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 Deceased Hunter

    - Somewhere in Greenland ¨C

    - 2300hrs ¨C

    The wind is blowing strong, snow is falling densely, making the view less visible due to the weather. A man with an assault rifle, covered in a white winter operation outfit and camouflage is walking with heavy injuries towards a smoke pilar quite far from his position.

    "Sentinel team, this is Taurus lead, give me a sitrep over! Arrgh..."

    He shouted with a grunt through his radio, a wound on his left chest and a metal piece that pierces his right shoulder made his stamina decrease exponentially. His breath gets heavier every second as he walks, and the blizzard made it harder for him. The man has no nation flag patch on one of his shoulders, instead, it has an insignia of a certain company, indicating that he''s a PMC or a Private Military Contractor, a mercenary.

    "I say again, Sentinel team, the operation is compromised! give me a sitrep over!"

    He grunted again as the pain came in along with no response at the receiving end, he then came to a stop to open a field medical kit and inject a serum into his right hand. As the pain relieves after a few seconds, he then kept on walking toward the smoke pillar. As it gets bigger and more visible every minute, he saw a silhouette of two Attack Helicopters and one transport Helicopter on the horizon, hovering above the smoke.

    ".... Taurus... lead... abort.... Leave..."

    the man then shudders, his fear has come true. With regret, he then set his destination in the other direction, a location that was planned if anything happens.

    "Copy that, I''m assuming command and aborting the mission. Sentinel team, execute order MXY-7"

    With the last remaining breath, the other side responded "Wilco...."

    As soon he said that without hesitation, a loud explosion was heard, another smoke was pluming high, and it rocks the ground from the position of the Heli''s that hover above it. He saw as one of the attack Heli that he identified as the AH-64 "Apache" was struck by something at its engines and started smoking. Regardless, it''s still flying and hastily hovers away from the explosion scene and went west.

    "Another one that we lost huh...."

    He muttered while kept walking away while patching up his wounds with spare bandages. After a few hours of walking southeast, he arrived at the destination place and waited for his extraction team. It was at the edge of the mouth of the Glacier, the wind is not that strong, but the weather is still cold, and the low humidity made his throat quickly feel dry. Since its location is the north of the earth and is still summer, the sun is not yet down yet. Checking around for anything, he then sat on a nearby rock at the riverbank of the glacier. Seeing an aurora shining above the sky made him smile. he then rested for 15 minutes, regaining his stamina.

    The thin part of the glacier cracked and a submarine surfaced not long after. The size is thrice bigger than the Typhoon class ballistic missile submarine or twice the size of the fictional Alicorn class submarine and has a somewhat flat top deck for carrier operation purposes. One of the hull areas then opened and a jet-powered VTOL transport hovered away to his position. It then stretched a steel rope down from one of the sides, the man then attaches himself to it with a harness and was lifted. as soon he was inside, he saw a familiar face, a well-built man with a grey military officer uniform with a 4 star on his shoulder, his face is stern, and his hair is slowly turning grey due to his age.

    "General Wolfenford! Reporting!"

    The wounded man saluted the man, the general replied with a salute and set him at ease. He looks at his subordinate from top to bottom and looks behind him. He didn''t change his expression even though he knows that the mission is unsuccessful.

    "So, where''s the rest of the platoon? Lieutenant Colonel Jaeger?"

    The general asked, Jaeger, didn''t hesitate about his report of his deceased teammate and subordinate and how the mission was a flaw. The general is quite grim about it and sat across him at the transport''s seat.

    "You, to my office at 0800hrs, after you close those wounds at the medical bay"

    "Yes Sir!"

    As soon they landed at the internal hangar of the submarine, they parted ways as Jaeger hurried up and the medical team helped him take off his ceramic plate Armor carrier and chest rig then rushed him through the corridor. The general could only observe from a distance as his ''subordinate'' was taken to the sickbay.

    "That son of mine never changed his attitude huh..."

    General Wolfenford then take a cigarette and lighter out from his pocket and started smoking, his adjutant looked at General Wolfenford with curiosity at the statement he mentioned.

    "Sir, apologize for asking but is that your son? The rumoured one-man hunter? The one that could even ruin a nation single-handedly?"

    The general could only let out a small laugh, his adjutant remain silent, waiting for the general give an answer. The smoke fumes as he exhales, while is still with the expression as stern, as usual, he let out a short sigh.

    "Since you''re newly promoted, I assume you may have questions on why we''re here and fighting both the world''s superpowers, but I didn''t expect you to be asking such rumours. Well then... he is my son, earning his callsign Jaeger or Hunter in his 2nd covert deployment on Kyrgyzstan, about the mission is classified but what I could tell you is that he did not just complete it singlehandedly but also ''somehow'' eliminated more than 15 high-value targets that''s mostly weapon dealers and corruptors with such extreme prejudice. Thanks to that, their government is slowly normalized, and their economy is rising steadily"

    His adjutant could only awe at the Lieutenant Colonel''s history from his father and the General''s own words himself. The achievements of a single man executing such length are still outstanding to hear for a rookie like him.

    "Although myself still wondered where that rumour about Achilles did could destroy a whole country came from, even though he''s somewhat a one-man army, he''s still human and encountered many near-death situations himself"

    -Prometheus class submersible carrier, sickbay-

    - 52?35''30" N, 34?22''15" W ¨C

    - 0710hrs ¨C

    "Lieutenant Colonel, could you please rest...FOR LIKE THREE DAMN HOURS!!"

    Shouted one of the nurses, Jaeger who is nonchalantly typing his report, shrugs at her screech. her eyebrows twitched for a second, she then forcefully pulls him out from his chair and tried to handcuff the Lieutenant to the sickbed, nevertheless, he could just casually slip out of her grip with ease and continued typing.

    "Umm... Sir, would you kindly please take a short rest"

    One of the nurses tried to convince him nicely with a sweet voice, Jaeger looked at her for a moment and gave a smile, the nurses finally sigh in relief as they saw his expression. Unfortunately for them, the lieutenant bluntly said no with an awfully serious face. One of the nurses is filled with rage, cursed at him, and tried to commit violence while the others are holding her hard enough from rampaging toward him, calming her down. A few moments later, the sickbay compressed doors slide open, a man enters as the chaos there still unfolds.

    "What the hell happened here?"

    The nurses stopped and returned to their professional characters when they noticed someone entered, Jaeger let out a small chuckle at their attitude change. One of the nurses explains the chronology to the man while the others clean up the mess. Soon after the explanation, the man walks toward Jaeger and gave a salute.

    "Sheesh, drop the formality, please. Also, what''s with your visit to the infirmary, Major?"

    The story has been stolen; if detected on Amazon, report the violation.

    The man then hands down the file to Jaeger, as soon as he reads the cover, Jaeger then ordered the nurses to leave the room and restrict them from entering under any circumstances.

    "The General is waiting for you at his office ASAP since he knows that nanomaterials would do well on recovering your wounds faster"

    Jaeger asked if the major smoke. The major is curious why then he asked back about it. Jaeger could only say it''s confidential, the major knows what it means and handed a lighter to him. It''s a small pocket lighter with Dupont''s logo on its side, with a striking metallic silver paint that reflects the light from the ceiling lamps. The Lieutenant set the lighter up and burns the report file from the bottom edge, the fire slowly turns to ashes as the fire incinerates it. The remains were swept and thrown into the nearby bin. The Lieutenant then quickly wears his uniform and along with the Major went to the General''s office.

    "So, Major Donner Kebab, how''s your experience as my father''s Adjutant?"

    As Jager said the major''s funny nickname, the personnel that coincidentally passed by them had a little laugh, the man could only let out a little sigh at the Lt. Colonel''s little gag.

    "Sir, please don''t use that nickname, my name is Donny"

    "Sorry for the joke, I''m a bit hungry, also can I call you Donn?"

    "As you please sir"

    Soon enough, they arrived at the General''s office, it was right across the Submarine''s Bridge compressed door. Jaeger knocked at the door and requested permission to go inside, the General allowed him to enter and Jager entered alone, leaving Donn outside. the office is not that big since it was needed to save more space, simple decoration along with medals and pictures were hung on the wall and along with the corners of the room, a small table is positioned between two sofas and an armchair, nevertheless, it has a quite comfy atmosphere. Meanwhile, the general is checking the reports on his laptop at his desk.

    "Quite a cosy place here sir"

    "Danke(Thanks),I do like these kinds of atmosphere, also, take a seat"

    Jaeger walked towards a couple of chairs that are in front of the General''s desk and sit at one of them, the General then close the laptop and grabs a file folder from one of his desk drawers and place it on the table. Jaeger open the pages of the file, one by one he read in detail the next task that he was assigned. The general halted him and pressed a hidden button under his desk when he wanted to ask a further question.

    "Alright, drop the formality, we''re cleared, and I suppose the EMP will disable any comm device installed here for 15 minutes"

    "The ship''s compromised?" Jaeger asked with a serious tone, the General could only let out a sigh and nodded

    "How? Isn''t this ship redacted from any reports worldwide?" at that question, the General then turn on the projector and starts explaining.

    "I suppose so, but since there''s more of our men getting promoted fast due to the loss we took in this past couple of years, the HRD isn''t that wary of possible infiltrators between them, it might be clich¨¦, but our recruit list is raising exponentially every month and more investors interested in our projects, we sort of lowered our guard" Jaeger nodded, the general then opened a slide where the important part begins.

    "Now, this is probably your last mission assigned in my Corp, you''ll be transferred back where ABEL will launch their first expedition towards a planet that''s suspected to have a civilisation. This is a major leap for humankind since we could finally find a planet that is inhabited by an intelligent being but beware, between the ranks on that expedition, there will be a spy among their ranks."

    ABEL, in short: Advanced Biological Enhancement Lab is a private company that is working on enhancing human capabilities from their physical strength to their ESP capabilities, upfront on the surface of their research, they use animals as their test subjects to bypass the UN law of Human rights and earn the vote of the people worldwide, although their test on human already finished as the company publicize themselves. Jaeger twitched a bit when he heard the name ABEL since he was part of the volunteers that became the test subject and made him remember the harsh treatment of one of the researchers fuelled up his years of suppressed anger.

    "I know going back there made you feel unpleasant but bear with it, that guy is already in confinement"

    "Yeah, you''re right, seems I can''t get over it a hundred percent, nevertheless, it''s much less painful than getting shot by an AWOL teammate that I trust most" the general could only stand there, seeing his son that he raised grown stronger than when he left the house to do his mission, it made him let out a little chuckle.

    "you know Achilles, I might be Biased but ABEL is one of the companies that I have known for quite a long time, they select their researchers thoroughly to prevent acci-"

    "I know, I know... but still what happened to me already happened. Also, dad, any further instructions for this mission?"

    As the general wanted to answer, the lights dim out and the red light/night light was switched on, the announcers blaring reports of an incoming assault of 2 squadrons of several unidentified craft from the west and south, and since the sub is currently resupplying at the middle of the storm of the Atlantic Ocean, it was unable to submerge to its operational depth. Jaeger stood up with his instincts telling him to get to a fighter jet to intercept them but was halted by the General that tightly hold his hand when he was about to rush to the hangar.

    "don''t, it''s your ride to ABEL, we need to fake your death to convince the other company head members"

    "I need towhatnow?"

    The sub suddenly rocks and shook heavily as an explosion was heard; the blast made a huge hole in the bridge along with gunshots above the explosions. Donny suddenly forcefully enters the room with his handgun drawn out and rushed the General.

    "General! Colonel! We need to evacuate to one of the docked subs ASAP" Jaeger and the General looked at each other and nodded, the General ordered Jaeger to hold his position at the doorway as the General seemingly searched for something to take with him.

    "Alright, let''s go, but first..."

    At point-blank range, Jaeger rapidly shot his 9mm calibre pistol at both of Donny''s shoulders and hips. Donny fell to the ground as the wound from the hollow point bullet dealt massive damage to his limb joints. He tried to grab his gun that fall short but was taken by Jaeger.

    "Damnit! arrghh" Jaeger grab his collars and jabbed some punches to Donny''s abdomen.

    "Nobody knows about the docking capabilities of this sub except the upper echelons and logistic crew, you sure are quite loose for a guy that just got promoted yesterday"

    the general has a stern look on his face while cocking his prized Silver Walther PPK pistol, he pointed the gun toward the forehead of the wounded man. Knowing Donny''s situation, he has no way to run.

    "don''t even try to make an explanation, you also did already reveal yourself when you said my son has a rumour that he could destroy a single nation. Only the CIA would give that exaggeration."

    The General pulled the trigger without hesitation, Jaeger instantly checked Donny''s life sign and made sure that he was dead by shooting three more rounds to his head. The General shook his head at his son''s action.

    "You know that''s too excessive right?"

    "Hey, you gotta make sure he''s totally dead you know? Pulse check, right?"

    The General could only let out a sigh from his son''s retort. As they were in a small tension break, the sound of something knocking hard was heard behind the door that is currently still full of gunfights. The general and Colonel stacked up at the side of the doorway and Jaeger opened the door slightly. A man with full-on combat gear gave a hand gesture indicating that he was friendly. Jaeger opened the door as the man and his team of 4 entered the room while the other 4 guards the outer perimeter.

    "I''m sorry for our harsh intrusion sir, we''re ABEL''s 6th Special ops squad, here to extract Lt. Col Jaeger and counterfeiting his death." Said the team lead while saluting the General.

    "I''m fine with that Captain and nevertheless, the bridge crew isn''t my trusted crew, they''re the list of suspected ones that compromised this ship, so I''ll thank your superior for assisting their annihilation. Well then, proceed to continue your mission" the captain nodded and ordered one of his men to relay the order to prepare for extraction. The captain then cocks an odd-looking pistol while his men restrain Jaeger that is fighting the restraint.

    "Wait a minute, General! What do you mean by cou-"

    The captain shot Jaeger with something like a soporific injection, he then begins to drop down and lose consciousness, the only thing that he remembers before lights out is that he saw the General talking about something towards the captain, but then again, he couldn''t hear it. Moments pass from the storm, lightning ceases to strike down...

    Several men entered the General''s office, they started inspecting the burnt corpses that lie down on the floor. The room was heavily scorched, and the ceiling was torn apart, revealing the wiring of the ship. One of the men then reach out his earpiece and commanded the others to recover the remains

    "Overlord, we confirmed the death of both Lt. Col Achilles Wolfenford and Major Donny Callaghan. We''re retrieving the remains of their bodies for further autopsy."

    "Solid copy Spearhead, standby for extraction. Your next mission is to hunt down the leader of Grunner Defence Corp, General August Wolfenford, coordinates have been sent. Happy hunting"

    Fast-forwarding several hours, General August''s division has already arrived at their Headquarters for their final defence on their arctic Base as multiple underwater missile launch systems, and heavily fortified bunkers with many naval guns are prepared for the upcoming assault. Soon enough, they picked up a massive surface and air contacts at their radars and thus, his final stand with his team begins.

    "Sweetheart, I''ve made my promise... I''ll be there soon"

    -Somewhere in the Antarctic ¨C

    - 77?47''22" S, 41?29''08" W-

    - 0300hrs -

    Jaeger slowly regains his consciousness, checking his finger movement one by one and slowly lifting his right arm to block the bright light from the ceiling. After he looked left and right, he then rise to sit, at the same time the door of the quarters opened while a girl walks in. she was wearing a white lab coat that hides her officer uniform, she has short brown hair with a ponytail, her eyes sparkled when she noticed Jaeger was awake

    "Archie!!" she said as she jumps and tightly embraced him. Jaeger that just sat a moment ago got irritated by her action.

    "Sis, could you please stop calling me that? We''re not kids anymore, at least call me Achilles or Jaeger." The girl pouted at Jaeger; she then sits beside him with her arms crossed.

    "Tch, now my own brother hates the pet name I gave"

    "Alright, fine, call me whatever you want, Commander Jeanne Himmelsdorf" Jeanne became more upset while Jaeger is being completely clueless. Nevertheless, she didn''t hate it whatsoever, Jeanne could sigh and then patted Jaeger''s head.

    "Yep, this is my brother that never changed, Hehe~. also, welcome to the 2nd Trailblazer Class Interstellar Aircraft Carrier, CVI-020 or ICS Yukikaze!

 Pioneering Voyage

    - a certain room, inside Yukikaze ¨C

    - 77?47''22" S, 41?29''08" W-

    - 0310hrs -

    "Whoa wait, an Interstellar Carrier? This isn''t a joke right?" questioned the man technically kidnapped by a special operations team and woke up in a room he doesn''t know. the girl beside him has that smug and quite prideful posture that has him unamused.

    "Yup! My two-year work on this ship surely paid off!" she exclaimed. Jaeger backed a bit from his sister that''s too energetic because of her hand movement that nearly hit his face

    "And you named the second model ''Yukikaze''?" Jeanne instantly nodded gleefully with a bright smile, Jaeger could only facepalm at her sister''s attitude.

    "Just how much an otaku are you? And what? You going to name the third one Kaga?" Jaeger remarked.

    "Nope, I''m not that much of an otaku, unlike you. Also, I won''t intentionally name the third one Kaga, you know there''s a Carrier that already has that name now right? Plus, this ship class isn''t cheap you know and it now kind of lacks some of the crew members" he did another facepalm due to Jeanne''s retort.

    "Then, how are we going to initiate the operation?" Jeanne had a small chuckle and along with that expression that jaeger disliked when she was going to do something awfully bad and crazy to him. He could only mutter "I have a bad feeling about this"

    - At the Briefing Room, Yukikaze ¨C

    - 0444hrs -

    The room is half crowded, it''s filled with the high ranks and officers of the ship, along with the field personnel that are also part of the mission. They were chatting to each other; some are having coffee since it was still early in the morning, while some tried to sleep in their chair. Although the location of the ship is at the Arctic Fjord, its life support system kept them warm since the fact it''s not a regular modern-day warship.

    As the Commanding Officer enters the room along with a laptop in her hand, the room suddenly quiets down as someone yelled ''Commander'', they stood up and salute her. She then replied with a salute and let them at ease, she lit up the projector and as it displayed the start of the briefing, she asked if anybody is absent at that time, but since nobody answered, she considered everyone essential already present.

    "Alright, let''s start with the briefing, shall we? As you all know, I''m the Commanding Officer of the current operation, but since there are new faces that I haven''t seen, I''ll introduce myself again" She then proceeds to salute the recruits.

    "I''m Commander Jeanne Himmelsdorf, part of ABEL''s PMC department as the head director and also the Head Researcher of Project ''Omega'', the detail about that project is quite vague to tell all of you now since it is currently highly classified but most of you here will know in the middle of this briefing since I have the allowance."

    She then proceeds to the next slide, which shows the details of their assignments during their cruise towards the objective, some asked questions about hypersleep pods and other Sci-Fi equipment usage throughout the ship, and Jeanne answered them professionally. She also mentioned the change of combat equipment for outer space combat for ship-to-ship infiltration and capture. The crowd is quite awed by the tech that is supposed to be realized in 500 years to come.

    "This is the 2nd ship of its class, the first Trailblazer class, the Trailblazer herself, was *cough* sunken during her maiden voyage to Neptune for an expedition mission, a high-speed orbiting asteroid with the size of 9 meters in diameter penetrated the starboard side of the ship and ignited the ammo storage near the bow. This is a terrible loss since this technology is practically still in the child phase, we still need to improve the physical barrier that coats the ship, currently, it only protects against normal projectiles and 2 simultaneous nuclear blasts." She explains the loss.

    One of the men in the room raised his hand to question, the Commander looked at him and smiled, indicating that he was allowed to. He then stands up, and casually speaks to the commander.

    "I''m sorry for cutting the explanation, but does this ship has countermeasures during flight to the destination when crossing the inner Asteroid belt & Kuiper Belt and further asteroid field beyond our star system??" at that question, Jeanne lost her professionalism, her inner childish scientist self-kicks in and took over the briefing.

    "Hmm, I give you 10 points for your answer Lil'' bro!" she exclaims and pointed at him. The expression that she did has made half of the room that is present surprised as they have never seen the gleeful girlish face of their commander.

    "Ho ho, the warp drive technology that I developed with the boys has that flaw of some of the objects getting in the way of our near lightspeed travel, So... We already made a warp gate at mars! Pretty impressive ain''t it Archie?" she explained gleefully, but in a split second, she snapped back to reality where her subordinates are present in front of her. She blushed in embarrassment.

    "Ah..." was the only word she could come out in the aftermath of the spur of the moment.

    "Heh, that''s Commander Jeanne for you" the crowd burst out laughing, Jeanne pouted and is quite irritated at her brother. Even so, they then returned to their professional attitude not long after, their atmosphere isn''t as tense as when the start of the briefing. The cutely embarrassed commander then continued the briefing.

    "Alright gents, our primary objective is to scout a planet MC-DXC-II, or we could call it Verdia. One of our destroyers that is on the orbit of the planet reports high activities of medieval era cities on several continents and reports a high frequency of unknown natural energy from one of the continents, our primary objective is to establish contact with the inhabitants and create an Interstellar alliance, although that means we need to teach them about advanced science and engineering. The time between here and Verdia is very different, their planetary rotation is much faster than ours. Nonetheless, my hypothesis says it''s just a mirror image of earth with different geographical terrain and technological advancements. Our arrival will be around 2 days when using the Warp Gate. This operation will start in 2 hours. Now then...." She then changes the slide and reveals the roster for the landing operation and to the audience''s surprise, it was only one man. Everyone started murmuring about it, it was surely impossible for one man to establish cooperation with the inhabitants in their opinion, Jeanne requested them to quiet them down.

    "I know, it looks crazy to think only a single man will be sent there down there, and I know you know the answer, Lt. Col Jaeger, so let me clear here" she cleared her throat and shut the projector down, she also signals by nodding to the guard at the door of the room to lock it.

    "Whatever I say here next won''t leave this ship, you''ll be instantly executed if you give this information out to the public" Jeanne signals Jaeger to come forward at the podium of the room. Questions burst between murmurs among the present audience. as he''s at the podium, Jeanne quiets them down and allows Jaeger to speak.

    "Alright, since you all know I''m just your clich¨¦ outstanding superior in the field and quite a carefree guy in your eyes, I''ll say it''s just one of my public masks." He said with a serious expression, unlike his easy-going vibe. the crowd became more confused.

    "I''m one of Project Omega''s specimens, and about it, the Project is about biological enhancement towards the human body. Whether it is about regeneration, superstrength or even ESP, the researchers are focused on maximizing our bodies'' capabilities." They''re finally quieted down on their small murmurs, the clich¨¦ experiments made some of them ask if they could be enhanced too, Jeanne disagreed with their request and let Jaeger continue.

    "The project has a lot of flaws and a massive loss of life during testing, I''m one of the 3 succeeded subjects out of a thousand, the rating of success currently is around 0.3% and it was debatable between the higher up''s to continue the experiment. Although, it has major progress due to my sister''s involvement. Nevertheless, it is a no go if ABEL found you''re not compatible enough. My enhancements include rapid regeneration, millisecond situational awareness and body physical enhancement on endurance and agility, ABEL probably already thought of this if things go down very wrong there" he cleared his throat and returned to his usual expression.

    "Well, does anybody has further questions or objections?" questioned Jeanne. The crowd simultaneously answered no, she then ends the briefing and permitted them to leave. As the room emptied up and only the siblings remain, Jeanne suddenly hugged Jaeger and made him jolt a bit.

    "Man, your jugs grow too mu- OW!" he shrieked as Jeanne kicked his crotch.

    "Could you not be a perv for like 3 minutes!" he could only laugh at his remark about her actions. While hugging him, she has a feeling something going to be bad there and was worried.

    "You know, I actually disagreed with this plan, it was originally an 8-man team landing operation, I don''t wanna lose my precious little brother when he''s on another planet..." Jaeger let go of her hug and give her a head pat to comfort his anxious sister.

    "I won''t die, besides, it''ll be like last time when I protected you, right sis? This Hunter is quite slippery you know" he remarked with a small chuckle.

    After Jaeger has done comforting her, they parted way towards their own destination, Jaeger headed to the Bridge to assist the captain of the ship as his sister ordered before they parted. She knew his capabilities of commanding a fleet and entrusted the ship to him while she rests. At Jeanne''s quarters, the Commander dived to her bed, covered herself up with a nearby blanket, and curled up inside the blanket.

    "I wished he didn''t see me just as his sister..." she muttered in dejection. Not long, she then fell asleep after 2 days awaken.

    -Yukikaze''s Bridge, Yukikaze ¨C

    - 0630hrs -

    Everybody is checking their monitors back and forth, the preparation for launch is going smoothly as Jaeger''s supervision helped the recruits on the bridge. The other crew is also checking thoroughly on their equipment''s conditions and the supplies for the journey. The ship can carry around 15 thousand personnel, although 70% of them are combat-ready marines & pilots along with 3 thousand Tactical Combat Humanoid or robot soldiers that compensate for the lack of crew.

    The Trailblazer is an aircraft carrier so it is possible to carry a total of 220 fighters, transport & landing craft, Airborne Early Warning and Control (AEW&C) ships and 80 main battle tanks that could be airdropped. Her length is around 2.323 meters with a width of around 358 meters. Even with that length, Trailblazer has 20 Advanced CIWS anti-aircraft platforms that spread throughout the deck and below the hull, 7 Vertical launch system clusters and four twin-barrel 48cm naval guns and two single barrel 280mm railgun as her offence. It''s currently the biggest ship that ABEL could produce and be kept in secrecy.

    Soon enough, Jeanne entered the bridge. She saluted back to the crew that instinctively saluted on the Commanding officer that has entered, Jaeger greeted her while she was opening the report from one of the gunnery officers. She and Jaeger converse about the flight path towards the warp gate and he asked about the public secret issue, she explains about Yukikaze''s optical camouflage capabilities and assured him that it is also heat resistant. After checking the list for the 3rd time and everyone was strapped to their seats, she ordered the captain to set sail and followed the planned route.

    "Yukikaze, set course to mars orbit, initiate atmosphere escape procedure, full speed!" the captain exclaimed.

    The engine started humming as the vertical thrusters engaged. As the ship started to hover slowly in the air, the main engines on the lower aft went into full power. Yukikaze initiate its Optical camo and started to climb exponentially. The rattle of the thrust was immense since the ship is currently accelerating around 450m/s and kept increasing. Around 2 minutes later, Yukikaze enters orbit and reduced her engine power.

    "how''s the jump preparation?" asked Jeanne to the Navigation officer. The female officer then quickly sent the data towards Jeanne''s command display on her left. She thanked the Navigation Officer for her swift work.

    The ship remained in orbit for at least two minutes, since previously the ship is on the other side of the earth when launching. From the crew''s point of view, they''re moving quite slow, but the ship is moving at 26 thousand kilometres per hour.

    As they reached the planned waypoint, the commander issued an order to warp to mars. The navigation officer then engaged the warp drives, several hatches and hinges at the port and the starboard of the ship opened and a bright blue light came out from the exposed Warp drive exhaust module. The space in front of the ship rippled and made a circular shape of bright blue miasma, the recruits were awestruck at the scene that beholds upon them, the view that they thought only in science fiction came to reality. The Navigation officer then count down at the warping procedure, and as it reaches zero, the ship rocketed through the blue circular miasma and vanished from earth''s orbit.

    This story is posted elsewhere by the author. Help them out by reading the authentic version.

    Several seconds later, they arrived at mars, the red desert planet is quite a view up close, although, the impressive one is the massive warp gate sitting idly around 300km above Mars''s orbit. The halo-like megastructure is a sight that is out of this world, the place isn''t empty either, transport and engineering frigates flew back and forth constructing defences and a medium-sized shipyard that could house large capital ships like a cruiser and could resupply even a dreadnaught that is planned by ABEL in future operations.

    "Himmelstor station, this is Yukikaze of the 1st Carrier Division, we hereby request the warp gate to be bridged towards the star coordinate we''ve sent to you. Do you copy over?" the captain requested. The warp gate slowly activated as they saw a similar blue miasma that the warp drive made earlier, the traffic control on the gate gave a go for the ship to pass.

    As they get closer, the circular miasma at the centre of the gate wasn''t that similar to the ones that Yukikaze generated. instead, it behaves like a vortex. Some of the crew have an eerie feeling toward the warp gate due to the abnormal gravitational pull it gave, nonetheless in the situation, Jeanne explained to her subordinates that it''s the normal condition of the warp gate when activated due to the difference in the gravitational pull of the other side. Traffic control reminds them that the trip isn''t as fast as warping inside a star system, and it''ll take them around 2 days to arrive due to the immense range and the location''s space-time abnormalities. The captain understood and kept proceeding to enter the gate. Yukikaze rattles as the gravitational condition near the gate is quite strong, but after they enter, the rattle ceases and all they could see is a tunnel-like view of the warp gate.

    "Alright people! Get some rest at your quarters, the effect of using the warp gate isn''t comfortable and may cause nausea if you don''t take proper rest" announced Jeanne to the crew. Most of them went to their room or the lounge to relax or sleep while the experienced ones stayed to monitor the situation. Everything was so proceeding smoothly that Jaeger felt a bit suspicious about it.

    - 2 days later, unknown coordinates lightyears away ¨C

    - 0400hrs -

    Everybody on board the ship is thrilled at the scenery of the destination while some are doing their work professionally, checking for any abnormalities on the ship''s systems or anything unusual around the ship. As they were in a peaceful sailing towards the destination, suddenly, the ship shook violently, throwing off most of the crew that isn''t strapped to their seats or on their bed towards the wall.

    "What the hell is that?! Damage report!" shouted Jaeger to the damage control officer on the bridge.

    "Sir! We didn''t sustain any serious damage or hull breach, it''s like something just bumped at us quite hard!" Jager then ordered him to give access to the cameras outside the ship, he switched between all cameras and scanned with infrared sensors but had no luck finding the cause of the sudden shake. The damage control officer reported several of the crews only sustain minimal damage, but some had their ribs broken due to the impact force.

    "File a report about this and wait for the Commander to wake up, this is quite a bad sign" the Lieutenant nearby understood and quickly made the report. Meanwhile, the crew downstairs scrambled for secondary damage checks since some could be only monitored by humans.

    Yukikaze finally arrived at Planet Verdia''s star system not long after and proceeded to orbit the destination planet itself. The view is fairly familiar, a planet itself has a composition similar to earth, but the difference is the Geographical condition, Verdia has twice the size of earth with both the north and the south pole being larger than Earth, several continents are distinct towards each other and the planet itself covered with 83% water. Jeanne is already at the bridge not long after they exited warping.

    "Alright Colonel, you know your mission, I wish you the best of luck. Proceed to the armoury, configure your equipment and supplies." Jeanne ordered, slightly with a distressed tone. Her crew would see that she still object to the change of the operation plan. Jaeger saluted the Commander and proceeded to head towards the armoury.

    As the Colonel already left the bridge, suddenly, one of the watchkeepers shouted as he spotted some debris that is unusual nearby. The captain then ordered to send a UAV to check it, and thus, the flight operation officer issued the launch of 7 drones. The drones rocketed from the enclosed drone launcher at the port side of the ship, it then made a formation then hastily went towards the location. There, the drones found a horrifying discovery for the crew.

    "Holy crap! Isn''t that one of the destroyers that were sent here?!" exclaimed the gunnery officer horrified. The captain then orders Yukikaze to head towards the nearby moon, mooring there to assess the situation after doing their part in the operation.

    Jaeger tested several weapons and equipment at the armoury and filled some supplies like ammo and provisions. There, the officer that manages the armoury told him to get to a specialized room nearby. Jaeger then went inside and was greeted by an unusual piece of equipment, an exoskeleton that isn''t bulky, rather it''s slim and seemed to be concealable in his eyes. Yet, the design is so unusual that it reminds him of a certain game he played in his childhood.

    "The Phalanx exoskeleton, this bad boy is created specifically for your mission, an exoskeleton that will amplify your strength, agility, and endurance three times the normal human power. Although, we originally have 8 in stock with different equipment for different classes and since the Higher-ups changed the roster, most of this exoskeleton equipment is going to be yours to use." The Officer explained and told Jaeger that he could put it on.

    Jaeger then stands at the mark on the floor, facing away from the exoskeleton behind him, and then a 3D scanner appears and scanned him. After its completion, he was told by an AI sound that he should spread his arms. not long after, the hinges that hold the exoskeleton arms moved and aligned themselves to Jaeger''s arms and latched on to him. After it was successfully calibrated with his arm length and fingers, The officer reminded him that the part will hurt quite a lot, Jaeger could only gulp at what happened next. The neck part of the exoskeleton then unfolds its claw-like extensions and pierced through Jaeger''s skin starting from his neck and down to the bottom of his back, he screamed in pain, but it was not that enormous since it was fairly sharp. It then made a hissing sound and Jaeger then eased up, the exoskeleton is now tightly attached and followed his body shape while also regenerating the lost skin that was torn by it.

    "So? Does it hurt?"

    "that was a fairly dumb question to ask you know?"

    "Haha! Glad I wasn''t the one assigned to this mission. Plus that expression was priceless, bet people gonna buy your weird face when wearing that, especially your sister"

    "dude, wanna lose some ribcage bones?"

    "I''m joking mate, sheesh! Anyway, try to move"

    He then tried to move his arms and legs, but he didn''t feel any difference in his movements. The armoury officer then pressed the screen on a nearby monitor, and the exoskeleton then hummed, calibrating again for Jaeger''s nervous system for its delay. He then tells Jaeger to try to move again or punch a dummy doll nearby. He then took a stance and punched the dummy doll with minimal power, but the exoskeleton''s power made the dummy fly backwards fast enough that the steel wall bends.

    "Alright, now you''re geared up, I''ll upload an AI assistant to your Exo-suit, all of the data you need is there since it''ll act like your world library, from history to every single human on earth''s information. Now go, your aircraft is already waiting." Jaeger thanked the man and left. He went to the hangar several levels below, he asked the AI for the way, and it appears in his eyes an illusion-like guide pointing through the corridor of the ship.

    As soon he arrived, the AI suddenly asked Jaeger how he could reach the bridge without his help, not quite surprised, Jaeger answered casually that he asked for the way from a passing crew when he was trying to head there.

    "Let me guess, you''re my sister''s creation too?" the AI let out a laugh.

    "Indeed sir, O4NR class Enhanced Observer & Warning System AI, or you could call me Ofnir, at your service" Jaeger was saluted by a nearby aircraft maintenance crew and was handed an airtight helmet. His aircraft is a hybrid type that could sortie both inside the atmosphere and outer space, the designation is IFA-27B, the Vertical Take-off capable variant, with a codename ''Valiant''. A multirole fighter-attacker that is even capable of launching two nuclear cruise missiles for anti-Interstellar capital ship missions, its main armament consisted of a 50mm triple-barrelled rotary cannon with around three thousand bullet capacity, two internal missile bays that are big enough for carrying 10 JDAM smart bombs and 8 AMRAAM medium-range missiles in atmospheric engagements.

    The plane itself is unique, its wings are currently folded inside the body of the aircraft, but when it''s deployed, the dynamic double delta forward-swept wings, advanced-looking hull, and an aerodynamically hidden and dynamic rectangular exhaust nozzle at the back of the body are very eye-catching. The Valiant is the backbone of Yukikaze''s Air group, along with several troop transport

    Also, at that time, he was already given a cloak by the Armoury officer that looked old for the era he was in, He was also told that the cloak will provide protection against any sharp-edged weapons since it was tested against a laser cutter. The Exo-suit was also equipped with two 3 Dimensional Thrusters mounted on each of his hips for extreme evasive manoeuvres and four swords for Close Quarters Combat (CQC), one that is an energy-based sword attached to the back of the thrusters and two wrist-mounted energy-based daggers, and the other is a katana-like sword in his left hip holster that is coated with super-heated energy when activated. Jaeger then went inside the fighter''s cockpit and prepared a cold start-up while putting the sword inside a certain weapon box behind the ejection seat.

    "Shall I help you, sir?" Ofnir offered, Jaeger agreed, and the aircraft system is taken over by the highly intelligent AI. The cockpit closed tightly, and the life support system went online, the engine started to hum and Ofnir also checked the Fire Control System or FCS in short. The ground crew saluted to the aircraft he was in as it was lifted by a crane system to the launch deck, the hatch on the catapult opens and the lifted fighter was inserted in, then the hatch closed and the room inside started to decompress, as soon the decompression ends, the hatch in front of him opens and the crane then moved the fighter forward. It then latched it to the grip of the catapult system and started to power up.

    "This is the control tower, sir, your callsign in this mission is Intruder 1-1, Reminder that your mission is diplomacy, we do not advise to use any acts of hostility unless necessary for survival, keep a low profile until you could meet the country''s leader, Godspeed on your mission" the man then gave the landing coordinates and clearance for take-off, the external enclosed door of the launch port slowly open, guidance light one by one lit up on each side of the tunnel of the catapult. Jaeger then put the fighter jet at full throttle.

    "Roger that control, I''ll see you all in several months" the catapult then rocketed the aircraft from 0 to 600kmph in mere 7 seconds if it compared when the ship is staying still, as it''s already around several tenth meters away from the ship, the jet extends its wings partially and went for orbital re-entry.

    "Intruder 1-1, can you hear me?" a familiar female voice resonated through the comms, and Jaeger responded instantly.

    "This is Intruder 1-1, comms are green command"

    "Roger, We have an abnormal energy wavelength building up at this coordinate. I advise you to break away from the waypoint if necessary" control sent jaeger the coordinates to his database. He understood and proceeded to continue. the aircraft then started its re-entry to Verdia''s atmosphere, rattling heavily as the air friction slowed down his speed, everything seemed to be proceeding smoothly. Nonetheless, his feeling of a bad omen came true. The warnings on his cockpit blare at him, his AI assistant can''t help much since it is currently stabilizing the fighter''s descent due to the difference in atmospheric pressure.

    "Intruder 1-1!! An abnormal amount of energy readings is covering the hull of your fighter! Breakaway ASAP!!" shouted operations command in Yukikaze high above, but to no avail, the blinding energy that covers the fighter is blocking the laser transmission. They watch in confusion and horror on the radar and visually as the trail of fiery light of the descending fighter suddenly vanished in mid-air.

    "Damnit! Intruder 1-1! Respond!! Jaeger!!" shouted mission control.

    Meanwhile, inside the fighter, Jaeger grunted as the energy is also enveloping him, holding off his movements and draining his stamina, he tried to move his right arm that is gripping the control stick, but it was too powerful for him as if he weren''t allowed to move at all. His vision gets darker and darker every second, and the rattles stop.

    - unknown location ¨C

    - unknown time -

    "Sir! Get up! SIR!!" shouted Ofnir inside Jaeger''s head, the man shook his head and regain his consciousness from the incident before. He was in a chamber with an unknown circular engraving floor, the roof is made out of glass, revealing the blue sky above, the pillars supporting the chamber are modelled similar to the roman empire era with some English kingdom touch, and the area around is partially dark since the light can''t shine throughout the room. The moment he was fully awake, he jumped to realization.

    "Ofnir! Where''s my jet?" he asked in a panic while checking his equipment throughout his body.

    "I have the IFA-27 land somewhere 500km South-East from our current coordinate, it is located at an inactive volcano cauldron to prevent technology spread and panic, I''ve also sent 3 drones throughout the perimeter acting as an early warning system" reassured Ofnir.

    "Seems you''re pretty useful after all, I was doubting you before honestly" the AI assistant could only sigh at its owner''s bluntness, then again, Ofnir only thought to do as it is tasked: assist Lieutenant Colonel Jaeger at all costs. Jaeger is also still confused about how he was transferred to this room without his flight helmet on.

    During that moment, a door suddenly opens inside the chamber. Two men in white robes accompanying a young female in an elegant dress went inside. One of the men approached the conscious one that is inspecting around while still standing inside the engraved circle.

    "Sir, it appears we have company" Ofnir reminded. Jaeger, fully aware of the situation, ignites the wrist-mounted energy blade and goes to a fighting stance. the men took a step back and is chanting some words that Jaeger don''t understand, flames started coming out from the edge of the staff of the white-robed man while the other unsheathed his sword.

    "All of you! Stop!" shouted the female in a dress, she then took a step forward and bowed as an apology, her appearance and attitude as if she''s royalty from a fantasy book. She has long golden hair, a very eye-pleasing body shape and a crystal blue eye. During the same time, Jaeger who didn''t notice, that another man, or rather, a teenage boy with a hoodie that covers up his seemingly high school uniform, started to regain consciousness. His looks are similar to a Japanese teen, his hair is quite sharp, and his body is quite average.

    "Oh my, it seems there''s a flaw in the summoning, there should only be one hero" her soothing voice is heavenly to hear, she then ordered her men to help the boy stand up since his physical condition dropped due to the shock of the energy. The other man, possibly her escort, then informs the girl about something.

    "Good, there is no language barrier," Jaeger thought to himself, Ofnir reassured that a couple of men behind her isn''t giving any hostility through neural scanning that it did before they started chanting something. He cleared his throat to get the attention.

    "Excuse me for my interruption, but what do you mean hero?" Jaeger asked. The men beside the girl then took several steps back, while the other helped the boy stand up beside Jaeger.

    "I''m sorry for the sudden of this summoning, oh heroes. I''m Lunamaria Nelimista, the second princess of the Holy Kingdom Nelimista. We are hereby in dire need of your help on the upcoming demon invasion, will you lend your mighty strength?" she stated while stretching out her hands to shake Jaeger''s. ''The situation is very unforeseeable, at the very least'' the Mercenary thought of himself wary towards the girl''s request while smiling at him.

 Unexpected Encounters

    - Unknown Chamber, Presumably, the Capital of Nelimista Kingdom ¨C

    - Around Afternoon -

    As the Princess made the request declaration, the young boy suddenly shouted in excitement, as if it is what he wanted. The escort then helped him stand up, let the boy go, and returned to the Princess''s side.

    "I can''t believe I became an Isekai (another world) Protagonist! The goddess sure is nice enough giving me language understanding and awesome skills!" he exclaims with happiness.

    Jaeger could only cringe at the boy''s happiness as if he were seeing his dark past. on the other hand, the Princess smiled gleefully at him and held a grip on the boy''s hand. Her appearance made the boy blush since she''s admirably a beauty herself. Looking at the two, Jaeger then coughed to get their attention again. Realizing her actions, she had a slight blush on her cheeks and took several steps away from the boy.

    "Apologies for my improper act as a lady, I was overjoyed by the news that sir hero is blessed by the goddess Eos herself" the boy flushed as he was complimented.

    "Please your highness, it''s not that I expect this myself" he chuckled at his retort. Jaeger still wary of everything gets into the business quickly.

    "Your highness, it might be impolite of me, but may I have myself to see the king? I need to know further information if you wanted me to be your so call Hero for your nation" he sternly requested. One of her men then whispered something to her and she nodded at the man.

    "Very well, I do intend to come here to introduce both of you to the King" she then orders them to follow her. Both of them agreed and tailed her.

    "Ofnir, change of plans, we keep Yukikaze''s existence a secret and also our Valiant too, my intuition has a suspicion towards this nation"

    "Understood sir"

    Secretly, Jaeger orders Ofnir to send out a drone to their location right before the Princess and her men came, the drone''s mission is recon and data gathering for topological scanning and map creation, he''s not that worried since his sister''s creation came with a trick, so it won''t be detected. Like the Yukikaze, the drone is also equipped with optical camouflage that covers its underside. And as the scan results came in, the mercenary smiled as he finally got something valuable, like the castle defences, the number of soldiers in their inventory, and their infrastructure mapping. Although, he also asks Ofnir about the boy''s database since Jaeger has a suspicion that the boy is from the earth. Fortunately, Ofnir did find the boy''s data.

    "Hey, since we''re both the summoned heroes, wanna be friends? You know, to get to know each other?" the boy asked, breaking the silence in the castle corridor where they were being guided to the throne room.

    "I have no intentions of doing so, although I''ve already found out about your data, Kurogane Hiroshi" Jaeger''s statement surprised the 16-year-old boy because Jaeger knows about his identity whatsoever disturbed Hiroshi quite a lot.

    "How did you- ", he stopped as Jaeger shush him, his crimson cold eyes pierced through the boy''s eyes, radiating an immense cold-blooded aura that made him feel fear.

    "Ah yes, a normal boy in a high school from Saitama prefecture, while having a hobby of being a manga artist. And how come you have that kind of body if you learned Kendo?" Jaeger continued while having a look outside the corridor. The boy was speechless and kept on walking, but he moved beside the princess''s guard, fearing him.

    "Ah, I forgot to ask sir, but there seem to be metal things that were latched to your body, is it a piece of otherworld equipment?" Jaeger then showed his arms outside his cloak to the princess that is looking her back at him.

    "Oh this, you could call it like that your highness, it is currently confidential"

    "I see, it seems that it looks quite excruciating just to wear such equipment" Jaeger averted his eyes while sighing in exasperation.

    "you could say that again..."

    As they were nearing the throne room, one of the guards reminded them that they should bow when speaking to the king or they''ll be considered acting imprudently towards his majesty. After turning right at the corridor, they saw a huge wooden door, decorated with gold with the kingdom''s insignia on each door. Two guards bowed at the Princess''s appearance, and their arrival was announced to the audience inside. The Princess''s escort then permission themselves to leave, she blesses them as they turn around the corner. The door opened grandly, inside, an audience full of high classed attire was present, presumably the nobles and the Kingdom''s ministers. The crowd bowed at the presence of the princess, while both Jaeger & Hiroshi walked behind her. Hiroshi is waving at their hospitality, while Jaeger, is wary around them. Princess Lunamaria stopped at a certain distance and bowed to the King, who is sitting on the throne, Jaeger then also immediately bowed down while Hiroshi followed along.

    "Your Majesty, King Kievan Orbus Nelimista II, my presence hereby is to declare the succession of the hero summoning" the crowd cheered as she announced it.

    The king smiled at his daughter''s achievement and congratulated her. Although it was a light of hope for them, the King questioned why there are two men behind her. She explained that the summoning had a slight flaw, resulting in two people being dragged into the magical power. The king wasn''t disappointed he was pleased. At the same time, the word ''magic'' piqued Jaeger, he didn''t think the so-called fantasy thing did make him dragged into this mess, and he did notice that there was also a person with priest attire along with the ministry standing across the hall as if confirming that this kingdom is the religion centre of the continent.

    "That Priest seemed to be bad news," he thought,

    "why would it sir?"

    "I felt a weird stare from him, is he trying to use magic at me?" Ofnir did a quick scan towards the mentioned man

    "I''m detecting the same abnormal energy that envelopes the fighter, it could be that-"

    "wait, don''t act rashly, it may be him that initiated the teleportation, but we need to search for clear clues" Ofnir understands and stayed on high alert

    "Should you make a move sir?"

    "I have an idea"

    The mercenary in his cloak then stood up and opens up his hoods, looking confident. An audible gasp was heard, and the crowd started murmuring. The king order them to remain silent, he was interested in the man that dare to stand up in front of him.

    "Sir, what in the world are you doing?"

    "Just shut up will you?" Wolfenford then cleared his throat

    "Apologies for my discourteous action your highness, let me introduce myself, my name is Achilles Wolfenford, but my subordinates call me Jaeger." he introduced himself. On the other hand, Hiroshi was a bit worried about what Jaeger did.

    "My, your name has the same name as our god of war. What brings your courage to speak up young lad?" Jaeger then cleared his throat.

    "As I am a bit curious on how I ended up along with the summoning, what is the reason behind the war against the so-called Demons?" the audience started shouting ''how imprudent'', ''what a disappointment, and so on towards Jaeger. The King silenced them down again. Jaeger''s question piqued the King''s interest in him.

    "Quite a question you have asked, may I have the reason, mister Jaeger?" all eyes are onto the robed mercenary in question. He, with all of his professionalism, answered it bravely.

    "War isn''t just about good vs bad, all I wanted to know is the true reason behind this war, then I''ll decide which side I''ll join." one of the Prime ministers interjects him.

    "Then, as you stated, Sir Hero might side the Invading Demons?" Jaeger raises an eyebrow at the question.

    "It is plausible, I won''t join into one of the factions because of biased prejudice" and as he stated that, the knights that were present were enraged unsheathed their swords, swiftly surrounded him while pointing the tip of their blades toward the currently standing man''s neck in the middle of the hall, encircling him. The king shouted to every single one of the audience to not interfere, along with the knights that unsheathed their swords, or their actions were treated as treason.

    "I see you do have a proper foundation, have you been in a war before young lad?" Jaeger then saluted, as he''s confirming that he did. His stance was so dignified that the King was astonished.

    "Yes, your highness, Lieutenant Colonel Achilles Wolfenford, with a callsign Jaeger. I work as a mercenary before, under my father''s command, General August Wolfenford. Pardon me if you don''t know about him" the king chuckled and laughed, he clapped while saying fantastic as there are no Heroes in their history that is a mercenary before and a weird greeting that is out from his world.

    "Impossible! A mere boy like you has a rank that high!" shouted one of the knights. He''s young in appearance, wearing the white royal attire just like the other knights, along with a longsword holstered at his hips. The Knight''s saffron eyes are full of disbelief and still with anger since Jaeger could turn against them at any time.

    "Oi, I''m around 20, I''m old enough to be enlisted. And yet, I see you''re quite greener than it looks" Jaeger retorted while the young knight gritted.

    "Apologies for my uncouth action, your majesty, but I, Captain Siegmund Lichtenburg, the Kingdom''s Lightning Swordsman, hereby request a duel against this treacherous fraud of a hero!" the crowd gasp the king facepalmed at his knight''s attitude. Kurogane, can''t comprehend fast enough, could only stare blankly at everything that unfolds in front of him

    "heh, this development is extremely too clich¨¦," Jaeger thought in amusement.

    "Hhhh.... Very well, I hereby declare the duel between Captain Siegmund against Lieutenant Colonel Jaeger, the duel will be held at the colosseum of knights tomorrow noon. The maids will guide both of the heroes to their rooms. This meeting is in shambles and can''t be continued, you may all leave now. Except for the heroes, I have something to talk to them" the nobles left the throne room one by one along with the knights, even though Captain Sigmund kept staring daggers at Jaeger.

    The throne room is now empty, in the aftermath of everything, Jaeger could finally relax a bit and look around him. Seeing the ornaments and design is very grand and luxurious, the ceramic floor reflexed the sunlight coming from several massive windows on the left, even for a medieval era building, it looks as if they''ve developed technology quite good enough to make them.

    "So, Sir Wolfenford, what makes your decision of saying the statement earlier?" the king asked

    "As I said earlier, my reason is uncovering the truth behind this war you''re in, I won''t accept something like ''go fight the demons for humanity'' and just massacre everything hostile in this nation''s eyes and be treated as a weapon of war" the king nodded, Jaeger has a good reasoning to not side with their kingdom and act to his own discretion, he fear that it may potentially lead to a betrayal.

    "Also, Sorry for dropping my formality your majesty, but I must say this castle design is very grand and elegant, you have quite good taste" the king smiled at his compliment.

    "Why thank you Sir Wolfenford, I do take pride in my designers and architects." He proudly says. The princess, who is still present, coughed to remind the king about his purpose.

    "Ahem, as you can see, I welcome you both Sir Wolfenford and Sir..." Kurogane then introduced himself to the king.

    "Yes, Both Sir Wolfenford and Sir Hiroshi are welcomed to our kingdom. And apologies for my Knight''s Imprudent behaviour towards our guest." There''s an awkward silence between them, but Lunamaria started speaking about Kurogane''s blessing from the goddess to break the silence. The King wasn''t all that surprised, he already knew and told them about the judgement eyes skill he has that could see someone''s capabilities and compare them to others. He was more intrigued at Jaeger''s presence since he''s the abnormal one, the king couldn''t sense any magical aura nor any blessing emitting from him, but his skill told him that Jaeger''s thousands time powerful than ten thousand of his knights combined and could fight toe to toe with Kurogane in his full power or even with the limiter skill was off. He said to his daughter to keep this a secret from the knights, He wanted Jaeger''s performance at the duel to be a surprise.

    "Wait, hold up, this guy could even beat me on the highest level without any special magic or skills?" remarked the blessed hero. Jaeger patted Kurogane''s shoulder while smiling.

    "It is what I call, Battlefield experience, kid" retorted Jaeger. Kurogane pouted, and the princess giggled at their demeanour.

    "My, you two seemed close, even though you have just met today," she remarked,

    "WE''RE NOT!!" both of them exclaimed simultaneously, denying her.

    "Alright gents, since the meeting has ended, just as earlier I have stated, the maids will escort both dear heroes to their rooms, if you have the intentions to go sightseeing around our city, you''ll be permissioned to take a leave. All of you are dismissed" The maids then came through the other door in the room and asked both Jaeger and Kurogane to follow them. Both of them then ask their permission for their leave to the king and Princess

    "And one thing sir Wolfenford..." as Jaeger wanted to follow his guide, he stopped his tracks and looked again at the king.

    "Will you even fight against or perchance, with us if you have found out the truth?" Jaeger had a moment of silence, he then smiled at the king.

    "Do not worry your majesty, I will not take your life even if I''m the enemy, you seem to be a pretty nice man" Jaeger sincerely says. the king nodded.

    "Very well, have a nice rest" Jaeger then followed the maids and Kurogane to their room. As soon both of them left the room along with the maids, the Princess sighed in relief.

    "Good gracious, what a handful bunch," she said, the king then stood up from his throne, walked towards his daughter and hugged her, his appearance isn''t as old as other fantasy stories, the king is rather young around in his thirties. His voice is gentle yet deep.

    "e-eh? father?" she sounded a bit surprised and very worried about her father.

    "Sweetheart, please, don''t become the enemy of that man... my premonition has seen a terrible future, this kingdom will ultimately fall..."

    "Wh-what? It must be a mistake, the premonition blessing of yours could even foresee another ending... right father?" she sounded quite afraid of what happened, the king could only stare at her with despair in his looks.

    "There are none, all of the branches will always end with this kingdom''s fall. I could only pray that the goddess will protect us. So please, remember what I say"

    "... yes father, so that''s why you were...." Both of them had a moment of silence, the fact that the King himself has a powerful premonition blessing also drives the princess to feel the desperation of her father''s heart. In her eyes, her father is a spectacular King. A man who could revive his country from its darkest days and made the kingdom the centre of their religion in the continent, making wonderful allies here and there and winning against a full-scale invasion from the southern arctic continent. To see him being so down made her resolve into something that would be called a dream.

    "don''t worry father, I''ll unite humanity under our goddess Eos and bring peace upon this land. I swear to my name and this kingdom." The king let go of his embrace, seeing his daughter grow made him smile with pride.

    "I knew you''re my daughter, you have such high dreams, don''t let your elder sister and brother''s death on the battlefield be in vain, live up to their expectations"

    "Understood father!" she smiled and permission herself to leave. As she already left the hall, the king sighed.

    "He''s the son of that man huh? Nevertheless, may the goddess bless your effort, my dear daughter...and forgave this old man, I have to do what I must do"

    Back to the duo, their walk to their room takes a lot of turns, the inside of the castle felt like a maze. Breaking the ice, one of the Maids asked them if they wanted an interconnected room or separated rooms. Kurogane requested interconnected rooms so he could get along with Jaeger better, but even though Jaeger is against it, he sympathizes with Kurogane''s idea, they also were informed about the castle''s directory so they wouldn''t get lost. During their conversation, Jaeger interjected.

    "Miss, may I request the way to the library?" the maid looked at him still with her expressionless face. She had one of her eyebrows raised above her Navy-blue eyes.

    "my, are you interested in our history sir Wolfenford?"

    "Sort of like that" The maid then told the other one to escort Kurogane to their room while she''ll guide Jaeger towards the Castle''s library room, and they parted ways at a certain turn.

    They arrived at the library door, it was a tower, towering high that Jaeger has estimated the tower has a height of around 50 meters. It has the same door with a golden insignia of the kingdom. The maid then gently opened the door, and its creaking sound echoed inside. The set of lights was set ablaze in a controlled circular streak on every floor, as it reacts to the door with magic, even the massive chandelier that hangs from the top of the tower at the centre. The library itself is massive in scale, from top to bottom of the tower was filled with books and bookshelves. As they went inside, there is no librarian since it''s rarely visited but there was a catalogue book at the round table in the centre of the room.

    "I shall return in several hours, enjoy your time reading sir" the maid then bowed and left, leaving the library for Jaeger himself to enjoy. He then scrolled down through the pages of the book, as he flipped through the pages, he felt irritated since it has characters that he didn''t recognize.

    "Ofnir, this one is uh... might be a problem..."

    "what is it, sir?"

    "I can''t freaking read this crap, how do I suppose to know a language from another world?"

    "give me a second sir" Ofnir uses Jaeger''s memory to scan the language of the book

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    "Yeah, no luck, the language is not in my database"

    "Yeah, no s**t Sherlock"

    But as he flipped another page, coincidentally, several book titles were written in a language that he knew. One book was written in German while the others were written in English and Japanese.

    "I guess this so-called hero summoning has been done throughout the ages huh?"

    "Luck must be on our side then sir"

    "you believe in such even though you''re an AI?"

    "I don''t know sir, It''s just a catchphrase that was programmed inside me"

    He thought to go to the floor where the three books were located to bring them to the reading area. But since he didn''t know about the language of the nation, he could only rely upon Ofnir''s quick scanning, which means he needs to search from top to bottom. The mercenary grunted at the overwhelmingly high and large library while looking up to the ceiling.

    "Man, this might take hours to look for just three books, I should''ve asked the maid to be my translator"

    "I''ve blocked the pain receptors from receiving any fatigue signals throughout your body, you could start from the bottom floor, I''ll be using the photogrammetry and laser imagery module that''s installed inside the exoskeleton to find the similar letters."

    "how about we use the drones we deployed earlier to scan?"

    "they''re currently recharging their power sir, it''s a long flight from the fighter to our coordinates"

    "and why don''t you just scan them while I''m standing here?"

    "it takes a lot of processing power to scan the whole library to mere millimetres"

    "Isn''t your processor made with quantum tech? wait... you''re just using me as a convenient carrier huh?"

    "perhaps"

    "lazy ass"

    And with that, Jaeger started walking around the library, even though he complains about his AI. The shoulder part of the exoskeleton opens a very small hatch, revealing the glass protection for the aforementioned modules. He took his search slowly and thoroughly, making sure it has 100% succession on the scanning of the area. One hour later, he reached the top floor and finally have the data of the interior layout of the Library, he then pinpointed where the location of the books and went to the shelves.

    As he already has the book in possession and started reading, he found an article that piqued his interest. Although it was one of the books that were written in German, he could read it since it was his first language rather than English, while the ones in Japanese were translated by Ofnir. The page also showed the map of the continent, and there was a note written by the author, depicting a race that was aforementioned by the king.

    "Sir, I''ll take onto account what the so-called demons are"

    "Understood, I see they were just humans with controlled biological mutation"

    "Is this what they call racism?"

    "quite possibly. But then again, it is also debatable about whether mutating humans are allowed or not back at home" The man was so immersed in reading it that he didn''t notice the Maid that has returned.

    "Have you done reading sir?"

    "GAH!!" he jumped out from his seat and had his heart beating frantically, surprised by seeing the maid that was suddenly beside him.

    "My apologies, I seem to startle you"

    "Dear God, could you not make that sudden appearance! You could give me a heart attack!" He sighed and then returned to his seat, flipping another page. the Maid beside him was slightly curious and took a peek at the book he was reading, making Jaeger have an uneasy feeling.

    "Miss maid, would you help me to translate most of the letters in this book? There are some that I don''t know since it came from this world" the silver-haired maid gives a slight smile.

    "Certainly sir. Also, you may address me as Victoria"

    "thank you, Miss Victoria"

    The maid subsequently helped the man, telling him about the letters that he didn''t understand that was written in the book. And as time flew by, they could decrypt most of the contents of the three books. It was the journal of each of the heroes that were summoned from three different nations, and they are people from Earth. The oldest ones were from Nelimista itself, a British female noble with the name Olivia Cravestar who brought the concept of churches and knighthood, the second one is Japanese swordsman, Maekawa Asakura, summoned in the Incliras Kingdom that made advances on their metallurgy and became the kingdom with the sharpest yet densest sword, and the last one was summoned at a Kingdom that was never heard off and his name bewildered Jaeger

    "August....Wolfenford.....?" The maid leaned back slightly as she was done translating the nation''s names.

    "The Kingdom of Apollyon? I have heard of such a kingdom before, it was thought that it has fallen due to the Demon army''s first appearance 280 years ago" Jaeger hummed while rubbing his chin.

    "fallen? But it says here that the kingdom is still thriving"

    "hmm... fascinating knowledge sir"

    Victoria had her curiosity increased since the book that was written in German had never been able to be decrypted by anyone in the kingdom, she even told Jaeger that even the past heroes that were summoned in the kingdom couldn''t even read them. she then leaned forward to look more closely at the book and asked Jaeger for what is the main essence of the book. she fixed her silver hair that was covering her sight at the book, the alluring view of it made Jaeger slightly blush. The man coughed to cast out any crude thoughts and started from the beginning, from where the original form of the idea of the hero summoning and its purpose like ending wars, brought progression in every kingdom, and to their personal life. And as he reads, the more he knew the truth, but some he kept away from the Maid since it was quite trivial.

    "So the hero August married a girl from his party that is the mage. Several years later, through the mage''s research, they found out how to return to his world ... but the magic could only transfer two lifeforms at the same time, and since they already have a child that''s already born, the mage let them return, leaving her in this world and he was never heard again...."

    "wow, such a romantic story.... It deeply touches my heart- huh? Sir Wolfenford?" the maid was taken aback, the calm looking man was in tears, although it was not much.

    "o-oh, hmm... sorry for seeing me in this state, anyway..." he wiped his tears out and cleared his throat.

    "So... mom didn''t die in an accident... dad, why did you keep this from me..." he silently thought and continued.

    "the mage''s name is Christina Eoflora, also known as Archmage Talisman-" Jaeger was cut off by the Maid that suddenly leaned too much to his face in starstruck, glimmering in excitement as she hear the name.

    "The Archmage Talisman?!" her exclaim were to a surprise for Jaeger that he leaned back in his chair to not make an accident with her to that extent.

    "Ohh I adore the Archmage! She was gallant and her magic was astounding and beautiful! Protecting the weak while she is still on the frontlines, such an honourable mage"

    "wait, she''s on the frontlines?"

    "Yes! Rumour has it, that she has a thousand years to live since she made an age extending spell that is an enigma for all mages worldwide. And-" she stopped as she realized that she lost her composure as a maid, she then cleared her throat while standing straight and returned to her expressionless expression.

    "so the cool maid also has that kind of side eh?" Jaeger teased her.

    "Sir Wolfenford, would you refrain from remembering our conversation earlier?"

    "eh but-" she gave a threatening glare to the mercenary.

    "I. Insist." The stare made the mercenary shiver his spine and slightly terrifies him.

    "O-okay then... well uhh... would you guide me to my room now? I don''t wanna get lost and all" the maid then bowed.

    "Certainly sir, and just let the books here, It is imbued with magic that if the readers have concluded his or her time reading, it will naturally return to where it belongs"

    "that sounds convenient"

    "most definitely"

    They then left the library while the books are stacked up in the reading area. She then closed the door and issued him to follow her to his room. As they were walking, Jaeger silently glanced at her back.

    "this maid reminds me of the maid back home..." he shudders and shrugs off the memories that haunt him.

    - The Heroes room, inside the castle ¨C

    - Around 5 pm -

    "Man, I haven''t got to sleep in this kind of bed for years... also how''s the library?" the boy started yawning, the bed that is provided by the king is heavenly for a boy that is registered in a boarding school. Jaeger sighed at his roommate that is very carefree while he was hanging his cloak inside the closet. Jaeger closed the closet and stood right beside the bed, crossing his arms.

    "The library is just your average. And kid, aren''t you being too carefree for this?"

    "Aww... I thought there''ll be something interesting. And about the demon invasion... I''m worried honestly, I''ve never gone into battle before, but hey, it''ll be interesting isn''t it? we''re going to kick some ass!" hearing that, made Jaeger grit his teeth.

    "Tch, this is why I hate your generation."

    He then walked to the room connected to it and slammed the door to the next room, leaving the boy confused. In his room, he opened up the window. Since the castle is on top of the hill, the view was quite staggering, a medieval city that he used to see in fantasy movies and games, with people in the town busy doing their business and happily conversing with each other. He could also see the military training grounds, seeing the soldiers swing their swords and train their endurance along with practice sparing on their swordsmanship. It has the same sunset view as the earth

    "Ofnir, how is our comms to the ship currently?" he asked, Ofnir sent several data to run through his brain.

    "Currently, an abnormal energy is blocking our communications towards Yukikaze at the stratosphere around 37km from sea level, laser comms is also unavailable, unable to connect to control"

    "Alright, our mission priority currently will be re-establish communication towards the ship, as Valiant currently doesn''t have an engine powerful enough to break from the atmosphere. As we now know this kingdom isn''t technologically developed enough and were very extreme against it, we need to go to that country, I assume we''ll get support from them."

    "Mission order received, preparing multiple calculations..."

    "By the way, how did you obtain Kurogane''s data?"

    "Oh, the exoskeleton you''re using is operated by a micro quad quantum processor, which is why I have over three hundred Terabytes of processing capabilities and a hard drive capable of storing up to 900 Terabytes of data" Jaeger is quite surprised that he twitched slightly while viewing the scenery through the window.

    "What in the world did my sister created for god sake..."

    "a fairly smart AI helper sir"

    "Thanks for pointing out mister obvious" Ofnir gave more data about the continent that he scanned back at the library, from their names, borders, etc. However, the AI wondered about its master''s actions earlier.

    "Sir, why did you taunt the nobles earlier?"

    "Eh? I just wanted to know their reaction towards different habits of different cultures and their social understanding, turns out they''re quite old fashioned ain''t it? Besides, I could get to experience that clich¨¦ stuff on record to embarrass that cocky ass knight"

    "I questioned myself on how I ended up here now" the man in the black uniform chuckled at his AI''s behaviour. He has been on a lot of missions and troubles solo but having a companion to talk, to slightly helps his lone time. After viewing the data, he then went to Kurogane''s room and grab his brown cloak, he was hesitant to invite him to come along at first, but he changed his mind.

    "Hey Kid, wanna take a stroll in the city?"

    "Alright, count me in" the boy jumped out of bed while he was playing on his phone and followed the mercenary outside. Jaeger reminded him to not make a scene like taking pictures on the streets whatsoever. He understood and asked the nearby maid about the way to the gate castle and permission them to go sightseeing in the city.

    "How could you even calmy use your smartphone? What if it ran out of battery?"

    "I could use my lightning magic skill, it''s pretty useful you know?"

    "Dear God.... this kid is just way too carefree"

    - the city of Apostysa, Nelimista Kingdom Capital¨C

    - Around 7 pm -

    The busy streets of the city were very rowdy in the evening, people went to the market to buy ingredients for dinner, or they would eat outside, the streetlights started glowing as they react to the darkness, creating a beautiful middle age night time scenery. among the citizens that were walking by, was A girl with a cloak, hiding her head with the hood, happily trotting down the streets of the city, her company was running to catch up to her agile movements, panting as he approaches her.

    "Sis! Slow down!" the girl turned around, facing the man that exclaimed to her. the man took a breather and exhaled as he relaxed his breath.

    "Aww~ you can''t be this weak on walking only this far, anyway, this city is quite a scenery isn''t it?"

    "Yeah, it is beautiful, but it isn''t walking if you''re hopping in the streets, it''ll attract attention!" the girl pouted.

    "Tch, be glad I could act like a different person, or not this ''visit'' of us will become a trouble for father"

    "WE ARE already in trouble, I got a call from the forward battalion that they''re going to try to launch an assault on another fortress in two days" the girl had her fingers on her chin, thinking about the information that was given.

    "they''re suiciding again huh?"

    "Sadly, yeah"

    "Well, it''s a perfect cover for our nation''s army, they thought us as demons like we''re literal mythical creatures, good thing the scientific team did a great job making that mutation serum that has no side effect and -" her mouth was stuffed with bread out of nowhere by her brother

    "SHHHHH could you stop being a researcher for a bit! You''ll blow our cover!" she nodded while saying muffled words.

    All of the sudden, a man that is also cloaked, came out from the dark and forcefully robbed her coin pouch from her, the crowd nearby started to scream in panic. The girl''s brother started to run frantically, chasing the thief. she screamed at her brother for leaving her stranded in the middle of a city that she barely knows. at the same time, another cloaked man rocketed at the streets, causing dust in his wake. Although the man went past the girl at breakneck speeds, their eyes met for a split second. The man''s crimson eyes reflected the streetlights, creating a streak of red light and his eyes gave a stare of someone in his professionalism, while the girl''s emerald eyes were sparkling and astonished at the man''s abnormal speed for that era. As the brother weaved through the crowd, he saw the thief go into the alleyway. The thief jumped between the walls to gain his height and escape through the rooftops.

    As the thief was relieving for a minute while still running, thinking he would lose his pursuers. His irritation came back as he saw a silhouette at his back also jumping above the rooftops, following him. He intended to jump down but then he saw the city guard was following him below. The thief then chants a spell, causing his speed and agility to increase while being enveloped by a faint coating of white light. He apparently could make a distance against the pursuers and laugh evilly, but as he was laughing, he was kicked in the face and knocked out by someone out of nowhere at breakneck speeds.

    The thief fell to the ground and created a crater in the streets, he has broken bones all over his body and was bleeding even though it was minimalized by the magic he chanted. as the dust cleared away, the guards finally reached the scene and saw a man with a brown cloak has his left leg stepping at the thief, looking at him with a cold stare. The man then explained what happened and the guards understand. A few minutes later, the man that is also chasing the thief finally arrived. There, he could only see the aftermath of it and a man that was conversing with the guards, holding his sister''s pouch.

    "Hey, uhh... would you return that to my sister?" the man with the brown cloak turned around, he then noticed it and throw the pouch towards him. He then thanked the cloaked man but as he was about to return, a teenage boy was shouting at a distance while approaching them.

    "Wolfenford-San!!" a boy was waving at the cloaked man that opened up his hood. As the boy arrived at them short on breath, the boy was highly agitated and scolded Wolfenford because he left him out of nowhere. A few moments later, another one shouted at them, this time is the girl earlier.

    "Conny! Finally found you!" she exclaimed while waving. The girl was running elegantly. although she was wearing a cloak with her hoods on, it didn''t cover her front, revealing an elegant dress with short skirts up to her knees and had her cleavage slightly exposed. Men nearby took a glance at her since her chest also bounce with every step she took.

    "Yo dude, she''s hot ain''t it?" the boy teased Wolfenford that is also captivated by her appearance while nudging Wolfenford''s stomach with his elbow. Wolfenford got irritated and smacked the boy''s head

    "OW! What''s that for!?"

    "Shut up pervert"

    "I''m just saying the obvious! OW!" he was smacked again by the cloaked man. As the girl arrived, also out of breath, she pinched her brother''s cheeks and pulled them

    "OW!! STOPP!!" begged him while trying to let go of her pinching.

    "This is for leaving me out of nowhere! You do realize that I''m a girl right! Stupid older brother!" her brother cried in pain as she was pinching him harder

    "this d¨¦j¨¤ vu is very similar with more violence," Wolfenford thought for a moment. After she has done pinching her brother''s cheeks, the girl noticed something.

    "AH! The roadster dust maker!" she got smacked by her bother

    "Ouch! What was that for!"

    "Mind your words miss! He''s the one that returned your pouch"

    "But I was only stating the obvious!" she got smacked again by her brother. Both Wolfenford and the boy laughed at seeing a near-perfect d¨¦j¨¤ vu of them. The brother of hers force her to bow and apologised, the man felt awkward and told them to raise their head.

    "Although, she was right about that part honestly" nodded Wolfenford.

    "See? He admitted it"

    They all laughed and started chatting about how the siblings were there and their experience of visiting the town. Both parties agreed about how it was beautiful and lively, how their cuisine is a treat, and the citizen has great hospitality towards visitors. In their moment of chatting, the brother realized that he haven''t introduced himself.

    "Oh yeah, I forgot to introduce ourselves, I''m Conrad, and this is my little sister Aurora"

    "Pleasure to meet you both" Aurora bowed again gracefully this time as a follow to her brother''s words. The boy smiled at her and as he looked at Wolfenford, he can''t hold a grin, as he saw his partner has a faint blush on his cheeks. Wolfenford realized that they were done with their introduction and cleared his throat.

    "ah yea, I''m Achilles Wolfenford, but my subordinates call me Jaeger" Conrad got interested in him

    "Subordinate? Are you in the military perhaps?"

    "Yes, My rank is Lieutenant, and this is my friend-" he was cut off by the boy that jumped in front of him and introduced himself cheerfully.

    "Heya! I''m Kurogane Hiroshi! One of the summoned heroes of this era!" both siblings twitched as he said hero while Jaeger facepalmed and grunted.

    "Kid! Why in the world you would reveal yourself as a hero?! Isn''t that supposed to be a national secret!?" he was fairly irritated, Kurogane''s Innocence is just too troublesome for him.

    "aren''t you being too secretive? The whole Kingdom knows us as the hero, Be proud of your title!" Jaeger gave a death stare to the boy and grabbed his shoulder roughly.

    "Listen kid! This is war! enemies are all over and they''re going to eat you alive! Us was given the title of heroes means we''ll fight on the frontlines. And don''t just go blabber it to any friendly random person you just met! We don''t know if they''re friendly or not!"

    "trust is vital for making more friends on our journey! and also, why didn''t you want to tell the truth about your rank! Mr Lieutenant Colonel!? Isn''t being truthful the part that makes a hero the example of virtue?!"

    "Example of virtue?! What are you? a child? Everybody dies on each end of their side in any conflict! Heroes are just propaganda for morale boosters!"

    "They''re not!"

    As they were bickering, the siblings are worried that this would break into a fight, but as Conrad tried to intervene and calmed them down, he was knocked back by Kurogane''s golden aura suddenly emerging and blanketing his body, the wind was going outwards from Kurogane''s position, and it creates such pressuring feeling around him, pushing the siblings back with just mere energy. But Jaeger is still standing while kept bickering with Kurogane as if he was unfazed.

    "Conny, I don''t know how there are two heroes, but this is more troublesome. We need to stop their fighting"

    "I know, but the pressure from the magic is just so great, I can''t get close to them!" at a certain moment, Jaeger lit up both of his wrist-mounted plasma daggers and Kurogane invoked a spell, opening up a small dimensional rift. He grabbed something inside and pulled out a fantasy esque great sword, it was emitting blue lights on the engraved symbols with its blade tip and middle section covered in the gold coating. The crowd nearby was in fear, they scrambled and ran away from the scene as fast as they can before they become a victim of their fight.

    "I challenge you to a duel! After the duel against that Knight captain! I can''t accept what you said about being entitled as a hero!"

    "Bring it, I''ll show you what''s the true meaning of being in a real battle" at the midst of the commotion, Aurora''s shout finally reached them

    "Could you two calm down! We''re about to get blown to the river!"

    They both calmed down, and the pressure also instantly vanished. Both Aurora and Conrad sighed in relief, although... Kurogane was still angered and crossed his arms, he then walked away from them, heading somewhere else while muttering and cursing Jaeger. The man with the brown cloak sighed.

    "I''m sorry for the trouble, and could you keep a secret about us being heroes, I also have a duel tomorrow noon against a pompous Knight, plus, the whole city will be the audience." Conrad had his armed crossed.

    "why would the king be allowing such things honestly?"

    "not sure, I do have a suspicion about this country too, it seems that they hide a lot of information about the demon invasion and whatnot. And by the way..."

    Jaeger had his curiosity at Aurora since her eyes have a prepossessing shine and a unique iris that has a carved symbol that is theoretically impossible to have naturally. But his stare causes slight discomfort for her.

    "umm, would you not stare at me too much?..."

    "Oh sorry, I was looking at your eyes, it seems different... could it be that-"

    Conrad instinctively jumped in between them, he had his knife ready and strangely, a pair of wolf-like ears appeared out of nowhere, sticking out inside his hoods. His fangs grew and snarled in hostility, his sharp silver hair turned grey, and his cyan iris became narrow and darker.

    "and what if we are?"

    "whoa calm down! I was about to say that her eyes are beautiful!" An awkward silence came, the siblings were dumbfounded, but mostly it impacted aurora much. Her blush is so visible on her face, making her act all fidgety.

    "eh?"

    "what?"

    "e-eh!?" Conrad retracted his fangs and put away his knife, laughing hard enough that it echoed the street. His appearance returned to normal, he didn''t expect his enemy of him to say such a compliment.

    "Hahaha! This is the first time someone outside our kingdom complimented my sister. You pass buddy"

    "I-I''m not t-that beautiful..."

    "Oh come on sis, I could see his earnest feelings." Conrad kept chuckling, seeing his sister all fidgety for the first time.

    "So, demons aren''t evil as they say huh... and they look human as the book says" Conrad finally eased up after laughing, he noticed that it was very late and told his sister that it is time to go home. Jaeger agreed, saying that he needs rest before tomorrow''s duel.

    "Are you going to be okay? The amount of magic that the boy releases is just huge, no sane human would withstand that" the girl nodded at her brother''s statement. Jaeger could only sigh.

