DE: Chapter 1 Part 6 – Requested Details

The next day. I boarded the cockpit of the high-speed transportation ship owned by Smile Dog and headed towards the Elf fleet. We were heading to a space station near the planet Bennett.

Since that place serves as a relay point for planet Bennett, there are few who would dare to interfere easily.

By the way, as a side note, it was said that maintenance personnel are unnecessary. Apparently, the Elves would take care of everything themselves.

“Sergeant Kisaragi, we will soon arrive at the flagship of the Elf fleet, the Albireo.”

“Oh, so this is it. It looks like an ordinary battleship, even up close.”

It was hard to believe that this is the ship that launched that ominous attack back then.

Even for a battleship, its armaments were orthodox.

It has twin triple-barreled main guns at the front, two facing up and down, one on each side, and single guns at the rear, one at the top and one down. Other secondary guns, anti-aircraft guns, missile hatches, and standard features—nothing out of the ordinary for a battleship.

If I had to point out a noteworthy feature, it would be the golden, goddess-like statue attached to the bow of the ship.

“It could use a bit more impactful symbol. Like putting on a skull emblem and shouting “Hiya!” or something dramatic.”

“Well, I don’t really know what ‘hiya’ is.”

As we approached the battleship Albireo, I started a meaningless conversation with the pilot.

“Appointed from Mercenary company Smile Dog. Identification code N-67834. Please confirm.”

“Confirmed. Permission to land is granted. Requesting for control.”

“Sergeant, what do you want to do?”

“It’s a pain, so just follow their instructions. There’s no point in resisting.”

“I see. Understood.”

Then, under their control, the transportation aircraft was operated as it approached the Albireo.

After that, a part of the Albireo’s hatch opened. The transport aircraft stopped just before entering the hatch.

“We will now begin receiving the aircraft and equipment. We will check to ensure there is nothing suspicious.”

“Is that okay, Sergeant?”

“Like I said before, just follow their instructions. Do as they tell you to.”

“Understood. I’ll open the hatch.”

The hatch of the transportation aircraft opened. Then, a drone appeared and began checking the inside of the aircraft. After waiting for a few minutes, communication came in again.

“Successfully confirmed that there were no dangerous objects. We will now begin accepting aircraft, equipment, and pilots.”

“Understood. I will move to your location now. Hope to complete the request as quickly as possible.”

“The same goes for us. Welcome to Albireo. Your presence is much appreciated.”

Then, before the communication was cut off, a deep sigh escaped.

“You said there were no dangerous objects, but doesn’t the AW and full set of equipment fall into that category?”

“Well, I wonder. Um, please do your best. Wish you best of luck.”

“Yeah. Well, be careful on your way back.”

I got out of the cockpit and entered Albireo with my aircraft.

However, if you think about it normally, it’s not every day you’d get to board an Elven battleship. Maybe I should brag about it online later?

When I arrived at the hangar, four machines, distinct from the Elven mass-produced models, were standing there.

Two of them were Madocs, a tricky aircraft with a sniper specification and additional weapons installed in various parts. One was a transformable machine, and the other was a somewhat rare lightweight machine.

The lightweight machine boasts high maneuverability, but in exchange, its survivability is low. This, combined with their low ability for continuous fighting, makes them quite difficult to handle. However, in the hands of an Ace pilot, it can become a very troublesome opponent.

“I guess I’m the one who’s late. Well, the protagonist always appears last, that’s universal. No problem at all.”

I secured the Zargan in the designated spot. Then, after exiting the cockpit, a soldier with a rifle guided me through the ship. Or rather, it was more like being escorted by force.

“Hey, can I ask you something?”

“Don’t talk nonsense, human. Just follow me quietly.”

“Don’t be so mean. The purpose of this mission is to rescue your compatriots from the Union, right?”

“So what? Just shut up.”

“Maybe these compatriots are of noble blood?”

“Huh!? You! Where did you hear that!”

The expressionless soldier’s face suddenly twisted in anger. I responded with a smile, sending his already angry self to the MAX.

“Don’t be so angry. Anyone can probably guess it if they think a bit about it, right? Or did you think I couldn’t? Hahaha! If that’s the case, you guys are pretty naive. Elves are just getting old for no reason. Ah, but you have to show respect to your elders.”

“What a ridiculous thing to say. Where’s the Princess! Where is she!”

“I don’t know. But seriously, rescuing a Princess seems like a pretty dangerous case. Since you’re leaving such a case to mercenaries… then I’d appreciate it if you don’t stab me in the back after the mission.”

It seemed my actions were taken as an exaggeration.

And it happened exactly as you could guess. The Elf Soldier A attacked me.

Of course, it would hurt if I got hit, so I dodged to the right and left. Then, Elf Soldier B joined the fray. And A’s right fist straight landed a direct hit to B’s handsome face.

B was out in about three seconds.

“How dare you do that to John!”

“I have nothing to do with this. In fact, you’re the one who stole John-kun’s moment. I feel so sorry for him.”

John-kun’s probably done for here. No lines dedicated for him, never to appear before me again. But even so, John-kun will continue to carry out his mission from here on out.

May he have a happy life from now on.

“Haa, haa, why can’t I hit you?”

“Aren’t we running out of time? Show me around now.”

I decided to stop playing around here and quietly follow Elf Soldier A. After all, Elf Soldier A was pretty worn out at this point.

By the way, Elf Soldier B, also known as John-kun, was left ruthlessly alone lying there.

