DE: Chapter 1 Part 20 – Not-so-good with the Captain

I boarded the modified Madoc and was preparing for deployment. As I touched the monitor, I checked the condition of the unit and the situation outside. Currently, our fleet and the Damraka fleet were engaged in direct combat. However, several pirate ships had already exploded in the distance.

Incidentally, I think touching the monitor is a classic staple of sci-fi worlds. Of course, pressing something like an analog keyboard is totally fine too.

“It’s been a while since I’ve been on a Madoc. I’m a little happy.”

“Are you happy that it’s a Madoc?”

Nero overheard my muttering and asked. I answered while gently petting Nero.

“Madoc is actually a higher-ranked unit than Zargan in terms of performance. If I were to be asked to choose between Zargan and Madoc, I’d definitely choose Madoc.”

“But it seems like the Master uses the Zargan more frequently?”

“Well, that’s because it’s cheap. Even if it gets destroyed, it doesn’t hurt your pocket much. Even the current Chairman tends to overlook it when it’s heavily damaged. When I was piloting the MW, Jean recommended the Zargan to me.”

I briefly recalled a little bit of the past. It was five years ago, so I was around fourteen at the time. Back then, I was piloting the MW on defense missions, and it was when I had finally managed to save up a decent amount of credits.

It was during that defense mission that I met Jean and we fought together. But in the end, all the MW could really do was buy some time. My wingmates and the tanks around us were destroyed before I even knew it.

Even so, I remember that I was holding the defensive area almost single-handedly, and with the MW no less, which was why Jean took notice of me.

There was no point in me refusing when he invited me to join him. I had no intention of joining any group, nor was I interested in mercenary factions. I just wanted to pilot an AW. That single desire is what brought me this far.

When I told him that, Jean burst out laughing and then went on to tell me all about the cheap Zargan.

“Zargan should be good enough for you. If we meet again and you’re still alive, I’ll let you join my mercenary group.”

“No, that’s fine.”

“Don’t be shy. See you around.”

I watched Jean leave after saying that. But now, I get it. The reason Jean recommended the Zargan was honestly just because he wanted to test me. There was no other reason.

And then, the last time I piloted the Zargan and encountered him, it was a draw… well, I shouldn’t say but I was able to fight head-on against his Spider with the cheap Zargan.

Perhaps it was because we hadn’t seen each other for five years that his excitement was sky-high.

“I don’t want to see Jean for a while. If anything, it’s annoying that his way of speaking kind of overlaps with mine.”

“Do you dislike the Zargan?”

“No. In fact, the more I use it, the more I understand it’s a great machine. It can take a bit of reckless handling. And with the Gift, I have absolutely no problem even with the Zargan.”

Because of the Gift, I was able to endure even with the MW. So what would happen if I tried to ride the Zargan, an AW, even though it was cheap? The answer is simple.

“But I really don’t want to be part of this operation. The armament is top-notch, though.”

“The 35mm Gatling gun and spare ammo have been prepared. A multi-purpose shield has been installed on the left arm. A spare beam gun and a close-combat axe are also loaded.”

It’s been a while since I’ve been able to fire. That overwhelming barrage of bullets. If anything, it would be quite fun inside the facility or in the corridors.

“Guess it’s the ultimate Trigger Happy reward.”

While I was thinking about various things, a communication came in. When I opened the channel, all the members of the Trigger Squad were gathered there.

『Can you hear me, Trigger 5? You don’t look like…. you’re about to cry.』

“Of course. I’m not the type to whine over things.”

『You’ve got guts. If only you could just become a little more gentleman, I’d like you more.』

“From today, I’ll be a gentleman. Please take care of me, everyone.”

『Your attitude hasn’t changed, and now I’m actually starting to feel uneasy.』

『That’s just part of who he is, so it’s kind of endearing.』

“What are you talking about? You guys seem pretty fine with it, too.”

As expected of veterans who are all at least Lieutenant rank. None of them panicked and they all remained calm and composed.