    "You may have a point, but I won''t worry much. anyway, enjoy your trip home. Hope we meet again soon and stay safe" he flips up his hood and walks away, waving at them and disappearing in the dark of the night of the city soon later. As the siblings stopped their waving at him, Conrad let out a sigh of relief.

    "Man, good thing it didn''t break out into a fight, we would be dead if they did, literally"

    "Indeed, but isn''t it weird? Shouldn''t the hero summoning ritual could only summon one person every 200 years each?" Conrad had his hands on his chins, thinking about the oddity of the occurrence.

    "You may be true, and somehow, Wolfenford seemed to be a more rational person than the na?ve boy with him."

    "Do you think they might change the tide of the war?"

    Conrad had a moment of silence, thinking about the possibilities of what lies next. Nevertheless, he was fairly optimistic and smiled at his sister while patting her head.

    "It depends on those two, let''s just see later"

    "Yeah...." Aurora stared blankly at the darkness of the road where Jaeger go, her brother noticed this and teased her.

    "Ohoho... I see someone had a crush on the other worlder that she even changed into her usual self" she snapped but she can''t contain her bright blush.

    "Wait, you really have a crush on him?" she bashfully nodded. Conrad facepalmed.

    "Good gracious, you two just met! I just.... Ughhh... whatever, let''s just go home, we don''t wanna keep anyone waiting for you" They then walked in the other direction.

    "Things might get interesting tomorrow" muttered Conrad, even though he was very anxious about it

 Decision

    - The Heroes room, inside the castle ¨C

    - Around 6 am -

    Kurogane opened up his eyes after sleeping soundly in his room, the sunlight went inside through the window is fairly bright. He got out of bed with a huge yawn, rubbed his eyes and walked toward the window. As he was scratching his head and fixing his bed hair, he was astonished at the sunrise. The castle is also lively in the morning, the maids were watering the plants and cleaning up the courtyard, and the guards were jogging and chatting while several of the Knights are heading somewhere, he thought they would probably go to the cafeteria to eat breakfast.

    In the meantime, he noticed that Jaeger was in the Garden, practising his martial arts. From afar, he could see he was doing some punches, kicks, and several techniques that he rarely sees. Some of the guards were also looking at Jaeger and were guided by him in basic martial arts

    "tch, showoff" Kurogane peevishly muttered, he then dressed up with the given armour by the king before he slept last night and headed to the dining room for breakfast.

    - The knight''s ''cauldron of determination'' Colosseum, the city of Apostysa, Nelimista Kingdom -

    - Around 10 am ¨C

    The Colosseum is crowded as the issue of the duel was spreading fast enough throughout the city. From nobles to commoners were present, excited about the event. At the lounge, both participants were present and were briefed by one of the Generals about the rule of the duel. It was a fairly simple rule, the ones that were knocked out, disarmed or in a checkmate situation are the ones that lost. They are permitted to use any magic since the arena is protected by a fairly strong barrier but are not allowed to cause vital part injuries. As the briefing ended, they were given a wooden Long sword each and were guided to each end of the colosseum ground entrance.

    The announcer started speaking, and the roar of the audience filled with excitement. The steel gates of both ends of the arena open as the announcer mentioned Jaeger and Siegmund''s names. The Knight captain enters gallantly while Jaeger gave out his cold-blooded aura as he enters, his attire is the same, with his cloak covering half of his body. They stopped in the middle of the Colosseum arena, facing each other. They bowed to the king that was present there, at the royal family podium. Murmurs start spreading since most of the commoners see both heroes'' images as more gallant and virtuous, instead of looking like an assassin.

    "Looking sharp Captain, you seemed prepared. Brought some diapers in case?" the mercenary has smug and winked. The Knight gritted in irritation, but he remained composed

    "I shall take that as a compliment, and I will defeat you to fix that atrocious behaviour"

    The announcer exclaimed the same rule that they were briefed earlier and moved away from them. One of the knights fully armoured became a referee and ordered them to take several steps away from each other. As they were in position, the referee unsheathed his sword and raised it, the Captain also draws out his given wooden sword and took a stance.

    "both parties prepared?" he looked at both participants that are in a stance. the crowd went silent, tensions starts rising.

    "Begin!!" the referee swung down his sword, and the captain started chanting.

    "O'' light, bestow upon thee a bless-" a cloud of dust suddenly piles up in a streak line as he hasn''t finished chanting. The pressure of the wind is so strong that the audience was taken aback by it. as the dust cleared up, the crowd was ultimately surprised. The infamous knight captain that was known for his speed was beaten. His wooden sword punctured the ground, his body is also taken aback, trembling with his mouth agape. On the other has his sword point-blank on the throat of the knight, he was holding it backwards like a knife and his stance is very low to the ground. but in Jaeger''s eyes, everything happened in a millisecond, his biological enhancement and equipment turned the duel to his favour. The Three-Dimensional thrusters and exoskeleton also helped him manoeuvre, Disarming, and slashing his sword at a point-blank range in mere seconds.

    "guess you''re just all talk" the mercenary stood down, unsheathed his sword, staring down at the Knight captain that fell to his knees in disbelief.

    "C-captain Siegmund has lost!"

    The nobles were shouting for a rematch in disbelief while the commoners just watched in awe. Kurogane, who is also present at one of the VIP balconies, was also taken by surprise by the short duel. The unprecedented speed and the accuracy of the swordplay are just multiple times higher than him. He shrugs it off and ran out from the seat, and heads towards the arena entrance.

    "Your Majesty! I advise a rematch of our duel, your nobles are still quite unsatisfied" the brown cloaked man exclaimed. The nobles shouted in agreement, they were furious at how the duel ended unfavourably for them.

    "But, I''ll have one simple request!" he cleared his throat

    "Tell the truth about this war against the so-called demon! I don''t find them hostile at all!" The crowd started to be confused and were enraged, as they know how many cities and villages were burned down from the news that spread.

    "How unruly! Demons are not hostile?! Are you even sane!" one of the nobles shouted. Long before, Jaeger noticed among the crowd there was a familiar white cloak that he met last night, the person''s head look like it is scanning the colosseum from up to down from his seat looking for someone.

    "I am sane! I''ve met a couple of them! If they were hostile to humans, I should have already died last night!!"

    "ENOUGH!" the king shouted and stood up, the whole place went silent.

    "Head Priest! Bring out the prisoner! We will show this disrespectful hero how disgraceful the demons are!" Jaeger was taken aback, the king''s personality turned 180 degrees unexpectedly. But as the Priest was going backstage, Kurogane enters the arena from one of the gates.

    "Sir Hiroshi, may you explain why you are inside the arena?"

    "apologies your majesty, but could you halt your priest for a bit, last night I requested a duel Wolfenford after his duel with captain Siegmund, may I have your permission?" the king sighed.

    "very well then, proceed. But this time, I would like you to use real swords" the well-equipped boy had a slight smirk. He then unsheathed his sword from his back, the same that he summoned yesterday. The crowd was awestruck by the presence of the sword. The referee then gives a go signal for their duel.

    "It is my intention." Kurogane went into his fighting stance that he learned from his hometown. staring murderously at Jaeger.

    "the holy sword Excalibur will bring judgement for the Kingdom!" the crowd cheered for Kurogane that is wielding a legendary sword with pride while Jaeger had a little laugh.

    "dude... come up with a better name for that, What are you? an 8th grader? Oh wait, you are!" the boy became slightly irritated

    "shut up! It was named by the court mages! Not my fault the name is cliche!"

    Jaeger was quickly handed by the guard a mass-produced sword, Kurogane was so eager to attack him that he rushed to the cloaked man. As Jaeger already had a grip on the sword, he quickly evades while causing dust in his wake while the guard was pushed away, saving him from the slash that cut the ground and rocked it. The fully armoured hero has a grin on his face as the battle gets interesting. He then rushed again towards Jaeger, trying to get a strike on the mercenary. Nonetheless, Jaeger kept on dodging and parrying the attacks. Although, Kurogane''s attacks are rapidly increasing. The mercenary gritted his teeth, seeing the inexperienced boy swing his sword ruthlessly and in disarray at him.

    "you can''t rely on that jet of yours! I''m faster!"

    "and what? Not relying on it to get killed?"

    At a certain moment, the sword that Jaeger was handed was sliced by his enemy''s sword, he then put his thrusters into the afterburner and rocketed to the other side of the arena as his head was millimetres away from being sliced into two. As he came to a stop and cooled down the thrusters, Ofnir instinctively pops out some sort of metallic hilts from the underside of one of the thrusters, it has red lines engraved along the hilts as a border between the material and it has a sort of rubber as its grip, he told Jaeger to use the energy sword as it was scanning an abnormal amount of energy coming out from Kurogane''s great sword that is sufficient enough to handle the heat of the daggers Jaeger usually use. He then pulled out the Hilts and ignited the thing, a material came out and made a shape of a blade, the material also emitting blue lights as the superheated photons coated the material. The audience was taken by surprise by the sword Jaeger is wielding and the Priest was in sort of disbelief. Jaeger saw an opening and rocketed towards Kurogane, but his slash was blocked. Kurogane''s vision has exponentially improved as he was already applied a body enhancement spell beforehand.

    "what the heck? That sword is so science fiction!"

    "because it is dumbass"

    They then continue their clash, blow by blow, slashing, parrying, and dodging each other attacks but to avail. Kurogane''s speed nearly matched Jaeger''s rapid reactions, and thus as Jaeger''s endurance is a lot higher, he finally could push the boy back. Kurogane''s attacks which are already hectic, became more chaotic and uncontrolled, including his magic. And thus, one of the ice lances from his magic went off course and headed to the audience''s seat, it was blocked by a barrier, but the power was so immense that it shatters the barrier, rendering it inoperable to shield the crowd. The Ice lance punctured the structure of the colosseum and the crowd scrambled frantically to safety as it crumbles down. Most of the Royalties were shocked by the incident that was happening in front of them and fled from their seats, fearing another stray attack.

    "Kurogane! stop! Your magic is causing collateral damage!"

    "Shut up! I won''t stop until you apologize!"

    "This f**king kid!"

    Jaeger had enough of playing, he let go of his 1st limiter and skilfully landed a blow to Kurogane''s wrist, slicing it off. The boy was also kicked by the mercenary and was sent flying, crashing down to the ground, and bouncing in a straight line then stopped due to crashing into the wall of the arena. As Kurogane shook his head, regaining his awareness from the impact, he shrieked in horror and vomited blood as he saw his dominant hand, the left one, was cut off cleanly and was lying near Jaeger along with the great sword that has his hand still gripping onto it. Jaeger then carry the boy''s arm and threw it at the ground near him. Kurogane frantically uses Healing magic, reattaching his arm. Jaeger didn''t give the boy any rest, he grabbed Kurogane''s collar and pulled a punch towards the boy''s abdomen, and since his fingers were layered with the exoskeleton''s frame, it could bend the armour of the boy wears. He then lifts Kurogane while strangling him, showing the chaotic view around them.

    "look at this mess! What are you going to do to the people that died because of your incompetence!"

    "I-I... I didn''t mean to..."

    "This is reality kid! this is what will happen when you bring emotions to battle and fight without any clear thoughts! Your so-called magic is uncontrollable with your current self, and you wanted to prove yourself?! Don''t f**k with me!" Jaeger then slammed Kurogane to the ground, causing him to vomit more blood. Kurogane shivers as he looked at Jaeger''s cold crimson eyes.

    "so... you were... holding....back...ugh..."

    "I am, and I had enough. this Kingdom requested a vague mission, expecting us to win. While I also have this na?ve partner that could only swing his sword like an idiot, relying too much upon his blessing from the so-called goddess that can''t even fix this type of mess" Jaeger turned to the King that is still at the Royalty''s balcony and pointed his sword at him as Kurogane lost his consciousness as the fatigue and pain were too much for him to handle.

    "Apologies your majesty, I will harshly decline your request. your reason for this war is unclear. I''ll take my leave" The king applaud and laughed, his laughter echoed the stadium.

    "I see you have made a resolve, but before you leave..."

    The gates opened and a wheeled stage was pushed by several guards. A female with long blue hair that was tattered while in a weak condition was restrained with wooden handcuffs, along with a leash on her neck. She was on her knees, looking down. The Priest was escorted by two guards, following the moving stage. He then went upstage and looked down at the girl, disgusted at her appearance.

    "sir hero! Take a clear look!" the priest exclaimed as he pulled her white gradient blue hair. Jaeger was shaken up, seeing the familiar face that he saw last night. Her emerald eyes were dropping tears, fearing her life.

    "look at this horrendous creature! They tried imitating us! Trying to rule over our people! Her unsightly eyes charm humans in order to be her slave! Do you still think they''re even worth living?"

    "I''m.... innocent....let me go" the priest was disgusted and hit her with his staff.

    "silence wench! don''t you dare open your disgraceful mouth!"

    "Aurora!" a cloaked man jumped down from the audience seat to the arena, his hood was taken off, revealing his grey hair along with his anthromorphed wolf ears, his jaws were extended, snarling while having a death glare towards the priest.

    "My! Just look at him, sir hero! We have a finer example of how hideous these beasts are! We are to fight back these disgraceful demons that invade our land!"

    "Don''t trust them Jaeger! They launched an assault on our kingdom in the southern region and called us demons! And demons didn''t even lay ruins to our kingdom or even exist!"

    "nonsense! There is no kingdom in the southern cape!" Jaeger then went towards the priest upstage, the ''holy'' person was grinning in victory. Conrad that felt betrayed was ready to rush and save Aurora but was taken by surprise when Jaeger suddenly slash off the priest''s left leg. The Priest shrieked in pain as the blood came out like a stream.

    "I told you, I have no reason to fight for your kingdom, your actions are based on prejudice. Also, I''ll be taking the girl." He then cut off the lock of the handcuffs, opened it and carry aurora.

    "man, you look so beaten up, wanna go home?" the girl started wailing and wrapped her arms around Jager''s neck as she was relieved to be freed from the torturous hell she have went through. He then went to Conrad''s side and told him that he wanted to meet their king.

    "hey, you could stand?" Jaeger asked the girl he was carrying. She then checked her legs by moving them and nodded. He then set her down and turned around to see that the priest was able to seal the bleeding.

    "Yo old man! Looks like you still have the power to stand! Want me to help with your funeral?"

    "Silence! Dead man''s words hold no meaning! Knights! Kill the intruder, the prisoner, and the treacherous hero! Don''t let them escape" shouted the Priest enraged. nearly half of the knights that were present there came out from the opened arena gate, they quickly encircled the trio at the edge of the colosseum arena wall.

    "Ofnir sent out Valiant for our extraction and rain them hell"

    "Valiant is already en route, arriving ETA 20 seconds"

    "guess you already predicted it huh?"

    "My simulation ended up showing you''ll always end being surrounded, I had to take precautions"

    "well-played buddy"

    Just as the knights were about to strike, the advanced fighter jet unveil its optical camouflage, flying by above the colosseum, with its shriek from its engine roaring in the skies of the kingdom. The knights were staggered and panicked as they had never seen such a thing before.

    "What was that? It couldn''t be a dragon!" one of the Knights panicked.

    "there''s no way it is a dragon! It doesn''t give out any Mana signatures!"

    The fighter then returned and hovered right above the edge of the colosseum structure, opening its weapons bay, revealing its missiles and rotary cannons, firing a warning burst of bullets. The knights that were terrified tried to shoot it down with their magic, from Ice lances, fireballs, to lightning strikes and even massive rocks that were thrown at it, but Valiant was unscathed as it was quite heavily armoured and nimble, additionally, it shot most of the earth type magic attacks that were threatening for the airframe. The fighter then unhesitantly fired a burst of its rotary cannon towards the knights, and they were shredded by the 35mm incendiary bullet that was fired at a high rate of fire. The aftermath was very gruesome, nearly all of the knights that were surrounding Jaeger were either dismembered or in pieces while the surviving ones that chanted barrier magic shivered at the superior firepower.

    "attention Knights, stand down and allow through the people inside the encirclement or I''ll annihilate everything. I repeat All knights stand down and let them go" Ofnir was using the built-in speakers inside the fighter to speak out the ultimatum. The surviving knights understood and let them pass, Valiant then opened up its landing gear and landed inside the arena, opening its cockpit.

    "Alright you two, hop in" Aurora, even though completely battered, was glimmering in interest at the otherworldly sight that landed in front of them

    "What is this thing? it could fly with this kind of structure? Tell me, Jaeger!" Aurora had her smile so bright and so close to Jaeger''s face that it made him flustered as he can''t look anywhere at the girl.

    "Alright! alright! Just hop in and I''ll tell you in the way, the second seater is enough for two people" the fighter jet then popped out a ladder from its side. Jaeger then climbed to the pilot seat and wore the helmet that was left out when he go teleported while the two sat in the RIO seat, Aurora was sitting on Conrad''s lap, so it won''t take up space. The cockpit then closed, and the jet hovers away while activating its optical camo. Rocketed away from the kingdom''s airspace.

    Meanwhile, the king that is still present where the scene unfolds, smiles.

    "I''ve done my part Flora, August... now it''s up to your son, I''ll clean my mess back here" The king then headed back towards the castle while ordering the royal guards to help the injured knights.

    Back to the trio, and As they reached a certain altitude, Jaeger set the speed to cruising mode around 700kmph, and nevertheless, both Conrad and Aurora were astonished by the view, flying high above the clouds that nobody even reaches with their current knowledge. The mercenary chuckles as the siblings are overwhelmed by the joy of flying.

    This book was originally published on Royal Road. Check it out there for the real experience.

    "Haha, the view is fairly common to the people in my world as they buy tickets to fly towards another country, impressive innit?"

    "So this armed flying carriage were spread out to the people? Amazing!" said aurora in excitement

    "Uhh... this one is for military use, it''s not for anyone. Also, I''m moving this in a bearable way for normal humans"

    "What did you mean bearable?" the excited girl tilted her head in perplexity.

    Jaeger smirked, yanking the control stick right, doing a 180 roll and dived down. The fighter then made combat manoeuvres like loops, Immelmann turn, kulbit and dived down towards a valley to do low flying at supersonic speeds. The siblings were screaming in panic due to the dangerous flying that Jaeger do. The reckless pilot finally stabilized the plane back at the same altitude before he fly dangerously while laughing in excitement since the IFA-27 is faster and nimbler compared to the JAS 39 Gripen or even the F-22 Raptor fighter aircraft that he was assigned to back at Grunner Defence. But as he look at the back seat, he saw Conrad is holding his nausea and had a headache while Aurora has experienced G-LOC (Gravitational Loss of Consciousness) or other words, she passed out because of the extreme manoeuvres that Jaeger did.

    "well, that is just half of the manoeuvring capabilities of this aircraft, I wasn''t going all out yet"

    "that was not even its full potential?! ughh... please don''t... just fly in a normal way..."

    "Ahahaha! Okay then! Since I''m saving fuel and all, I don''t want to push this fighter too much. anyway, just get some lights out, we''ll arrive there in 2 hours"

    "alright...."

    Ofnir then set the autopilot on as Conrad sleeps in the back seat, Valiant''s engine screeches down calmly, continuing their journey in peace. Meanwhile, back at the Apostysa, Kurogane finally regained his consciousness after being knocked out by Jaeger at the arena. His wake is fairly abrupt, alongside a scream and violent movements.

    "Sir! Calm down! The duel is over!" the Healer beside him holds him down, along with several other people that are most likely the nurses. The fear and desperation on Kurogane''s face were making the atmosphere feel grim.

    "I''m... alive.... Haha...."

    "You fell unconscious when Sir Wolfenford slammed your body to the ground, several of the knights were also experiencing slight trauma earlier"

    "Wolfenford..." As Kuro wanted to sit up, he was smacked by the hooded healer and shouted at the person. the healer sighed and opened her hood, revealing herself while scratching her head behind, also untangling her red twin-tail hair.

    "is it just me or do important people here tend to wear hoods for some reason" Kurogane silently thought

    "Look here, you''re being a drag you know? I have some research to do, and you came to the infirmary while being carried unconsciously by the beaten-up knights and a crying princess. Jaeger nearly devastated all of your bones, joints and several organs were either fractured, unfunctional, or letting out massive bleeding. Basically, you''re on the verge of dying" Kuro went silent as he has another dreaded look. The girl ordered the nurses to leave them alone, they complied instantly.

    "haha... I guess... he is that strong..."

    "Good grief, fighting someone while having no experience in battle, You should''ve gained some experience on dungeons first, and try checking someone''s status panel before acting, I told you that yesterday evening right? dumb hero"

    "that''s just it... He doesn''t have any status or level whatsoever. Also, stop calling me dumb, Court Mage Florentina" the girl has her hands rubbing her chin, theorizing about what the injured hero said. Florentina is a court mage of the Kingdom, her appearance is of a 14-year-old teenager but she''s actually nearing her 20s, striking bright red eyes with her bangs slightly covering her left eye. She met Kurogane when Jaeger is still at the library, meeting the young boy that accidentally crashed into her in the hall.

    "strange, it only would happen if he came here from the skies"

    "what do you mean?" The girl reached out to her book in her sling bag and opened a certain page.

    "I took notes on the record where a certain Knight asked for God''s help as he was surrounded by S ranks monsters that went into a rampage, like Fenrir and Manticore. The Goddess Eos came down and made her first appearance with a brimming light that shone across the skies, but as he tried to check on her status, he can''t even see her status, as if it never existed. The man was terrified and instantly bowed to her as she annihilated a hoard of S rank monsters singlehandedly. It was also the born of our religion towards the goddess of light, Eos. The knight and his retainers were also known as the founder of this kingdom" Florentina closed her book while putting it back in her bag and hummed.

    "the other hero also came from the summoning magic circle, but how come he didn''t have any status?... this needs further research on him but, it is futile anyway"

    "Futile?" the girl crossed her arms and sighed in frustration.

    "that bastard, not only did he leave the kingdom, he also caused panic as he ride a weird metallic carriage that let out a screeching that would cause ear damage and it also flies! The king is trying to calm down the citizens of the capital and the terrified nobles as the defeat of the knight captain were very shocking to them" Kuro has nothing to say. although he was a bit upset that he lost to Jaeger, he was more upset that the man that was summoned with him, left the kingdom. Deep down, he admires Jaeger as he has bravery and was right about everything he said. Suddenly, the door burst open as princess Lunamaria came rushing in and hugged Kuro tightly.

    "Sir Kurogane! Thank god you''re alive!"

    "y-your highness, I-I can''t breathe!" although, it was a reason for him to not feel her chest and have crude thoughts about the princess. But the court mage that was still present smirked as she saw something rising.

    "My, a young boy is very happy down there, care to tell us what is inside your head currently?" she grinned while pointing to Kuro''s lower part that is hidden in the blanket and the Princess flushed as she saw ''it''.

    "This darn short auntie..." Florentina had her eye twitched and smacked Kuro''s head.

    "shut up! It''s not like I wanted this small body! Also, I''m not that old!"

    "but still, you''re a short- OW!"

    "learn some manners youngster!"

    "you admitted that you''re old?"

    "NO!" as she pouted, the King came in, his deep voice was very recognizable to them, and they instantly fixed their manner.

    "Haha, It''s fine, I came here to visit our dear hero and his valiant effort to win the duel." Instead of feeling honoured, Kuro could only feel shame as his effort is just gutless and unthoughtful. The damage he caused and the lives he accidentally took gave him bad memories.

    "I... don''t deserve to be praised, Your Majesty"

    "why is that young lad?"

    "My reckless fighting caused harm to the people that were present..."

    "you didn''t do anything wrong, you''re fighting him to the fullest. Speaking of sir Wolfenford, I came with a piece of terrible news" both Kuro and the princess looked at each other with concern and back towards the King.

    "what is it, your majesty?" the King cleared his throat and looked at Kuro sternly.

    "The Church of light has declared Wolfenford as a felon for the assassination attempt towards the head priest and cooperated with the infiltrating demon for releasing a prisoner. As this Kingdom''s leader, I hereby declare for you, Sir Hero Hiroshi Kurogane, to hunt down the traitor. That''s all..." both the Princess and Kuro were speechless.

    "Wolfenford... did what...?"

    "I was there myself, the aforementioned man pointed his sword at me as you lost your consciousness, declaring that he has no intentions of helping humanity. I hope you could defeat the demon army and subdue the hero, such a shame that he defected..." the king is disappointed, as he was hoping that Wolfenford would cooperate with him. He then permitted himself to leave as he was going to an urgent meeting. The room became quiet and gloomy for Lunamaria and Kurogane but seeing them depressed irritates Florentina.

    "Hey, idiot hero, why don''t you go train your swordsmanship? Your current skills are very lacking, even normal infantrymen with swordsman level 3 could win against you if you don''t use any magic" the Princess was slightly angered at the Mage''s choice of words.

    "Florentina! aren''t you being far too rude towards Sir Kurogane?" Florentina was slightly irritated at Lunamaria, crossing her arms even though she was in front of the Princess herself

    "I''m being real here your highness, he blatantly asks for a duel against a man that has the highest rank held by a young man in our military history while having numerous battle experiences of another world''s warfare, who knows what hell that was given to him. Unlike our dumb hero here, that probably lived as a civilian. He''s definitely an idiot for doing that"

    "but-" the princess was interrupted by Kuro that held her hand while shaking his head, he then slowly sat up while sighing.

    "Your Highness, Miss Florentina was right, I was downright idiotic for challenging a soldier from my world, they have harsher training than knights that would push our bodies to the limit. Plus, Wolfenford isn''t a normal soldier either, I never saw his equipment anywhere, I do believe he''s part of a secretive organisation or whatnot." The young hero then looked out at the window on his left, seeing the beautiful natural scenery still untouched made him smile at how gorgeous it is.

    "If he really made his decision to defect, then... I''ll be his rival. I will be stronger when we meet again, so Florentina..." the young man looked at the mage with a sincere smile, making the girl slightly flustered.

    "would you help me to become stronger and protect the people of this kingdom?" Florentina averted her gaze to help her contain her fluster, but to no avail as she kept stuttering.

    "w-well... I suppose I-I could help you..."

    "thank you! glad you''re my friend"

    - 10km above a grassland¨C

    - 1.5hrs after defection -

    "Say, where are we again?" the Pilot of the fighter is fairly confused about the geography which is odd for him since oddly enough a dried empty grassland was present in the middle of the equator.

    "we''re at the southern border of Inclira Kingdom, this massive grassland acted as a defence for them against the Sovereignty of Rhedia, simple arrow rain that would ambush any troop that tries to cross it" Aurora that just woke up a few minutes ago and still yawing, flawlessly explained. Jaeger hummed while nodding, grasping the info.

    "ah, I see, quite a good strategy"

    "Inclira obtained the knowledge of past hero they summoned, of course, they were fairly competent on their defence"

    "that aside, How did you get captured earlier? You were with your brother the whole time right??" Aurora sighed, the memories of last night she had is quite faint, even so, she remembered it.

    "I was... but on the way back to our inn, we were ambushed by several unknown people, while both me and Conrad were busy fighting the ambush, I think one of their members that hid in the shadows shot a needle imbued with sleeping spell to me" the Pilot hummed and got back to seeing the vast grassland below

    "you know, It''s just bizarre for a grassland to grow near the equator of this planet, usually it could only grow at the northern side"

    "Planet?" the girl slightly tilted her head in confusion.

    "Oh right, this world didn''t know the term ''planet'' yet, let me explain..." Jaeger then explained how the universe works, like what is the view high above the sky, how they have gravity and even how day & night exist and so on. Aurora was very fascinated as she has gotten the modern knowledge that Jaeger carries with him.

    "how outstanding this universe is... I would never think that this world is spherical, and how gravity works in the sky above is revolutionary! Einstein was it? he is such a genius! Bending light with gravity and so on."

    "yeah, and the theories of researchers like him shaped our world, although it was also used as the basis of the creation of a weapon of mass destruction that..."

    "that what?" the pilot was hesitant to say it, the flashbacks of him experiencing the power of that weapon himself returns and made him shudder.

    "Wolfenford?"

    "ah! sorry... what is it again? Ah yeah... " Aurora was slightly worried at him while also still being interested in the weapon he mentioned. The man cleared his throat to calm himself down.

    "the weapon is called ''nuclear'', it''s a name of a reaction between the core of certain elements and could produce energy based on Einstein''s theory. But since it could produce a dense amount of energy, it was turned as a main source of energy and also a weapon which will..."

    "what will it do?"

    "... how would I say this... it could turn a whole kingdom into a crater by just a mere single explosion..." the dreaded tone of Jaeger made the young girl in the back seat gasp. It was unimaginable for her that such a weapon exist in another world.

    "the worst part is that most people won''t survive in the aftermath due to the high amount of radiation that would rot their bodies from the inside..."

    "I can''t believe such a weapon exists in the other world..."

    "I know, the last time it was used was in my deployment, thankfully it''s in the middle of a mountain range so it didn''t cause many casualties but seeing its power would make one fall into a long-term trauma... that time... I lost 8 of my men, while the other 4 went to the mental hospital, they... can''t forget the image of their brother in arms disintegrated or burned alive..." both of them went silent as the dreaded tone of Jaeger''s made the atmosphere dark.

    "you two! Can''t you both talk about something that''s not gloomy?! What''s with this atmosphere when I woke up here?" the man that just woke up complained and grunted, fairly irritated at them. Jaeger chuckled as Conrad break the ice between them and looked at the screen of the Multi-Function Display (MFD) of his fighter that has been set to radar view. He notices it shows two green dots in the 80km range and yanks the flight stick, diving down and then levelling his aircraft at a very low altitude. His passenger was taken by surprise by his sudden movements, had their nausea returned.

    "OI! will you stop showing off this aircraft''s capabilities!? We could vomit anytime if you keep doing that!"

    "I have no intentions of hearing your complaints right now, more importantly, this world has lower technology right?" the siblings were outright confused.

    "what do you mean by that?"

    "my aircraft could scan anything airborne with its equipment, even a small bird. But just now it picked up a signature of something quite big for a bird heading east, 80 km in front of us, do you know anything about it?" Conrad has his wolf features appear and squinting his eyes in the direction that Jaeger pointed. while humming, he confirmed in amusement.

    "those are wyvern riders from the Iron North Union, it''s likely on patrol." The pilot grinned behind his helmet and to his amusement, he came up with a certain idea.

    "you two wanna wait here at the grassland for a bit? I wanna try to fight those fantasy creatures."

    "Hey, are you crazy? Those are wyverns we''re talking about! They fly faster than the winds!" the pilot laughed out a lot, confusing the concerned man in the backseat.

    "Faster than the wind? That thing can''t even outrun this bad boy!"

    "don''t talk like this thing could fly faster than it.... or does it?"

    "this aircraft could fly six times the speed of sound, 18 times faster than those flying lizards. Well, you guys felt it first hand, we could arrive near the border fast enough with our speed that''s one times faster than the speed of sound."

    "I question how did your world create such an insane thing"

    "I''ll be fine"

    "and why would you attack a patrol anyway? It''s not like they''ll cause harm" the Pilot in front hummed but he shrugged it off.

    "it''s not about anything actually, it''s about sending a message"

    The aircraft then orbited around a certain point in the field and hovers down, dropping off the siblings. Conrad and Aurora were told to wait at that point and were told to not move a meter away from the overhead hovering drones that were deployed as miniature Close In defence systems. Both of them agreed and the Mercenary closed the cockpit of his fighter and rocketed away from them, heading to engage the wyverns. As he was flying toward the wyverns, he can''t stop grinning, making his AI assistant uncomfortable

    "you''re just happy there are flying targets, are you? also, your smile is creepy, stop that" Ofnir bluntly says with a flat tone, the man that''s currently doing some armament checking laughs without denying it.

    "damn straight! I''ll make them experience something so dreaded that it''ll decrease their morals in the air! Muahahahaha!"

    "how a man like you became a Lt. Colonel honestly"

    "Haha! Good question, I do ask the same thing..." Jaeger pushed the afterburners on the aircraft and reached Mach 2 (2.470kmph/1.535mph) in just mere 15 seconds, closing in on the wyverns at astonishing speeds.

    "Is this what they call psychological warfare sir?"

    "damn straight it is, but with violence!" Jaeger then locked onto the two wyverns, and as he acquired them within a perfect range to launch, the aircraft opens up its missile bay.

    "Intruder lead, engaging unknowns, fox 3!"

    - 9km near the mountain range¨C

    A couple of men in iron armour flying with their wyverns is calmly soar above the plains near the mountains, observing the wall of light that is shrouded with thick black mist. Their wyverns are also slightly armoured to cover their weak spots like their joints, head and tendons that have fewer scales. One of the men retracted his telescopic telescope and waved at his wingman to come closer. The flight lead chanted a spell while trying to talk to his wingman, then the wingman nodded as he confirmed that he could hear him.

    "It is still the same as ever, no movements from the demon army and any odd behaviours from the world gate" his wingman nodded as their routine patrol is always peaceful, and the first wave of the demon army is already encircled in certain woodlands by the Human Union army.

    "Still, we got to keep an eye on this area, it''s vital for us to relay information if anything happens at the World Gate"

    "You may have a point, but what is the world gate anyway? I have never seen anything massive like that"

    "that''s what she said, haha!" both of them laughed and got serious shortly after.

    "right, the World gate is a barrier that was chanted by the Archmage Talisman to prevent powerful demons passing through, although it is unclear if the mage is still alive or not since it produces a lot of mana"

    "I wonder, has anyone seen the Archmage Talisman''s face before though? Rumours have it, that the mage is a woman and honestly, I doubt it" the leader stretches his arm due to his fatigue and looked back at the World Gate. The glimmer of the bright blue wall of light still is scenery from far away and fascinates the wyvern rider.

    "well if it''s a woman, I bet she is pretty isn''t it Captain?"

    "don''t get your hopes up yet buddy, this war is full of mystery anyway" As they were nonchalantly chatting around, the wyvern flight lead spotted something shining from afar while also trailing smoke.

    "hey, do you see that shining thing?"

    "where?" the Captain grunted at his oblivious subordinate and pointed to the direction. "there! North from our position!" his wingman then grabbed his telescopic monocular, looking towards the object that was pointed by his captain.

    "huh, it looks like some sort of metal object" His leader raised an eyebrow.

    "a metal object?" the captain then grabbed his telescope and looked through it, an object that he had never seen before caught his attention and he started writing a report.

    "Sir! is it just me or is that thing heading towards us?" as the knight was concerned, his wyvern suddenly growling and flying unsteadily as if trying to warn them that danger is coming.

    "whoa, boy! Calm down!" as they were trying to calm down their wyverns that are reacting oddly, mere seconds later, the captain was caught by surprise and dreaded in fear, as his wingman exploded in mid-air, burned to ashes. The man noticed the smoke trail behind the explosion and realized what is going on, he then scanned the skies and noticed another smoke trail coming his way. He then dived down to treetop level and increased his wyvern flight speed, along with adding a wind-resistant spell that allows him to have low drag during his flight. As he looks back, he saw the smoke trail changes its course, as if it were tracking him.

    "Impossible! No such long-range magic exists in that speed and height!" as it got closer and closer, he and his Wyvern pitched up, climbing altitude to shake it. the metal object missed him by a mere 4 meters and exploded hundreds of meters away from him. The wyvern captain sighed in relief, but his relief didn''t last long as he saw something go past him, letting out a screeching sound at speeds that were out of his world. He then uses his skill ''Eagle Eye'' to look at the object that is currently climbing. The object, has A sleek black metallic body with wings, letting out light purple flames at its back while looking far more formidable than the ''Black Dragon'' itself performing a half loop and is headed towards him. The captain dived down to gain speed and fly between the trees to lose the pursuer, hastily flying away from the scene to report back to his base.

    "come on buddy! Faster! We need to get back to the City! This isn''t a normal threat!"

    Moments passed, as the wyvern knight thought he lost the object tailing him, but then he was dumbfounded as the object suddenly appears from thin air right beside him. He saw something inside the tinned glassed part of the flying object. A man with an odd-looking helmet waving at him while taunting him. The knight gritted his teeth, he felt being underestimated and let his anger take over him. He then flared his wyvern''s wings to get to the object''s tail but was overwhelmed by the heat it generates so he took a position overhead. His Wyvern then emitted a mana aura while creating a magic circle in front of his mouth that is currently agape. it then shot several highspeed fireballs towards the object but missed since it vanished again. The captain is on high alert, scanning around visually, searching for the flying object. He then tried to gain altitude to gain a wider vision of the area but as he just slightly pitched up, he hit something invisible. The object then reveals itself again, but this time, it is currently flying inverted right above him. Two of the hatches on the object opens up, revealing some sort of metallic rod that pointed at him, making the elite knight gulp.

    "dear god...."

    Brrrrrrtttttt

    The rattle echoed throughout the skies around them as the thing shredded the wyvern''s wings with projectiles, rendering it impossible to continue flying. Both the Wyvern Knight and his ride fell to the ground, crashing to the woodlands below while the object flies away, breaking through the sound barrier and disappearing without a trace.

    Inside the object, the fighter jet that is flown by Jaeger had the man behind the helmet grin and chuckled in satisfaction as he downed his prey. Although, his partner isn''t sympathetic to the current atmosphere he created.

    "Sir, haven''t your father told you to not play with your food? You could''ve shot him sooner"

    "I want to understand the enemy" Ofnir let out a sigh, knowing that line is from a famous game franchise.

    "sir..."

    "I know! I know! I waited my whole life to say that you know? It''s hard to find an easy bogey back in my world, they were skilled as a pilot" Jaeger then did some ammo check, looking at how he was doing, he could see that his mission isn''t progressing smoothly as planned.

    "hey Ofnir"

    "yeah?"

    "did we accidentally make this whole world become our enemy?"

    "YOUR enemy sir, they didn''t know about my existence, yet" Jaeger is unamused at Ofnir''s remark and tried to open a backdoor towards its program.

    "Oi, what the f**k you''re doing?"

    "trying to fix your emotion program" Ofnir swiftly temporary blocked access for him and made Jaeger click his tongue.

    "fix my ass, you''re trying to change my personality program didn''t you?"

    "tch, smart bastard"

    "Could you be a professional?!! just focus on our current mission of escorting the siblings! they might provide more information about the wall of light at this southern mountain range and assuming it is lethal for us, we need to try to find a detour towards the Apollyon Kingdom." Jaeger nodded in silence and pushed the afterburner of his jet. Heading back to where Aurora and Conrad are located.

 Reunion

    - Somewhere in the woodlands, 200km southeast of the capital ¨C

    - 63 days after the ¡°Fall of Virtue¡± incident-

    - Around 5 am -

    ¡°Hiro! We¡¯re surrounded! At this rate, we¡¯ll..!¡± Hiroshi, along with his party went into the ¡°endless forest¡± to gain more experience and level up and is currently in an unfavourable situation for them. low on healing potion supplies and low on mana also stamina. Although along the journey, they have increased their level and skills by hunting monsters and participating in subjugations, it is still not enough to win against the demon army that they¡¯re fighting currently.

    The endless forest itself lives up to its name. a massive forest, roughly has a size of around 3.7milion km<sup>2</sup>, which is rumoured to be rich in resources while having C to A ranked monsters roaming around and occasionally S rank monsters are also present, like the Manticore, Hydra, etc. the forest itself is also unique, making adventurers go on thick woods, making them walk for days while seamlessly leading them back where they came from. as if the forest itself is alive. Most research conducted by many kingdoms concluded that the forest is full of mana that rejects any outside mana aura that came from outside the forest itself, creating an illusion to guide outsiders back, and some mages also have made hypotheses on how to get to the middle of the forest.

    But the only one that has successfully made it through most of the illusion is Hiro and his teammates, especially the court mage that is with him, Florentina, and also another renowned mage, the Archmage Talisman.

    ¡°I know that Tina! But we need to stay in our formation! We need to hold them off until the nearby Knights arrive!¡± the only male in the party kept swinging his sword while having his left shoulder armour damaged and several mithril shrapnel punctured it. his comrade consists of Florentina the court mage, Sicily the Elf Archer, and the Princess of the Holy Kingdom Nelimista Herself, Lunamaria. All of them were exhausted, although none of them got more serious injuries, the endless hoard of Orcs and Silver wolves had taken a toll on their endurance and provisions.

    ¡°Are you crazy!? Even if they arrive, we probably already turned into corpses! Then again, we need a way to destroy that mithril golem! ¡± exclaimed Tina while shooting another rain of Ice lance, annihilating a mass of wolves around their perimeter. She started to breathe heavily as she was exhausted from the long fight.

    ¡°Hiro! I¡¯m nearly out of arrows! And Her highness is low on mana! We can¡¯t keep our barrier up!¡± Sicily added while shooting more arrows, dropping down a lot of Orcs as it exploded those Orc¡¯s heads. She was placed as the rearguard as her role was to protect the healer, Lunamaria, that barely could stand due to mana exhaustion.

    ¡°I¡¯m¡­ fine¡­ we need to keep fighting¡­.to protect the village nearby¡­¡± as Lunamaria finished her sentence, she then lost her consciousness and the barrier protecting them from most of the Orcs dissipated.

    ¡°Luna!!!¡± Hiro screamed as he saw an Orc getting close to their rearguards. His passive skill, ¡®Eternal Virtue¡¯ was activated, a skill that multiplies his magical and physical abilities to max level for 3 minutes. He chanted the ¡®high body enhancement¡¯ spell and ran towards the approaching Orc, slashing its arms that nearly flatten Lunamaria with its steel club. The Orc shrieked in pain, blue blood gushing through its sliced hand. It glares at Hiro, huffing its pig nose while grabbing its Club that is still being gripped by the sliced arm. Hiro kept in his stance, having his sword in a ready position while sidestepping to the right, orbiting the Orc.

    ¡°So you¡¯re one of the summoned heroes? Quite the power you have¡± Hiro and his party were taken aback as they never heard of the demons talk. The Orc still has his glare at Hiro, emitting a murderous aura.

    ¡°let me introduce myself, I¡¯m the 3<sup>rd</sup> army battalion General, Jordan. and my presence here is just an escort.¡±

    ¡°escort?¡±

    ¡°Indeed, this golem is part of our weapon research. Although, my true objective is to measure how the hero of the human army progress, and just as he said, you¡¯re just a na?ve kid with overwhelming power¡± he said while telling his subordinates and the Silver wolves to stand down

    ¡°He?¡± Hiro, uncertain of it, had his eyebrows raised. While Sicily got confused about what is the Orc talking about. Hiro then cast a telepathic spell and talked to Sicily.

    ¡°Hey, how many arrows you have left?¡±

    ¡°I got two left, why?¡±

    ¡°get behind my silhouette and ready an arrow with the piercing spell, I¡¯ll create a diversion¡± Sicily coughed, indicating her agreement.

    ¡°but later, you need to explain what is going on, and also¡­.¡±

    ¡°Yeah, yeah, a date, I remembered¡± Sicily then do as Hiro planned in secret. One of the Orc¡¯s subordinates then told the General that they were far from the planned time, and suggested for they retreat while having the golem annihilate the Hero¡¯s party.

    ¡°but that¡¯s not a matter currently, right now, my job is done here, the golem will finish you up otherwise¡± Jordan then orders the others to fall back. But as he turned around, Hiro attempted to strike the Orc¡¯s back. The Orc General realized it and dodged the attack but was taken by surprise as it was just a faint. Sicily, that is already readied her bow with an arrow, shot the Orc at its legs and exploded it to pieces.

    ¡°damnit¡­ you cunning humans¡­.¡± the General¡¯s subordinates ran away as they saw their general was defeated, while Jordan himself chuckled.

    ¡°Tell me, who is this ¡®he¡¯ that you mentioned¡± Hiro desperately interrogated. The Orc General sighed.

    ¡°you¡¯re a very desperate kid, he has a reason to fight, respect his decision.¡±

    ¡°But why does he need to go that far?! Assassinating the 2<sup>nd</sup> queen? Destroying a lot of Church branches and Orphanage throughout the continent? Does he hate his own kind!?¡±

    ¡°who knows? It¡¯s not like I know him much, although¡­¡± The Orc General looked towards a certain point in the woods, grinning in victory.

    ¡°My job here is done¡­ I¡¯ll leave the rest to you, Apollyon¡¯s sword of retribution¡­.¡±  Tina had her eyes widen upon hearing the spell that Jordan chanted.

    ¡°Hiro!¡± She hastily jumped to Hiro, pulling him away from the Orc. along with the others. Jordan then a black miasma enveloping him and within seconds, he exploded. Tree branches and wooden shrapnel flew through the hero¡¯s party, ricocheting their armour while some punctured their exposed skin. The gang was blown away by the equivalent force of 900kg of TNT, sending them back flying while a barrier was made by both Hiro and Tina. As the forest went silent as the explosion finished and they landed safely, Tina quickly heal her comrades while also giving them the last batch of Mana recovery potions.

    ¡°Thanks, Tina, you¡¯re a lifesaver¡±

    ¡°shut your trap for a bit, that mithril lance is coated with poison, this might take a while to heal. Good thing the poison resistance of yours is quite high, a normal human would be dead in an instant¡±

    Kuro Shrieked as the object that punctured his shoulder was pulled out, leaving a hole that made his bones visible. Holding her feeling of nausea, Tina did her best to do a detoxification spell and close Hiro¡¯s wound. As it was closed without leaving a mark behind, she then collapse as she ran out of mana. Hiro quickly catches her body and lay her down. He then stood up while checking around if there was any threat. As soon as Luna woke up, he told both Sicily and the Princess that he wanted to check at the explosion scene again and left them. it took only 2 minutes to walk to their last fighting position. The crater was humongous, fire was still burning from the aftermath of the blast. As the sun rises steadily, the light provides a clearer view of the wreck of the golem that was caught in the blast

    ¡°Well, at least this golem isn¡¯t functional anymore¡± he mumbles while checking at the remains of the golem. And as he was checking for any clues of where the demons are hiding currently, he was caught by surprise by the familiar male voice he knows.

    ¡°I see you¡¯ve made this far, Kurogane¡± the hero turned around while unsheathing his sword, glaring at the man that stood with his recognizable black uniform covered inside a brown cloak that was currently layered with leaves and grass. He opens his hood, revealing his face as he was standing while his hands were holding an advanced bullpup assault rifle model, heavily customized with Holographic collimator sight and its magnifier, tactical laser sight and a suppressor while being covered in a ghillie camo. His face is still cold as usual, looking at the Hero with the white armour with an apathetic stare.

    ¡°Wolfenford!! You¡¯ll never be going to get away again!!¡± he exclaimed and was readying to attack but was stopped as he was shocked that the barrier he cast a while ago didn¡¯t stop the bullet that Wolfenford fired, scratching his cheek, bleeding it.

    ¡°the next one won¡¯t miss, and I¡¯ll be aiming at both of your thorax and spinal cord, especially your heart¡± Hiro gulped, sheathing his sword back.

    ¡°Aren¡¯t you going to kill me since you are the demon lord¡¯s general now?¡± Wolfenford snickers, Hiro¡¯s statement is laughable to his eyes since he knows the truth.

    ¡°Demon lord? Are we playing some fantasy game now? Ahahah! How far did the church of light brainwashed you? and also, I¡¯m eternally a Lieutenant Colonel you know¡±

    ¡°They didn¡¯t brainwash me! You¡¯re the ones that have been brainwashed! Killing innocent Priests and Nuns at multiple churches! And even killed Luna¡¯s mother! They¡¯ve turned you into a psycho!¡± Wolfenford stopped his laughter, sighing. He then jumped towards Hiro, fast enough that the Hero didn¡¯t even have the chance to react, even though he already has his passive skill that detects hostile threats, ¡°Imminent Danger¡±, activated. They¡¯re now close face to face, with the Mercenary staring coldly at the na?ve kid

    ¡°You only know the surface of it kid, I¡¯ve been through many battlefields, seen my comrades die in front of me, countless innocents lost due to my slight incompetency. You don¡¯t have the right to judge me¡±

    ¡°Then tell me the reason!¡±

    ¡°I¡¯ll tell you at the right time, but now,  I need you to get stronger. Use what the church has to offer to you, and connect the pieces on why they would go to such extent just to annihilate the Kingdom of Apollyon and initiate Project Eos¡±

    ¡°The Kingdom of Apollyon? Project Eos? What does that even mean!!¡± as Wolfenford wanted to continue, he heard something through his Earpiece, sighing.

    ¡°looks like my time is up¡±

    Wolfenford dodged the magic that was shot at him and intercepted the high-speed arrow with his precise shot, causing the arrow to shatter. He kept weaving through the hailstorm of both lightning and ice magic that was rained down upon him. As soon he was slightly far enough from Hiro, both Sicily and Tina formed a formation in front of the flabbergasted hero, pointing their weapons towards the odd-looking man.

    ¡°heh, look who has returned, the Infamous hero that defected¡± Tina glared at the man, still angered at his past doings to her kingdom

    ¡°try to hurt sir Hiro, I¡¯ll make sure that your head will be eaten by the Fenrir¡¯s on the northern mountains¡± snarled the Elf. Wolfenford kept his cold glare and shot a bullet that he knows that it¡¯ll miss but Tina was so alert that she deployed 7 layers of physical magic barriers, trying to block the single bullet flying at near-supersonic speeds. The barriers were ineffective, as Tina didn¡¯t know the right thickness of the magic barrier, causing it to shatter and whizzed through her hair, penetrating the tree on the back.

    ¡°Hmm, I see these new subsonic bullets are quite effective against magic barriers cast by a Court mage¡­ I think I need to recalibrate the right density and material for more efficient penetration¡­¡± he talked to himself aloud and realized that the Court Mage was on her knees, stunned by her inability to block a single metal bullet flying at high speed and started weeping.

    ¡°ah uhh¡­ hey¡­ don¡¯t cry, I didn¡¯t mean to¡­¡±

    ¡°WAAAAA!!!¡± Hiro looked at the mercenary, with a disgusted look as his companion wailed.

    ¡°dude, you¡¯re mean to girls¡±

    ¡°I¡¯m sorry okay! It¡¯s a force of habit!¡± The Elf calmed the crying Mage, while kept glaring daggers at the man.

    ¡°What are your intentions here? I assume it wasn¡¯t just some simple greetings, isn¡¯t it?¡± Wolfenford neglected her, checking his remaining ammo in the magazine in the rifle by shaking it a little to confirm its weight after unloading it from the rifle and loading it back.

    ¡°Alright Kurogane, Keep the Princess safe, I¡¯ll retreat for now. the frame of this experimental assault droid needs some rework. I¡¯ll see you on the next battlefield.¡± He then turns around and put on his ghillie hood while lifting the golem and carrying it after slinging the rifle to his back. Ignoring Sicily as she was gritting her teeth from being disregarded.

    ¡°Hey! Answer me! And what in the world is a droid!? Another disgraceful creature created by the demons?!¡± Wolfenford twitched, dropping the golem back and suddenly vanished within thin air as he activated his optical camouflage, re-emerging right behind the Elf, sneering, and then whispering right in the elf¡¯s ear while having his pistol on her head temple.

    ¡°All that matters is that we¡¯re enemies now. Either I could kill you now or you just stay silent, going with the flow of your leader. Understood?¡± Sicily shudder in fear, His tone was terrifying for her to hear up close.

    ¡°y-yes¡±

    ¡°good¡­.¡± He then looked at Hiro that is still surprised at His speed even though Hiro constantly sees how fast Wolfenford¡¯s movement is. Coincidentally, Lunamaria arrived at them at the same time. The Princess gasped as she saw the assassin of her mother standing there, with his expressionless face, as usual, the man had a small smile seeing her and patted Hiro¡¯s shoulder as he wanted to leave.

    ¡°Remember what I just said, this isn¡¯t about Demons versus humans, this war is more than that¡± Wolfenford lifted the remaining intact body of the golem again. As he was ready to go, he then turn his head, looking his back towards the Hero¡¯s party.

    ¡°ah yea, forgot to mention. The thing you call demons are humans, their only weakness is that they can¡¯t use magic, but their technology is highly advanced from this civilisation. They were named the Kingdom of Apollyon back then. A cool trivia isn¡¯t it? anyway, Godspeed kids¡± he then jumps away and activated his hip thrusters while carrying the golem, flying away from them. as Wolfenford is none to be seen, the whole gang sighed in relief.

    ¡°Well, that was quite tense, right guys?¡± The Archer and mage stared at Hiro in disdain, as they were several times on the brink of death in just 15 minutes.

    ¡°How carefree are you sir Hero, would you mind another mana controlling training this evening with me?¡± Hiro instantly does a dogeza, in fear of his mentor and friend¡¯s threat and past action.

    ¡°spare me o¡¯ great court mage¡±

    ¡°Yeah, but still¡­ demons are humans? What in the world of insanity did he just tell us so casually¡­ mostly about the Kingdom of Apollyon, that¡¯s a piece of rather jarring news¡­ this needs more information¡± the hero that¡¯s still bowing, took a peek at her, still waiting for her reply as she was slightly ignoring him.

    ¡°so¡­ you¡¯ll postpone any form of training??¡±

    ¡°Indeed, although¡­ an apology in the likes of the eastern island culture isn¡¯t enough, this needs for a timeout on levelling up and going to dungeons, plus, you remembered the¡­.¡± Tina went all fidgety all of the sudden, and her face was slightly blushing

    ¡°Yeah, fine, a date. But don¡¯t make me spend all of our savings from the quests! Especially research stuff!¡±  The Mage stood up and offered her hand to Hiro, smiling in victory. The boy smiles back and grabbed her hand, standing up.

    ¡°of course! For the very least¡­¡±

    ¡°And also, don¡¯t forget about my date¡± Sicily interjected and seeing that Luna also exclaimed playfully

    ¡°and me too! Don¡¯t forget it, Hi~ro~¡±

    ¡°OI! I¡¯m going to go broke after all of your dates! My poor savings¡­¡± the girls burst up laughing, forgetting their wounds from the battle earlier and shrugging off what lies later. Their solidarity was very prominent between most of the adventurers at Nelimista and was very recognizable in public, even though the Princess is with them going undercover. As they checked again what was left in their inventory, they then gleefully headed back to the nearby town to resupply and rest.

    Meanwhile, Wolfenford, that¡¯s already far from their location, hovers above the treetops while looking through his thermal binoculars toward the Hero¡¯s party that is leaving the forest. He briefly had a smirk, breathed in some fresh air, and sighed in relief. The woman beside him, hovering above a magic circle, smiling at him. she approached him and ruffled his hair playfully.

    ¡°Aww¡­ Look at you, just like a parent monitoring his kid~¡±

    ¡°speak for yourself, it¡¯s not like I came here to just gave some warning and such, I also have a mission to do. Unlike the Archmage Talisman that follows her son just to be a creepy stalker¡±, she twitched her eyebrows and then hit his head.

    ¡°I do not act like a stalker! Also, that¡¯s Impolite of you to talk to your mother like that Achilles! Did August forget to teach some manners to you?¡± rubbing off his head and looking at his pouting Mother. He recalls his flashback half a month ago when he met her, ¡°a fairly very weird reunion¡± as he remembered¡­.

    - Near the ¡°World Gate¡± ¨C

    - 63 days ago -

    - Around 2 pm-

    In the bright sky in the mountain range near a grassland, there lies a wall of light, beaming high above the clouds. The wall of light was referred to as the ¡°world gate¡± to the folks in many nations on the continent. Nobody is brave enough to cross that wall as it was rumoured to be halting 90% of the demon army that is currently invading the land. But, high above the clouds, a faint streak of contrail was seen and the aircraft, are carefreely flying towards the World Gate.

    As it enters, it slightly rattles as it was experiencing a lot of drag from the wall itself. Nonetheless, it could penetrate through. Meanwhile, inside a mansion in the middle of the woods, on top of the small brick tower structure connected to it, a woman, received an alarm from several small creatures swarming her. Telling her that an unknown object just flew through the world gate. She had a brief smile and thanked them for the information. The creatures then leave. she looks towards the towering wall of light, north from her house on the horizon through a window at the tower, sitting at the window frame. The wind blows gently at her. her long Silver hair has the wind blowing through it, fluttering it gracefully.

    ¡°I guess he did keep our promise huh..? alright! time for shopping!¡± she exclaimed cheerfully and went downstairs, preparing to head to the nearest town to gather some supplies.

    The tale has been taken without authorization; if you see it on Amazon, report the incident.

    The Aircraft finally hovers down in an opening in the woods and lands, the Pilot and his passengers dismounted it as the ladders were deployed on the left side of the nose of the aircraft. And as they touched the ground, the male passenger stretches his arms, feeling the breeze of the wind circulating inside the forest. The aircraft then went invisible as they were outside of it as the optical camouflage activates following the order from the pilot to be on standby mode.

    ¡°Ah finally! Land! I could finally be free from the wei- Akkhh¡­¡± he groaned as his abdomen got hit by an elbow of the girl that just got off the fighter.

    ¡°ahahaha¡­ did you just say that I¡¯m heavy, brother?...hmm???¡± the girl is very unamused at him, glaring at the boy with an evil grin while grabbing one of his hands hardly. As they were in a skit, the pilot cleared his throat to capture their attention.

    ¡°right, I¡¯ve safely transported you both safely, so¡­ I guess this is farewell¡± he then walks toward the southeast of their location, having a thin but long sword that curved with a thick scabbard on his back, since he wasn¡¯t seen bringing a sword when they met. the girl has a slight disappointment on her face but then came up with something.

    ¡°Hey Jaeger, what¡¯s your main destination in this kingdom now?¡± Jaeger stopped his tracks, turned towards the siblings, and let out a hum before answering.

    ¡°I¡¯m heading to the capital, I wanted to have a conversation with the king and wanted an explanation on why this war occurred, and also another thing that I wanted to discuss since the Holy Kingdom Nelimista doesn¡¯t seem to fit the criteria of what I wanted to say¡± hearing that, the girl¡¯s smile came back brightly.

    ¡°That¡¯s some good news! We¡¯re also heading towards the capital too since our family is located there, how about we go there together?¡± Jaeger didn¡¯t say a word, he just smiled back at her.

    ¡°Well, what do you say Ofnir?¡± a drone then unveils its optical camouflage, surprising both the siblings again. The camera of it looks at both parties.

    ¡°We do indeed in need a Guide for the way to the capital sir, I highly suggest it otherwise¡±.

    ¡°wait, these flying golems can talk?¡± the curious girl then approached the Drone, as she was trying to touch it, Ofnir made it fly up, hovering higher than the treetops, evading her.

    ¡°aww¡­ I¡¯m curious¡­¡±

    ¡°Aurora, you are being unladylike, I keep reminding you to pay attention to your manners outside¡± Jaeger coughed again, taking back their attention to him.

    ¡°Right, I¡¯ll be in your care, lead the way milady¡± He jokingly says and bows like a gentleman, although it was slightly misunderstood by the two and they instinctively bow back, forgetting that both her and Conrad were actually in disguise. Jaeger noticed it and was slightly suspicious about it

    ¡°Ofnir, do you think that these two are part of royalty?¡±

    ¡°From the looks of their manners in the record and now, I do think they are¡±

    ¡°Man, this gonna be a hassle if I accidentally blow their cover¡±

    ¡°speak for yourself¡±

    He then asked them both to lead the way, even though he has already scattered drones all over the woodlands and beyond after they landed, but before that, Conrad requested if Aurora could change her clothes since she was very tattered. He agreed and also ordered Ofnir to do a scan of her body while also providing any first aid with nanomaterials to regenerate any broken bones and close any wounds.  Conrad and Jaeger waited for a couple of minutes, later on, Aurora came out behind the bushes wearing the clothes that were taken from Conrad¡¯s dimensional bag earlier.

    ¡°So, How is my appearance now??¡± She asked while twirling around gracefully. Her long silver with a gradient of bright blue hair fluttered as she spins, a small golden hair ornament in the shape of a peony that wasn¡¯t present before, added her charm. Jaeger, that was caught off guard, was quite speechless. Unlike Conrad who casually gave a thumbs up. Aurora noticed it and walked towards Jaeger and waved at his face.

    ¡°yahoo~ Jaeger? Are you okay??¡±

    ¡°Eh? Ah! Yeah! You look stunningly beautiful!¡± thus, the girl was the one that was caught off guard now, blushing in beet red and taking a step back from Jaeger while all flustered. Conrad, with his mischievous smile, chuckled and grabbed both of their shoulders.

    ¡°When will you two get a room?¡±

    ¡°Conrad!! We are not like that!!¡± simultaneously exclaimed, it rings Conrad¡¯s ears that¡¯s sensitive to sounds. The two apologize to him and suggested they all should start going to the nearby town.

    They then walked towards the southeast, just like Jaeger intended before. The forest isn¡¯t that thick, all the wildlife there is fairly similar to the ones on the Earth, with several Deer jumping as they see the three passing by, small birds chirping and playfully flying above the treetops, a calm breeze flowing at a certain point in the forest. Although they encountered predators and monsters such as grey wolfs, wild boars and slimes, they have no issues walking through the woods as they efficiently subjugate those hostile creatures. Not long enough, they finally reached a town. The town wall was still fortified with wood, and only two guards were present there. Although, the most striking feature is that there are two metal towers, right on the edge of the town. It¡¯s far taller than the town walls, Ofnir told Jaeger that it has an approximately a height of around 20 meters and emits a slight radio frequency

    ¡°hey Conrad, what are those metal structures right there?¡± Jaeger pointed at the structure as they were walking towards the town gate out from the woods.

    ¡°Oh, that? It¡¯s a long-range communication tower developed by our country, it emits signal waves and could be interconnected between towers, making it into a network system. Although it requires mana stones to be activated, it is very efficient.¡±

    ¡°and how do the people here obtain mana stones? And what is mana itself?¡± Conrad is slightly uncertain to answer Jaeger¡¯s question. And thus, Aurora took the chance to interject between them.

    ¡°Ahem, let me explain about mana¡± both of the boys stopped their tracks and look at each other with uncertainty. but then again, Conrad knows about how his sister more than anyone, so he allowed her to continue while they continue their walk.

    ¡°Alright, Mana¡­ some people say it¡¯s a blessing from the gods, some say it¡¯s how we interact with the spirits so we could use magic. But either way, they were slightly wrong. Mana is an energy that resides in our body, an energy that is powerful enough to interact with the laws of the world and thus create the magic that we all know.¡± She then grabbed from her pocket the mana stones that she picked up earlier unknowingly by the boys.

    ¡°Although, Monsters like the ones that we subjugated earlier will drop mana stones since they were created by the energy circulating in the area. But some mana stones could be mined in certain places like dungeons or be created by alchemy, but using alchemy is not recommended since it will dry the user¡¯s mana drastically and could eventually kill the person if he or she is careless with their mana capacity¡± Aurora put the mana stone back, while Jaeger nodded as he listens to her explanation.

    ¡°Mana capacity isn¡¯t as what people say. While yes, some are gifted with high mana capacity and some are not, but in theory, they could increase their mana capacity by certain training.¡±

    ¡°so that means, everybody could have enormous mana capacity to be equivalent to a hero?¡±

    ¡°Exactly¡±. As they were near the town gate, the guards halted them, asking them for reasoning for their visit to the town. Although, they were wary of Jaeger, as they have never seen him before.

    ¡°Sir, who is the man that follows you here?¡± asked one of the guards politely to Conrad. He crossed his spear with the fellow guard, blocking the trio¡¯s path.

    ¡°Ah yes, we met him on the way and hired him as a bodyguard, he¡¯s also a traveller¡±

    One of the guards squinted their eyes in suspicion but decided to shrug it off. They then were permitted to enter the town and Jaeger was given a permit, worth a week of stay in town. As they walk past the gate, the main street of the town isn¡¯t as crowded as Apostysa, occasionally people are walking by, doing some trade, and also interacting with each other. even children are present and are playing around the town centre, cheerfully laughing, ignoring the fact they¡¯re currently at war. Jaeger couldn¡¯t help to smile at the peaceful atmosphere and took a deep breath and breath out relaxingly.

    ¡°It¡¯s quite a peaceful town, isn¡¯t it? birds are singing, flowers are blooming, and the children are laughing and cheerfully playing¡­¡± Aurora couldn¡¯t help to smile and nod at Jaeger¡¯s remark, it is indeed peaceful to any eyes that visit.

    ¡°Yeah, this is why I¡¯m glad that the Archmage Talisman made that humongous barrier, if not, this Town would be the first one to be annihilated due to the war¡± Conrad added Jaeger¡¯s statement, slightly concerned with the situation

    ¡°You two, let¡¯s end the heavy talk, finding an Inn to stay in is a top priority now. And speaking of the Archmage, we need to contact her so this trip would only last only a day¡±  Although this Aurora¡¯s suggestion made Jaeger question how they knew about the Archmage personally, he refrained from asking since the fatigue from flying the aircraft is starting to taking over. They then asked a nearby lady for an Inn recommendation, and she responded with a quick answer. The Inn is quite far from the town¡¯s gate, but it is located across an adventurer and mercenary guild. Although the lady stated that it would be mostly occupied with those who work as mentioned in the guild, the Inn¡¯s service is well known for its hospitality and friendliness.

    Soon enough, they arrive at the Inn¡¯s front gate and went inside. They were caught by surprise at how chaotic, yet lively the Inn¡¯s guest & dining area was. People are drinking wildly, some are doing some eating contests while some do arm wrestling. A couple of waitresses were frantically delivering the customer¡¯s orders and also writing some of their new orders. Although, at the centre of the crowd, a woman with a white cloak and a silver, festively drinks a bottle of champagne, along with a man that just collapses after finishing his bottle.

    ¡°and the winner is¡­ Miss Christina!!¡± The crowd cheered as she cheerfully raised the bottle that she emptied, some crowd laughed at their fallen comrade that is now drunk and lying unconscious. Conrad face palmed himself as he looked and sighed at the scene that unfold while Aurora remained silent.

    ¡°Haha! You¡¯re still 400 years too early to defeat the Archmage like me!! Drinks on me boys!!¡±

    ¡°damnit! You¡¯re using that detoxification spell again! That¡¯s kind of unfair¡±

    ¡°all fair in love and drinking contest honey~, now¡­ who¡¯s next?!¡±

    The crowd then raised their hands as she exclaimed. The siblings decided to pretend that they remained silent, while also telling Jaeger to ignore them. but to their surprise, as they were slipping past the crowd and near the receptionist¡¯s table, The Women noticed them and startled Conrad.

    ¡°Hey, Conrad! Kid! Long time no see!¡± The three stopped their tracks Conrad chuckled nervously while looking back at her and gave a small wave.

    ¡°you know him Christina??¡± asked one of the male crowds

    ¡°Indeed of course! He¡¯s one of my prized pupils after all¡±

    ¡°I think we¡¯ve been found out¡­¡± Jaeger whispered at him.

    ¡°well? What else do you think?¡±

    ¡°Just give her friendly regards, brother, it¡¯s not like she¡¯s dangerous. She¡¯s also your mentor after all¡± Aurora added. Conrad slightly groaned and went towards Christina that¡¯s in the middle of the crowd. As the crowd stepped aside so he could have a path, Christina jumps down from the table she was standing on and embraced Conrad teasingly but with a warm welcome. Although he was seen to be trying to break loose from her hug, his face was beet red. Surely anybody would be flustered being hugged by a beauty like Christina herself. Some of the crowd even shouted, ¡°Lucky bastard!¡± while some also shouted, ¡°It should¡¯ve been me!¡±. But then again, it is how they show their hospitality.

    ¡°Look who¡¯s back from adventuring beyond the barrier, tell me everything about your adventures later at my home! I¡¯ll be making a feast just for you both!¡±

    ¡°actually¡­ there are three people now, Miss¡±

    ¡°three?¡± She looks at Aurora that is waving at her with a smile and Jaeger that just standing right beside Aurora silently. As she look at Jaeger from top to bottom, her cheerful attitude changed drastically into a serious one.

    ¡°Alright, the three of you, follow me to my mansion, now¡±

    Both Jaeger and Aurora looked at each other confused. Nevertheless, they complied with her order. At that same time, Christina¡¯s embrace is too aggressive that Conrad can¡¯t breathe due to the force that was applied, and then the Archmage casually drags her pupil out of the inn after paying the waitress for the drinks and food she ordered.

    The woman lead them through several roads and alleys across the town, didn¡¯t take them long enough to reach the outskirts and arrived at a thick bush right beside the town wall, Christina then snapped her finger and thus, the bush vanish, as it was just an illusion spell. Right below the aforementioned bush was a magic circle engraved in the soil, it¡¯s not that big but it is quite eye-catching on how it was drawn as it was full of hieroglyphs and unknown words, along with symbols and lines that interconnected to each other.

    ¡°Alright, all of you, step inside the circle, we¡¯ll teleport there¡±

    the three then stand inside it, along with Christina that is preparing to chant. the circle then glow and engulfed them, and as Christina finished chanting, They were teleported into the woods and stood in front of the door of a fairly big mansion, that is a view itself.

    ¡°That was amazing honestly, it is still quite sad that most of us can¡¯t use magic. Isn¡¯t that right Jae¡­.ger?¡± Aurora got confused as Jaeger wasn¡¯t there with them, along with Christina.

    ¡°Wait, where is he?¡± Conrad added and looked around as he also didn¡¯t see their companion in his sight.

    ¡°How should I know? He was with us all along, is it part of Miss Talisman¡¯s plan again?¡±

    ¡°and how should I know?! It¡¯s not like I know everything about her!¡±

    ¡°didn¡¯t you have known her for years? Also, I could see your blush earlier at the Inn¡± Conrad remembered the scene from earlier and got mortified, trying to hide his blushing face again.

    ¡°Please stop teasing me sis¡±

    ¡°I am not, I¡¯m just telling you the fact, but anyway¡­¡± Aurora tried knocking on the door, as she waits for an answer, she was unconsciously bound by a spell she didn¡¯t notice and was unable to move. And at the same time, a streak of light is flying in the air between her and the door, forming words that are large enough and stating, ¡°would you kindly wait for 15 minutes, I have something to talk about with Jaeger¡±. As the light dissipated, the spell was also unbounded, making her able to move again.

    ¡°Well, you heard her sis, we¡¯ll give her time. It¡¯s not like she¡¯s dangerous, just like you said earlier¡­¡± Conrad¡¯s flashbacks of how his mentor taught him came in. And he realized that Jaeger wasn¡¯t even on par with how powerful and dreadful she is.

    ¡°on second thought, his mental is in danger¡± Both of them then frantically tried

    Inside, Jaeger was still surprised as he was teleported into a dark room. There, he asked Ofnir to illuminate the room with the flashlight mounted on the shoulder part of the exoskeleton. As the light made a clear view of what room he was in, he noticed it is just a small storage room, without anything inside. But as he opened the door outside, he was greeted by a circular staircase that is rising high up towards the top of the presumably top of a tower. He doesn¡¯t hesitate and walks up the ladder and also draws out his sword.

    His katana-shaped sword is heavily modified and uses a nanotech mixed with graphene and magnesium alloy that is five times stronger and lighter than titanium alloy as the core inside the sword to maintain its shape as it is capable of heating itself up with superheated layering, enabling it to slice virtually nearly anything, just like his spare energy sword. The sword¡¯s blade is layered with tantalum carbide & Nickle Chromium alloy as its outer layer so it could withstand the scorching temperature of 3800 degrees Celsius and is also capable of using ultrasonic vibrations for better cutting efficiency.

    ¡°Sir, I would have questioned why this sword would be modelled off the most fragile-looking ones. But then again, I remembered your combat style is fairly effective with this sword¡± remarked Ofnir breaking the ice of the silence

    ¡°so¡­ your point?¡±

    ¡°The point is that my master is a literal battle maniac daredevil lunatic that disregards his safety, yet he¡¯s so stupidly effective in a battle that he would win against this era¡¯s elite knight battalions with just bare hands¡±

    ¡°Thanks for the honest opinion, my honest yet blunt AI assistant¡±

    ¡°my, thanks for the praise sir¡±

    ¡°It¡¯s sarcasm you idiot¡±

    As he walks up the staircase, he felt that the stairs are nearly endless. Frustrated, He then jumps up and boosted himself with the thrusters in his hip to gain level faster. Not long after, he then arrived at the end of the staircase. It was the top of the tower, although it¡¯s in a form of a room, and isn¡¯t designed as a watchtower. The circular room is clean and tidy, bookshelves were standing beside the walls, and a window was opened while the blue curtains flutter due to the wind blowing in. there¡¯s a table right across the stairs he came from and a paper lying there. Curious, Jaeger then grabbed the paper and found a huge sentence written in German. ¡°lange nicht gesehen, mein lieber Sohn¡±

    ¡°Heh, you don¡¯t need to be so obvious like this, Archmage Talisman. Or should I say mom?¡± the mercenary looks behind, the silver-haired woman is standing gracefully with her arms crossed, leaning back at the pillar in the centre of the room. She has the sincerest smile she has had in the last 300 years ago. She then walks to Jaeger and touched his cheeks, examining her son up close.

    ¡°he-hey! Stop it! it kind of felt ticklish¡±

    ¡°Truly, August did raise you well¡­ look at you! How dashing you look now¡­ the last time I see you are when you were still 3 years old in my embrace¡­ fragile and cute I¡­¡± the Archmage, who¡¯s known for being fearless in public eyes is now crying, on this precious moment by reuniting with her son. She then embraced Jaeger while still sobbing. Jaeger could only pat her back, reassuring her that it is alright.

    ¡°I-I¡¯m glad¡­ I could be reunited with you, Achilles¡­ I miss you so much¡­I¡¯m sorry I erased your memories about us living here¡­¡±

    ¡°wait, what do you mean by that? And I lived in this world for 3 years? I thought I was brought back to earth when I was a baby¡±

    ¡°*sobs*¡­ let me explain¡­¡± Christina then explained what exactly happened, 3 years right after Jaeger¡¯s birth.

    On Jaeger¡¯s 3<sup>rd</sup> Birthday, August was labelled as a heretic by the church of light as he tried to expose what they have planned to the continent. The current priest was somewhat able to get Christina¡¯s immortality spell and planned to summon the gods for him to request to be recognized as a god as well. When the priest noticed that August is interfering with his plan, he instantly announces the false accusation of August¡¯s attempt to murder him. August then fled to the Kingdom of Apollyon as they didn¡¯t employ the spreading of the religion much as they were currently focusing on biological & engineering research with magic. And since the Kingdom of Apollyon is also against the priest¡¯s arbitrary use of his role, he then declares that the Kingdom of Apollyon is destroyed as the demons invaded the continent, and its people are being possessed by the demons¡¯ new spell. He then took one of the citizens on the outskirts of that kingdom and fooled nearly all national leaders in the continent that were present at his speech, as he did a spell beforehand that turned the captured man into a human-pig hybrid or as they call it Orcs and execute it publicly.

    ¡°This kingdom is rich in mineral resources, just like how your father discovered it years ago. the mountains on our side are currently being mined and this nation is rebuilding its army. The fact that they need pure rare metal from our mines indicates something is being planned by that bastard. Something bad¡­¡±

    ¡°So basically, now it¡¯s currently a war for the resources here?¡±

    ¡°yes¡±

    ¡°What happened next??¡±

    ¡°Your father decided to leave this world to raise you since he didn¡¯t want you to be involved in this war. And before that, I deleted your memories about me¡­ since you were very attached to me¡­ I don¡¯t want to see you cry when I cast that world transfer spell¡± Jaeger let go of her embrace, smiling back at her.

    ¡°What has happened, already happened. I¡¯ll make new memories with you, starting over to be your son, how¡¯s that sound?¡± Christina nodded in agreement and they then both sat down on the sofa nearby and the Archmage finally calmed down. Jaeger looked out to the window that is currently opened, reminiscing something similar back on earth.

    ¡°you know, I remembered that dad¡¯s mansion has a coincidentally similar layout as this tower¡­¡±

    ¡°it does?¡±

    ¡°Somehow, I don¡¯t exactly remember it much though¡± Christina¡¯s smile came back.

    ¡°I see he is still devoted to remembering me huh?¡±

    ¡°I think he does, although¡­¡± He looks at Christina with an unamused gaze, crossing his arms.

    ¡°what was that earlier in the inn? You were drinking like an alcoholic idiot and did a stupid competition, The heck?¡± Christina chuckled nervously and averted her eyes away, avoiding his question.

    ¡°Y-you k-know, it¡¯s like nearly th-three hundred years and uhm¡­ it¡¯s kinda lonely so¡­ I wanted friends to socialize with¡­ and uhh¡­¡± He sighed as his expectation of her went down.

    ¡°I can¡¯t believe my biological mother is so carefree and wild¡­¡±

    ¡°I¡¯M NOT WILD!¡± She exclaimed, irritated, and pouted at him, and Jaeger couldn¡¯t help but tease her again.

    ¡°The Wild Talisman sounds fit honestly, hahaha¡±

    ¡°Achilles you meanie¡­¡± And as they were sharing their laughter, the stairway sounded very rowdy and the sound of running footsteps kept getting closer.

    ¡°Ah, it must be them. Honestly, I put a binding spell at every doorway and several summoning circles around the house to capture intruders when I¡¯m not present in the house, or when I locked it from inside. They were somewhat very good at bypassing my security.¡±

    Aurora and Conrad finally reached the top, panting and completely exhausted. They both look at Jaeger and Christina, and since they¡¯re also somewhat drenched with some sort of liquid, Jaeger looks away from the two.