And finally, I was led to the briefing room. Inside, there were only four mercenaries aside from myself. I was told to sit in one of the empty chairs, so I just took a seat wherever seemed convenient.

“You’re late. I heard you’re the Ace from Smile Dog, but you don’t seem like a big deal.”

A man, larger than anyone else in the room, spoke up. He was extremely muscular with a weathered face, and he looked like someone who could easily say “I’m rock solid!” without it feeling out of place.

Of course, I’m not a kid, so I don’t get riled up on things like this. Besides, first impressions are important. If I just say something normal with a refreshing smile here, most people would probably ignore me.

“Don’t worry. The universe won’t end if I’m late. I’m glad you didn’t have to cry to your Mom about it.”

(Sorry. I’ve been through a bit. Please look after me during the mission period.)

It was settled. Thanks to that, the big, muscled, old-faced guy stood there with a dumbfounded look on his face. Yep, yep, it is always best to take the mature approach.

“Heh, you have a sharp tongue. Guess you’re really a lucky boy after all. I’m Lieutenant Churi, a freelance mercenary. Nice to meet you.”

“I’m Sergeant Shuu Kisaragi, from Smile Dog. Nice to meet you, beautiful lady.”

Lieutenant Churi was dressed very casually.

She was wearing a pilot suit, though the collar was open, revealing a black tank top underneath. Her hair was strikingly beautiful, with colors that seem to shift depending on the light.

Her eyes were a sharp shade of blue, with a slightly upturned gaze. Her mouth was also curved upwards, giving her a combative expression. And, most importantly—I’ll say it again—she has large fox ears!

“… Lieutenant Kawaguchi Mikuni. From Nishikiri Heavy Industries.”

“Nice to meet you, Mr. Weird… No, sorry, Mr. Mask.”

A guy with a mechanic voice and wearing a mask. He could be called a suspicious person, but I read the mood and decided not to. Since I didn’t really know much else about him, I just gave him a random nickname.

Incidentally, since he said he belongs to a heavy industry company, you might think he’s not a mercenary. However, it’s now common for regular companies to have private armies these days. So it’s not unusual for ordinary companies to pretend to be mercenaries.

“Hey, you have some nerve making fun of me and leaving me alone.”

“I’m not making fun of you. I greeted you properly. Well, what you’re thinking inside is a different matter.”

“But you meant something different.”

“Really? If that’s the case, forgive me, Jumbo.”

“Who’s Jumbo! Who’s Jumbo?”

“Jumbo? Hehe, you’re definitely Jumbo. You’re bigger than anyone here.”

“Please, calm down everyone. Let me introduce myself.”

Then another mercenary stood up.

“I am also a freelance mercenary, just like Lieutenant Churi. My name is Lieutenant William Burgess. Nice to meet you, Ace of Smile Dog.”

He was extremely handsome. With flowing blonde hair, sapphire blue eyes, and a gentle smile.

Truly, a nobleman was standing there.

“I’m Sergeant Shu Kisaragi from Smile Dog. Excuse me, but are you really a mercenary?”

“Of course. We’re going to have a lot of joint missions from now on. So I’d appreciate it if you could refrain from fighting as much as possible.”

“Well, when a nobleman like you tells me that, I have no choice but to obey. Besides, you’re a higher rank.”

“Hmm, if that’s the case, I can become the Captain.”

“I’m a lieutenant too, you know? You should follow my orders.”

“I’m also a lieutenant…”

“What? Your voice, being delayed, can you hear him?”

“Wow! What’s that? Amazing!”

We were having a fun conversation when the door suddenly opened. Two female Elves dressed in neat military uniforms and a middle-aged male Elf entered the room. Following them, two Elves who appeared to be guards also entered.

“Mercenaries, it’s good to see you’re having fun. I’ll now provide you with the details of the mission. Although it seems some of you already know the details.”

A female Elf with her blue hair tied up and wearing a military cap glared at us. As expected of an Elf, she was quite beautiful, but the sharpness in her eyes added a cold, ruthless air to her demeanor.

The other female Elf also looked similar.

I winked at the female Elf standing in front of me. In response, she fixed me with an even sharper, more intense glare.

“I am Colonel Cecilia Vladfield, of the Elvenfield Army. I will first explain the mission, and after that, it will be impossible to back out. If there are any fools who try to force their way out, they should consider us their enemies. Although, by the time you’ve arrived here, I suppose that’s already a needless worry.”

The female Elf turned her gaze toward me again. This time, I tried blowing her a kiss. In response, her expression immediately twisted into one that would make any child burst into tears.

What’s that, scary?!

“Now, let me explain the situation. The mission we are undertaking this time is a rescue operation. The person we are rescuing is…”

There was a short pause. At the same time, an image of the person to be rescued was projected onto the screen.

From the atmosphere of the image, I could infer that the person was of noble birth. The image showed a beautiful young girl, around fifteen or sixteen years old, dressed in a splendid, gorgeous gown.

With emerald-green hair and clear, azure eyes, her refined appearance, combined with her aura, gave off an ethereal beauty, as if she were a delicately crafted doll made by human hands.

After seeing us checking the image, Colonel Cecilia spoke.

“This is Her Royal Highness, the Third Princess of the Royal Family, Liliana Calvarta.”

The moment her name was spoken, I could feel the atmosphere shift drastically.

T/N: Hi everyone. I have opened a new Kofi account. You can support me if you want and read some extra chapters in return 😉