The Steam Age: Gears and Bones

Chapter 27

Cherzov stood at the very front.

Facing his country's capital, and those infected who were once his subordinates, compatriots, and neighbors, the old general simply folded his calloused hands in front of him and remained silent for a long time.

"We can't just charge in," Ludwig said, breaking the silence.

His voice wasn't loud, but every word was spoken steadily. "Even if you add my knights and your knights together, there are less than forty people in total. Once these infected outside are alerted, they will surge in much faster than those in the swamp. We will be trapped right in the middle of the ruins."

"Sneaking in won't work either," Chertzov continued. "I know this area well. The hospital is deep in the city; from where we are now, we have to cross at least five main streets and an old factory area."

There were so many blind spots in those collapsed buildings; you never knew what was hidden around the corner.

Perfit did not answer immediately.

She closed her binoculars, turned around, glanced at the expedition team behind her, and said, "The medic, the wagons, and all non-combat personnel stay here. I need a defensive position, and I'll hold it for as long as I can."

Two alchemists, come with me. I need their help collecting samples. Half the knights stay behind—Flag Captain, you're in charge of commanding the knights who stay behind to hold this position. All gunpowder weapons are reserved for the defensive positions. If the infected swarm towards you, use volley fire and explosives to hold them off.

She turned to Ludwig: "The rest of the knights, led by Major Oberstan, will follow me in. Their job is to hold off any infected who try to approach while I and the alchemist investigate."

Before she could finish speaking, Chertsov took a step forward: "My veterans and I will go in with you! I know this area better than anyone. To find the hospital's underground morgue, we need someone familiar with the layout to guide us. And—"

He paused for a moment, then said, "Our uniforms are Ross uniforms. If any survivors are hiding in the ruins, they might be willing to come out if they see us."

Perfit hesitated for a moment.

Cherzov and his veteran Ross soldiers were indeed the most familiar with this area; without their guidance, the expedition might not have been able to find the entrance to the morgue even if they rushed into the hospital ruins.

And if there are indeed survivors—she cannot allow them to choose to continue hiding simply because they saw Victoria's uniform.

"Okay," she said finally, "but once inside, you'll be under my command. Anyone who gets infected will be handled according to protocol."

Chertzov nodded solemnly.

"Miss Brandlis," Ludwig's voice was calm, "even if we try our best to avoid the infected, once we enter the city, we will inevitably encounter a situation we can't avoid. If the horde of zombies surges in, our small force simply cannot hold them off."

Perfit did not answer him, but turned and walked toward the carriage.

The large pine crate reinforced with iron bars still lay quietly at the bottom of the carriage, the Brandlis family's wolf head emblem branded on the lid, and the brass lock on the latch was undamaged.

Perfit crouched down, took the key from his collar that was hanging around his neck, inserted it into the lock, and turned it.

The sound of the spring snapping open was crisp and clear, standing out starkly in the deathly silence at the edge of the ruins.

The lid of the box is opened.

The internal parts reflected a cold, metallic luster in the morning light.

Each armor plate was individually wrapped in oiled paper and arranged according to body part—leg armor, chest armor, arm armor, shoulder armor, and helmet. Each plate was labeled with a number and assembly order.

The hydraulic linkages were folded neatly and bound together with belts.

At the bottom of the box, the steam core was placed in a separate lead-lined compartment, surrounded by wood fibers for shock absorption.

The chainsaw sword was broken into three sections, and the blade was wrapped in layers of oil-soaked linen.

Without turning his head, Perfit said, "Belfa, come here."

The alchemist maid silently walked up behind her and stood beside the box.

Perfit took the first piece of the breastplate from the box and began assembling it.

Her movements were extremely fast.

Each armor plate seemed to have its own will in her hands, sliding precisely into the predetermined slot, and the hydraulic linkage was pushed into the groove of the joint axis with her finger.

She didn't need to look at blueprints—every part of this steam knight armor was designed and crafted by her own hands, and she knew it better than any piece of clothing in her wardrobe.

The breastplate is now assembled.

Arm armor assembly complete.

The shoulder armor is now assembled.

She removed the steam core from the lead-lined compartment, held the power slot embedded in the center of the back armor with both hands, rotated it forty-five degrees clockwise, and locked it into place.

The crisp metallic clicks of locks rang out one after another.

She tightened the three sections of the chainsaw sword one by one, and the transmission gear inside the hilt meshed precisely with the steam pipe.

The entire assembly process took less than 15 minutes.

When Perfit inserted the last piece of the chainsaw blade into the blade and, under everyone's gaze, placed the chainsaw flat on the arm armor slot of the Steam Knight's armor, Ludwig, standing dozens of paces away, subconsciously took half a step forward, then stopped.

Chertzov's old eyes, which were used to seeing the finest weaponry of the Rus' Empire, widened slightly at this moment.

He wasn't unfamiliar with war machines—the Rus' Empire also had steam-powered siege engines and heavy artillery, but those were large pieces of equipment that required horses to push them.

The armor in front of us is worn by people.

Each of its joints conforms to the natural range of motion of the human body, and the layout of the hydraulic linkages is so precise that it looks like a second layer of muscle fibers growing out of the wearer's body.

This is not a war machine; it is a work that will redefine the word "war."

Perfit took a step back and ordered Belfast, "Go inside."

Belfast stepped onto the edge of the box, entered the open back armor of the Steam Knight Armor, and put her arms into the operating sleeves inside the arm armor.

Perfit went behind her and connected her to the armor's transmission interfaces one by one—Belfast was an alchemical doll, and her differential brain could connect directly to the Steam Knight's control system, without needing to learn to control it through haptic feedback like human wearers.

For Belfast, this suit of armor is her other body.

The moment the last interface was connected, the steam core emitted a deep hum.

The compacted smokeless coal in the furnace is ignited by the ignition device, and the heat rises to the working temperature in a few breaths. The heavy water is rapidly vaporized in the closed pipeline, and the high-pressure steam is injected into the hydraulic connecting rods of the limb joints along the copper pipes.

The armor's originally cold metallic luster was tinged with a faint orange-red by the dim light of the steam core in operation. Then, a small amount of waste steam discharged from various pressure relief valves began to surge in the exhaust grilles behind the shoulder armor, condensing into fine white mist in the cold air, flowing slowly along the surface of the armor, like a giant beast breathing.

Belfast raised one hand, clenched her fist, and then relaxed it.

Armored man's fingers followed her movements, each knuckle moving as smoothly as a real person's.

The response delay of the hydraulic linkage is almost negligible.

Perfit took a few steps back, turned around, and faced the entire expedition team.

"This is a steam knight," she said. "It will open a path."