    ¡°Lehrerin (teacher)! You didn¡¯t do anything to him right?! You didn¡¯t use him to taste dangerous aphrodisiac or test new spells on him, right?!¡±

    ¡°Well of course not, why would I even do something to my own son?¡±

    ¡°Yeah, that does make sense¡­.¡± There¡¯s an awkward silence as Christina remarks about it, breaking the silence, Conrad let out a small laugh.

    ¡°haha, that was a Good gag miss¡±

    ¡°I am not even being humorous now¡± Conrad¡¯s chuckle died down as he looks at his teacher¡¯s serious statement, and he lifelessly walks to the corner and sat there while burying his face between his crossed hands above his knees.

    ¡°Conny?¡±

    ¡°Leave me alone for a while sis, let me rethink my life purpose that is now in vain¡­¡±

    ¡°you¡¯re being overly dramatic¡±

    ¡°let me guess¡­ is he...?¡± Jaeger in his pity asked Aurora that nodded in pity towards his brother which felt devastated at the reveal. Jaeger had a small laugh and went to comfort his heartbroken friend, patting Conrad¡¯s shoulder. Casting Conrad¡¯s current situation aside, Aurora instantly asked about the details of her past on how Jaeger could be her son. And so, another 15 minutes of explanation about her history and the connection between her and the war that occur was given to the siblings. As they were talking about how Jaeger¡¯s connection between him and Christina, etc. Ofnir intruded as his Master was listening thoroughly to the story for the second time

    ¡°Sir, can I comment on something??¡±

    ¡°Go ahead¡±

    ¡°aren¡¯t we here for something else?¡±

    ¡°I do remember about our objective but let¡¯s relax just for a bit. Plus, this is one of my precious moments right now, I could finally see my mom you know?¡± Ofnir didn¡¯t say anything else, as he felt that he was slightly being discourteous and didn¡¯t continue his question.  The 4 of them then have a good talk for more than hours and as the day turned into night, they headed downstairs as Christina suggested for everyone to stay in the house for tonight instead of heading back to the inn. They waited in the dining room for the Archmage to finish cooking, although Jaeger went up to help her just to bond more with his mother. As he was slicing some vegetables for the cooking ingredients, Christina recalled an oddly uncomfortable smell from Jaeger.

    ¡°Achilles, I forgot to mention¡­ you did get involved in many conflicts before going here, isn¡¯t it?¡± the man that is still in his brown cloak chuckled.

    ¡°Yeah, sure did, it was hellish, but I managed to get through-¡° he abruptly stopped his cutting on the ingredients as he got slapped by her, the knife in his hands got thrown away by the shock. Jaeger couldn¡¯t say anything as he was caught by surprise by the sudden slap that is so hard, that it echoed throughout the room. Both Aurora and Conrad that is waiting heard the sound and silently peeked at them through the doorway of the room

    ¡°is it your father?...¡±

    ¡°what do you-¡°

    ¡°is it your father that told you to be a soldier?! The smell of death is way too strong within you! how many have you brutally tortured and killed!?¡± He looked down and didn¡¯t say a word as he reminisced about his dark past. it was too gruesome and grotesque to be told to his mother

    ¡°it¡­ was my eagerness to know what a war is about¡­ and I was dragged into something worse after my first ever deployment¡­¡±

    ¡°then why didn¡¯t you dismiss yourself? Or why didn¡¯t your father stop you from the very beginning?¡±

    ¡°he did when I was 16, but I ran away and drafted myself to the Army¡± Christina sighed and continue mixing the food ingredients even though her emotion is still unstable.

    ¡°I won¡¯t ask more, as the stench of death came from you is far worse than your father. Equivalent to the Grim Reaper itself. Just wait in the dining room, I¡¯ll calm myself down and try to remember a spell that could erase that smell¡± Jaeger didn¡¯t feel any remorse for his action in the past and left the room without a word.

    ¡°Can I ask you something before I leave?¡±

    ¡°Sure¡±

    ¡°How did you smell death itself??¡±

    ¡°I see the souls of the ones that you killed keep haunting you, and their rotten blood was being sprinkled to your soul itself as a curse you¡±

 Reunion (extras)

    - Back when they were having fun in Christina¡¯s Tower ¨C

    ¡°and as he was arranging his book, the food he ate earlier started to take effect. Causing the biggest freaking fart I¡¯ve heard ever since back in the eatery we have always visited¡± Christina laughed without care as she told Conrad¡¯s past when he was still under her guidance at her mansion. The man that was mentioned buried his face between his hands in embarrassment.

    ¡°dear me, that was very unsightly for you to act, brother. Isn¡¯t that right Jaeger?¡± Aurora looked at Jaeger that is chuckling beside her brother while still comforting his embarrassed yet depressed friend of him. But as Jaeger looked at her to nod in agreement, he noticed something at her and remembered that the two were still covered in liquid and it heavily drenched her clothes, making her body shape and cleavage stand out. Flustered, he immediately looked away, having a faint blush on his face.

    ¡°Achilles, I think it¡¯s impolite to look away when a lady is asking a question¡±

    ¡°I know but at least give her magic to dry her clothes or something! I can¡¯t look at her when she¡¯s completely drenched, and her dress is slightly see-through¡± He pointed at the drenched light blue hair girl. Aurora looked down at her clothes and the condition is perfectly described by Jaeger. She turned away from him, covering her chest part.

    ¡°y-you see most of it didn¡¯t you?¡±

    ¡°I didn¡¯t! I swear!¡±

    ¡°perv¡±

    ¡°Say it to yourself¡± As they were in their ¡®flustered¡¯ conversation, Christina has an awfully mischievous idea for those two. She then told Aurora to change her clothes at the toilet inside the next room of the tower and she will provide a spare dress for her. she understood and went to the door that Christina directed. She then closes the door and immediately went to the bathroom across the room and took off her clothes. Meanwhile, Christina already found a perfect dress for Aurora as she took several seconds to remember her dress list and appeared in her hand with a snap of a finger.

    ¡°Hey, Sweetheart, would you please give this to Aurora?¡±

    ¡°Huuh? Why me? Isn¡¯t it more logical for you to give it to her by yourself since both of you are women¡± Christina expressed dismay as Jaeger¡¯s remark is somewhat blunt yet logical

    The tale has been illicitly lifted; should you spot it on Amazon, report the violation.

    ¡°Just shut up and give this to her, it¡¯s your mother¡¯s order¡±

    ¡°Alright fine! fine! But don¡¯t label me as a pervert if any accidents happened!¡± Jaeger took the clothes grumbling and went to the next room and the door instantly closed not by him. inside, he looked around as he noticed the room is on the ground floor, indicating that the door was connected via space-time magic. The room decoration is fairly simple, a double bed in the middle of the room, pressed against the wall and a window at the top of it, besides the bed, there¡¯s a simple wooden wardrobe and a drawer with an antique lamp on top, Jaeger isn¡¯t even curious about the contents of it and proceeded to go to the bathroom door beside the wardrobe, the bathroom was connected to the room via a small corridor that is oddly enough has a modern styled washstand and a laundry basket sitting next to it. He shrugs it off and saw the door of the bathroom is on his right of the end of the room and proceeded to knock on it.

    ¡°hey, Aurora, I got you the dress that my mother said earlier¡± as the was no answer, he tried to knock again.

    ¡°Hey? You there? Where should I put the clothes?¡± it was eerie silent, there are no sounds of water nor footsteps. His training instincts kick in and proceeded to open the door full force. But to his surprise, she was standing with only a towel wrapping her body near the bathtub, nearly dried after she cleaned herself from the sticky fluid. Jaeger was dumbfounded again at how beautiful Aurora was, her figure was perfect, and her long blue hair reflects snowy white colour from the base of her hair to the middle of it, her skin looked very smooth and fits her bright emerald eyes and her bust size instantly was calculated by Ofnir as around F or G. The two of them stared at each other awkwardly for a moment.

    ¡°Gyaa!! I told you to put the clothes near the washstand!¡±

    ¡°what do you mean?! You didn¡¯t say anything! Also, what¡¯s with that delayed scream?¡±

    ¡°what woman would not scream when a male forcibly went inside the bathroom she¡¯s in? also, I was screaming about it you know! Would you please get ou-¡± as she wanted to push jaeger out of the bathroom, she accidentally trips as her legs hit the edge of small raise of the floor of the bathroom. Jaeger swiftly caught her as she was falling, but more accidents came as he accidentally grabbed her chest to stop her fall.

    ¡°Hehe¡­ thanks for the food¡­ I guess?¡±

    ¡°How amusing Mr Wolfenford~¡± she smiled and playfully says while kicking him at the crotch with her knee, dropping him down and making him groan in pain, he then passes out a few moments later. Back at the tower above, the Archmage was bursting with laughter as she saw the scene between these two.

    ¡°Buahahahaha!! These two are very interesting! Hey Conrad! You should see your sister here!¡±

    ¡°Thank you for your offer miss, I would gladly decline, just let me suffer in this corner of my life misery¡± his tone is somewhat pitiful to hear, even Christina has a slight dubiety to remark at him.

    ¡°uh-huh¡­ if you say so¡±

 Ex-Delta Force

    - Christina¡¯s Mansion,  Zaniya Mountain range Forest¨C

    - Around 6.30 am-

    ¡°ah¡­ crap¡­ hostile armour¡­¡± Jaeger mumbles as he is delirious, the room he was in has quite a dim illumination as he turned off the lights and the curtains are blocking the sunlight. As he was sleeping soundly inside his blanket, a knock was heard at the door of his room. Jaeger didn¡¯t hear it as his fatigue blocked any outer interference of his sleep.

    ¡°Hey, Jager! Wake up! You¡¯re going to miss breakfast!¡± it was Conrad, agitated as he didn¡¯t want to have breakfast alone with Christina. He walks back and forth in front of the door uneasily as he heard Christina start shouting about if Jaeger is already awake or not. As he became more impatient, Conrad opens the door, stomping his way to Jaeger¡¯s bed. He pulled out the blanket that is covering Jaeger and to his surprise, Jaeger was sleeping while hugging his sister tightly, both of their clothes exposing their bodies.

    ¡°Hey! You two! I can¡¯t believe you¡¯re already in this phase! Wake up!¡± he exclaimed as he opened the curtains, the beaming lights from the sun immediately lit up the room. Aurora that reacted to the sunlight, moaned as she woke up.

    ¡°2 more minutes, could you please¡­. My head is still slumberous¡­¡± she replies while rubbing her eyes.

    ¡°Before you return to that wonderful dream you have, I question what in the world are you doing right now¡±

    ¡°Hmm??¡±

    She noticed something that is hugging her, and her hand felt someone¡¯s skin that she did not recognize. As she slowly open her eyes, Aurora paused as she saw Jaeger¡¯s face very close to her as he was sleeping soundly. His breath sounded soothing and his dense, yet soft hands were holding her gently during his sleep although he frequently mutters something, the sharp yet soft brown hair bangs cover his right eye which also has a thin bristle eyelash just like the other one. The surprised maiden turned beet red and kicked him out of bed out of embarrassment and made him make a huge thud as he impacted the floor.

    ¡°Ughhh¡­what the hell¡­¡± the man that is on the floor woke up, rubbing the part that hurt the most due to the impact. He looks around and saw Conrad facepalmed while shaking his head.

    ¡°Conrad? Why are you here? Also, what time is it now?¡±

    ¡°it¡¯s around half past six, but anyway¡­ can you explain why she is sleeping in your room?¡±

    ¡°What??¡±

    Conrad pointed toward Aurora that is cowering and hiding in the blanket as she still reddening because of earlier happening. Jaeger took a couple of seconds to think and remembered a flashback from last night.

    ¡°Ah that, yeah, I remember. I let her sleep here last night¡±

    ¡°And you went into the intercourse phase that quick? I¡¯m surprised¡±

    ¡°That¡¯s some lewd imagination you got but no, from what I recall from my memories, she asked to be escorted to the toilet since the mansion is so dark that it scared her. But right after she was done, she went lights out. So, I instinctively carry her, and you know the rest¡±

    ¡°So, you didn¡¯t do anything to her?¡±

    ¡°Why would I?¡± As Conrad stared and doubted Jaeger, someone behind the wall in the mansion hallway muttered ¡°tch, f**king wimpy virgin¡± slightly too loud and walks away from the scene. Jaeger¡¯s eye twitched as he got irritated by that muttering.

    ¡°At least I¡¯m being considerate with my actions in public, miss wild talisman!¡± He sighed after exclaiming.

    ¡°Honestly, I wonder how you could get familiar so fast with your long-lost mother, is it due to your unique work environment trait?¡±

    ¡°You could say it is like that, I¡¯m a mercenary after all¡± as they were chatting nonchalantly, Aurora that is still in her bed attire, still embarrassed and flushed, felt ignored by them and threw the blanket at Jaeger while using a pillow to hide her chest cleavage

    ¡°You two! Would you please get out!! A lady in her night attire is still present in this room!¡±

    ¡°Logically, you¡¯re the one that should move back to your room since this is my room after all¡± As she opened her mouth to retort back, she didn¡¯t say anything as his remark is very reasonable.  ¡°well¡­ that was a fair point,¡± she said while standing up, tidying herself up before heading out from the room.

    ¡°Hey! That¡¯s my pillow!¡±

    ¡°let me borrow this for a minute, it¡¯s not like this is a room you have been staying in for years¡± Aurora then left them while carrying the pillow back to her room and the sound of her room locking could be heard through the hallway. Jaeger and Conrad then decided to go downstairs as they hear each other¡¯s stomachs grumbles. But before they went past Aurora¡¯s quarters, they knocked on the door of her room to remind her about the breakfast and left as they don¡¯t receive any reply. Behind the door, the previously mentioned girl can¡¯t forget about the earlier scene, leaning on the wall while burying her face in the pillow she borrowed.

    ¡°That was¡­very indecent of me¡­¡± she muttered and looked out at the window in her room, remembering how detail Jaeger¡¯s face burned inside her memories, ¡°although¡­ his appearance is rather¡­ enticing up close, Hehe~¡± she giggled as she recalls it while happily changing her clothing. Soon after, as she was done changing and walked her way downstairs, she was greeted by Conrad and Christina bickering along with the untroubled Jaeger currently enjoying his breakfast amidst the loud pointless debate of two restless people that is agitated about how they were eating each of their respective food incorrectly. Aurora, having her mood plummet exponentially due to the atmosphere of the dining room being very uncivilized, went between the bickering couple of people and pinched each of their ears. Both Christina and Conrad begged her to stop pinching and pulling their ears as it was awfully painful.

    ¡°I somehow frequently forgot about both of your shenanigans, now¡­ who should I lecture first on how to be civilized during meal¡­ hmm??¡± she gave an ominous smile to her brother as she said it

    ¡°Wait! Wait! Sis! I¡¯m sorry!! I will refrain from doing such acts again! I swear!¡± the angered maiden stared at him dubiously but eventually let go of him while sighing.

    ¡°Um¡­ Aurora, sweetheart, would you kindly let go of my ears too? It¡¯s starting to feel numb¡± Aurora looked at the pleading one that is at the fault of the debate for being childishly persistent with an ominous smirk

    ¡°I do not see a reason to let go of my perfectly reasonable pinch on your 300-year-old ears ma¡¯am. Or should I remind you of how you¡¯re the oldest yet the most childish between the four of us here? Hmm?? ¡± she then put more pressure on her pinch on Christina¡¯s ear

    ¡°Ow! Ow! Ow! Please Achilles! Tell her to stop! It hurts!¡± begged Christina with her in pain. Instead of letting out a remark, he let out a small chuckle at the scene in front of him and agreed with Aurora.

    ¡°she does have a point tho¡±

    ¡°wha- OW! OW! OW!¡±  It took 15 minutes for Christina to listen to Aurora¡¯s complaint about her immaturity during times when she¡¯s showing her childish, hard-headed yet mischievous side, although most of the times Christina ignored her, she undoubtedly unconditionally liked their company at her house as she knows herself that she lived in the middle of nowhere alone for long periods. As they finished their skit, both Conrad and Christina proceeded to continue their breakfast while Aurora sat beside Jaeger to eat.

    ¡°Hey, Achilles, how is the situation over the wall?¡± the Archmage pulled out a question as she was eating. Jaeger opens hologram footage from the drone that do a recon yesterday and to his surprise, Christina didn¡¯t get awestruck, unlike the siblings.

    ¡°hmm¡­ I see, they have been increasing their soldier count¡±

    ¡°It will be approximately around 950 thousand of a mix infantry and cavalry if an alliance was formed between nations, and it doesn¡¯t count their wyvern riders, archers and also their mages on who knows what amount they¡¯ll bring¡±

    ¡°Impressive, to think they have reached this phase¡­¡± She remarked while eating another piece of meat slice. But as they were talking, Conrad looked back and forth between his mentor and Jaeger who is somehow calm hearing the number of human soldiers that could gather.

    ¡°I wonder how you are both casually doing this conversation like it was nothing, those are 950 thousand soldiers that you were talking about!¡± Conrad exclaimed, Jaeger still have his stoic expression, let down his cutlery and hummed in agreement.

    ¡°Indeed it is a humongous number for a counterattack, the weapon and tactics of this kingdom and era won¡¯t do much as to decrease or even stop their advancing.¡±

    ¡°and then how are we going to survive against them?¡±

    ¡°As I said, it won¡¯t do much if it¡¯s the tactics from this era¡­ unless you have modern combat doctrines and equipment¡± he grins and chuckles evilly as he stated. ¡°This is why I¡¯m here; I just need to contact my subordinates on the ship that¡¯s currently mooring on the moon of this planet. That¡¯s my main reason for heading to the capital.¡±

    ¡°I have a slight uncertainty about it honestly,¡± Conrad remarks, but his doubt instantly vanishes as Christina jumped into their conversation

    ¡°Trust him, Conrad, he¡¯s telling the truth¡±

    ¡°How are you certain? You just have a reunion with him yesterday, he is most likely different from what you imagine¡±

    ¡°I could assume that, but then again, that grin is like how August had back then when he has a sly strategy.¡± Conrad didn¡¯t say a word as he trust what Christina says and continue finishing his meal. As they were nearing finishing their food, Aurora hummed as she tries to remember something.

    ¡°hmm¡­ Jaeger, you did mention that you¡¯re a mercenary earlier right?¡±

    ¡°Yeah, I did¡±

    ¡°what if the Kingdom hired you to lead the troops or to the bare minimum, train them?¡± Jaeger took several seconds to think about a reasonable answer as he swallowed the food that he finished munching. He wiped any crumbs from his mouth and drank, clearing his throat after it.

    ¡°Well, I¡¯m not that sure I would accept it since I¡¯ve been reenlisted as a special operations operator in the company that contracted me a few years back then. nevertheless, there¡¯s a chance that my comrades may lend a handful of troops and equipment if this kingdom accepted this alliance¡±

    ¡°Special operations operator??¡±

    ¡°what it means is that I was tasked with classified and covert missions in unknown territories or behind enemy lines, just like spies but we do more than just gather information. Usually, my mission goes between sabotage, seek, and destroy, but sometimes we also do counter-terrorism and hostage rescue. But my mission most of the time is assassination¡± he then ate another slice of the sunny side egg that he just sliced while he was talking.

    ¡°Well, about me being involved in this could be talked between me and the higher-ups and¡­ damn! Mmmmh! thesesh eggs and bacon are ghood!¡±

    ¡°Achilles, don¡¯t talk while eating, you sounded like a muffled child¡±

    ¡°okeih¡± soon enough, they finished their food and cleaned up everything in the dining room. Later, Aurora told Christina that they wanted to return to the capital using her teleportation magic since it is more convenient rather than taking a carriage ride for four days straight. Christina agrees, although, she wanted to see what her son¡¯s fighting style looks like and invited Jaeger to spar with her and went to call him that¡¯s currently upstairs. As Jaeger is currently being carefree in his room talking to Ofnir in secret after he was done cleaning up, Christina cheerfully breaks into his room and scared the life out of him.

    ¡°Achilles!! Follow me this instant!¡±

    ¡°Whoa what-¡° he was dragged by her downstairs towards the wide front yard. The puzzled mercenary was looking back and forth to Christina and Aurora, asking them what is going on. Christina then materialized a wooden sword from her pocket dimension spell and throw one of them at him that catching it with one hand.

    ¡°You, Me, sparring, now¡±

    ¡°.. okay??¡±

    ¡°I¡¯m serious, give me all you got! If you¡¯re a soldier, then I wanted to see how strong you are and don¡¯t worry, the sword won''t break easily as it was imbued with magic¡± Jaeger playfully swing his sword with a flat expression while hearing her and instantly put a stance.

    ¡°If you say so,¡±

    His stance now is different than back then on the colosseum, he holds the sword like a shortsword, he has a lower stance from a martial art they have never seen before and his gaze gives some shivers down to Aurora that had never been in a fight before, unlike Christina who grins in excitement. She then jumps backwards several meters to give space for the duel.

    ¡°Aurora, would you kindly be our referee? Also, you may stop us if it started to get out of hand or if either one of us nearly decapitates each other¡±

    ¡°aren¡¯t you exaggerating the details miss?¡± The Archmage shook her head as she recognizes that same stare from 300 years ago.

    ¡°No, I know that stare before, a stare that¡¯s born to fight¡­ no¡­ to kill, and I assure you that he is deadlier than he looks¡±

    ¡°If you say so¡­¡±

    Aurora took several steps back to a safe distance as she don¡¯t want to get caught in the clash, She then look left and right, looking at the son and mother that were dead serious about the duel.

    ¡°both participants ready??¡± they nodded to her, saying that they were ready. Both clenched their grips firmly to their swords, their eyes lock onto each other, and didn¡¯t even blink even though there was a gust of wind just blowing by, eager to know each other¡¯s prowess. Aurora then raises her hand and swings it down while exclaiming.

    ¡°fight!¡±

    The two didn¡¯t move for several seconds, as they were waiting for either one of their first strikes. Christina, noticing how she and Jaeger are not making any progress in the duel launches her first attack at speeds that an untrained eye couldn¡¯t keep up. She swiftly went to Jaeger¡¯s left flank and does a fast swing towards his left torso. The mercenary knew and evaded quickly by activating his hip thrusters, making her strike near miss his left abdomen. As Jaeger came to a halt after evading, Christina chuckled and sighed.

    ¡°Oi, oi... don¡¯t tell me you have been depending on that thing in combat, huh¡± Jaeger didn¡¯t respond to her and instinctively initiated a counterattack and this time, he deactivated his exoskeleton, making his movement less agile but still on par when it is still activated, Christina attempted to repel his strikes but was pushed back by his powerful and rapid swings. The fight was fierce even though they weren¡¯t hitting each other yet, swing after swing, blow after blow, both of their attacks didn¡¯t go through each other¡¯s defences as they were on par with each other¡¯s speed and reflexes. And as it takes quite some time, Christina decided to raise her advantage by using magic, releasing different spells on each attack, from low-grade spells like fireball and Ice lance to high-grade spells like Sturm Schwert (Sword storm) that releases a relentless hail of swords coming from the skies and hellfire, that burn the targeted area with magma and streams of fire pillars to create an encirclement.

    ¡°Let us see how you will evade this!!¡± Christina exclaimed as she cast multiple spells that rained down hell on her son. Nevertheless, even though Jaeger still didn¡¯t activate his exoskeleton yet, he could swiftly move his body efficiently through her attack and slowly close their gap. And as the duel continues, Aurora was very concerned as it is going out of hand badly and decided to end it, but as she tried to stop them, Conrad tapped her shoulder while shaking his head.

    This book''s true home is on another platform. Check it out there for the real experience.

    ¡°not yet, they¡¯re still enjoying this duel.¡±

    ¡°how in the world do you even know that? If this continues, they could kill each other!¡± Conrad looked at the grinning Christina that is rapidly chanting spells, the mentor he admired and loved was happily doing this for the sake of her son, either for him to stop getting involved in the conflict of the current world or just be the carefree woman he knew to satisfy her urge to get into a battle again after stopping a conflict in the past and living peacefully in the outskirts of the kingdom.

    ¡°Trust me, she won¡¯t kill her own so-¡°

    As Conrad was trying to reassure her, unanticipatedly, another huge explosion happened in front of them. Christina is starting to waver as she was hesitating to do another attack as Jaeger ignores his injuries, the mercenary that has burn marks and cuts did even averted his now lifeless eyes to her as he was dead set on being victorious. She stopped her chants and took a breath as she noticed that he somehow could drain a quarter of her mana from her full capacity.

    ¡°Achilles, let us end this duel, I think it is enough for today,¡± she said as she slightly sighed in exhaustion, Jaeger didn¡¯t respond to her and put up another stance while twirling and gripping firmly the wooden sword he was holding and dashed to her at inhuman speeds. Christina while caught by surprise again, quickly jumps to evade a horizontal slash at her, but Jaeger didn¡¯t stop there as he exploits his momentum from his sword to kick her to the side. Christina was thrown off and crashed into the outer wall of her mansion, making a crater on the wall. Christina grunted as she dropped to the ground, spewing some blood from her mouth.

    ¡°Miss Christina!¡± Conrad exclaimed in concern for his teacher while his sister gasp at the current situation Christina is in. although she received a very heavy blow, she healed herself with magic quickly and jumped away far enough from Jaeger, stopping her momentum, and dropped to her knees. The siblings rushed to her position and helped her get up.

    ¡°You two¡­ get out of here¡­¡± Christina said while wiping the remaining blood from her mouth.

    ¡°How could you say that when you¡¯re clearly injured! Also, his physical abilities are just unnatural, I did not see him fight like this before¡± Conrad had a shiver felt down to his spine as he look at Jaeger and his heartless stare.

    ¡°Achilles¡­ isn¡¯t just an easy-going yet reasonable person, by looking at him now, he has been trained to be a living weapon following any dire situation, just like how ¡®he¡¯ was back then. I needed half of my power, even if I could go all out if I intended to kill him¡±

    ¡°half of your power?! That¡¯s insane!¡± Christina looked grim as she now knows her son¡¯s true capability during combat.

    ¡°I know¡­ to put him on the edge with compressed yet concentrated magic and seeing him make it out, put me in disbelief on his will to complete his objective, all we need is to do something to make him snap out of his current state¡± As they were wary of any of Jaeger¡¯s movements, Aurora took the initiative and stood in front of her brother and his mentor, activating her ¡®demonic¡¯ power and transforming into her form, her body didn¡¯t change much but her ears altered from normal human ears into something like an elf ear, her emerald eyes glow as the magic inscription was activated, along with a white aura blanketing her whole body.

    ¡°Sis, what are you doing?¡±

    ¡°If strength can¡¯t stop him, I¡¯ll try my ¡®charm¡¯ ability or other spells that I have at my disposal to end the current situation¡±

    ¡°How are you sure about that?¡± She looked back at her shoulder towards her brother with a peal of awkward laughter.

    ¡°I¡­ might not be sure either¡­¡±

    ¡°Are you seri- SIS! WATCH OUT!¡± Conrad exclaimed; Aurora quickly glanced back at the running Jaeger that targeted the wounded Christina. As he was getting close, she then chanted a certain spell which conjures a layer of small magic circles in the air right before her eyes. But as she finished her chant, unknowingly to her, the magic didn¡¯t give much of an effect followed by the shatter of the magic circles. Although stunned, the unprecedented prodigy maiden did not give up and tried another way to stop him that is still rapidly closing the gap. She then enhanced herself with physical enhancement magic and rushed towards Jaeger. As Jaeger was going to swing his wooden sword towards her as she was deemed to be ¡®hindering¡¯, Aurora, instead of attacking him, swiftly embraced him warmly and tightly as everything was done in mere seconds.

    ¡°It¡¯s okay¡­ let your emotions out slowly¡­¡± Although Jaeger did try to force his way out along with a lot of grunts and screeches while also giving some punches to her back just to break from her embrace as it was reinforced with physical enhancement magic but still in a bearable pressure to humans along with a sedative spell to calm him down, although it wasn¡¯t very effective. Nonetheless, his senses slowly returned, and sobbing was heard.

    ¡°I¡¯m sorry¡­. I¡­I can¡¯t¡­¡± he subconsciously muttered loud enough for her to hear between his cries. Not long after he stopped any revolting movement as he cried, Jaeger passed out as the fatigue took over. Conrad and Christina watch the scene in astonishment, the girl they knew as someone with an obsession with knowledge, was very reserved around other people or even relatives and was very careful with her safety, could even do something that would be considered suicidal. Aurora then laid the mercenary that¡¯s asleep slowly on the ground and have his head laid on her lap.

    ¡°I¡­ am honestly speechless at the current you, sis¡­ you changed way too fast¡­¡± Conrad said while arm carrying Christina

    ¡°Do I?¡±

    ¡°yeah, but cast your character development aside, why did you come up with that dangerous idea? Or did you see something within his heart?¡± Aurora¡¯s eyes aren¡¯t just merely imbued with magic that could use the passive skill ¡®charm¡¯ as people know, the charm only works if it could determine whether the opposing person has any hostility towards her or if she thinks of that person as someone that is useable as her pawn. But there¡¯s additional magic that¡¯s imbued inside it, ¡®insight¡¯, that could understand someone¡¯s true intentions and feelings, along with the memories that affected their actions.

    ¡°I¡­¡± Aurora paused, glancing at the resting Jaeger. Her eyes filled with empathy for him as she continues her statement ¡°I could see his regret in his eyes, and his past that¡­¡±

    ¡°that what?¡±

    ¡°he¡­¡± Christina that has healed herself with a high-level healing spell patted Aurora¡¯s shoulder to reassure her.

    ¡°we¡¯ll talk about it later as we don¡¯t know his past before he came here, right now, let¡¯s just prepare the teleportation sigil before noon¡± the maiden nodded, as she knew how heavy it was to talk about Jaeger¡¯s past since she saw it herself even though in a brief amount of second. The fear and emotions she felt when she saw his memories are very unsettling and no human could be sane if they have his experience first-hand.

    ¡°I¡¯ll stay here until he wakes up, both of you could just go ahead¡± Conrad nodded whilst Christina hummed in agreement. Christina fixed the damages that occur to her mansion and the yard that got burnt by her spells with her restoration magic and then they finally walked to the other entrance door of the mansion, But before they turned around the corner of the building, Christina stopped her tracks and shouted to aurora with a cheeky grin.

    ¡°I almost forgot! don¡¯t violate my son while he¡¯s sleeping~ I know you have some succubus trait and all¡± with that, Aurora that is looking at Jaeger¡¯s face has her face gone beet red and glanced at her brother¡¯s teasing mentor with a flushed expression.

    ¡°MISS CHRISTINA!! I AM NOT GOING TO DO SUCH A SHAMEFUL THING!!¡±

    ¡°hahaha! Yeah, I do certain of that, I just love to tease people that¡¯s in lovestruck, regardless, wake him up in 20 minutes, the spell should be ready at that time.¡± They left Aurora and the sleeping mercenary in the yard alone. Everything is calm now; Aurora could hear the breeze of the wind along with the birds returning to chirp in the aftermath of the duel. After looking back at her shoulder again, making sure that both Christina and her brother has left her and Jaeger, she then looked closer at the sleeping man on her lap. He does look like he¡¯s sleeping soundly, but frankly, he is breathing heavily along with some muttering. She then gently stroked his hair, along with some humming of a song following the tranquil moment. ¡°His fortress of isolation¡­ is it?¡± she muttered before also falling asleep herself

    Moments passed; Jaeger finally woke up with a big silent yawn, he noticed that his eyes have some dried tears marks on his eyelid and proceeded to wipe them off, he also noticed that he was sleeping on top of something soft and to his surprise when he opened his eyes fully, Aurora¡¯s sleeping face was very close to him and his head is laying down on her lap, her soothing breathing could be heard clearly, and her hand is still in the position where she was caressing her hair a few moments back. In his bashfulness, he jerks away from Aurora but inevitably collided both their foreheads instead. Aurora woke up in shock and shout in pain while simultaneously, Jaeger himself held his forehead while grunting in pain.

    ¡°That hurt you know! Could you just move away slowly!¡± she complained while casting a healing spell to herself

    ¡°I¡¯m sorry! Okay?! I wasn¡¯t prepared for this kind of situation!!¡± he replied while still in his flustered yet bashful condition, along with his forehead pain that is still stinging. Although his pain from the impact isn¡¯t that much, Aurora cast a healing spell on him, soothing his pain down. She sighed as the ordeal passed.

    ¡°So¡­ let me guess¡­ did I go berserk?¡± he asked with a heavy tone while looking up to the sky

    ¡°Assuming you know what the reason for you went on an uncontrolled state earlier, what did happen on ¡®June 6<sup>th</sup>¡¯? I could only see- ¡°, unexpected to her before she finished her sentence, Jaeger suddenly pinned her down to the ground, with an expression that looks distressful yet full of anger. ¡°How did you know that¡± with a low dreaded voice, he pressed that question to her. Aurora explained about the certain magic that she could utilize to see through someone¡¯s memories, although it was not that effective to see every detail thoroughly as it would put some stress on her brain. during the moment she used the spell, she stated that the word June 6<sup>th</sup> kept getting mentioned. Albeit her current condition could be harmed by him, her empathy and curiosity took over, thus she asked him again about what happened during that time. Jaeger somehow can¡¯t refuse, he then let go of her and sat across her, sighing heavily.

    ¡°I honestly don¡¯t want to talk about it but considering that you have known some of the events partially, I¡¯ll tell you¡­ it¡¯s the date of a certain massacre¡± he then took a deep breath, looking up to the skies and reminiscing the dreaded past he experienced. ¡°It was a bright day at the Hangars of our Base in the middle of the desert¡­¡± with sorrow in his tone, he started to tell his story.

    - June 6<sup>th</sup>, 2037 ¨C

    - Sahara Desert, 30¡ã29''28.2"N 26¡ã22''18.5"E, 0900hrs¨C

    ¡°At the ease¡± the Briefer ordered; twelve fully geared men stood across the briefer in 3 column line. it was inside the hangar that has its doors closed, a pair of modified V-22 Osprey tilt-rotor transport aircraft is being prepped. The atmosphere is tense as they were still in their ¡®peacekeeping¡¯ deployment in Libya, even though their base is on Egyptian lands.

    ¡°Orders from HQ are now to send you all out immediately, as they suddenly received information from a source that the Libyan guerrilla rebels obtained some package from an unknown group.¡± The briefer then opens up live imagery from the satellite that¡¯s currently orbiting above them. The image zoomed in immensely and finally reached a point around a certain area. ¡°Image from coordinate code 34RCU3281120050 has revealed some major military activities during nighttime, as such, their activities were dormant during the day¡± he then changes the imagery setting to thermal and it revealed a massive amount of heavy weaponry such as tanks, mobile artillery & Self-Propelled Anti-Aircraft vehicles hidden below camouflage tents, and to their surprise, between of those were ICBM trucks.

    ¡°Whoa, whoa! Are they serious?!¡± exclaimed one of the men in horror.

    ¡°Indeed, they are, those MAZ-7917 are significant threats, regardless of where and when the rebels have obtained those mobile ICBM launchers, your mission is to sabotage or to destroy them to restrain their ability to use any chemical or nuclear weapons. Failure is not an option!¡± the briefer sternly announces, the MAZ-7917 is a mobile ballistic missile launching platform, capable of being equipped with Nuclear or chemical Ballistic missiles, it was manufactured by the Russian military and has been in their inventory for decades. The fact that the rebels have those vehicles would be indicating that they have a massive backup from someone that has a connection to obtain those, but either way, the briefer can¡¯t disclose the information yet as it was deemed to be highly classified, and it was given to another branch similar to theirs but with more leeway on obtaining classified files. He then explained to his men about the mission waypoint details along with the rules of engagement during their mission and a new rifle that has arrived for them to use, which took about 4 minutes ¡°you¡¯re all dismissed. Get ready for sortie¡±

    ¡°HOOAH!¡± the men shout out their battle cry and scrambled, grabbing their equipment while some open up the hangar door so that the V-22 could taxi up to the tarmac. As the Ospreys are in position outside, the pilots proceeded with the cold start-up, and the engines spool up sounds could be heard. The rotor slowly rotates faster to a point it was ready to take off.

    ¡°Move! Move! Transports are leaving in 2 minutes!¡± one of the ground crew shouted as the men rushed themselves inside the aircraft. the team is divided into two, and each of them consists of 6 members; the squad leader, 2 riflemen, one marksman, one machine gunner and one CQB specialist that¡¯s equipped with a Submachinegun and a shotgun. As they were inside their respective aircraft, each of the squad leaders do a head count and after making sure their team is present, he gave a thumbs up to the Pilot that was looking back at them. The pilot gave back a thumbs up and increase the collective and moved the aircraft from the taxiway to the runway.

    ¡°Calibre 1-1, this is Tower speaking, permission to take off granted. Godspeed¡±

    Both each aircraft¡¯s pilots then pushes the throttle and the Ospreys started to hover, yawed 90 degrees in a pivoted position up in the air and headed northwest. During the flight, the main team leader opens up the channel on the radio and briefed his team again.

    ¡°Alright gents, listen up, as you all know, our mission is the neutralization of potential nuclear ICBM threats. Our insertion is approximately around 22 miles from the objective and the initiation of the operation will start at 1200hrs, maintain radio silence with HQ until the operation starts, how copy?¡±

    ¡°Yes sir!¡± everyone exclaimed in agreement. inside the second Osprey of the flight formation, the leader of the 2<sup>nd</sup> team turned his comm radio into the channel that they were told, followed by his subordinate, and pulled out a pack of cigarettes along with a lighter. As he started smoking, one of his subordinates sitting far from him talks to his fellow teammate beside him.

    ¡°Hey, how do you feel about your first mission with the Deltas, Sergeant Achiles?¡± the young man looked at his senior, raising an eyebrow below the balaclava mask. ¡°Not too shabby sir, I guess¡­¡± Delta or more known as Delta Force or the 1st Special Forces Operational Detachment is part of the US SOCOM¡¯s special operations group. Jaeger accomplished to climb his way to be with the best of the best through harsh and gruesome training and here he is now, on his first mission in the middle of the desert, unknown to him.

    ¡°Relax man, this might be one of the unprecedented missions we got, but we¡¯ll get through this. We go in, and out. Just like the simulations!¡± he reassured the nervous abnormal one, as the rumours of Jaeger could reach the rank of Sergeant in under 1 year is just impossible, unless there¡¯s someone that is working behind the curtains for his fast promotions. ¡°Besides, isn¡¯t your childhood friend our team lead? Have you talked to him yet before?¡± Jaeger shook his head as he answers ¡°No sir, we haven¡¯t talked for years. the last time I saw him is before he went into the academy when I was twelve¡±

    ¡°Too bad, I was wondering what he looks like outside of work, he never shows some hospitality on his face" the man then patted Achiles¡¯s shoulder with his smile below his balaclava that has a skull drawn on it. ¡°Would you drop the formalities? Even if I have the rank of Master Sergeant, I wanted to know my subordinates more¡±

    ¡°But sir¡­¡±

    ¡°No buts¡¯, that¡¯s an order¡± Achiles went silent for several seconds and answered, ¡°Understood, Logan¡±. MSgt. Logan happily patted his shoulders as he was pleased with his subordinate¡¯s answer. ¡°By the way, what is your age currently??¡±

    ¡°It¡¯s 19 this year¡±

    ¡°Holy crap! You¡¯re young!¡± Achiles chuckled at Logan¡¯s very normal reaction. ¡°What is it?¡±

    ¡°Nothing, it¡¯s just that you said the same thing the academy instructor yelled at me when I somehow got accepted when I was 16, they called me a prodigy or something¡± Logan had his mind thinking about how his subordinate could be accepted that young, but he shrugs it off as the co-pilot announced that they were nearing the insertion point. The squad leader then opens up the strap of his seat and walks to the end of the cargo bay, turns around and gave another speech. ¡°Remember, this mission may be your first and last as the Pentagon has just stated DEFCON 2 right after we left and due to the fact, those rebels could obtain such weaponry and that many personnel are unthinkable if they successfully launched one missile. our journey there will be harsh, no, it¡¯ll be hell when the operation started but we must succeed no matter what the cost, for your families... for freedom¡­ and the peace of the world!  Understood??!¡± he looks left and right at his men sitting opposite each other in the cargo bay seats.

    ¡°Sir, yes sir!¡± They exclaimed in unison on the radio, while having some little cheers afterwards

    As the squad leader turns around waiting for the Ospreys to land, Logan that has finished his chuckle looks at Achiles that is staring at the cargo bay door blankly. He then snapped his fingers multiple times in front of Achiles¡¯s face. The young man in deep thought snapped back to reality as Logan¡¯s finger-snapping is annoying him. ¡°Daydreaming about someone eh?? Who is it??¡± he playfully teases him while nagging his elbow onto Achiles¡¯s waist. ¡°Ah- no, it¡¯s just¡­ Agung is kind of different from back then¡­¡± said Achiles shrugging off the matter while double-checking his weapon and provisions inside his chest rig and small backpack.

    ¡°Ah I see, I thought if you have a relationship with one of the ladies back home.¡± Achiles then zipped back his backpack and looked at Logan while tilting his head slightly. ¡°Do I look like someone that has a girl, sir?¡± Logan is slightly surprised by him as with Achiles¡¯s look and calm attitude, he could¡¯ve won many girls¡¯ hearts.

    ¡°Welp, I¡¯m not going to force onto your private life. But anyway, after every war end, you need to have a happier life. guys like you should¡¯ve enjoyed their teenage life to the fullest. Get a girlfriend or something, have fun with your pals, or even do stupid things. Ye¡¯ know, the normal way people do?¡± Achiles could only nod at his superior¡¯s statement and Logan continued, ¡°also, I have my girlfriend back at base, ye¡¯ know, one of the flyboys? she¡¯s also going to provide air support for this mission. I¡¯m going propose to her when we return from our deployment, romantic isn¡¯t it?¡±.

    ¡°Damn¡­ this guy just said the death flag, what the hell¡­¡± Achiles thought to himself while having his mouth resting his chin on his hands. He could feel Logan¡¯s happy grin below the balaclava even though he felt anxious about the mission just like Achiles himself. No long, the cargo bay door opens, and the ground could be seen as they were descending to land the aircraft. the Tiltrotor aircraft rocks as it landed in the rough terrain of the desert, all of the Delta Force members present rushed themselves out and crouch 15 meters away from the aircraft, checking left and right to make sure the landing zone isn¡¯t ambushed. As the squad leader gave a thumbs up to the door gunner that¡¯s waiting for them to affirm that they could be left out, the man that is still holding the M240 mounted machine gun radioed them ¡°we¡¯ll be back at LZ alpha or gamma at 1400hrs, air asset is also available if it is necessary. Good luck Major¡± the door gunner gave a quick salute, and the cargo door of the Ospreys then closes and the gale from the rotors increased as it slowly lifts off to the air, heading back to base. As those aircraft were out of their sight, the Major then stood up and order them to follow his lead.

    ¡°hey, should I sing a song for our journey?¡± Logan carefreely asked without hesitation, and in an instant, everyone in the team groaned in disagreement. ¡°Ah c¡¯mon guys, I have a beautiful voice ye¡¯ know¡± he said with his deep southern accent.

    ¡°beautiful in your ass! The club once kick us out ¡®cuz of you, Logan!¡± complained one of the members of the team. ¡°plus, we got banned if we brought you back! The damn waitress got some trauma or something¡± Logan chuckled nervously as he was slapped by the truth, they did once get kicked out since Logan¡¯s voice isn¡¯t even suited for singing, especially when he¡¯s drunk. ¡°This might be a long mission huh¡­¡± Achiles thought to himself while looking over the horizon to monitor the situation with his annoyed sigh and a sullen face. ¡°Is logan always like this?¡±

    ¡°Cut the chatter, time is our essence, let¡¯s get moving gents¡±

 Deception

    - June 6<sup>th</sup>, 2047 ¨C

    - Operation Raze -

    - Sahara Desert, Ma¡¯tan Al Jafr, 29¡ã49''57.5"N 19¡ã46''17.8"E, 1150hrs ¨C

    Over the horizon of the encampment of the rebels, the 10 men of the Delta forces were sitting down and chatting lowly below their deployable camouflage net that cover up their dug-up temporary entrenchment, enough to accommodate the whole squad. Meanwhile, each of their squad leaders monitors the situation with their binoculars outside in the heat of the desert. Their intel was right, as it was oddly enough there are no activities during daytime, and not even a single air patrol is present. ¡°Maybe they didn¡¯t have any gunships?¡± the second in command of the squad thought to himself. Agung then looked at his wristwatch, pulling the sleeve of his uniform. looking at the time, He then nods to his subordinate that is also monitoring the situation with him. The man then went inside the netting, gaining the attention of his men.

    ¡°10 minutes till operation initiation, have all of checked your gears again??¡± he said while closing the scope of his DMR and also putting back his binoculars. ¡°All good, Sir!¡± one of the members replied while checking back

    ¡°Good, we¡¯re going to move through the dry oasis while taking some slight detour to the west as the hill there could be used as a cover in two minutes¡± as they were hastily packing up the camouflage net, agung went inside the trench with a grim face.

    ¡°Bad news, I just spotted a couple of BTRs and 3 squads of 8 infantry members on patrol on our northwest¡±

    ¡°Damnit! Should¡¯ve known there was a patrol, there¡¯s no way a very convenient base located in the middle of a landmark in this scorching hot desert without covers has no patrols, so what¡¯s our plan Major?¡± Logan asked, his hunch was right as he said the same opinion about there should''ve been a patrol roaming around near their rest point an hour ago before they arrived at their trench spot earlier.

    ¡°Proceed as planned, there¡¯s no other option¡±

    ¡°What?! You¡¯re telling us to engage a couple of armoured vehicles without any AT weapons, along with nearly 24 infantries out in an open area?!¡±

    ¡°No, engaging them would be idiotic to do. All we need to do is just to avoid detection and engagement until we reached the designated area. All units, on me! Get moving!¡± Agung sternly exclaimed. the whole team doesn¡¯t have any choices left, either abort the mission or let the rebels that can have several WMDs at their disposal, launch a surprise attack on a densely populated area in the future. ¡®Do or die¡¯ most likely this mission is to them. without further questions, they follow their daring leader, moving slowly through the desert heat.

    9 minutes have passed, and luckily enough they weren¡¯t spotted as the new tech they were supplied with was surprisingly effective to cover their movement. The tech is simple, as it was just basically a deployable screen with a camera on the back of the frame. The built-in AI would automatically align the feed from the camera to be displayed upfront to the viewer¡¯s eyes, the downside is that the gadget isn¡¯t very effective in a CQB environment as it would confuse the alignment process. The team went through an exposed exhaust port they accidentally find when they were trying to pass the hill of the dried oasis and coincidentally, it was big enough for them to fit, even while standing. The Vent weren¡¯t even dark, Neon lights covered in thick glasses were present up on the ceilings of the metal walls, and there was a cold air flowing through the exhaust port.

    ¡°This doesn¡¯t look like an exhaust port¡­ plus, this damn tunnel has this creepy vibe for some reason,¡± remarked one of the members that have his rifle up in combat position while walking slowly within the formation.

    ¡°Probably this is an escape route or somethin¡¯, but still, I¡¯m hella amazed at how they could even build this without getting detected by sat imagery. Arabic magic perhaps?¡± the other member replied while gazing at the luminescent metal ceiling above him. The others chuckled at his little joke.

    ¡°Cut the chatter gents, we¡¯re one minute away from our appointed time, turn on your comms to the main frequency. Be ready to give an update to HQ¡± interrupted the squad leader that¡¯s holding his position at the junction in front of them. without any warning, the ear protection that is connected to their radio has a sudden banging loud static that rings their ears, causing them to forcibly plug out the cable that¡¯s connected to the ear protection.

    ¡°what the hell was that! Arrgh! Damnit, my ears!¡±

    ¡°I don¡¯t know! It may be some sort of radio jamming!¡±

    ¡°Shit! how do we contact HQ now!?¡±

    The team were slightly frustrated as the unexpected situation is worse than they thought, if they can¡¯t contact their Command back at their base, they can¡¯t update any information that might be useful for the top brass to sort out another approach for the accomplishment of the mission. Amid disarray, their team leader inexplicably kept his stoic attitude, connecting the cable of the radio that he plugs out, back in, and ordered his men to keep moving as planned, splitting into two groups. The team agrees as it will reduce the chances of the mission getting compromised, and thus, the Alpha team will go left while the Bravo goes right. The ones within the Alpha team include Achilles and Logan as its members roster among the 6, led by the main team lead Agung himself. their main mission is the primary objective; sabotage the ICBM launch platforms. While the Bravo team has Agung 2<sup>nd</sup> in command lead it, their mission is to obtain any valuable information in the facility they accidentally found. Seems highly unlikely they would have trouble, but ¡­ it was not the case.

    - Back to the current time ¨C

    ¡°so what happened after you split up with the second team??¡± Aurora asked, she has her eyes slightly worried as she was very immersed in Jaeger¡¯s story. She could follow much as Jaeger did explain the term that was out of her world like firearms, Helicopters, etc since he played some holographic footage about the things mentioned earlier.

    ¡°After we split up, we maintained radio silence, meaning we¡¯re not allowed to use radio communication until we¡¯re ordered to. The mission didn¡¯t have flaws yet as we moved cautiously throughout the facility, but during that time, I was pretty suspicious about Agung¡± he said, having himself looking at the skies, slightly sullen on remembering it.

    ¡°is it because he¡¯s acting strangely?¡±

    ¡°no, he somehow could figure out the way to the vehicle depot that is located at the ground level, the place where the Missile trucks are stored. The facility itself is a maze, without proper information, we would¡¯ve been lost at that time and might end up getting captured¡­ well eventually we- I mean, I got captured...¡±

    ¡°oh my, how did that happen?¡±

    ¡°it was a setup, you know¡­ the classic story of desertion?¡±

    - Back to the flashback¨C

    ¡°Alright, Charges are in their place and the warheads have been neutralized, on your mark, sir¡± reported one of the soldiers behind cover, along with the other members of the Alpha team.

    ¡°lit it¡±

    BOOM!

    The explosives created a huge amount of munitions and vehicles ablaze due to the chain reaction of the explosions, some of the debris flung through the side of their covers and even the turrets of the tanks went sky high as it was coincidentally loaded. The explosions settled down several seconds later, and the alarm went blaring because as of now, the rebels knew their base has an intruder that already caused chaos among them. as the Alpha team move out of cover, one of them saw a dismembered torso lying in the middle of the area, probably one of the maintenance crew that was still present. He held his urge to vomit as the condition was very indescribable. Truthfully, the current Delta team were very green, they never saw real warfare as the world was very peaceful for two in a half-decade as the last war was the Russo-Ukrainian war.

    ¡°Well shit, we¡¯re fucked. They know we¡¯re here now. Where the hell is the Bravo team?!¡± one of the members of the Alpha team fret about the Bravo team as they were late to the schedule.

    ¡°No response from their comms, we should investigate the facility before they did something rash. Logan, contact our air asset, we need them to cover our escape. The other two, go secure the perimeter, make sure nobody left alive.¡± Logan quickly switched the channel of his radio to the frequency that was designated for the fighter jets roaming around above the Egyptian airspace. But the other two were baffled as the order from Agung gave a shiver to their spine as the order was very cold-hearted, although they were troubled by it. nevertheless, they did what they were ordered to do.

    ¡°Python 1 ¨C 1, this is Delta 1-2, requesting airstrike on the area of the objective around¡­¡± Logan looks at his Superior with a questioning stare.

    ¡°10 minutes¡±

    ¡°Around 10 minutes from now, over¡± there¡¯s a static pause after Logan said his request, although it didn¡¯t take long for a response from one of the pilots, the female he mentioned to Achilles before the mission.

    ¡°This is Python 1-1, I read you Delta 1-2. Say, what happened earlier? I heard that HQ somewhat can¡¯t contact your squad, are you okay down there?¡± she said worriedly, hearing her thick Irish accent made Logan smile slightly. But even so, He chuckles nervously as he also doesn¡¯t know what happened earlier either. But he didn¡¯t want her to be concerned about him, ¡°I¡¯m not gonna lie to you, but somehow, we managed to find an underground facility. The information will be disclosed later so right now, don¡¯t worry about me. I¡¯ll see you back at base¡±

    ¡°Affirmative, good luck out there, Logan. Air Support will arrive as you stated.¡±

    ¡°You too, Emmy. And don¡¯t burn us when dropping your bombs.¡± She chuckled at the small joke behind the mic.

    ¡°Gosh, I won''t... silly¡±

    As he ended his talk with the pilot, he gave thumbs up, confirming that the airstrike will be arriving as ordered. But to Logan¡¯s surprise, most of his teammates have a teasing look in their eyes.

    ¡°I won¡¯t¡­ silly. what are you two? kids??¡± one of them said with some giggle while trying to mimic Emmy¡¯s voice

    ¡°Oh, shut up, at least I¡¯m winning in life¡± the guy stopped his laugh and clicked his tongue, the retort stabbed him right on the spot. Achilles shook his head with a sigh, ¡°Seriously sir, those words could kill any friends of yours that are still single if they hear it¡±

    ¡°All of you, cut your chatter! We need to find the Bravo team in 9 minutes or we all gonna became some crisp steak out in the desert¡± Agung sternly interrupted their casual conversation while he slightly took a peek at the door where they came out from the underground bunker, making sure the corridor is still clear from hostiles. The team then stacked up behind him after the others has ascertain that there are no survivors of the explosion. Rapidly tapping Agung¡¯s shoulders, Logan pointed at a door that has the sand on top of it blown out, slightly intrigued as no one noticed it until now

    ¡°Hey, should we check that door first? It might lead us to valuable info down there¡± Agung paused briefly, but he agreed at Logan¡¯s suggestion.

    ¡°Alright, change of plans. The search for the Bravo team is up to you three. Master Sergeant Logan and Sergeant Achilles, on me. We''re going to investigate the unknown entrance¡± all of them moved according to his order. the other 3 members of the team swiftly sweep the aforementioned exit to search for any survivors of the bravo team while Agung, Logan and Achilles forced the unknown door laying on the ground open with explosives. As the smoke clears out, the three of them activate their Night vision goggles and their laser sights and head inside, guns in their ready position. it has a stairwell that leads deep to the underground, just like the bunker they found, but Logan assumes that it wasn¡¯t connected to the bunker as it weren¡¯t any electricity around since the concrete ceilings are opened and the damaged wiring was exposed, moreover, most of the hanging neon lightbulbs for the lighting were destroyed.

    It didn¡¯t take long as they reached the end of the stairwell and encountered a junction in the corridor, Agung decided to search on the right while Logan & Achilles were ordered to search together. Although it was reasonable as it would decrease their time on gathering information about the unknown bunker they found, Achilles felt conflicted as Agung¡¯s suggestion could lead them to be more vulnerable to an indoor ambush or traps if they¡¯re split into two groups. Agung, with his hard head, sternly insisted that he¡¯ll be fine, and proceeded to walk alone to the passageway on the right.

    ¡°Damnit! That hard-headed character is what I hate about him!¡±

    ¡°Hey, chill out, I know we¡¯re in the middle of a mission and his actions are somewhat a bit off from our training but from my experience, I know he has good reasons for it.¡± Logan tries to reassure Achilles. But it didn¡¯t affect him and instead burn more of the flames in his eyes.

    ¡°This is why I say he¡¯s acting odd from his usual self! I knew him since my childhood days, and since his father went missing in action, his view of the world changed drastically as he actually hates peace! I still can¡¯t believe he could raise our team¡¯s morale with that half-assed cheesy patriotic speech back on the Helo and-¡±

    ¡°Sergeant¡­ don¡¯t you dare talk shit about your superior behind his backs¡± Achiles was caught by surprise as Logan cut his sentence with a stern tone, looking onto his eyes with something that says ¡®If you continue, I¡¯ll be sure you¡¯ll be discharged from the military when this is all over. He then sighed and took a deep breath, calming his emotions down.

    ¡°Sorry¡­ it¡¯s just¡­his ignorance of my presence back when I enlisted myself got onto my nerves. until now, he didn¡¯t even talk to me normally, even as a superior¡± Logan patted Achilles¡¯ shoulder having a slight sympathy in his eyes.

    ¡°I know that feeling, but the past is the past and right now we need to finish this mission quickly before Emmy bombed us into hot barbeque¡±

    You could be reading stolen content. Head to Royal Road for the genuine story.

    ¡°Yeah, and barbeque is only good served with cold drinks¡±

    ¡°Hell yeah, that¡¯s the spirit! Let¡¯s get moving then¡± they then proceeded to walk through the left passageway, clearing every room they encountered on their left and right and to the point they could reach the end of the passageway feeling the area is secured. At that time, there was only one room left, as it was locked tightly and can¡¯t be forcefully opened with human force like kicking it down or using a crowbar they found inside one of the rooms they cleared. Logan whipped out one last C4 explosive charge that he has inside his backpack and slid it between the door and its handle as he ran out of adhesive for it. Both of them went inside a nearby room, taking cover from the door that¡¯s been planted with an explosive. they made sure that they were braced for it and nodded to each other, Logan pressed the detonator button. The C4 blasted the door, although the door didn¡¯t get sent flying as it was a thick metal door, the latching mechanism was severely damaged as the part on the was bent to the point it broke the frame of the doorway. Both of them then stand across each other in front of the doorway of the metal door as the smoke clears out, Achilles then swiftly threw a flashbang grenade inside just like how they would do before clearing that room that¡¯s deemed by them to be more suspicious than the other rooms. The grenade¡¯s flashes and banging sounds resided several seconds later, Logan then quickly move to a position where he could kick the door and force his way inside the right side of the room, followed by Achilles behind him going to the left side.

    The room is dark, just like the others, but since they use Night vision goggles, the room could be seen by them. they look around the room as it was different from the other room. The room itself contains a lot of lockers for files and samples, and each one of them started to deteriorate as it was locked only God knows how long that room was locked. Logan then started to look around the room for any information or data that they could get a hand on while Achilles guard the doorway. But as he searched a table, he found a file inside the drawer, written in a foreign language that he didn¡¯t understand.

    ¡°Hey, Achilles, come here for a sec,¡± he said while looking back, having his rifle on his sling and gesturing to come to the table¡¯s position

    ¡°What is it??¡± Achilles, still having his eyes warily guarding the doorway went reluctantly to the table where Logan is, standing beside him and looking at the file that was handed to him.

    ¡°How do you read this word?¡± Achilles hummed at the question, he then deactivates his NV goggles and brought up a small flashlight. He then read the file thoroughly and was surprised by it. ¡°Holy crap¡­ who in the sane mind made this experiment!?¡±

    ¡°Tell me what is it,¡± Achilles stared at his curious Superior as he was hesitant to tell him. ¡°The file is written in German, A project named D¨ªsir, and it stated here that the project¡¯s main point is to modify a female body that can create a descendant that has superhuman capabilities.¡±

    ¡°well, that doesn¡¯t sound that bad right? It only sounds someone just wanted to make a better version of us humans. Evolution am I right??¡± Logan slightly chucked to lighten the mood up, but it didn¡¯t work.

    ¡°Well, although it sounded fine at first when you only hear the concept, the death count is high when they started experimenting. The serum that they made contained multiple animal DNA that was intended to make the subject itself have superhuman strength, but the side effects were fatal, either their brains suddenly stopped, vomiting their intestines, or their skin and body suddenly changed into something so grotesque that it can¡¯t be explained by words alone. From their 12 years of experiments, only one subject survived it and the project was cancelled since they lack funds and the experiment site was dangerously close to a nearby city, fearing the danger if there would be a catastrophic incident that the subject would run wild and expose whatever the hell they¡¯re doing here to the world. Do I need to continue? Here¡¯s one of the pic of the subject that went to a deceased state.¡± Achilles handed the opened file with the exact page of the picture that was attached to the page with a paperclip to his current CO. Logan was so disturbed he couldn''t fathom any witty remarks. The image shows the subject having her eyes gouged out as if they exploded, her pores on her limbs expanded to the point that the bones were exposed, and her chest also went swollen as if her heart received air that expanded it to the point it could explode anytime, along with other parts that expanded, worst one is that her skull seems to be corroded that the brain¡¯s shape was printed at the skin of her head that has no hair. Logan covers his mouth trying to hold his nausea because of the image.

    ¡°what the hell did we just discover¡­¡±

    ¡°some fucked up shit alright¡­¡±

    As they were reading more of the other files, some footsteps were heard on the passageway outside the room. Achilles and his instincts tell him to head to the other side of the room to get into his ready position just like in his training, along with turning his NV goggles on. At the same time, Logan notices his comrade¡¯s sudden action, turns around and readied his rifle in the aiming position. Both of them aimed at the doorway, having some cold sweat running down. The footsteps are getting closer, but it was countable as it was only one person that was approaching them.

    ¡°Cobras eye,¡± the approaching man said. The two of them then sighed in relief as they know the word to identify an ally during their mission.

    ¡°Major, how¡¯s your end? Did you get any valuable data??¡± he asked, having himself gone out of the room with his rifle lowered followed by Achilles behind him. ¡°oh, not much, it was a dead end and there¡¯s only the electrical room and some sort of a research area. I didn¡¯t find anything good as most of it was either destroyed or deteriorated due to its age. So, what did you find here? That explosive isn¡¯t for nothing right?¡±

    ¡°right, Sergeant, tell him the full detail of that file we found¡±

    Achilles then led Agung inside and grabbed the file, describing its content in detail. Agung¡¯s face looked grim as he was also speechless. Achilles also added some detail from other files that were connected to it, stating that the project intended to create a super soldier that is a pure weapon of war that¡¯s merciless.

    ¡°so, what should we do with these files??¡± Achilles asks Agung currently still thinking. ¡°should we just take a photo and burn it or¡­¡±

    ¡°We need the real thing back to be analysed, so gather up all the files that are connected to Project D¨ªsir. We¡¯re done here, Airstrike will arrive around 4 minutes, pack up.¡±

    ¡°Yes Sir!¡± Both Achilles and Logan then quickly grabbed the files that they read earlier, fitting them inside their backpack that¡¯s filled with consumables and other things like riflescopes, camo net, etc. it didn¡¯t take long for them to finish up and they walked to Agung that¡¯s waiting at the stairs. They confirmed to him that they had already picked up what they need. Logan then said he was going to go up first to check the condition. But as Achilles followed Logan, Agung halted him,

    ¡°Hey, sergeant, what do you think about Master Sergeant logan?¡±

    ¡°huh? Oh, he¡¯s an interesting guy, even though he kept his funny attitude with the team, but he¡¯s still a great superior.¡±

    ¡°I see, what¡¯s his reaction when he read the file?¡±

    ¡°He held his nausea, but he didn¡¯t read it by himself since he didn¡¯t know German, I told him everything I read in that file¡±

    ¡°I see¡­¡± Achilles tilted his head slightly as Agung¡¯s question is odd at the current situation. ¡°guess, he¡¯s still one of the loose ends then¡±

    ¡°Huh?¡±

    Bang

    A gunshot was heard from the top of the stairway and Achilles looked in horror as he looks back up the top, Logan¡¯s silhouette that was walking up the stairs fell and rolled down the stairway. Achilles instinctively tried to aim at Agung, but his rifle was slapped away from him, Agung quickly pulled some heavy punches toward him that were still caught in surprise. Achilles tried to counter him with punches but to no avail as it seemed that Agung wasn¡¯t even flinched by it and the betraying officer is thrice more powerful than him. They both fight in close quarters, pulling punches against one another, and even trying to stab each other. But then Achilles made a mistake, he fell for Agung¡¯s faint and was caught in a lock.

    ¡°heh, this kid is not so mighty after all eh?¡±

    ¡°Major!! What the fuck is this! Why did you kill your own teammate!? So that speech just some bullshit is it?!¡± Agung grinned below his balaclava, and he accidentally let out his laughter slightly.

    ¡°whoops, I guess I¡¯m busted, but those guys aren¡¯t the rebels, they¡¯re another organization. They set up everything here, just to capture you and take the remaining data of Disir away. But hey! You¡¯re just one easy prey for me that¡¯s 10 times better than you in any aspect of this kind of job¡± He spoke with an arrogant tone

    ¡°What do you mean another organization?!¡± Agung then grabs a syringe out from his chest rig pocket and stabbed it into Achille¡¯s neck, he then injects the serum slowly into Achilles that¡¯s currently bleeding since Agung pierced the wrong spot.

    ¡°Ah damn, that¡¯s the wrong spot. but anyway, sleep tight, spoiled brat¡±

    ¡°damnit you¡­.¡±

    - Back to the current time ¨C

    ¡°I lost consciousness due to that injection, it¡¯s probably some sort of anaesthetic that¡¯s quite powerful since after a few hours later when I woke up, I had nausea and headache, along with tension around some of my¡­¡± Jaeger coughed before continuing his sentence with his fingers that gestured a quotation mark ¡°body parts¡­¡±

    ¡°Oh¡­ Umm¡­ I won¡¯t question what part it is then¡± Aurora has a slight blush, realizing what he meant while gazing away from him. ¡°Although... did Logan die at that time? You did say that your world has this body armour that could resist ¡®bullets¡¯ that¡¯s faster than arrows¡±

    ¡°He¡­ after I woke up, I realized I was still at that same facility, but the room¡¯s location was deeper than we were before since I remember the wall texture. Logan¡¯s corpse was hanged with a chain in the next room, I could see his condition since our room was only separated by a thick layer of glass, looking at his injuries, I think he was tortured to death¡­¡± Jaeger¡¯s voice is shaking, gripping the grass nearby hardly, holding his anger, ¡°and that bastard that betrayed us¡­ fucking sneered at me through the glass window across me¡­ showing the footage of his compatriots getting killed in the trap he set with his collaborator¡±

    Another holographic footage was shown from Jaeger¡¯s perspective looking at the recorded footage of his teammate slaughtered in a room full of either automated miniature turrets or they were surrounded by hostiles. Each shout of ¡°contact!!¡± and desperation screech in pain hit him like a freight train, one by one he saw his teammate downed, the Jaeger in the footage was cursing at Agung in rage and frustration. And the footage was cut when another explosion happened suddenly, knocking him unconscious.

    Jaeger breathed in and out, calming his anger down, and continuing his flashback, ¡°during that time, my only regret was¡­ If I have acted sooner¡­ we wouldn¡¯t lose two hundred thousand lives, along with the whole squad in a single day¡­¡± he then ordered Ofnir to open his memories after he escaped the facility. Walking by weeks before reaching the destroyed base he was in back then.

    ¡°I dragged my wounded body back to HQ, hoping someone is still there, but it was in vain¡­ it was the first ground zero of the nuke they obtained¡­ and the fact that there¡¯s still a warehouse standing is a miracle. I then changed my course, heading north to the port city nearby. although it took several days to arrive as I was also walking with minimal supplies, I arrived safely and stayed for 2 weeks before contacting someone from my Nation.¡± Jaeger mournfully looks at the skies again. ¡°I cried nonstop at the inn I was in, most of them have families back home, unlike me, that¡¯s technically live alone¡­ when I arrived back at my nation, I was despised by their families for coming back alive, and even command questioned how I could survive literal days of precision bombings¡­¡± he sighed again, as it was still unbearable for him to verbalise what he saw that day on the TV inside the inn. The news stated that the eastern side of Manchester that was already been struck by the nuclear attack and the government was desperate to search for any survivors, and as he saw the date when he saw the news, it was already 4 days since he was inserted to the mission area.

    ¡°After that, I was dismissed from the military several months after getting promoted to Lieutenant Colonel for my achievement getting the file of Project Disir to HQ and my father took me into his company. Not long, I was transferred to a research lab as a volunteer for their experiment subject. I won¡¯t tell the details about it, but that research is very disturbing to say and that¡¯s what made me what I am today, a living weapon with free will. That¡¯s the story I guess¡­¡± he said to Aurora, still in his gloomy tone and noticed that the grass he was gripping earlier was torn out from the ground. The grass itself felt different from the ones on Earth where it felt vegetative. At Verdia, the grass feels fluffy and has a unique texture on its upper epidermis. Although Jaeger¡¯s statement earlier left Aurora speechless, all of the footage she saw are too painful for even her to imagine if she were at his place and made her shed some tears.

    ¡°Uhh¡­ hey? Are you okay?¡± she wiped her tears with her hands, although she still sobs. She looked at him while trying to comfort Jaeger instead of herself, ¡°No, it¡¯s just¡­ you¡¯ve been through a lot, didn¡¯t you? I want to say that you could tell me anything if you¡¯re troubled with something since this matter isn¡¯t that trivial¡­ it¡¯s a trauma that caused you a lot of pain, isn¡¯t it? So¡­ just¡­¡± Aurora then embraced him once more and he didn¡¯t say a word, she patted his back and soothingly whispers, ¡°just let it out again¡­ It¡¯s fine¡­¡± Jaeger has his emotions start flowing slowly again for the second time. He did get treatment for his trauma back then, it kept returning to the point where it was used in the research, he was in to trigger the mindless weapon he was brainwashed as. His tears start flowing again and he cried aloud again just like back in the days when he lost his comrades.

    In the meantime, Christina was watching the two from afar at the side of the mansion. She was on ears on what were they conversing about while she was preparing the teleportation sigil. ¡°August needs to explain to me about this later, but I¡¯m glad that he has grown stronger than I imagined he would be" she muttered with a smile, but then her motherly smile was shattered when she hears the continuation of their conversation.

    ¡°Can you NOT get aroused when I¡¯m trying to comfort you?!¡±

    ¡°I¡¯m sorry okay! It¡¯s not like I intended to do so!¡± The two then have a small quarrel while they¡¯re hugging, shattering the emotional moment they have and that made Christina pinch her forehead, ¡°this idiot couple¡± she muttered solemnly. their quarrel did take a while until it reached a climax where they hilariously mock each other, causing Christina to let her laughter out. The two stopped their quarrel as they see the laughing Archmage beside the mansion corner.

    ¡°Are you thinking what I¡¯m thinking right now?¡± He said while letting Aurora go.

    ¡°I do may have an opinion that differs slightly, but surely indeed¡± in their irritation of having their conversation getting eavesdropped on, both of them headed towards Christina that¡¯s holding her abdomen trying to suppress her laughter. ¡°Ah, hey you two, what¡¯s with the scary face?¡± she said, trying to stop her chuckle while having the two stare at her with arms crossed.

    ¡°So, Aurora, how do we deal with eavesdroppers in your country?¡±

    ¡°Oh, we usually either do some thrashing or forcibly make them forget, you know how¡­¡±

    ¡°Interesting¡­¡± with the information he got from her, his evil grin grew. ¡°Eh¡­¡± is the only word Christina say before she was given some Punishment by the two. Not long, they then went to the room with the teleportation sigil and knocked. Conrad, that have finished the preparation by charging the sigil with mana as Christina taught him, opened the door and was caught by surprise at the condition Christina is in.

    ¡°What in the world happened? Wait¡­ Lehrerin¡­ you did something mischievous again huh?¡± It was inevitable as he might know what did happen by looking at the face of both Jaeger and his sister that¡¯s still slightly irritated as they were trying to suppress it.

    ¡°Ahaha¡­ha¡­ it¡¯s just¡­ I only eav-¡°

    ¡°It¡¯s not just Only eavesdropping on us, Miss Archmage¡­¡± Jaeger didn¡¯t say a word and just walked past Conrad that is listening yet petrified as Aurora¡¯s reprimanding towards his mentor continued since she is still vexed. ¡°should we go now? The portal is ready and all¡± suggested Conrad to his sister either to calm her down or since the teleporter needs to be hurriedly activated. All of them then stand inside the huge sigil inside the room, and Christina then started chanting the spell to activate it. The teleportation sigil then slowly shone like before they were transferred to the mansion and glowed in a bright blue colour.

    ¡°you know, wild talisman sure does have a nice ring on it,¡± Jaeger said out of the blue just to crack the ice between them with a chuckle following it.

    ¡°Who are you calling wild talisman huuuhh..????¡±

    ¡°Of course, you, mom¡±

    ¡°Yeah sure, pervy-ford sure sounds good too¡±

    ¡°Oi, I ain¡¯t-¡± They were transferred somewhere else as Jaeger tried to continue his sentence, worst of all, got separated again just like last time and ended up teleported outside of the Capital walls. The city guards that were inspecting a Caravan convoy were taken aback as a man just appeared out of thin air behind one of the Merchants¡¯ wagons. The appearance of a man with a unique outfit, equipment and weapon makes him stare at Jaeger for several seconds until his fellow city guard points his spear at Jaeger who sighed in annoyance at the situation.

    ¡°Who are you?! Identify yourself!¡± the guard said

    ¡°Ah, crap¡­ why I always got into these kinds of situations when it¡¯s involving magic bullshit¡­¡± Jaeger annoyingly thought. He raised both of his hands up, yielding himself so there would not be any useless bloody fight occur. ¡°Apologies for my sudden appearance out of the blue, I was teleporting with Archmage Talisman to a certain place, but somehow the teleportation magic went wrong, and I ended up here¡± he explained, with a small smile etched on his face as a fa?ade to hide his annoyance for every teleportation incident he had experienced up to this day. Unfortunately, The guards weren¡¯t easily convinced by his honest reasoning and let out some laughter.

    ¡°Nonsense, the Archmage would not have some stranger with her teleporting around lavishly.¡±

    ¡°even though with her son??¡± that statement from Jaeger made them burst out laughing even more as they knew the story of the Archmage¡¯s Husband and child were teleported back to the other world. ¡°That was a great joke buddy, tell that to the interrogator later, chances are you¡¯re either going to get laughed at and get beaten up to the face¡±.

    ¡°AH GODDAMNIT!!¡±

    That day, the whole residents of the gate area were rather shocked by the roaring echo of someone cursing aloud. As for Jaeger, he was detained by the city guards and was escorted to a nearby Knight¡¯s office.

 Motheréˆ¥æªš Past

    - Inside the City wall interrogation room, Ersten, The Capital of the Kingdom of Apollyon¨C

    - Around 9.30 am-

    ¡°So, this idiot son of mine was detained considering that he appeared out of nowhere and cursed aloud causing discomfort to the residents nearby while also claiming to be my son, is that true?¡± The Archmage¡¯s sudden appearance in the interrogation room 30 minutes earlier surprised everyone inside. The fact that she did come to see Achilles that was to their eyes claiming to be her son was obviously in disbelief as they thought that he should¡¯ve already been six feet under due to his age. The interrogator is currently stuttering since she also confirmed the fact of Achilles¡¯s statement and knowing the mistake that he made, he was prepared for the worse.

    ¡°Y-yes Archmage ma¡¯am¡±

    ¡°Sounds familiar like his father alright, especially the cursing part¡± Christina looks back at her son that¡¯s hung upside down, having the rope wrapping around his leg and a weighted handcuff on his wrist along with his face slightly swollen. the guards didn¡¯t dismantle the exoskeleton as it was attached to his body instead and were afraid that if they accidentally broke it or cause major pain to him. ¡°So, how¡¯s the experience here??¡±

    The stripped man¡¯s eyes twitched, ¡°You could clearly see it right? I¡¯m literally beaten up¡±. Christina pretended she didn¡¯t hear it as she already know what actually happened, this D¨¦j¨¤ vu she was seeing again made her want to laugh aloud but she kept it to herself later. Having some mischievous look on her face, she then squatted near him while poking his abs.

    ¡°Hmm¡­ you sure do work out huh?¡±

    ¡°of course, I¡¯m in the military any- wait, forget about that! help me down, please! And stop poking at my abs!¡±

    ¡°Surely, but first¡­¡± without hesitation, with her mischievous smile, she furiously tickles his sides. Achilles that is unaware of his tickle spot, burst out laughing as he couldn¡¯t contain the weird sensation he was having. The Interrogator and the guards were rather bewildered at the scene in front of them, looking at each other with a look that says, ¡°should we even see this?¡±

    ¡°ahahaha!! You have the same tickle spot as August, this is interesting!¡±

    ¡°Mom¡­ stop¡­ please¡­ I beg you¡­¡± his pleading didn¡¯t stop her from it, in fact, she kept tickling him. ¡°Nope! This is for giving me an embarrassing nickname¡±

    ¡°Well then fine!¡± as he cried out, his nervous system was blocked at his tickle spots, making it have no sense of touch and his laughter resided seconds after it. ¡°Tch, you¡¯re no fun¡± a bright white light then radiates at her palm as she touches Jaeger¡¯s swollen face and chants short words of the spell, the bruise he had then vanished along with the white light as it also dissipates.

    ¡°Ah yes, good as new. You won¡¯t need those fancy technology stuff you have to heal it now.¡±

    ¡°how about my cuffs??¡±

    ¡°Well, that¡¯s a different matter sweetheart. And so, I shall take my leave¡± She looked at her back, her eyes squinted. Although the guards are nervous due to the immense aura she was emitting, her charm also did a number on their hearts. Christina then told the interrogator that her business is done there and left the rest to him while doing whatever he see fit. Before she left, she patted one of the guards¡¯ shoulders and whispered.

