Chapter 85

Saturday afternoon.

Once again heading towards the forward base, I boarded the frigate that Freya had prepared, together with Nisia.

“Therefore, it seems that the Supreme Commander will not be able to join this time.”

Deputy Commander explained the situation as he guided us.

He had a large physique despite being in his middle age, with broad shoulders and a well-trained, muscular body.

His face was marked with numerous scars of various sizes, but his expression was endlessly gentle and his tone remarkably courteous.

I clearly remembered his name was Balder.

“Ah, yes. It’s fine, Mr. Balder.”

Ryuje was busy preparing for the friendship tournament, and Freya was behind on her work, so it became a mission just for me and Nisia.

However, it was a simple mission using a cruiser to merely persuade the Polrons, so I wasn’t particularly worried or anxious.

“You can call me more casually, Commander. I’m just here to assist you.”

Balder looked at me kindly.

But given the age difference and the fact I had received my rank due to a promotion, I didn’t want to speak rudely to adults.

“No, I couldn’t do that even to someone like Mr. Balder. I’m still an inexperienced officer.”

“Hahaha, Commander, you’re really modest. But let me just add one thing: an ordinary inexperienced officer wouldn’t have come up with or succeeded in executing such bold operations as you’ve done.”

That’s what Balder said.

I shook my head.

“It was only possible because of the help of President and Supreme Commander, and all of you. I couldn’t have done it alone.”

Frankly, without the full trust of Ryuje and Freya, those accomplishments would’ve been very difficult.

Our unit’s members with those hard-to-pronounce names also worked very hard.

And let’s not forget the generous dedication from the empire troops, who displayed a textbook example of carelessness and trolling.

So, it clearly wasn’t something I achieved alone.

“This feels embarrassing to say at my age.”

Balder laughed.

While having such a conversation, we reached our destination.

“Commander, Deputy Commander is here!”

The soldiers guarding the entrance of the command bridge snapped to attention and saluted sharply.

In full combat gear, they looked stern and formidable.

“Thank you for your hard work. Please continue to do your best.”

“Yessir! We will!”

After exchanging salutes and acknowledgment, carried on Nisia’s back, I entered the command bridge.

“Ah. Edu, Nisia’s here too.”

A familiar voice came from inside the command bridge.

I greeted her as I looked at her face.

“Eh? Banetta, it’s been a while.”

“Hello, Banetta.”

Nisia greeted Banetta as well.

She weakly waved her hand as a substitute for greeting.

An academy teacher, an outstanding researcher, and a skilled engineer — she stood there in her white lab coat, unstyled attire, her tired face framed by messy long green hair.

“Are you taking a break from your research?”

“Nope, not at all.”

Her immediate response caused me to furrow my brow.

“You should be taking care of yourself and resting between studies.”

“It’s fine. Research and development are supposed to feel like this. No need to worry.”

Her hand rested on my head.

As her warmth seeped in, I momentarily relaxed but then caught myself with a sharp intake of breath.

Puffing out my cheeks at Banetta, I gave her a gentle scolding.

“You’ll be able to continue your research for longer if you stay healthy, right?”

“Well… there’s just too much research to do. I wish I had two bodies—one could research while the other rests, alternating, so I could research 24 hours a day.”

“…”

I was shocked at the terrible imagination.

Such a workaholic.

But I couldn’t just watch her destroy her health.

“Banetta, if you keep neglecting your health, I won’t give you the new stuff I get.”

“Huh…?”

Banetta’s eyes widened immensely.

By simply saying that and continuing to puff out my cheeks while staring at her, Banetta eventually surrendered.

“Grrr… Alright, I’ll take care of myself, so don’t be so grumpy.”

After saying that, Banetta gently tapped my puffed-up cheeks with both hands.

It felt like being treated like a baby, but somehow I managed to get a response, so it should get better, right?

“By the way, why are you here, Banetta?”

The place I was now, this was Freya’s frigate command bridge.

Banetta, who was usually caught up in weapons research, equipment, and ships, seemed out of place here.

“Yeah, I redesigned and rearranged the ship’s armament. I came along to check and ensure everything is functioning as expected.”

“Ahh.”