『By the way, what did you do to that young captain? Normally, such an arrangement wouldn’t happen.』

“I know. I guess it was a bad idea to eat all the desserts from Captain Christina.”

『What-! You ate all the desserts? I’m sure there was blueberry cheesecake and strawberry mousse tart.』

『And there was apple pie too. Did you eat all of them?』

“Yeah. I ate all of them right in front of her.”

The look Christina Captain gave me, with tears in her eyes and a glare, was the best. It felt like a new door was about to open.

『This guy is a cold-hearted villain after all.』

“Rights are meaningless if you don’t use them when you can.”

『But in the end, I didn’t get to see Mama.』

『It can’t be helped. We were immediately deployed.』

“You can just go next time. She’ll probably be at Vermouth for a while.”

『I definitely want to meet her at least once.』

『I’m also curious about what kind of person she is.』

“She’ll probably like Lieutenant Burgess right away. Of course, as a man♡”

『H-Haha…』

When I winked and told Lieutenant Burgess the truth, his cheek twitched, and all that came out was a dry laugh. If the roles were reversed, he’d probably be really put off by it.

As I was having a fun conversation with my comrades, the communication device buzzed again. The person on the other end was Captain Christina Vladfield.

“Sorry, Captain Christina is calling. See you later.”

With that, I ended the communication and connected to Captain Christina.

“Is something the matter?”

『No, I just thought you might be feeling nervous.』

“Don’t worry. I’m not going to act like a rookie now. I won’t freeze in a panic.”

『I see. This operation is an honor to rescue Princess Liliana. You must succeed.』

“Of course. That’s my job.”

『And that mercenary I met before….』

“Are you talking about Jean?”

When I mentioned Jean’s name, Captain Christina shot me a glare. With her rather refined features, when she glares, it’s actually quite intimidating. If she could just calm down a bit in situations like this, she’d probably be more popular.

『Who is this Jean guy anyway? Spiders are expensive and hard to come by.』

“Well, I heard over the communication that Jean is now at the Colonel level. There must be military corporations who wanted him to use the Spider.”

『Hmph. Giving such a high-performance machine to a mere mercenary.』

“That’s just how skilled Jean is. He’s also an excellent commander. He probably has solid connections with the military higher-ups and the upper class.”

Jean also possesses two Gifts,【Spatial Awareness】and【Hostility Detection】. Most Gift holders only have one, but Jean is rare in that he has two. Of course, I became certain of his Hostility Detection ability when he crafted a gun with his fingers the other day.

Of course, I don’t intend to say that Jean has a Gift. If I did, he would definitely hold a grudge, and more than anything, it would inevitably lead to a troublesome situation.

『You seem to know a lot about Jean.』

“It’s what they call a skill I picked up in the past. Anyway, wouldn’t it be better for you to talk to the Fang Squad members instead of me? Do you really have the time to be concerned about a mere mercenary?”

I said it sarcastically, but Captain Christina’s expression stiffened slightly. Then, she looked at me with a somewhat hesitant and timid expression.

『Are you angry?』

“I’m not angry.”

I said it while giving a slight tug at my chin over the helmet. Naturally, Captain Christina’s response was nothing more than a small tilt of her head. What a shame.

『Is, Is that so? As long as you’re not angry, that’s fine. The Fang Squad is fine. Their coordination and skill are top-notch.』

“Is that so? Well, that’s good to hear.”

『Then, during the operation, you… should act with us. That would be the best choice, after all.』

“I don’t mind. I’ll just do my best playing the decoy.”

When I threw in another sarcastic remark, she then took on a dignified expression and declared.

『I’ll be the decoy. It’s too much for your unit.』

“I see. Then I’ll do my best.”

『Don’t push yourself too hard. I’ll be there to back you up.』

“R-right. Thanks a lot.”

It was kind of throwing me off. Even when I threw in sarcasm, she took it seriously, and it was honestly hard to deal with.