    ¡°Tell my son to meet me at the nearby Tavern, also, here¡¯s some tip for working hard¡± she gave a wink while handing over a bag of gold coins. As she left the room, one of the guards clicked his tongue, envious of his friend¡¯s luck.

    ¡°What?¡±

    ¡°Lucky bastard¡±

    ¡°Well, I would still buy you some drink if you wanted, we¡¯re comrades after all right¡± the guard smiled at his friend, but the other guard felt more irritated as his smile isn¡¯t a genuine one ¡°stop that cheeky smile, it¡¯s annoying me¡±

    ¡°Haha, but well, money aside, she¡¯s quite a beauty. I did not expect the Archmage would be that gorgeous and bloody hell that chest is massive. Do you think I could get a chance to date her?¡±

    ¡°Hell, even I would want to date her too¡±

    ¡°Both of you know that it¡¯s someone¡¯s mother you¡¯re talking about right??¡± the two guards glanced at Jaeger that made that remark and to their surprise, the chains that were binding him were damaged while Jaeger himself already sat on the ground, slicing up the chains with his wrist blades. ¡°My dad¡¯s gonna be pissed if he heard that¡± he rubs his legs as it is still felt sore, having some stretches as he stood up.

    ¡°How did you obtain that blade?! We¡¯ve already stored your weapons away¡± exclaimed one of the guards while Jaeger nonchalantly deactivates his plasma blades.

    ¡°You obviously didn¡¯t check my exoskeleton¡­ well, it¡¯s not like this blade could be taken off from it anyway.¡± He looks around and noticed that his robe and clothes are well-kept on top of the shelf. ¡°So, Interrogator sir? Am I free of charge?¡± the interrogator that has his hands crossed.

    ¡°Yes, you can go. Do not forget your belongings¡± He then wears his uniform and robe. Right after he was done and turned around, the Interrogator called him ¡°Sir Wolfenford¡± he threw Jaeger¡¯s sword at him. Jaeger inspected his sword, which still has its slick black paintwork with red engraving on the scabbard that is still in its pristine condition.

    ¡°Thanks¡±

    ¡°No problem, although we did try to draw out the sword, it is somehow locked into the scabbard, additionally, the material is somehow harder than Mithril. Does it has magic imbued to it so nobody could use it?¡± Jaeger drew out his sword and has a smile on his face. Swinging it around like a dance of a unique swordsman. The three were astonished at his way of using it.

    ¡°Rather than magic, it¡¯s designed to only respond to my brainwaves. This sword is just truly made for me to wield. Anyway¡­I¡¯ll take my leave¡± although Jaeger explained it in a simple manner, the interrogator didn¡¯t understand what he said. putting away his sword, he then walks to the exit. But before he left, one of the guards conveyed Christina¡¯s message to him. Jaeger then thanked them for their ¡°Hospitality¡± and left for the Tavern where he was told to meet her.

    Unfortunately, he was lost inside the interior of the defence wall as the place is similar to a maze itself. Stairs, doors and corridors are everywhere around him, and there¡¯s no sign of an exit anywhere.

    ¡°Sir, someone who is experienced as a multirole soldier that could read an area that¡¯s unknown like you could lose your way inside this simple structure is genuinely mindboggling¡±

    ¡°Oh, shut up Ofnir, rather than blabbering about it, help me out of here. This place is confusing, even the murder hotel¡¯s design looks like child¡¯s play. Also, why the hell do people here like to build steep stairs? Isn¡¯t it unsafe in case of emergency?¡±

    ¡°I highly doubt they care since they still think about how complex arrangements of a structure would slow down the advancement of an invading foe¡±

    ¡°Fair point, also, would you mind scanning the structure in a 50-meter radius? We could be trapped here for days since I can¡¯t destroy the walls, being apprehended again doesn¡¯t sound fun at all¡± the sensor on his left shoulder hinges up as Ofnir proceeds to scan the area as ordered. Didn¡¯t take more than ten seconds for it to finish and uploaded to Jaeger¡¯s brain. He then creates a waypoint and finally found the exit right across from the mentioned tavern earlier.

    The streets there were very bustling with people, a lot more than the capital of the Holy Kingdom of Nelimista. The residents there were very peculiar to Jaeger¡¯s eyes as they could be accounted as Mutants if they were living on Earth. Most of them have superhuman strength and speed. Once, Jaeger saw a merchant and his companion lifting a crate that was five times bigger than his size, and then a mailman just whizzed past in front of him at breakneck speeds, similar to when he was using the thruster on his exoskeleton using its afterburner (approximately around 400kmph/248mph). apparently, the sight of a number of peculiar humans triggers one of Ofnir¡¯s hidden features that were likely to be unknown to Jaeger as it was never got activated when he was travelling with the siblings.

    ¡°Uh¡­ Ofnir? What the hell is this scanning progress bar appearing suddenly?¡±

    ¡°Don¡¯t mind it sir¡±

    ¡°but- ¡°

    ¡°I said¡­ Don¡¯t. Mind. It¡±

    ¡°Okay??¡±

    Ignoring the scanning process, Jaeger headed towards the tavern, crossing the cobblestone road, thinking about how some of his old acquaintances back when he met them in an anime con would be thrilled to see the sight he was seeing. As he enters inside, to his surprise, the place he thought to be not that crowded would be seen as a sea of people. The waitresses were preoccupied with all of the orders they received from diverse customers that he was ignored when he asked if they saw Christina. Just as he thinks that the place is most likely too crowded for his mother to even visit, a crowd of people suddenly cheers and the same scenery back in the tavern of a small town on the border happened again. he sighed while facepalming the Deja Vu he¡¯s seeing.

    ¡°You have got to be kidding me¡­" muttering while trying to slip his way into the epicentre of the crowd. Meanwhile, Christina is drinking so much that even the bartender was worried not about her health, but about his stock. He even tried to stop her but to no avail, she kept on drinking, paying much more than the drinks were priced that even he cannot complain about it.

    A case of theft: this story is not rightfully on Amazon; if you spot it, report the violation.

    ¡°All right! I¡¯ve broken your record big guy! Now, who¡¯s next to challenge me?!¡± she exclaimed, the crowds were cheering for each other and most of them raised their hands. They weren¡¯t that serious as they were drunk currently. Jaeger can¡¯t get to the epicentre and just watched from a distance how his blood-related mother whom he had for a very long time pictured from the stories from his father, got into these kinds of things and was liked by the people in the kingdom. A man that stood beside him patted Jaeger¡¯s shoulder as he was shaking his head in all seriousness.

    ¡°That woman always that frolicsome for ages, interesting, isn¡¯t it? Anyway, I¡¯ve never seen your face before, kid, you¡¯re new here?¡± the mercenary nodded, going with the flow of the conversation. ¡°She¡¯s one of the best customers here that always make the spirit around here uplifting ten-fold, even though she¡¯s a respected person herself. We all love her presence here, especially how she treated us as equals regardless of her status as a Count.¡±

    ¡°Wait, she has a title of a Count?!¡±

    ¡°Indeed, Count Talisman is famous for her peaceful territory even though it¡¯s practically at the border of the kingdom. They said it was established back around 200 years ago when the hero August was still with her¡± he took another big sip of his drink, from the looks of it, he¡¯s drinking a big mug of beer. ¡°I don¡¯t know about the details of that information, my great-great-grandfather would know about it honestly, but he¡¯s already long gone. But, Ah- hey! Where are you going?¡± seeing Jaeger just left him after his last statement about her title, he tried to reach out to him as he hasn¡¯t done with his story. Jaeger looked back at him with a small smile.

    ¡°I¡¯m just gonna have a word with my wild mother for a bit¡± the middle-aged man was rather baffled at it. Jaeger raised his hands and challenged her to the drinking contest. The audience roared as another challenger appears. The Archmage laughed in amusement as she didn¡¯t believe that her son would challenge her in the stupid contest she always does.

    ¡°Seriously? You¡¯re going to challenge me on my own game?¡±

    ¡°Any challenge is interesting to my eyes, but then again, I really need to stop this habit of yours¡± her grin grew wide as she was thrilled to be challenged but that turned his amusement around

    ¡°Is that so? What a nice kid you are. Well then, shall start?¡± ignoring the fact that her son is trying to stop her drunkard behaviour. She asked the bartender for two more bottles of ale and started the challenge that was deemed useless for the mercenary. Although, it didn¡¯t take long for them to end it.

    ¡°Oh, did we run out of drinks? Then it¡¯s a draw!¡±

    Neither one of them go drunk, although the crowd were rather pleased as it was an intense yet interesting event that they have never watched ever as nobody was lucky enough to have a draw against the Archmage. ¡°Ugh¡­ this is a pointless thing to do¡­ why am I even doing this¡­¡± Christina chuckled, seeing her son rant and cower at the table holding his abdomen since he¡¯s not used to having that much alcohol made her show some concern and instinctively ruffled his head, surprising him a little. ¡°Sorry for troubling you about this, though I already have my fun now thanks to you hehe~.¡±

    ¡°A bit too much honestly¡­ and stop rubbing my hair, I¡¯m not a child anymore¡± the old man that talked to jaeger earlier came toward them through the crowd, chuckling. ¡°I never thought the Wild talisman had a draw with a kid, what an interesting era to live in haha!¡±

    ¡°Pfft-¡± Jaeger tried to hold his laughter although a small wheeze was heard by Christina who put some death glare at him. ¡°The kid said he¡¯s new here but somehow you two seem close for a reason, care to tell us the story?¡±

    Christina had her wide grin and embraced Jaeger¡¯s head in one arm and ruffled his head once more, ¡°Oh him? He¡¯s my only son I¡¯m proud of¡±.

    ¡°I beg your pardon?¡± the man slightly choked on the drink he was chugging down, having his thick eyebrows raised, flabbergasted. ¡°Are you drunk right now miss?¡±

    ¡°Oi, I¡¯m sober as the clear skies, you do know I always cast magic so I won¡¯t be drunk, right?¡±

    ¡°Ah yes, the classic magic abuse, definitely not cheating¡± Christina smacked Jaeger¡¯s head due to his sarcastic remark ¡°Shut up for a second will you?¡±

    Christina then told a fabricated story about how Jaeger is somewhat alive and well to the crowd that¡¯s present as they all know that the story about her having a child is like a rumour from their great-grandparent¡¯s era. Albeit they were slightly doubting her story, they disregarded whether it was a true story or not since it came from her mouth. Both of them left the tavern not long after they paid for all the drinks they drank, and Christina led the way to their next destination.

    Jaeger admired the view along the way, a lot of otherworldly fantasy buildings are around, and some might going to trouble the engineers back in his home world since the design is way too odd for his eyes. As they reach the peak of a hill of the district they¡¯re in, on the south, near a cliff, the pride of the capital could be seen, the castle of the capital. Christina crossed her arms, standing with a smile admiring the view there, mumbling ¡°it¡¯s been a long time¡­¡±. She then look at Jaeger that was also amazed by the stunning view of the castle, although it is not as big as in Apostysa, the design itself is far grander. Though he didn¡¯t have any expression for it, Christina surely knows that he was admiring it from her motherly instinct.

    ¡°Quite the view isn¡¯t it?¡±

    ¡°Yeah, I still can¡¯t believe that humans in this world made such a grand castle far better than back on Earth.¡±

    ¡°Indeed, from the imagery that your father gave me about the Neuschwanstein Castle* and the Edinburgh Castle*, they made it only with the knowledge of architecture and engineering, while here we use both of them and with the help of magic to create a specialised Cement that could hold bricks in odd positions. Fascinating isn¡¯t it?¡± she breathes in the cold air that¡¯s still flowing around although the sun is at its highest peak, letting out a small exhale as she enjoys the calm aura of the kingdom.

    ¡°I love this Kingdom; the people are nice and there are no such things as racism and slavery. Unlike the kingdom where I am from and the kingdom that instigated this war¡­¡±

    ¡°The kingdom where you from?¡±

    ¡°Ah, haven¡¯t you read the journal that your dad wrote in the grand library back then? I make sure that I imbued it with magic so if someone could actually understand the language he wrote in, it will send imagery on who did it to a certain book in my mansion¡±

    ¡°So, it¡¯s for safe measures huh? That¡¯s why you recognized me earlier than I anticipated¡± her grin grew wide, having her hands on her hips, pridefully saying, ¡°Well of course! your mother is the legendary Archmage that mastered 100% of the magic that existed in this world. Aren¡¯t you proud of having such a mother?¡± and had a laugh similar to a rich spoiled lady from the animes that Jaeger watched when he was in high school.

    ¡°You¡¯re going to get karma because of your pride¡±

    ¡°Did you say something?¡±

    ¡°No, nothing¡± He cleared his throat and asked her about the issue of her past and about the kingdom where she was from. Christina then get back on track about the topic and continued on. ¡°Right, where was I¡­¡± before Christina start her storytelling, she asked Jaeger to sit at the bench that was near them since it would be quite a story to hear. She took a deep breath, bringing back her dark pas that she actually didn¡¯t want to tell, but since it was her son, Christina can¡¯t make any excuse on why she won¡¯t tell

    ¡°You know my full name right? I was born on the 16<sup>th</sup> of July, 300 years ago and was the daughter of a noble in the outskirts of the Urallisys Dominion. Recognized as a talented magician throughout your grandparent¡¯s land. I was quite happy that I could make them proud, but then¡­¡±

    ¡°Then what?¡±

    ¡°I cracked down an ancient spell that was the basis of my teleportation sigil, it was actually your grandfather¡¯s research. I thought I could make him even more proud by helping him, but I was wrong. Because of me, his status as a viscount was abolished while that title was given to me as the achievement that your grandfather failed to do for the last 10 years of his research, I was 7 at that time.¡±

    ¡°Isn¡¯t that far too harsh of a treatment? Abolishing a noble¡¯s status just because someone did better than you?¡± Christina nodded in agreement and sighed after.

    ¡°You were right, but that¡¯s just how nobles in this world work. If your brethren are far better than you or got themselves a better achievement, it means that He or She will instantly assume as the lord of that land, regardless the age.¡± Jaeger didn¡¯t speak a word, he kept listening with a serious expression.

    ¡°And at the age of 17, I decided to abandon my nation and go out as an adventurer mage. Though my life as an adventurer only lasted three years because I met your father¡± the Mercenary has a face that looks like he has a question. caught Christina¡¯s attention. ¡°What¡¯s the matter?¡±

    ¡°Quick question, why did you abandon your position as a viscount? Didn¡¯t you live your life in wealth and peace?¡± she chuckled nervously as she averted her gaze from him. ¡°Well¡­ I hate going to parties since all the nobility men always tried to captivate me while also sending cheesy ass love letters afterwards, they were probably just aiming for my body. plus living in the massive mansion sucks. Most importantly, I felt uneasy as your grandfather¡¯s position switched with mine, you know how wrong it is right? But still¡­ I hate those cheesy ass males, maybe I should¡¯ve not increased my chest size back then¡± she sighed, playing with her chest with her hands. Slightly flustered, Jaeger covered his face and looked away from her

    ¡°Why does every woman that I know of always does these sort of things in front of me? Someone, please stop her¡­¡± Ofnir, that¡¯s currently dormant after scanning that it did earlier, all of the sudden responded to Jaeger¡¯s plead. His exoskeleton then whizzed, and all of the systems were activated again. one of the shoulder parts then extends and rotated towards Christina¡¯s direction.

    ¡°Ma¡¯am, pardon me if I seem to be rude but would you please stop whatever you are doing currently? My retarded user is having a hard time dealing with it¡± Ofnir¡¯s artificial sound surprised the Archmage as she never knew such technology existed as she only knew from both Conrad and Aurora that the outer metallic thing Jaeger was using will only enhance his capabilities as a human.

    ¡°WHOA! What in the world is that thing that lifted from the thing on your back?!¡±

    ¡°I¡¯m sorry to startle you, ma¡¯am, I¡¯m the O4NR artificial intelligence helper with a callsign Ofnir that was assigned as Lt. Col Wolfenford¡¯s second brain. I was in a dormant state earlier as I did a massive scanning of the inhabitants of this country since it was subconsciously programmed. my creator would be delighted to see the data that I acquired.¡± Her brain can¡¯t process what is an AI itself and Ofnir¡¯s statement about being Jaeger¡¯s second brain made her even more perplexed.

    Ofnir then gave an explanation about everything about their mission and the creation of the O4NR firstly, and lastly why they ended up in the Holy Kingdom, didn¡¯t take long for Christina to understand and connect the dots on why he was in her world along with his fighter jet (even though she knows that they came by flying but she didn¡¯t know that it was a vehicle). The three had quite a long talk, and it did increase the mother-son bond that Jaeger was missing since he was little, with the chilly blowing wind in the afternoon that creates a calming atmosphere. As time goes by, it was evening, although the sun haven¡¯t set yet. Christina then jolts in realisation as they should¡¯ve already been meeting her acquaintance and forcefully pull Jaeger to follow her.

    ¡°Ah crap! I forgot that our meeting with that nobility is around an hour ago! Achiles let¡¯s run! Follow me!¡± he stabilized himself as he nearly fell from tripping due to her forceful pulling and ran alongside her. Christina got panicked as she saw the time at the clock tower not far from their position and chanted her body-strengthening spell so she could run as fast as she could, forcing Jaeger to activate the thrusters on his exoskeleton to keep up with how fast she was going. Soon after, they arrived at the gate of the place where her acquaintance live and to Jaeger¡¯s surprise, it was the Kingdom¡¯s Castle. The guards bowed to her and opened the gates.

    ¡°Wait, why are we entering the castle? I thought we were going to some other mansions in the nobility district, who is even your acquaintance?¡± as Christina hastily walked inside the courtyard followed by him that questioned their visit there, her grin grew wide.

    ¡°Oh, it¡¯s just the King¡±

    ¡°THE KING?!¡±

 The Lazy King

    - At the Castle, Ersten, The Capital of the Kingdom of Apollyon¨C

    - Around 5.30 pm-

    The two sat in the waiting room as the king¡¯s aide left after she stated that they should wait for several minutes. It was silent until Christina broke the ice as she tried to fan herself with her hand.

    ¡°Dear me¡­ this place is quite hot, isn¡¯t it? Want me to use some temperature control spell?¡±

    ¡°Sure, though, I don¡¯t think that this place is hot at all. By the way¡­¡± he has this peeved look on his face. ¡°Care to tell me why we¡¯re meeting the king? Well¡­ I do plan to meet him and tell him everything about what I told to you all earlier but, how did you make an appointment before I came?¡±

    Christina chuckled nervously, ¡°well¡­ It actually wasn¡¯t an appointment¡­ I forced him to have me meet him today, it happened last night as you were asleep, I was using a long-range magic communication device¡±

    ¡°You forced him¡­?¡±

    ¡°yes¡±

    Jaeger pinched his forehead, letting out an exasperated sighing ¡°I have no words regarding that¡­¡±

    Not long, the aide returned to the room and asked them to follow her as the King permitted them to meet him. The castle¡¯s interior design is very different from the one back in Nelimista¡¯s capital. Unlike the maze-like design, the castle is very easy to venture into while having tight security within it. Though, the long hallway towards the throne room has the most interesting sight of them all as it displays the history of the Kingdom itself, from the events of the first to the current King. And a lot of armour was displayed beside the pictures of the kings, most likely the knight¡¯s armour from generation to generation. At the same time as they were walking through that hallway, the sun is setting and all of the internal lights were turned on in sync. Jaeger asked the Aide in curiosity if the lights in the castle were provided with Magic. As such, she chuckled.

    ¡°With all due respect sir, this is common sense here for using magic as a source of nighttime lighting. Even the children in this kingdom have learned to make circuits at the age of 6.¡± She then cast a light ball spell as an example. ¡°Since using magic is far more economical than using torches, our kingdom focuses on magic and science research to improve our lives. Until the war happens and it became a weapon research institute¡­¡±

    She has this irritated face as she said it. They then reached the door of the Throne Room; the aide then opened the door after reporting to the guards guarding it and proceed to open it. The three then entered the room, across them is the King, sitting on his throne¡­ slouching?

    *cough* ¡°Honourable guests, you¡¯re in the presence of His Majesty, Somnus Ignacia Von Apollyon, the 12<sup>th</sup> Reigning King¡± during that introduction, The King¡¯s eyes grew wide as he saw Christina glared at him acting lazily, he then quickly sat upright and welcomed them, and then ordered his aide and his servants that are present in the room to leave as he wanted to speak privately with the two. As the last servant closes the door of the room, the King sighed and sat just like before.

    ¡°Ugh¡­ what do you want again granny Flora? It¡¯s the 3<sup>rd</sup> time this month you wanted to meet me... you¡¯re quite a pain to deal with you know¡­¡± Christina held her irritation away as she was being called granny while behind her, Jaeger is trying to hold his laughter from coming out

    ¡°Oi, ya¡¯ lazy disciple of mine, I told you last night remember? Or did you forget about it¡­¡±

    ¡°Eh¡­ about what?¡±

    ¡°About my son! you little piece of sh-¡°. Jaeger only sigh at the sight of both bickering at each other and clapped once that was loud enough to get their attention.

    ¡°I think you both are straying away from the point of this meeting, let¡¯s get back on track, shall we? And first of all¡­ why are we here in the first place dear mother?¡± Christina, rather than agreeing like the king, had this look of discontent towards him.

    ¡°Hearing you sounding so formal doesn¡¯t feel like it¡¯s you from the first impression you gave me Achilles, stop that¡±

    ¡°Wha- I¡¯m trying to be courteous in from of his majesty here¡±

    ¡°Really? for this chubby little guy?¡± his majesty could only sigh and till this day, the thought of Christina as his old mentor & teacher for subjects like politics and economy is astounding since her behaviour is the opposite of what a scholar should act.

    ¡°If you weren¡¯t the Archmage and my teacher, I would¡¯ve executed you right on spot¡­ I¡¯m trying to enjoy my spare time today if you should know!¡±

    ¡°Yet, fate has a different plan isn¡¯t it Sommy?¡±

    ¡°Would you please stop calling me by that embarrassing nickname Christina, I¡¯m already in my forties.¡± Somnus glanced at Jaeger that¡¯s letting an inaudible small chuckle and changed his tone.

    ¡°Well then son of the Archmage, I was told by my ancestors that both you and Hero August were transported back to his home world and yet, you¡¯re present here with your mother as you, in a roundabout way, asked her to meet me, and now bowing in front of me. care to tell me the whole story and the matter regarding it¡± the king also called back his retainers that were present that time to the room as he also wanted them to hear the reason Jaeger wanted to meet the king himself.

    The mercenary started his explanation with the finding of a planet that he and his colleagues call ¡°Verdia¡± several days ago, the plan to investigate and to make contact, and the hero summoning that made him get dragged into the mess they made. His retainers that were present were surprised as it was a story that was far-fetched to them, though, their king has an expression that he knew it beforehand making the Kingdom¡¯s advisor question him.

    ¡°Impossible¡­ taking flights between worlds without transfer magic¡­ how absurd¡± muttered one of the King¡¯s retainers.

    ¡°He wasn¡¯t lying about how he could arrive here without magic as I received a report from our astronomers that the stars they were observing were obscured by an unknown object that doesn¡¯t resemble something natural.¡± Says Somnus as he emphasized Jaeger¡¯s statement. His retainers let out a resounding ooh as they let it out simultaneously. The mercenary has a questioning look with a raised eyebrow as he glanced at Christina that says, ¡°they have astronomers here?¡±.

    ¡°Yes, I was the one that funded and supervise them, though I might say it¡¯s still far from Earth¡¯s technology¡±

    ¡°uh-huh¡­¡±

    ¡°Say, how big is that ship? Is it around 100 meters or more? August told me that shipbuilding on Earth is highly advanced¡± though Jaeger wanted to ask how their world uses metric measurement, he hesitated as he remembered how past summoned people were advancing this world¡¯s technology with their knowledge and hypothesise that it¡¯s his father¡¯s doings for the introduction to a measurement system.

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    ¡°It was around 2.3km long as I remember¡±

    ¡°WHAT??¡± to his surprise, everyone in the room gasp so audibly, that it echoed throughout the hall. ¡°Is everyone in this world this dramatic? I can¡¯t get used to this¡± he thought to himself.

    ¡°It¡¯s not a normal ship. Its sole purpose is to travel between stars and thus require a lot of fuel and supplies¡± murmurs were spewing around as it was an overwhelming size to the noble¡¯s eyes as that ship is far grander than their navy. The king smirked and laughed.

    ¡°Dear god, your husband¡¯s world is full of surprises, isn¡¯t it? And yet your son brought a fascinating one! This clearly has made my day less dull today. Care to tell me more?¡±

    ¡°But your majesty! You¡¯ll need to attend- ¡°. the king put a finger to shut the aide that¡¯s reminding him about something.

    ¡°Shhh¡­ that can wait later, this one is far more important. And please manage the appointment with those nobles, they¡¯re actually quite an annoyance by requesting me to meet them during my rest day¡± the aide, was slightly annoyed and left the room, acknowledging her task that was given. Though everyone in the room has a look that says, ¡°you¡¯re just lazy to meet them aren¡¯t you?¡±.

    ¡°Now then, continue your story Wolfenford.¡±

    ¡°Right¡­¡±

    He then told more of the stories from his world without a lie about what was currently happening, especially major conflicts appearing here and there. Though, he uses his hologram footage to display his memories about the war while simultaneously explaining it. At first, the revelation of hologram tech shocked them but after he reassured them that it was just a wonderful work of technology, most of the retainers calmed down. The King was very entertained as Jaeger¡¯s story is full of colours as it was dreadful yet beautiful at the same time. The bonding he has with his fellow teammate to overcome the odds and to the end, only a few survived the calamity of war, it shed tears to them.

    ¡°Wolfenford, son, I have my condolences for everything you¡¯ve been through. And thank you for entertaining me with your war stories from your past.¡±

    ¡°Not a problem your majesty, I¡¯m just a mercenary but if these stories entertain you, I will gladly tell them more, though¡­ I actually came here isn¡¯t just for a reunion and whatnot¡­ may I request a proposal?¡± Somnus nodded and let him proceed to say his proposal.

    ¡°I¡¯m here to bridge diplomatic relations between planets but all I can see are disputes here and there in Verdia, though, I could request my forces that are moored on the moon to land here and provide support if this nation becomes our ally, from military training to providing weapons.¡± Hearing so, the retainers that were present had gleeful smiles as it was like great news for them, the war that spanned for generations could be ended quickly by having a such powerful ally. They then fiercely requested the king to accept his proposal, however¡­

    ¡°But there¡¯s always compensation for it is it? Sir mercenary?¡± the king has his harrowing stare towards Jaeger that has a small smirk.

    ¡°Guess you looked through me didn¡¯t you, your majesty?¡± he then told him about the agreement for it, though it was very straightforward.

    ¡°You want all of our military to be under your command and under no circumstance that the nobles that commanded in the past will act at their own discretion without your approval?¡±

    ¡°Yes, as you know, the war that you all fought for the past hundreds of years is the same cavalry-infantry style of warfare with swords, arrows and *cough* magic and thus, to make this kingdom military fully adapt to Earth¡¯s style of warfare, I need your soldiers to fully understand the dreadful meaning of modern warfare that discard one¡¯s honour or glory¡± his crimson eyes looked at the King with a solemn yet sorrowful look, the look of someone that seen death on his doorsteps way too many times to count. The King¡¯s retainers rather disagreed with his proposal as they doesn¡¯t like the idea of war without honour. He then continued his sentence.

    ¡°Though, I would ask why would you send some of the mu- I mean demi-human-like soldiers to battle? As if you¡¯re trying to fool the world that this kingdom has fallen into the demon¡¯s hands¡±

    ¡°Ah that¡­ it¡¯s my ancestor¡¯s idea, though at first, the transformation spell has a flaw when it was applied, it would sacrifice one¡¯s sanity and become a real demon instead. Through generations, we were sceptical if we should keep sending soldiers and letting them die as a lunatic as it was opposed by human ethics until my daughter, the First Princess, managed to find a safer option due to her research and created a ¡°demonize potion¡± as she calls it. the only side effect it has is once we use the potion, our mana circulation rested permanently¡± after hearing so, one of the retainers walked in front of Jaeger and then bowed to the king.

    ¡°Hmm? What is the matter Margrave Quartia?¡± he asked after secretly picking his nose

    ¡°I beg your pardon Your majesty for my imprudent action, but may I be given permission to speak?¡± Somnus nodded, and the Margrave raised his head. ¡°Are you going to accept this young lad¡¯s proposal, this might ruin our country¡¯s dignity and honour in the future. And isn¡¯t that information considered a national secret?¡± the king hummed and stood up.

    ¡°Listen here! All of you knew that Count Christina is my beloved mentor, and as such, this young mercenary that¡¯s also her son, is considered my special guest! I will accept his terms of the proposal to end this bloody hundred-year war and I gave permission to him to access our confidential archives! Any acts of aggression towards my guests are to be recognized as treason, this is a royal decree! Do I make myself clear?!¡± his declaration echoed throughout the hall, even the corridors of the castle. Trembling, Margrave Quartia understood and went back to the place where he stand back a moment ago. The King¡¯s aide that just finished Somnus¡¯s orders facepalmed herself and rest her back on the doorframe as she knows he decided without any of the council¡¯s consent¡­ again.

    ¡°Oh, for God¡¯s sake your majesty! Why did you make that decision without consent from the senate!¡± he just chuckled and nonchalantly walks to his exit on the left of his throne. ¡°Your majesty! Where are you going?! How do I explain this to the senate now!?¡±

    ¡°Just explain that this is for our nation¡¯s future investment, I have a feeling that he could turn the tide of this conflict to our favour. Also, I¡¯m going back to my chamber, thanks to the old hag over there wasting part of my leisure moment¡­¡± the two master-disciple glared at each other for a moment and clicked their tongue, Somnus then left without a word after telling his maid to guide them to the guest room. The audience then left one by one, after both Christina and Jaeger proceeded to leave the room with one of the maids guiding them. In the hallway, the two stumbled upon the Aide again, still looking frustrated. Feeling sympathetic, Christina threw her arm around the Aide¡¯s shoulder, with a smile.

    ¡°Hey, what¡¯s with the irritated expression? Want to chat with us? It¡¯s going to be fun¡±

    ¡°Not gonna lie, you sounded like you¡¯re an old guy trying to pick up teenage girls¡±

    ¡°Will you shut up for a second Achilles?¡± the aide giggled at their unique parent-child chemistry, ¡°My¡­. You two sure made me reminisce on how I was with my father, chatting with witty remarks on serious occasions¡± The two smiled as they saw her smile. The Aide later introduced her name to Jaeger. Clarisa Lester, a noble from house of Tamarine, a county situated on the Sudlenddorf island, she has been the King¡¯s Aide since he was married with the late Queen, she didn¡¯t told him anymore else about herself except the ones that was mentioned.

    ¡°Well then, I will gladly accept your invitation Count Eoflora¡±

    Later on in Christina¡¯s room, they talk a bunch, even until the moon already shine brightly in the skies and the calm yet cool breeze from the window flow inside. As they were enjoying the tea that was made by the maid, the mercenary remembered something, ¡°By the way Miss Tamarine, does his majesty always been troubling you all these years? You seem to be very exhausted due to his shenanigans¡±

    ¡°Achilles, that was impolite of you, even if it¡¯s only their aide that¡¯s currently present¡± Clarisa sighed, rubbing her forehead. ¡°No, it¡¯s fine Count Eoflora. I must be blunt; the King is not just always giving petty yet troubling request¡­ he¡¯s lazy to the point most of the attendances on every political meeting is attended by me¡­ughh¡­¡±

    ¡°Well that sounds troubling¡±

    ¡°Indeed! But all of his orders made this nation thrive that I can¡¯t even comprehend how he did that or maybe it¡¯s just pure luck. Worst of all, at weekends, he never left his sleeping chamber with reasoning such as ¡°it¡¯s hot today¡± or ¡°I¡¯m having cold, don¡¯t come inside¡±, LIKE HELL HE¡¯S SICK!! HE ONLY WANTED TO LAY DOWN HIS RIDICIOULOUSLY HUMOUNGOUS WEIGHT ALL DAY!¡± the two chuckled as Clarise ranted everything although she¡¯s not drunk, but they all stopped as they saw someone familiar standing behind Clarise that¡¯s still groaning in frustration.

    ¡°Hmm¡­ I see¡­ I¡¯m just an indolent king that doesn¡¯t want to move a finger since my weight is slowing me down, is that what you think of me my dear beloved aide?¡±

    ¡°ah- y-your majesty! I¡¯m-¡° Somnus sighed and patted her shoulders. ¡°I¡¯ll deal with your matter later, but right now, pardon me for intrude to this room unnoticed and without knocking, but I wanted to inform you two, Granny and Sir Wolfenford, personally about the schedule tomorrow, it seems the whole council wanted to see if your words were true about having an alliance between worlds¡±

 The Goliath Descends

    - inside the Castle¡¯s guests chamber, Ersten, The Capital of the Kingdom of Apollyon ¨C

    - 2105hrs ¨C

    that moment completely stunned Clarisa to the point she dropped the cookie she was holding, ¡°Y-your majesty, did you arrange this meeting by yourself?¡±

    ¡°well yes I did¡± She placed her palm on his forehead, ¡°He¡¯s not having a fever¡­ Your majesty, did you drink a few minutes ago?¡±

    Somnus that felt irritated, pinched her ears roughly. ¡°that¡¯s some funny statement you got there Miss Clarisa¡­. I hope you don¡¯t mind a week of house arrest¡±

    ¡°Ow Ow Ow! I beg your pardon your majesty! I truly apologize for my unbecoming acts!¡±

    He let go of the pinch he gave, though his expression is still stern yet kind. Albeit the fact that Clarisa does help him go through a lot of troubles in the past. He then turned his attention towards the Wolfenford family that was sitting across the table.

    ¡°Wolfenford, I assume your proposal earlier was agreed upon by your upper echelons?¡± the man in question, put down his tea, smirking.

    ¡°Your Majesty, I myself am the one that is in command of this mission, and my hirer didn¡¯t state which nation should I have talks with, they just stated that we need a diplomatic relation with this world as a whole.¡±

    ¡°Well, that¡¯s convenient to have the ones in command of the ship aforementioned by you present here. Have you contacted your crew yet?¡±

    He crossed his arms, and frowned, as he wasn¡¯t able to receive any comms from Yukikaze¡¯s Bridge for days. Though he has this lingering suspicion that it has something to do with the abnormally huge wall of light called the ¡°world gate¡±. ¡°Unfortunately, my small craft that could receive a transmission from outside the atmosphere was disrupted by an unknown energy blanketing this world.¡± He glanced at Christina who was nonchalantly drinking tea, though she realized that he was blaming her due to his stare.

    ¡°What? It¡¯s not my fault, it¡¯s already been there ages ago¡±

    ¡°Well honestly, I could just fly my fighter around 29km up in the stratosphere and tell the ship commander to land on the fjord but I won¡¯t take the plausibility of having my plane disintegrated trying to fly through that blanket of energy, also¡­¡± he took another sip on his tea, the smell remembered him a thought he came up a few hours ago. ¡°You did say that this war was waged for over a couple of hundred years right? Then¡­¡± he stopped for a moment, thinking of the right words for the question he wanted to ask.

    ¡°Then what?¡± Jaeger opened his mouth but he couldn¡¯t continue, hesitating due to something in his mind.

    ¡°¡­ nothing, never mind¡±

    The wind from the window blew harder and the air got colder, sending them slightly shivering as the arctic wind from across the continent went inside. Somnus then bid them farewell as he wanted to return to his room as it was getting late, followed by Clarisa after she thanked them for inviting her for tea. As the two left, the room is quiet, though, some of the cold breezes could still get into Christina¡¯s room as she didn¡¯t fully close the window since Christina liked the cold air. Jaeger, now sitting on the sofa, opened his wrist multifunction display and scrolled down onto the folder that he sorted out back then. As he tapped on the file, it opens up a full display of the continent¡¯s geology and thinking about where should the Yukikaze land if he could confirm his situation and send out an atmospheric re-entry order.

    ¡°Hmm? What¡¯s that on your wrist?¡± Christina, that has just finished changing into his sleep attire, caught a glance at the thing that he was seeing and was intrigued.

    ¡°Oh, this? It¡¯s just a piece of equipment like some sort of smartphone¡­ wait¡­ you don¡¯t even know what a phone is¡­¡± he then explains how the wrist MFD works and about the file that he¡¯s seeing currently.

    ¡°You do know that every port in this world can¡¯t even have that ship docked right? It¡¯s way too huge for our current technology¡±

    ¡°I know, that¡¯s why I could tell them just send a smaller vessel to dock on the capital port¡±

    ¡°It could carry more vessels?¡± he then turned on his hologram projector, viewing a model of a certain ship class. ¡°here¡¯s the ship, it¡¯s a small frigate that could be launched from the landing strip of the Yukikaze and has a crew of 400, probably enough for the other top brass members of the ship and their marine escort to be with them¡±

    Either is he lacking the native¡¯s common sense or he¡¯s just trying to flex Earth¡¯s technology, Christina could only facepalm herself ¡°Small? You call this ship small?? Though I admit it was far smaller than the capital ship but that size is still humongous for common sense here¡±

    ¡°Ah- you had a point there, but I can¡¯t just land the capital ship in the middle of the country because there are no ports that could be docked with, so probably this one ain¡¯t going to cause that much of an uproar¡±

    She could only shake her head, sighing. As she look outside the window when she lay down in bed, the moon is already high up, and even though she was tired, Jaeger is still fiddling with his equipment and mumbling alone, talking to Ofnir. ¡°Achilles, are you not tired? That duel earlier morning¡­¡±

    ¡°I¡¯m fine, it¡¯s not like I slept that well at your mansion last night anyway¡± recollecting what earlier morning was like, Christina grew a teasing grin on her face.

    ¡°Hoo~ so you DID have fun with her last night¡±

    ¡°that¡¯s the last thing I wanted to hear from my mother that¡¯s more or less a couple of century old granny with alcohol addiction¡±

    ¡°Oi¡± he had some chuckle for a moment, the hilarious interactions with his long-lost mother somewhat made him feel at ease from all of the bullshit he had during the past years.

    ¡°Anyway, I¡¯m going to sleep, could you please get back to your room¡± He nodded and stood up from the sofa, right after he attached the MFD tablet back to his left arm of the exoskeleton chassis. ¡°Thanks for the tea, it¡¯s quite good¡±

    ¡°The word ¡°quite¡± is an understatement Achilles, it¡¯s amazing! I never got tired of the taste of the Palace¡¯s tea¡±

    ¡°Well¡­ I had my own preference, the flavour is kinda above average for me. Well then, I¡¯ll be taking my leave¡± She waved at him as he left the room then proceed to lock the door by using her telekinesis.

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    While she was laying around and reading a book that she materialized out from a space-time tear or known as ¡°Spatial Inventory¡±, Christina hummed a song that she really liked that was sung by her husband back then with a smile on her face. ¡°Night changes huh? The singers sure know how to name a good song¡±, she said as she felt the cool breeze coming from the slightly opened balcony.

    In the next room, the mercenary is fiddling with his exoskeleton through his MFD tablet while sitting on the bed, trying to readjust the settings and sensitivity of the servos. Ofnir on the other hand, keep feeding him with various information from the drones it deploys throughout the kingdom.

    ¡°Sir, it appears that some of the country¡¯s territories or should I say, lands, were slightly unbalanced in terms of infrastructure. Some of the territories have their social status difference very appealing while some lands had very developed infrastructures¡±

    ¡°So? Isn¡¯t that the same situation back on earth until now?¡±

    ¡°Well, you do have a point¡± he couldn¡¯t hold his laughter on how that information was actually kind of not that important was actually the ones that Ofnir brought up first.

    ¡°Seriously, aren¡¯t you an AI powered by a micro quantum computer? These aren¡¯t the information that I needed currently¡±

    ¡°Sir, your order was to collect data about how the Kingdom, doesn¡¯t this also categorized as one?¡± he stopped for a moment as Jaeger know Ofnir also has a point. He then told the correct order of the data that he wanted to get first, prioritizing the geographical mapping and military prowess of the kingdom itself. Even though it¡¯s considered espionage, he didn¡¯t hesitate to give the order and told it he¡¯ll be responsible if the drones were discovered and were ever to be shot down. Ofnir, who was slightly conflicted, didn¡¯t say a word and do what he says.

    ¡°Say, what does this setting do when I activate it?¡± Jaeger said as he point to the screen that was illuminating his face in the dim room. On the screen, it was an abbreviation, stating ¡°U.O.D¡±

    ¡°Oh, the ¡°Unlock Overdrive Deterrent¡±? it¡¯s basically a Limiter for your exoskeleton, I suggest it be deactivated as it would be catastrophic to your body tissue and joints¡±

    ¡°Oh¡­¡± a mischievous smile grew on his face and as he ¡°unintentionally¡± pressed the option to turn it on, ¡°whoops, my hand slipped¡±

    ¡°For the love of goddess Jeanne! Sir! What have you done!¡±

    He laughed as Ofnir scolded him about his troublesome character, ¡°though, hearing that my sister is your goddess made me cringe for some reason.¡±

    ¡°don¡¯t ask me why, It¡¯s Miss Jeanne that programmed me¡±

    Jaeger was still curious about how powerful would the exoskeleton be when the limiter is off, so he stood up from his bed. Currently, it¡¯s still in off/idle condition so the UOD isn¡¯t activated. And as he activated his exoskeleton fully, just by thinking about running to the wall, he was jerked off by it at breakneck speeds¡­ literally. He crashed into the wall, rocking the surrounding. Jaeger is now planted to it, creating a wall crack shaped like his body, and now grunting in pain.

    Christina, who was almost asleep, rushed to his room and breached the door by kicking it, shocked to see her son faceplant himself on the wall. ¡°Achilles! Are you okay?! What just happened?!¡±

    The man in question was stuttering as the pain was severe,¡±ughh¡­ Limiter¡­ off¡­ joints¡­ broken¡­¡±, he said as he flop down to the floor with a great metallic thud that was caused by the frame of the exoskeleton on his back, now laying unconscious. Ofnir laughed aloud with his speakers, confusing Christina even more.

    ¡°HAHAHA! I told you that limiters are off limits! Get it?¡± it then laughed more. In the meantime, the Archmage witnessing the shenanigans could only facepalm herself at his son¡¯s utter stupidity.

    ¡°So, this is what August says ¡°fuck around and find out¡± huh?¡±

    Though, in all seriousness, she was still worried. To think that the equipment he uses could cause such damage to his body is concerning her, though she can¡¯t do anything as it was attached to his spinal cord, one wrong move he would be disabled for good. She suppress her overprotective motherly urge and healed him with a spell instead, then lift him up to his bed and left the room to let him rest.

    The next morning around 5 am, as one maid came to wake Jaeger up for breakfast, she was surprised that the wall has a crack that resembles a human being smacked at it, she ran out and caused an uproar throughout the castle, spreading rumours about there¡¯s an assassination attempt to the King¡¯s guest. the words reached the King, though¡­ He is now chuckling as he was told by the man who caused the crack on the wall himself about the incident last night after he was summoned by him after breakfast.

    - Yukikaze¡¯s bridge, 420 thousand km above Verdia, on the great moon crater ¨C

    - 1100hrs, same day ¨C

    All of the flight operations crew is still in panic for 4 days straight since Jaeger¡¯s disappearance. The fact that he and his aircraft vanished in thin air could not be comprehended by their logic. Jeanne is now twiddling her fingers, still uneasy about no report of any findings of a faint SOS signal from the surface of the planet.

    She then had enough waiting and slammed her fist to the arm of her chair, shocking the whole bridge crew. ¡°How long does it takes to scan the damn surface of this world just to find an SOS signal!!? One of our capable men is going to be considered MIA at this rate!!¡±

    ¡°But Commander, Ma¡¯am, we already said that the atmosphere is blanketed by some sort of- ¡°, She then glared at the navigation officer that was trying to reason why they couldn¡¯t find any indication of Jaeger¡¯s whereabouts. The female officer then went silent as she didn¡¯t want to anger Jeanne further.

    In the midst of the tense atmosphere, one of the officers of the Intelligence & Warning crew burst into the bridge, he was panting as he exhausted himself just to run from his post to the bridge.

    ¡°What is it this time?¡± Jeanne glared while she said that, making the man slightly shiver in fear. ¡°c-commander¡­ the atmospheric coating¡­ has slightly dissipated¡­ and I received a faint SOS signal from the O4NR unit that was assigned to Lt. Col. Wolfenford!¡±

    Jeanne¡¯s eyes grew wide in joy as the news was a good one for her to hear. ¡°What does it say?! Tell me!¡±

    ¡°O4NR stated that we all could proceed to re-entry and have one of our frigates docked to the nation¡¯s capital port located on the south of the biggest continent, Jaeger¡¯s mission would be considered successful¡±

    ¡°Good work Petty Officer Xin Feng Li, you could return to your post¡± Feng then saluted and left the bridge. On his way back, he got a call from the Navigation officer. He pressed the button on his mono headset to answer her, hearing her sigh as an opening.

    ¡°Thank goodness you brought that news; we won¡¯t know what reckless order Jeanne would give if she went into a breakdown.¡± He then turned right on a T-junction of the ship corridor and greeted a fellow crewman that passed by. Though, he also chuckled to the Navigation officer¡¯s relief.

    ¡°But still¡­ is Lt. Col Achilles THAT essential for our mission? I mean, we could¡¯ve just taken our ship down and done what we¡¯re ordered by the institution right?¡±

    ¡°I could agree, but it¡¯s about choosing the correct partner, if ABEL accidentally made a pact with a corrupt nation, this might cause the whole political and economy of Verdia to be conquered by said example country and it will be bad as they might turn against us someday. That¡¯s why we need to send someone to assess the political situation there.¡±

    ¡°Fair point¡­ though, if he just disappeared within thin air like several days ago, couldn¡¯t we just send a replacement?¡± the Navigation officer sighed. She does agree with him but that would be considered too harsh to assume that a man that is very decorated dies that easily.

    ¡°I don¡¯t think so, the Commander is a brocon after all¡± Feng tilted his head in confusion while opening the Intelligence Room automated door.

    ¡°Brocon?¡±

    ¡°Yes, Brocon¡±

    ¡°English, Sasha¡± She giggled since it was the first time he said her name while on duty, ¡°It means Brother Complex, do I need to explain more? Ah, the commander just ordered us to initiate re-entry, I¡¯ll talk to you later.¡±

    Back at the bridge, Sasha was smiling on her own as she ended the call with Feng saying ¡°Love you¡± at the end. She and the Petty Officer have their relationship kept from the other crew members, though she often secretly went to his quarters to have a more intimate relationship. Shaking off personal feelings, she then proceeds to give a waypoint for the ship to re-entry and give a green light to the commander to give the order.

    ¡°Yukikaze! Activate the cloaking system and proceed to re-entry! Operation Handshake is a go!¡± exclaimed Jeanne. The Ship then hovered away from the crater and proceed to go with her full speed, activating the cloaking system in the process. Though, something is lurking in the shadows of space watching the ship from afar, unknown to them¡­

 Ones Honor

    - inside the Castle¡¯s guests¡¯ chamber, Ersten, The Capital of the Kingdom of Apollyon ¨C

    - 30 minutes earlier ¨C

    It was already one hour after the start of the official meeting that was aforementioned by King Somnus, the talk actually went pretty smoothly at the start until it went downhill at a certain point. A man with a fairly modern nobility outfit in a mix of frock coat, tux pants and other clothing in blue, white and black, along with an emerald gem tied on his collar, was against the pact that Jaeger offered.

    ¡°Your majesty! Would you please reconsider this?! I don¡¯t see any benefit in letting this man control our troops to defend our nation! This man has a strategy that holds no honour!¡± he exclaimed with his lungs out and it caused a murmur of agreement with his opinion. The man sometimes gave a death glare over his shoulder to Jaeger while his hands are still on the hilt of his sheathed sword, standing slightly in front of the mercenary. ¡°Going down such path of disgrace by using ambushes and assassination to achieve victor!? That taints our Knightly order if we ever face the enemy on the battlefield!¡±

    ¡°Then¡­ do you have a better strategy to defend while being outnumbered 100 to 1?¡± as Jaeger retorted, the man twitched, having a face of denial as he know he doesn¡¯t have any better strategy either. ¡°Sir Duke¡­ this isn¡¯t about honour anymore, your nation- ¡°

    ¡°Our nation doesn¡¯t need such underhanded strategies such as gorilla and sabotage!¡±

    ¡°Pardon me but it¡¯s pronounced as ¡°guerrilla¡± Sir¡± Christina snickered as she looks away from the duke that¡¯s very agitated at Jaeger¡¯s remark.

    ¡°Whatever it is! I genuinely despise such a strategy! Is this how you lowly mercenary doe- ¡°

    ¡°ENOUGH!¡±

    The King¡¯s exclaimed, making the whole room¡¯s atmosphere change dramatically. He then stood up from his throne and walked towards the duke that nearly insulted Jaeger with a scowl on his face. ¡°Duke Judas, do you have any better reason to disagree with such a pact? He only asks us to offer the command of our troops until this war is over, other than that, we¡¯ll have technology trade with another world. Think about it, a world that has a ship that could travel between the stars is offering us such a thing. Additionally, I do think the son of the Archmage is trustworthy¡±

    ¡°How are you sure about that?! He has never even proven how he¡¯s a trustworthy person!¡±

    ¡°Well, I do have the prove¡­¡± The king snapped his fingers, the door near the throne opens and a familiar man walked out from it. He¡¯s currently wearing a red robe, a fairly fancy yet recognizable outfit and his aura is way different from a day ago. The man¡¯s distinguishable sharp grey hair reflected the sun coming from the large windowpane above the door, raising his hand to wave at his brand-new friend he met days previously.

    ¡°Hey Jaeger, how¡¯s your stay in the castle?¡± the man in question chuckled, to think it was unexpectedly above his prediction that the Prince of this Kingdom was Conrad himself.

    ¡°It was great, the bed is pretty comfy just like back at home. But, sorry I broke the wall though last night¡±

    ¡°hahaha! You should¡¯ve apologized to father instead, though. Ah¡­ you already did, didn¡¯t you?¡±

    ¡°Indeed¡­ he laughed at me after hearing the story behind it though¡± the two of the adolescent boys laughed. Confusing the audience, including Duke Judas. The king chuckled at their conversation for a moment and returned to his serious tone.

    ¡°Hear me, my son did a secret duty to do an examination at the capital of the Holy Kingdom of Nelimista several days ago for an inspection of whether the nation did a hero summoning and also ¡°sightseeing¡± I assume.¡± He then looked to his shoulder to see Conrad averting his gaze away from his father, pretending nothing happened. Somnus cleared his throat and continued

    ¡°During his stay for 3 months in our time, he was captured as both he and my first daughter were on their journey home. But sir Wolfenford here, the hero that was accidentally summoned by the kingdom bravely saved Prince Conrad and his sister, the first Princess, with his bravery, defeating a mass of that Kingdom¡¯s top knights and mages in the process. Is it enough as evidence for him being trusted?¡±

    The King knew what happened back then as Conrad came back home by going through the royal teleportation sigil that could be connected to Christina¡¯s mansion since she¡¯s the one that made the teleportation network throughout the entire kingdom for the royalty and nobles, it was way faster than going with a carriage ride for 2 more weeks, cutting the time to report to the King.

    the Nobles were silent except for the duke who refuses to acknowledge Jaeger. ¡°But that doesn¡¯t seem to be enough, your majesty! Surely he saved the prince but how does that make him THAT trustworthy for you?¡±

    Stolen from its original source, this story is not meant to be on Amazon; report any sightings.

    Conrad was slightly pissed at Duke Juda¡¯s stubbornness, as he knew very well that nobody had ever done such a feat singlehandedly. ¡°Well then, can you do the same as him? Getting into the fray and successfully saving both of the people that you just met without any of us including yourself getting injured?¡±

    ¡°I¡­¡± the duke¡¯s mouth was agape wanting to say a remark, closed back, considering that he wasn¡¯t even that capable if he were in that situation. ¡°No, your highness¡­¡±

    The King looked around and chuckled. ¡°So, anyone disagreeing with my decision? If either of you does, kindly give a reasonable cause for your disagreement¡±

    It was a unanimous vote, and every single one of the nobles agreed. Though, Jaeger still does not know if this unanimous agreement is just a farce or if it may be because of the feeling of their patriotism towards their homeland. Everyone clapped as the meeting is done and proceeded to egress from the main entrance of the hall one by one, though, as Duke Judas walked away from the hall, he whispered to Jaeger a warning as he passed by him. ¡°You hold no honour and your arrogance will lead you to your downfall, remember that¡±. Jaeger shrugged it off with a chuckle and mutter lowly, ¡°I¡¯ve already been through that¡­¡±

    Moments later after the hall was empty, leaving only Jaeger, Conrad, Christina and Somnus chatting with one another about the chronology of the current situation beyond the World Gate, Clarisa burst into the room quite exhausted and out of breath. ¡°Your¡­. Hah¡­ hah¡­ M-Majesty! Our researchers just recorded a sudden surge of overwhelming mana beyond the gate! Most likely the Hero is engaging the 2nd Army Corps at- ¡°

    All of the sudden, the ground rattles violently as if there¡¯s an earthquake. Everyone panicked except Jaeger who currently standing calmly in the middle of the room. The shaking resided moments later and everyone is in relief, though¡­ not all of them.

    ¡°Ofnir, did sensors detect any sudden burst of energy from the north side of the mountain?¡±

    [Affirmative sir, it came from the north beyond the mountain range and¡­]

    ¡°And what? Don¡¯t stop in the middle when talking, you¡¯re making me anxious.¡±

    [sensors detected a compromise on the atmospheric energy blanket, and my connection to the ship has been restored, sir]

    ¡°Oh, that¡¯s good news then¡± there was an awkward silence between the two while everyone is checking each other¡¯s condition [so uhh¡­ what are your orders, sir?]

    ¡°Do I even need to say it?¡±

    [no sir, I¡¯m just messing with you, sending in our current mission status now]

    Far from the capital, right in the mountain range where he landed his fighter jet. The Valliant¡¯s engine started to spool up, and the force from the engines on hover mode was screeching loud enough that the creatures that is surrounding it since yesterday and got confused about it then ran frantically away. It then launched itself to around 25 km above the ground, flying straight to the coordinates of the breach on the atmospheric blanket which means flying through the World Gate again.

    On the ground, at the same time at the place where the burst of energy happened. It was a blessing for the Holy Kingdom as they witnessed how the Hero saved the Princess¡¯s convoy as they were ambushed during their journey to visit the Inclira Kingdom to the southeast of the Holy Kingdom by the 2<sup>nd</sup> army corps of the Apollyon Kingdom that has been demonized. The head of the General who took shape of a 10-meter-tall giant was cleanly vaporized from the attack Kurogane did. Around the ease that suddenly came, he looked around to the destruction that his enemies did, from the 150 guards that was tasked, including 20 support mages, were nearly wiped out by the hordes of aggressive looking wolves called ¡°Evil Wolves¡± and heavily armed Goblins. The Princess¡¯s carriage was flipped, though fortunately herself and her aide or maid to be exact only suffered minor injuries.

    ¡°Looks like he could let out his full potential huh?¡± Florentina, that was slightly battered on the battle she just encountered, slightly smirked under the shadow of her massive mage hat. To think that Kurogane¡¯s fast progress in under 2 days was astounding in her assessment. Their Journey to Inclira is actually to get permission to enter the endless forest for him to train as the part of the forest that has strong monsters are inside the aforementioned nation¡¯s territory.

    ¡°But to think he could defeat such an enemy in one strike is quite unexpected as well¡­ should I tease him slightly?¡±. Giggling at the idea of wanting to give a praise to her pupil as well as slightly teasing him, she then saw him getting a hug from the princess as she turned her head around from the dead giant. the princess was scared to death, wailing her cry loudly as she was being calmed down by the teenager. The scene made her change the speed of her walking toward them with a slight sulk on her face.

    ¡°you two had enough of your love affair time yet??¡± both Kurogane and the Princess were taken by surprise and separated from each other with a visible blush on both faces, the Court mage sighed as she remove her hat and held it on her hand, fluttering her hair down. ¡°Good grief¡­ have you got no shame? We¡¯re in the middle of a woodland you know? You need to have an understanding of our current condition better as we need to move quickly before night comes¡±

    She then turned around and stood up on top of the flipped carriage, having everyone¡¯s attention as she tapped her staff to the carriage¡¯s flipped side. ¡°I¡¯m taking command now since the current knight captain is injured, gather up the Injured and leave the corpses of the deceased ones after we collect their identification card. Be quick! we need to arrive at the border city before sundown! The hero has brought us victory and saved us so we must use our remaining time here to the finest!¡± The knights roared, acknowledging her orders.

    Florentina turned around to the astonished pupil of hers with a smile of pride. ¡°So¡­ my dear pupil, shall we get back to work?¡±. Kurogane had a thought just passed by as the image of Florentina was awfully stunning as the flutter of her hair by the slow wind and her bright smile with her bold appearance to take over the command made him slightly flustered, looking away from her.

    It didn¡¯t took them long to reorganize and resume their journey to the aforementioned border city. Their journey went smooth, the skies were also clear, but one of the knights saw some trail of white cloud that¡¯s coming from something that can¡¯t be identified by him. Little do he know; it was the fighter jet that Jaeger sent to send the SOS signal returning from its mission while the skies slowly recovering its invisible blanket of energy¡­.

 The Border Town

    - Border City ¡°Hogomori¡± outer wall, Inclira Kingdom ¨C

    - around 1730hrs ¨C

    ¡°What do you mean that we cannot enter the city!? The gate isn¡¯t even closed yet! You¡¯re currently in presence of the second princess of the Holy Kingdom of Nelimista! Have you got no honour to make her wait outside the city?!¡±. As the sun is setting down with the sky getting darker every second, the Princess¡¯s convoy was halted by the city guards and made Court Mage Florentina who was currently in charge of the convoy slightly frustrated as their safety is in danger.

    ¡°As I stated earlier, we have our orders from our lord since we¡¯re having bandits disguising as anything to infiltrate our city for the past few months and as such, I would have you to abide until further notice as we¡¯re currently sending a messenger to his mansion¡±. The Guard replied, still unfazed by her statement. She then turned around in frustration and return to the princess¡¯s carriage that got fixed earlier before they continue their journey. the princess that was aforementioned earlier saw Florentina parade herself back with some harsh stomping to the ground, feeling worried.

    ¡°Miss Mage, how were the talks? Are we allowed to go inside yet?¡± Florentina shook her head after she took off her hat, still having an irritated face.

    ¡°I do not want to make assumptions but I do have a suspicion that they¡¯re stalling us from entering for a certain reason unknown to us. Even though I showed the royal crest & invitation letter as proof. Though, we¡¯re half at fault too¡­¡± While they were talking, Kurogane slightly wondered what mistake that was made by them but shrugged it off as he continue to meddle with his status board.

    Little did Kurogane know, they already planned this beforehand before he was summoned and all the shenanigans happened. At first, they planned to do a month of basic training for the hero to adapt to combat and get better physical endurance but thinking that the hero himself was already adapted to it and was quite strong as well, the Kingdom decided to advance the schedule of their entry into the Great Endless Forest. Despite the fact that the convoy was one day late from the agreed-upon time with the representative of the Inclira Kingdom. Florentina did send a letter of apology for their assumed delayed arrival to the border town a day before the trip, right after the duel happened, while also receiving a reply from the Inclira Kingdom¡¯s representative that they¡¯re still allowed since they have an alliance pact to support each other.

    As he was viewing a certain status panel about his skills, Lunamaria tapped his shoulder as she sat beside him. ¡°Sorry for all the troubles you¡¯ve had in your first few days here sir Kurogane, we should¡¯ve done your basic training for several months and now here we are, waiting to enter the town while having our soldiers badly wounded.¡±

    He shook his head, ¡°No, it¡¯s fine, I¡¯m not bothered at all. In fact, now I know how dangerous the demons are¡­¡±

    ¡°Yeah¡­¡± Luna then saw the status panel that he¡¯s opening currently. ¡°Are you planning to get a new skill to unlock later?¡±

    Kurogane that¡¯s currently rubbing his chin, hummed. ¡°I actually do not know what kind of Hero I wanted to be¡­ I¡¯m still figuring out the system of this world. Plus, I only get one life, and I don¡¯t want to ruin it by just going by whatever I want, the strategy here is quite different after all.¡± He then closes his status panel, sighing.

    ¡°Plus, I can¡¯t use that skill again since the goddess only allowed me to use it during that situation only¡±. As he remembered back on the battle before, his first ever encounter, Kurogane is the only one to hear the [Goddess]. Though, he kept it for himself that somehow she sounded like a very intelligent AI than the ones he met before getting transferred to this world, which he found it hilarious.

    ¡°You could hear the goddess¡¯s voice?!¡± the sound of her getting surprised attracted the others that were busy doing their own thing and tending the wounded. Kurogane shushed her while putting his palm on her mouth, shouting ¡°nothing! She¡¯s just too excited!¡±

    As the Knights returned to their own activities, he sighed in relief. ¡°Can you please not shout about it! I don¡¯t want everyone to start hailing me as a god¡¯s messenger or something!¡±. He moved his hand away from her mouth. though, He wasn''t expecting to see the princess blush from what he had been doing.

    "s-sorry, it''s quite new to me to know that someone could directly communicate with the upper realm without using something as an intermediary like praying or something, and... it was the first time a man touched my mouth..." Lunamaria¡¯s shy tone at the end, as well as her turning away while covering her mouth, made Kurogane conscious towards her. Their awkwardness quickly fades, and they both chuckle at how silly they are to one another. The two after which talked until the sky went dark, having an enjoyable time reminiscing about their amusing and whimsical pasts.

    As the two were happily talking together, Florentina, who''d already returned to their convoy after going to the gate once more, interrupted them while breathing heavily in exhaustion as she came running in a mad rush. "y-your¡­ Haahh.... highness..." The lord... ugh... demanded on meeting you in person... haaahh."

    For a brief moment, the princess and hero exchanged puzzled looks before returning their gaze to the exhausted mage. "Well, it was quite expected since he needs affirmation whether she¡¯s the real princess of the neighboring country or not. Don¡¯t worry though, I¡¯ll try my best to protect you both. So... shall we go your highness??" With a smile on his face, he rose up and extended his hand to Lunamaria who giggled as she accepted his hand.

    ¡°Oh my, what a gentleman you are¡±.

    "I got told that a lot, hahaha". His reply made her giggle, even though she was somewhat anxious since she was wondering whether such flattery was also expressed toward him by

    A case of theft: this story is not rightfully on Amazon; if you spot it, report the violation.

    other girls back in Kurogane''s home world. They then proceeded to the city wall, accompanied by all of the escort knights, including the injured, and were greeted by the Lord himself.

    ¡°Ah, your highness, it is truly you. Apologies for your delay in processing your entry; our city is still experiencing problems and I welcome you to Hogomori, despite the unfortunate circumstances all of you encountered along the way. Have your injured knights treated in the nearest clinic, and I''ll cover the cost.¡± The Lord said. Having himself bowed down in front of Lunamaria. ¡°Gosh, I nearly forgotten to introduce myself, I¡¯m Viscount Suzukaze of Hogomori. pleasure to meet all of you¡±.

    Kurogane''s eyes widened in delight as he heard a very familiar naming from Earth. "And who is this young lad behind you, your highness?" asks the viscount, seeing the teenager''s joyful gaze. ¡°When I mentioned my name, he seemed ecstatic".

    "Oh him? Sir Kurogane Hiroshi is the summoned hero we described the other day. And, as stated in the letter, we''re here to help him train to fight fearsome beasts and monsters in the endless forest." Florentina interjects, standing next to Lunamaria with a momentary glare at the Viscount, who''d already unknowingly by everyone around, stepped slightly closer to the Princess. He took a step back, aware that she had seen his minimal action.

    "A-ah, I see, he came from our former hero''s homeland also I presume. Hardly a surprise he has the same naming practice as our Kingdom." He then coughed and cleared his throat. "Since it''s getting dark, shall we discuss this in the carriage I''ve prepared?"

    They agreed and went inside one of the two carriages that were parked behind him, boarding the carriages while the knights went to the nearest subsidized clinic, while some of the others went to the city guard infirmary as they need better treatment. The Viscount¡¯s convoy then headed towards his residence. During their ride through the town, it¡¯s quite a new scenery for the princess and her retainers, well¡­ not for Kurogane, though, he¡¯s still delighted to see his culture again even in another world, especially how it¡¯s a mix of both Minka¡¯s and¡­

    ¡°Is that S¨¬h¨¦yu¨¤n design as an inn?? It¡¯s interesting to see how two different architecture design from two different countries on my world was built side by side¡± he pointed out through the window of the carriage. The Viscount chuckled, pleased that he knows about it.

    "Yes, indeed. The tale went exactly similar to how it is with the Holy Kingdom, however without the two to be in a strife". He then recounted the story of the Kingdom of Inclira''s industrial progress. Two humans were summoned many hundred years ago. Both were from opposite sexes; one was a Japanese architect and blacksmith while the other is a Chinese female warrior. The two of them argued their opinions a fair bit since it seems that their countries were not on good terms with each other that time, and as time goes by, they ended up marrying each other. Leaving the legacy of their respective nation for Inclira Kingdom to have, especially the Blacksmith¡¯s metallurgy technique and the Warrior¡¯s martial arts. According to the viscount, the major goal of the summoning spell back then was to have otherworlders create a revolution on the world by bringing their wisdom to Verdia, thus, it creates the assimilation of such tradition in that nation.

    The princess was fascinated upon hearing the tale as she believed it was quite a heartwarming story to hear, and to their surprise, the Hero who was seated beside Florentina, across from the princess, was smiling and gazed outside with a long gaze upon being told the tale. "I''m glad they ended up together and made this country exciting and lively. Whereas in my world, where... the two countries where they''re from still frequently despise each other..."

    ¡°Such a shame, I heard that they were actually a lovely couple back then. To think their countries still hate each other is just worrisome as it was told by their succe- I mean future generation.¡±

    Kurogane''s story made it unpleasant to continue the conversation. Florentina cleared her throat to get their attention, breaking the ice. ¡°Viscount, again, we are grateful for allowing us to stay for 3 months here even with our delayed arrival. I hope you would show us more of this city in the future¡±.

    ¡°I would but I have my duties to fulfil so I am terribly sorry that I can¡¯t escort such wonderful ladies around¡±. Not long, they finally arrived at his mansion. The Viscount told his attendant whom sitting in the driver¡¯s seat to have the other carriage prepared as he waited at the gate. ¡°This is my stop, the head maid is already informed of your arrival, your highness, so do not fret, make this place feel the same as your home.¡± He gave a peck on her hand and left the carriage.

    Their carriage soon came to a halt in front of the mansion''s entrance staircase; the mansion, like the other residential houses around it, was fashioned in the style of Asian traditional housing. It does, however, have defences and is six times larger than any of the largest commoner residences. As they were shown to their quarters by one of the maids, their stroll inside the mansion was spectacular, as there was a well-kept garden in the centre, surrounded by a pond with what appeared like Koi fish swimming around. Unlike the summoned hero, who has the look of someone reminiscing about the past, both Lunamaria and Florentina were in amazement. The three took the remainder of the day off. At dinner time, they were served authentic culinary which Kurogane could recognize. taught the girls how to use chopsticks and the etiquette of eating eastern style, which impressed the head maid with how he was well mannered.

    Not long as they were nearly done with their food, the Viscount returned with quite a fuss with someone. ¡°How many times I have told you that you are prohibited to train inside the endless forest!? now look at you! All battered!¡±

    ¡°Then how will I be ever strong enough to defeat those demons?! I can¡¯t just stand here and play princess all day!¡±

    The conversation continued, much like a parent and his child disputing about anything. It didn''t take long for them to hear a slap''s thunderous echo. The three went to the scene, where they saw an elf girl stroking her cheek, which had a red mark on it from the viscount''s slap. ¡°How many times I have told you to not let your anger conquer you, I know you can¡¯t forgive them but does forcing yourself to train in an area that¡¯s far too dangerous to be ventured into alone do better for you?¡±

    She shook her head shamefully, slightly tearing up and gritting her teeth. ¡°No, father, I was wrong¡­ forgive me¡±. The viscount did say a word and hugged her, ¡°go to the infirmary, don¡¯t disobey again¡±. He sighed as she walked away, shocked by his guest who was witnessing the scene in silence as he turned his back.

    ¡°Ah, your highness, my apology for the ruckus, it¡¯s my third daughter, Sicily. She¡¯s quite a troublemaker¡±.

    ¡°It¡¯s fine Sir Hogomori, though, I could argue that you did went slightly too far by hitting her.¡± The Viscount nodded, though, he pointed out that it is because of her feeling of vengeance towards the demons since her mother was gruesomely killed during their trip back from the Belkant Dominion. And since then, she insisted that she wanted to be the frontline commander during the next assault on the demon territory.

    ¡°I¡¯m quite supportive of her joining the army, but her motivation is the one I¡¯m concerned about. I can¡¯t have her drown in anger during a battle¡±.

    Kurogane who was feeling sympathetic towards the Viscount¡¯s daughter, interjects their conversation. ¡°Sir, may I suggest something?¡±

    ¡°What is it young lad?¡±

    ¡°How about Miss Sicily train with us? Wouldn¡¯t that cover the rule of not going inside the forest alone?¡±

 The Young Noblewoman and Her Maid

    - Viscount Hogomori¡¯s Residence, Inclira Kingdom ¨C

    - around 1915hrs ¨C

    ¡°Train with you?¡± the Viscount has some sceptical tone in his words, though, he¡¯s not showing it in his expression. ¡°Surely that made sense that she won¡¯t break my rule if she came with someone to the Endless Forest but what will happen if there¡¯s an ambush from a powerful monster? Are you even strong enough for that situation?¡±

    ¡°Sir Viscount, our summoned hero here is far more powerful than it seems, surely he has some frail looking body for a man and childish behaviour, but he¡¯s the one who defeated a demon general that happened to ambush us a couple of hours ago with a single strike¡±. The Court Mage said in a prideful manner as if he was the best spell she ever made. The Viscount chuckled, reassured by her words.

    ¡°Well then¡­ if the Prodigy Rose said it herself then I¡¯ll trust your words then. Do tell me when will you start your journey there, I¡¯ll tell my daughter the news.¡± He looks at a maid who was waiting for him with a small stack of paper in her hands and back to the three. ¡°I shall take my leave; my work isn¡¯t done yet. Enjoy your stay here dear guests¡±.

    The viscount left while waving at them from his back, and as he turn around the corner of the hallway, Kurogane has this look of ¡°what the heck you said about me?¡±. Florentina on the other hand smirked in reply. ¡°You¡¯re quite frail in our world in terms of body proportion you know? Plus, your voice is way too young for your age¡±.

    ¡°Yeah right, ironic that came from someone who has a smaller body than the average girl in her age¡±.

    ¡°Tch, you really know how to retort huh¡­¡±

    ¡°I am quite logical as you can see¡± The two chuckle at it as it does make them slightly closer. Though, the princess also giggles at their funny conversation. ¡°You know what? Let¡¯s get some rest, I bet you¡¯re going to go full Sparta towards me in the morning, am I right Miss Florentina?¡±

    ¡°Huh? Sparta?¡±

    ¡°Uh¡­ I meant your training will be intense.¡±

    ¡°Ah, yeah, of course, I would, we do need you to be combat ready in under 2 months after all¡±

    ¡°Under two months?!! That¡¯s too short for me to train to fight against the demon army!¡±

    The Archmage, having a slight contempt in her eyes as if she saw her own whining younger brother in front of her sighed. ¡°two months is the longest we can take to train you, usually, it¡¯ll go under half a year but due to our lack of time and also the planned counter-attack is near. We decided that two months is enough, furthermore, having you train in the Endless Forest will decrease the time for you to level up. Hence why we¡¯re here. Good grief¡­ why must explain this to you again¡­¡±

    ¡°I tend to forget certain stuff hehe~¡±

    ¡°don¡¯t just ¡®hehe¡¯ on me!¡±

    Little do they know; the Viscount''s daughter was planning to sneak onto their carriage in secret. Her plan was simple, hang onto the metal chassis until they arrived at the border of the forest She knew that the guests from the Holy Kingdom were planning to have a journey inside the Endless Forest, but regardless of her plans, she didn¡¯t know what are they going to do as they arrive there and assumed they were only surveying or probably trying to go to the centre of the forest.

    The next day in the morning, she was surprised that the hero¡¯s party isn¡¯t heading out to the forest but went to the courtyard instead. ¡°My Lady, please do in mind that you should not commit any misconduct today as Her Highness is still in presa-¡°

    ¡°I know that! For goodness heavens¡­ you don¡¯t need to remind me every 30 minutes for goddess sake Bel!¡±, The head maid, whose named Maribel, still has her solemn working expression sighed. She has been serving the Hogomori family since two generations ago, starting her work as a maid at around 7 years old. she was there during the first-ever participation of Sicily¡¯s Grandfather¡¯s first battle against the demon army when he was in his mid-twenties. The maid is slightly shorter than Sicily, who was as tall as an average man, with long waist-length brown hair with a french braid tied behind her head, wearing the typical maid dress with a long sleeve that slightly didn¡¯t cover the upper part of the chest area as she has a size that¡¯s slightly large than average.

    ¡°what I am doing is mandatory as per the order of his Lord, I am afraid that I could not comply with your request, my Lady¡± the noble daughter clicked her tongue and left the entrance hall, heading towards the back of the mansion. As she left, the Head Maid sighed again and walked back to the other side of the mansion to check on the other maids that were working. ¡°good grief, she¡¯s a handful as usual¡­¡± she muttered, still in her elegant proper manner as a maid as she walks. Not long as she finished inspecting the work of every maid, she saw Sicily standing on the window that was facing towards the yard, staring in awe at the Hero¡¯s training that is to be seen as intense even from a knight''s perspective, even though Maribel is far more trained than the knights in the Inclira Kingdom.

    ¡°Are you inspired by them my Lady?¡± Sicily was slightly startled at the Head Maid¡¯s sudden appearance. ¡°Goodness¡­ you surprised me, since when you were here?¡±

    ¡°I was just here a moment ago, my Lady¡±

    ¡°I still can¡¯t get used to your [Presence erase] skill till this day¡±

    ¡°Apologies for troubling you with my actions, but I could assure you that I am using it to not cause any disturbances with my footsteps and keeping the aura of serenity¡±

    ¡°I know that, you¡¯ve said it a lot of times. And for your knowledge, I am not inspired by them okay!! It¡¯s not like I wanted to join them to train or anything¡­¡± Bel just stared at Sicily¡¯s statement, making Sicily uncomfortable at the pressure Bel¡¯s giving as she knows the young Lady is being dishonest with her feelings since she was a child. In the end, Bel didn¡¯t need to say a single thing or move an inch to have her master speak truthfully.

    The tale has been taken without authorization; if you see it on Amazon, report the incident.

    ¡°Alright! Fine! I do feel interested to train with them, especially of how adamant the Hero is. I was seeing how he was training and to be fair, it isn¡¯t the typical sword training, which is the one I needed to get stronger.¡±

    ¡°You are completely easy to read my Lady. Although¡­ as you said, his training is quite an interesting sight to see¡±. She said as she also look out the window, looking at the trio train in the yard that¡¯s¡­ quite full of craters from most of the offensive magic that Florentina cast. The hero is currently sitting down, exhausted due to the pressure that the training giving him while the princess, on the other hand, cheers for him and provides medical recovery using her [High Heal] spell that she mastered.

    Bel had a small smile, the sight of them training made her reminisce back when she was still with her team back when she was still part of the special assassination team of the kingdom, and that small smile made Sicily pleasantly surprised since she never saw the Head Maid smile that genuine. ¡°I never knew you can smile like that¡±

    ¡°my lady, I¡¯m also a human. By your statement, you¡¯re implying that I don¡¯t have any emotions whatsoever and I could also be displeased by so, you know?¡±

    ¡°ah- I¡¯m sorry¡­¡±

    She chuckles, ¡°no worries, It¡¯s quite reasonable since I always maintain my balance of emotions during my work and in front of you, my Lady. And that said¡­¡±  she looked at her master for a moment and walked to the door leading towards the balcony. ¡°wait¡­ you¡¯re not doing what I¡¯m thinking you¡¯re doing right?¡±

    The Head Maid chuckled whilst she opens the light wooden door, and the cool breeze of the wind from the outside rushes in. ¡°My¡­ what harm if I would help with your inner heart¡¯s request? I¡¯m sure that they will gladly train with you¡±, with that said, Sicily tried to stop Bel while in her embarrassment but to no avail, the head maid is committed to giving a slight push for her as this is quite an opportunity for her master and walked to the balcony. Maribel asked the trio who were on a break from their training to have her shy master join them, making the three look at each other for a moment.

    ¡°See? I told you they wouldn¡¯t like the idea of-¡° and even before Sicily finished her sentence as she was standing behind Bel with her arms clinging onto Bel¡¯s while slightly blushing, the young man swings his head back towards the balcony with a smile.