That explained it.

When I first saw the ship, I noticed the weapons and appearance differed from other frigates.

Recalling Banetta’s explanation, memories from the past came flooding back.

When fighting the frigate squadron, I personally destroyed all the armaments in a surprise attack.

I guessed she was talking about that ship.

“I see.”

“Yeah, but apart from that, it’s a shame to have a perfectly fine ship sitting idle, so I tinkered with various things.”

She cleared her throat.

“Still, the armaments selected were among the most verified and efficient, so the firepower won’t have dropped significantly compared to the original.”

Banetta added.

Since research in this area was her specialty, and she had done a good job in the past, I nodded.

“Ms. Banetta has done everything perfectly.”

“Aww, you’re such a sweet talker.”

Ms. Banetta tapped my cheeks again.

As the conversation came to an end, Balder stepped forward and spoke.

“Commander, may I present the report?”

“Ah, yes. Please go ahead.”

“First, Commander’s request to General Commander has been approved. We receive reinforcement from the Second Brigade, totaling around 1,500 personnel.”

“Wow, they’re sending quite a number of people?”

Saying that, Balder nodded his head.

“That’s right. It’s not a completely full-strength brigade, but it should be sufficient for the mission.”

“Good.”

Capturing the Polrons may be necessary, but they were born and raised as plunderers. If left unchecked, they could explode anywhere at any time like a time bomb. Surveillance and management were essential. That’s why I requested reinforcements from Freya, though I hadn’t expected her to send over a thousand soldiers.

It might seem like overprotection, but still…

‘I’ll have to give her some extra attention later.’

While having that thought, Balder continued speaking.

“Also, as you requested, appropriate supplies have been loaded and armored suit forces are on standby, ready to engage in battle if necessary.”

“Mm, then it seems everything’s ready?”

“Yes, please give the order whenever you’re ready.”

Balder saluted me while saying that.

“Understood, let’s head out then.”

…

A once lofty mountain range, now turned desolate.

In the basin nestled among winding valleys, a lone gray abandoned facility remained.

The long runway, still retaining its shape despite being covered with sand.

Its end was occupied by several rectangular structures, spread out like whales opening their mouths.

The doors that led into internal hangers carved deep into the mountain for defense against enemy attacks.

Near there, an improvised barricade hastily constructed out of wrecked aircraft, vehicles, and rocks signaled the presence of new owners of this abandoned airbase.

Silent silence descended upon the airfield.

Inside the farthest room, a man slowly opens his eyes.

“Haaaam.”

A long, lazy yawn.

On top of the vintage military uniform, additional metal plates were crudely attached, shining under the dim light.

A circuit board hung from his chest, mimicking medals.

After roughly tidying his appearance in the shattered mirror, he picked up the battered peaked cap lying on a dusty locker and put it on.

The reversed symbols and patches covering it.

To an informed observer, it might look hilarious, but the man, unaware, smiled with satisfaction and stepped outside.

Dimly lit corridors, illuminated solely by faint lights.

The man strode forward confidently and roughly pushed open a large door, stepping into a room.

A bright room connected to the outside, illuminated despite lack of electric lighting.

This spacious interior was full of outdated equipment covered in dust and spiderwebs.

“Boss Kyron, are you awake?”

A thin man, standing in a messy salute and greeting the man, grinned with a servile smirk.

The archetypal villainous plotter.

However, Kyron’s reaction was indifferent as if he had grown accustomed to it.

“You told them to call me ‘Leader,’ remember?”

“Ah, my apologies, Leader Kyron.”

Obediently following Kyron’s reprimand, the thin man continued.

“And the spoils?”

“We raided a post belonging to the vagrants. Captured seven slaves and women, and we’ve taken some supplies.”

“Hmm.”

Kyron nodded, expecting more.

But that was all the thin man had to report.

Kyron finally turned to the man, his eyebrows slightly twitching.

“Really? You sent out three teams and that’s all you’ve brought back?”

“Well, as you know, those red-skinned barbarians and car-crazy lunatics make it hard for us to get good results…”

“Tch.”

Kyron clicked his tongue in displeasure but didn’t press the thin man further.

