days. I’m just holding them as long as the weight is right.”

“···It hasn’t even grown in 30 days, and it’s that big. It’s definitely big.”

President Den Brown’s brow furrowed slightly as he noticed that Gi-sun was holding back her words.

“If there’s a problem, please let me know.”

“It’s too big for a chicken that was raised for only 25 days.”

hmm-

At Gi-sun’s consistent response, General Dan Brown let out a sigh. It was clear that Gi-sun, who was quick-witted, had noticed.

The problem with factory farming was clear: if one bird contracted a disease, it could spread quickly throughout the entire farm.

If a chicken is infected with a mutant virus, it will only take a moment for all the chickens in the coop to become infected with the mutant virus.

“The Empire has complete control over everything from breeding to slaughtering to cooking, so you don’t have to worry.”

“Is that so?”

“Yes. They process everything and make instant food. They cook it safely and then send it out, so it’s fine.”

“okay.”

In the early days of the mutant virus outbreak, there was research on whether animals infected with the virus could be eaten. Even then, the conclusion was that there was no problem if cooked properly at high temperatures.

The cannibalism problem occurred in China when improperly processed cockroach powder was distributed, but if it had been properly processed, there would not have been a problem.

“Honestly, it’s time to accept that we have to live with the mutant virus.”

“······.”

Weed virus. What can we do?

“Some crops have been affected as well. The Holy Kingdom must know about the mutated plants. If the plants have been affected, doesn’t that mean it’s only a matter of time before animals like cows, pigs, and sheep are contaminated?”

“······.”

At Gi-sun’s silence, General Dan Brown tapped the table with his finger and continued talking.

“Even if I become a mutant grandfather instead of a mutant, there’s no way to avoid the food shortage. Or will the Holy Kingdom provide unlimited food exports?”

“···It’s not something I can decide.”

It’s already been three years since the mutant virus outbreak.

That wasn’t all. War followed by a crazy climate crisis, a breakdown in global supply chains, cannibals and mutated monsters.

After a long winter, followed by a short spring, summer, and fall, there were few places that had a proper harvest. Food shortages were a foregone conclusion.

“I guess I’ll be able to get through this year or next year. But if I fail this year’s crops, next year will be very dangerous. Very dangerous.”

“······.”

Ki-soon nodded.

“It wasn’t just a currency issue.”

“Yes. Whether we have free trade or free aid, if we can’t solve the food shortage, all that’s left is mutual destruction. In this situation, what’s the problem with raising large-sized chickens?”

Ki-sun’s eyes narrowed even further. So, he was saying that he would find a way out before the food shortages became too much to handle.

‘So that’s why you dragged in the Confederacy? And the Mexican Union, too.’

Mr. Den Brown was a very nasty man. But from the perspective of the Empire and the Holy Kingdom, he was a very dirty man.

‘Do you receive free aid?’

Doesn’t this mean that it won’t be fun if there’s no free aid when the food shortage occurs? If you don’t want that, the Holy Kingdom should take care of it themselves.

The Holy Kingdom had been expanding smart farms on a large scale even before its founding. The agricultural products produced in Detroit could easily feed millions of people. The story was that the technology and equipment were needed.

Besides, the currency issue remained. Noticing the change in the mood, General Dan Brown spoke in a quiet voice.

“If the Empire falls, the Holy Kingdom will fall as well. Didn’t I say that last time?”

“······.”

“We know that eating infected chicken is dangerous. We know that, but we have no choice but to do it.”

No, it’s safe if you cook it well. Why are you crying?

Ki-sun clicked her tongue inwardly at President Den Brown’s words.

It seemed as if they were intent on blatantly stripping away the Holy Kingdom.

“That chicken.”

I saw it earlier and it looked like it was going to break through the chicken coop.

Ki-sun also gave advice without holding back.

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france.

The semi-fortified city of Nantes to the south was in shambles. Government troops, who had seized control of the southern bank of the Loire River after an all-night assault, were searching buildings for rebels.

“I. I am not a rebel.”

“honey!”

“Nantes. A native of Nantes.”

A man lying flat on his stomach in front of the gun barrels of government soldiers, pleading. And then the sound of gunfire.

“Whoa! Honey!”

“Look at this year’s acting skills.”

“Hey. Take me.”

Dick Herold frowned as he saw government soldiers dragging away the man’s body and the woman. They said they were government soldiers, but these guys seemed crazy.

“Why are you frowning so much? You’re going to have an accident before we even meet. Let’s frown.”

Dick nodded at Dewey’s easygoing attitude.

“Look at how they handle it there.”

“What are we going to do about it? We’ll just bury it in a hole. What about the woman….”

“So, go and check it out yourself.”

“Tsk- Got it.”

Dick, who had sent Dewey away, headed to the government forces’ operations headquarters. The headquarters, which he had expected to be busy, was extremely quiet.

“I’ve been waiting for you. You said you were a mercenary force from America?”

A French general with two stars on his shoulders welcomed Dick.

“It is the Holy Kingdom.”

“Yes. Who would have thought that the United States would be divided like that? But our France will not be.”

A subtle sensation enveloped Dick.

“Is that so?”

“Hahaha. That’s right. Didn’t you join after finding out where it would be advantageous?”

Greed felt in the general’s gaze.

No. A desire similar to greed.

This feeling.

Dick knew.

The government general gave off an air very similar to that emanating from the heads of New York’s powerful families.

Dick was being looked at with eyes full of appetite, akin to greed.

‘Fuck···.’

The government general was a cannibal.