    ¡°Sure! We don¡¯t mind!¡± the noble lady was in disbelief as his response wasn¡¯t as she thought it would be and was escorted by the head maid downstairs to the yard whilst still slightly hiding behind her. As they¡¯re finally at the yard, Maribel bowed to the three as per the protocol of her work as a maid. ¡°good morning your majesty and her companions, let me introduce to you the daughter of the right honourable Sir Viscount Suzukaze of Hogomori, Sicily Hogomori. Our young Lady here is quite¡­¡± she stopped her sentence for a moment and looked back to her shoulder, looking at the aforementioned girl that¡¯s bashful.¡±¡­ shy with others. I hope you could get along with her¡± she continued while presenting the young lady whose still trying to hide behind her back.

    ¡°uhm¡­ Greetings, your highness¡­¡± she said as she bowed, bashful yet stiffness still painted on her expression. the princess, on the other hand, held Sicily¡¯s hand and gave a warm smile. ¡°you do not need to be so uneasy with us, Lady Sicily! Having another person accompany the hero training is a great thing for us too.¡±

    ¡°thank you for your grace, your highness, I will try to keep up with the Court Mage¡¯s training¡±

    ¡°Also, you don¡¯t need to be so formal with me, treat me as one of your friends¡±

    ¡°eh? But-¡° Lunamaria shushed the young noble with her index finger, with a look that insisted Sicily do her request. and Sicily didn¡¯t say another disagreeing word and complied, ¡°Okay then, Lunamaria¡±

    ¡°Luna is enough actually, hehe~¡±

    Behind them, both Kurogane and Florentina looked at the new bond the Princess made and that made them both smile at the wholesome view they were seeing. ¡°could this be¡­a Yuri route?¡±

    The court mage was confused by his statement, raising an eyebrow. ¡°a what now??¡±.

    ¡°eh- uhhh¡­ nevermind that¡±

    As Sicily joined them in their conversation, Mariabel silently left the yard, heading inside the mansion. Though, as she was inside, she was greeted by someone she knew a long time ago, hiding in one of the dark corners of the mansion that was not being lit by the sunlight. ¡°you doted for the young lady for a long time but I question why you let her join them? isn¡¯t the Red Prodigy¡¯s training a tad bit extreme for her? Looking at the otherworlder, he barely could even keep up¡± the person in the shadow commented, having her stop her tracks slightly after that dark corner.

    ¡°It¡¯s my promise to Lady Helene in her last breath, I can¡¯t let Lady Sicily indulge in her sadness for far too long so her having new friends might change her view of the world. She is too young when that incident happen¡­¡±

    The two went silent as they recall the nearby elf village incident that occurred 10 years ago, where a flock of monsters led by a demon knight were rampaging. Causing half of the village population died during the rampage, including Sicily¡¯s mother, Helene. Bel could never forget how her dearest master blew her last breath on her arms and the regret of her that failed to save her with healing magic still lingers till this day. ¡°again, sorry for stepping onto this topic¡­¡±

    ¡°It¡¯s fine, Grey. we¡¯re mortals, nothing is perfect about us. Even if I tried, Lady Helene would¡¯ve stopped me midway and ordered me to protect her only daughter. Maybe¡­ it¡¯s also her fate¡­¡± the man in the shadow so called ¡°Grey¡± could only grieve in silence, even though he was also there at the moment Lady Helene passed away. Even with him being in the shadows, Bel could notice the distinguishable feature on his neck, a scar that was inflicted on him on a mission that wasn¡¯t disclosed by the higherups even with him being hooded. ¡°that aside, what did the Belkant Wyvern Knight say after he recovered? I heard that he was emotionally scarred as he returned¡±

    ¡°He¡­ well, you might not believe his story¡­¡± Grey cleared his throat and continues explaining what the wyvern knight encountered. The more he explained, the more Mariabel got confused, especially the part where Grey gave the Knight¡¯s drawing on the object that shot his wyvern down with ease.

    ¡°dear goodness¡­ what in the heavens is this? It looks so¡­ out of this world¡±

    ¡°the knight stated that it has a rider inside the layer he assumed to be glass, he also described that the object has invisibility though it is quite weird since we didn¡¯t detect such high-level magic in our skies. Oh, I forgot to mention that it shoots metal projectiles with an unparalleled speed on how fast it could fire such high-speed projectiles.¡±

    ¡°it seems it doesn¡¯t belong to the demon army either, from how it was described, it might¡¯ve been man-made¡­ Grey, can you investigate further? I¡¯ll inform this matter to the lord right away.¡± The man nodded and took the paper of the drawing back from Bel.

    ¡°with pleasure¡± with that, He vanished in the shadows and Bel continued her steps, this time, to the Lord¡¯s quarters. ¡°I hope the Young Lady will be in joy with her new comrade¡­¡± she muttered.

    Back in the yard, Florentina explained once more about the training which is ¡°pretty simple¡± according to her. ¡°the goal is simple, the two of you just needed to evade my spells without getting hit. But there¡¯s one rule, that is to not use any kind of magic that involves agility or even skills with the same type.¡±

    ¡°Isn''t that practically impossible??¡± the teen boy agreed with Sicily¡¯s argument, though their trainer smirked, ¡°does your opponent will give you time to recover in the first place? No, am I right? Well then, shall we start??¡±

    ¡°wait what?¡±

    Florentina summoned a magic circle that hovers right in front of her palm, glowing red with some cyphers inside it. The two had their eyes struck in fear and quickly made a distance quite far from her.

    ¡°ah, forgot to mention, this is just 1<sup>st</sup> grade magic, it won¡¯t hurt much¡±

    ¡°OI! Even though it¡¯s just a low-grade one, doesn¡¯t mean it¡¯ll not hurt at all!!¡± shouted Kurogane as he was in his stance, preparing what was going to come at him.

    ¡°pish posh, just get ready! Here¡¯s the first wave of [Fireballs]!¡±

 Entering the Guild

    - Viscount Hogomori¡¯s Residential Yard, Inclira Kingdom ¨C

    - around 0930hrs ¨C

    One hour has passed, both Kurogane and Sicily were extremely exhausted, breathing and sweating heavily, it¡¯s a good thing that Sicily was wearing her knight outfit that didn¡¯t hinder her movement and covers most of her normal clothing. It can¡¯t be said the same for the young Hero who was completely tattered here and there around his body.

    ¡°ugh¡­ I can¡¯t move my legs¡­¡± Florentina giggled at Kurogane¡¯s complaint and casually gave him a glass of water that she summoned out of thin air, giving it to him.

    ¡°Ah, thanks Miss mage¡±

    ¡°Again¡­ I¡¯ve told you on the journey here, just call me Tina, Kurogane. You do not need to be formal with me¡±.

    ¡°you¡¯re still older than me though¡±.

    ¡°Would you please stop reminding me about my age every several hours!¡± the young man burst out laughing. ¡°haha! Please, you¡¯re not that old anyway and still looked cute¡±.

    ¡°ww-wh-whaaaa-! ¡° she quickly looked away from him as her blush slowly began to visible, stuttering as she continue, ¡°a-anyway! L-Lady Sicily is quite amazing to handle my training unscathed, u-unlike someone¡±.

    the aforementioned girl was letting out a nervous chuckle, scratching the back of her head, ¡°it was quite an interesting experience, Miss Florentina, in my honest opinion, I could barely keep up it¡±, humbly said, the court mage was astonished as she was far more mature than the hero himself who was a couple of years older than her. Sicily also bowed in respect to the Mage that trained her, even if it is only a brief moment of the training.

    ¡°Miss Mage, since we are done with this training, shall we go to the Guild and register ourselves as adventurers?¡±  Florentina looked in scepticism at the princess since she was still sceptical of that plan she mentioned before the summoning.

    ¡°for starters, I don¡¯t know if it¡¯s a great idea, your highness, being an adventurer means we¡¯re going undercover and our knights won¡¯t be our backup. furthermore, I don¡¯t think His Highness would agree with this plan.¡±

    ¡°oh don¡¯t fret, I have requested my permission to do so beforehand¡± the Princess had this smile of victory, which made Florentina sigh, ¡°you sure are steps ahead of me¡­¡±

    ¡°hehe~ I sure am! Well¡­ regardless... it¡¯s also my father¡¯s request. I hope you¡¯ll understand, also¡­¡± the princess looks towards the young lady who is cleaning herself with magic in silence. ¡°I think with the three of us having another member will be more reassuring¡±.

    ¡°Eh? Me??¡±

    all Sicily knew next is that she was being dragged all over the city with the curious trio and their easygoing attitude and in the next hour, they already visited multiple shops and stalls in half of the district they were in, including weapon shops and blacksmith as Sicily needed more arrows and Kurogane needed another kind of armour for his disguise as an adventurer. it¡¯s a good thing that Maribel made a disguise for them right before they went out of the mansion.

    At noon, they¡¯re finally done with their shopping which is mostly weapons and supplies, and the excess luggage that the girls bought was brought back to the mansion earlier beforehand. The team now headed to the guild which resides near the edge of the city, located several blocks away from the city gate. The walk there was quite exhilarating as they were conversing about each of their own experiences with fighting monsters, which Kurogane is lacking since his first encounter against one was yesterday, though it was far tougher than the ones they¡¯re discussing. Furthermore, since Sicily was already registered and was a renowned adventurer in her city, she told her story about the way of being an adventurer from her perspective and also how she sometimes got hit on since she was also a beauty.

    As they arrived, they were greeted by several adventurers who were Sicily¡¯s acquaintances who also started small talks with her, asking if she was still looking for a party that was heading towards the Endless forest while also inviting her, which she politely refused. As the group left while saying their goodbyes and good luck to her, at the receptionist desk where the main Hero¡¯s group were registering. The Receptionist is rather an ecstatic person, a girl in her teenage figure yet has this mature vibe, having her black hair tied in a ponytail with a hairpin on the left side of her long bangs which makes it not cover her eyes. As Kurogane is writing his form, he is rather anxious about something¡­ whispering to Florentina about it.

    ¡°uhh¡­ my job¡­ should I put mine or¡­¡±

    ¡°of course not you dummy! I already told you that we need to disguise everything, including your job. Just write it as [advanced swordsman] or something similar to a Hero job set, that will suffice¡±

    ¡°if you say so¡­¡± he then filled in the last one needed on the form and gave it to the receptionist which has an enthusiastic look. ¡°my, are you going to form a party with the two girls that¡¯s with you, sir Kurogane?¡±

    ¡°ah, indeed I am, it was uhhh¡­¡± he looked at the Princess with a concerned look, hinting to her that he doesn¡¯t know to address her name to not cause an uproar that another country¡¯s princess is registering as an adventurer, which she replied with a warm smile and mimed, ¡°Luna¡±

    ¡°ah yeah! It was Luna¡¯s idea for us in the same party. We discussed it last night and we¡¯ll name our party [Luninous Virtue]¡±

    ¡°I see, let me register it real quick!~¡± she then grabbed another form for party registration, giving the paper to Kurogane as he needs to sign them. ¡°by the way, who will lead the [Luminous Virtue]?¡±

    ¡°ah, it¡¯s me¡± the receptionist giggled at his reply. ¡°it''s great then, men suppose to lead girls in these kinds of jobs, but I will remind you to not step over ¡®that¡¯ line okay? We also have a regulation if there¡¯s a report about sexual assault, the perpetrator''s licence and civil rights in this city will be revoked¡±

    ¡°I¡¯ll¡­ keep that in mind¡± the receptionist smiled at his response. ¡°great! Here¡¯s your adventurer identification, the quest board is on the other side of the room. Ah! I forgot to mention to tell you that I¡¯ll be the personal receptionist for your party and where are my manners¡­ my name is Lilly, it¡¯s a pleasure to know you¡­¡± Lilly stopped her sentence as she whispered to him without standing from her seat, ¡°Sir hero~¡±

    The young boy was slightly surprised as she knew his identity. ¡°how did you-¡°

    ¡°Relax, I¡¯ve been informed by the guild master that this information is top secret. That aside, I saw you were talking closely with her highn- I mean, Luna, were you two in a relationship? Hmm?~¡±

    ¡°wha-! No I don¡¯t! I mean¡­ she¡¯s cute and sweet but¡­¡±

    What he doesn¡¯t know is that he accidentally said that slightly too loud, which made the aforementioned girl go stiff as she was blushing heavily. The receptionist''s table now has this awkward aura between the two whilst Lilly giggled at the development between them, though she noticed that one of them isn¡¯t that delighted with the scene, but rather¡­ ¡°Jealous?¡±

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    ¡°wha-! No! I¡¯m not! It¡¯s just¡­¡± the red-haired mage went silent, and couldn¡¯t continue her sentence as she sighed, dejected, gripping her staff hard. ¡°nevermind¡­¡±

    As Sicily returned from her talks with her acquaintances, she has this weird questioning look about the aura between the three. Curious, she nudges Lilly who is in her fantasy world as she was thinking about scenarios between the three. ¡°could you please snap out of your daydream ms. Lilly¡­¡±

    ¡°Hmm? Ah! Sicily! It¡¯s rare to see you here at this time! Are you looking for another expedition team?¡±

    ¡°Oh, currently I am not looking for any. Also, what happened between the three of them? Why did it feel like the air is fluffy yet awkward?¡±

    After telling her what happened in the past few minutes, she has this look of annoyance which she focused on the boy. ¡°that¡¯s quite childish¡±

    ¡°aww don¡¯t be like that Sicily~ they¡¯re still young! Ah- well¡­ you are young too but still!¡±

    ¡°you¡¯re enjoying it because you could gossip about this isn¡¯t it Lilly?¡± the mentioned receptionist averted her gaze from Sicily, letting out an awkward chuckle.

    ¡°you can tell?¡±

    Sicily sighed, crossing her arms. Lilly has this bad habit of gossiping and having fictional scenarios in her mind about it which is sometimes disturbing for most people if she decided to tell what¡¯s in her mind when she does that. ¡°of course, I¡¯ve known you for more than 3 years already. That habit of yours is pretty much a screw loose if I say so myself¡±

    ¡°Ughh¡­ thank you for your blunt honesty¡­¡±

    the two had a small laugh and returned to their main topic. Lilly explained the detailed rules and explanation of the guild rank system, which surprisingly very cliched on how it was ranked just like in other fantasy stories. Starting from bronze or G rank and slowly raise to the top as adventurers complete the quest that was given whilst earning achievements on their journey which also helps raise their ranks faster. Furthermore, other rules are pretty much generic, for example, ¡°an adventurer must not take each other¡¯s lives unless the opposing is marked as a criminal¡± which the criminals people mostly refer them as bandits.

    Kurogane listened thoroughly to the chatty yet merry receptionist¡¯s explanations, which made him gain her respect as most adventurers would just ignore. As she finished explaining, Lilly was surprised that Sicily was invited by her highness herself, which made her delighted since it was quite a feat to be recognized by the Saintess in person. Before they decided to leave, Lilly gave them their adventurer licence and to the [Luninous Virtue]¡¯s surprise, they were given D rank to start. The gang then said their gratitude and farewell to Lilly as they will return to the mansion since they weren¡¯t going to do any quests yet. Lilly waved at them as they left and as they close the main entrance of the guild, she returned to her working tone having her eyes look behind her left shoulder, looking towards the well-built man wearing an average worn-out torso steel armour along with a long-sleeved writing on a desk behind her.

    ¡°Are you sure giving them a head start at their ranks is a good idea, guild master?¡±

    The man stopped his writing and looked at her, he has a visible scar on his left eye which is covered by an eyepatch, running his hand at his beard with a chuckle. ¡°I¡¯m sure about it, a friend of mine suggested that also. Well¡­ I was quite surprised that they would register here instead of in the Nelimista capital branch but regardless, that young boy was highly regarded by him¡±

    ¡°your friend? You mean that knight that you met last night in the tavern?¡±

    ¡°sharp intuition as per usual¡± he stops his motion on his beard, staring at her seriously. ¡°the way he explained the boy¡¯s power is rather unusual, even by my standards. The King of Nelimista didn¡¯t mention anything about his powers, he just said that his daughter will be joining the [Hero]¡¯s journey being an adventurer. Lilly, I hope you can guide the future of humanity properly¡­ I could see he was still very unstable and someone might make use of him behind the strings, especially two of his companions. Can you do it?¡±

    Lilly nodded, ¡°will do¡± and with that, the Guildmaster stood up and went inside the room behind her. But right before he closes the door, a teasing grin grew on him while he peeked behind the door.

    ¡°Also, don¡¯t daydream too much and gossip with the other members behind the guild building that it neglects your paperwork if you don¡¯t want a cut on your salary. Being serious once in a while made you elegant in my opinion¡± he quickly closes the door, leaving the receptionist flustered.

    ¡°wha-! So he knew¡­ damnit! Also, what''s with that last line!¡±

    - Viscount Hogomori¡¯s Residence Gate, Inclira Kingdom ¨C

    - around 1415hrs ¨C

    ¡°the guild and the members were rather friendly huh?...¡± as they were greeted by the guards and went inside the residence area, the statement Kurogane said confused Sicily who raised her eyebrow.

    ¡°what do you mean by that?¡±

    ¡°Oh, uhh¡­ it¡¯s just that there¡¯s a cliche in my world of a newbie registering as an adventurer always getting bullied, I was rather surprised that it didn¡¯t happen here¡±

    ¡°Of course, there isn¡¯t. if there¡¯s one, the ruffian who did it will have his license revoked that same day.¡±

    ¡°you¡¯re right¡­¡± the boy just went silent as he looked at the scattered clouds in the skies, having a long face painted in his expression. The princess who¡¯s gleefully eating her snack that they bought on their way to return, notices his wondering expression.

    ¡°Kurogane? Are you okay?¡±

    ¡°hmm? Yeah, I¡¯m fine. it¡¯s just that¡­ what¡¯s Jaeger currently doing right now? I really thought we could be friends when we first met during our summons, to think he would go that far¡­ and I just hope we won¡¯t fight each other in the future, he¡¯s just¡­ too powerful to be my enemy¡±

    Luna sympathizes with him, as she also hoped when it was two [Heroes] were summoned instead of one, they would work together and defeat the demon lord with their powers. To her also, Jaeger wasn¡¯t a bad person either, he was just very realistic in his approach to the ongoing conflict. ¡°I do hope so¡­¡±

    Meanwhile, as they went inside, one of the maids who heard their conversation as she was watering the plants in the front garden, reported it to the Head maid who was slightly surprised that there were two summoned otherworlders instead of one. The maid then left Maribel who was humming with the thought.

    ¡°Another hero huh¡­¡± she muttered, turning around and heading straight to a certain hallway in the mansion where she knows that someone good at gathering information still lurking. ¡°Grey¡±

    The man came out of the dark corner, having him still hiding his face with the hood of his distinguishable grey hooded coat ready with his equipment, on his hips has two custom-made short swords and some disposable daggers hanging on the back of the belt. ¡°could you stop calling me like I¡¯m your subordinate? You know we¡¯re currently on an equal standing right?¡±

    ¡°Enough with your pitiful jokes, I have something new for you¡± he grew a grin under his hood, interested in what she had to say. ¡°tell me then¡±

    ¡°the object that the Wyvern Knight described, I think it is connected with the second hero.¡±

    ¡°what? Second hero?? The Holy Kingdom of Nelimista only officially confirmed one hero. There shouldn¡¯t be any mishap on any modern summoning spell for it to summon two heroes, unless¡­¡±

    ¡°Information control most likely¡­ this is urgent, Grey, if the other hero possesses an unknown power and he didn¡¯t side with us, I don''t think humanity has any chance of winning. I want you to gather information inside the Holy Kingdom, they might be hiding something or something might¡¯ve happened to make that hero deserted.¡±

    Grey sighed, ¡°you know, even now you always give these long missions for me for some reason. Don¡¯t you know that this will take more than a month to properly gather secretive information?¡±

    ¡°I know, which is why I asked you personally, the Silver Shadow, who has a one hundred percent success rate on undercover missions to complete this task¡±

    ¡°you¡¯re quite a slave driver aren¡¯t you?¡± the maid giggled at his remark, she got close to him with a teasing look, putting her index finger on his chest. ¡°my, I thought this is a good practice before we do the promise you made¡±

    He grew a light blush, clearing his throat to regain composure. ¡°I did mention after the war remember?¡°

    ¡°I know¡±

    ¡°then why are you teasing me like this?¡±

    ¡°you always have an interesting look on your face, hehe~¡±

    ¡°¡­ that¡¯s cheating for you to say it like that Bel¡±

    ¡°hmm?~ is that so?¡±

    He then took a step back, turning around, having his coat flutter due to his movement. to the dark area of the mansion. Before he left, Maribel called him one more time, this time with a softer tone. ¡°Grey¡­¡±

    ¡°yeah?¡±

    ¡°don¡¯t die¡± the man smiled, and left. Leaving the Head Maid gripping her fist, anxious for what to come later on, especially when she heard the news that the [World Gate] is slowly dissipating from the Viscount himself, fearing that the demons might do a massive attack if it were to disappear. Though, as she look out the window beside her, the clear skies, the cool breeze and the chirping birds made her anxiety slightly go away, with the hope that the same peace will continue. What she doesn¡¯t know, is that the deserted hero has plans for himself, as he finds something interesting within the shadows¡­

 Arrival of a Goliath

    - Port S¨¹dwind, Ersten, The Capital of the Kingdom of Apollyon¨C

    - Around 9.30 am, the next day-

    ¡°what do you even mean that the ship can¡¯t dock at the port?! The beam of the ship is small enough to fit!¡± the mercenary is currently irritated as the port authorities didn¡¯t allow the Yukikaze to dock. The massive ship currently hovers several kilometres away from the continent, waiting for the news from him. Though the thing that¡¯s far more concerning is that the people around who saw the reentry trails and watched as the Yukikaze hover nonchalantly far away from them, which cause a massive commotion all around the capital and the neighbouring port city. some people rumoured that it was the land of gods descended that made them excited while some are drowned in fear as they fear the gods will give a divine judgement for using the spell that the nation¡¯s forbidden spell has been perfected for civil use so that it is safe, both of those reasons made them started to do mass prayers for their safety, which until now, the port is bustling with people who wanted to go to the pier and do prayers. Regardless of the commotion and everything, Jaeger once asked one of the kids there if they were scared by it, and to his surprise, the sight of something as big as an island hovering is spectacular for them and they thought it was cool.

    The port authority scratches his head, frustrated at the hard-headed man, ¡°Look here, just look at the size of that thing! IT¡¯S THE SIZE OF AN ISLAND!!¡±

    ¡°it only has a 300-meter-ish width!¡±

    ¡°ONLY!!!?? YOU JUST SAID ONLY!??!?!¡± he groaned again, scratching his head even more as one of his men running to him and inform him something while shaking his head, ¡°Even if it does fit, I don¡¯t even think the ship will dock without damaging the surroundings since the water is very shallow around here. Furthermore, we don¡¯t even know how to moor it since the port itself doesn¡¯t support such large ship¡±

    ¡°ughh¡­ fine¡­ I¡¯ll think of something, be right back¡±

    Jaeger walks away from the pier, back to where a hooded man is waiting for him. As he got close, to his surprise, there were three hooded people and one of them waved at him happily, shouting his name. The mercenary didn¡¯t waste his time and jogged towards them.

    ¡°so, how was it?¡± the one¡¯s who waved at him asked, opening his hood, revealing that it was the crown prince himself, Conrad. Jaeger shook his head, disappointed with the news he brought. ¡°they said it was too big, well¡­ that¡¯s what she said¡±

    ¡°What? She?¡±

    ¡°no, nothing, nevermind that¡±

    ¡°you know Jaeger, you often spout random words that we don¡¯t know the context about which sometimes confuses me¡± the mercenary chuckled, confusing the three more. ¡°sorry, it¡¯s a force of habit of saying a joke out of anything, it reminds me of an old friend¡±

    ¡°Oh, I see, introduce me to him later, is he aboard the ship??¡±

    ¡°No, he was killed in action¡±

    Conrad went silent as he felt that he accidentally stepped on a landmine conversation, ¡°My condolences¡­¡±

    ¡°it¡¯s fine, anything could happen in combat, he signed up for that mission anyway. That aside¡­¡± he looked at the two hooded people behind Conrad, ¡°are you sure having your knights disguised is a good idea? Can¡¯t you just not use any disguise whatsoever?¡±

    The prince averted his gaze from Jaeger, chuckling nervously while scratching his head, ¡°I¡­ forgot to tell Father that I¡¯ll be following you and these two took the initiative themselves to escort me¡±

    ¡°well of course we would your highness, your habit of sneaking out of the castle is quite a problem do you know that?¡± one of the knights opens her hood, having an irritated face, and the other also opened his hood, didn¡¯t say a word. Both of them didn¡¯t wear any heavy armour, only a chest plate and their shin guards, their swords were custom-made longswords with some wide blades since their scabbards were quite wide for longswords.

    ¡°I for one, agree with her, your highness. Ah, where are my manners? Sister, did you forget to introduce ourselves to Sir Wolvenford here?¡±

    ¡°oh right, sorry¡­¡±

    The two then introduced themselves, the female knight named Remilia and the male knight, William. The two of them were siblings, under the family name Berlichter, they rose the ranks into Knights that are the main guards for Apollyon¡¯s royalties, Kaiserritter or imperial knights. Imperial Knights are elite knights that mastered swordsmanship and high-grade magic, trained with the purpose of being the last line of defence and defeating any [Hero] that is a threat to the nation.

    ¡°in any way or another, they¡¯re also my childhood friends, which is why they would even leave their posts just because of me sneaking out of the castle¡± Remilia stepped closer to Conrad, her eyes twitching with irritation at his nonchalant remark. ¡°pardon me for doing this, your highness¡­¡± she said, before smacking Conrad¡¯s head with her palm.

    ¡°ow! What was that for Remi!¡±

    ¡°for being a pain in my a*se¡±

    Wiliam smacked Remilia right after she cussed, ¡°Wordings, sister¡±, having himself glaring daggers at his sister.

    ¡°but Conrad is being a hassle to deal with every time he sneaks out! And it¡¯s always me that¡¯s at fault when he can¡¯t be tracked!¡±

    ¡°well¡­ the captain should¡¯ve taken responsibility for the prince¡¯s safety so it¡¯s quite reasonable to have you at fault¡±

    ¡°I hate that my brother is very reasonable¡±

    As they were talking to themselves, Jaeger reached out to his left ear with a wireless earphone that was connected to his exoskeleton radio. He then activated it and starts hearing some static sounds, he waited until the sound dissipated. ¡°Castle, this is Intruder 1-1, do you read me? Over¡±

    There was no reply, so he tried one more time, ¡°Castle, this is Jaeger, can anyone respond? Over¡±

    The narrative has been illicitly obtained; should you discover it on Amazon, report the violation.

    ¡°hehe¡­ Loud and clear Lt. Col, you sure make us worry¡± As the reply was said, he could hear a cheer from a group behind the Communications Operator, ¡°Looks like you made contact huh?¡±

    ¡°It''s a long story, by the way, the ship isn¡¯t permitted to dock to the port, as-¡°

    ¡°We know, Geographic scientist just dropped a sonar buoy to scan the sea floor, which is pretty shallow on either continent. we¡¯ll moor the Yukikaze 12 kilometres away from the shore, one of our docked frigates, a Donitz Class, will serve as a transport between the ship and the port.¡±

    Jaeger scratched his head, hearing that the ship could even have her own escort being docked to it is just out of the ordinary. Furthermore, something else made him curious, ¡°How many capital ships does the Institute have in the first place? I¡¯ve seen three classes for now, do they intend to have a galactic conquest or something?¡±

    ¡°That''s still in process of disclosure I guess, the confirmed ones are 27 of the Donitz class frigates not including the ones that were with the Yukikaze, 15 each of the Halifax class and the Kutznetzov class Destroyers. The one that was destroyed in orbit was the first of the two experimental Fletcher class Destroyer which has the railgun that was mounted to the Trailblazer class on its bow. I can¡¯t say much since they said there¡¯s more to come¡±

    ¡°damn, that¡¯s quite the amount even for an independent organisation, anyway, I¡¯ll inform you that our frigate will be the one that will dock here. What¡¯s the dimension of it again?¡±

    Jaeger heard the Communications Operator asking someone about the size of the frigate, to which that certain someone replied, ¡°Around 280 meters in length and with a beam around 36 meters, its height is at 48 meters while the waterline is around 28 meters¡±

    ¡°copy, I¡¯ll inform the Port crew, wait for further info from me¡±

    The Communications Operator acknowledged and ended the call, the mercenary sighed, muttering, ¡°How the heck ABEL got this many assets? it¡¯s like they¡¯re preparing for war themselves without the world knowing¡±

    [do I need to access the mainframe of the institute¡¯s server sir?]

    ¡°Wha- oh, no need Ofnir, It¡¯s just my inner curiosity, I just hope nothing going to happen later on¡±

    He then told the three that he was going to inform the port authorities about the change of plans, leaving them afterwards among the dense pack of crowds. At the Yukikaze, the human and the automated crews were scrambling to prepare the combined ship to undock, amongst them were also briefed as they will be selected to go aboard the frigate as the representative for the whole ship. While the ones that were selected were mostly engineers and a hundred specialized marines, their Commander insisted that she¡¯ll go on board the frigate. ¡°Jeanne! We need you onboard the flagship! I can¡¯t risk having the highest authority in this operation isn¡¯t at the bridge!¡±

    ¡°I¡¯ll be fine Captain, besides, my brother¡¯s there and he¡¯s alive! He¡¯s also one of the best assets on the ground we have currently¡±

    ¡°We can¡¯t be sure that they¡¯re hospitable enough!¡±

    ¡°you know this debate isn¡¯t going anywhere right? I¡¯ll have you in charge of the ship in the meantime, keep on proceeding with the repairs on the optical camouflage system, and take care of her.~¡± And with that, she trotted away from the bridge happily as she wanted to meet her ¡°brother¡± again even though he only went missing for three days. The captain could only sit on his seat in a floppy posture, having his eyes covered by his officer hat while letting out a massive groan.

    ¡°that damned girl is a massive slave driver for f*ck sake! First of all, why am I even this ship¡¯s captain!? I¡¯m just her lab assistant! How in the hell am I even qualified!?¡±

    ¡°you know sir, just do what you always do, go with the flow. It¡¯s not like you¡¯ve done anything wrong for the past few days¡±

    ¡°you¡¯ve always stayed positive huh, Lt. Sasha?¡± she smiled at his remark, though it didn¡¯t bring down his frustration. ¡°though¡­ why is she still calling herself Commander? Didn¡¯t she got promoted to Lieutenant Colonel or something since she switched her Officer Branch? I don¡¯t get her mind honestly, even in the Lab, Jeanne is always like that, unpredictable¡±

    ¡°my dude, Lt. Colonel and Commander is the same rank¡±

    ¡°wait, it is??¡± The whole bridge crew nodded, agreeing with what Sasha said. The man just facepalmed himself, ¡°I swear to god that I¡¯m not suited for military stuff but here I am, as the acting captain of the flagship of this important mission, first of all, is Lieutenant Commander a high rank?¡±

    One of the crew sighed, he wasn¡¯t expecting that the captain of the ship didn¡¯t know anything. ¡°sir, sorry to be rude but what¡¯s your name again?¡±

    ¡°Oliver, why you ask??¡±

    ¡°you know Lieutenant Commander Oliver, sir, I am more surprised that you were even qualified for this, what were the higher-ups thinking¡­¡±

    ¡°I could say the same man¡­¡±

    Suddenly, the ship slightly rocks as the frigate undocks from the bow and the bridge crew heard some of the conversation from the carrier air traffic control crew with the one¡¯s commanding the frigate, which is Jeanne herself. ¡°this is the M¨¹ller, separations good and all systems are nominal. Heading towards the nearby port for liaison.¡± The ship then turned 90 degrees to the right and went half ahead, slowly descending towards the sea.

    Back at the port, the people gathered there were in a panic as they saw part of the Yukikaze split up and headed towards them, though, unlike the civilians, the workers at the port were informed beforehand by Jaeger that there was going to be a smaller ship going to dock at the port. Which is why they¡¯re currently preparing a space for it to moor. Jaeger also gave the head of the port crew one of his wireless communication equipment which is directly linked to the frequency that the crew of the M¨¹ller told him to use. apart from the communication issue since the port crew weren¡¯t used to using such advanced telecommunication tech since it¡¯s mostly owned by middle to high-class civilians, everything went perfectly as the ship slowly made an approach until they saw one major issue, the pier that¡¯s supposed to accommodate the ship was too low for the ship crew to go down. They resorted to making one but Jaeger informed them that the ship has its own ladder to go down so they postponed that idea until most of the crew that was going off are on the pier.

    The crew of the frigate rolled down a long ladder, the moderate breeze slightly flutter the ladder as it was hanging from the side of the ship. 3 men and one woman which Jaeger knows slowly go down the ladder while around the docks, people gathering as they wanted to see the otherworldly sight of the ship. The Donitz class itself is massive for them, the sleek and angled nature of it with the looks of a ship without any armaments visible also piqued their curiosity as they had never seen a ship without any canons whatsoever, though, they could see 5 of the CIWS turrets which they thought as its main weapon in awe as they never saw a rotary cannon before. The girl that finally reached the wooden pier turned around with a smile on her face towards Jaeger, saluting.

    ¡°so, the mission was a success then Jaeger?¡± the mercenary chuckles, replying the salute with one.

    ¡°you know it¡¯s kinda weird for you to call me with my callsign,¡± she giggled and just jumped towards him with a massive hug which nearly made him tumble backwards. ¡°geez¡­ you made me worry Archie¡­ I thought you were a goner¡­ ¡°

    He didn¡¯t answer and just caressed her head, comforting her. ¡°sorry, a lot has happened¡±

    ¡°umm¡­ Jaeger? Who¡¯s this girl you¡¯re hugging?¡± Jeanne stopped her hugging and noticed a girl hiding behind him wearing a hood, tugging Jaeger¡¯s cloak, the appearance of her made her eyes grow wide in shock as Jeanne was reminded of something from their past. ¡°!! who the heck are you!? Why are you acting so close to Achilles?!¡±

    The girl was taken aback by the sudden glare and hostile tone towards her ¡°wha-! I¡¯m not acting close! furthermore, who in the world are you in the first place!?¡±

    ¡°I don¡¯t need to explain that to you! also, why are you holding his clothing?!¡±

    The mercenary sighed as his sister didn¡¯t know that she was being hostile towards someone important. ¡°Sis, can you at least let me explain for a moment¡±

    ¡°BUT-¡°

    ¡°Jeanne, let. Me. Explain¡­¡± His tone slightly changes into his stern one, which is effective towards his hard-headed sister that usually never listens to anyone, ¡°the city is watching us right now, you¡¯re making a scene¡±

    ¡°sorry¡­¡±

    As he separated from his sister¡¯s hug, the only thing crossed his mind was, ¡°damn, I really hate where this is going¡­¡±

 The Third Princesséˆ¥æªš Hidden Garden

    - Port S¨¹dwind, Ersten, The Capital of the Kingdom of Apollyon¨C

    - 20 minutes earlier -

    Before Jeanne and the crew at the port. The place is still crowded as the citizens were trying to see the spectacle of a massive object hovering right on the doorstep of their nation. Whilst they were busy, Jaeger, Conrad and his retainers were walking around the marketplace of the port as they were trying to discuss something right after Jaeger informed the port authorities that there will be a smaller vessel going to moor at the port.

    ¡°¡­ and when you look at this, the smaller ship which is a frigate will just moor right on the outer pier. Which is the only one that¡¯s capable of supporting the ship since the underwater terrain is deep enough for it,¡± he said as he showed the map from his MFD tablet that was attached to the wrist part of his exoskeleton, a thing that he rarely showed to others as it is always on idle mode. At first, the three were surprised by the look as it could display a lot of stuff such as information about his exoskeleton, etc etc. but now, they were focused as this will be a great opportunity to modernize their main port.

    ¡°in all honestly, I¡¯m very much stunned at the level of information that you can provide¡­¡± The first prince is in awe still fiddling around with the MFD tablet¡¯s display which Jaeger already thought him how to operate, though there¡¯s a thought that¡¯s still troubling his mind

    ¡°You¡¯re about to ask when did I get all this information about your country¡¯s geographical mapping right??¡±

    ¡°Eh? How can you tell?¡±

    ¡°It¡¯s written all over your face you know. Well, to be fair, you have the right to know too.¡± He then told Conrad that right when Yukikaze enters the atmosphere of the planet, it launched several fighter jet-sized drones to make a map of the massive continent. Though, those drones could only obtain only around the area where the World Gate isn¡¯t affecting it, which is where the Kingdom of Apollyon itself is. Conrad understood what he talked about, but not his escorts as they were utterly confused about the new words they were hearing.

    ¡°[drones]? [fighter jets]? What are those?¡± the prince let out a chuckle, as he saw and experienced riding an aircraft first-hand. ¡°My, my, you¡¯ll see the wonders of Wolfenford¡¯s world technology sooner or later.¡±

    ¡°you know it¡¯s easier to just explain it right, your highness?¡±

    ¡°then try to guess it Remi~¡±

    The female knight tried to guess with all her might but Conrad kept teasing her as she isn¡¯t even knowledgeable about the thing that both Jaeger & Conrad were talking about. Jaeger who¡¯s now walking side by side with William let out a small chuckle with a sigh, ¡°Seeing them right now made me remember about my past with my friends¡­ it¡¯s quite a peaceful sight¡±

    William nodded, ¡°Agreed, I do sometimes have that feeling of yours. But still¡­ when the [World Gate] dissipates¡­¡± he stopped his words as his worries became fear, in truth, the two never saw combat, especially William who is rather hesitant to kill or even cross swords with another person. He¡¯s arguably one of the best in the kingdom, who also surprisingly rejected the modified [demonism] spell that was mandatory for the army at that time. The mercenary saw the knight¡¯s anxiousness, tapping his shoulder to reassure him. William could only smile in return.

    ¡°you were very calm about this, Sir Wolfenford. Even though you weren¡¯t raised here but somehow you¡¯re willing to fight for us¡­¡±

    ¡°I have my own reasons to fight¡­ uhh¡­ can I call you Will? William is quite a mouthful¡± The knight nodded. ¡°though, I¡¯m also questioning my reason honestly¡­¡±

    ¡°And that is?¡±

    ¡°I followed my instincts, and I¡¯m still pissed that I got forcefully summoned here by that damned priest along with a teenager¡± Will raised his eyebrows as he hears the word [teenager].

    ¡°Teenager? There¡¯s another one that got summoned?¡±

    ¡°Yeah, and this kid got this fancy sword that pulls a bedsheet over and around my f*cking head whenever he did his magic or whatever bulls**t he pulls out just to blind my bloody eyes while nearly shoving his sword onto my f**king ass! And-!¡± he stopped his rant as he saw Will had this shocked face as it was the first time he hears someone spouting such wordings.

    ¡°ah- sorry, I got carried away¡± The Knight let out a laugh. ¡°my goodness, I¡¯ve never seen someone lose his composure that bad. That was quite hilarious I¡¯ll give you that, but still¡­ another summoned one huh¡­¡±

    They then continue talking while walking until Jaeger heard someone¡¯s singing echo in one of the alleyways, which is odd for him as he knows it was impossible to hear amongst the crowd and what¡¯s weirder, when he asked the others, they didn¡¯t hear any echoes or a singing sound. As they walked further, the echo he hears gets louder, and at a certain alleyway, he saw something odd there that somewhat drew him to walk there. The three didn¡¯t notice him splitting apart from the group but there was only one that notice it.

    [Sir, I¡¯m detecting an abnormal activity within your dentate gyrus. What is happening?]

    ¡°No, it¡¯s just¡­ this humming¡­ it¡¯s coming from that alleyway.¡±

    [what? There¡¯s nothing there, scanner indica-¡­ wait a minute¡­ Sir!] Jaeger neglected Ofnir¡¯s warning and rushed in. He follows the echoes through the junctions within, looking for the source. The AI, on the other hand, is in a state of confusion as its user were affected by something else that it doesn¡¯t know.

    [Sir! Calm down, this frequency wave of energy¡­ someone¡¯s affecting you with magic! Sir! Snap out of it!]

    But to no avail, he didn¡¯t listen, though, it didn¡¯t take long for him to find the source. Right on a certain junction inside the alleyway, there¡¯s a massive garden which is filled with a variety of flowers, though, most of them are roses and peonies that he knows and he doesn¡¯t. the garden is sloped as it has some sort of hill in the middle which also has an elegant white gazebo on top of it. As he slowly walked to the top, he admired the view and the smell as it was very peaceful. Though, something is odd around this unknown garden¡­

    [there¡¯s too much magnetic interference here¡­ what in the world is this garden?]

    Jaeger looked at his wrist, looking at how his MFD isn¡¯t responding to his gestures when he tried to swipe. Concerned as Ofnir, he then looked towards the way he came from, but to his realization, the alleyway wasn¡¯t there, as if the garden was somewhere else. His eyes grew wide in realization.

    Love this story? Find the genuine version on the author''s preferred platform and support their work!

    ¡°Okay, I should¡¯ve listened to you.¡±

    [You¡¯re saying that NOW?!]

    ¡°Sorry! I wasn¡¯t being myself earlier okay!?¡±

    [Yeah no s**t Sherlock! You were being affected with some sort of magic that you¡¯re not even listening to what I shouted to your brain!]

    ¡°fine! It¡¯s my fault okay! It''s not like I can stop something supernatural from affecting my thoughts!¡± He then looked at the way he came, thinking of some sort of ridiculous thing to do to escape the garden.

    ¡°Ofnir, does the wrist-mounted blades still operational??¡±

    [It is still operational in this space, under 90% power for the very least]. Jaeger then activated both plasma blades which were folded on the arm chassis of his exoskeleton, flaring them on both sides. He looks at the edge of the garden as he saw some ripples as if it¡¯s inside some sort of barrier

    ¡°It seems there¡¯s some sort of barrier blanketing this garden¡­¡±

    [huh, from the looks of it, there is- wait¡­ don¡¯t tell me¡­]. The mercenary grew a smirk on his face, ¡°You bet it¡­ full-on afterburner, we¡¯re busting out of here¡±

    [this gotta be the dumbest idea that was conducted by a military officer but okay then]. Right as the waist thrusters spooled up, screeched and blasted a whole jet of air behind him, fluttering his cloak and blowing some of the dead leaves. Someone went inside the bubble barrier of the garden, someone that is familiar¡­

    ¡°Eh? Jaeger? How did you get in here?¡±

    Jaeger lowered his weapons and stopped. It was Aurora, though, her hands are full of a bundle of flowers which made him wonder what are those flowers for. What¡¯s more, her appearance is far more elegant than the average royalty so to say, even though she¡¯s just wearing a simple white dress.

    ¡°that should¡¯ve been my line, how did YOU get in here? I was in the port a moment ago, and the next thing I knew is that I¡¯m here after trying to search for someone¡¯s humming¡±

    ¡°someone¡¯s humming? Oh¡­ OH! That was me earlier, I was gathering some flowers here while doing so. No! Wait! In the first place, this garden isn¡¯t supposed to be known except for the royalties and was imbued with a strong barrier that could only be entered if you have the same magic frequency, how did you¡­¡± in her realization, she covered her mouth as she gasped. ¡°did my [charm] affected you this much¡­?¡±

    ¡°What? Charm?? What do you mean by that?¡±

    ¡°wait for a moment, will you? I have something to do¡­¡± she said as she walked past him, putting down the bouquet on top of a stone formation on the ground whilst she was bowing down. It was some sort of grave, located several meters beside the white gazebo. ¡°Mother¡­ here are the flowers we grew back then¡­ they just bloom again earlier, it¡¯s your favourite, white peonies¡­¡±

    The atmosphere changed as she said that. Jaeger was slightly irritated at first but now, all he felt is the remaining sympathy that he could give. He then bowed beside her, giving his way of prayers for Aurora¡¯s mother¡¯s grave. ¡°We surely belong to Him and to Him we shall return¡­¡±

    ¡°hmm?¡±

    ¡°it¡¯s my way of prayers in my religion, sorry if it¡¯s different¡± The girl shook his head. ¡°No, it¡¯s fine, any form of prayer is great. Thank you¡±

    ¡°no need, it¡¯s also mandatory in my beliefs to respect the dead regardless of their status, beliefs and whatever it is.¡±

    ¡°your religion is quite respectable I may say so myself¡±

    He didn¡¯t say a word as he stood up, the wind suddenly blows as he did so. Fluttering the flowers around and Aurora¡¯s silver-blue gradient hair reflects the sunlight brightly making her ears visible, her ears resembled that of an elf but it isn¡¯t as long as one as it has a quarter of the length. She noticed that he looked at her ears and looked away as she was looking flustered.

    ¡°Are my ears¡­ odd to you?¡±

    ¡°what? No! In fact, it was unique if I say so myself. Well.. that aside, can you explain everything? Like, what is this place? What are the effects of [Charm] and everything else¡±

    She has the face that says ¡°Ah, I nearly forgot about that part¡± and then proceeds to tell the whole detail about those. Starting from the garden itself, she told him entirely about it. It¡¯s a hidden garden for her mother¡¯s final resting place, where most of the flowers she grew on her own. The exact location of the garden is kept in secrecy as it was only known by royalty family members and the maintainers, as it was located out on the outskirts of the capital, right on a hill around the northwest corner from a nearby village that¡¯s dedicated to maintaining that garden. The garden itself is guarded by a barrier spell that distorts reality for the ones that didn¡¯t have their magic signature registered on the barrier. Inside the garden, time move relatively slowly as it was to preserve some of the rare flowers that aren¡¯t

    ¡°which is why I am quite concerned about it, magic signatures could only be registered via pouring mana onto that stone that looks like an altar over there,¡± she said as she pointed towards the direction beside the gazebo, ¡°only royalty members of the kingdom could affirm the registration of one¡¯s mana signature.¡±

    ¡°which includes you¡­ as the first princess of this country, isn¡¯t it, your highness?¡± her eyes widen in shock as she wasn¡¯t expecting him to know her real identity. ¡°how did you-¡°

    ¡°your brother is having a flashy entry when trying to help me win a debate earlier yesterday, I am quite amazed that my expectations were right, that being said, I wasn¡¯t expecting you to be the first princess, your highness~¡± Aurora turned around as Jaeger has a teasing look on his face. Having a slight fluster painted on her face.

    ¡°well¡­¡± she looked at him from her shoulder, ¡°I¡¯m actually the Third Princess, my sisters were¡­ they passed away right after birth¡­ that said, I¡¯m the lucky one to be birthed by her majesty the Queen.¡±

    She was feeling slightly dejected as she told the story behind her lineage, though she put up a small sweet smile in front of him. ¡°I¡¯m glad that she could raise me even though it was short¡­ she raised me well.¡± She had some slight tears in her eyes, which she quickly noticed and wipe away.

    ¡°oh uhh¡­ there¡¯s some pollen on my eyes¡­ gosh¡­ it¡¯s quite windy today¡±

    ¡°you¡¯re quite bad at lying huh?¡±

    ¡°h-hey! Don¡¯t blame me for that¡­ anyway, I¡¯ll return to my room to swiftly change my attire, I¡¯ll help you return to Conrad¡¯s location. Ah¡­ about how you were able to get here, I¡¯ll explain later when we¡¯re outside¡± And with that, she trotted towards the edge of the garden through the main path, the barrier rippling as she walked through it. She left him there slightly flabbergasted as she just casually walked through the magic barrier.

    ¡°she could¡¯ve just teleported me somewhere near Conrad, couldn¡¯t she? And here we are, being left out again¡±

    [your fault for not pointing this out to her]

    ¡°Could you stop blaming me for 5 hours!?¡±

    It didn¡¯t take long for her to change into her disguise outfit, which included a common-looking robe with a cloak. As she guided him through the barrier, surprisingly, he found the group that was currently walking yet isn¡¯t far from the alleyway he went into. ¡°see? I told you time moved slower inside the garden.¡±

    ¡°huh¡­ I guess you¡¯re right. Say, what about me could able enter the garden? How did that happen?¡±

    ¡°Oh, that!¡± she crossed her arms as she guesses how. ¡°I theorized that when I used [charm] onto you several days ago left some trace of my mana signature since I do it with half of my mana capacity to calm you down. That is the only thing I could come up with, which is not that logical if you ask me¡­¡±

    ¡°well, magic itself isn¡¯t logical for me in the first place so¡­¡± she chuckled as he made that remark, which is kind of reasonable since he wasn¡¯t raised in Verdia. ¡°you do have a point in your statement, Jaeger. But as a magic & science researcher myself, I found this case slightly intriguing¡­ regardless, let''s meet up with my brother, shall we?¡±

    - back where the last chapter ended -

    ¡°Jeanne, the girl you¡¯re being aggressive to is the 3<sup>rd</sup> princess of this kingdom, which is kind of rude for you to be like so,¡± Jaeger said as she introduce her in a tone where people didn¡¯t hear most of his sentence. He knows the fact that she hasn¡¯t introduced herself to the general public as her existence is kept secret since she¡¯s crucial for the Kingdom¡¯s defence development as she became the head researcher of that branch right after she perfected the [Demonize] spell for general use. Though, what concern Jeanne isn¡¯t the fact that Aurora is a princess with a beautiful appearance but rather¡­

    ¡°yeah right¡­ a princess that somewhat resembles your dead ex¡­ how coincidental¡±

    The tensions between the two raise as Jeanne said it. Jaeger who¡¯s now slightly lost his composure raises his voice ¡°Could you NOT bring that up! we¡¯ve talked about this¡­!¡±

    Jeanne clicked her tongue and walked away, averting her frustration by asking the crew that was down on the pier alongside her about the condition of the ship whilst Jaeger stayed silent right after he did so. Aurora that was confused on what happened could just look back and forth at both Jeanne and Jaeger, feeling slightly guilty that she may have caused them to have a strife.

 The Council of the Round Table

    - Main Road towards the Castle, Ersten, The Capital of the Kingdom of Apollyon¨C

    - Around 10.30 am -

    Achiles and the group are currently on their way back to the castle as they¡¯re escorting the envoy from Earth with the carriages that have been sent to the port to transport them, which are 4 marine guards, one of the participating scientists, and Jeanne herself. Though, Inside one of the carriages, the seat placement for the group made it awkward as Jeanne, Achiles and Aurora were being put in the same carriage, alongside Conrad. The Prince wondered why the aura between them has this sort of friction between Achiles and Jeanne and cleared his throat to gather both of their attention.

    ¡°them¡­ so uhh¡­ both of you are siblings right?¡±

    The two of them nodded in sync, though they still have either frustration or dejection painted on their face while thoughts flow through their muse as both of them look outside each of the carriage¡¯s windows. The creaks of the wooden suspension returned as the silence came again, and the prince sighed again in their attitude.

    ¡°for goodness sake¡­ this unreasonable silence is very uncomfortable in a certain way,¡± he thought to himself. Though, unlike him who wanted to know better about the otherworlder, his sister was rather trying to be inconspicuous as she still felt guilty for earlier. ¡°Sis, you are rather quiet today, it¡¯s very unusual¡±

    ¡°I do also have my moments of silence you know, besides¡­¡± she glanced at Jeanne who was now looking at a rectangular object in her hands, swiping it from left to right while it was shining brightly on her side, and then back towards her brother while leaning to his ears. ¡°I think I prompted upsetting memories of their past¡±

    ¡°I could see that, but still, this meeting will turn the tide of the history of this world. We can¡¯t have them being like this, especially the female commander, she has quite a frightening face right now¡±

    ¡°both of you realize that I could hear you right?¡± Jeanne has a slight death glare at both of them, especially towards Aurora, she clicked her tongue and proceeded to look at the device again. but as she was tapping on it, Jaeger took the rectangular device from her. ¡°Hey! Give that back! I¡¯m checking on my research progress!¡±

    ¡°I told you, you¡¯re being too hostile to these two, also¡­ stop fiddling with this tablet, will you? Can¡¯t you have a proper conversation here with them? it''s not like they have done anything bad¡±

    ¡°Oh, sure¡­ now you¡¯re acting like a white knight now in front of a pretty girl huh? Looks like that s**tty part of yours is still there¡±

    ¡°I am not acting like one, it¡¯s basic manners you know?¡±

    ¡°That''s what Aurelia would also say¡±

    ¡°she has nothing to do with this!¡±

    ¡°hmph, [she has nothing to do with this] my ass... ¡°

    The two broke into silence again as which ended up until they reached the castle. Although, during the time of their trip there, Conrad did give some explanation whenever Jeanne asked about something about the Kingdom. Her inner self might be still intrigued by the existence of magic and everything around the kingdom itself.

    Later on, as they arrived, Aurora permissioned herself as she has something else to do and headed elsewhere inside the castle, leaving the three. On the other hand, Jeanne switched her attitude just like a businesswoman as she showed utter respect and professionalism to most of the people she met, which made Conrad''s mouth agape as she fluently talks about things regarding technology & culture sharing which he didn¡¯t bring up during the trip there to His Majesty the King and some of his retainers as they met. The meeting only took a couple of hours which is fairly fast regarding their standards yet it brought fruition as both parties agreed with the term that Jaeger brought up yesterday, with additional terms such as lend-lease of weaponries by ABEL¡¯s side along with providing new knowledge about combined arms while the Kingdom allowed them to have research facilities that cooperate with them in the area of their expertise, Magic and the unknown minerals that aren¡¯t from the earth which is Adamantium and mithril. But even so, they need to be proven trustworthy as the king himself requested to have ABEL¡¯s PMC legion be the spearhead of their fighting force eradicating their true enemy, The Archbishop of the Church of Light.

    The three and Miss Clarisa who¡¯s escorting them are now walking in the corridor of the castle, leading them to the guest''s waiting chamber where someone is waiting for them with information about the mission. though, on their way, Conrad had something in his mind. ¡°Commander Jeanne, provided that your people have the equipment and supplies to do this quest, how do you even commence such a large-scale investigation inside the enemy territory with the time given by his majesty?? Wouldn¡¯t it be taking more than a couple of months? Surely you can use those [Jets] but wouldn¡¯t it be too¡­ ostentatious?¡±

    Jeanne quickly opened her tablet and showed him a file containing something unusual for Conrad to see, ¡°this is the transport that we¡¯ll be using during this mission, VCAD type D, codename [Condor] in its scout variant, a dropship with a range over 8.700km combat radius within the atmospheric influence. Equipped with Optical Camoflague and has its own onboard passive defence systems such as forcefields and an assortment of offensive armaments. The craft could carry up to 40 troops and a single armoured vehicle, though, since this mission needed them to have a hefty amount of supplies, most of the room will be filled with supplies instead¡± She explains as she also shows how to operate the tablet to him, zooming in and out to the model of the Dropship and tapping on the side table statistics of it. Conrad was also quite surprised that the transport is also capable of flying around a thousand kilometres per hour.

    ¡°I am honestly still impressed with how your world progressed this advanced, travelling with such distance with this craft this fast.¡±

    ¡°Our world is rather old than this world to be fair, more than thousands of years of many discoveries, despair and joy that led to us, ABEL, being formed. That being said, this world could mature easily with our help, but we¡¯ll keep track of how this world progresses your highness as I don¡¯t want another hellish landscape being painted in the far future because of human greed¡­¡±

    The prince agreed with her sentiment, as he know that his country is now holding the key to exploring beyond the skies above him and below, an ally that was overwhelmingly powerful in knowledge. ¡°I can see why¡­ it must¡¯ve been hard to live in a world full of conflicts¡­¡±

    ¡°Well¡­ humans are like that anyways; it can¡¯t be helped. People won¡¯t change easily; every era will always have that one single bastard that wanted to have it all. But don¡¯t worry, this conflict is an exception, as we¡¯ll keep our promise on returning your nation¡¯s honour as per request¡±.

    ¡°that¡¯s quite reassuring to hear¡­ ah- pardon me for interjecting you, your Highness and also, Miss Jeanne, Sir Achilles, I hope our alliance will bring great fortune upon us¡± Clarisa interjected, using her formal tone, which kind of surprised Conrad. ¡°You can change the way you talk?? That¡¯s new¡±

    If you discover this tale on Amazon, be aware that it has been unlawfully taken from Royal Road. Please report it.

    ¡°Your Highness¡­ even though I¡¯m an easygoing person around you, doesn¡¯t mean I can¡¯t be formal¡±.

    ¡°¡­ you made a good point¡±.

    ¡°But then again, these two are technically still delegates from another country, so my mannerisms are reasonable¡±.

    They soon arrive at the room which isn¡¯t the guest room that Jaeger knew, and Clarisa opens the door for them, several people are already waiting, including Christina herself. though, Clarisa didn¡¯t mention Christina being Jaeger¡¯s lost mother, yet. The female aide introduced them one by one to Jeanne, on which each single one of them are the general of the army and military-oriented nobles. Right after the greetings, Christina went straight to the point and scattered around some of her old notes which surprisingly has detailed imagery about the thing that they were supposed to do on which they can¡¯t.

    ¡°Right, I¡¯ll get straight to the point, disregard how these notes are more than two decades old. I kept these in secret until the time has come to counter that bastard. The archbishop secretly conducted experiments with human souls to gain [ascension] status into [God] which is virtually impossible to do. And about the world gate dissipating, yes, it is true. This spell only lasted 200 years until the day I sent my husband back to his world, which is nearing its date.¡± She had a sigh as she explains. Reminiscing again. In the meantime, Jeanne raised her hand as she had questions.

    ¡°Yes, miss commander?¡±

    ¡°What is this [World Gate] in the first place? We¡¯ve tried to scan about it but all it does is disrupt space-time around the radius of the continent that¡¯s influenced by it. Does it have an impact on whether it suddenly disappears or¡­?¡±

    ¡°that¡¯s quite a great question, the world gate isn¡¯t just there to stop them from trying to invade this country, it also distorts time, which is why most of the people there are probably the same age as me, 2 decades old and their perception about time is rather slow even though the skies cycle the same as ours¡±.

    ¡°¡­ my logic can¡¯t comprehend how that work¡­¡±

    ¡°don¡¯t worry, neither do I, Hehe~¡±

    As one of the generals finished reading the notes, he has an expression questioning her actions, ¡°Why would you keep these from us for generations? These are horrible news to us! We could¡¯ve sent some troops back then to these churches, dear goddess¡­¡±

    The atmosphere was rather heavy for them, however for Jeanne, she didn¡¯t know what they were talking about as she can¡¯t read the letters on the notes. ¡°Uhh¡­ what¡¯s written in the notes if I may ask?¡±

    ¡°Eh? You can¡¯t read the notes?¡± Jaeger raised his eyebrow, wondering what she meant or rather confused about what she meant as she could converse properly with the others.

    ¡°Wait, you could? How? You never saw these letters before¡±.

    ¡°But it''s in English right?¡±

    ¡°Ha? No, it¡¯s not, it''s unknown letters, how can I even read this while you could?¡±

    And as they nearly started a debate amongst themselves, Christina, tapped Jeanne¡¯s shoulders and chanted a spell, which surprised her as two bright sigils hovered in front of her eyes blinding her briefly. ¡°There, you should be able to read our language, sorry I didn¡¯t pay attention to this since I remembered how some people who were summoned here can¡¯t read our language yet they could speak them.¡±

    And as she said that, Jeanne¡¯s eyes widen as she saw the letters on the note that she was holding quickly had their writings rearranged themselves into letters she know. She let out a small laugh in the middle of that, amused. ¡°What the heck¡­ Magic is so convenient, why don¡¯t we have this in our world, I wouldn¡¯t need to develop a massive database for translation devices in the first place if this exist¡±.

    ¡°Oh, the thing you failed to make and ended up making a stand-up comedy speech in front of the late French senator??¡±

    ¡°Achilles, don¡¯t remind me of that¡­¡±

    Their discussion went on. Nevertheless, at the same time¡­ deep inside the castle, several people are gathered inside a room illuminated by a single massive chandelier, having a massive round stone table in a shape of an O in the middle, having intricate carvings here and there around the top of the table. The room itself isn¡¯t that bright, and oddly enough the illumination didn¡¯t light up their faces as if they needed it to remain hidden. They were waiting for someone to come and as they were starting to get impatient, the only door connecting the room outside creaked open, and His Majesty came with his unusual stoic look. ¡°Took you long enough, how did everything go with that otherworlder, Somnus Your Majesty??¡± one of them said in a slightly bright tone as he came.

    Somnus sat on his seat across the door he came from, chin on his left palm. He looked around, checking if everyone he knew is inside the room. ¡°As expected, the representative is quite an interesting fellow, though, what¡¯s concerning is that she¡¯s too far focused on the ending of this and its profits. Just like how adventurers and bounty hunters do their job in our world.¡±

    ¡°Soldiers of fortune huh¡­ but to think that they have the knowledge to create such a massive vessel to travel between stars¡­¡± one of them remarked, ¡°I assume they wanted profits from us?¡±

    ¡°Didn''t I say that I already made an agreement with the young man earlier on? All of you were present when he opposed Duke Judas¡¯s judgment regarding this conflict were you not?¡± the whole member in the room nodded in unison. ¡°I won¡¯t pull my decision, as of now, I have an impression that the young lad will be a valuable asset to this country, just like his father.¡±

    Some of them hummed in agreement while some didn¡¯t, and one of them had her questioning the king¡¯s decision. ¡°Your Majesty, not that I doubt your decision but why are you very certain that young Wolfenford became this country¡¯s asset? Didn¡¯t he say that he¡¯s also a soldier of fortune? What if he betrayed your expectations and those otherworlders¡¯ ships are practically untouchable by our current power¡­ start to commence an invasion towards us just because he changed his mind?¡±

    ¡°I¡¯ve been clarified by the lass that her organization will search for other countries to form an [Intergalactic alliance] if we rejected their offer¡±.

    ¡°¡­ it is reassuring that it¡¯s said by themselves but is it the truth¡­? Their intentions are very ambiguous¡­¡±

    The room started to be filled with murmurs of debates between the pros and cons of being allied with ABEL¡¯s expedition fleet, and at a point there were now two factions of it, flinging opinion after opinion to one another yet didn¡¯t bring any progress as they feel the anxiety rising each second they discuss. Somnus who saw the meeting unfold, slams his hand on the table, quieting them down. It''s rare for them to see him showing his aura as a ruler, and yet when he does, the feeling of high authority from the members were blown away by the lazy genius. The echo of his slam resided seconds later; his eyes were glaring daggers at everyone in the room.

    ¡°Our Kingdom won¡¯t fall, not when I¡¯m still in reign. Which is why this council was formed in secrecy with my own hands¡­ all of you are the fortresses of this country, the noble houses that made us thrive for 3 generations of this war, the 12 Nobles of the round table.¡± He stopped briefly, looking at each one of them while saying; ¡°each one of you had your speciality and I trust you all more than him. which is why¡­¡± he stopped his gaze at someone he knew he would succeed.

    ¡°Marquis Jordan, I hereby declare that I have you monitor young Wolfenford throughout the first stage of the planned offensive campaign. From your military background, I have high expectations that you could assess him better than me. Go join their meeting, I¡¯ll appoint you as the newest 3<sup>rd</sup> army battalion General, formal appointment will be done later¡±.

    With that said, the marquis stood up from his seat and bowed at Somnus. His appearance is still in his human form, a massively built man in his 40s. if he was compared to the King, Somnus would be looking like a chubby teenager to the Marquis. ¡°As you command your highness,¡± he said, his slightly Germanic deep voice slightly echoing in the room as it was silent. He then left the room, heading towards where the Noble Generals and the otherworlders were.

    ¡°Great! That aside, one of you will have some of your subordinates participate in the quest I¡¯ve given to them, won¡¯t be that hard to choose right?¡±. One of the Council members raised his hand, ¡°The quest that you mentioned that needed to be done in 3 months? Wouldn¡¯t be needed to be longer for such a mission??¡±. Somnus nodded, agreeing with the council member that remarked, yet he chuckled right after. ¡°Hilariously, the young lass said something interesting about her finishing it in¡­¡±

    - back in the meeting room on the upper floor ¨C

    ¡°This operation will be done in 45 days or lesser since the intel provided is quite intricate. I¡¯ll have a forward operating base set up several tenths of kilometres from the capital. This operation will be called [Operation 7<sup>th</sup> Trumpet] and will be broadcasted via projectors to the members present here. Anything else?¡±  Jeanne concluded. the Generals were astonished at her and Jaeger¡¯s planning yet they still has some hint of doubts about whether it will go smoothly or not as they never knew Earth¡¯s way of warfare. Regardless, they didn¡¯t ask further questions.

    ¡°Great, Lt. Col Jaeger, recall your Valiant to the Yukikaze, briefing will be conducted in 1400hrs.¡±

 Another Case Before the Storm

    - inside the M¨¹ller, Donitz Class Frigate. Hangar Area -

    - 1400hrs, local time -

    More than 150 men and women that are part of the PMC group are gathered in the hangar that has two Gunships that are being placed on the right side of the large room, chattering about the upcoming mission that was rumoured by the guys that escorted Jeanne. some of them are sceptical while some are eager to know the new world around them as it felt ¡°retro¡± to them, though, they knew that they were sent to Verdia isn¡¯t about recreation and simple scientific purpose as they were tasked as a liaison between two worlds that just made contact with each other. As the room started to get noisier every second passed, the metallic blast door on the far-left front of the hangar split and slid open diagonally and their higher-ups walked in along with their guest who is wearing a fantasy-esque nobility outfit as if he was cosplaying someone, his body built is no joke though as some were quite surprised that he¡¯s massive.

    ¡°Commander on deck!¡± one of them shouted, and in the instant, the whole room stopped their chatter and instantly saluted Jeanne, to which she replied with a salute.

    ¡°Settle down everyone, I¡¯ll start the briefing,¡± she said, starting up the holographic projection on the wall behind her. ¡°but beforehand, I¡¯ll introduce to you our representative from the Kingdom of Apolo-¡°

    ¡°Apollyon, miss¡± the man corrected her. Jeanne slightly blushed as she made that spelling mistake, clearing her throat right after, ¡°Apollyon, yes, that. And thus, He will give a speech about himself. Sir, you may¡­¡± she gestured for him to stand at the podium that was set earlier on beforehand for this specific occasion. As the man stood there, his aura of nobility was to shine which slightly inspire some of the mercs there.

    ¡°To give such an opportunity beforehand, I thank you, commander.¡± He said, smiling, glancing around at the people gathered in the hangar. ¡°For a long time¡­ I always wondered if otherworlders were to have the same body structures as the [Heroes] of the past generation, slim yet built to be agile, just like the average young lads and lass of ours. nonetheless now, in front of me, are soldiers, warriors, beaming with pride from their home world.¡± Some of the men exclaim in excitement; ¡°hell yeah we are!¡± and ¡°Of course!¡± made the Marquis chuckle.

    ¡°It seems that all of you are in high spirits, ah, where are my manners, I am Marquis Jordan of Heisenberg, and my territory is located on Himeja Island situated near the fjord of this side of this continent. Currently, I¡¯m in command of the 3<sup>rd</sup> battalion that was formed. Beforehand, I apologize if some of you regarded our request as quite a burden, I know this conflict isn¡¯t yours as each of our affiliations is essentially not related in any political and in any manner whatsoever, however, our kingdom already had enough of this everlasting war for more than 200 years, and our strength alone isn¡¯t enough. This is why we thank your envoy who bravely came to us as he was [Summoned] by the enemy who seek our demise to have the opportunity for us to establish an alliance and I hope we all can work together as allies well. Soldiers and Travellers of [Earth], I can¡¯t thank your consideration enough¡±.

    The crowd clapped as he concluded his speech, Jeanne then took over the podium after he stepped down and returned to his standing position beside Jaeger. ¡°Looks like they quite like your charm sir¡±, Jaeger complimented, still in his at-ease posture. The Marquis simply smiled, ¡°I¡¯ve seen many men and women under my command come and go, most of them usually are fledglings from the academy who boast their capabilities as the best. And yet, these people¡­ I could see they¡¯d seen the horrific truth of conflicts for many years and from that, I put a faithful respect to them as I personally never went to a massive battle before. It¡¯s pitiful, isn¡¯t it? For one of the generals of an army never saw real combat before.¡±

    ¡°No sir, not at all. Some of the generals in my home world were also the same. I don¡¯t think it¡¯s a big issue¡±.

    ¡°Thank you for reassuring me Young Wolfenford... Say, mind for you to tell me some stories of yours later and for a cup of tea? I¡¯m quite interested in Count Eoflora¡¯s only son¡±.

    Jaeger''s stoic face slightly breaks into a small smile that¡¯s slightly saddening, ¡°It might not be a pleasant one but¡­ it¡¯s my honour, sir¡±.

    The room then went slightly dark as Jeanne finally started the briefing. The projection is now focused on the world map of Verdia, having multiple continents scattered around the equator, and from the looks of it, there are 3 massive continents, two of which are arctic regions which are far more massive than Antarctica on Earth, and several smaller continents which looks like massive sets of archipelagoes. ¡°alright, listen up, this is the data of the orbital photograph taken from the destroyer that was supposed to act as the surveyor of this planet, we¡¯re still figuring out how did it was destroyed awfully as our researchers are examining the wreckage that was salvaged. Regardless, their loss was unfortunate but it¡¯s a miracle all of the geographical data was collected right before they lost contact with [Return Station].¡±

    The map then zoomed in on the continent, which is named ¡°Auterrbar¡± according to the locals, and zoomed even more to the middle part of the continent, which has the data of the borders of each nation as she was given the map of the continent by the Marquis since Jeanne requested it to be scanned for her database. ¡°our client has informed that before we are accepted fully here, we needed to do a mission on several AoI (area of interest), located at the Holy Kingdom of Nelimista, Avalon Empire and Belkannt Dominion.¡± Several green arrowheads on the projection appear and point down towards several points on each territory of the aforementioned nations, marking several villages and a city. ¡°Our objective is to investigate several of these marked locations, as the Apollyon¡¯s intel mentioned that these areas had churches that conducted experimentations on humans. preferably, if we found out that it is true regarding such activities were conducted, the destruction of said churches will be done with extreme prejudice.¡± The marquis was slightly shocked at her way of saying it as if she doesn¡¯t care what will happen to the surroundings, what¡¯s more, he saw some of the men in the crowd has this ominous-looking smirk painted on their faces.

    ¡°Though do not cause any civilian casualties or even witness in the process, this is a covert op. if you were ever to find any in AO, try to escort them out. 4 teams consisting of an 8-man fireteam will be inserted along with their assigned dropships and two pilots, and since there are a total of 8 AoI, the investigation will be conducted for exactly 10 days per Area. All four Fireteams will be designated [Alpha], [Bravo], [Delta] and [Omega] and further planning will be done by each squad leader as they have reached their designated LZ (landing zone). Any questions?¡± the crowd murmurs started and it lasted a couple of minutes, as it resided, some of them raised their hands and answered their questions one by one.

    One of them asked about their supplies, etc, while the other questioned if they¡¯re allowed to use their private equipment, to which she answered it is okay to do so but there will be additional pieces of equipment that are provided which is far better than they have. Having their questions answered thoroughly, the crowd is satisfied, returning to their silence. ¡°right, no more questions? Good. Additionally, as per decree from His Majesty Somnus von Apollyon. We are allowed to set up a Forward Operating Base (FOB) several kilometres outside the capital walls, along with that, we are going to be provided with more than 10 tons of raw food materials and will be replenished if we are low on supplies.¡±

    Stolen story; please report.

    ¡°so basically, free pizza?¡± one of the mercenaries crack a joke out of the blue, and nearly all of the crowd laughed, even the Marquis. ¡°yes 2<sup>nd</sup> Lieutenant, free pizza, but you¡¯re going to cook it for us¡±

    ¡°Aw man! I hate making my own food!¡±

    ¡°your problem, not mine. That aside, this concludes the briefing, Operation codename [7<sup>th</sup> Trumpet] will be initiated 4 days from now, and fireteam distribution will be mentioned at 1800hrs. the mentioned personnel will be gathered at the briefing room in section 2 and the ones that aren¡¯t being assigned to this mission will help with the construction of the FOB. Dismissed!¡± As the briefing ended, the lights came back and the projection turned off. The crowd started discussing yet again, though, for unknown reasons, a handful of them took a glance at Jaeger with a rather scornful look, which he knew and ignored. The guest and their Commanding Officers then left the hangar area, leaving the crowd to discuss to their heart''s content.

    As they were walking through the corridors of the ship, the Marquis is still on his awed expression as the interior is brighter than the ships he was in and it has a metallic finish on the surroundings, yet he remained calm about this. ¡°I still can¡¯t believe this kind of ship existed and I¡¯m walking inside of it, an amazing piece of work done by human hands¡­¡±

    ¡°Really? I thought the interiors were rather dull¡± remarked the female commander, still scribbling something on her tablet. ¡°I told the engineers to have a livelier interior and this is what I got, damn those bastards didn¡¯t hire interior designers or probably got lazy¡±

    ¡°well¡­ since this is a warship, I do not mind this kind of interior. Though¡­¡± he looked at Jaeger who was walking slightly behind, ¡°how about you young Wolfenford?¡±

    Jaeger snapped out of his long thoughts as he walked, not sure what to say, he just shrugged his shoulder, ¡°Anything is fine for me honestly, I¡¯m not a fan of ship interior design¡±. The way he said it made his sister elbow his waist, ¡°Oi¡­ at least give me praise for designing this thing, especially how the higher-ups wanted 4 designs in just 4 months¡±

    ¡°It¡¯s your issue, not mine. It¡¯s not like we¡¯ll be assigned to this mission for years¡­ right?¡±

    She didn¡¯t answer and just look away, ¡°Don¡¯t tell me¡­ we¡¯re going to make some sort of small colony on this planet?¡± he continued, slightly concerned. Jeanne cleared her throat, as she acts like she was trying to divert the conversation. ¡°we have our orders from the higher-ups, Archie, and mine is to not say anything about the next step of this alliance, then again¡­¡± she glanced at the Marquis with a reassuring look. ¡°I can assure you, Lord Jordan, that we do not have any harmful intention towards this world as public opinion back in our world is needed in the future when we return home.¡±

    The marquis didn¡¯t say a word and just smiled at her, ignoring that she might¡¯ve been planning on something that he might not know. As the three went on about the roster of the 4 teams, suddenly, a magic sigil appear out of nowhere on the floor, making them stop their tracks. The sigil shone brightly for several seconds, and as it cease to exist, Christina now standing in front of them, correcting her hair as it was slightly disoriented on her bangs. ¡°ah, hey guys! The ship is very large honestly, I kinda miscalculated my teleportation spell and ended up in another room several times but hey! I found you all eventually so¡­ give me a tour around! Would be fun right?¡±

    Jeager sighed, not the fact that she roam around without permission, but the fact that she nonchalantly did a teleportation spell in front of the one that he is worried on if that certain person saw it, which is Jeanne who is now mouth agape and eyes wide as she was completely dumbfounded. ¡°ah s**t¡­ you just made her gone haywire¡±

    ¡°eh? What did I do?¡± Christina innocently said. Jeager gave a hint by pointing down at the mana trace on the floor as it still slightly glows, ¡°Teleporting in front of a researcher from a world that doesn¡¯t have magic, you do know what will happen¡±

    Christina, in the realization of it, could only say ¡°Ah¡­¡± and chuckled nervously. ¡°Jeanne, don¡¯t you dare bombard her with questions¡± he continued, snapping her out of her dumbfoundedness.

    ¡°I¡­ I really need to know how magic works, ASAP¡±

    ¡°ughh¡­ Of course you would say that¡­¡±

    ¡°Hey! It¡¯s part of the pact you know! Not that I¡¯m doing it out of my Intrusive curiosity but it¡¯s part of the alliance mission too!¡±

    ¡°Intrusive what now?¡±

    ¡°¡­ forget about it¡±

    ¡°¡­ riiiiiighht¡­¡±

    It went silent for a moment, quite awkward for them since Jeanne and Christina had just gotten acquainted with each other, on the other hand, Christina casually wrap around her arms at Jaeger and ruffled his hair. ¡°you know, I saw how dignified you are back there during that meeting on that massive hall thing, maybe having your dad enlisting you wasn¡¯t a bad thing after all~ I¡¯m proud of you¡±

    ¡°that¡¯s quite a sudden change of attitude about me being a soldier¡±

    ¡°I still haven¡¯t forgiven how you are in the military area of the profession though. if I meet August, I¡¯m going to smack his wits limb to limb¡­.¡±

    Jeager shuddered as she¡¯s giving a very murderous aura that he never saw, ¡°¡­ never mind then¡±. The way they had conversation slightly made Jeanne jealous, though, she didn¡¯t show it. Since she doesn¡¯t know the truth behind it until she realized one thing¡­

    ¡°wait, Lady Christina, who is this August you referring to?¡±

    The Archmage raised her eyebrows since the only August in her mind is only one and he¡¯s also quite famous with his name, ¡°hmm? It¡¯s obviously August Wolfenford, the summoned hero back then before this war started and my husband~¡±

    ¡°hu-husband!?¡± she looked at Jaeger, who gave a look that says she was telling the truth. ¡°then¡­ Archie¡­ you know that I¡¯m¡­¡±

    ¡°I¡¯ve known it since 2<sup>nd</sup> grade you know? I overheard Dad¡¯s convo back then with a child protection officer in the living room back then about confirming the legality of your adoption, though, I still treat you as my little sister.¡±

    ¡°¡­ I hate you¡± She stormed away from them, slightly running, leaving the three and making Jaeger confused by her action.  ¡°well¡­ that¡¯s one way to upset a girl,¡± Christina remarked, confusing Jeager even more.