Because Kyron was well aware of the situation himself.

The red-skinned barbarians and the car-crazy lunatics.

Red Face and Chasing Bandits.

Kyron’s own group, Iron Legion, was a formidable force in its own right.

But as the group’s name suggests, they were not insignificant either.

Therefore, Kyron could only scowl in irritation and grind his teeth but had no more leverage to act on anything.

The brief silence was interrupted when Kyron spoke again.

“Still no word from Commander?”

“The Commander hasn’t contacted us yet.”

“Hmm…”

Kyron fell into contemplation.

At that moment, the door burst open, and someone rushed into the room.

“Ky… Kyron Leader!”

“Arlim Commander, what’s the commotion?”

“It’s…! Ou… Outside…!”

“Outside?”

Kyron slowly reacted.

Suddenly, a loud bang was heard, and an incredibly brilliant light surged into the room.

“Oof!?”

“Ack!”

“Ugh!”

All three instinctively raised their arms to shield themselves from the blinding light.

Tears streamed down their faces from the instantaneous assault.

“Blaugh! What the hell kind of bastard did this…!”

Grumbling angrily, Kyron tried blinking several times, but the afterimages refused to fade.

After a while, a sizzling sound of electricity echoed from the sky and a massive voice resonated over the airfield.

“Oh, Polrons, can you hear me?”

A young girl’s voice, still somewhat childish.

“If you surrender your weapons now, there will be no bloodshed.”

Following her voice, the overwhelming light that was searing the room shut off.

Through the tears streaming down his face, Kyron struggled to assess the situation by continuously blinking.

Thanks to his efforts, the afterimages slowly began to fade, allowing him a blurred view of his surroundings.

The room, unchanged except for the flailing underlings.

Shifting his gaze eventually revealed something in the distance.

“Huh?”

Kyron squinted and tried to make out that distant object with all his might.

Kyron strained to no avail, unable to discern what it was, but as his vision gradually recovered, the figure grew more distinct.

And a change came over Kyron.

The eyes, slightly ajar, slowly began to widen in shock, pushing back his eyelids.

His mouth hung agape in response.

Through the throat, a voice brimming with helpless emotion spilled out on its own.

“Aa… Are you… crazy!?”

His trembling eyes turned skywards.

A massive object at a distance, observing this place from a safe distance.

Made of gold and gray, it floated effortlessly in the air, turning its large, ominous muzzle directly at them.

“H-hihi…?!”

“That… That thing! Urk!”

It was unclear whether the thin man was laughing or in disbelief, while another underling wiped tears away as he pointed to the sky.

Unable to comprehend the enemy’s identity, Kyron’s mouth dried up with tension, his pupils shaking wildly out of control.

What… What should I do? What can I possibly do against… THAT?

Kyron was hard at work, trying to devise a plan.

But his thoughts didn’t last long.

BOOM!

Bright flames erupted from the cruiser, and a shell soared towards the airfield.

KA-BOOOOM!!

The ground shook violently with the loud explosion.

“AAHH?!”

Thrown off balance by the abrupt impact, Kyron lost his footing and collapsed, dragging his subordinates down with him.

Amid the swirling sand and scattered gravel.

After a while, Kyron regained his posture and rushed to the window to see the outside view.

“Ah…”

A short gasp of breath escaped Kyron’s lips.

Seeing the vast crater formed next to the airfield, the option of fighting was instantly erased from Kyron’s mind.

“Commodore! What should we d-do…!”

The subordinate, urging Kyron.

But Kyron felt nothing but overwhelming injustice.

Any sane person would ask, “How am I supposed to fight something like that?”

However, surrendering here would tarnish his reputation among his subordinates—

“[Do you want another attempt? But this time, I won’t intentionally miss.]”

KUNK…

A massive gun barrel swiveled to lock onto them.

And that childish female voice kept ringing in Kyron’s head.

I won’t intentionally miss. Not intentionally?

Coming to his senses, Kyron snatched the loudspeaker and violently threw open the window.

A deep breath of air filled his lungs.

“Su… Surrender! We surrender!!!”

Kyron’s anguished shout, disregarding any dignity, echoed across the airfield.