Chapter 206

The sky, tinted black.

Following the icebreaker, the Northern Fleet advances into the night sea, and the Argonaut, guarding the fleet’s skies, matches its speed and moves forward together.

Even though it’s late and most people should be asleep, the Argonaut’s Command Bridge is brightly lit.

A small girl, Edu, sits in the captain’s chair and diligently checks the numerous screens floating around her.

“Hmm….”

Unlike normal screens, these are splattered with primary colors like red, blue, and yellow, resembling a canvas covered with random paint.

This was a characteristic of the thermal imaging cameras, suitable for night vision, but staring at the monotonous colors makes her eyes ache, naturally causing her to frown.

“…Alright, it’s time for a switch.”

Reaching out her hand towards the front,

Edu quietly whispers the name of the summon to be used at this moment.

“Summon, Strategic Drone.”

Mana escaping from her body coagulates outside the bridge and forms a round orb in the night sky.

While it generally resembles a Little Drone, this large drone, befitting the grand adjective “strategic,” possesses various equipment and a significantly larger size.

Although the Strategic Drone had many functions, the one that truly stood out was the long-range surveillance feature it was using right now.

For faster reconnaissance over long distances, a glider-type summon could have been better, but for slowly moving around while maintaining a surveillance network, nothing compared to the stability of a drone maneuvering in a multicopter style.

In any case, she had summoned enough Strategic Drones to replace the ones already deployed and returned her focus to the screens.

Time passes slowly.

While staring at the unchanged screens, drowsiness creeps in, causing her eyelids to droop.

“Wooong….”

Just as I was rubbing my eyes, Mili approached me.

“Miss, you look very tired. You should take a short rest….”

“Not now. The enemies might come anytime.”

The reason why I insist on using the Strategic Drones despite investing skill points into them is simple.

Our situation isn’t good.

We changed our course eastward to avoid the dangers coming from the west, but the problem is that the east isn’t completely safe either.

Because there are enemies in the east, in the Pacific Ocean region.

The hidden fortress, AbyssMother, and her commanded Invader submarine fleet.

Although it might seem like we’re heading towards a new threat while leading our enemies, it’s not like we can fight the Invader battleship fleet that Bonaparte might bring with our current strength.

On the bright side, it’s rare for different Invader units to coordinate organically with each other…

But since everything doesn’t function exactly like in AOE, we must avoid hasty conclusions.

“Thus, I’ve ensured we have some backup…”

“Even so, you need to rest a little to keep moving later, right? I can keep an eye on the screens. Okay?”

“Edu-sama, your point is valid. We have automatons, so please don’t worry too much and take a break while you can.”

Mili and Ms. Mew looked at me with worried expressions.

“Umm….”

But since they were making valid points, I thought for a moment before nodding.

“Alright, I’ll rest for a moment…?”

“That’s a good plan, Miss. Excuse me.”

Saying that, Mili lifted me up and tucked me in her arms as she took the captain’s seat.

Although I hadn’t asked for it, the warmth and pleasant scent coming from Mili relaxed my tension and my eyes naturally closed.

“Wooong… Then, I’ll leave it to you….”

“Yes, sleep well.”

“Thank you for your hard work, Edu-sama.”

Edu quickly fell asleep, softly snoring.

Mew covered Edu’s small body, curled up like a ball, with her outer coat instead of a blanket.

In the calm before the storm, time passed by slowly.

And after a long silence, dawn broke.

“Miss!”

“Wooong…?”

Edu woke up to a voice calling her.

“Mili…? What’s going on…?”

“There are enemies!”

“WHAT?!”

The ominous call of an enemy quickly snapped her out of sleep, and her blurred eyes regained their color.

“Where are they?”

“From the rear of the fleet, approaching from the west.”

The response from the automaton who was checking the radar in place of Edward.

At the same time, on the large screen inside the command bridge, a thick sea fog approaching us is visible.

“Tch…! Maximize the forward barrier output and make Argonaut turn around! Inform the Northern Fleet too, so they can prepare!”

“Understood.”

“Armor summon! Mistilteinn!”

A great amount of mana escaped as Mistilteinn, a white knight, revealed itself on Argonaut.

Mistilteinn, staring at the far-off enemies, aimed all of its weapons at the incoming sea fog.

“!”

The heavens were covered in a shower of shells.

As concentrated gunfire battered the sea fog, explosions lit up one after another and the hidden enemy figures were revealed.

More than ten Siren-class escort ships and at least five Carcinus-class cruisers formed a mobile fleet.

Their dark armor shimmered in the morning sunlight as it approached, and the Invaders’ characteristic blood-red sensors flashed threateningly like blood-lusting eyes.

[Commence bombardment.]

The enemy fleet erupted into flames.

Shells of various sizes were hurled at our fleet like rain.

“Iason! Intercept!”

[Intercepting cannons activated.]

The hidden artillery batteries on Argonaut revealed themselves and fired shells into the sky.

Pop! Boom!

The interception projectiles exploded before reaching the incoming enemy shells, dispersing in all directions like shotgun pellets.

Enemy shells caught in the wide intercepting net exploded with flashes.

-BOOM!

The impact sounds reverberated through the ship.

The surviving shells amid the bombardment plummeted and collided with Argonaut’s barriers.

Groooong! BOOM!

The flames erupted and the barriers were covered in thick black smoke.