    ¡°what did I even do? I literally just told the truth¡±

    ¡°¡­ you¡¯re just as oblivious as your father huh?¡±

    ¡°I¡¯m not, I¡¯m just being a good brother¡±

    ¡°That''s where you¡¯re at fault¡±

    ¡°¡­ I don¡¯t get women sometimes¡­¡±

    ¡°but don¡¯t you have one back then?¡± Jeager broke away from her arms, a slight scowl was to be seen on his face. His slight loss of composure wasn¡¯t because of her reminding him about his ex, but rather how does she even know about it since Jaeger himself never mention anything about that topic over the past couple of days. ¡°did you tap into my memories or something?! You do know I have my privacy on many things! I don¡¯t want to talk about this, I¡¯ll be taking my leave¡±

    Jeager stomped his way out, turning on the corner of the corridor. Christina was rather baffled as she wasn¡¯t expecting that kind of reaction from him. ¡°well¡­ there he goes.¡± She said, having her hands on her hips.

    ¡°you know Lady Eoflora¡­ you just made our guides in this ship abandon us in this corridor that we do not know. And your son is right, people have their secrets that they don¡¯t want to tell, even to their parents. Well¡­ just like my son¡± Jordan¡¯s statement made the carefree Archmage chuckle nervously in her embarrassment. She does know that Jaeger doesn¡¯t want to talk about it since the memories she peeked at also included his inner conflicts, but she¡¯s still curious as he¡¯s still her son, even though they only met several days ago. Then again, what Jordan mention hit her reality like a freight train.

    ¡°I¡­ I¡¯ll apologize to him later on, but right now¡­ I think we need to think about something else¡±

    ¡°something about what to be exact??¡±

    ¡°how do we get out of this ship?¡±

    ¡°can¡¯t we just teleport out to the pier instead?¡±

    ¡°oh¡­ right, how can I forget about that¡­¡±

 A New Team

    - Newly established Forwards Operating Base, codename: [Hornet Nest]. 8 kilometres away from the Ersten near a village, Kingdom of Apollyon ¨C

    - two days later -

    - 0200hrs, local time -

    ¡°Damn¡­ I can¡¯t believe we could build this FOB in under two days and holy crap those beds do be looking high class¡± one of the mercenaries remarked as he looked around in awe at the barracks his newly assigned team were put into. The barracks itself weren¡¯t like how regular Army or special forces would be as it could be categorized as luxurious. The bunk beds weren¡¯t made of steel frames but reinforced wood instead, it even got proper beds with its soft yet fluffy-looking blankets and pillow that were neatly arranged on top of it.

    He¡¯s currently carrying his backpack on his shoulders and a duffle bag on his left arm, on the other hand, he¡¯s also carrying his new and pimped-up service rifle that was given by the armoury guy at the Yukikaze a day ago. From his experience handling the weapon, it could be said that he liked how it handles. Though, the man beside him grumbled, ¡°You know we¡¯re thousands of lightyears away from Earth right? How are you so carefree about this?¡±

    ¡°It¡¯s not that I¡¯m neglecting that fact. I¡¯m just excited about how WE¡¯RE LITERALLY ON ANOTHER PLANET THAT HAS A FREAKING INTELLIGENT LIFE! Can¡¯t you see how interesting the concept of meeting another lifeform that¡¯s not from Earth is?¡±

    ¡°For f*ck sake! no need to shout about that. But anyway¡­¡± he looked around, noticing that there was one more person already there, fiddling with the MFD to his desire on one of the beds. all of them got as those were mandatory gadgets to be used in deployment, especially the experimental Phalanx Exoskeleton that was first used by Lt. Col Wolfenford himself, though, they didn¡¯t bring it with them as it¡¯s still classified for most people. The man didn¡¯t want to make eye contact with the other man that¡¯s minding his own business, but the two accidentally did it anyway.

    ¡°uhh¡­ yo¡±

    ¡°¡¯sup mate¡±

    The two had some awkward silence after their greetings, ¡°so uhh¡­ Australian?¡± the word he could only mutter is asking his nationality, which is quite rude in all honesty, but he needs to keep the conversation going. ¡°Nah, I¡¯m half Irish-half Brit, and bloody hell this place is quite fancy isn¡¯t it for a barrack in another world¡±.

    ¡°Eyy! Someone got the same idea as me!¡± the cheerful guy jumped into their conversation. ¡°Bet we got some fancy breakfast later on, goddamn I really want to eat bacon and eggs again rather than stupid ass corned beef rations¡±.

    ¡°Oi, the corned beef on the ship isn¡¯t that rubbish-¡± he stopped his word as he saw the Commanding Officer of the FOB walk in with someone with him. ¡°Sir!¡± he shouted, right after he quickly stood up from his bed, throwing the MFD to the pillow so as to not break it, saluting the CO too in the process. The two that were still standing turned 180 degrees and saluted in sync right after they put down their luggage.

    ¡°At ease¡± the CO said, after he replied to their salute with one, ¡°Gentlemen, as you know, this is just a temporary forward operating base, though, we do have in plan to make a proper base at some point.¡± He stopped for a moment, looking at the three, ¡°But that¡¯s not the case for now, Lt. Col Wolfenford will be your squad lead and you¡¯re assigned to element [Alpha]. Further questions are to be asked to him, I¡¯ll take my leave¡±. As the CO left, the three has a look that says, ¡°Ah sh*t, it¡¯s him¡­ in the flesh¡±, Which Jaeger took notice of.

    ¡°Looks like we¡¯re already not in a good terms, are we? Even though I never assigned with each of one of you at all.¡± His remark smack them in the face as they thought they didn¡¯t express their thoughts about him.

    Jaeger is well known to be a great strategist and soldier in most of his career record, even though he¡¯s a high-ranking officer, he rather go down to the field and fight his way to become the victor. Though, one thing is for sure there¡¯s always be casualties under his command, whether it¡¯s a massive troop or a 4-man team and people in the mercenary world rather not team up with him as superstition rumours clouded him as the grim reaper himself, for both the enemies and his comrades. ¡°How about we introduce each other first? Maybe we could get on good terms, should I start?¡±

    ¡°No need, we know who you are, sir,¡± the grumbling guy said, a small frown grew on his face. The other two nodded in agreement, no one didn¡¯t know the flight lead of the infamous [Sky Reaper] squadron that wreak havoc and nearly got wiped during the Battle of Kiel Bay back around 2039. ¡°Though, we still question how did you become a pilot? Aren¡¯t you¡¯re a SOCCOM graduate?¡±

    ¡°Good question¡± he then leaned himself to the nearby shoe locker, crossing his arms. ¡°You know I was part of the [Project Omega] super soldier experiment right? That ¡°super soldier¡± part flipped the switch inside my father¡¯s head and the next thing I knew that I¡¯m training in a combat flight simulator and also gravity accelerator training. Which I surprisingly passed and could withstand around 28 Gs for 30 seconds. And, because of my training, the G accel training machine back at Grunner Defence HQ broke and can¡¯t be used anymore¡±.

    ¡°Holy sh*t! 28 Gs!? That¡¯s inhuman!¡±

    ¡°I know, which is why the planes I use don¡¯t have any limiter at all, I could pull more than 18 Gs at supersonic speeds with ease. Having an adaptive body sure is handy.¡± He then looked at the man that asked him, the grumbling man earlier. ¡°So, now that¡¯s done, how about you introduce yourself? We¡¯re going for re-briefing in 3 hours you know?¡±

    ¡°Oh, ya must be serious?! What¡¯s the mission initiation time?¡± the Irish guy groaned since he just took a rest from helping to build the FOB and lifting cargo here and there. ¡°Around 0500hrs, no worries, when we arrive at the AO, we won¡¯t instantly start the investigation as we¡¯ll do it in shifts¡± Jaeger added, reassuring the man.

    ¡°Oh bloody thank you! I can get some sleep then.¡±

    ¡°Indeed mate, though¡­ you already fancied that bed innit? Can say the quality is an absolute wonder¡± Jaeger changed his accent, which quite surprise the three. ¡°Ya can use brit accent?¡±

    ¡°Quite, I went to a lot of places, I do indeed need to learn each of every nation¡¯s distinguishable accent and language. Though I can¡¯t do Russian and Korean, bloody language is just a tad bit annoying to learn for me¡±.

    The man nodded, with a look that says, ¡°I see¡­¡±. The atmosphere eased up as Jaeger tried to become less than what he was rumoured as, especially about the cloud of bad rumours about him. ¡°So¡­ the introductions??¡±

    ¡°Oh yea! Kinda forgot about that¡± the cheerful guy said while chuckling sheepishly. ¡°2<sup>nd</sup> Lt. Danny ¡°60k¡± Suarez, Combat engineer and CQB specialist¡± he continued, saluting in the process. The man himself is the shortest amongst the four, standing around 168cm. though, regardless of his height, he¡¯s well built just like the average military personnel.

    If you discover this tale on Amazon, be aware that it has been stolen. Please report the violation.

    ¡°¡¯60k¡¯<u>?</u> what¡¯s the origin of your callsign? Also, aren¡¯t you the ones that shouted ¡®free pizza¡¯ during the briefing two days ago?¡±

    ¡°ya bet! We do get free pizza later on though and about my callsign¡­¡±

    ¡°He bet 60k US dollars and lost to the girl he had crushed on back then in poker¡± interjected the man beside Danny, who took a hard nudge from Danny¡¯s elbow. ¡°don¡¯t just blabber my dark past!¡± he cried in embarrassment.

    ¡°Damn¡­ 60k? what did you bet on anyway?¡±

    ¡°It was whether I could beat her under 4 minutes or so, I can¡¯t believe I lost to that chick¡­¡± Jaeger whistled at his misfortune, ¡°Your savings?¡±

    ¡°Yeah¡±

    ¡°must¡¯ve been rough¡±.

    ¡°you¡¯re quite sympathetic sir¡± 60k¡¯s statement slightly surprised him in a manner that he never knew someone could say something positive about him frontally aside from his family and someone he once knew. ¡°Am I?¡±

    ¡°I¡¯m sure about it, no wonder that big-tittied princess had eyes on you¡±. Jaeger¡¯s leg that¡¯s currently suspending him on the shoe locker slightly slipped at his statement, ¡°Did he saw me yesterday?!¡± is the thought he could think at that moment, while he regains his composure back. And yes, Danny did saw him walking around with Aurora along at the pier, he knew about her title since he¡¯s one of Jeanne¡¯s escorts to the castle, some might think of them as a lover since she was holding Jaeger¡¯s arms closely, but no, they weren¡¯t, it was their disguise to walk around the market freely without her getting swarmed by the residents around as she¡¯s known for her beauty. She was trying to get some materials for her research and asked Jaeger to accompany her, weirdly enough without any knight escorts at all. It was a mere coincidence that Danny saw them when he was helping on getting some cargo down.

    ¡°¡­. Look here ya horny bastard, don¡¯t mention things like that in front of her, she¡¯s still this Kingdom¡¯s royalty, and we¡¯re not like that¡­ yet.¡±

    ¡°He said it boys! he said the ¡°yet¡± word!¡± he continued to tease him, ¡°so you¡¯re not denying that you have a thing for her?¡± Danny¡¯s grin grew wide in a sense to tease his squad leader, who knew the guy that cold-hearted on the battlefield could fall for someone soft and sweet.

    ¡°I won¡¯t deny that fact, but I won¡¯t get involved in romance again¡­ I already have my fair share of problems. Anyway, how about you two?¡± he changed the topic as he was starting to get slightly gloomy. The rest then introduced themselves. The first one is Major Jonathan K. Anderson, Callsign ¡°Coyote¡±, he¡¯s the one that came with 60k, an ex-Navy SEAL operative specializing in heavy weapons.

    While the other one, First Lieutenant James Edington, callsign ¡°Point¡±, he¡¯s also an ex-special operative from the SAS who specializes in marksmanship and sniping. All of them are quite talkative, which is great for Jeager since he rather has a team like so rather than a team that¡¯s way too focused on the objective and has temper issues. ¡°So Coyote, Point, what¡¯s the origin of your callsign?¡± Jaeger asked, curiosity got the better of him.

    The two of them looked at each other at first, with Jonathan chuckling nervously after they break their glances. Taking the opportunity for payback, 60k explained, ¡°Oh, Coyote got his callsign because he got caught eating the rations back when we¡¯re still in the SEALs at midnight. Man, you should¡¯ve seen his face that¡¯s half asleep yet chowing down like a Coyote. Our CO got mad, and he was told to buy us food after he did a 40-lap run around the base haha!¡±

    Jaeger let out a small laugh as he tried to image the description he gave, whilst 60k¡¯s head got elbow locked and ruffled by Coyote, ¡°damn you¡­ why did you tell them!?¡±

    ¡°That¡¯s my payback mothafoka!¡±

    ¡°You sonova-¡­!¡±

    As they were busy with each other, Jaeger looked at James, who was also letting out a small laugh at the two¡¯s shenanigans. He then called out about the thing he asked before, to which then James replied, ¡°Ah, me callsign? It was when I was in the academy, my accuracy was astonishingly perfect that the instructor went out and said ¡®Your shots are quite on point¡¯ and there you have it.¡±

    ¡°Huh, it surprisingly nothing comical like these two¡±

    ¡°Quite normal innit? Slightly badass if you think¡±.

    The four of them then chatted and joke around, easing up their mind as they know they were going to combat in an unknown territory that they don¡¯t even know of. What lies ahead maybe far more dangerous than they think as the enemies they¡¯re facing have an unknown force of power that has yet to be researched. It¡¯s a good thing that the three were already informed beforehand that the residents of this planet could use magic, they were awed by the example that was given yesterday as one of the representatives from Apollyon just made a blaze of fire out of thin air on his palm while having a glowing red sigil in between the fire and his palm. What yet they don¡¯t know is the existence of [Status panel] also existed which the same representative showed to them, which 60k got even more excited as he¡¯s quite into RPG games even in his mercenary days.

    Two and a half hours passed, and as they were casually chatting around, the speakers from the makeshift control tower blared, screaming, ¡°All members of the next operation are to gather at the briefing barracks at section D-5! Repeat, all members of the next op are to gather at the briefing barracks! As for the pilots¡­¡± the announcer continued, Jaeger and his team quickly grabbed their stuff that¡¯s needed and headed towards the aforementioned area. Their faces were painted the expression that says, ¡°It¡¯s time huh?¡± yet kept their composure. On their walk there, 60k noticed something on Jaeger¡¯s back, which he questioned.

    ¡°Oh this? It¡¯s the Phalanx Exoskeleton that we¡¯re going to be equipped with. Though¡­ I advise you to prepare your mentality when you¡¯re going to wear this¡± he shuddered, giving slight anxiety to 60k as he looked at Coyote with a questioning look who just shrugs it off, doesn¡¯t know about anything regarding it and not wanting to know about further details of the procedure when wearing it. The group were guided by someone that¡¯s waiting for them, probably one of the secretary or something. 60k tried to hit on her with some jokes but she shrugged all of it, he could be only disappointed while being

    Later on, as they arrived, right after Jaeger opened the door. To their surprise, two people whom he wasn¡¯t expecting were waiting. it was Aurora and Conrad, who were looking around the makeshift briefing room as they were intrigued by everything about it, especially about the projector. Jaeger didn¡¯t want to speak up at first but his mouth subconsciously moved along with his thoughts, ¡°Why are you two here? Aren''t you supposed to be back at the castle?¡±

    ¡°Oh, hey, yeah¡­ about that¡­ she got interested in how you would do a briefing and especially about the technology around this encampment¡± Conrad explained, sighing. Her shenanigans are always a handful, and he still thinks that their father is too lax with her attitude. On the other hand, the aforementioned girl, in her curiosity, tried to flick several buttons on the projector, which Jaeger stopped by grabbing her right hand firmly yet softly as he knew that if he go with his frustration, his pressure would hurt her arm. ¡°don¡¯t. you¡¯re pressing the wrong one¡±

    ¡°oh, really? My, my, thank you for telling me. Ah, are those your subordinates??¡±

    ¡°yes, your highness. They are¡±

    ¡°Oh come on Jaeger¡­ don¡¯t be formal with me, didn¡¯t I tell you that yesterday?¡±

    ¡°fine, fine¡­ so I need to call you by your name huh?¡±

    ¡°yes sir!~¡±

    The three looked in slight awe at their squad leader casually talking to the most beautiful girl that they have ever seen, 60k especially as he only saw her in her hoods on her head yesterday. The way she talks mesmerized them, and everything she does looks graceful even though it¡¯s quirky. Though, unknown to them, Aurora¡¯s succubus power was subconsciously activated. And Conrad took notice of it.

    ¡°hey sis, I think you need to control your powers slightly,¡± he said and pointed at the three that were standing nearby the aluminium door, dazed at her. ¡°Oh my¡­ my apologies¡±

    She then chanted a spell and shone briefly, it didn¡¯t take long for them to regain their thoughts with them questioning what in the world happened to their sudden weird train of thoughts, and they were even more surprised when Aurora suddenly bowed to apologize. In the midst of confusion, Coyote is the only one that could speak up, slightly stuttering ¡°Ah- eh? Your highness?! What are you-¡°

    ¡°I apologize¡­ to think my [skill] subconsciously activated and nearly cause you harm¡­¡±

    ¡°no no! it¡¯s fine! It¡¯s just a little mishap anyway¡±

    Jaeger cleared his throat, gaining their attention again his face changed into more of a stoic one. He disregards what they were about to say as their time to do the briefing is being cut short as they were only given 10 minutes to do it, or the operation won¡¯t start at all. ¡°right, we¡¯re done with the shenanigans? Good, take your seats everyone, briefing is starting¡­¡±

 Extras #2 - Accompanying? Or is it a Date?

    - Inside the corridors of the Castle, Ersten, Kingdom of Apollyon ¨C

    - a day earlier -

    - 0717hrs, local time -

    ¡°this way Sir Wolfenford,¡± the maid said as she guided him through the corridors of the castle. Earlier during sunrise, when Jaeger who just finished doing some morning exercise was surprised when a butler came to the pier right when he just finished and told him that he was to be summoned to the castle by someone named ¡°Rosmaria-sama¡±. Immediately, he changed his clothing into his officer outfit, without his exoskeleton and went along with the butler to the castle.

    The maid then stopped at a certain decorated door and told him to wait for ¡°Rosmaria-sama¡± to finish bathing as she wanted to have a word with him. The maid bowed down to him and left him alone to wait, leaving him slightly confused about why in the world he was called to the castle and who is this Rosmaria. He waited for several minutes, taking some moments to eavesdrop inside the room while looking inconspicuous by using a small wall contact microphone he always brought with him inside his pockets just in case. He could hear many footsteps inside and also the sounds of water flowing. Though, after a few minutes, the water sounds stopped and someone¡¯s footsteps slowly got louder from a distance, he knows it was a female¡¯s footstep as the thud isn¡¯t that loud. And from the sound of it, the many footsteps he heard earlier surrounding the lady. ¡°ah, must¡¯ve been her maids helping her¡± he thought.

    Soon after, the door opens, and a flood of maids scrambled away from the room, carrying a stack of clothes which he assume to be [Rosmaria-sama¡¯s] nightgown. One of the maids then said he could come in as they were done and she was waiting for him. As he turned around the corner of the door. The one who called him is none other than the third princess herself who he knows.

    ¡°your highness? Are you the ones that called me? And who is this Rosmaria actually? Your other name??¡±

    She giggled at his questions, ¡°Well¡­ it¡¯s my name too you know, ah~ where are my manners¡­¡± She bowed down like one graceful royalty as she was, lifting her black dress¡¯s skirt which she once wear when they arrived at the outskirts of the kingdom back then. ¡°I¡¯m Rosmaria Aurora von Apollyon, guess our introduction is finally formal isn¡¯t it? Hehe~¡±

    ¡°I guess it does. Anyway¡­ why you called me your highness?¡±

    ¡°Oh, well¡­¡± she turned around, opening the massive curtains behind her. With a puppy-eyed look, she looked at him from her shoulder, her bright emerald green eyes shone beautifully as it reflects the sunlight, ¡°Can you accompany me to buy something in the market near the port? I need some ingredients for my experiment¡± she continued.

    Jaeger, looking confused, raised his eyebrow. She could¡¯ve gone with some of her knight escorts or even just asked her maid to gather it for her and yet, she wanted Jaeger to escort her, she even asked him personally even ¡°Why me? Can¡¯t you asked out your subjects to do so instead without you going out of the castle?¡±

    ¡°aren¡¯t you also part of my subjects though?¡±

    ¡°I¡¯m technically still registered as an earthling on paper so¡­ I don¡¯t think I am¡±

    ¡°hmm¡­ that is quite a fair point.¡± She then twirled herself 180 degrees back at him, giving a bright smile at him, ¡°Then as your friend, will you fulfil my self-centred wish?¡± the man could only stand there, still in his stoic face yet his mind going like a bullet train as it¡¯s going everywhere. [why me? Can¡¯t she ask her brother instead?], [why is she acting like this? Is she¡­ no, that¡¯s impossible] and those kinds of thoughts were spinning around his mind on and on until she called him again.

    ¡°Jaeger?¡±

    ¡°ah- well¡­¡± he cleared his throat, clearing his doubts and calming himself down. [I¡¯ll take the chances, who knows something interesting could happen] he thought before continuing. ¡°I guess it won¡¯t hurt¡±

    ¡°I¡¯ll take it as a yes then, hehe~. Ah! But first¡­¡± She then closes her eyes, trying to imagine something. As she reopens them, a blanket of Mana aura blanketed both of them with a bright light for a few moments, and as it dissipates, Aurora checked herself in a mirror, looking left and right at her face. Nodding as she affirmed something, she then waved her hand to Jaeger, telling him to come to her.

    Confused, he walked to her that was checking on the mirror, and to his surprise, he could see a face that he never knew, even though it was him instead. Not only his face that was changed, but Aurora¡¯s face also looks different, yet still has that charm she has. But it only appeared in the mirror, not between them. ¡°Wha-! What in the world-¡°, his reaction made her giggle cutely.

    ¡°My, first time using a [Disguise] spell? It feels intriguing, isn¡¯t it? It only affects the one who is looking at us and is visible in the mirror¡±

    ¡°I¡¯ve been using disguises a lot in my infiltration missions back then, but this¡­ this is just way out of the league of it, it¡¯s too perfect! Did you make this spell yourself?¡±

    His unexpected praise made her blush slightly, ¡°I-I see¡­ well, it is a spell that I modified so in a way, It is my spell¡± though, right after she said her remark, she muttered the word ¡°thank you, I¡¯m glad I met you¡± in a low voice yet he could still hear part of it.

    Stolen content alert: this content belongs on Royal Road. Report any occurrences.

    ¡°huh? Why thank me?¡±

    ¡°eh- ah-! It¡¯s just¡­ it¡¯s quite unlikely for someone to compliment me that much for my efforts in my research on magic¡± She glance back at him, her left eye was slightly covered by her bangs making her could only see him from the chin down to his foot, whilst her right eye made contact with his eyes. ¡°you didn¡¯t hear the last part right?¡±

    ¡°What?¡±

    ¡°¡­ never mind that then¡± She then proceeded to grab his right arm, looking back at him with an excited look. Pulling him as she set herself to run, ¡°Let''s just go shall we? we don¡¯t want Miss Clarissa to lecture us with her complaints about running away from the castle wouldn¡¯t you?~¡±

    he sighed, ¡°Well then¡­ lead the way milady¡±

    ¡°My, My~ shouldn¡¯t it be the gentleman leading the way instead?¡±

    ¡°don¡¯t ask me the impossible, I don¡¯t have most of my equipment with me right now, I¡¯m practically unknowledgeable about this city¡± She giggled at his remark

    ¡°Don''t be too serious, I¡¯m just slightly teasing you~ Now come on!¡± she said, as she starts running while dragging him along. The man just followed her on a whim, yet he just wanted to fulfil her wish that she wanted to do currently so he didn¡¯t complain whatsoever as he was dragged around by her.

    Later on, at the market. The two that were supposed to be inconspicuous weren¡¯t being one at all as their disguised face was eye-catching since both of the faces that were made by the spell were quite good-looking. Some even thought they were weird nobles who decided to shop on their own without any guards. Unlike Jeager who¡¯s overly conscious of the surroundings, Aurora on the other hand just cheerfully trots around the market while dragging him along like a little girl on her trip to the zoo. Along their walk, she stopped at several stalls, buying ingredients she needed like, potions, monster parts, etc. which made Jaeger realized that this world is truly a fantasy world yet it existed, and part of him has some guilt as him and his higher-ups going to gave them the knowledge about the industrial revolution and beyond which he feared that this world would turn the same as his. Shrugging his fears, he hoped that the people here wouldn¡¯t use their technology for misdeeds like how they did.

    Aurora¡¯s ingredients were stored in a bag that has Storage magic in it, which holds up to more than 300kg of items while still being light on the outside. Later on, as she has done her shopping, she took him to a district far from the market. Along the way, Jaeger kept asking her where are they going and yet, she always answered with the same word as she winked at him, ¡°You¡¯ll see~¡±

    Tired of asking, he just went along with the flow, following her whilst his left hand is still being held firmly by her. It didn¡¯t take long for them to reach the place she wanted to go to. It¡¯s some sort of a sightseeing area within the noble district, below the wooden railings was a beach which is connected to a stone staircase several meters away from the place they¡¯re standing at.

    She let go of his hand and rests her hands on the railings, staring away towards the sea. ¡°it¡¯s quite beautiful isn¡¯t it?¡± she said, as she admires the view. it is true, the view of the blue sea even on another planet is still mesmerising, even for the mercenary that spends most of his time on doing his contracts. Jaeger leaned his back to the railings slightly away from her, resting his right arm on it, also looking at the sea.

    ¡°Indeed. It¡¯s no different back in my world¡±

    ¡°¡­ Jaeger, how long are you planning to fight?¡± that question caught him off guard, though it didn¡¯t irk him like usual, though he questioned why he isn¡¯t, usually if someone asked him that question, he would retort with a cold stare and yet, he now has a long-expression as he gave his remark, ¡°I¡­ I don¡¯t know, but I still need to complete-¡°

    Aurora interrupted him he hasn¡¯t finished. ¡°Deep inside, you actually wanted all conflicts to end, don¡¯t you? You know I¡­ I¡¯ve seen part of your memories¡­¡± he changed his stare towards her as he wanted to disagree but the concerned look on her face changed his mind. The man just went silent as she sighed. ¡°it¡¯s fine if you don¡¯t want to tell me the whole story behind it, especially why you¡¯re willing to sacrifice yourself for a world that has no affiliation to you. But in all honesty¡­¡± She put her palms on top of his resting hand alongside a sincere smile towards him.

    ¡°If you need someone to talk to, even to cry to¡­ I¡¯m here for you, no matter what happens¡±

    he looked away slightly flustered, ¡°W-why are you being kind to me? We only just met several days ago¡±, the way Aurora say those words slightly reminded him of a certain person in the past, it hurts his heart slightly as those memories came back but he felt relieved and safe as someone still cared for him and it also sparks a feeling he once felt, yet he shrugged it off as he doubted it. The sweet lady also got flustered at his reaction, realizing what she just said, ¡°O-oh my, I may have been too bold today¡­¡±

    ¡°Indeed you are¡±

    ¡°you don¡¯t need to emphasize it even more! Geez¡­¡±

    They then talk until the afternoon about everything, sharing small laughs and giggles. They stopped their chat as their stomachs started to grumble in sync, giggling at the moment. Jaeger then stood properly and returned to his stoic expression, ¡°Shall we go then your highness?¡±, he said while he reach out his hand to her.

    ¡°you¡¯re quite a gentleman today aren¡¯t you?¡±

    ¡°well¡­ this is secretly a date in the first place isn¡¯t it?¡±

    ¡°Hehe~ So you realized?¡±

    ¡°I¡¯ve known since the beginning, there¡¯s no way a princess would go out their way to ask a random guy to escort him to buy ingredients and try to comfort him as well.¡±

    ¡°You really are a peerless one aren¡¯t you?¡±

    He smirked, ¡°What can I say? Experience is the best teacher¡± She giggled at his remark, [I¡¯m glad I met you¡­] she thought, giving a small smile which is hidden as she looked away to not make him see her blush. She regained her composure quickly.

    as the sea breeze flutters her hair, she twirled back towards the mercenary that''s having a date with her, her right hand fixing the right side of her hair. the man in question was still stoic as usual, yet his face is honest with his feelings. That time, she seemed to be someone that looked like an angel as her look was stunning, and her elegance radiates a lot.

    "My, my, did you get flustered again, Jaeger? You have seen me with this attire beforehand remember?" she teased him while letting out a giggle, as his face slowly got redder every second spent with her right now. ¡°¡­ you¡¯re having fun teasing me aren¡¯t you?¡±

    ¡°Why wouldn¡¯t I? You always have something interesting to show me~¡±

    ¡°This girl¡­!¡± he sighed. ¡°so, are we going to have lunch or not?¡±. Aurora then firmly held his offered hand, giving a smile in reply. ¡°Of course we¡¯re having one! I¡¯m quite famished already¡±

 Operation 7th Trumpet - (Part 1)

    - Newly established Forwards Operating Base, codename: [Hornet Nest]. 8 kilometres away from Ersten, near a village, Kingdom of Apollyon ¨C

    - inside the Briefing Barracks -

    - 0502hrs, local time -

    ¡°you¡¯re not going to tell us to go out of this room?¡±  Conrad asked, raising an eyebrow. the room is silent as Jaeger makes some quick preparation to start the briefing, the hum of the AC could be heard due to the silence. ¡°at least give me a reply would you?¡±

    ¡°Your Highness, you requested to be here during the briefing, and thus I need to comply with your request as you¡¯re currently our client. It would be rude of me if I kick you out just because¡±

    ¡°wha- why are you being too formal with me right now? Aren¡¯t we already friends¡± Jaeger looked at his squadmates and back at Conrad, hinting at him. ¡°should I even mention why?¡±

    ¡°¡­ alright, I get it.¡±

    The projector lit up and the zoomed-in version of satellite imagery from the deployable satellites was presented. He then swipe the air to make sure the motion sensors of the projector were working correctly. ¡°Alright, listen up! All of you know what our mission is, this is just a recap of what we¡¯ll do on the field.¡± He then gestured his hand to zoom in to the first location which is marked with a red circle.

    ¡°Us, fireteam [Alpha] will be handling PoI D which is located on the outskirts of the Avalon Empire, and PoI A which is located deep inside the Holy Kingdom itself as it¡¯s one of the key cities of this nation. The two of them are located far from each other so we need to set out an encampment 10km away each time we change the AO. During the mission, this fireteam will be split into two groups. group two is led by Point having 60k as its member.¡±

    60k raised his hands to question, gathering the attention of everyone in the room as Jaeger stopped for a moment and allowed him to, ¡°So basically, I¡¯m Alpha 2-2?¡±

    ¡°do I even need to say it?¡±

    ¡°No sir, carry on¡±

    Jaeger then continued the briefing, ¡°Our pilots won¡¯t return back to HQ as our transport has a modified power source, so we might camp with them. remember our Rules of Engagement (RoE). No civilians are to be harmed during this mission unless it¡¯s a collateral damage caused by the enemy, furthermore, stealth is mandatory when using our equipment, I advise not to be even seen with our rifles out. Also, our mission is to investigate whether Count Eoflora¡¯s notes are stating the truth or not, so if the objective isn¡¯t seen to be conducting any human experiments, we are to egress out from the AO and move to the other objective. Any more questions?¡±

    The three are silent, they know what to do, right before they got sent to the FoB, each of the rosters of the teams was given the details by Jeanne herself inside a closed room ensuring to prevent any information leak. That said, it won¡¯t be a surprise if they had some sort of disgust of what within the shadows of the [Church of Light] are conducting just to fulfil someone¡¯s ego. Though, amid the silence, Aurora raised her hand instead, which slightly made Conrad panic.

    ¡°what are you doing!? You¡¯re not even part of this mission!¡±

    ¡°but I still could ask something don¡¯t I?¡±

    ¡°we¡¯re supposed to just listen!¡±

    ¡°I don¡¯t mind¡± the mercenary interjected, making the prince make a look that says, [don¡¯t just agree with her!]. ¡°anyone that¡¯s inside this room is free to ask questions, whether you¡¯re part of it or not.¡± Jaeger continued.

    ¡°well then¡­¡± she lowered her arm, changing position so it could suspend her chin. ¡°what if you did find those kinds of aforementioned experiments were conducted. Would you save the captured or¡­¡±

    ¡°Our mission is to investigate and destroy, if we did find traces, explosive charges will be used and information control will be conducted.¡±

    His reply angered her, ¡°that would just mean you¡¯ll abandon them!¡± she shrieked, slamming the table. ¡°can¡¯t you take some spare time to save the ones who haven¡¯t got experimented on!?¡±

    ¡°¡­ is that an order your highness?¡±

    ¡°It''s¡­¡± she¡¯s unable to let her voice out, she does want his mission to be finished without any trouble but hearing the words that came out of him still troubled her. ¡°maybe¡­¡±

    ¡°then I take it as an order. but will your kingdom take care of those people? We¡¯re still a mercenary group. Example, if we even took refuge the civilians that we rescued, will they adapt to your kingdom¡¯s customs? does your kingdom even have a proper refugee camp? Would they even forgive someone who destroyed their holy grounds? The list could go on if I continue¡±

    ¡°Why would they even hate your people?! You saved them from an upcoming tragedy!¡±

    ¡°look here¡­¡± his eyes sternly looked at hers, ¡°Do you know how to make such experiments kept secret from the public?¡± Aurora shook her head slowly in response. ¡°Brainwashing. Simple, yet effective. People who got brainwashed would be set free from the public yet still be monitored by the people involved in the experiments. Doesn¡¯t your world have that kind of spell or technique too?  ¡±

    In realization, her eyes grew wide, knowing the horrors that it could be a possibility. She didn¡¯t ask any more questions after that, knowing that there was an announcement that their transport will leave in 20 minutes and... how Jaeger is slightly bitter at her innocence. ¡°right, that¡¯s all for this briefing, get to the armoury to pick up your Exo and a surprise tool, we¡¯ll meet up in hangar 1¡±

    ¡° ¡°Surprise tool?¡± ¡° the three said in sync, confused and slightly giddy (it was only 60k) about it. ¡°you¡¯ll see,¡± Jaeger said with a grin, returning to his normal self. ¡°now go! We only got 20 minutes to prep up!¡±

    As the three stood up and saluted to him, leaving the briefing barracks, Jaeger sighed and glanced at Aurora and bowed apologetically to her. ¡°sorry I said such cold words, it¡¯s part of our job, it¡¯s not like I don¡¯t care about people¡¯s lives but our mercenary code always take priorities of our mission and lives first then others¡±

    It was rather surprising, she thought that he hated her because she wasn¡¯t experienced enough about these sorts of things, but rather, he just lived up to what his occupation demanded. She shook her head in reply, ¡°No¡­ my apologies too¡­ I should¡¯ve not asked such question and lost my composure¡­ and you are correct, our kingdom might be needed to arrange some more to accept refugees of war, and have them adapt to our customs.¡± She looked down, still feeling slightly guilty for ruining the atmosphere of the briefing.

    This novel is published on a different platform. Support the original author by finding the official source.

    noticing it, Jaeger patted her shoulder, reassuring her, ¡°It¡¯s still my wrong for making you mad though. Well how about this¡­ I¡¯ll take you to fly with the aircraft I brought you here with and you¡¯ll be given the proper equipment to be in the back seat without experiencing G-LOC again. how¡¯s that sound?¡±

    ¡°oh, is that a repayment for yesterday too?~¡± he took notice of her slightly teasing tone and just shrugged it off with his witty remarks. ¡°you sure know how to tease someone huh? Did my mother taught you that between her classes?¡±

    ¡°make a guess~¡±

    ¡°¡­ honestly, I want to continue your game but¡­¡± he shoved the tablet that he use to present the briefing down to his duffle bag, zipping it up, ¡°looks like it¡¯s already time for me to go¡±

    ¡°Aww¡­ I thought you still have time left¡­¡±

    Conrad wanted to add something to their conversation, but since they were already in their own world, he just leaned on his chin and watched their conversation, ¡°get a room you two¡± he thought while giving the look

    - at the same time, the temporary armoury -

    ¡°Relax, this might hurt¡­¡±

    ¡°Huh? AAARRRGHH¡± The three are currently waiting in line to wear the Exoskeleton, the ones who shrieked in pain is 60k who volunteered to wear it first. At first, they were rather intrigued and excited (?), but then¡­ when they were informed that the Exoskeleton needed to be connected to their vertebrae to have the maximum output of movement and strength that¡¯s provided by the Exo itself, Point and Coyote slightly felt anxious as they don¡¯t know how it would feel when they¡¯re about to use it. So they let 60k do it first, as he didn¡¯t listen to some of the technician¡¯s explanations.

    ¡°Ughh¡­ Damnit you two! You used me as a guinea pig!!¡± The two smirked while letting out a small ominous laugh, ¡°We thought you like to go ahead first, so we let you~¡± Coyote retorted mischievously.

    ¡°Screw it! Especially you John! It hurts more and weirder than getting my prostate examed!¡±

    ¡°not my fault bro, at le- wait¡­ what the f**k?¡± Point sighed, rubbing his eyes ¡°You just made it worse mate don¡¯t you know that?¡±

    ¡°I don¡¯t know what else to compare to okay!? Anyway, your turn Coyote!¡±

    Coyote and Point got their turns, and as they expected it was agonizing, just the Neural Vertebrae Connector penetrating the back of their necks made them not just scream in pain, but it also made them get the feel of being decapitated. Later on, after all the procedures are finished, they also got their own personal AI assistant, however, it is inferior to O4NR performance. The two wondered how in the world their squad leader managed to get through that sort of thing, but they came to the conclusion that it¡¯s Jaeger, he¡¯s different.

    The three also got injected by something issued by their higher-ups, which when 60k asked, the nurse who was injecting the substance replied; ¡°It¡¯s nanobots or nanomachines, you name it. It¡¯s integrated with your AI and your life support software so you can manage your health, increase the speed of injury recovery, and also prevent any harmful substances from being absorbed by your blood.¡±

    ¡°what about the clear liquid?¡±

    ¡°oh it¡¯s just something that could dissolve quickly¡±

    ¡°riiight¡­¡±

    Moving on several minutes later, the team is suited up and is on their way to meet up with their leader in Hangar 1, and as they approached the bustling hangar, from a distance they could see their ride slowly move out from the hangar while its hybrid engine screeches. 60k then notices their Squad lead is standing with their guest as the VCAD slowly moves to the tarmac and swivels its thrusters downwards, switching to its VTOL mode. While the ground crew quickly close the hangar doors and loaded up the last batch of supplies to the transport craft, the three pick up their pace as they saw Jaeger seemingly giving goodbyes to Conrad and Aurora.

    As soon as they reached the transport¡¯s cargo bay door/ramp, Jaeger is already waiting for them, he made a hand gesture to them to turn on their radio from the ear protection they were wearing so that he could hear them talking, a static went through their ear protection and Jaeger¡¯s voice could be heard, ¡°testing¡­ one, two¡­ are comms are clear?¡± he said, testing the connection.

    ¡°Yeah, it¡¯s somewhat clear enough,¡± Coyote remarked, from all of the equipment they were given, only some are new tech, which that is their exoskeleton, the MFD that¡¯s also integrated into it, a cloak with integrated cloaking abilities, weapons that are fitted to their role in the team, a Multi-Role Visor alongside a new ballistic helmet that could use Thermal, Night or Hybrid vision mode depending on the user¡¯s needs. The rest of it is just an ordinary chest rig/plate carrier and combat uniform, alongside the typical standard-issue mil-spec radio and ear protection. All of these are coloured in either drab or dark green multicam excluding the rifle which is still good old classic metal black.

    ¡°Alright, I¡¯ll tell the pilot we¡¯re all here, change the channel to the one O4NR sent to your HUD¡±

    Jaeger then went inside the aircraft while the three followed him from behind while changing the frequency of their radio to the frequency that his AI sent. The three then sit on the seats on the side of the hull after they put on their duffle bag on top of the metal boxes in front of their seats, buckling up after. As they were doing a final check on their weapons, the ground crew stated that all of the cargo has been loaded and they could take off any time, and as he turned around, the cargo bay doors slowly closes and the three could hear the engine started to spool up.

    Jaeger came back from the cockpit section, and quickly took a seat near the narrow staircase leading towards the aforementioned section. ¡°you guys strapped up?¡± he asked as he buckles himself up.

    ¡°yeah! We¡¯re good!¡± replied Coyote. ¡°nice! The ride will be a smooth one up until we¡¯re trying to break into the barrier of the [World gate] even in supersonic, it¡¯s still shaky as hell. brace yourselves later on¡±

    ¡°Yes sir!¡± the three shouted in sync again, since the engine sound is slightly getting louder. In the cockpit, the pilots were making the final checks. The co-pilot/gunnery officer gave a thumbs up to his captain, giving the green light to take off as all systems are nominal. The pilot then flicks up a switch that activates the airtight system to be activated, sealing doors that lead to the outside and closing their windshield, activating the monitors of the now enclosed flight system in the process.

    ¡°Tower, this is Astra flight, requesting permission to take off¡±

    ¡°Granted Astra, good luck on your mission.¡± With that said the engines of the aircraft started to screech louder as it slowly hovers away from the ground. And as it reached a certain altitude, the engine slowly swivels to its original position as the aircraft slowly speeds up into a conventional flight. The aircraft was being waved good luck by everyone from the ground on the tarmac, including the royalty siblings themselves. As the aircraft flew beyond the horizon, unable to be seen anymore, Conrad, who already wanted to return as he was very tired from everything since he woke up all night, notices his sister who still looks towards the way the flight flew away with a troubled look on her face.

    ¡°you¡¯re concerned about him?¡± he tapped her shoulder, snapping her back to reality. ¡°ah- Connie¡­ I¡­ I do¡±

    ¡°he did say he¡¯ll return right? Though, I¡¯m still questioning how can you fall for him even though you two only met for like¡­ I don¡¯t know¡­ a week or so?¡±

    Her troubled face quickly changed into an uncontrolled fluster, ¡°I-I-I¡­ I don¡¯t know okay! It¡¯s just¡­ every time I spent my time having a conversation with him, I feel comfortable and somewhat safe¡­¡± In her stutters, her brother just shook his head with a small smile on his face.

    ¡°I won¡¯t stop you since you¡¯ve been rejecting every single marriage proposal that was given by the sons of the nobles around us, if he is indeed your fated one, even though our encounter with him were rather¡­ unique I might say¡­ then I won¡¯t stop you. But for now¡­¡± he yawned, it was one of the biggest yawns she had ever seen and it made her giggle, ¡°Can we go back home? I¡¯m quite tired already¡­¡±

    ¡°I¡¯m quite surprised that you¡¯re not intrigued by the amount of technological advancements they have¡±

    ¡°Hey! I do am interested in it! It¡¯s just¡­ I¡¯ve been helping Father with paperwork all night you know?¡±

    ¡°hehe~ I do know that, sorry for having you accompany me with my selfish wish¡±

    He didn¡¯t answer and just walked away, tired. The two then were guided to the gate where their carriage is waiting. During their ride back to the castle, Aurora is still slightly restless, as she didn¡¯t want her first love die somewhere in a place that she doesn¡¯t know. Though, remembering back how Jaeger reassured her before he left and also the promise he made, a small smile was painted on her face. Who knows that he could fulfil those words he said.

 Operation 7th Trumpet - (Part 2)

    - 6.8km above the sea level, Zaniya Mountain range ¨C

    - inside the transport aircraft -

    - 0538hrs, local time -

    ¡°2 minutes till the [world gate]¡± announced the pilot, the dropship is zooming through the clear skies that await the sunrise, some clouds were present, scattered here and there. As it is flying quite high, some people on the ground at the villages the dropship passed by noticed a trail of condensation and a distant roaring from the skies from it. some disregard it and continued doing their activities while some slightly feel unpleasant as it reminded them about the [Black Dragon] that wreck havoc a hundred years ago from their ancestor¡¯s stories. At the cargo bay, each member of the team is doing their own thing. 60k is fiddling with his phone, Point is sleeping with his arms crossed, while Jaeger and Coyote are experimenting with the attachments for their weapons that are included with their cargo.

    ¡°right, I think we could use these later on, but for now, let''s just stick with LPVOs,¡± Jaeger said while reattaching his rifle optic. The word LPVO (stands for Low Powered Variable Optic) made Coyote grimace at him and the optic he screwed back to his rifle.

    ¡°Really? You like that s**t?¡±

    ¡°Hey! LPVOs are cool! Though, E*techs are cool and all but this is great for most situations¡±

    ¡°you do realize that we¡¯ll eventually end up in a CQB environment right?¡±

    ¡°you do have a fair point¡± Tightening the screw of the rifle scope to its mounting with the Allen key on the last few spins, he sat back on the seat he was strapped on earlier. ¡°though, I think we might end up with a minor skirmish on the woods instead¡±

    ¡°How are you sure about that?¡±

    ¡°I don¡¯t know, it¡¯s just my instincts¡±

    Suddenly, the Dropship shook violently, slightly throwing off Coyote¡¯s balance. ¡°damnit! Fly properly ya dimwit!!¡± he cursed, looking at the currently closed cockpit compartment. Clicking his tongue, Coyote returned to his seat beside 60k, loading his new LMG or Light Machine Gun.

    ¡°WE CAN HEAR YOU JACKASS! Turn off comms first before you act like an ass! That aside, 1 minute till we reach the wall of energy¡± Coyote was slightly surprised, to think the pilot could hear him cursing and shouting back at him through the intercom. Though he wasn¡¯t embarrassed or anything, he just grumbled. ¡°you really have anger issues huh?¡± Jaeger added, slightly chuckling with an amused look. The man didn¡¯t reply and buckled up instead, preparing for the Dropship to enter the barrier¡¯s inner zone.

    The aircraft is now just 20km away from the world barrier, it¡¯s also on a slight incline angle, as it¡¯s slowly gaining altitude since they don¡¯t want to get noticed by the people who might be living in the mountains. As it finally reached the edge, the rattling inside it started to slightly go violent but not anything serious. Though, what¡¯s concerning is that Christina suddenly contacted them via their radio communication through the FOBs Command Centre.

    {Hello? Can you hear me Achiles??}

    ¡°This is Alpha 1-1, loud and clear, and the whole team too, what is it command?¡±

    {huh, you¡¯re talking way too militaristic, ah! now¡¯s not the time for that! Listen up! I¡¯ve already told you that the [World Gate] could also cause space-time to be unaligned with the current one right? you might end up in the past if you¡¯re not lucky}

    ¡°¡­ WHY YOU DIDN¡¯T SAY THAT EARLIER!?!!!¡±

    {I¡¯m sorry! I just woke up and remembered about it! Time there still moves relatively the same and not at the same time, I don¡¯t know how it works but it works like that from what I have seen from people coming back from inside the spell¡¯s influence}

    Jaeger quickly headed towards the cockpit compartment, slamming open the blast door, surprising both of the crew. ¡°What¡¯s the sitrep!?¡± he shouted. Both Pilot and Co-Pilot looked at each other confused then back at Jaeger. ¡°everything¡¯s fine, what¡¯s the matter?¡±

    ¡°didn¡¯t you hear what command said?¡±

    ¡°yeah, we did, but nothing is wrong with the avionics, even the compass is still working normally¡± Jaeger then look closely at the avionics and was rather surprised that something is off. ¡°sh*t! the clock is going haywire, she¡¯s right about this¡±

    ¡°what do we do now? Returning while being in the barrier¡¯s energy field is kinda¡­¡±

    ¡°Just pray that we won¡¯t end up in a time travel bullsh*t¡­¡±

    Luckily they didn¡¯t, the clock is still the same but the date isn¡¯t since they didn¡¯t align it to the local calendar so it¡¯s still the same with Earth¡¯s calendar format. The three sighed in relief, having themselves stuck in the past as it isn¡¯t a great idea to change anything in the timeline. Jaeger then returned to his seat, not saying anything.

    The flight is now rather silent as half of the team is asleep. Though, Jaeger ran his thought around as he was bothered by the reasoning behind this conflict, and why he is willing to serve a nation for the first time in his military and mercenary days as he usually declines any mission that is paid by any nation back on Earth. Hours then passed, the pilot announced that they have found the first mission location and is now trying to locate a landing location. The aircraft then turn south to find an open location between the woodlands near the village the target is, but they can¡¯t find any so the gunner decides to¡­

    ¡°how about we burn a section inside the forest with napalm?¡± he said to the Pilot, who was looking at him with a surprised look. ¡°burn the forest with what now??¡±

    ¡°Napalm, like¡­ you know¡­?¡±

    ¡°do we even have napalm bombs with us in the first place!?¡±

    The Co-pilot pressed the touchscreen MFD, switching the radar view to their weapon view and pointed to the internal bay hardpoint indicator that says [Mark-127], the upgraded laser-guided version of the Mark-77 napalm bomb, with a look that says [I told you we bring one]. The Pilot sighed, ¡°You secretly asked for the ground crew to load those behind me didn¡¯t you?¡±

    ¡°Don¡¯t be mad bro, Napalms are quite useful you know? Especially burning hou-¡°

    ¡°Okay stop, don¡¯t continue those words. Just tell me where to drop it¡±

    ¡°Damn, no fun¡± Even though the Co-Pilot is quite down because of it, he complied and gave the weapon controls to the Pilot. the Dropship then headed where the trees are thicker, while so, its internal weapon bays located on its wings opened, revealing the missiles and bombs that it carries. At a certain moment, the Dropship dropped one bomb from the left weapon bays. The bomb glided down gently, opening up its folded wings as it was guided by the laser designator from the Dropship¡¯s Electro-Optical Targeting System which has a stabilizer since it''s also part of the dual 35mm auto-turret of the dropship underneath the hull of the aircraft as it needed to precisely guide the bomb onto the point where the pilots wanted it to drop to while also maintaining visual on the target it was sent to.

    The author''s narrative has been misappropriated; report any instances of this story on Amazon.

    As the bomb fiercely landed at the location, a massive ball of flame fumed up to the skies and the trees around started burning rapidly and the otherworldly creatures ran away from the location of the fire. It took 15 minutes for everything to settle down, thankfully, nobody is around and the dropship is using its Optical Camouflage system. The Dropship then gracefully landed on the burnt area of the forest, blowing the rest of the burnt trees down as it already turned into charcoal. The engine resided, along with the cargo bay opening. Jaeger and Coyote, which is currently fully armed, checked the surroundings to make sure that no one witnessed the Dropship landing on the burned forest, stepping outsides while using their thermal mode on their visor. Scanning the perimeter.

    ¡°Northwest side¡¯s clear¡± confirmed Jaeger, switching off the thermal mode and pushing the visor up away from its deployed position. ¡°same here for the other side¡± added Coyote, who¡¯s doing the same thing, lowering his weapon down. They then walk back inside the dropship. Coyote relaxed for a moment back in his seat beside the sleeping 60k until Jaeger who just finished checking his MFD and his wrist watch glanced at him.

    ¡°Alright, since we¡¯re the only ones that are ready right now, I¡¯ll inform the pilots that we¡¯ll go to the POI first. Ah, just bring a sidearm and the photon sword or whatever the f**k it was called as our weapon. Be right back¡± he said, he then headed towards the cockpit compartment, leaving the grumbling Coyote who thought he could get some sleep.

    Half an hour later, they¡¯re now walking through the forest. It¡¯s rather a quiet walk as the two are wary of their surroundings, both of them had been attacked by various creatures for the last few minutes, from jet-black wolves that have horns, bears with razor-sharp claws with a size twice the size of the average bear, and occasionally, a three-eyed deer with massive antlers that shoots magic, all of which they deal with efficiently since their swords could cut through 40cm of reinforced titanium alloy. Most of the creatures are either dead or retreated after receiving a massive blow done by both Jaeger and Coyote. The latter aforementioned man groaned as the village is nowhere to be seen.

    ¡°damnit! Where¡¯s that village for f*ck sake!?¡± he cried, moving away another branch that nearly hit his face. ¡°It¡¯s been 30 minutes since we walked in this damned forest! I¡¯m getting tired of being attacked by these monsters!¡±

    Jaeger ignored his rambling, still in his elevated situational awareness mode. His subordinate stopped his rambling, though he changed his topic, ¡°Hey, I just realize that your sword is different, why is mine a Lightsa-¡°

    ¡°mate, if you continue those words, my sister would be pissed and will go on a rant for an hour in your face about how it works differently from a lightsaber. Just call it a photon sword or something when you meet her.¡±

    ¡°damn, I nearly stepped on a landmine did I?¡±

    ¡°A massive one, yeah¡±

    The two continued their journey, cutting the branches that are in their way with their survival knife since there was no need to waste the power needed for their futuristic swords. ten minutes later, they finally could see a rather wide empty grass field up ahead of them, indicating that they were nearly out of the forest. As they were finally out, the sun that beamed through the barrier on the atmosphere shone brightly more than when they were inside the forest, making Coyote put his hand up to block the sudden change of brightness.

    ¡°oh, a road! let''s walk on it now, it may lead us to the village.¡± Ordered Jeager as he saw a nearby dirt road, which seemingly isn¡¯t exhausted at all. The exoskeleton did minimize their exhaustion but Coyote is rather fatigued from all of the fighting with the creatures. Even so, he complied and walked slightly behind his leader. ¡°Alpha flight, this is Alpha 1-1, we¡¯ve passed what is supposed to be waypoint Echo, Proceeding to walk along the dirt highway.¡± He said as he press the button of the hands-free that¡¯s part of the radio, connected to his ear protection.

    Static was heard for several seconds until the Pilot of their Dropship replied, ¡°Copy, we¡¯ll start broadcasting the helmet cam of yours back to the [Nest], I hope there¡¯s no delay on our connection whatsoever¡±

    Later on, the two didn¡¯t take long enough to finally see the village entrance, they also could see two carriages being held on the gates by the guards. Coyote is rather concerned if they entered through the front gate that they would be looking out of the ordinary and the guards would be suspicious of them, he told Jaeger that they should just sneak at night instead. But unlike him, his leader reassured him to just trust him. They proceeded to head to the entrance, waiting in line alongside the last carriage. Soon enough, it was their turn and the guards halted them before entering, just like any inspection procedure.

    ¡°Are you travellers? I¡¯ve never seen you before, and your equipment is an interesting one¡± one of the guards asked them. Jaeger, who now switched into his disguise mode, put up a cheerful attitude that was quite fake, Even Coyote could see it. ¡°No, no, no, we¡¯re newbie adventurers you see? This armor was passed down by our family so no wonder it¡¯s quite weird since it¡¯s rarely used. Also, I heard this village has an interesting weapon shop so we visit here! we wanted to maintain our swords and buy some spares for our next dive into the dungeon.¡±

    ¡°Oh I see, Mr Craghelm sure is a competent weapon smith, after all, people know that he created the equipment for the famous Wyvern knights. Anyway, if you¡¯re looking for him, his shop is beside the guild.¡±

    ¡°Ah, thank you then,¡± right before Jaeger took a step forward, the other guard halted him. ¡°you forgot to show us your ID card¡± he slightly squinted his eyes at Jaeger, who just chuckled nervously and scratched his head below his helmet.

    ¡°ah, y-you see¡­ we lost our ID card in the forest, because of the Wolves with horns that nearly got us when we were walking down the road here¡± the Guard¡¯s eyes grew wide, and he gripped Jaeger¡¯s shoulder slightly hard though he could feel the guard is slightly trembling in fear.

    ¡°You¡­ you saw a wolf with horns¡­?¡±

    ¡°y-yeah??¡±

    ¡°what colour was the wolf?¡±

    ¡°it¡¯s uhh¡­ black as I remember, I don¡¯t know, we ran away as we saw it running chasing something.¡± The stern guard then look at his comrade, who nodded back at him. ¡°alright, you two get inside quick, that¡¯s a [Shadow Wolf], a C-class monster, good thing you ran away instead, both of you could¡¯ve died if you decided to fight it. It was a smart move.¡±

    ¡°w-what about the ID card?¡±

    ¡°we can deal with that later! Right now, we need adventurers that could fight it! a pack of it could obliterate this village in 5 nights!¡± he cried while hurriedly shoving the two inside the village¡¯s entrance. Coyote, who¡¯s currently dumbfounded, could only stare at his leader at how easily he deceived the guards while he¡¯s currently smug for a small moment. ¡°you know, you could¡¯ve won an Oscar for your acting¡±

    ¡°oh shut up, you¡¯ll get to used to it when you got infiltration missions like this¡±

    ¡°but still¡­ about that weapon part¡­¡±

    ¡°hmm? It was a random thought I came up with, I didn¡¯t think it worked either¡±

    ¡°Seriously? It¡¯s a coincidence??¡± he just sighed, not wanting to continue how reckless it was ¡°Anyway, let¡¯s go, I¡¯m starting to get weird stares from people here¡±

    It¡¯s true, people around started to murmur as they saw them, their armour is out of place, and even though the two didn¡¯t bring any magazine pouches, their exoskeleton and everything stands out so much from the other adventurers that were passing by. The two then quickly ask the nearby woman about the nearest inn, to which she replied slightly hesitant while pointing in the direction for them. They then headed to the inn, which Jaeger paid with the currency from the planet that was given by the Kingdom. He was informed by the Kingdom representative that 10 copper coins are enough to rent a room for 5 days or so, it included consumption for breakfast and dinner. The two take a slight rest, setting up their room to their desire.

    Later at noon, luckily for them, the window of their room has a view of the POI that¡¯s part of their mission, one of the branch churches of the [Church of Light]. Coyote monitors the situation from their room while Jaeger walks around to see anything suspicious among the crowd and the church itself. They kept communicating with the guys back in the Dropship, giving them information about the village and whatnot while they sent their mission video log back to base. The team agreed after 3 days of gathering information about the village they would conduct a thorough investigation on the church itself. Time is ticking and the tension is rising as it gets real tense for the ones who watch their video log of the mission back at the FOB, including some of the Kingdom of Apolyon generals.

    The four decided to rendezvous at an abandoned shack not far from the Church before the infiltration starts. And with that, 60k and Point prepped up some of their equipment and brought Jaeger and Coyote¡¯s weapons along with them.

 Operation 7th Trumpet - (Part 3)

    - Unknown Village, Avalon Empire¡¯s territory¨C

    - two days later -

    - 1400hrs, local time -

    The wind is blowing mildly outside of the window of Jaeger and Coyote¡¯s room at the inn they stayed in. The old dirt street was full of busy villagers and adventurers walking here and there, doing each of their own business. Coyote is currently laying down on the bed, not trying to sleep but focusing on his controls on the nano drones in a shape of a fly that Jaeger scattered an hour ago. The drones are controlled by his thoughts since his exoskeleton is the one sending out signals for it to be controlled, it¡¯s also well programmed in that it has safety measures with sensors during conducting a high-speed chase to not crash into any obstacle in its path. Currently, 4 of those drones are flying around inside the nearby Church, looking here and there while monitoring the priest and nun¡¯s activities.

    From the observation, there are several nuns and 2 priests. Though, one of the nuns was oddly different from them, and he¡¯s currently investigating her. During his current state, Jaeger kicked the door open as he entered the room, his hands are full of swords and armour that he bought to justify the reason that he said to the guards two days ago to not raise suspicion and also, Jaeger registered to the adventurer guild. It¡¯s quite fortunate that there is nothing like magic measurement or something similar as one of the requirements to join.

    ¡°what the hell? That¡¯s a lot of swords dude¡±

    ¡°oh shut up, some are holographically changed into a sword to hide our guns¡± As he said that, two of the swords visually change into the weapons they left in the Dropship. ¡°good thing optical camo doesn¡¯t give out [Mana] signatures or fantasy bs or the likes. It¡¯s gonna be annoying if someone noticed me carrying these.¡± He continued, dropping the swords and the armour on the floor while the guns were put inside the nearby wardrobe.

    ¡°Did they bring ammo for us though?¡±

    ¡°no they don¡¯t. OF COURSE THEY DO YOU IDIOT! It¡¯s on the new backpack I brought with me¡± he put down his backpack from his shoulders and mildly threw it to the floor beside the bed.

    little did he know, since he was using an exoskeleton, the seventy-kilogram backpack that he put down made an extremely loud thud that slightly cracked the floor tile. Coyote jolted out from his half-unconscious state, only to see Jaeger having a disbelieving look at his mishap, having both of his hands behind his head. The power of the exoskeleton is way too much that he didn¡¯t realize the weight of the backpack is abnormal for someone to carry on the back. The two look at each other in awkwardness while the guest in the other room slammed the wall, telling them to be quiet.

    ¡°Holy crap dude! The innkeeper gonna be pissed at this!¡±

    ¡°I¡¯m sorry okay! It was damn light that I thought it doesn¡¯t have much stuff inside it!¡±

    ¡°screw this! I ain¡¯t paying the repair bills¡±

    ¡°It¡¯s not like you¡¯re handling the money that was given by the kingdom anyway¡±

    ¡°¡­ fair point¡± They had a small laugh after Jaeger lifted the bag to assess the damage that was inflicted by his mishap. The crack was centred on the point of impact, and the tiles were shattered to pieces at the epicentre, kind of unexpected even though the floor is made out of some sort of hardened carved stones. Though, their laugh resided when Point contacted them, ¡°1-1, do you read me? I found something interesting¡±

    ¡°Go ahead 2-1¡±

    Point is currently at the tallest position that could monitor the whole village, which is the clock tower. Scoping down with his DMR that¡¯s using a thermal scope. ¡°a suspicious female is going on in the alleyway near your position. I can¡¯t identify her since she¡¯s using a cloak¡±

    ¡°the hell? Using a hood in broad daylight? Why isn¡¯t anyone suspicious of that?¡±

    ¡°Apparently, some people in the traffic around the village do use hoods¡±

    ¡°so it¡¯s a common thing? What is this? A city with edgy kids?¡±

    ¡°Mate, we¡¯re literally in a fantasy world full of people that uses magic and sword, and creatures that are unknown to our bloody knowledge. Don¡¯t compare it to the kids back on earth that are mostly keyboard mugs.¡± Point sighed, pinching his eyes slightly. ¡°look, I need your orders now sir, we might find some information regarding our mission¡±

    ¡°no worries, 1-2 already flew the drone to the location. Good work, keep on monitoring the church. 1-1 out¡±

    Point didn¡¯t have any words to say at his squad leader¡¯s decisive action. He kept on looking around from his vantage point with his thermal scope and also a binocular that he brought with him, he was also tasked to provide sniper cover for 60 if he went into trouble. Well, 60k on the other hand, went on and look around the city, cheerfully talking to the locals and the children around, which proved to be a good thing since he met several orphan kids that are under the Church¡¯s protection. for 2 days, he already talked to the priest and the nuns around, slowly gaining their trust. Nevertheless, 60k did find an abnormality with the aforementioned nun, even though she¡¯s adored by the kids for her kindness and mature way of handling them, the way she looked at them wasn¡¯t as kind as the kids thought as 60k knows a face of someone that put on a public mask. The short investigation did prove correct about Christina¡¯s notes, using a radar scanner in the area, they did found an abnormally large man-made cavern underneath the village connected to the Church. And with that, the raid that was planned earlier will indeed be initiated tonight.

    - 210hrs, local time -

    The streets were rather silent since the people is either already inside their own houses, having fun in the tavern or already asleep. Jaeger and Coyote are on their final checks on their equipment, as they fill up the magazines of their weapons with ammo, recheck the batteries of their visor, load their weapons and slid in the ceramic plates on their body armour. The time has come for them, if it wasn¡¯t as expected, all they do now would be just a murder conducted on another planet. But all those thoughts aside, the two then headed to the abandoned shack at the outskirts of the village as planned, meeting up with 60k.

    Unauthorized duplication: this tale has been taken without consent. Report sightings.

    On their way, the dirt street they were walking on had some slight cloud of dust with every step they took. Though, It wasn¡¯t an inconvenience. The moon shone brightly in the sky with scattered clouds, the dim light from it helped their view with Night Vision as it only needed a minimal light source. Sometimes, they could see some people walking by and meeting up with someone. Who knows what they¡¯re doing since Jaeger & Coyote ignored anything and walked hastily to their rendezvous location. It¡¯s a good thing only they could see what the villagers are doing and not vice versa, as now they currently have their guns on their slings out in the open. As they arrived, Jaeger knocked several times in a pattern at the door. It was the pattern that only they know of as they already discussed it beforehand. It didn¡¯t take long for 60K to open the door, it creaks as it swing inwards since the shack itself isn¡¯t maintained at all.

    ¡°is the area clear?¡± 60k ask, glancing left and right outside the shack. ¡°yeah, most of the civies were asleep¡± Coyote¡¯s remark assured his teammate as he slowly close the door shut.

    ¡°Alright then, 60k, contact Point, I¡¯ll contact our pilots to affirm our connection back at Hornet¡¯s Nest, I hope people there are still awake.¡± 60k quickly contacted Point while Jaeger does his role at the same time. The pilots on their transport replied to Jaeger quickly as expected, they notified him that the connection is slightly delayed back at their FoB and the king himself wanted to see how they work on the field.

    ¡°His Majesty is present? Are you sure??¡±

    ¡°I¡¯m not capping, it¡¯s Ms. Himmelsdorf herself said it to us earlier.¡±

    ¡°well crap, we need to do our best performance huh?¡±

    ¡°the pressure¡¯s on you, not us the pilots. Though, good luck out there Reaper¡±

    ¡°you guys still call me that huh?¡±

    The pilot chuckled, ¡°Most of us do, you did put up quite a show back at Kiel a year ago¡±. Remembering how it went, Jaeger shivered slightly and sighed. ¡°can¡¯t deny it¡±

    ¡°Ah- the broadcast is now live, again, good luck Alpha team.¡±

    The Pilot hung up their conversation. Jaeger glances back at his shoulder, looking at his teammates that are waiting for his order. He tilted his head for a fraction of several seconds, telling them that the mission is initiated now. But as they walked to the exit of the shack, Point suddenly lowly shouted through the radio. ¡°1-1! Several unidentified men are approaching your location! I say again, they¡¯re approaching the shack!¡±

    ¡°Are they armed?¡± Jaeger remarked, turning on the cloaking system of his cloak while giving an order to the other two to do the same. ¡°three of them are carrying a sword, and the others are carrying spears and probably other weapons.¡±

    ¡°Well I¡¯ll be damned, did we got spotted or something??¡±

    ¡°It''s a possibility Coyote, did you cause some shenanigans on your way?¡±

    ¡°No, but my clapping of my buttcheeks is loud probably¡±

    ¡°hahahaha! Goddamnit!¡± Jaeger and 60k also joined their laughter, who would expect someone serious would say something out of the ordinary yet hilarious. Though their laughter stopped as they hear footsteps in the distance, it was a great thing the shack is dark as they didn¡¯t light up any light source they brought along.

    They then hide on the corners of the shack, behind some wooden rubbles. Outside, they hear someone shouting and some swords drawn out sounds were heard. ¡°are you sure you saw someone go inside this place? Didn¡¯t Mr Edwin leave years ago after his late wife passed away?¡± one of them asked, as he went inside first.

    ¡°I¡¯m sure about it! It was dark but I can see three or four shadows went inside!¡± another male remarked, from his tone, it¡¯s a teenager. ¡°I don¡¯t know but it¡¯s scaring me¡­ who in the right mind would go out in the middle of the night in the first place¡± he continued, receiving some nods from his friends that are outside.

    ¡°heh, this kid,¡± 60k said, whispering. he wanted to laugh but he saw a glimpse that Jaeger is looking at him straightly, even with his Optical camo on and the visors covering Jaeger¡¯s eyes, he could still feel that he was glaring at him. ¡°ah- sorry boss,¡± he said in a very low voice through the mic of their ear protection.

    Creaks of the deteriorated wooden floor as it was being stepped on started to get louder as many people started flooding the room, though, from the sounds it was just the older men that went inside. Though, what they don¡¯t know, is that three invisible mercenaries pointing their rifles at the group, their fingers on each of the triggers of their weapons. The three were anxious, as they were not told how to handle the situation if the mission haven¡¯t been initiated and civilians spotted them moving to the objective. Their survival instincts kept telling them to pull the trigger but their sense of humanity is holding them back

    [Jaeger! Should I shoot at one of the men?! Our mission will be compromised if either of you got spotted!] Point shouted through their headphones, increasing the mental stress of the raid team.

    ¡°Point, Hold your fire! I say again, hold your fire!¡± Jaeger replied in a low voice, sounding slightly desperate as he don¡¯t want any eyewitnesses. [our RoE is to not blindly kill anyone in the first place! These people are a hazard to this operation!]

    ¡°Point¡­ don¡¯t. shoot. Last warning¡± Point¡¯s breathing could be heard through the radio as he was anxious since the mission nearly got compromised. Luckily, the group of armed men then stopped their search around the shack as they didn¡¯t find what they were called for and stepped out from it. One of them jokingly slapped the teenager who shouted from outside.

    ¡°c¡¯mon man, don¡¯t make us do stupid searches, there are deadlier monsters outside the village and we need to guard the gates, that¡¯s why us adventurers were here in the first place¡±

    ¡°But I swear I saw someone or something went inside! Maybe it¡¯s some sort of new monster¡­ or even a de-¡°

    Another man then shut the kid''s mouth, he was standing taller than anyone in the group, wearing a fancy white armour that he got from a famous blacksmith, ¡°Don¡¯t jinx us with that, if it¡¯s truly a demon that went inside, then we don¡¯t stand a chance in the first place and this place is doomed.¡± He then looked back to the shack, eyes peering through the front window of the shack. ¡°even though my skill said that there is a presence inside¡­ but we didn¡¯t find anything is already quite off¡­¡±

    He then told the group to keep an eye out around the place and one is willing to stay on guard around it. The group then left, leaving the volunteering man behind. Inside the shack, Coyote and 60k slightly sighed in relief, deactivating their optical camouflage. They rather not use any violence of action before they even start the main phase of the operation. ¡°it¡¯s a good thing they left. in a way, it was intense somehow¡±

    ¡°yeah, but I wonder¡­¡± Coyote raised an eyebrow, wanting to know what 60k wanted to say. ¡°what is it?¡± he ask, fixing his cloak slightly.

    ¡°what the heck is a skill? What is this? An RPG game or something?¡± the two looked at 60k with a flat expressions. ¡°what?? Don¡¯t you guys find it weird? I thought magic in this world is already out of the ordinary and now there are skills? It¡¯s not like this is an RPG game and has a status panel or something that floats in midair when we say [open status]!¡±

    Out of nowhere, a flat rectangular floating object appeared in front of 60k. In a surprise, he took a step back, slightly shrieking. ¡°WHAT THE F**K!?¡± Coyote cursed as he was also taken by surprise.

    ¡°No way! How am I even able to summon this thing!?! Wait a minute¡­ is this a status screen!!?¡±

 Operation 7th Trumpet - (Part 4)

    - Unknown Village, Avalon Empire¡¯s territory¨C

    - inside an abandoned shack -

    - 2100hrs, local time -

    The three mercenaries were silent for several moments, trying to analyze the situation they just encountered. Mostly Jaeger, who¡¯s the extremely silent one. Certainly, if it¡¯s a normal circumstance, he could deduct how it works, but what they¡¯re dealing with can¡¯t be described with just the mere logic of a normal human from Earth. Though, someone is a bit too tense in that situation.

    ¡°What the f**k Danny?! What¡¯s that thing hovering in front of you!?¡± shouted Coyote in confusion. ¡°How¡¯d you manage to make that appear out of nowhere!?¡±

    ¡°Shut the hell up, Jonny! Your voice is louder than my mom calling from half a block away! And the hell if I know!¡±

    ¡°don¡¯t compare me with your mom, damnit!¡±

    ¡°Will you two f**k off with your idiotic debate!?¡± as Jaeger raised his voice to the two, they suddenly went silent since they found his tone was rather dreadful. Jaeger sighed, raising his visor and pinched his eyes. ¡°60k, you mention that it¡¯s like some sort of [status panel], right? Try to say [close] or [exit]. Maybe it¡¯ll disappear.¡±

    The Hispanic man doubted his words at first since he thought that it was ridiculous to say it was not a video game after all. Regardless, he said the word just to prove Jaeger wrong, though his squad leader was right somehow. ¡°how¡¯d you figure that out quickly?¡±

    ¡°I found out when I was forcefully teleported from my aircraft. The princess from the holy kingdom did have that floating in front of her before she called us out. Maybe she¡¯s checking our status or something, ¡°Hmm¡­ maybe it¡¯s like the clich¨¦ setup of a certain genre¡±, or so I thought. It looks like it worked tho.¡±

    ¡°Our?¡± 60k raised an eyebrow as questions popped out of his head. Who is the other person he was referring to? Though it¡¯s his fault for being oblivious about a certain thing, ¡°Didn¡¯t Jeanne give all of you a copy of my report a day ago? I got teleported alongside a civilian teenage boy. Though, he won¡¯t be counted as a civilian anymore as he took arms for another nation. His codename is [Hero].¡±

    ¡°oh yeaaah¡­ that report! Right, right¡­¡±

    ¡°¡­ you didn¡¯t read it, did you?¡±

    He averted his gaze and changed the topic nervously, ¡°W-well, that aside, let''s focus on our objective!¡±

    - the castle, Ersten, the capital of the Kingdom of Apollyon ¨C

    - inside the gathering hall -

    - at the same time, though, it¡¯s daytime -

    ¡°those idiots¡­¡± Jeanne muttered, irked at the way they carefreely talked in the middle of the Op. Though she¡¯s not that worried since most of the Generals and nobles that are present are somehow immersed and enjoying it as if it¡¯s an action-comedy film. It was broadcasted through three helmet cameras mounted in front of their IR strobe, right on top of their helmets. They were seated in a row whilst the projector and the King were seated side by side. Since he¡¯s the VIP, it¡¯s mandatory to put him in the front row from the others.

    ¡°apologies for their crude way of talking. It¡¯s just their habit back on our planet,¡± Jeanne tilted her head down as she said so.

    ¡°No, No, it¡¯s perfectly fine, Miss Himmelsdorf. They were quite entertaining to watch.¡± One of the generals/noble reassured her, letting out a small chuckle. ¡°as expected, they were too relaxed since it¡¯s my men that were deployed,¡± she thought as she straightened herself again. Jeanne then excused herself since she needed to affirm something from the Operation''s progress. Outside the Gathering hall, Jeanne leaned back to the wall near the door, crossing her arms as she pressed a button on her earpiece. Her face is now rather grim and tense as she hears the voice from the other side of the earpiece.

    ¡°Commander, we¡¯ve truly lost contact with Delta and Omega. Though Delta Flight¡¯s last known location was twenty-five kilometres away from their LZ radius as they were retreating, it was 10 minutes ago. As if they were shot down by some sort of anti-aircraft weapon.¡±

    ¡°That¡¯s Impossible! The Condor¡¯s anti-ballistic forcefield could withstand dozens of shelling of calibres up to 48-inch naval guns! It¡¯s battle-tested!¡± she groaned, leaning her back to the wall. ¡°it¡¯s a good thing that only Alpha element was broadcasted.¡±

    ¡°but still commander¡­ about the lost teams¡­¡±

    ¡°Look, if they still can¡¯t be contacted within 35 hours¡­¡± her frown grew even more. Losing some of her best in the second operation of her mission frustrates her since she only has minimal manpower at her disposal. ¡°I want Search and Rescue operation to be conducted at their last known location! Have the other frigate act as their mobile carrier! I¡¯ll disclose this information a day after the rescue operation starts. Understood?¡±

    ¡°Yes Ma¡¯am!¡±

    Right after the call ended, Jeanne slammed her right arm into the wall. Gritting her teeth, ¡°Damnit!! The deployed satellites are f**ked, the comms in the AO are distorted through time and space, and now I lost two fireteams and two air assets!? Are you serious?!¡±

    ¡°Any problems, miss Himmelsdorf?¡± Jeanne jolted out from her frustration when the king suddenly asked about her condition. She didn¡¯t feel his presence behind her nor any sound of the door opening; maybe it was because of the frustration that took over her. Jeanne cleared her throat, regaining her composure.

    ¡°N-no, your majesty, everything¡¯s fine; it¡¯s just some slight blunder that¡¯s out of my expectations.¡±

    Somnus didn''t bite her subtle lie; he could hear her cuss of frustration earlier on as he wanted to go to the toilet. Then again, he put up a feigned ignorance and went on. ¡°If you say so.¡± He remarked as he walked away from the room entrance. Jeanne sighed, relieved that she didn¡¯t need to explain the loss of several losses her group had suffered to her client that just started hiring her merc team. But as she wanted to return inside the room, someone that she didn¡¯t want to meet coincidentally turned around the corner of the corridor.

