Chapter 57: The Base
Marcus walked behind Elaina whose eyes were covered by his hands.
"Easy, there, this is a surprise," Marcus said.
Despite working for over two months for the creation of the mercenary company, not a single day Elaina was able to visit the operation headquarters of the new Atlas Private Mercenary Company.
"Are we near?"
"Yes we are near," Marcus replied, keeping his voice calm as he guided her forward.
The gravel shifted softly under their steps as they moved past the outer road and toward the gate. Elaina walked carefully, one hand lightly holding onto his wrist for balance, her pace slower than usual.
"I can hear... something," she said, tilting her head slightly.
Marcus answered. "Just a few more steps."
They stopped.
Right in front of the main gate.
Marcus let out a quiet breath, then leaned in slightly.
"Alright," he said. "Don’t move."
Elaina straightened unconsciously.
"...Okay."
Marcus slowly removed his hand from her eyes.
Light rushed in.
Elaina blinked once.
Then again.
And then she froze.
"...What..."
Her voice trailed off before it could even form a proper sentence.
In front of her stood the base.
Not a simple compound.
Not a collection of buildings thrown together.
A structured, organized, modern military installation.
The reinforced gate stood behind them, thick metal framing the entrance. Inside, a wide internal road stretched forward, clean and solid, cutting straight through the center of the base.
To the left, rows of barracks stood in perfect alignment. Identical buildings, evenly spaced, each one built with purpose.
To the right, the training ground spread out, obstacle courses set up with ropes, barriers, and climbing frames. Further out, a clear shooting range extended into the distance, marked with targets.
Elaina’s eyes moved slowly.
Taking it all in.
"...Marcus..."
She stepped forward without realizing it.
Beyond the central road, the headquarters building stood, larger than the rest, positioned at the heart of everything.
Behind it, she could see generators, fuel tanks, and storage areas, all arranged in a way that felt planned, not random.
Then—
Her gaze shifted further.
And stopped.
"...What are those..."
Her voice dropped slightly.
Parked near the far side were vehicles. But it didn’t look like horses or oxen.
And further out, her breath caught.
"...That’s not..."
Two large helicopters sat on open ground, their blades still, but their presence impossible to ignore.
Beside them, another aircraft stood.
Elaina slowly turned her head toward Marcus.
"...What is this place?"
Marcus didn’t answer right away.
He stepped beside her, his gaze following hers across the base.
Then he spoke.
"This," he said, his tone steady, "is Atlas Private Military Company. Our company. And you as my partner will be the head of administration. Also, I did my best to hire some female clerical workers so they can help you manage."
As Elaina was taking in all the surroundings, she noticed a group of men, unfamiliar figures.
"Who are they?"
"Ahh, those are my friends from faraway places. They have different roles, some are trainers for the recruits and others operate those machines you have seen from earlier."
"They don’t look like adventurers," she said quietly.
"They’re not," Marcus replied.
Elaina glanced at him.
"...Then what are they?"
Marcus thought for a second, then answered in a way she could understand.
"Specialists," he said. "People trained for specific roles. Not dungeon clearing. Not monster hunting. They operate as a unit."
Elaina looked back at them again.
A unit.
She could see it now.
Even without fully understanding what they were doing, there was a pattern to their movement. A structure. Something she had never seen inside the guild.
Her gaze slowly drifted back to the base.
"...Marcus," she said, her voice softer this time. "How much did all of this cost?"
Marcus let out a small breath.
"A lot."
Elaina gave him a look.
"That doesn’t answer my question."
Marcus rubbed the back of his neck slightly.
"...Let’s just say if this fails, I’m in serious trouble."
That made her pause.
She turned to him fully this time.
"...You’re serious."
Marcus nodded once.
"Yeah."
Elaina looked back at the base again.
At the buildings.
The vehicles.
The aircraft.
The people.
Everything here didn’t just look expensive.
It felt expensive.
"...Then this has to work," she said.
Marcus glanced at her.
"It will."
"Fortunately, someone is looking for you in the city of Berm."
Marcus tilted his head to the side. "Someone is looking for me? Let’s discuss it in the headquarters."
Marcus flicked his finger and one of the Humvees approached.
Elaina’s eyes widened slightly as the vehicle rolled toward them.
It didn’t move like a carriage.
No horses.
No pulling force.
Just the low, steady hum of an engine as the Humvee came to a smooth stop right in front of them. The driver inside stepped out immediately, giving Marcus a short nod before moving aside.
Elaina stared at it.
"...It moved on its own," she said under her breath.
Marcus glanced at her.
"It doesn’t. There’s someone driving it."
"...I didn’t see any reins," she replied.
Marcus smirked faintly.
"Because it doesn’t use reins."
He walked toward the vehicle and opened the passenger door, the metal handle clicking as it swung outward.
"Come on," he said. "Let’s get in."
Elaina hesitated for a second.
Then stepped closer.
Up close, the vehicle looked even more unfamiliar. The metal body was solid, the glass clear but thick, and the interior looked... strange. Seats made of material she hadn’t seen before, controls laid out in front of the driver’s position.
"...How do you even ride this?" she asked.
Marcus chuckled lightly.
"Just sit."
He placed a hand lightly on her back, guiding her up.
Elaina climbed in carefully, her movements slow as she adjusted herself onto the seat. The door frame was higher than she expected, and once she was inside, she looked around, taking everything in.
"This is... comfortable," she admitted.
Marcus stepped in after her and closed the door with a solid thud.
The sound alone made her flinch slightly.
"...It’s loud."
"You’ll get used to it," Marcus said.
The driver returned to his seat and started the engine properly this time.
A low vibration spread through the vehicle.
Elaina stiffened.
"...It’s moving already?"
"Not yet," Marcus replied. "That’s just the engine."
Elaina placed her hands on her lap, fingers tightening slightly.
"...Alright."
Moments later.
The vehicle began to move.
Slow at first.
Then smoother.
Elaina’s body tensed as the Humvee rolled forward, her eyes instinctively looking down at the ground outside.
"We’re moving," she said, her voice just a bit tighter than usual.
Marcus glanced at her.
"Yeah."
"...Without animals," she added.
Marcus let out a quiet huff.
"Yeah."
Elaina looked forward again, watching the road pass beneath them.
The motion was steady.
No sudden jolts.
No uneven pulling like a carriage.
"...This is strange," she admitted.
Marcus leaned back slightly in his seat.
"Strange good or strange bad?"
Elaina paused.
Then relaxed just a little.
"...Strange good."
She shifted slightly, getting more comfortable.
"It’s smoother than a carriage," she said. "And quieter... in a different way."
Marcus nodded.
"Exactly."
They continued moving along the internal road, passing by the barracks and training ground.
From this angle, Elaina saw everything differently.
"...So this is how you move around here," she said.
Marcus simply nodded.
Elaina looked at her hands, then at the interior again.
"...You built all of this."
Marcus didn’t answer.
But he didn’t deny it either. This is going to be the beginning of his adventure in this world.