Magic I

Rarely does humanity meet sentient beings, more so with civilizations created. Most life contact are made either by wildlife or pre-sentient being, which naturally does not bode well for them since human does not have much regard for aliens. So long as humanity can live in their planet, they will eradicate pre-existing anything, even if it means executing an entire civilization.

This was a law actually, quite a controversial one. The law originated pre-interstellar, Article H1F "Humanity First" Stating all resources allocated are for humanities, thus any threat that comes with it are eliminated. Loopholes were made and it was far too late to reinstate the law since the first ever case of alien extermination happen when the core systems have expanded greatly. Out of the United States' reach.

***

"Captain, I... sense menace to those flying golems... I fear our need for offense had just passed. I suggest... we surrender." Ytellia's grip on her staff tightens as confrontation on both sides grew. 

Thorus glance towards Ytellia, seemingly worried. Then snapped back to me, "You... you monster. What are you trying to do!?" 

This is... strange. I am really confuse right now about this relation dynamics of these three. 

"LANA, at ease. They seem non-threatening." 

My words seem to have struck the nerve of the head knight, which prompted him to advance, however, Ytellia grip on his arm, seemingly to stop him from doing something foolish.

"Please," She whisper, her eyes teary. 

Thorus clenched his jaw, his face shadowed with frustration. "Tsk..." His grip on his sword tightened, then loosened. "Hanz, drop your weapon."

"Whaat?! Captain, are you nuts?"

"Just do what I say," His sharp glare silenced Hanz before turning toward me once more, "We surrender, we are now at your mercy so." 

Still taken aback by the sudden turn of events, I felt the need to clarify, "Just so you know, I have no intention of killing any of you, so fret not."

"Whatever, Margrave Satur will notice our long absence soon and will send reinforcement. Prepare yourself."

"Oh," I narrowed my eyes, "Is that a threat?" 

For the first time, perhaps, I felt a sudden urge to provoke the man. However, he seem to have backed down faster than anticipated.

***

The first comical reaction I saw from the trio came when I asked LANA for the truck, which arrived promptly.

This caused a stir among them. They shuffled, instinctively hiding behind one another. I tried to stifle a laugh but couldn't; thankfully, the visor filter kept them from seeing my amused expression.

The truck was massive, and as it drove over the treeline, it crushes them in the process. The wheels alone as tall as me, which is particularly large, having eight wheels overall with each having double wheels to support its weight, quite necessary for deep space exploration. 

One can only imagine how much weight this truck possess, leaving tracks deep enough to store water in it. 

"Get in," I instructed the three, as I take each of the ladder step. As I entered, I took a seat as each one of them hesitates, taking a moment of look at the interior.

It's enormous, to say the least. This truck is responsible for land cargo delivery, which delivers immense amount of materials each turn. Even I had never been inside the cargo hold before—normally, it was packed to the brim with supplies.

After some hesitation, they finally settled in, and I instructed LANA to take us back to the hub. There, we could have a more serious discussion.

As we approached, their expressions shifted—horror etched itself onto their faces. Ytellia, or what the head knight calls this blue-haired lady is, who wears a long dark robe, seem to be the one particularly well affected by it.

"Goddess Maia... what have you done to our land." Thorus murmured, anguish evident in his voice.

"This is..." Ytellia hesitated, her fearful gaze fixed on the scene beyond the window. "Captain, this is why nature called to us. This is outright... terrifying."

Outside, autonomous trucks rumbled back and forth, identical to the one we were riding. Their massive forms moved effortlessly, supported by reinforced foundations beneath the roads they traveled. The trio could only watch as the roads, starkly contrasting the untouched forest, stretched toward some unknown destination.

I remained silent, observing their reactions. Some were amusing, but as I caught sight of Ytellia's grief-stricken expression, a pang of guilt washed over me. She stared out at the automation steadily consuming the landscape. Perhaps, she was thinking about the slowly destructive nature of my work.

Oh right, LANA asked for factory expansion.

That explained the sudden surge in activity around the hub.

"I'm sorry if I've intruded on your territory..." I decided to apologize. "You could say I'm not supposed to be here, and honestly, I'd have to agree—I was never meant to end up here."

The trio stared at me, but Thorus still looked visibly angered by what he probably saw as a hypocritical gesture.

"Ytellia, I presume?" I turned to the blue-haired woman. "I've been meaning to ask... It seems like you can communicate with nature?"

"She can, 'cause she's a druid. Well, half-druid." Thorus replied instead, crossing his arms over his chest and furrowing his brows. "Interested?"

Sensing the opportunity lighten the mood, I nodded. 

"I am the third daughter of Margrave Satur," Ytellia spoke this time, placing a hand on her chest. "My mother is a druid who became my father's concubine. Nature heeds my name..."

She sighed, pausing to exhale deeply before continuing.

"And you are the reason why it cries out." Her gaze locked onto mine, piercing and full of meaning.

"I see," I smiled. Though, naturally, the can't see my face.

"It means you are to remove yourself from this land, fool. Or else," Thorus interjected, his tone sharp and threatening.

"Or else what?" 

"The nature itself will turn against you. What you're doing is too invasive. Ytellia foretold that ever since you arrived, this forest has been in turmoil. The calamity is immense," Thorus shot me a suspicious glare. "Where did you even come from?"

"Yes, exactly!" Ytellia added, her earlier wariness now mixed with fascination. "These things—machines that move without magic—it's undeniable how sophisticated they are. This is beyond anything humanity could create."

Magic? Humanity?

"Uhm..."

"Oh, how strange!" Ytellia suddenly exclaimed, leaning forward from her seat, her eyes gleaming with excitement. "You seem to have no magical capabilities at all! That might explain why the captain and Hanz were so eager to challenge you. Though, I can tell you're much stronger than you look—especially with those golems flying above you earlier! Tell me, what are they?"

A cough interrupted her enthusiasm.

"Ahem," Thorus cleared his throat, his expression stern. "Ytellia, you're getting way too comfortable."

Ytellia's cheeks flushed as she quickly straightened up, clearly embarrassed. "O-oh... I'm sorry."

"Don't worry about it. It's better to be comfortable," I reassured her before deactivating the visor's filter. "As for your question—if you don't mind, I have one of my own. You keep mentioning magic. What exactly is it? And why do you say I don't have it?"

Ytellia perked up at the question, her curiosity reignited.

"Oh yes! Magic are force of nature that resides within this world. As a mage, I have the ability to sense mana in all living beings—including us, even you. But the strange thing is..." She hesitated for a moment before continuing. "I can't sense anything from you."

Mage? That word threw me off. My confusion only deepened.

"Mages?" I echoed.

"You really are ignorant of the world around you, huh?" Thorus scoffed, crossing his arms. "Actually, I'm almost impressed by how little you know."

"It's fine," Ytellia interjected with a reassuring smile. "Zeervin... right?"

"Yes," I confirmed.

"The land itself has deemed you an outsider," Ytellia said, her gaze unwavering. "That almost never happens. If you don't mind me asking... where exactly did you come from?"

She was clearly eager for an answer.