    You might be reading a stolen copy. Visit Royal Road for the authentic version.

    ¡°ah- H-hello there, your Highness¡±, she bowed, putting her public mask on as she gave a forced smile. ¡°what brings you here?¡± she continued as she straightened herself again.

    ¡°Well¡­ I heard from my aide that the nobles were gathered here to see something called [live broadcast] about the operation you are commanding. Am I allowed to see it too?¡± Aurora politely asked, though her face was painted by her curiosity as per usual. Jeanne held her irritation against her. Every time she looked at Aurora¡¯s face, she was always got reminded why her brother got trauma that made him against committing a relationship. As she wanted to permit to let her in, Somnus, who just came back, interrupted her.

    ¡°Rose, you¡¯re not allowed to enter this room nor meet anyone gathered here.¡±

    ¡°f-father!?¡± she turned around as his heavy yet young voice echoed through the corridor. ¡°but why?? I wanted to see about this [Live broadcast] that I¡¯ve been hearing amongst the otherworldy soldiers.¡±

    ¡°You¡¯re allowed to go outside because your brother promised me to keep your existence a secret from most of the public. Then again, you haven¡¯t committed your social debut amongst the nobles. Which is why I can¡¯t let you in.¡±

    ¡°but then, why am I getting marriage interviews a few months ago!?¡±

    ¡°you were hidden behind the curtains; it¡¯s still fine since those spoiled brats didn¡¯t see your face.¡±

    ¡°but-¡° he gestured his hands to silence herself. The princess complied, though she was quite down about it. ¡°thank you for understanding. Looks like she taught you properly.¡± He said as he opened up the door, going inside the room with his usual disinterested look. The two girls stood there in silence as they didn¡¯t know what to talk about. The ice then broke as Jeanne chuckled nervously.

    ¡°I¡¯ll have myself leave for now, your highness.¡±

    Aurora nodded, and Jeanne reached out the door handle, opening it. But as she wanted to step inside, the princess called her again. ¡°Ah- umm¡­ miss Jeanne?¡±

    Jeanne glanced to her right, looking straight at her. ¡°yes? Do you need anything?¡± unknowing to Jeanne, Aurora noticed that Jeanne still had an expression that harbours some sort of hostility towards her, which she didn¡¯t know about since she hadn¡¯t done anything wrong. ¡°did I¡­ did I do anything wrong that irks you?¡±

    Jeanne didn¡¯t answer at first; she looked away with a small frown on her face. ¡°No, you didn¡¯t. Your face just made me remember someone that I hated back then¡± She left the princess alone and walked inside the room, closing the door shut.

    Jeanne sighed, slightly guilty for her redirected hate towards the girl who didn¡¯t even do anything to her or her brother, but that aside, she was surprised that the room went silent as the participants inside had a look of dread and fear as if they saw something so ominous from the broadcast.

    ¡°your majesty, what happened here?¡±

    Somnus shook his head; he didn¡¯t know what was happening either, but as she looked at the projected screen, her eyes grew wide. It was something inhumane¡­

    - Unknown Village, Avalon Empire¡¯s territory¨C

    - outside the local church-

    - 15 minutes ago -

    ¡°1-1 to 2-1, we¡¯re at the back entrance of the church. Drones are currently deployed to check inside the building. Keep an eye out for us.¡±

    ¡°Aye, sir! Nothing on my scope currently. You¡¯re cleared to breach.¡±

    The team is stacked up on the side of the backdoor of the church, guns up and ready. 60k is currently eavesdropping on a conversation that came from inside the church, which is between the suspicious nun and a priest. The drone landed on top of the window frame, its micro camera looking straight towards the two.

    ¡°Are you sure the kids are asleep?¡± the nun asked the priest. ¡°I don¡¯t want to waste more useless half-boiled sacrifice. The spell will only work if our sacrifice develops their mana pool into something that could contain bottomless mana.¡± She continued, crossing her arms.

    The priest nodded. His gestures seemed to be slightly lifeless, unlike during daytime. ¡°they are currently in slumber, I can assure you that.¡±

    ¡°Good, return to the catacombs. I need to check our storage for a moment¡± The priest nodded again and left. Outside, 60k gave a hand gesture that everything was clear. Jaeger, who¡¯s taking the lead, opens the door slowly. The backdoor has a small corridor leading towards a kitchen and a dining room. After making sure there was nobody in the small corridor, they swiftly went inside. As they were inside, their boots made soft creaks on the wooden floor. They swing their guns left and right, checking every corner of their room while not flagging each other with their weapons. ¡°clear.¡± Said Coyote, easing up slightly.

    They moved to the next room, which was the main prayer area. In the place where the talks earlier took place, the praying area doesn¡¯t seem to be much different from churches on earth, except that the praying altar has the sculpture of the goddess they¡¯re praying to. Since 60k already did scouting before with the micro drones. He could find the trapdoor for the secret entrance towards the catacombs located behind the altar. The team then slowly make their way inside.

    ¡°2-1, this is 1-1, we¡¯re proceeding our way into the catacombs; comms might get disrupted since we¡¯re underground, still, keep an eye out.¡±

    ¡°copy, stay safe everyone.¡±

    ¡°you bet¡±

    Jaeger ordered the two to switch from night vision to thermal vision on their visor. Their visor then let out an inaudible hum as it changed its mode. The stairway was quite long, approximately going down 20 meters deep. They didn¡¯t expect it to walk down for 5 minutes or so, and between the tense moment of it, 60k questioned something.

    ¡°Coyote, what makes you think that Nun is suspicious in the first place? Like¡­ you can¡¯t just put a random guess and mark someone as a potential threat. Though, you¡¯re actually right somehow. Say, is it because of her massive tits?¡±

    ¡°No, it¡¯s just¡­ I¡¯ve seen her expressions similarly back on earth many times before.¡±

    ¡°yeah, that and probably her massive tits.¡±

    ¡°dude¡­ can you stop mentioning tits for like ten goddamn minutes!?¡± 60k let out a small chuckle at his buddy¡¯s getting annoyed by his remarks, still guarding their rear by pointing his shotgun up the stairway. ¡°surely she¡¯s like your average nun, but my gut kept saying that something¡¯s off about this place.¡±

    ¡°but for real though, her badonkers are massive.¡±

    ¡°ughh¡­. I sometimes question why am I stuck with this s**tshow of a friend¡­¡±

    They finally reached the end of the stairway, greeted by a wooden door. Coyote tried to pull the door, but it was futile; the door was locked with a metal bar from the other side. ¡°damnit, it¡¯s locked hard.¡± he said. Unknowing to them, 60k slowly pulled his sledgehammer out.

    ¡°step aside! Let me relieve my old days of being a combat engineer~.¡± He said, grinning. Coyote took a position behind Jaeger, watching his friend as he prepared himself to swing the hammer. 60k took a stance and pulled his first swing; the impact caused a large echo behind the door, shattering some of the wood of the door. He pulled another swing with his sledgehammer; this time, it shattered the whole door completely. 60k was quite startled by this; he wasn¡¯t expecting the whole door to be blown away. Then again, he¡¯s using an exoskeleton. Jaeger tapped his shoulder; the word ¡°good job¡± might be the right one to describe it.

    ¡°Well, the door¡¯s open, but¡­ they definitely heard us,¡± Coyote remarked, whistling at the amount of damage that was given to the door.

    ¡°no s**t Sherlock, thanks for reminding.¡±

    The three then continued walking down the corridor, glancing left and right as they heightened their situational awareness. They found themselves needing to check back the map from the underground radar scan they did in the afternoon since the place could be described more like a dungeon than a catacomb, even though it¡¯s man-made. During the time they checked the scanner results again, Jaeger noticed a slightly wide area that looked like rooms built inside from the 3D model of the place and had some sort of suspicion about it. They then proceeded to walk according to the makeshift waypoint that was made by Ofnir. Right as they arrived at the place that Jaeger put suspicion into. Their eyes grew wide, lowering their weapons as they looked in horror around them.

    ¡°holy s**t¡­ this place¡­ what in the f**k? those are kids that are being held captive!¡± 60k was the most shocking out of the three. Several children were held captive, and most of them seemed to be malnourished and beaten up.

    ¡°60k, calm down¡­¡±

    ¡°calm down?! I can¡¯t calm down after seeing this! We gotta help them!¡±

 Operation 7th Trumpet - (Part 5)

    - Unknown Village, Avalon Empire¡¯s territory¨C

    - inside the catacombs, underground prison -

    - 2130hrs, local time -

    ¡°What? Save them? Don¡¯t you see their current condition? Then again, our objective isn¡¯t them. We need to keep moving.¡± Jaeger was rather sceptical about saving the confined children, especially since they were twenty meters deep beneath the ground. Escorting more than two of them is already quite a hassle, as they need going to need to exfiltrate the village right when they are back on the surface.

    ¡°And we¡¯re just going to let these kids die here!?¡± as the two raised their voices. One of the children suddenly cried in terror, ¡°No!! Please!! I¡¯ll be a good child!! It hurts!!¡± she said, cowering in the corner of her confinement room. 60k glances where the little girl cried, grimacing as he looked through his thermal visor that the girl was in a violent seizure.

    Jaeger sympathises, although¡­. ¡°we¡¯re mercs, not peacekeepers or humanitarian soldiers. You remember we¡¯re here because ABEL hired us, and they technically made a pact with the Apollyon Kingdom. There¡¯s absolutely no reason for us to keep refugees right now¡± Jaeger looked behind 60k into another room in silence, ¡°then again, just look at their condition. They¡¯re badly beaten up. Some probably have cranial injuries and leg fractures. And look, one of them doesn¡¯t seem to be moving at all. Can they even be saved?¡±

    ¡°but-¡°

    ¡°We have our orders, Lieutenant! And I¡¯m not gonna repeat myself!¡±

    60k went silent even though he wanted to say something about it. Then again, Jaeger has a point; they¡¯re not in the military; they¡¯re paid to complete their task that¡¯s riskier than most operations and most likely to be expendable in most cases. They then continued proceeding deeper, having Coyote taking the lead in the front. But as they¡¯re going to leave, Jaeger stops in his tracks and glances back at his shoulder, looking back at the lined-up prison rooms behind him for a short moment to where the little girl is still crying, having his empathy return for a brief moment and shrugging it off moments later.

    The cries¡¯ echoes faded as they went deeper underground. The team was quite grateful that night vision technology existed as it was pitch black. Normally, night vision goggles won''t work under pitch-black lighting though they came prepared as their weapons are equipped with Infrared illuminators; it works as a low light flashlight that won¡¯t blind the user with blinding lights. With their equipment at hand, they only took 10 minutes to reach the deepest part, which is a large man-made cave with a ceiling that is layered with mixed limestones and ceramic. There are more than five massive pillars surrounding the centre platform area. Around them are stone bridges enough to fit five people to walk at the same time. The surrounding water flowed down from some holes in the ceilings above, which also refracted the torches and somehow some light that most likely came from the moonlight from the surface.

    It was quite a beautifully surreal place, yet it felt ominous. Especially the centre stone platform, which has a massive sigil circle engraved onto it, looking out like it was made by a cult. Which, technically speaking, it is. Jaeger and his men slowly walk down the stairs that lead to the stone bridge. The three are in a wedge formation, this time Jaeger being the lead. They¡¯re aiming here and there, overly cautious.

    ¡°Alpha lead to Hornet¡¯s nest. Are you seeing this?¡± he asked through his radio. There was some interference in their comms, but regardless it went through even though he couldn¡¯t hear from the other side clearly due to the immense static sounds.

    ¡°¡­opy Alp¡­ we¡¯re confirming it with¡­. age, standby.¡±

    ¡°Understood¡±

    It took a minute for Headquarters to send a reply, ¡°Alpha, conduct SSE and¡­ ow the place sky high. Confir¡­ by¡­ age that i¡­ he objective. Shi..! yo¡­ conec¡­ unsta¡­¡±

    In that moment, Jaeger¡¯s call was cut off. Yet, at least he got a confimation about the target. ¡°alright, you heard him. Coyote and I will conduct SSE. 60K, place explosives around this place. Probably blowing out those pillars will work fine.¡±

    ¡°On it¡±, 60K replied and proceeded to jog to the first pillar to plant an explosive charge. Jaeger and Coyote split out to each of the ends of the bridges that connected to the centre stone platform, going through the tunnels again.

    Jaeger slowly walked along the corridor he went through. It has some unlit torches hanging on every several meters. It was quite a long one, somehow not having any rooms. He asked Ofnir to display the mapping of the place again to see if there was anything around. As he zoomed in and out, panning here and there around the 3D map of the catacombs. He found several points that looked like a room. He then slowly makes his way there, having his rifle still up and on high alert.

    He finally arrived at a junction that was lit up by several torches. On the left, there was a normal-looking wooden door; across it, there was a rusted metal gate. He picked the left one first, checking if it was locked and deployed a micro drone through the keyhole to see anything inside. Apparently, the door leads to a room that looks like a dorm area. As he noticed the door wasn¡¯t locked, he opened it slowly and threw a flashbang inside, setting a series of flashing lights inside. As it resided, he could hear some cries, yelling about how it was suddenly blinding and loud. He kicked the door sending it flying, shattering as it hit the wall across due to the immense power the exoskeleton gave, shocking the people that were inside.

    ¡°s**t, that was too much, I think¡­.¡±

    [no s**t, sir, you didn¡¯t breach the door. You blew it to smithereens.]

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    ¡°thank you for your unneeded comments Ofnir. Very cool. That aside¡­¡±

    Apparently, there were two people inside who already had a sword and a dagger drawn out, but since they were stunned due to the flashbang grenade, Jaeger stormed inside the doorway and set his weapon sights at the armed men.

    ¡°ON THE KNEES! NOW!¡±

    ¡°wha-! Who in the world-!?¡± one of them said as he regained some of his vision. The dimly lit room could only make him see Jaeger¡¯s silhouette from the doorway. ¡°ughh¡­ I don¡¯t care who it is! He¡¯s not supposed to be here! KILL HIM!¡±

    Not even a single step was taken by those men; six suppressed gunshot was fired, though they echoed throughout the corridor. The two limped down to the ground, blood spilling out from their bodies and head to the stone floor, where they lay dead. Jaeger scanned the area, noticing that there was nobody else there. He then checked on who he shot, kicking the corpse and rolling it to the side to see their faces. It was the priest earlier and his curate, who was younger than Jaeger himself. He then looks around the place. Books, scriptures, etc., are scattered all over their desks. He picked one up and opened its pages, trying to gather information from what was inside. Some of the books are truly just religious scriptures, so he neglects them as he doesn¡¯t want to disrespect them, but as he opens one certain journal, it has ominous notes written inside.

    ¡°holy sh-¡­ what the hell is this? I mean, it¡¯s just a magic research thing, but all of this is just equivalent to sacrilegious teachings¡­.¡±

    [should I scan it and save it to my database, sir?]

    ¡°yes, do it. It¡¯s a precaution if we lose this journal on our way back. This should be enough for us for now.¡±

    He then picked up the books that he deemed needed to be brought back and shoved them inside his daypack, and quickly walked out of that area back to the massive cave where 60k is at. As he arrived back at the bridge again, he could see Coyote coming out from the shadows of the other catacomb corridor across him. Coyote jogged towards him and shrugged.

    ¡°Nothing on my end. It¡¯s just a storage room filled with consumables and other objects that I don¡¯t recognize.¡±

    ¡°did you bring one or anything?¡±

    ¡°No¡­ I don¡¯t think bringing one is a good idea. Some of it gives a lot of ominous vibes that gave me chills. Other than that, I took some pics of it so HQ and the indigenous could examine it or something.¡±

    ¡°¡­ you do know we¡¯re about to blow this place sky-high, right?¡±

    ¡°Hey! At least the pic I took could provide evidence on what they¡¯re doing.¡±

    Jaeger then checks his wristwatch, noticing that the time is rather off from the current local time. Regardless, Jaeger could know that they¡¯d been in the cave for more than forty minutes. They need to be quick if they need to get out of the village unnoticed. But to his surprise, as they were about to call 60K, the two heard a lot of footsteps coming from the direction they came from. Coyote hid behind one of the pillars across Jaeger¡¯s. The number of footsteps got louder and louder until they stopped right on the stairs that led to the platform.

    ¡°trespassers! We know you¡¯re here! Show yourself! Or your comrade here will face the consequences!¡± a female shouted. Her tone was rather heavy as it echoed throughout the hall.

    ¡°stay hidden. When I give the signal, throw a flash and suppress the hell out of ¡®em,¡± Jaeger whispered through the radio, which got a thumbs up from Coyote, who was leaning at the pillar.

    Jaeger emerged from his cover, standing in the middle of the pathway to the platform. The reflected moonlight above shone at him, who was wearing a full-on black Multicam outfit, slightly grey body armour and helmet. His gun is lowered on his sling, not wanting any hostilities with the people who hold his teammate captive, either 60K or Point. But as he looked closer, it was 60K instead. A sword is mere inches from his neck. Another person is pointing a spear behind him, while there¡¯s another person with a staff which looks like a mage. And the leader of the group which is a man in his white armour, sharp hair and a scar on his cheek, glaring daggers at Jaeger

    ¡°I see you decided to show yourself. Very wise of you,¡± the female, who was the suspicious nun, has an evil smug. The rest were the adventurers that they encountered earlier in the abandoned shack.

    ¡°so it¡¯s you, the guy that got detected by my [presence detection] skill. That same aura of yours just reeks death all over you.¡± Jaeger chuckled at the man¡¯s statement. ¡°what¡¯s funny?¡±

    ¡°no, it¡¯s just you said the same thing my mother told me. To be fair, I¡¯ll take that as a compliment.¡±

    ¡°that wasn¡¯t even a compliment! Furthermore, who are you, people?! How can you traverse this catacomb without a torch or a map?!¡± the man shouted. Pointing his unsheathed sword at him with a scornful look

    ¡°funny that you asked that while not putting any suspicion towards this damn place. Then again, let go of my men. We¡¯ll spare your lives.¡±

    ¡°hah!? Are you blind? You probably only have a knife to fight us, and we completely su-¡°The man¡¯s words were cut off as he suddenly heard the guy that had his sword on 60k¡¯s neck scream in agony as Jaeger¡¯s shot penetrated the man¡¯s right hip and crumpled to the ground, holding the bullet wound to stop the bleeding. The man in white armour¡¯s eyes grew wide in horror as he looked at his friend crying in pain. As he glanced back to Jaeger, the merc had his rifle up already. The man knew from Jaeger¡¯s stare, aura, and everything about him that he wasn¡¯t someone that he should mess with. He¡¯s facing someone that¡¯s far more dangerous than any B-class monster he and his party ever faced. Even the nun was extremely shocked at it too.

    ¡°Millia! Cast a high-level barrier while healing Klein, and retreat! I¡¯ll try to hold him off!¡±

    ¡°h-hey! What about the quest I¡¯ve given to you!¡± the nun frantically tried to hold the adventurer¡¯s retreat but to no avail. The man in white armour neglected her. ¡°hey!¡±

    ¡°Sorry miss, but this quest doesn¡¯t fit your request. These ain¡¯t normal trespassers. They have better weapons than us which we don¡¯t know. I¡¯m not going to risk my friend¡¯s life for this.¡±

    The mage awkwardly cast multiple spells at once, making a magic sigil appear in the ground, and a semi-spherical-shaped luminous barrier was summoned. Though they thought they were safe, Coyote, who was hiding, emerged out from his cover as he saw Jaeger¡¯s hand, which was the signal that he aforementioned and threw a flashbang towards them, lay down, and deployed the bipod of his machine gun. 60K saw what Coyote was doing, quickly dived down to the right and covered his head, which confused the adventurers.

    BANG BANG BANG BANG

    The flashbang sparked brightly with multiple bangs, blinding the group.

    ¡°rain ¡®em hell.¡±

    Thunderous rattles echoed throughout the Catacombs. The mage girl and the nun shouted in fear as the casted barrier was rained down with lead. The incendiary ammo, which reacted with the barrier, caused massive fumes of smoke. Clouding the stairs and around it. As Coyote ran out of ammo in his box magazine, he quickly grabbed another box and reloaded his machine gun. Though, as he finished reloading, 60K shouted at them.

    ¡°You f**king idiots! Are you trying to kill me or something!?¡±

    ¡°My bad dude! At least you survived, right?¡±

    ¡°survive my ass! That was f**king scary you dumb**s!!¡±

    Between their banter, the mage girl is now cowering in fear while the rest of her party is pretty much in shock as to how they survived that. Standing up again from his cower, the man in white armour was even more surprised to find that their barrier had nearly got shattered. Several more bullets and it¡¯ll be his last quest along with his party.

    ¡°dear goddess¡­ what in the world is that weapon¡­.¡±

 Egressing the Catacombs

    - Unknown Village, Avalon Empire¡¯s territory¨C

    - inside the catacombs, unknown hall -

    - 2210hrs, local time -

    As the moonlight shone brightly in the night sky filled with twinkling stars, some people in this certain village at the edge of the Avalon Empire¡¯s territory gathered around a lake not far from their place as they heard a series of sounds they never heard. The village chief and the others searched around the lake to find the source of the sound but to no avail. They didn¡¯t find anything. They do not know that twenty meters underneath the ground, a small skirmish is currently happening between the strongest adventurers from their village and the most notorious mercenary from Earth.

    Down below, the Adventurers were stunned, bewildered, and quite possibly feared their adversary due to the show of power from Coyote¡¯s machine gun that fired a rain of .338 incendiary magnum rounds and how accurate Jaeger¡¯s shot was. The man in white armour is still in his stance, holding his sword firmly as he normally does when he¡¯s in a fight. Yet, his legs are slightly trembling, the first time in his career being an adventurer. He tried to look at Coyote¡¯s [status]. [Lv: 70. job: squad machine gunner, mercenary. Skills: unknown, title: none]. All of that doesn¡¯t make sense to him, ¡°Squad Machine Gunner? What¡¯s that?¡± He thought for himself. He shrugged it off for a moment as he now looked at Jaeger¡¯s status, which made him even more confused. [e????r???r???o???r?????!??? ???u???n????k????n????o????w????n???? ????e????n?????t?????i????t????y????!????? ].

    ¡°what in the world¡­ Millia, can you see one of their statuses? I can¡¯t seem to understand what¡¯s wrong with the other man¡¯s status.¡±

    The female mage, still in a state of fright with her legs trembling, tried to look at Jaeger¡¯s status too. To her surprise, she saw the same thing as the white armoured man. ¡°I- I can¡¯t. Is this what you¡¯re seeing, Neil?¡±

    ¡°yeah, do you know what¡¯s wrong with his status panel?¡±

    She shook her head. ¡°I never encountered such a thing before, nor has it been written in any books that I read.¡± Neil returned his gaze towards Jaeger, who still pointed his assault rifle at him.

    ¡°what about their attacks? Is it high-level magic?¡±

    ¡°no¡­ I don¡¯t think it is¡­ if it''s magic, the barrier wouldn¡¯t be this strained out. Only physical attacks from legendary-grade weapons could cause this kind of damage.¡±

    ¡°¡­ I don¡¯t like this situation¡­ has Klien got fully healed?¡±

    She looked back at her comrade, who was still in pain, ¡°My spell somehow didn¡¯t work¡­ as if there¡¯s something that¡¯s inside his body that prevented my [medium heal] from recovering his injuries... as if he was struck by an arrow.¡±

    ¡°Darn it! Peter, help Millia carry Klein. Get out of here as fast as you can!¡±

    ¡°but what about-¡°

    ¡°I¡¯ll be fine! Just run!¡±

    The two looked at each other for a moment and nodded. Quickly lifted their friend and went through the corridor where they came from. The nun, who was still in a state of shock, tried to hold them from going, but the three of them ignored her.

    ¡°what about the quest?!¡±

    ¡°We¡¯ll be cancelling it! This isn¡¯t worth being rated as a B-ranked quest in the first place! I thought it was just a bandit that sneaked inside. But those people¡­ they¡¯re in a different league!¡±

    Suddenly, two more shots are fired from Jaeger¡¯s rifle, shattering the luminous barrier. ¡°so? Are you going to surrender or what?¡±. Taunted Jaeger while still looking through the scope of his rifle. Neil gripped his sword tighter and gritted his teeth. Launching himself into the air and activating a skill

    ¡°[Ground Pound]!!¡± he cried as he flew to the ground with his sword pointing straight to the point of his landing, shattering the stone bridge¡¯s floor and causing a massive shockwave along with debris. Luckily for the two mercenaries, they already leapt backwards and hid behind the pillars.

    As the debris and smoke fumes were still covering where Neil landed, Jaeger quickly leaned out of cover and aimed at Neil¡¯s head as Neil dashed towards the pillars they were hiding at. Three shots were fired, one hit right between Neil¡¯s eyes and two of the remaining hit at the centre of the torso, penetrating Neil¡¯s prized armour. Thermal vision surely helped him with these shots he took as he could visibly see Neil through the thick cloud of dust.

    A loud thud was heard, and the clouds of dust clouds resided. The Nun¡¯s eyes grew wide as the Adventurer, who was renowned as the strongest in the southern region, was now lying dead on the floor. Blood started to flood around his corpse as the bleeding got intense.

    ¡°looks like that¡¯s a no huh?¡± Jaeger nonchalantly said, checking his remaining ammo on the magazine of his rifle.

    ¡°dude, you didn¡¯t even let him say anything and you dropped him damn¡­¡± Coyote remarked, sighing as he looked at the corpse in front of them. ¡°though, he did try to attack us, so¡­ I guess it¡¯s fine.¡±

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    ¡°you sounded like you¡¯re the one in charge here sometimes.¡±

    ¡°my bad, it¡¯s a force of habit.¡±

    ¡°That aside...¡± he turned his attention to 60k, who was checking on his equipment to see if anything broke. ¡°60k! did you plant every single explosive charge you brought?¡±

    ¡°yeah! I did!¡± he shouted, boost jumping from near the entrance of the hall, landing softly as the thrusters slowed him down right next to the two. ¡°but damn, I hate it when people suddenly pointed a sharp object to my face when I¡¯m doing my job!¡±

    ¡°¡­ that sounded wrong in many ways.¡±

    ¡°shut up Coyote! Why did you make it even worse!¡±

    As they were having a small chat, the Nun quickly ran away, disappearing in the darkness of the tunnel. Whatever information lies inside her head about the underground cave is now out of their reach for now. Not long, they quickly jogged their way out. But to their surprise, on their way back to the surface, some of the imprisoned children were somehow outside their cells and were trying to walk their way out in the pitch-black corridors of the catacombs. Jaeger ordered them to sneak past them, but 60K¡¯s sympathy took the better of him.

    ¡°Hey, kid, can you understand me?¡± he asked the front of the pack, which the girl that shouted in fear earlier. The girl was startled and yelped, looking left and right, trying to look at the ones that asked her.

    ¡°y-yes, who are you? How can you see us?¡±

    ¡°no time to explain! Is it just the five of you that escaped?¡± through 60K¡¯s white Phosphor night vision filter, he could see the girl nod slowly. Maybe she still fears that 60k might harm them. ¡°i-indeed sir¡­ it was six at first but one of us¡­ was separated.¡± She replied with a meek voice.

    ¡°I¡¯ll try to-.¡± 60K¡¯s sentence was cut as Jaeger cleared his throat. ¡°Remember our objective, you¡¯re not going to waste our time here, are you?¡±

    ¡°Jaeger, c¡¯mon, man! Again!? Don¡¯t you have some humanity left inside you!?¡±

    ¡°¡­¡± Jaeger was silent for a moment, though he responded with a rather challenging tone. ¡°then, I¡¯ll let you save them, only if you¡¯re the ones that provide them cover fire and lead their way. Alone. I won¡¯t take responsibility for this. Coyote, on me!¡± he then jogged towards the spiralling stairs going to the top alongside Coyote, who was following him as per order.

    ¡°u-uhmm¡­ Mister? you can just leave us¡­ we don¡¯t have anyone to come home, to begin with¡­ we don¡¯t want to trouble you.¡±

    ¡°wha- No! Absolutely not! You¡¯re a victim of whatever the church is doing right now. Plus, Look at you! You¡¯re so malnourished!¡± the little girl got confused about what 60k was saying and tilted her head. Groaning, he then grabbed the little girl¡¯s arm, which was not holding the other children as the guide. ¡°Just follow me! I¡¯ll make sure all of you are outside!¡±

    The little girl is slightly hesitant for a moment, but she trusts him a bit at the end and lets him guide her to the surface. Along the way, 60K has his sidearm, a Glock 45, up and ready to fire just in case there¡¯s a sudden attack. As they finally reached the stairwell, which was shined by the torches which may have been lit up by the priests beforehand. The children were amazed at how easily 60k traversed those dark corridors of the catacombs, which they found impossible to exit. Among them, the most wonderstruck of them all is the little girl he¡¯s holding into.

    ¡°mister?¡±

    ¡°yes, what is it, kiddo?¡±

    ¡°Are you the Hero? Or a Sage?¡±

    [A Hero? Me?] 60K thought for himself, and the urge to grin about it can¡¯t be held back much. Shrugging off that feeling, he seriously answered back. ¡°sorry, I¡¯m not. I¡¯m just a soldier.¡±

    ¡°But, but¡­ the clothes that you use, and the wand on your hips and the ones you¡¯re holding¡­ you¡¯re activating a spell right now, right?¡±

    He chuckled, ¡°Hehehe~ no, these aren¡¯t magic tools or whatnot. But it¡¯s a tool that goes bang! And shoots a small metal arrow tip to a target.¡±

    ¡°SO COOL!¡± one of the boys shouted with a gleeful face. 60K smiled as he finally saw them smile; earlier, what he saw on their face were just expressions filled with despair.

    ¡°right??! I like these weapons. As long I don¡¯t run out of the arrowheads I said earlier, I¡¯ll be able to protect you all.¡± He said with pride and a smile under his balaclava. ¡°say, what¡¯s your name, little lady? I think we get along pretty well.¡±

    The Little girl blushed slightly. She never got called a ¡°lady¡± in her whole life, and yet, the ones who guided her to her freedom called her that. In a meek voice and the energy she currently has, she replied to him. ¡°A-a-Aliciats!¡±

    ¡°Pfft! Alicia bit her tongue!¡±

    Her face was flushed in her embarrassment, especially the part where one of the boys pointed out her mistake. ¡°Alicia, huh? That¡¯s quite a beautiful name. Your parents may want you to become someone noble in this world. Can I call you Alice though?¡±

    Little Alicia bashfully nodded, ¡°Y-yes¡±. Her attitude made 60K couldn¡¯t help to pat her head. And as he doing so, he could feel how coarse and rough her hair is, even though he was using a thick glove.

    He then glanced upstairs again and noticed that they were already near the exit.  ¡°Alright then Alicia. Wait here and keep an eye out okay? I¡¯m going to check the surface real quick¡±

    As he nears the trapdoor contraption, suddenly, there¡¯s a large shockwave that he saw knocking out the whole church¡¯s construction. 60K peaked slightly outside and was dumbfounded to find Jaeger and Coyote facing something that was out of this world, something grotesque looking. Though as the thing was in the process of morphing, he could see the flesh was being blown away by something that was shot from far away, most likely Point is the one that was sniping it.

    Through his headset, a static came for a moment and Jaeger¡¯s voice came through. ¡°60k! whatever you do, don¡¯t let those kids get caught by this¡­ creature! It absorbed something from humans of this world and use it as its power!¡±

    ¡°wait? What!? What the heck happened when I was still down there!?¡±

    ¡°No time to explain! Just try to save the ones you can save and leave the AO to the LZ! Point is retreating since he¡¯s running out of incendiary ammo¡± 60K¡¯s mind panicked for a short moment and quickly went back downstairs towards where the children are.

    ¡°What the hell is going on!?¡± is the only thing he could think of currently.

    - Several minutes ago ¨C

    Jaeger and Coyote are currently walking up the stairwell, weapons are up and ready as usual. As Jaeger is being quiet as usual, Coyote currently having restless thoughts about something. ¡°Jaeger, did you feel odd about why those kids suddenly could escape? Aren¡¯t they bruised and¡­ you know¡­¡±

    ¡°I do, but well, we do get told to have minimal casualties anyway.¡±

    ¡°¡­ if you have those kinds of thoughts, why are you arguing with 60K earlier?¡±

    ¡°what he wants is to save them, not to have minimal civilian casualties. When we blew up this place, those kids are hopeless in the first place so it¡¯s not a big deal for me. Probably, it¡¯s because of his old experience, isn¡¯t it?¡±

    ¡°Yeah¡­ you know about it didn¡¯t you?¡±

    Jaeger stopped in his tracks for a moment, ¡°I do, but anyway, shut up. Someone¡¯s above us¡±. The two then had their guns facing up the stairs towards the entryway of the trapdoor. They could hear some chatter, but as they slowly walk their way up, those chatter suddenly turned into screams, gurgles and pleads and some bright red light shone all over, though, it resided shortly after. As they reached the entryway, all they could see is just the carnage of a massacre.

    Standing across them is the nun, used to be. From the darkness across and through their thermal visor, they could see something has changed. It grew sharp spines through its back and also another arm, making its body hump to the front. The church¡¯s condition was also in a bad state. the seats of the praying hall were either shattered or broken, blood splatters were all over the walls, and corpses were scattered all over the place.

    ¡°what the hell¡­¡± Coyote muttered in disbelief, it¡¯s the least he¡¯d expect on this mission, a massacre that they didn¡¯t do. The thing then stood up and horrifically bent its torso far to the back that¡¯s impossible for any human can do, staring at both of them with its barely luminescent red eyes.

    ¡°ah s**t¡­ here we go again¡±

 Unknown Adversary

    - Unknown Village, Avalon Empire¡¯s territory¨C

    - The Church of Light main prayer hall -

    - 2240hrs, local time -

    The luminescent blue light from the moon shone through the stained windows of the hall and the uneasy metallic smell of blood from the dead bodies that were pooling on the wooden floor. The two mercenaries were standing still, not even moving an inch. Yet, they have their firearms up and have their eyes through the low-light setting of the holographic sights equipped on their weapons onto the former nun who turned into something that¡¯s not human.

    ¡°What do we do now??¡± Coyote asks, still aiming down his sight. His eyes looking at Jaeger, who isn¡¯t trembling like he is. The monster in front of them kept changing glances between him and Jaeger, its extra arms were connected to one of the corpses and seemingly syphoning something as it was glowing in a faint coloured light which changed as it pierced another corpse.

    Jaeger has his left hand press the button of his Push to talk on his earprotection. ¡°Point, this is 1-1, you got eyes on the Unidentified inside the church?¡±

    The sound was static for a moment, though, Point¡¯s heavy Irish tone pierced through his headphones. ¡°Which window?¡±

    ¡°First and second window, at the east side of the rows.¡±

    It was silent for several seconds, and Coyote¡¯s cold sweat started to pour down They were now in some sort of stare-down with the monster, it gave him some sort of feeling of anxiety. ¡°I got no visual with thermals. Though, I could see something that looks like an elongated arm¡±, Point answered, grumbling about how his thermal scope couldn¡¯t identify the main target.

    ¡°Hold fire until I say so¡±

    ¡°Aye sir¡±

    Jaeger slowly took some steps forward after he held the handguard of his rifle firmly again. ¡°Jaeger? What are you doing??!¡± cried Coyote with a low volume of his sound.

    ¡°Oi jack**s!¡± shouted the daredevil mercenary as he fired two shots. The monster turned her gaze towards him after it screeched in pain, he could see its eyes staring daggers at him. ¡°Looks like this thing still understands speech¡±

    ¡°My a** it understands, you¡¯re just taunting it!¡±

    As he slowly took a step closer, someone suddenly startled Coyote from behind as he tapped his shoulder. It was one of the priests who were not part of this church since they already listed the members. His clothes were completely tattered and his left arm was heavily injured. ¡°I don¡¯t know who you are but tell your friend that he needs to get further away from it. From the looks of it, she tried to use the spell to make herself into a [fallen angel] which will drain one¡¯s mana and soul¡±

    ¡°What? Fallen angel??¡±

    ¡°Yes, and it takes an insurmountable amount of mana to turn into one¡­ which is why I came here from our headquarters to solve this mess they make. But it looks like another organization has the same mind and took several steps ahead of us¡±

    ¡°Well¡­ we do plan this earlier than expected. regardless, who are you?¡±

    The priest glanced back at the monster, ¡°I¡¯ll tell most of it later, but right now. We need to settle the matter in front of us first¡±. Though his eyes grew wide as the monster flared its jaws widely.

    ¡°EVERYONE! COVER YOUR EARS!!¡±

    The priest did what he shouted while the two mercenaries didn¡¯t as they were confused why. On the floor, a green-coloured magic circle manifested beneath the monster. It then let out the same high-pitched scream that shattered the glasses, but this time it was far more powerful that it blew the whole upper construction and the walls of the Church away. The two managed to maintain their footing since they used their thrust-vectoring side skirt jets to counter the force that the monster¡¯s spell gave. All three of them managed to survive, but unfortunately, the monster was now agitated, flaring its main arms and extra arms which now turned into something razor sharp.

    ¡°Point! Now!¡±

    BANG!

    A soft thundering sound from the run-down clock tower was heard and the monster¡¯s head was blown to pieces. The air cracked as the bullet whizzed through the exploded head and ricocheted the ground, flying elsewhere. ¡°Is it dead?¡± asked Coyote, unsure as it looked like the monster was standing still without any movement. Though, his question was soon to be answered as the head that burst into pieces of flesh, regenerates starting from its neck.

    The priest was quite surprised that they could deal that much damage to the monster, even though it regenerated its destroyed head quickly. ¡°Fallen Angels could only be defeated if we drain out their mana supply, though, it looks like it has finished feeding itself. Fortunately for us, this one is a lesser fallen angel and-¡± The priest¡¯s words were cut off as Coyote screamed at his squad leader who was now mere meters away from the creature that was flaring its arms and claws, preparing to attack.

    ¡°s**t! Jaeger!¡°

    ¡°I know! I¡¯ll contact 60k! We need to retreat as soon as possible!¡± he pressed his PTT again, contacting Point first. ¡°Point! Egress from your position as soon you run out of your ammo in your current mag! Meet us on the LZ! I¡¯ll try to hold it as long as I can!¡±

    ¡°What!? Are you f**king stupid?! You¡¯re going to get yourself killed! You don¡¯t even know what that thing is capable of¡±

    ¡°I know that! But we¡¯ve already planted the explosives! And we got 5 minutes left to get out of here before the whole cave and the village crumbled down!¡±. Point went silent for a moment, before answering with simple words. ¡°Wilco, I¡¯ll retreat to the LZ.¡±

    This story is posted elsewhere by the author. Help them out by reading the authentic version.

    Jaeger glanced behind his shoulder, looking straight at Coyote and the Priest. ¡°Coyote, escort this person to the transport, we might be able to cooperate with him. I¡¯ll contact 60K. Now go!!¡±

    Coyote nodded and requested the Priest to follow him. As he walked away, he saw more flesh blown away by Point¡¯s sniper fire whilst Jaeger contacted 60K as he shot some part of the extra hands of the monster. The two then leapt above the wall, boosted by Coyote¡¯s exoskeleton¡¯s side skirt jets while Coyote himself held the priest as they jumped. On the other hand, 60k suddenly rushed out with a little girl in his hands and a boy who was following behind as he kept shooting his shotgun down the hidden stairwell. ¡°S**t! S**t!!¡± he cursed as he shot 3 more.

    Jaeger noticed that his other teammate was shooting frantically down the hidden stairs, pressing his Push To talk, he asked 60k¡¯s condition. ¡°I thought you managed to lead them all, where¡¯s the other kids that were with you?¡±

    ¡°Something just attacked us right after you contacted me. I- I don¡¯t know how but thermals aren¡¯t picking it up and it¡­ p-pulled the other kids and devoured them!¡± Jaeger could hear 60k¡¯s voice slightly cracking as fear was the only thing that 60K felt right now.

    ¡°S**t!¡± Jaeger quickly turned around and lifted the boy with his left arm, while he had his right hand still holding onto the grip of his rifle. ¡°what are you waiting for!? Let''s bust outta here!¡±

    Point¡¯s sniper fire died out as he ran back to the transport craft slightly earlier than them. The two while carrying the children leapt the same way as Coyote did and ran through the dimly lit forest. As they kept running, Jaeger stopped for a moment as they met Point sitting on the tree aiming towards where they were coming from, letting down the boy. ¡°Kid, follow the guy that led you the way out earlier, me and the guy there will cover your retreat. Whatever you do, just run, don¡¯t look back, understood?¡±

    The boy nodded and quickly held 60k¡¯s hand and ran alongside him. As they were out of their sight, the two mercenaries now mounting a defence, slowly breathed to calm themselves down. ¡°I thought you were going to stay there, did you piss off your pants there mate?¡± Point jokingly asks through the radio.

    ¡°Oh piss off ya bloody stale fish, we¡¯re in the middle of a life and death here. Also, I¡¯m a merc, I don¡¯t want to waste my life this easily, I change strategies according to the flow of the battle¡±

    Point could feel that Jaeger was rolling his eyes right now, and yet, his squad leader was right about the thing mentioning their job. ¡°I guess you made a fair point there¡±. He agreed while slowly nodding. Their chat was interrupted as they heard some ruffling from the bushes in front of them. Both rapidly aimed at that certain bush, though what came out of it wasn¡¯t what they expected¡­

    ¡°Huh, it¡¯s just a rabbit with a horn,¡± Point said in relief, though, his relief soon faded as something bigger jumped out and devoured that said rabbit. It was the [Fallen angel], piercing its razor-sharp index claw through the abdomen of the horned rabbit, tearing its intestines and pulling out its mana stone, devouring it with its mouth of its grotesque head.

    ¡°Engage!!¡±

    Jaeger shouted, followed by fully automatic fire from his rifle. All of his bullets pierced the monster¡¯s skin, ripping its bones here and there and severing one of its legs. As Jaeger proceeded to reload, Point continued firing with his DMR covering his squad leader. The monster came to a stop in its movement to regenerate itself. As Jaeger started firing again with single shots this time, a mass of running corpses suddenly appeared behind the monster. rushing past the merc that tried to intercept them.

    ¡°crap! Some of them went through! Point, we need to fall back! There¡¯s a hoard of those zombie-like things coming from the direction of the village!¡± Jaeger also informed 60K through his radio that fast-moving hostiles were moving toward him at inhuman speeds.

    Point nodded and activated his side skirt jets, boosting himself far enough above the treelines and away from their defensive positions, followed by Jaeger after he threw a frag grenade at the monster. As the explosion of the grenade resided, the two concentrated on balancing themselves during their short flight. Luckily enough they were supported by their onboard AI support. However, Ofnir earlier stated that he¡¯s way superior to the AI support that¡¯s installed on Jaeger¡¯s subordinate¡¯s exoskeletons.

    Their retreat was halted as they suddenly heard continuous suppressed gunfire and a scream from a boy. The two looked at each other as they just hoped that their fears were not going to be true, diving back down to the dense forest below. But alas, right as they landed, they could see the bad feeling they had become a reality. The boy they saved was being eaten alive by the zombie-like creatures, while they saw from afar as 60K sprinted away with the girl crying in his arms while he kept raining down suppressing fire with his submachine gun onto the monsters who were chasing him. killing them in the process.

    However, it can¡¯t be said the same for the boy. Those things chewed his flesh and ripped one of his limbs with its abnormally strong upper limbs as if it were a knife through butter. Jaeger didn¡¯t hesitate and shot the first two zombies in the chest and their head, followed by Point who shot the last one. The zombie creatures fall to a massive thud to the ground as they die from their shots. The two Mercs then get close to the boy, who has his condition they deem hopeless to be saved and quickly make their way to the transport. Along the way running back, they felt a subtle shake on the ground. The two know that the explosive they planted already detonated and increased their running speed back to the transport craft.

    As they could hear a faint jet engine noise in front of them, all of a sudden, a hail of gunfire whizzed in between and above their heads, missing mere millimetres. ¡°Hold fire!! Hold fire!!! Friendlies!!¡± exclaimed Point with all his lungs while waving.

    The series of gunfire stopped as they finally saw a small open field with the aircraft sitting in the middle. Coyote is mounting its machine gun on a simple foxhole he did with some unused plastic rags filled with dirt as he lay low to the ground. ¡°Move your a**es! Pilot¡¯s about to take off!¡± he shouted as he continued firing towards the treelines behind them. The two then quickly went inside the aircraft from the ramp behind it while Coyote kept firing.

    The aircraft¡¯s engine spooled up rapidly and started ascending. The priest was rather panicked not only because it started hovering, but also because Coyote wasn¡¯t with them. ¡°Wait! What about your friend!? He¡¯s still outside!¡±

    ¡°Relax, he¡¯ll be with us¡±

    Outside, the Fallen Angel, along with its army of manifested corpses. Stood on the edge of the field. It is tilting its head as if it was confused. With its deep yet gurgling voice, it asks the man who stopped firing his machine gun. ¡°n???o???t??? ???m???a???g???i???c???.???.???.??? ???w???h???a???t??? ???i???s??? ???t???h???a???t??? ???p???o???w???e???r???!???????!???¡±

    ¡°Oh, this? It¡¯s what we call¡­ jet wash~¡± The Condor¡¯s cloaking system slowly dissipates, revealing its metallic aerodynamic body, its turret aimed at the Fallen angel who sneered at it. The pilots whistled right before the co-pilot pulled the trigger, ¡°Get some!¡±

    BRRRRRRRRTTTTTTTT

    The sound of the rotary cannon fiercely raining down incendiary rounds echoed throughout the skies along with the violent screeches of pain that came out from the monster. As the turret kept firing, one of the blast doors was on one of the sides of the craft and Coyote boost jumped toward the said opened door. The turret died down as their target was reduced to chunks of flesh. ¡°Alpha lead, this is Alpha flight, the unknown entity is neutralized. Proceeding to the next AO¡±

    ¡°Copy, that was a good work¡±

    The transport aircraft slowly ascended to a higher altitude, closing the opened door and switching to conventional flight. As they quickly left, they could see the village. What was once the village now lies in ruins as it got swallowed as the supporting pillars of the catacombs underground were destroyed by the explosives that were planted by them. ¡°Not even those creatures could survive that... " remarked Point, as he sighed in relief.

    The merc agreed, ¡°Yeah¡­ that aside¡­¡± Jaeger glanced toward the priest who was being given a bottle of water by 60K. ¡°All we have now is just questions on what was that¡­¡±

 Priestéˆ¥æªš Revelation

    - Avalon Empire¡¯s Border -

    - Several kilometres above the sea level -

    - 2320hrs, local time -

    The hum of the AC inside the Condor¡¯s cargo bay filled the room alongside the chatter of the Alpha fireteam as they discussed what they would bring to the next operation area since this infiltration mission was rather ambiguous. They¡¯re currently waiting for another call from Hornet¡¯s Nest before making a plan for it since infiltrating a trade city while being inconspicuous is rather tough to do. Right as they were talking, the pilot suddenly told them through their radio that a Hologram call from the base was about to begin.

    The four then went silent as the projector booted up between them and the door towards the cockpit compartment and projected two females that were standing before them. It was Jeanne, crossing her arms as she looked quite impatient and Christina, who had an astonished look since she never saw hologram tech before.

    ¡°Alpha team, I received your sitrep from your pilots, we got a confirmation of the destruction of the altar and¡­¡± she stopped for a moment, as she saw two more people behind them which were the Priest who was hugging and calming down the little girl, Alicia, who is still sobbing. ¡°uhhh¡­ who¡¯re those two?¡±

    ¡°It¡¯s the two civilians that we¡­ ahem¡­ due to a circumstance, retrieved from the AO. The priest seems to be from a faction that¡¯s against the central church.¡±

    Jeanne was silent for a moment before she asked with a concerned look, ¡°What happened to the village, Lieutenant Colonel?¡±

    ¡°With all due respect Commander, didn¡¯t all of you watch the headcam live that you set up just to flex on how efficiently we do s**t on the field?¡± Jeanne sighed at his remark, her limit due to her stress was broken.

    ¡°With all due respect Lieutenant Colonel, all of your damned camera was busted and the broadcast was cut off right when you fought that adventurer and you f**king traumatized half of the nobles present by giving footage about children being imprisoned! Now, just tell me, what the actual hell happened to that village?! I need answers!¡±

    The room was quiet as they never saw Jeanne raged about something. However, Jaeger wasn¡¯t intimidated by her angry tone. ¡°It fell down along with the catacombs. The structural integrity of the pillars was rather ripened as most of them have massive cracks. The cave itself is quite unstable too. It¡¯s pretty obvious what will happen if we blow up the whole thing¡±

    She sighed, pressing her forehead as her stress came back. ¡°For the love of god Achilles, I did say destroy the church if you found something related to human experimentation, not the whole damned village!¡±

    ¡°We did find it right? Some talk about sacrifices here and there yet nobody suspected anything about them. In the end, those villagers were turned into some sort of zombies by the¡­ thing we fought so having the village wiped off from the map isn¡¯t a big deal.¡±

    ¡°Isn¡¯t that a bit too insensitive of you even though you have a point?¡± She didn¡¯t continue the unnecessary debate with Jaeger and changed the subject. ¡°Anyway, what was the ¡°thing¡± you fought earlier? I¡¯ve seen the footage from the gunner¡¯s camera, it looked like a humanoid creature.¡±

    ¡°Well, about that¡­¡± Jaeger looks behind his shoulder towards the priest who¡¯s still hugging the little girl, his attitude is rather calm for someone who¡¯s being forced to go with them, but then again, he knows that Jaeger¡¯s team might be able to do the thing that was impossible for someone like him to do alone. ¡°You can ask that man there, he¡¯ll say everything about it¡±

    Jeanne raised an eyebrow, ¡°Him?¡± she asked sceptically. Jaeger then told her about their encounter, about how the Priest is part of a faction that¡¯s against the central church and how he told details about the monster. ¡°That creature you encountered must be called [Fallen Angel] by him, am I right Achilles?¡± added Christina as she joined in the conversation. Her presence there was supposed to be just to remind them about the adversary that they will face. But to think that she also knew about it, surprised Jeanne by a mile.

    ¡°You knew about that too Mom?¡±

    ¡°Wait, you¡¯re calling her mom now Jeanne?¡± Jeanne rolled her eyes at her brother¡¯s remark. ¡°If she¡¯s Dad¡¯s actual wife, then that means she¡¯s my foster mother in one way or another. Am I wrong here?¡±

    ¡°¡­you do have a point¡±

    To Jeanne¡¯s surprise, Christina suddenly wrapped her arms around her shoulder, snuggling onto her, ¡°Aww that¡¯s sweet of you~ You know I¡¯ve always dreamt that I want to have a daughter right after your brother was born. Hey, hey, how about we do some mother-daughter bonding later?~¡±

    Stolen from its original source, this story is not meant to be on Amazon; report any sightings.

    ¡°h-hey! Stop this! It¡¯s embarrassing to hug me here! I¡¯m not a kid!¡±

    ¡°Look at you all shy and bashful ~ How cute~ August definitely adopted such a sweetheart~¡± Even while she was playing around with Jeanne, Christina¡¯s tone changed as she turned their gaze towards Jaeger and his team. ¡°But still¡­ to think they have one of my forbidden research grimoires¡­¡±¡°Huh? What do you mean by that?¡± Christina lets go of Jeanne, her frown shows how concerned she is. She explains how she once researched the beings called [angels] since she also met one before, mentioning how it could be achieved to summon a [fallen angel] and their usage as a mana pool for the summoner. She also stated that it requires someone with a title that has a connection with the church or [Light] element and also many sacrifices. However, she stated that the [Fallen angel] that Jaeger faced wasn¡¯t a complete one. Her conversation with Jaeger and his team attracted the attention of the Priest as he lay little Alicia on the seat beside him while blanketing her with his coat. ¡°Still¡­ I stopped that research long ago before I even started doing any of those since I felt repulsed after hearing it¡­¡±

    ¡°Someone said those to you?¡±

    ¡°Yeah¡­ it was the angel herself, saying that I could be trusted to eradicate such monsters. Back then, [Fallen angels] were roaming a lot in dense forests, preying adventures to make them their minions. And also, at that time, It was the moment before I met your father several days later.¡±

    ¡°Wait, the angel herself? Are you¡­¡± The priest who stood up and took Christina¡¯s attention who¡¯s now smiling at him, stood there in shock, though, not in fear. ¡°Yep, we meet again, Thales~ it¡¯s been 200 years huh? The last time I saw you back then, you were still a child in the orphanage i went to. How time flies~¡±

    ¡°200 years? It¡¯s like only 20 years since you set yourself out on a journey!¡±

    ¡°Ah, I see. So you¡¯re affected by the [Hibernation] spell huh? No wonder.¡± Thales had a slight headache as she mentioned [Hibernation] as if the word itself is some sort of catalyst. However, his headache didn¡¯t last long. He grunted as it went away, and he glanced back at her slightly still in pain. ¡°Yeah, I think I did¡­¡±

    ¡°So, what did you tell them about?¡±

    ¡°oh right¡­¡±

    The Priest starts spilling the beans one at a time. They know he¡¯s a priest from one of the branch churches in one of the Avalon Empire¡¯s territories, though, what they didn¡¯t expect is that he¡¯s the Head Priest. His suspicion towards the central church started several years before, years later after when the new nun that was sent from Nelimista became a member of the church he was coordinating. Sudden disappearances of children here and there, several people with absence of minds, and most were even abstinent from praying as if they feared the church. The next thing he knew there was an underground complex similar to the one in the village Jaeger¡¯s team raided, just slightly larger than it. The difference is that the catacombs were filled with corpses looking as if their blood sucked dry, but it wasn¡¯t, rather their mana is. The magic circle wasn¡¯t there, since the new nun already accomplished her objective. Making herself into a complete [fallen angel] and flying back to where she came from. What¡¯s left of it is just a book she left in her room which is a copy of Christina¡¯s forbidden grimoire.

    He read it thoroughly, every word and sentence to find clues on what the Archbishop was planning. And he found out about a portion of the plan in a memo. He felt enraged and disgusted, to think that the example of their religion would make use of human lives just to make himself into a god. Thales started a secret organization that was against the Central church¡¯s plan, the members were mostly people that are from the village he was in, however, it grew into a massive one that connected many country¡¯s underground operatives and adventurers as they slowly flocked in. Their motives are mostly because of the central¡¯s overbearing way of treating their believers, splitting the praying halls for the monarchs and nobles from the ordinary and treating them badly most of the time, especially how they highly charge a simple healing spell and limit it to commoners that¡¯s pretty much ineffective against monster poison and other things, which what an advanced mage could even do easily.

    ¡°I see, they¡¯ve done it huh¡­¡± Still crossing her arms, she then glances back at Jaeger. ¡°Achilles, listen. This other place you¡¯re going to is on the outskirts of Comertora trade city. However, it is also the city where the queen of the Kingdom of Nelimista vacation mansion is located. If you¡¯re lucky enough¡­ please¡­ Assasinate the queen¡±

    Jaeger was slightly in shock, to think that the next phase of the mission was to assassinate a high-ranking monarch, not to mention a queen. ¡°why exactly must be the queen? I thought it was about the Archbishop of this region¡¯s religion and his attempt to whatever the heck he¡¯s up to¡±

    ¡°That¡¯s the thing, the queen is one of the major supporters of that Archbishop. Taking her out of history will ease our fight against him. can you?¡±

    He then glanced towards his squadmates, with an eye questioning if they were up for it. Point let out a small chuckle as he replied; ¡°Well¡­ we are already contracted to begin with. I¡¯m up for it.¡±

    Followed by 60K¡¯s reply, ¡°We¡¯re mercs, of course, we¡¯re the ones who do the dirty job, count me in!¡± and also Coyote, ¡°We didn¡¯t even get scratched last time, guess you lead us to quite well Jaeger, what¡¯s your next order?¡±

    With a prideful grin, he looked back at Christina. ¡°Looks like you got yourself a deal. Though, it¡¯ll cost you extra, hehe¡± The archmage let out a wild laugh since this was the first time that someone was daring enough to go on this mission with a prideful smile. But then again, she knows that her son is more than capable of doing so. Looking at how he even survived his first S-rank monster encounter proves that he and his team are more than enough to accomplish it.

    ¡°Hahaha! Alright, alright! I¡¯ll tell the king to grant your request when you return. Though, personally, I suggest that you should just try to court the princess~ she¡¯s quite head over heals on you right now~¡±

    Jaeger received a bunch of teasing whistles from his teammates and also from the background of the hologram call, though what can we see from Jeanne is that she¡¯s quite disapproving. ¡°For multiple times I told you Count Eoflora, my relationship with the princess isn¡¯t like what you¡¯re currently thinking¡±

    ¡°Whatever you say sweetie~ A mother¡¯s intuition will never be wrong~ Anyway, gotta go! I have a meeting with the King again in 6 minutes! Stay safe out there!~¡± And with that, she casually teleports away. leaving all of his teammates flabbergasted.

    ¡°Ain¡¯t no way she just teleported so casually like that¡­!¡± Coyote remarked as he was in a jaw drop before the scene that just unfolded in front of him.

    ¡°It happens, she regularly does that since 2 days ago,¡± Jeanne remarked, rolling her eyes at Christina¡¯s carefree attitude inside a military base. ¡°That aside, there¡¯s your mission update. Additionally, there¡¯s a change in the ROE, I do not want any freaking civies to get involved unless they¡¯re attacking first. Got that? Just make less commotion and try to not make the City wiped clean off the map or something.¡±

    ¡°Yes ma¡¯am¡±

    ¡°Good, godspeed gentlemen¡± As the hologram call fades away, the team quickly opens up the weapon crates that are sitting behind them. Changing their weapons and pieces of equipment. Looking at how they swiftly do their thing, Thales returned to his seat and watched from a distance. Thinking how intriguing their equipment is and how well-trained they are. He then looked outside the window, hoping that they¡¯d make it out alive later on since he knew¡­ the queen¡­ isn¡¯t an ordinary one. He thought for himself that he¡¯d tell them before they arrived, but as he was feeling sleepy, he tried to sleep in his seat, The comfort of the chair that was out of his world just felt amazing for him and he quickly went to sleep. Forgetting his early thoughts.

    Now, what lies ahead will be unpredicted for the squad and the dormant reptile shall be awakened in a certain time¡­.

 Night Raid

    - Somewhere in the woods on the hill, Beyond Comertora City walls -

    - 2 days later -

    - 1920hrs, local time -

    ¡°Eighteen¡­ Twenty-two¡­ Point to assault team, drone scan indicates that there are thirty-four guards on the lookout of the mansion, four at the main gate and 2 at the main entrance. Are you sure you¡¯re going in with that sort of plan in the first phase?¡±

    Point currently sitting on top of the treeline as the lookout of the raid team, assisted by a deployable drone flying overhead. His position is around 1.2 kilometres away from the mansion, calmly aiming at one of the unsuspected guards on top of the walls. They conducted a recon a day ago, mapped the entire area and even scanned the internals of the mansion. And to their expectations, it also has a catacomb with a similar construct.

    Their plan includes three phases, distraction & infill, seek and destroy, and of course exfiltration. Their main objective is the same, destroying the catacombs. However, with the additional objective of assassinating the queen, Jaeger decided that they¡¯d split up once they were inside, which was denied by Coyote since he didn¡¯t want anyone in the team to suddenly face such a creature if it did manifest inside the mansion, alone. Jaeger compromised and agreed with Coyote, and they put the assassination as their priority first since it¡¯s pretty much the easiest one. Luckily for them, the queen was spotted on the balcony yesterday enjoying a cup of tea which means their target is present. Additionally, they¡¯ll put an explosive at the entrance of the catacombs if they are surrounded and proceed to egress from the place to make sure nobody will use the passage for some time until they can find another way in to put it down once and for all.

    ¡°It¡¯s quite crude, I know. But at least we¡¯ll have 50% of the guards rushed to the scene away from the mansion.¡± Jaeger replied through the radio, Point could hear some rustling of the branches that they walked through.

    ¡°It¡¯s not just crude mate, you¡¯re going to involve the whole city! I swear to god if I found out we have civilian casualties, I¡¯ll report this straight to the higher-ups at HQ¡±

    ¡°Oi, you sounded as if you¡¯re my superior¡±

    ¡°Regardless of that and if we¡¯re mercs or not, the distraction plan itself is a bit¡­¡±

    Point could hear Jaeger sighing through his mic. he has a point, Jaeger¡¯s distraction plan involves an ¡°unexpected¡± explosion on the east side of the city, slightly far away from the mansion. The explosion isn¡¯t deadly, but what¡¯s concerning is that Jaeger uses white phosphorus to incite arson in that area which is the slums as it might cause some fatal injuries to unsuspecting people around. ¡°Fine then, we¡¯ll infil without the distraction if it disturbs your morality. Coyote, 60K, plan B, we¡¯re going in from the back entrance. Alpha 1-1 out¡±

    As Jaeger cut off his radio call, Point could see them through his scope moving below the swamps beside the mansion, avoiding detection. Slowly but surely, they finally reached the back side of the mansion where the lake water flowed inside into the man-made pond inside the perimeter. Their infiltration was smooth, unexpected to Jaeger as he thought the number of guards indicated that the mansion was heavily defended but no, the security was too lax. Even he can see one of the Archer guards on top of the wall sleeping beside his bow and lantern on a chair. But suddenly¡­

    BOOM!!

    ¡°sh*t!! What was that!?¡± shouted Coyote through his mic. Point''s eyes grew wide as he saw in the direction of a massive fume of smoke coming from the east side of the city.

    ¡°1-1! Did you detonate the damn charge?!¡±

    ¡°My ass! I already put the detonator inside my bag! How in the world I would detonate it if I¡¯m not even holding the detonator!? Something must¡¯ve happened there¡±

    ¡°Fair point¡± Point looked down through his sniper scope again, he saw a half of the mansion guards mobilize alongside the stationed knights toward the explosion site. ¡°1-1, I saw a lot of knights heading towards the explosion as well¡±

    ¡°told you I was right to create a distraction, you know how dangerous a fantasy knight is right?¡±

    ¡°yeah right, but we can still shoot those p**sies dead though.¡±

    ¡°¡­ let''s cut the chatter and proceed with the op, Point, neutralize any guards that might see us¡±

    Jaeger glances behind his back, nodding to the two that the area in front of them is clear. The three then slowly walk out from the shallow area of the pond and slowly make their way to the side entrance by hiding between the walls and bushes. ¡°stop, patrol in the front¡± halted Point through the radio. Seconds later, several cracking sounds in the air were heard and the guards in their vicinity dropped down, including the ones on top of the wall as the corpse dropped down right beside 60K. ¡°Sweet dreams mate.¡±

    ¡°any more patrols?¡± Jaeger asks as he scans the area and activates his NV visor. ¡°Negative, you¡¯re cleared to move. I¡¯ll clear out the remaining guards.¡±

    ¡°copy. That was a great shot honestly, especially when you¡¯re just using an RSASS with that range¡±

    ¡°Compliment me later sir, I still need to take a lot of these bloody p**sies out¡±

    Jaeger and the team continued their infiltration. Sneaking slowly until they reached the window on the side of the garden. 60K pulled out his crowbar and forcibly opened the window, vaulted hastily inside. As they were inside and closed the window back, they quickly stacked up near the door leading to the main hallway. ¡°1-1 to Eagle, we¡¯re inside, shoot anything that tries to get in or out. Armed or not¡±

    ¡°Copy, stay frosty mate.¡±

    ¡°You bet.¡±

    Jaeger took point and slowly opened the door. The hallway was eerily empty as they walked out of the room in a formation, not even a single candle or any form of lighting was present. They then proceed to walk down the corridor while 60K guard their six. Soon enough, they reached the lobby of the mansion, where there was a massive yet elegant staircase that split into two, leading toward both the east and west sides of the mansion¡¯s upper floor. The team swiftly took the stairs and headed to the west part, as per information of yesterday¡¯s recon, heading towards the Queen¡¯s chamber.

    If you spot this story on Amazon, know that it has been stolen. Report the violation.

    Turning around a corner, they suddenly saw two patrol guards. With precise fire and swiftness, Jaeger shot them both while 60K killed the one that was tailing the two guards with several knife stabs and a shot from his suppressed pistol. ¡°Clear, keep moving¡± he stated, checking his mags and as they took several shots more at the corpses, making sure they were dead.

    ¡°Eagle, we¡¯re approaching the queen¡¯s room, any changes from outside the mansion?¡± questioned Jaeger as he peeked a corner, checking whether it was clear or not. On the other side, Point was rather busy on his targets.

    ¡°1-1, the knights are already back and found out one of the dead guards. I assume they brought reinforcements from the City¡¯s main army since their numbers increased. Permission to engage¡±

    ¡°Try to hold them back as much as you can. 1-1 out¡±

    Point smirked as he got his permission granted, glancing back at the massive gun case behind him. ¡°Looks like I can try this thing out, hehehe¡­¡± he chuckled evilly and went to another vantage point, opened the bag and deployed the bipod of the weapon, which is the OSV¡ª96 sniper rifle, chambered in 12.7x108mm with 5 round capacity. Looking through the scope that he already adjusted, he aimed for that one person seemingly to be the leader of the group of knights.

    ¡°good evening miss knight¡­ You have my regards from my high explosive rounds~¡±

    BOOM!!

    The deafening boom from the sniper echoed throughout the forest and the bullet flew down the barrel into the air. The gas that came out from the end of the muzzle break kicked out a lot of dirt sideways, creating a dust cloud of dirt. Point whistled as it was quite an experience for him, he never shot calibres bigger than a Lapua magnum and yet, with his earned money from being a mercenary, he¡¯s now firing a rifle that could even penetrate armoured vehicles. Looking through his scope, he can see the tracer of the bullet as it flies down to its target, until¡­

    ¡°What the-¡° In disbelief, he saw the knights erect a luminescent barrier in a mere second before the bullet hit and nearly shattered it. Point then emptied the magazine of the rifle and It¡¯s a good thing the second round shattered the shield, though, due to his aggressive shooting, he missed his target, which was the knight captain, and hit the surrounding knights instead. Looking through the scope at the carnage he caused, he can see the female knight looking like she¡¯s wailing and crying at one of her men that he shot from afar, looking around to find the assailant.

    ¡°bloody hell¡­ I think I just destroyed a relationship¡± he muttered, slightly guilty.

    Back in the mansion, Jaeger and his team slowly walk their way toward the designated room while clearing the guards along the way. though, they suddenly bumped into a couple of maids as they turned right at a corner. The Maids yelped and were shushed by Jaeger. ¡°Both of you, get out of this mansion if you don¡¯t want to die. Now!¡±

    The couple of Maids who were having teary eyes nodded and quickly ran away. Jaeger sighed in relief. ¡°Glad you didn¡¯t shoot ¡®em, boss. That aside, they¡¯re quite hot haha! Girls from other planets sure are blessed aren¡¯t they?¡± 60k remarked with a chuckle.

    Coyote rolled his eyes. ¡°Dude, can you not talk with your d**k once in a while?¡±

    ¡°Hey! I got a point you know!¡±

    Their small chat was interrupted when Jaeger suddenly swung his gun towards them. ¡°Duck down!¡± he exclaimed. Both of them didn¡¯t think twice and just did what he said. Jaeger then quickly shoots the approaching attacker, which is the maids from earlier. They were wielding daggers, and running at inhuman speeds on the walls.

    ¡°sh*t! They¡¯re armed! Screw the no civilian involved RoE! Assume anything inside this mansion is hostile, got that? also, change of plans. 60K, place the charge on the entrance. Coyote, on me. We¡¯re going to finish this Op fast¡±

    Both Coyote and 60k answered, ¡°Roger¡± and ¡°Right-o!¡± simultaneously as they split their ways and went towards where they were supposed to complete their mission. In their respective ways, they kept going and kept shooting any hostiles they met, causing quite a ruckus inside.

    Though, as the commotion starts to rise. In a certain large room filled with elegant decorations, a woman yawned in her bed while she didn¡¯t have a single strand of clothing with her. She wiped her eyes, looking outside the window, having the dim blue moonlight mixed with the bright red from the flame from the explosion site shone in. Starring with a disinterested look, she then glanced towards the figure in the shadows, as he put up his clothes.

    ¡°Your Holiness?¡±

    ¡°They¡¯re here,¡± he said calmly as he buttoned up the last button on his clothing. Tilting her head in confusion, she asks him. ¡°Who¡¯s this they you¡¯re referring to?¡±

    ¡°It¡¯s the heretics, but I assume it¡¯s not their army from the way they work.¡± He then turned around, fixing his robe. ¡°I¡¯m going back to the central church, you know what to do¡±

    ¡°Of course Your Holiness~ I¡¯ll do my role as your Queen¡± As she said that, a bright blue magic sigil appeared and the man was teleported away. The women stood up and stood near the window, looking down at the chaos in the courtyard of the mansion. ¡°Oh my, they created quite a fuss down there. Is this part of your plan, honey?¡±

    As she glanced at her shoulder, looking at the same dark part of the room. The aforementioned person walked out of the shadow and deactivated his stealth magic, looking rather angered and stern at her. The woman giggled as she fixed her golden hair that got tangled into each other. ¡°My, My, you look quite cute when you¡¯re furious.¡±

    ¡°So this is the real you huh? betraying your husband and this kingdom¡­ and what about Luna and Lillia!? They¡¯ll be more than just upset seeing her mother do something like this!¡±

    The woman laughed at King Kievan, ¡°Hahaha ~ oh geez Van, you¡¯re quite hilarious~ them? Upset? They should be proud as they¡¯ll have their mother will become the new God¡¯s partner, and I¡¯ll be the queen of this new order!¡± her expression changed into someone twisted. ¡°ahh~ I can¡¯t wait. So? Are you here to assassinate me?¡±

    ¡°I was planning to after finding out every piece of evidence, but someone I know will do it.¡±

    ¡°Hmm ~ I see you saw It through your skills huh? say, is it sir Hero Kurogane?¡±

    Kievan smirked. ¡°Oh, not him. It¡¯s the person that¡¯s inside this mansion causing this chaos¡±

    ¡°That¡¯s quite the joke you got there Van~¡±

    ¡°Am I joking though?¡±

    Suddenly, the door creaked slightly and something was tossed inside. Several bright flashes and loud banging came from the object blanketed the dark room and blinded the two. During that time, two men with modern weaponry and equipment kicked the door open and shot the women dead with their rifles with several suppressed gunfire. ¡°1-1 to Alpha flight, Chess Piece is down. I repeat. Chess Piece is neutralized. Report this back to HQ. 1-1 out.¡± Exclaimed the man as he put a couple more bullets in her head, and more blood spilling out.

    ¡°holy s**t Jaeger, that¡¯s brutal. You could¡¯ve just shot her once ya know?¡± remarked his friend who was aiming his gun at Kievan. ¡°You got to make sure your target is dead you know? I don¡¯t want to make the same mistake that I made back then¡±

    ¡°That aside, what about this guy? Plus, we still need to clear out the killer maids¡±

    Jaeger turns around and looks straight at Kievan, having a small smile below his balaclava. ¡°No need, he¡¯s not our enemy. For now at least¡±

    ¡°So we meet again Sir Wolfenford, Glad you seem fine¡± the King of the Holy Kingdom greeted him even when he was still at gunpoint. ¡°Though, you might need to use your tool again. Looks like she has awakened her powers¡±

    ¡°What?¡±

    All of a sudden, the two mercenaries were blown away from the room, flying out far enough from the mansion that now has a massive hole on one of the sides. Inside, the dead woman from earlier is now standing with no damage from the shots that were dealt to her anywhere visible whatsoever. Oddly enough, she didn¡¯t attack King Kievan who was now slightly teary as he saw his wife become something otherworldly terrifying. ¡°I¡¯m sorry for not spending more time with you Claudia¡­¡±

    The former Queen who¡¯s now grown several extra black tendrils from her back spoke to him in a deep coarse voice, ¡°You should¡¯ve¡­ now look what I am¡± and stared at him with her bright crimson eyes with a dead-looking stare. She then wailed as something painful happened and held onto her head. The next thing he knew, she transformed into a giant creature something similar to a tree, yet with dark tendrils swinging here and there and shrieked in an awful voice. From afar, Jaeger who just just regained consciousness, looked in horror as he saw it.

    ¡°F**k¡­ This ain¡¯t good¡±

 Fallen Empress

    - Somewhere in the woods on a hill, Beyond Comertora City walls -

    - 1942hrs, local time -

    Amid the beautiful night skies that are filled with stars and moonshine, a breeze of cold wind blows here and there around the trade city Comertora. Nevertheless, the night is full of commotion, especially because there¡¯s a 40-meter-ish-tall tree-like creature that appeared on the west side of the mansion that¡¯s now in rubble. Far from it, Jaeger who just regained his consciousness after being knocked out hard tries to sit, but then a sudden pain is felt in his chest and abdomen. ¡°Argh! Ofnir, what¡¯s my physical status?¡± he asked his AI assistant while he checked around for any visible wounds.

    [It appears you had some internal fractures on your lower ribs and wooden shrapnel pierced around your left abdomen from the back. Luckily, none of your organs were heavily damaged and nanomachines are currently repairing the damages received. Other than that, you¡¯re fine]

    ¡°Seal any blood vessels around the penetrated part. I¡¯ll pull out the thing.¡±

    [Affirmative, sir]

    Jaeger then pulled out a large chunk of wood that penetrated his back after he got confirmation from Ofnir and threw the bloody wood away. The nanomachines then quickly do their job as they increase Jaeger¡¯s recovery by a mile. The massive hole on his back is closed in under 3 minutes and now, he¡¯s back up and ready to continue the mission. ¡°This is Alpha 1-1, To anyone on this frequency, give me a sitrep!¡±

    From the other side of the radio, the first one to answer is Point. Who¡¯s practically unharmed in the whole fiasco. ¡°this is Eagle, what the f*ck happen down there!? You didn¡¯t respond for five minutes and what in the world is that massive black moss of a thing?!¡±

    ¡°That¡¯s a good question, I don¡¯t know either. But regardless¡­¡± he glanced towards the thing again, squinting his eyes as he tried to look for what is it doing. The tendrils of the creature could be seen from afar that it¡¯s capturing humans here and there, including the knights. devouring them mercilessly. ¡°It¡¯s a threat. If we don¡¯t stop it, it¡¯ll cause trouble for future operations. Plus, that massive thing is still our target¡±

    ¡°Huh? Which target you¡¯re referring to?¡¯

    ¡°the damn queen ya bloody fish brain!¡±

    ¡°Hold on¡­ that¡¯s the queen?!!¡±

    Jaeger racks the bolt of his rifle as it has some dirt on its chamber, letting out a sigh. ¡°I¡¯ll deal with that thing for a bit and rendevous with 60K. Try to find Coyote, I think he¡¯s still unconscious around this forest.¡±

    ¡°You and what army!?¡±

    Jaeger then blasted himself into the air, his side skirt thrusters accelerating him from 0 to 200kmph in a matter of 5 seconds. He then made Ofnir control his stability in the air as he aimed down his sights as they got closer to the creature¡¯s tendril attack range. He fired several shots at it, trying to figure out the toughness of the defence. However, he didn¡¯t expect it to deflect most of his bullets. ¡°damn, this is not good at all¡±

    He then tried to shoot a single shot to each tendril that tried to grab him out of the air and got shredded. After a while, he threw several smoke grenades out in the air and landed in the nearby forest, hiding behind a tree. As soon as he finished reloading his rifle, he used the side skirt thrusters to hover himself several centimetres above the ground and skimmed his way into the mansion hastily.

    As he enters and turns on his night vision, he quickly makes his way to the area where the catacomb entrance is located which is in the library. However, it was not a walk in the park as the dark tendrils had already crept their way everywhere around the mansion. ¡°crap! These little pieces of - !¡± he cursed as he shot 3 more destroying the tendrils that have a mind of its own.

    [Sir, another one on your six]

    ¡°I know!¡± he blasted more as he kept moving to the library like a mech skimming above the ground in a battle. The moment he arrived at the entrance of the library, the door was covered with the black mucus of the tendrils, which might be the blood that came from it and also shotgun cartridges were littered on the floor. Knowing this, he then kicked down the door. Only for him to nearly get blasted by friendly fire.

    ¡°Holy s**t!! Jaeger! Sorry!!¡± 60k apologizes and Jaeger gives him a death stare in reply. The room was quite small for a library, with no windows whatsoever. Up above hangs quite an elegant chandelier with 5 candles that are still lit. There are only 2 isles and right across the entrance is a desk where 60K hunkered down himself. ¡°Looks like you still got your spirits there mate.¡±

    ¡°Don¡¯t give me that! I nearly f**king died! TWICE!¡±

    ¡°At least you didn¡¯t nearly die to friendly fire¡±

    ¡°Yikes, that sarcasm hits hard. Again, I¡¯m sorry okay!¡±

    ¡°Yeah, yeah, whatever. So, where¡¯s the entrance?¡±

    60k gave a head bob towards the direction of the entrance which is located right below his foot. Jaeger walked towards the desk and peered down, It was a metal trapdoor, unlike the ones in the village back then. ¡°Have you put the charges though?¡±

    This book was originally published on Royal Road. Check it out there for the real experience.