[Enemy bombardment hits the barrier. Barrier strength reduced by 1%.]

At the moment Iason reported the situation calmly, a message from the Northern Fleet appeared beside the screen.

[Is that an attack, Miss Edu?!]

“Yes, it’s an enemy cruiser fleet!”

[Understood, we’ll help too!]

Dimitri-sama nodded and disappeared.

“Fleet, prepare for ship-to-ship combat! Launch the missiles!!”

“Granite-M, fire!”

The vertical launch systems of the warships opened rapidly.

With a roaring sound, the flames erupted, and two anti-ship missiles ascended into the sky like white trails in an instant.

The Northern Fleet launched anti-ship missiles mounted on the flagship and other ships.

One missile flew at a high altitude searching for the enemy while the other anti-ship missile flew low above the water.

[Confirmed enemy attack signs, adjust energy field for maximum output. Commencing interception.]

The Invader fleet, heavily armored, fired anti-aircraft artillery.

Cruisers and destroyers launched anti-ship missiles into the sky, creating white trails.

The missiles from both sides crossed paths.

Flashes were seen repeatedly in the sky, and explosion sounds came shortly after.

BOOOOM! Perburaaang!

Anti-ship missiles breaking through the dense smoke in the sky, quickly descending towards the Invader fleet.

Simultaneously, one of the two anti-ship missiles launched from the flagship, which flew at a low altitude, targets the front of the enemy cruiser.

[?!]

A sudden decisive strike through the cruiser.

Moments later, a massive explosion occurred across the entire ship, and the cruiser, blazing in flames, exploded again inside.

KWAHHHHH!!

The explosion shook the fleet.

The cruiser was sinking.

[Commence bombardment.]

The Invader fleet, despite swiftly losing a comrade ship, continued to advance and open fire.

“Mistilteinn! Attack!!”

“Keep firing missiles! We’ll make those tin cans into fish food in the North Sea!!”

Edu and the Northern Fleet countered with a barrage of gunfire.

A prolonged exchange of salvos followed.

But the disparity in forces was evident, and soon the Invader fleet’s defensive capabilities waned, and the number of enemy ships rapidly decreased.

Relentless explosions continued.

Anti-ship missiles from the Northern Fleet struck like spears, piercing through the lone remaining enemy cruiser, resulting in a massive explosion and the obliteration of the enemy fleet.

“The last enemy vessel has been sunk, it seems over.”

Edgar let out a sigh saying this.

“Phew… Everyone did great. How’s the Northern Fleet’s situation?”

Finally, as the tension eased, he leaned back in his chair.

“Seems okay. They’ve consumed a lot of anti-ship missiles, but no damage was done to the fleet.”

“Good, we were lucky.”

With the vigilance maintained, minor reorganization was completed, and they continued their advance towards the Pacific Ocean.

An uneasy silence.

By the time it was noon, Edgar suddenly raised his voice again.

“Edu! Enemy fleet! Approaching from the east!”

“Mistilteinn!!”

Artilley fire shot towards the approaching sea fog.

The constant explosions revealed the hidden enemy fleet.

“Hmm?”

“Miss? Are you alright?”

“No, something’s off about the enemy fleet’s composition.”

The enemy fleet on the screen.

It was identical to the composition of the fleet that attacked the base where the Northern Fleet was stationed before.

Nine reconnaissance ships, three escort ships, and one destroyer as the flagship – exactly the same composition.

Though the fleet couldn’t be left unchallenged, therefore, the attack began.

“Mistilteinn, fire! Iason, maximize the frontal barrier output!”

[Commencement of bombardment.]

Once the attack started, the Invader fleet responded.

However, obviously, they were no match for the overwhelming disparity in forces; they were defeated under countless attacks and were completely annihilated.

Black smoke from the Invader fleet sinking into the sea.

Witnessing this, we came to one conclusion.

Even with a clear disparity in strength, Invader units were being thrown around like expendable fleet units.

What they gained from that was merely stalling our movement.

“It seems they’re just aiming to buy time after all. Nisia! Please inform the Northern Fleet to increase their speed to the maximum, we need to move faster!”

“Yeah!”

If the enemy’s goal is only to hinder us, then we just need to evade more quickly and continue our journey.

Aiming at the Pacific Ocean, the Northern Fleet and Argonaut quickly sailed southwards.

Continuing like this, just as they were about to proceed further down the path, Edgar suddenly tilted his head and looked closely at the radar screen.

“Hmm? What’s wrong?”

“Is anything strange? Edgar?”

“No, it seems the radar is malfunctioning. There’s a significant heat source detected under the sea.”

“Under the sea…?”

An ominous feeling running down the back of the neck.

And that foreboding turned into reality.

Whooosh…

Rising waves.

Suddenly, it seemed as though the sea dipped deep, and a large water column surged high into the sky.

Splashing water droplets around.

And beyond that, a massive wall was revealed.

A form that resembled a winged whale, its sensors flashing continuously as if trying to assess our location.

“Er, er, what the…?!”

Edgar, wide-eyed and unable to contain his surprise as his face turned pale, while Nisia gazed back at him.

“Edu, that’s—”

“…AbyssMother.”

AbyssMother.

A fortress-level power that, together with Dark Isle, forms the backbone of the Invader naval forces.

That colossal opponent now blocks our path heading towards the Pacific Ocean.

[!– Slider main container –]