Anyway, I ended up having a pleasant, pleasant conversation with Captain Christina until the operation entered its second phase.

『Notify the AW unit. We will soon be transitioning to the second phase. Each unit should conduct their final checks and stand by.』

“That being said, I’ll cut the communication for now. See you later.”

『Yes. Then, I’ll see you on the ground.』

After cutting communication with Captain Christina, I did a final check of the mecha. Then, the unit was moved into the entry capsule.

Three minutes until deployment. After that, the descent units will begin their drop one after another to the Ulysses Resource Processing Facility.

“Finally. Ah, I’m so tired for no reason. That Captain’s just not my type, you know.”

“Really?”

“Yeah, well. Though, it’s fine since we don’t really have many opportunities to talk.”

“That’s a bit surprising.”

“Hmm? What do you mean?”

I glanced at Nero. Nero’s three-point sensor blinked as he responded.

“Master seemed to enjoy the conversation with Captain Christina quite a bit. At least, there was no sign of discomfort in your vitals.”

“That’s enough! Check the unit!”

“I’ve already checked that.”

“One more time!”

“Understood.”

Nero returned to performing the unit check. I quietly closed my eyes, took a deep breath, and calmed myself.

“Now it’s a ground combat. And on top of that, it’s a princess rescue mission.”

Whether this would be the final battle depends on us, the descent team. Of course, the enemy was likely expecting us to drop as well. However, they probably wouldn’t expect us to arrive right in the middle of a fleet battle.

“The future can always be changed. At least, I can change it.”

Three seconds may seem short, but it can make all the difference.

The moment we transitioned to the second phase, the battle situation began to shift. Our allied fleet launched an attack with anti-beam disrupting particle missiles, while the Damraka fleet countered with jamming devices.

With these two factors combined, the deployment of both AW units proceeds nearly without a hitch.

『Trigger Squad, deploy. I repeat, Trigger Squad, deploy.』

『This is Trigger-1, copy that. Take care, Trigger-5, don’t go dying on me.』

“That’s what I’m supposed to say.”

『Make sure to rescue the princess. Prince?』

“Lieutenant Burgess will look better in the role. Want me to switch with you?”

『I’ll pass. I’m no prince.』

『You’re not a prince, either.』

“You’re noisy. Just hurry up and go.”

The mercenaries launched into space, where beams were flying everywhere. Now, it’s our turn to attack. The entry capsule began to move and was positioned at the ejection point.

『We will soon begin descending. The AW and ground forces will descend alongside the decoys. After the descent is complete, eliminate all enemy forces in the vicinity of the resource processing facility.』

The monitor displayed a countdown.

『Ten seconds left until the descent begins.』

And then, I suddenly realized something.

『Five seconds, four, three, two, one.』

When I think about it, Jean’s unit is clearly more suited for space combat. In other words…

『Begin the descent.』

“That guy Jean isn’t on the ground, is he?”

The entry capsule was then ejected from the battleship Albireo, heading toward Ulysses. Gradually, the unit began to shake, and the roar of the descent filled the air.

“This is pretty tough. Normally, you don’t enter the atmosphere like this. We’re not part of the regular army, after all. Ah, but these guys were regular soldiers.”

“Anti-G mitigation device activated.”

“Wow. There are all kinds of entry capsules. I wonder if they’ll be retrieved later?”

“Generally, it’s discarded on-site. That’s why the anti-G mitigation device is a low-cost version.”

“I see. I didn’t know that.”

The descent was going smoothly for a while. The monitors showed that the unit was maintaining its designated route. Then, the moment we were down to the last quarter of the route, an alarm blared from the unit. It seemed like it was time to pray to God.

“The enemy’s surveillance net is full of holes, luckily. Even so, I might just wet myself at this moment! Hey, Nero, if I end up doing that, you better stay quiet about it.”

“Understood. I’ll keep quiet.”

The mecha vibrated again. It seemed like the enemy had come to greet us.