    ¡°I did, I was gonna detonate it along with me if I found myself being pinned by¡­ whatever the hell those black tentacles are.¡±

    ¡°Luckily you didn¡¯t have to eh?¡±

    60K rolled his eyes, ¡°Yeah, yeah, thanks for coming to help¡±

    Right as Jaeger wanted to say something, the ground shook violently, nearly causing them to lose their balance. ¡°The hell is happening!?¡± 60k exclaimed in panic. The calm squad leader tries his best to try to peek into the corner of the library entrance, and whatever he finds isn¡¯t any good news at all.

    ¡°60k, we need to go now! Those things are coming again!¡±

    ¡°Ah, s**t¡­ here we go again¡­¡±

    The two of them activated their side skirt jets into hover mode and hastily exited the mansion, dodging and blasting every black tendril that tried to catch them with their weapons. Right as they skimmed above the lake behind the mansion. Out of nowhere, 60k was thrown away by a surprise attack by the black tendrils that whipped him. he crashed into the forest and couldn¡¯t be seen. Jaeger could only watch in horror as he saw it happening. He then quickly talked through the radio again

    ¡°F**k! this is 1-1! 1-4 is down! He was thrown into the forest north side of the lake! I can¡¯t confirm whether he¡¯s alive or not, so to anyone in this frequency! Check his condition! I¡¯ll try to hold this monster off with whatever the f**k I have!¡±

    Through his radio, he heard Coyote suddenly panic when Jaeger mentioned it and was being calmed down by Point. Not wanting to be disturbed by their debate, Jaeger closed the connection of his radio and went back towards the mansion. He checks his remaining ammo, making sure that it¡¯s enough for this current engagement, which is not since it is impossible for an operator with minimal ammo can kill a 40+ meter tall tree-like creature. ¡°At least it stays put¡­¡± he thought to himself until the creature started moving slowly towards the city.

    [You just jinxed it didn¡¯t you sir?]

    ¡°I bloody hate your remarks not gonna lie. Put the thrusters to afterburner, we¡¯re going to bait it to the other way¡±

    [Affirmative sir]

    Jaeger then flew to the skies and tried to gather its attention by zooming past in front of it. only to be swarmed by its tendrils. He weaved left, right, up and down, shooting and doing everything to stay alive while doing his objective. Nonetheless, it was quite in vain, the creature treated him as a pest and kept going towards the city. And right as he was about to shoot more, his side skirt thrusters suddenly lost his thrust and he slowly hovered down while manoeuvring from the tendrils. ¡°Ofnir! What the heck is going on!? Why am I losing thrust?!¡± he exclaimed, hiding behind a tree while reloading his rifle. ¡°S**t, it''s my last mag¡­¡±

    [The 3 Dimensional thrusters overheated sir. You¡¯re flying with afterburners engaged for 5 minutes straight.]

    ¡°I can¡¯t believe this¡­ the odds aren¡¯t with us right now¡­¡±

    [Shall I call in HQ for air support?]

    ¡°Can they even be contacted in the first place??¡±

    [Well¡­] Jaeger¡¯s eyes suddenly were filled with strings of codes as Ofnir tried to gain connection straight towards the FOB, which also gave some slight strain to his brain. Took like a minute until Ofnir was done checking the connection. [plausible, but it¡¯ll take a strain on my CPU and you won¡¯t be having any of my support]

    ¡°How long does it take?¡±

    [Approximately 10 minutes] Jaeger racks the bolt of his rifle, grinning in confidence ¡°I¡¯ll hold longer than that¡± and then he quickly dashed back into battle. Destroying more of the tendrils just to delay its movement.

    Meanwhile, north of him in the forest near the lake, both Point and Coyote are carrying back 60k that¡¯s currently unconscious. His leg was injured badly, with an open fracture on the right leg and a wooden shrapnel piercing his left arm. His head was also bleeding, though, Coyote already wrapped a bandage around it, leaving 60K¡¯s helmet behind. On the way, Coyote kept on trying to wake 60K up but to no avail, The concussion of the hit that he received from the tendril was so tremendous that he hadn¡¯t woken up since the impact. ¡°damnit Danny! Wake the f**k up! What about that bet we promised!?¡±

    ¡°Coyote can you please shut your bloody mouth up and keep moving!? We can¡¯t do anything right now and all we can do is just carry him back to the Condor! You do remember we¡¯ve done our best to stop his bleeding with a tourniquet and had his nanomachines reprogrammed to focus on carrying oxygen to his brain right!?¡±

    ¡°I know that! I know¡­¡±

    It didn¡¯t take long for them to reach the transport craft. They can see from afar between the trees that the pilots and the priest are sitting outside around the campfire. As they came out of the tree line, the two pilots were quick to notice the situation and headed back inside the transport craft to grab surgery kits and other medical equipment and consumables while the priest could only stand there in shock to see the injuries that were on 60K.

    ¡°Lay him down on this bedding!¡± shouted one of the pilots as he pointed to the makeshift bedding from a stacked sleeping bag that had a transparent plastic as the cover above. The two then quickly lay 60K down there. The co-pilot then quickly took over and the Pilot became his assistant, starting the surgery.

    During that time, the priest tapped Coyote¡¯s shoulder. Looking concerned. ¡°Is he going to be alright?¡±. Coyote wasn¡¯t sure about it, he could only look at how the progress of the surgery was going and hoped for the best. Seeing this, the priest jumped in and tried to help as well. He told the two pilots that he could use some sort of healing spell and buff spells to increase awareness. Knowing this, the two pilots agreed and let him help, and thus, the surgery went well.

    ¡°How was it doc?¡± Coyote asked the co-pilot and got a thumbs up as a reply. Knowing his best friend could be saved, he sighed in relief. ¡°Now we just need him to wake up, Good thing we also packed in blood packs with us. He lost too much blood, and if you didn¡¯t make it in time¡­ well¡­he¡¯s a goner¡±

    The co-pilot glances back at the patient whom he saved, [Another one that I saved huh?] he thinks, proudly smiling. The priest as well, sighed in relief that he wouldn¡¯t be seeing another life die in front of him again. In a moment of silence, he remembered the thing that he should¡¯ve been telling them before they went off. ¡°Ah right! I was about to say something about the queen! I¡¯ve found a note about-¡°

    Coyote looked back in the direction where the mansion was located, ¡°About the queen¡­ we found out about it the hard way¡±

    ¡°What do you mean?¡± Coyote looked at Point with a look that said, [show it to him]. Point nodded grabbed his DMR again and asked the priest to follow him. It didn¡¯t take long for them to reach Point¡¯s first sniping position. The city''s night scenery was filled with the scenery of a massive tree-like creature that was slowly moving towards the densely populated area where the population could be seen in chaos trying to evacuate the city as it slowly reached the centre of the city. They could also see a streak of blue light flying here and there trying to distract it. ¡°Looks like Jaeger is still trying to stop it,¡± said Point while he was scoping into his DMR¡¯s optic.

    ¡°Dear goddess¡­ what has the queen done¡­¡±

    But suddenly to their surprise, two massive explosions occurred followed by a growl in the skies, Jaeger¡¯s blue afterburner trail could be seen weaving away from the creature as it shrieked in a gurgle. Amidst the moon that shone brightly in the night, that explosion¡­ is far brighter than the calmness of the night sky¡­

 One Less Loose Ends

    - Somewhere in the woods on a hill, Beyond Comertora City walls -

    - 2010hrs, local time ¨C

    - 5 minutes before the surgery finished -

    Amidst the calm beautiful night filled with stars and the cool breeze of the wind, the harrowing scene of a massive creature could be seen wreaking havoc all around the Trade City of Comertora. Among the chaos of the monster causing destruction and the panic that occurs all over, a couple of streaking bright blue lights could be seen as it flew around the creature trying to capture its attention. It¡¯s him, Jaeger, who¡¯s still trying to avert the monster¡¯s target onto him instead of the residents of the city.

    ¡°Oi! Over here!¡± the mercenary shouted with all his lungs, evading another tendril attack. As he slings his rifle to his back under pressure, he calls his AI assistant again while looking around the terrain to plan out something. ¡°Ofnir! Are you even connected to the main server right now?! I can¡¯t hold on any longer! That was my last bullet!¡±

    [bypassing Condor¡¯s repeater¡¯s firewall in T minus 57 seconds]

    ¡°Sh*t!¡±

    Jaeger dove down, and skimmed above the ground again, using the nearby buildings and going through the alleyways to lose the chase of the tendrils that were trying to get him. Luckily, he still had the photon sword in the hidden bay inside the side skirt jets. As he whipped out the hilt of the sword and lit on the blade, turning 180, three tendrils were squirming above the ground and rapidly closing the distance. He then swiftly sliced two of the tendrils and skimmed away to the alleyway on the left. He looked over his shoulder again to see the last tendril came with more reinforcement.

    Suddenly, in the intersection in front of him, a person was dragged by the massive tendril towards the main body of the creature. ¡°Help me!!¡± she said in fear, her voice drawn out slowly as she was pulled to a distance. [Sir, are you going to help the civilian?]

    Ofnir¡¯s question made Jaeger contemplate for a moment until the tendril that was chasing him was in its striking range and he slashed it right before it did anything to him. ¡°They¡¯re not our priority¡­¡±

    [¡­ if you say so¡­]

    Beep beep beep beep

    As Jaeger¡¯s MFD beeps several times, Ofnir informs him with a slightly relieved tone, [I¡¯m now connected to Yukikaze¡¯s main data frame, looks like I somehow could access its cruise missile launch.]

    ¡°That¡¯s even better! Send them in!¡±

    [On who¡¯s authority?]

    ¡°My authority! We have two high-ranking officers on that ship, and I¡¯m one of them!¡±

    [and what will your sister say if-]

    ¡°I¡¯ll take full responsibility! My pay will be cut to pay for those missiles! We really need it right now!¡±

    Ofnir hesitated for a moment but did what his master said. Far from them, back at the South Sea, where Yukikaze moored itself in the middle of the ocean near the capital of the Kingdom of Apolyon. Several of the Vertical Launch System cells or VLS for short, opened up their covers and sprung out more than seven subsonic long-range cruise missiles that headed straight to the Trade City Comertora. The CIC crew was in a state of panic as they didn¡¯t receive any launch order while Jeanne on the other hand, was casually on her walk towards the command room at the FOB when she saw the trails of smoke that came from the boosters of the missiles. The next thing people around her saw was her crushing down her steel mug with just a single hand, twitching her eyes since she was speechless and very much pissed off about the situation. ¡°That f**king bastard of a brother!!¡± she cursed as she hastily went 180 and headed to the docks.

    Back at the fight, Jaeger flew up again as he nearly got cornered by the amount of tendrils that chased him and again, weaving here and there trying to not get caught or even scratched by the black unknown thing. It took him a while until Ofnir could detect the incoming missiles that were launched. [Sir, cruise missiles are inbound ETA 30 seconds. Move away from the target]

    ¡°Do the missiles track the target though? We don¡¯t have any laser designators whatsoever¡±.

    [I¡¯m currently sending data straight to the missile¡¯s guidance system, it¡¯ll be a precision strike]

    To Jaeger¡¯s surprise, the missile arrived earlier than expected and detonated in a fiery blaze. Then another one came seconds later, detonated in the same bright explosion. ¡°Holy s**t! You didn¡¯t tell me that they¡¯re THAT danger close!¡±

    [I told you to clear the area! Why are we still flying around this damned creature?!?]

    On the horizon, he can see a trail of jet fumes heading straight towards them. Knowing this, Jaeger then quickly flies away from the creature, between the trees and looking at the explosions from a hill. There are more than 6 consecutive hits of the missiles that were launched, Jaeger wasn¡¯t expecting Ofnir to launch more than 3 missiles towards the monster. 5 minutes later, no more missiles came.

    A total of 13 cruise missiles were launched, and every single one of them dealt a massive blow to the creature since it had tandem warheads that were designed to penetrate thick armour. From afar, the creature could be seen to have many massive holes and torn limbs here and there. Most of the tendrils fell to the ground near its foot or root if we assume it is truly a tree-shaped massive creature. It stopped moving after a few moments and its body started to rapidly decay, its main trunk and branches started to fall one by one to the ground, indicating that it had died.

    If you spot this tale on Amazon, know that it has been stolen. Report the violation.

    ¡°1-1 to alpha flight, target is neutralized. en route towards the LZ. 1-1 out¡±

    He then turns around. Walking back towards where the transport craft is located. Didn¡¯t take long for him to hike back and arrive there. The atmosphere there was in kind of disbelief since Thales and Point saw everything unfold in the battle. Their looks made Jaeger slightly confused, ¡°What? Something on my face?¡±

    ¡°N-no, it¡¯s just¡­ we have long-range support? How come we didn¡¯t get briefed on that?¡±

    ¡°Nah, I asked my AI partner here to bypass the CIC¡¯s authority and launched several missiles. I was quite in a pinch that time and I don¡¯t think I can defeat it with our current armament.¡±

    ¡°That¡­ won¡¯t we get questioned later on?¡±

    ¡°Meh, probably just me. But anyway¡­¡±  Jaeger looks behind Point¡¯s shoulder, straight towards the pilots who are carrying 60k on a stretcher. ¡°Is he fine now?¡±

    ¡°Yea¡¯, mate got a lot of holes and fractures here and there and miraculously survived. But anyway, we¡¯re done with our job ay?¡±

    ¡°Yeah¡­¡± he looked behind, looking straight at the fume of smoke going up to the skies. ¡°We¡¯re done here, let''s go back home¡±.

    All of them packed up whatever they used outside the Condor and went inside, did took them 10 minutes to be up in the air and return to Apolyon¡¯s territorial land. As they hovered away from their landing spot, all of them could see the aftermath of the battle. Half of the city was destroyed, and a mass of humans were waiting outside the gates of the city, being guarded by what looked to be a mass of adventurers trying to fend off less harmful monsters since some were swinging their torches in different directions. Fires started to appear out of nowhere as they seemed to be affected by the lanterns they left in their rooms as the citizens evacuated.

    Coyote took a deep breath and sighed, relieved. ¡°Glad all of that is over¡­¡± All of them nodded, excluding Jaeger, who looked like he was thinking about something, especially why the queen was their target and why his mother seemingly knew who to eliminate, etcetera.

    ¡°Yo guys! We got a call from HQ, I¡¯ll patch ¡®em in¡±. exclaimed the co-pilot. seconds later, the holographic projector lit up and showed Jeanne with her tablet PC like usual. though¡­ her expression isn¡¯t in a good mood.

    ¡°Well¡­ looks like all of you are back in one piece after all that show with the tree thing you fought earlier¡± She then looked to her left where 60K was currently lying down unconscious. ¡°Barely¡­¡±

    She then cleared her throat and set her glare at Jaeger. ¡°While I¡¯m here to congratulate your accomplishment, I have a lot of f**king questions regarding the unauthorized salvo launches on the experimental hypersonic cruise missile model we just made right before our journey here. Especially a certain someone who BYPASSED THE DAMNED SYSTEM WITHOUT MY AUTHORITY!!¡±

    ¡°Oi, we¡¯re the same rank¡±.

    ¡°But for the very f**king least Archie, you should¡¯ve like¡­ I don¡¯t know¡­ TALK ABOUT IT???¡± Jaeger just sighed; he knew that even if he wasted time just mere minutes just to compromise with his sister, it wouldn¡¯t end well.

    ¡°Even if I try to compromise, you wouldn¡¯t give a damn and made us fight with just small arms anyway. I know you well Jeanne, A lot of times you can¡¯t discern which is urgent and which is not. And I was right... I made the right decision.¡±

    Jeanne didn¡¯t say a word, his words were right. She knew her flaw, though, those missiles she designed weren''t done from testing which is why she¡¯s quite angered at it. ¡°Fine¡­ You win this one, but- ¡°

    Jeanne¡¯s transmission was cut off and another call suddenly came. The hologram only displayed a white square with a line in the middle which is an audio visualizer. The three got confused until a deep recognizable voice came out through the speakers. ¡°This is Silver Alpha, are you receiving this Jaeger?¡±

    ¡°Wha- Dad!?¡¯

    ¡°Call me by my callsign son, I have an order for you and only you¡± The three mercs gave a questioning look to each other. August then continues his words, ¡°Neutralize priority target 2<sup>nd</sup> Lt. Danny Suarez, he¡¯s a member of the CIA and FSB¡¯s joint operation on wiping out our members.¡±

    Coyote¡¯s eyes widened and quickly stood beside his best friend¡¯s unconscious body. ¡°Jaeger, I beg you, don¡¯t you dare do it¡±.

    ¡°Ignore his threat Omega Project patient 0311, This situation is at level Alpine information compromise. Eliminate the priority target¡±.

    ¡°Jaeger! You¡¯re a merc! You can choose your job! Betraying your friendly merc is just lower than society¡¯s trash!¡± Jaeger is just silent, standing looking like he¡¯s contemplating what he should do. Coyote was relieved for a moment, ¡°Jaeger, I know you¡¯re better than this. Killing your teammate is just-¡°. but his relief was shot down hard.

    5 unsuppressed gunshots were fired, missing Coyote by a millimetre, Jaeger whipped out his pistol faster than Coyote or Point could even react. His eyes were staring emptily towards 60K as if he was being hypnotized, emotionless even. His right hand was holding a .357 magnum semi-auto pistol which was smoking at the end of the barrel due to it being fired. On the back end of the cargo bay, the little girl, Alicia, was crying in fear as she never heard such a sound banging on her ears in her life before and seeing a dead body lying on the floor filled with a pool of blood terrifies her even more. Coyote¡¯s eyes went wide in horror, knowing what just happened, while Point was speechless.

    ¡°Good work Jaeger, as expected from you. That¡¯s one less loose end that we need to deal with. I¡¯ll be there shortly with a destroyer capital ship. Silver Alpha out.¡±

    Everyone was silent, Jaeger put his pistol back on his other holster and sat across 60K¡¯s dead body in the seat. Covering his face that has a look of regret he can¡¯t undo with his hands. Coyote slumped to the ground, crouching, in disbelief. To think 60K¡¯s death was tragic, too tragic to be thought of. He then looked at his friend one last time and whispered a thank you before he turned around and aimed his sidearm towards Jaeger, who knew what he was doing.

    ¡°Go on¡­ shoot me. I deserved it anyway.¡±

    ¡°Why did you shoot?¡±

    ¡°I-¡°

    ¡°WHY DID YOU SHOOT?!! WE WERE ON GOOD TERMS EARLIER UNTIL THAT BASTARD OF A FATHER OF YOURS CAME IN WITH THAT SICK ORDER! WHY JEAGER?! WHY?!!¡±

    ¡°I have no choice! I¡¯m an experimental human! I was gaslighted to be the perfect soldier! You thought you could resist a program that was f**king planted deep inside your subconsciousness!? HUH!? YOU THINK YOU¡¯RE THE ONLY ONE THAT¡¯S SUFFERING RIGHT NOW!!!?¡±

    The two bickered, calling names and such, and at a certain moment, Coyote shot his gun, nearly hitting Jaeger¡¯s head. ¡°I won¡¯t miss next time¡­¡±

    ¡°You should¡¯ve aimed for my head, b**ch¡­¡±

    Moments later, Jeanne¡¯s call returned and she was utterly surprised when she saw Coyote still pointing his pistol at Jaeger. ¡°What the hell happened just now? Why is 2<sup>nd</sup> Lt. 60K lying dead there?¡± she asks, looking towards Point since he¡¯s the witness and just standing between Jaeger and Coyote as the neutral one. The man pointed at the dead body across him which received an ¡°oh¡± from Jeanne.

    ¡°Is General August the one that hacked my call?¡±

    ¡°Yes ma¡¯am, he ordered Lt. Col Jaeger personally to¡­¡±

    She sighed, ¡°I did receive an order to capture anyone that¡¯s working with a certain nation¡¯s intelligence agency by the council and I was about to order you guys to apprehend Danny instead. But I guess the General is a bit too rough around moles¡­ anyway, try to stop the blood from spreading all over the floor, I don¡¯t want to see a rusted floor on the cargo bay. Those things are expensive to build¡±

    Jeanne ended the call, Coyote went back to his seat still in his resentful stare towards Jaeger. The flight back to their base proceeded smoothly, though, what was different was that everyone was silent after all of that happened.

 The Marquiséˆ¥æªš Request

    - The Kingdom of Apolyon¡¯s Airspace, 10km from Hornet¡¯s Nest-

    - 0550hrs, local time ¨C

    ¡°Tower to Alpha flight, runway 01 is clear. You¡¯re cleared to land¡±

    Said the control tower to the Pilots. The similar clear blue skies and clean scenery feasted their eyes on their journey home, they even turned on Autopilot mode just to enjoy the scenery with coffee and some snacks in the cockpit. However, as they were now on the approach route to the FOB, the captain turned off the autopilot and took over the controls again. It was a tiring mission, they had to stay awake in shifts to guard the Condor when the Alpha team were doing their mission back then. Even so, it is even more tiring for the Copilot since he has to do field surgery for one of the members of the fireteam. It¡¯s a good thing he trained himself to be a field medic beforehand, though, it¡¯s a useless effort since his patient was shot dead by his own squad leader.

    ¡°Jaeger is a bit cold, isn¡¯t he? I mean¡­ surely it¡¯s an order but damn¡­ to think he didn¡¯t hesitated at all¡± said the copilot, still enjoying his morning coffee.

    ¡°I don¡¯t know man, it¡¯s his issue, not ours. It¡¯s not like we can do anything about it at that time. It was the Silver Alpha¡¯s order, he can¡¯t say no to him¡±

    ¡°Fair enough- dude! a f**king bird!¡±

    ¡°Wait wha- OH SHI-!¡± the Pilot yanked the stick hard to the left, avoiding a bird strike by a millimetre. As the two sighed in relief at their quick save, the cockpit door suddenly burst open with Jaeger and his bleeding head, including an irritated look. ¡°For god''s sake, fly this thing properly you idiots!¡± he then slammed the door shut again.  The two looked at each other for a moment and back at the door.

    ¡°That was quite comical¡±

    ¡°Very, he probably forgot to use the harness again¡± and they shared a huge laughter for several minutes until they landed.

    On the tarmac, their transport craft opened its cargo bay, to the team¡¯s surprise, the ground crew who gathered there were more than they thought. It includes medical staff, maintenance, and some others who are part of Apolyon¡¯s military and were there for training. From afar, the Princess and the Prince are viewing them inside the hangar, far from the small crowd. Aurora had a concerned look on her face as she scanned the crowd to look for someone she started to hold dear.

    Conrad noticed this and tapped her shoulder, ¡°Sis, calm down, Your prince charming is fine remember? Remember what Countess Eoflora said?¡±

    ¡°That I shouldn¡¯t worry too much?¡±

    ¡°indeed! You''ve been like this in the past few days, it¡¯s quite worrisome!¡±

    ¡°I¡­ I¡¯m sorry for troubling you, Connie¡­¡± She looked down. Her brother always kept an eye on her behind her back to care for and protect her on every occasion and she felt quite guilty that he was not getting any rest in the past few days. She knew she was sometimes aloof with her surroundings when she was serious about something and when it happened, it troubles people around her sometimes. Conrad mellowed his expression, patting his older sister, ¡°It¡¯s okay, I¡¯m not troubled at all. I like my sister who always expresses herself even though she¡¯s very selective about the person she expresses herself to¡±

    Aurora¡¯s smile returned, ¡°I¡¯m glad that I have a brother like you¡±

    ¡°You flatter me, sis, ehehe. But anyway¡­ looks like we can see your prince now¡± Conrad pointed in the direction of the cargo bay where there was a man in full military gear and exoskeleton walking down with two more men outside the aircraft. But little do they know that the team still has some strife, especially between Coyote and Jaeger. Suddenly, Coyote started throwing fists at Jaeger out of the blue which Jaeger dodged and a fight broke out. The ground crew tried to separate them but since the two were using exoskeletons, even with the power of twenty or more people, they couldn¡¯t force them to calm down as they were too powerful.

    ¡°F**K YOU!¡± Coyote¡¯s cuss echoed throughout the now calm airfield. Seeing this, the concerned nobility siblings rushed towards the tarmac to try to stop them. By the time they arrived, they saw both Coyote and Jaeger pointing their gun at each other. Both of their eyes were bloodthirsty, eager to kill each other. However, now, they can¡¯t move as Jeanne steps in between their fight.

    ¡°Maj. Anderson, Lt. Col Wofenford, both of you are under detention until further orders. Ground crew! strip off their exoskeletons and confiscate their weapons! I don¡¯t want to have any more dead men in our time here!!¡± She sternly exclaimed as she walked away.

    Aurora & Conrad were utterly confused. Before the team went out, all of them were on good terms. Yet, as they returned, it was a complete 180 of their attitude between Conrad and Jaeger, though one of them didn¡¯t say a word and just stood there since he didn¡¯t want to get in between the two. As Jaeger and Coyote were handcuffed and escorted somewhere else after they stripped their exos off from them, the ground crew then started to do their work. To the siblings'' surprise, the ground crew carried out a body belonging to one of the Alpha team¡¯s members.

    Aurora covered her mouth in disbelief and sorrow, to think one of them would die in battle just pains her heart. ¡°Looks like they¡¯re still humans after all¡­ even Jaeger looks injured,¡± Remarked Conrad, staring at Jaeger¡¯s back slightly concerned.

    If you encounter this narrative on Amazon, note that it''s taken without the author''s consent. Report it.

    ¡°How did you know that?¡±

    ¡°his way of walking is off and there¡¯s a massive hole in the back of his clothing, though, I think he recovered quickly with something that we don¡¯t know¡­¡± As he looked back towards his sister, she was nowhere to be seen. He glanced left and right and saw her running, following the people who escorted Jaeger away ¡°AH- SISTER! WHERE ARE YOU GOING!¡± He then started running to keep up with her.

    A week has passed, and Jaeger was released from custody due to the need of him to be the centrepiece of the operation. However, he was thoroughly monitored by ABEL¡¯s council agents who were also onboard the Yukikaze. As he walks out of his room and walks down the hallway inside the ship, he¡¯s getting unfriendly stares from several of the crew that went past him.

    He didn¡¯t get bothered, maybe either because he already gotten used to that kind of treatment or he was very apathetic due to his biological enhancement back then. Then again, all he thinks of now is to head to the briefing room as per order from Jeanne. As he arrived, several people were already there, including Jeanne who was standing near the projected screen on a wall across the entrance of the room, crossing her arms, ¡°Took you long enough, Did your ribs and pelvis heal already?¡± she asked.

    ¡°It did, thanks for putting a medical bay in my room.¡±

    ¡°You can thank me later, Take a seat¡± Jeager sat beside someone whom he was newly acquainted with, the Marquis, whom he shook hands with as he sat. Jeanne then started the briefing as she switched the mode of the projection.

    ¡°Jaeger, this mission is requested by the Marquis personally. ABEL¡¯s mercenary council decided that you are to be reactivated for duty again.¡± She continued, switching the screen to show the current live footage on the FOB and nearby Apolyon military headquarters. ¡°As you know, both this nation and Earth have a significantly different way of fighting. Currently, the Marquis requested us to have his men undergo training by our standards but most of us aren¡¯t capable of training someone for our future operations, which is this;¡±

    She then showed several pictures of a prototype humanoid machine that¡¯s as tall as a human. ¡°This is an experimental droid that was in development several days ago, it is a joint development between ABEL and this kingdom.¡±

    She stopped for a moment, changing the projection, ¡°While you know most droids that we made use a superconducting thermal hybrid battery for its power source, it lacks the endurance for long period mission time which the current energy source could only have it work for only 5 hours then it needed to recharge its battery. But since we now have a technology share treaty, Apolyon¡¯s top researchers agreed to help us make a new type of droid powered by mana stones which in theory can have the droids operational for more than 5 months without recharging its energy supply.¡± She cleared her throat, as she looked straight at Jaeger.

    ¡°And here¡¯s the thing, we¡¯re going to have it to do live combat testing in 2 weeks since the Marquis will head out to the endless forest to check on the missing scouts that were in that forest.¡±

    ¡°And why am I related to this mission?¡±

    ¡°I want you to train his troops so they can handle modern weaponry we¡¯re going to give along while you escort the droid. Even if it got destroyed during combat, retrieving its data chip and inserting it into your later MFD, all of the data that was inside it will be sent straight to the main server.¡±

    ¡°So, I¡¯m like your insurance?¡±

    ¡°Technically speaking, yes.¡± He sighed and glanced back at her with a disinterested look. ¡°You cut my detention time just for this?¡±

    ¡°It wasn¡¯t me, it¡¯s the council¡¯s decision. They¡¯ll pay you up more than the last op.¡±

    Jaeger was silent for a moment, ¡°Fine, I¡¯ll do it. I¡¯m one of your cards to play anyway¡­¡±

    ¡°¡­ you¡¯re somehow easily bribed these days¡±

    ¡°I have something in mind to buy in the first place. I¡¯ll take whatever request even if it¡¯s this trivial¡±

    ¡°Whatever you say, Archie, further information will be further informed by the Marquis. Dismissed"

    Jeanne shut down the projector and left the room, leaving the two and some other members, which are the Marquis¡¯ escorts. Jordan then stood up, stretching up slightly. ¡°Well then, shall I brief you while we head towards the Forward Base or so that you people made?¡±

    The two then walked out of the room, followed by his escorts. It was rather silent on their way to the hangar bay, none of them dared to start any conversation as it was quite awkward, even Jordan, who was supposed to brief Jaeger about the next operation. He knew the young merc had a lot in mind as he had just coldly murdered his teammate in front of the others by someone whose name is [Silver Alpha] whom he doesn¡¯t know. The guilt was hard, he could feel it, even though he never had done such a thing in his life. ¡°What did this young lad had went through¡­¡± he thought in silence, looking at Jaeger that has an irked expression.

    The Marquis cleared his throat to gather Jaeger¡¯s attention, ¡°So, Young Wolfenford. I¡¯ll brief you on what is our objective there¡±, he then pulled out a small letter from his pocket. ¡°I received a message from our information department that the scout we sent towards the [Endless Forest] went missing. Their last received message was around four days ago. Our objective is to try to find out what happened to the scout unit and if possible¡­ save them or the very least.¡±

    ¡°And what about the training part that Jeanne mentioned?¡±

    ¡°Oh, right! My men weren¡¯t that accustomed to the weapons that your world lent us, such as the lightweight thing called ¡°rifle¡± and the similar. Most of the instructors here were slightly too¡­¡±

    ¡°Too what?¡±

    ¡°Too soft on them¡±

    ¡°ah¡­ I see why, bet they¡¯re still being awkward with your countrymen sir, It¡¯s quite common as they didn¡¯t want you all to hate us who came from another world.¡±

    The marquis stared at him with a rather unamused ¡°That¡¯s it??¡±.

    ¡°Pardon them if it doesn¡¯t suit your way of training, sir¡± Jaeger slightly bowed, still walking alongside Jordan. The marquis had a moment to think if he just said to the instructors that they were being too soft, his issue wouldn¡¯t be a problem. Then again, it¡¯s most likely that Jaeger would still be involved in the operation they will do later on whether he does that or not. The more he looked at how they worked, the more the Marquis realised that the job called [Mercenary] isn¡¯t great like Bounty Hunters or Adventurers as they seem to be¡­ ¡°disposable¡­¡±

    ¡°Pardon me?¡±

    ¡°Ah- no, nothing. I¡¯m just thinking about something¡± Jordan silently sighed as he dodged that one. Who knows how it might hurt his feelings if he knew what Jordan was thinking? Then again, Jaeger knew what the Marquis was thinking as he had this kind of situation once.

    BEEP BEEP

    Suddenly, Jaeger¡¯s phone rang and he quickly picked up the call. Though, a few moments later, he sighed, ¡°Are you serious? She¡¯s broke in again??¡±

 Bootcamp in another world

    - The Kingdom of Apolyon¡¯s Airspace, Several Km from Himeja Island ¨C

    - Yukikaze¡¯s internal cabins -

    - 0905hrs, local time ¨C

    On a calm morning when the crew should¡¯ve been checking on their post after cleaning the ship, a resounding sound of a crowd could be heard throughout the hallway near the cafeteria. Though, from afar, running steps echoed throughout one of the corridors, slowly getting louder every second. It was Jaeger, who¡¯s also with Jeanne who ran quickly to where their problem was currently frolicking.

    ¡°For f**k''s sake! How in the world she could even get into the ship this easily!? Not even thermal imaging from our security cameras could detect her!¡± exclaimed Jeanne in frustration as they turned around the corner.

    ¡°I don¡¯t f**king know! You¡¯re the brains in this ship!¡± retorted her brother who was looking at her who is starting to run out of breath. ¡°That aside, how many times has she teleported into our assets?¡±

    ¡°it¡¯s the 34<sup>th</sup> time if I counted correctly¡±.

    ¡°34 times!? In a span of a week!?¡±

    ¡°don¡¯t blame me! She got space-time bending powers! How are we supposed to stop her?! And she kept betting with the crews a lot that it spent most of our food reserves for a week every time she came!¡±

    Turning around another corner, they can see the cafeteria bustling with people, shouting in excitement as their troublemaker put more flames on the fire of her shenanigans.

    ¡°Aww come on boy~ can¡¯t believe you lost to this old lady~¡± she teasingly said as the guy who challenged her ran away dejectedly. ¡°Alright, who¡¯s next?!¡±

    The whole crowd cheered and nearly all of them raised their hands. Jaeger inconspicuously eavesdrops on a conversation in the crowd, from the sound of their conversation, it was the ones who lost to her, from their uniform, they¡¯re part of the gunnery crew. ¡°There goes your 50 bucks bro haha!¡±.

    ¡°Damnit! How many stomachs does she have?!¡±

    ¡°For real¡­ that aside, is it worth the shot hmm?¡±

    The guy smirked at his friend, ¡°You bet, damn she¡¯s quite a mommy. I feel oddly good to be teased by her¡±. right after that comment, Jaeger patted both of their shoulders.

    ¡°So you wanted to get humiliated by someone¡¯s mom huh? ya¡¯ f**king degenerates¡­¡± The two had shivers down their spine, scared of what will going to happen next. Yet, Jaeger let it slide after they apologized and ran away. he sighed and glanced back at the centrepiece of the crowd, walking straight towards Christina.

    All of their fun was stopped as someone exclaimed ¡°Commander on deck!¡± and frantically stepped away from Christina. Both Achiles and Jeanne crossed their arms having an irritated look painted all over their face. ¡°Having fun?¡± he said in a way similar to someone who¡¯s about to scold, well¡­ in this case, literally.

    ¡°Oh hey Achilles, Jeanne, what uhhh¡­ brings you here?¡± Christina let out a chuckle, a nervous one. obviously, it¡¯s because she knows what¡¯s about to happen next. ¡°On second thought¡­ I think I know why¡­¡±

    Jeanne cleared her throat, ¡°Look here my dearest mother that I just know, this ship has limited supplies and what you¡¯re doing is just decreasing our food stockpile. So please, for the last damn time¡­ DO NOT TRY TO ATTEMPT AN EATING COMPETITION ON TODAY¡¯S CAFETERIA SPECIAL! AGAIN!!... Ehem¡­ That¡¯s all¡±

    That left quite an impression on Christina, who sat there dumbfounded. ¡°Ah and additional note, do not even try to make a betting challenge on this ship.¡± Jeanne then glances around towards the crew, ¡°That includes y¡¯all dumbasses too! get back to your posts!!¡±

    ¡°YES MA¡¯AM!¡± they quickly scrambled and ran towards their assigned position whilst Jeanne dragged Christina out. ¡°Now my dearest mother¡­ you¡¯re coming with me~ we have an important ¡°chat¡± to do~¡±

    ¡°Eek!! Achilles! Help me out here!¡± the merc turned a blind eye as she was dragged by the angry commander away, though, before Jeanne left the cafeteria, she looked behind her shoulder towards him. ¡°Lt. Colonel, the marquis is waiting in the hangar bay two, get moving¡±.

    Leaving Jeager behind, he quickly walked away from the room and headed where the hangar was located. His walk there took a while, even with the assistance of rapid-moving walkways since the ship was extremely massive for its class. On the way, he kept thinking about a certain thing that still troubled him to this day.

    ¡°¡­ a lot of things happened again huh¡­ I need to not make more enemies here and¡­ stop doing such¡­.¡± He shook his head, shrugging these new memories that would haunt him again soon. He got used to those kinds of scenes, having himself betray his comrades as ordered by his higher-ups, committing atrocities that he never wanted to do, and many more. it¡¯s part of his job as a no-ordinary mercenary. Still, deep inside he wanted to let go of this sort of life, but to this day, he still can¡¯t find a way to do so.

    Soon enough, he saw the Marquis, who was standing near the transport that would fly them back to the capital as it was spooling up. After a small greeting, they both went inside the cargo bay and strapped themselves with the reinforced harness as the craft was being connected to one of the side catapults of the ship. Jaeger, who sat across from his guest/employer, noticed that the marquis closed his eyes and gripped the harness hard. ¡°Sir, are you okay?¡±

    ¡°ah- I¡­ yes. Though, I¡¯m still not accustomed to riding this flying carriage which¡­¡±

    ¡°Flew from 0 to Mach Jesus under 3 seconds? Yeah, I got used to it after two weeks of training so it¡¯s quite relatable¡±. The marquis let out a small chuckle at his remark. ¡°That was quite hilarious of you young Wolfenford. Who would''ve thought that someone like you could jest- WOAHH-!¡±

    The transport suddenly catapulted itself without warning from the pilots, startling the passengers. As the rattles stopped when the aircraft flew in a stable flight path, Jaeger opened his harness and headed to the cockpit. Jordan could hear his friend¡¯s son blabbering about how they should¡¯ve warned them about the take-off down in the cargo bay, he let out a small laugh at how young yet intriguing fellow Jaeger was as he never heard a military superior sternly yet jokingly reminded his subordinates about their blunder in his life before. This story has been unlawfully obtained without the author''s consent. Report any appearances on Amazon.

    ¡°my days kept getting interesting since her son came haha¡­ if only my son¡­¡± Shrugging his thoughts off, Jordan glanced to his right through the window, admiring the view from the skies. Hoping to forget what he just tried to recollect.

    It didn¡¯t take long for them to reach Hornet¡¯s Nest. they then took a small walk across the main base, which is a training ground specifically made for the coalition where both Apolyon and ABEL¡¯s troops were exchanging ways of their style of combat. after they reached the training ground, Jaeger took Jordan around the elevated catwalks circling above the training ground, viewing the training which is happening inside the CQB shoothouse which they made out of plywood, yet, had no ceiling so the trainers could see clearly what was happening inside without participating. ringing of training rounds that were fired.

    ¡°RESET! RESET! That was a s**t entry!¡± the drill sergeant angrily exclaimed, particularly on the group which is on the farthest side of the shoothouse. ¡°I told you for the last time, do not breach in with your earth magic! you might collapse the whole building instead if its in a combat situation!¡±

    With a grunt, the trainee threw the previously provided helmet to the ground. "This is absurd! It''s simpler to storm this basic dwelling with magic!¡± The trainee responded, "Why do we even need to do this!?" and was quickly called back when Jaeger intervened just as the instructor was ready to say something else.

    ¡°Have you thought of the consequences of your actions when you tried to use the magic that you were using?¡± the trainee tilted his head, confused. ¡°using an attack with that scale, will jeopardise the mission, killing both your teammates and any possible civilians inside. I don¡¯t care much if you¡¯re a mercenary like me but you¡¯re a soldier tied with a nation, and your actions may sully your nation¡¯s name for doing so¡±

    ¡°why do we even need to be so discreet!? we hate those Nelimista pigs! they tortured and killed our family even when they begged for mercy, then we also should do the same!¡±, Jaeger maintained his posture; the trainee''s words struck him differently. around said trainee, their comrades roared in agreement.

    The drill instructor rolled his eyes as he approached Jaeger and the Marquis, "damnit, this is why it''s hard to train them, they don''t have any rules of engagement, primitive war mentality is still engraved in their doctrine¡­"

    ¡°say, what¡¯s your name again?¡±

    the drill instructor saluted at him, ¡°Owen sir! Sergeant Owen!¡±. the merc saluted back and patted his shoulder after he did. ¡°I¡¯ll handle this session for once, gotta give ¡®em a harsh reality of war¡± He then looked behind his left shoulder to the Marquis, ¡°It¡¯s fine for me to train them roughly right? Sir Jordan?¡±

    the man in question nodded, ¡°It is true that I said so beforehand¡± Jaeger then turned around, after patting the Sergeant''s shoulders again, ¡°Permission to leave your side, sir¡±

    Jordan knew what he was up to and chuckled, ¡°Granted¡±.  the Sergeant, on the other hand, wasn¡¯t really into the idea, ¡°Lieutenant Colonel! sir!¡±

    ¡°It¡¯ll be fine mate, I¡¯ll be back later." Jaeger waved as he left them, walking down the catwalk and into the nearby training armoury, grabbing some equipment. As soon as he finished gearing up, he walked into the training ground and headed to the trainee who spoke up, who was being surrounded by his comrades. They saw Jaeger approach them and turn their attention towards him, giving him a slightly annoyed look.

    ¡°listen up people! I give you a point about how you all wanted to kick the enemy¡¯s ass due to how they ruined your nation. but all of you are too green! none of you have even fought in combat! hence why, I¡¯ll give you a proposal¡­¡±

    the trainees looked at each other confused, ¡°We play a game, if all of you can defeat me and three more people from our group, we¡¯ll go your way, neglecting safety and using magic, yet, you will still train with our advanced weapons. if you lose, we¡¯ll go our way, drilled with a new set of rules of war. how¡¯s that sound?¡±

    ¡°four against twenty? are you insane or what?¡±

    ¡°I¡¯m insane enough to go deep behind enemy lines alone though¡± Jaeger smugged at them, taunting the trainees who took his bait. ¡°then prove it to us if you¡¯re oh so powerful!¡±

    from afar at the catwalk, the Sgt. Owen sighed, to think Jaeger would do something childish just to change their mind is quite mindboggling for him. On the other hand, the Marquis simply was curious about how his men fare against Jaeger, and since they¡¯re on an equal footing in terms of weaponry they were given, it made him even more curious.

    right after Jaeger dragged some unknowing mercs about the situation with him, they then were guided towards the nearby woods by the Marquis as he knew the area nearby was fairly safe for them to do their friendly match.

    the two teams were separated far, as to not have a quick battle. Jaeger then opened up his comms and talked in the general comms frequency ¡°The rules are simple, tag each of your opponents with the paint ammo you shot. magic is allowed but you are not to use it to kill. may the victor, be justice¡± Jaeger cut his comms and switched to his team¡¯s frequency channel. looking behind his shoulders, he can see how eager his team were to try fighting the otherworldly soldiers. ¡°Sir, about paying us drinks after this is over¡­¡±

    ¡°yeah, yeah, i know, Y¡¯all drinks are on me if we win¡±

    ¡°HELL YEAH!!¡± all of them cheered and loaded their training rifles. it was a modified VHS-2 rifle which can fire training paint rounds which are very safe, though retained their similarities of firing 63 grain 5.56mm NATO armour piercing rounds. how those ammo were made were somewhat classified due to how it was tied to ABEL¡¯s spec ops mercenary team training.

    ¡°Time to hunt¡­¡±

    - meanwhile, on the other side of the woods -

    ¡°so¡­ any plans, Captain Irvine?¡± asks one of the Apollyon trainees, checking the surroundings as they all moved in a line formation forward towards the southwest, where Jaeger and his team''s starting location is at. the person mentioned is the one who put up the tantrum earlier. scratching his head, he looked back at his comrade. ¡°some of us can demonize into a harpy, i assume? since they gave us a way to communicate easier, send out some to scout from above while we slowly proceed, and as they saw one of them, we split into three groups, flanking and surrounding them with numbers.¡±

    ¡°Understood¡±

    three of them then transformed themselves into Harpies, slinging their weapons on the back and swiftly flying up above the trees. the others then proceeded as planned, splitting into three groups while the main group had far more concentrated firepower. ¡°to victory!¡±

    they roared as soon the captain let out his battle cry and charged straight into the middle of the woods. meanwhile, up above, the Harpies were having a rough time trying to maintain altitude and due to the lush trees, they could barely see where Jaeger and his team were.

    ¡°any sign of them?¡± one of them asks, squinting his eyes as he scans down the woods. his wingman shook his head, ¡°No, I can barely see through the thick trees. though, the wind is quite nice today¡±

    ¡°Hey, we¡¯re in the middle of training, not some sightseeing bud¡± the third Harpy remarked, maintaining a bigger distance from the two. ¡°additionally, we don¡¯t know how Count Eoflora¡¯s son fights, you know¡­ it¡¯s not funny to get attacked while flying like this¡±

    The other two nodded, and then, just right after, a spray of training bullets suddenly struck them from underneath the lush treetops, painting their bodies and wings with blue paint. They fell to the ground but were saved by their opposing team. One of Jaeger¡¯s men chuckled as they caught and set the fallen Harpies down, who now transformed back into their human state.

    ¡°We got three of ¡®em boss, skeet shooting wasn¡¯t part of the training wasn¡¯t it?¡± The others laughed lightly at his joke, while the unamused Jaeger rolled his eyes. ¡°Yeah, yeah, good comms you got earlier, good thing fourth gen thermals can ignore the sun¡¯s heat or we would¡¯ve been spotted earlier¡±

    Jaeger then patted the trainee and gestured that the three should walk back to the ¡°deadman¡¯s¡± rendezvous and resting point. ¡°Your captain¡¯s intuition was quite great, though it¡¯s still quite a textbook move. You¡¯ll see the difference in tactics and adaptability of both sides there via drone footage¡±

    As the three nodded and left them, Jaeger turned around to his squad, grinning slightly devilish as he loaded a fresh magazine onto his training rifle. ¡°check mags boys, the party is just getting started!¡±

 Struggles of Ones Heart

    - 1.5km East from Hornets¡¯ Nest, nearby woods ¨C

    - 1125hrs, local time ¨C

    The calm breeze rustled through the gentle, yet dense, woods. The clear blue skies attempted to shine through the lush treetops which are filled with various trees that are different from the ones on Earth yet similar in such green scenery. However, underneath said lush woods, a bunch of armed men are trying to find cover between bushes and the trees. Some of them were screaming as they feared the training bullets whizzing above and beside their heads and how they didn¡¯t know where the shots were coming from. One of them covered their heads with both of her hands beside the bushes she was hiding in, while her leader who was hiding behind a tree looked confused as well. Even if he tried to peek, a near-precise shot would hit the tree he was covering behind, putting the pressure even further on them.

    ¡°Captain! What do we do?! I can¡¯t see where they¡¯re shooting from!¡± exclaimed the girl in armour. She tried again using the gadget that was handed to them as a form of alliance between nations, trying to scan the surroundings with the thermal camera mounted on her helmet but to no avail. She could barely see any of their opposition. ¡°Even this heat-detecting equipment could not detect them! Should we retreat?!!¡±

    ¡°Even if we retreat, where should we go?! When our heads slightly out of our cover they¡¯d immediately fire at us!¡±

    Knowing the dire situation, the girl told her comrade beside her to help her chant a stone wall wide enough to cover their retreat. The two then quickly cast a spell to conjure a stone wall and she exclaimed in a hurry, ¡°Everyone! Fall back! We¡¯re going to get surrounded if we stay here!¡±

    All of them agreed and even their captain, falling back near to where they started their simulated combat training. They¡¯re low on morale as they¡¯d never expect out of twenty that were in their group, only six remaining. Most of them started to know the fear of getting shot and dying, even if they were using paint rounds.

    ¡°Damnit! How did it become like this!¡±

    - Hornets¡¯ Nest¡¯s Training Command Center, Ops room ¨C

    - 30 minutes earlier ¨C

    ¡°Ohh!!! The Harpy recon team was completely shot down from the skies!! How would the Trainees react to this?! It seemed that they weren¡¯t prepared for anti-air tactics! Will they keep the numerical advantage? Let¡¯s find out!¡±

    The news of a platoon of twenty Apollyon regulars being tested personally by ABEL¡¯s top operatives spread like wildfire. Jeanne, who took the opportunity, started streaming their training by using drones and UAVs and commenting on the training as if it were a World Cup football match. Currently inside the Operation room, aside from Jeanne commentating on the training, the Marquis and the curious princess and prince were also present, invested in how the battle unfolds. Aurora, in particular, was transfixed¡ªher eyes following how Jaeger gradually shifted the battle¡¯s balance, each move confirming his efficiency.

    ¡°So, this is how Jaeger fights¡­ It seemed very¡­ efficient¡± Aurora¡¯s awestruck expression didn¡¯t go unnoticed by Jeanne, who added as she looked behind her left shoulder, ¡°This is just the surface of it, aside from being efficient, he¡¯s much more cunning and ruthless than you¡¯d think¡±

    Aside from them being lively about the training, the Ops room was cluttered with scattered electronics¡ªJeanne and her engineering team hadn¡¯t yet fully assembled all the command systems. Fortunately, the air conditioners were running, keeping the room surprisingly comfortable in the midst of the jam-packed room.

    Jeanne then kept on commenting cheerfully as there were movements from the participants, ¡°Oh! Looks like Jaeger¡¯s team is advancing! From the looks of it, one of ¡®em stayed behind! Your Highness Prince Conrad, what are your comments on this turn of events?¡±

    Conrad, who was unaware due to how he was immersed, suddenly had a mic being shoved near his mouth by her and was offered a seat beside Jeanne. The prince got confused and stumbled around his words. ¡°I uhm¡­ wouldn¡¯t- I mean, I have no idea how this since I am quite not sure about the difference in style of combat much.¡±

    ¡°Excuse for my rudeness but aren¡¯t you also being taught¡­ ya know¡­art of war?¡±

    Conrad chuckles, ¡°No need to be too formal, a family of my friend is also a friend of mine.  Also¡­ yeaaaa¡­ about that¡­¡± he nervously looked away as he chuckled awkwardly. The crowd around let out a burst of small laughter, including Jordan. ¡°Maybe you should¡¯ve not skipped those classes, your highness,¡± said Jordan.

    As the live feed continued, the energy on stream surged as Jaeger¡¯s team slowly chipped away the trainee¡¯s numerical advantage throughout the combat training, by splitting their team into a backline recon using infantry deployable drones while the remaining three went on the assault in an arrowhead formation while utilizing optical-thermal camouflage. The trainees, inexperienced in real combat, were quickly overwhelmed by the coordinated tactics. After thirty minutes of engagement, Jaeger¡¯s team tried to chase the remaining trainees down and now only the girl who had initiated the retreat and her comrade that helped her earlier remained.

    Back on the battlefield, exhaustion etched on their faces, the girl and her friend darted between trees and underbrush, desperate to secure cover and outflank the enemy. But to no avail, they were getting pressed back way too much. ¡°Darn it¡­ should we just surrender?¡± asked the man.

    His heavily breathing friend looked at him while she wiped a drench of sweat from her nape, calming down. ¡°we¡¯re very much out of options, aren¡¯t we?¡±. He nodded in reply, and he received a sigh of defeat from the girl instead. She then grabbed a white cloth out from one of her pouches and tied it to her rifle which her comrade followed suit. But as they were about to surrender, one of Jaeger¡¯s teammates appeared out of nowhere as he disabled his optical camouflage, pointing a rifle at them and noticing the white flag on their rifle.

    ¡°Oh, you guys were about to surrender?¡± the two nodded in unison, Then, breaking the tension, the mercenary exclaimed, ¡°HELL YEAH!! I GOT THE MOST CONFIRMED KILLS! Time to grab that seventy-year-old wine!¡±

    As he was gleefully cheered, the others also disabled their optical camouflage as well, along with Jaeger who shook his head in amusement, ¡°You guys seriously will do anything if it¡¯s a bet huh¡­¡± he quipped.

    ¡°Hell f**king yeah we do!¡±  Jaeger¡¯s teammates roared in unison, lifting their rifles into the air. Cheers of ¡°Free drinks!¡± echoed as they made their way back to base, their voices gradually fading into the distance. Left behind along with the two trainees, Jaeger turned to them and extended his hand. ¡°Shall we go?¡±

    The two hesitated, exchanging uncertain glances, but eventually accepted his offer. With a firm grip, Jaeger helped them stand up, they brushed off the dirt off their armour and clothes after. ¡°Impressive. The fact that you both held out this long means you¡¯ve got solid instincts¡ªsomething you¡¯ll need to survive in combat.¡±Unauthorized content usage: if you discover this narrative on Amazon, report the violation.

    The trainees blinked, taken aback by the unexpected praise. The girl hesitated before replying, ¡°Y-your words are much appreciated, sire¡­ but¡ª¡±

    ¡°Losing is part of learning as well, you¡¯ll get better later¡± Jaeger patted her shoulder, giving a subtle reassuring smile underneath his serious stare. ¡°Again, holding out this long is very impressive¡­. Say, what are your names?¡±

    The girl removed her helmet, letting her shoulder-length brown hair fall naturally, a hairpin securing the left side of her bangs. ¡°Katherine,¡± she said, standing a little straighter. ¡°A knight in training.¡± Jaeger¡¯s gaze briefly scanned her posture, armour, and build, mentally noting that she seemed around sixteen or seventeen.

    Her companion followed suit, removing his helmet and running a hand through his short hair, pushing his bangs back. ¡°Edgar,¡± he introduced himself. ¡°Knight in training as well¡ªbut two batches ahead of Katherine, in a sense, I¡¯m her senior.¡±

    ¡°Nice to meet you both, and oh¡­ That reminds me, do you want a recommendation on special operation training? Kind of a waste of talent for you both to be stuck with regular training. I thought about it as we do this quote on quote, combat exercise¡±

    Again, the two exchanged glances, not knowing what he meant, ¡°Special operation? What is that? A different form of unit?¡± Katherine remarked. He knew the kingdom had a shadow unit operating directly under the king, but the fact that these two had never even heard of them was surprising. ¡°I¡¯ll explain along the way¡± he added and guided them back to the FOB.

    Their walk back to the FOB was filled with conversation, the young knights peppering him with questions about the world of covert operations. Now and then, they commented on how such tactics seemed dishonourable, a sentiment Jaeger expected. He didn¡¯t mind their opinions¡ªthey always have a different kind of warfare. By the time they neared the base, the initial stiffness between them had faded. Whether they realized it or not, they started to respect him.

    ¡°So in a sense¡­ Special Operation is like reconnaissance but we¡¯re tasked with doing specific things instead? Am I right?¡± said Kathrine, trying to grasp the explanation, on which she received a chuckle from Jaeger, ¡°Not entirely wrong, but not quite right either. Special operations require absolute secrecy. More than just gathering intelligence, you¡¯ll be tasked with high-risk missions where failure isn¡¯t an option.¡±

    The two nodded, absorbing the information thoroughly. Curiosity sparked in their eyes as they exchanged glances before turning back to Jaeger. ¡°So¡­ what exactly does special operations training involve?¡± Katherine asked. ¡°Is it different from our knight training?¡±

    Jaeger smirked. ¡°Different? Oh ho ho~ absolutely. It¡¯s gruelling as hell.¡±

    Edgar raised an eyebrow. ¡°How¡­ gruelling, exactly?¡±

    ¡°Well, for starters, you¡¯ll be running for hours on end with gear heavier than what you¡¯re wearing now. You¡¯ll train in complete darkness, be forced to go without sleep for days even and push past exhaustion until your body feels like it¡¯s breaking apart. OH! And there¡¯s this thing where you need to train to swim while being handcuffed, that¡¯s one of the fun parts. My favourite part of the training is being tossed out of an aircraft and forced to swim back to shore with my legs tied. Just for you to reign supreme during operations far away behind enemy lines to kill anything like...¡± He paused, pointing at his head with his index finger, ¡°their strategical defensive weak point, their logistics, their chain of command or even the leader themselves.¡±

    Katherine blinked, utterly surprised. ¡°That¡­ sounds excessive.¡± While beside her, Edgar swallowed hard. ¡°You¡¯re joking¡­ right?¡±

    Jaeger smirked, ¡°do you think I¡¯m joking about it? I mean¡­ c¡¯mon guys, I bloody beat your asses out, didn¡¯t I?¡±

    The two knights looked at each other, both dumbfounded and slightly intimidated. Yet, beneath the shock, there was a flicker of intrigue.

    As they reached the gates, their platoon erupted into cheers, hailing them for surviving the longest. Before heading off, Katherine and Edgar turned back to Jaeger, offering him a brief bow¡ªa silent acknowledgement of his guidance.

    ¡°We¡¯ll¡­ think about it,¡± Katherine muttered before following the others, waving at her friends as she trotted towards them. Jaeger exhaled, about to turn away when something caught his eye.

    From within the crowd gathered, he spotted Aurora. He hadn¡¯t expected to see her here, standing with an air of quiet patience, as if she¡¯d been waiting for someone. For a moment, she played her usual role, the ever-graceful princess¡ªoffering warm waves and words of encouragement to the knights in training. But the moment her gaze landed on Jaeger; her poised expression softened into something else entirely.

    Her polite, practised smile melted into something sweeter, more genuine. With a small, almost eager wave, she made her way toward him. ¡°I see you¡¯ve gotten acquainted with some of the knights you fought against. How were they?¡± she asked, maintaining her regal tone.

    Jaeger shrugged. ¡°Eh, most of them are too impulsive and way too overconfident¡ªespecially that captain of theirs. But those two earlier? I wouldn¡¯t mind having them under my command. Holding out that long was impressive.¡± He paused, then raised an eyebrow. ¡°What about you? What are you doing here?¡±

    She chuckled whilst covering her mouth with her delicate fingers, ¡°Oh? You¡¯re saying I can¡¯t be here to see my subject¡¯s new kind of military training?¡±

    ¡°I-I wasn¡¯t saying it like that, but more importantly¡­¡± Jaeger sighed, rubbing the back of his neck. But before he could continue, he noticed the way everyone around them was staring¡ªsome whispering, others blatantly gawking. His temporary teammates were the worst, breaking into smug grins as they let out teasing whistles, clearly enjoying the sight of the notorious mercenary acting way gentler around the princess.

    Jaeger clicked his tongue. ¡°Yeah, I think we should move¡ªsince there are some¡ª¡± he shot a glare at his teammates ¡°¡ªdumbasses here who don¡¯t know when to shut the hell up about someone¡¯s relationship!¡±

    ¡°Chill, boss! We ain¡¯t ruining your after-work date! Haha!¡± one of them called out, earning a round of snickers from the others.

    Jaeger sighed, running a hand down his face in disbelief. [These idiots¡­] Meanwhile, Aurora¡ªwho had been composed just moments ago¡ªwas suddenly turning red, her face heating up with every teasing remark. Without another word, Jaeger grabbed her hand¡ªnot rough, but firm enough to leave no room for argument¡ªand dragged her away from the crowd, heading straight inside the base.

    As they walked, Jaeger slowed his pace, ensuring she wouldn¡¯t trip, until they were moving side by side.

    ¡°No, like¡­ seriously, Your Highness,¡± he muttered, casting her a sideways glance. ¡°You¡¯ve been trying to get close to me a lot. I know you said I could rely on you, but¡­ you¡¯ve seen how I¡­¡±

    He stopped, his words trailing off. He didn¡¯t want to bring up the incident on the tarmac.

    Aurora, however, remained steady¡ªboth in step and in demeanour. Her voice was soft yet unwavering. ¡°Truthfully, my dear friend, I don¡¯t fully understand what happened a week ago¡­ when you had that ordeal with your party, and I know¡­ you¡¯re hurting right now, and I don¡¯t mind lending an ear.¡±

    ¡°Are you for real? It¡¯s not going to be a pleasant story though¡­¡±

    Aurora didn¡¯t flinch. Instead, she met his gaze head-on, her gentle emerald eyes full of sympathy. Something about that look chipped away at his walls, and he let out a slow sigh. ¡°Does His Majesty know you¡¯re here?¡±

    Aurora¡¯s lips curled into an amused smile. ¡°Are you trying to avert the subject, Jaeger?~¡± He exhaled through his nose, shaking his head knowing how she saw through him. ¡°You¡¯re sharp as ever, huh?¡±

    Aurora giggled, clearly enjoying their conversation as they continued through the base. Along the way, personnel from both ABEL and Apollyon¡¯s forces greeted her with respectful waves, not just out of duty to her royal status, but in recognition of the grace and kindness she had shown toward them. She returned each greeting effortlessly, occasionally stopping to exchange a few words about the ongoing technology exchange.

    Jaeger watched in quiet observation. The way she carried herself¡ªpoised yet approachable, regal yet sincere¡ªleft an impression on him. She never let formality create distance, speaking to soldiers, crew members, and even young knights with the same warmth and attentiveness. Her unwavering support for their efforts was unmistakable, and without realizing it, Jaeger found himself respecting her more than before.

    Once they reached a quieter area, away from the crowds, Jaeger finally broke the silence. ¡°Say, I heard from some of the guys around your castle, that you were this ¡­ [Hidden flower], He glanced at her. ¡°Did something change? ¡®Cause, well¡­ you know¡­ I didn¡¯t know what was happening outside my room during my arrest.¡±

    But instead of answering seriously, Aurora¡¯s expression shifted. Her eyes sparkled with mischief, and her smile curled into something teasing. Tilting her head slightly, her silver-blue gradient hair cascaded over her shoulder as she placed a delicate finger to her lips.

    ¡°That¡¯s a lady¡¯s secret~¡± she cooed playfully, her voice lilting with amusement whilst the mercenary groaned. ¡°Ugh¡­ dammit. You learned that from my mother, didn¡¯t you?¡±

    Aurora giggled. ¡°Who knows?~¡± She stepped a little closer, her gaze holding his with quiet curiosity. ¡°Though¡­ are you going to tell me what really happened back then, Achilles? Or are you going to keep dodging?¡±

 Scars of Ones Heart

    - Hornets¡¯ Nest¡¯s Officer Guest Quarters¨C

    - 1145hrs, local time ¨C

    ¡°Are you going to tell me what really happened back then, Achilles? Or are you going to keep dodging?¡± Aurora stopped momentarily, straightening her posture as her expression softened. ¡°You don¡¯t have to keep it to yourself¡­ As I said before, just let your feelings out, I¡¯m here for you.¡±

    Her voice wasn¡¯t demanding¡ªif anything, it was filled with quiet sympathy. And yet, those words grated against Jaeger¡¯s ears. He¡¯d heard them before. A long time ago. And they still irritated him just the same. Then, without warning, the memories surged back. A sharp pain shot through his skull, and before he could stop it, tears slipped down his face. He wasn¡¯t sobbing¡ªnot even close¡ªbut his body betrayed him, reacting to a trauma he thought he¡¯d buried long ago.

    ¡°A-Achilles!? A-are you okay?¡± Aurora¡¯s voice wavered as she reached out, placing a gentle hand on his shoulder. Jaeger lowered his head, hiding his tears as he sank onto a nearby seat, gripping his knees to steady himself. ¡°I¡­ I¡¯m fine, it¡¯s just one of my PTSD acting up¡­¡±

    Aurora hesitated, confusion flickering across her face. ¡°Pardon? Pee-tee-es-dee¡­?¡± Jaeger took a slow breath, pushing past the lingering pain as he stood back up. His expression remained composed, but a trace of sorrow lingered in his gaze.

    ¡°It¡¯s another word for trauma¡­ Do you really want to know? About what happened before we got back to base?¡±

    Aurora nodded but hesitated, her voice quieter now. ¡°Yes, and¡­¡± She paused, gripping the folds of her skirt. ¡°That trauma of yours as well.¡±

    Jaeger¡¯s jaw tightened. His voice was firm, leaving no room for argument. ¡°Aurora¡­ sorry, but that¡¯s where I¡¯m drawing the line.¡± The sharpness in his tone made the gentle lady flinch. She had never seen him look at her like that before¡ªcold, unyielding, almost piercing and very distant.

    ¡°A-apologies¡­ I didn¡¯t mean to¡­¡± Her voice wavered as she dropped her gaze to the ground, shrinking slightly under the weight of his stare. The silence between them was suffocating. For Aurora, it was heart-wrenching.

    She had overcome her once-isolated self in just a matter of a week because of Jaeger¡ªher saviour, her source of admiration. His bravery, assertiveness, and relentless pursuit of truth inspired her. She knew he had suffered as she glimpsed into his past when she tapped into his memories through her spell. But she had never realized just how deeply that pain still consumed him.

    Even under the weight of his cold stare, Aurora did not waver. She steadied herself, lifting her chin with quiet determination, a reassuring look gracing her goddess-like features.

    ¡°Then¡­ I shall wait. For the day when you can share the pain that has scarred you so deeply.¡±

    She smiled, and he was not immune to it. It was warm, genuine, and filled with a quiet understanding¡ªa kind of care that made even the cold-blooded mercenary¡¯s defences falter, if only slightly.

    Jaeger exhaled, shaking his head. ¡°You really are persistent, huh¡­?¡±

    Aurora giggled, a touch of playful pride in her voice. ¡°Hey, I am a scholar as well, just so you know! Pursuing knowledge is what I love most. A trivial matter like this will not deter me~¡±

    He sighed, the familiarity of her words stirring a long-buried memory. ¡°You also learned that from my mother, huh?¡±

    Her laughter was soft, almost angelic, carrying the warmth of someone truly at peace. ¡°But of course. As Countess Christina¡¯s pupil, it is only natural that my way of thought mirrors hers.¡±

    Jaeger rolled his eyes, the cold edge in his gaze now completely gone. ¡°Whatever you say, buddy¡­ Anyway, let¡¯s talk in my room. The incident on the tarmac is confidential, after all.¡±

    His casual invitation caught Aurora completely off guard. ¡°Wh¡ªhuh¡ªWHA¡ª?! Y-Your room!?¡± she blurted out, eyes wide in shock.

    To her embarrassment, she had never been inside a man¡¯s room before¡ªaside from her father¡¯s, and that was only for quiet tea gatherings. But now, Jaeger, of all people, was inviting her into his personal space? Her mind spiralled into a flustered panic.

    Jaeger, however, remained utterly oblivious to her reaction. He raised an eyebrow as she fidgeted in place, her gaze darting everywhere as if searching for an escape. ¡°The hell are you freaking out about?¡± he asked, raising an eyebrow

    ¡°N-nothing! I-¡°

    ¡°Well if it¡¯s nothing, follow me then¡± And just like that, she had no choice but to trail after him. As they walked through the building, Aurora kept her head down, staring at the hem of her skirt and the floor beneath her feet. She tried desperately to hide her blush from the passing soldiers and staff.

    ¡°Ughhh¡­ this man¡­ Does he not realize that inviting a lady into his room is very much¡ª¡±

    The unfinished thought sent her mind racing with far too many possibilities. Her blush deepened, spreading across her cheeks as she hurried her steps, trying not to let her imagination get the best of her. With each step they took and the silence that hung between them, her fluster only grew more intense.

    As they approached his room¡ªa design reminiscent of those in Yukikaze, with two diagonally sliding automated panels¡ªJaeger broke the silence. As the door slid open, he gestured inside. ¡°It ain¡¯t majestic as your room though make yourself comfortable.¡±

    Stepping in, Aurora took in the room as Jaeger pressed a panel just past the doorframe, activating the lighting. A blend of soft white and warm yellow fluorescent lights filled the space, creating an inviting atmosphere.

    His quarters were spacious yet functional, reflecting his high-ranking military status without excess luxury. Near the bed stood a weapon rack and a gunsmith¡¯s workbench, evidence of his meticulous nature. Across the room, a work desk housed an unfamiliar device¡ªa larger version of the wrist-mounted MFD from his exoskeleton.

    To the right of the entrance, a compact yet cozy guest area featured two sofas facing each other with a sleek table in between. Further in, near the seating area, was a compact kitchen, equipped with strange, foreign-looking appliances that Aurora didn¡¯t recognize. The entire space carried a minimalist yet futuristic industrial aesthetic, mirroring Jaeger¡¯s no-nonsense personality and profession.

    With quiet grace, Aurora sat on the sofa facing the inner side of the room, hands clasped over her skirt as she waited for him to join her. Despite her best efforts, a hint of shyness lingered in her posture. Jaeger, noticing her hesitation, raised an eyebrow. ¡°I was about to show you footage of what happened, you know? I¡¯d rather not say it out loud.¡±

    Without waiting for a response, he moved to his work desk, unfolding a spare chair for himself before casually patting the more comfortable work chair beside him. ¡°Sit here. It¡¯ll be easier to see.¡±

    She nodded and slowly approached him, settling into the chair beside him. As she sat, the screen flickered to life, glowing softly as Jaeger pressed a key on the keyboard. He adjusted the monitor slightly, angling it so she could see. A video player window opened, displaying footage from his helmet camera.

    The recording began at a tense moment¡ªJaeger locked in combat with a towering, ominous tree-like creature. Aurora¡¯s eyes widened in surprise. ¡°Is that¡­ an [Eldar Alpha Treant]?¡±

    Jaeger glanced at her, brow furrowing. ¡°Eldar Alpha Treant?¡±

    Aurora nodded gracefully, raising a hand as a soft glow of mana swirled at her fingertips. With a flick of her wrist, a detailed three-dimensional image materialized in the air, shimmering with arcane energy.

    ¡°The Eldar Alpha Treant is a high-ranking monster classified as Calamity-class. A single one is capable of devastating half a nation. However, in this age, they are regarded as mere myths, for the last of their kind was said to have been eradicated by the heroes of old within the [Endless Forest].¡±

    Jaeger scoffed, crossing his arms. ¡°That thing was an actual threat? I figured you guys could just take it down easily with all your magic and s**t.¡±

    Aurora sighed, shaking her head. ¡°Do recall that none among us possess the power to cast high-level spells repeatedly¡ªsave for the heroes themselves. Even among the strongest of our kind, such feats remain beyond reach.¡± She glanced at him, curiosity flickering in her eyes. ¡°How, then, did you manage to defeat it?¡±

    Jaeger leaned back slightly, tapping a few keys on the console. ¡°Just watch. Explaining it would be bloody mouthful.¡±

    He tapped the longest rectangular key on the keyboard, and the footage began to play. The video opened with a tense battle scene¡ªJaeger facing off against the towering Eldar Alpha Treant. He held his ground, dodging and counterattacking, enduring its relentless assault until a sudden barrage of cruise missiles rained down. The explosions tore into the creature, peppering it with gaping holes before finally bringing it down.

    As the battle ended, the footage shifted, transitioning into a far calmer scene. Jaeger, his team, and the civilians they had rescued were gathered together, exchanging words in relative peace. The princess watched in quiet curiosity, but it wasn¡¯t long before the tone darkened again.Unauthorized usage: this narrative is on Amazon without the author''s consent. Report any sightings.

    Jeanne¡¯s call was suddenly interrupted. Then came the chilling command from General August.

    [Eliminate the priority target]

    Aurora¡¯s breath caught in her throat as she watched the screen, horrified. The cold precision with which Jaeger executed the order¡ªwithout hesitation, without even a second thought¡ªsent a shiver down her spine. The tension between Coyote and Jaeger that followed only deepened the unease in her heart. By the time the footage ended, she had already pieced everything together.

    She let out a quiet breath, her voice laced with sorrow. ¡°I see¡­ because of the experiments forced upon you, you are incapable of defying such an order¡­ Yet, even so, it is far too cruel¡­ even if that man was a spy.¡±

    Jaeger let out a sigh, leaning forward as he rested his arms on the desk, burying his face in them. ¡°You¡¯re right. It was inhumane¡­ but good soldiers follow orders.¡±

    His voice was quiet, almost hollow. Slowly, he turned his head toward her, his gaze empty, devoid of certainty¡ªlike a man grasping at an excuse that no longer held meaning. ¡°Or so I thought¡­ My justification isn¡¯t right, huh?¡±

    Aurora¡¯s lips parted slightly, but no words came out. She didn¡¯t know how to respond. She had witnessed many things in her life¡ªtales of honour, stories of legendary heroes, the noble ideals of justice and righteousness. But this¡­ this was different.

    Jaeger¡¯s actions were heartless. She had seen the footage with her own eyes¡ªthe way he executed the suspected traitor without so much as a flicker of hesitation. The cold efficiency of it chilled her. And yet¡­

    She swallowed, her fingers tightening over the fabric of her skirt. A spy within their ranks could have been catastrophic. Had the traitor been allowed to live, they could have compromised the entire operation. Sabotage. Assassination. The collapse of diplomacy.

    Was Jaeger truly wrong¡­ or was this the brutal reality of war?

    Aurora exhaled softly, her heart heavy. She had spent her life believing in peace, studying magic, and researching ways to improve the lives of her people. But Jaeger¡¯s world was not built on ideals.

    It was built on blood, sacrifice, and survival.

    And the thought that someone like him had been forced to live like this¡ªforced to kill without hesitation, simply to stay alive¡ªmade her heartache.

    Before she could stop herself, she took a step forward and gently wrapped her arms around him from behind.

    Jaeger stiffened. The warmth of her touch pressed against his back, her head resting lightly on his left shoulder.

    For a brief moment, his first instinct was to push her away. This was unfamiliar. This was dangerous. He didn¡¯t deserve this.

    And yet¡­ his body refused to move. Somehow, it was as if it wanted to be held. His breath hitched slightly, his hands tightening into fists against the desk. ¡°Why¡­ Why was she going this far¡­ for someone she had only known for a week?¡± That is what he thought, but his doubts slowly withered away as his heart started to be at ease due to her presence¡­ a presence that he might¡¯ve longed for.

    The question echoed in his mind; a stubborn resistance born from years of solitude. And yet, as the seconds stretched on, something within him began to shift. The doubts¡ªthe unrelenting voice that told him he was alone, that he had to be alone¡ªslowly withered away.

    Because for the first time in as long as he could remember, his heart felt at ease.

    A presence like hers¡­ had he always longed for it? Had he buried that longing so deeply that he had forgotten it even existed?

    The embrace remained unbroken, neither of them speaking. The only sound was the quiet hum of the AC, its cold air brushing against them¡ªand yet, Jaeger barely felt it.

    What he felt instead was Aurora¡¯s warmth, her arms around him, her silent determination pressing through the fortress of isolation he had built around himself.

    Then, gently, she began to caress his head.

    Jaeger¡¯s breath faltered. The touch was light, careful¡ªlike she knew how fragile this moment was. Her fingers ran through his hair in slow, soothing motions, a silent reassurance that he wasn¡¯t alone anymore.

    This was different. This wasn¡¯t like the casual embraces he had given Jeanne. This wasn¡¯t a fleeting gesture of comfort between comrades.

    No¡­ this was something else entirely. It reminded him of a time long past¡ªa time that had brought him both pain and joy. A time he had long since abandoned. A nostalgic yet unfamiliar emotion swelled deep within his chest, both terrifying and oddly comforting. And for once¡­ He didn¡¯t push it away.

    Their embrace lasted for more than half an hour, neither of them speaking¡ªjust existing in the quiet comfort of each other¡¯s presence.

    Finally, the moment broke. Jaeger let out a breath, wiping away the remnants of his unbidden tears with the back of his hand. He chuckled, his voice carrying a rare lightness. ¡°You sure you didn¡¯t use your [Charm] skill?¡±

    Aurora¡¯s eyes widened before she let out an exaggerated huff, crossing her arms in a dramatic pout. The motion unintentionally emphasized her chest, which did not go unnoticed by Jaeger.

    ¡°How rude!¡± she scoffed, turning her nose up in mock indignation. ¡°Comforting someone like you isn¡¯t easy, you know! It takes a lot of effort to handle such a brooding, stubborn man.¡±

    Jaeger smirked. ¡°Oh? So I¡¯m that much of a handful, huh?¡±

    She placed a hand on her hip, her emerald eyes glinting playfully. ¡°Obviously! And here I thought that so-called [mercenaries] were supposed to be strong, indomitable and unshakable~¡± She leaned in ever so slightly, her voice teasingly sweet. ¡°But lo and behold, the infamous Achilles Wolfenford just had a princess dry his tears~¡±

    Jaeger let out a short laugh, shaking his head. ¡°you sure like to rub the salt on the wound don¡¯t you princes?~.¡±

    But then, her teasing smile faded. Her expression softened, concern flickering behind her usual playful demeanour. ¡°Especially after¡­ all that happened to you,¡± she murmured.

    His smirk dimmed, replaced by something more thoughtful. He exhaled, running a hand through his hair. ¡°I swear¡­ you really do have the power to change people, huh?¡±

    For the first time in what felt like forever, his smile was genuine¡ªnot a smirk, not a front, but real. The usual sharpness in his piercing red eyes softened, revealing something far gentler, something long buried beneath years of isolation.

    ¡°Thank you, Aurora¡­¡± His voice dropped to something quieter, more intimate. ¡°You just made me think that maybe¡­ this world is worth living in after all.¡± A pause, a breath. Then, with a sincerity that carried more weight than he realized¡ª ¡°And for once¡­ I think I can trust someone. Truly.¡±

    Aurora blinked, momentarily stunned by his words. Her chest tightened¡ªnot with sadness, but with something entirely different. The sight before her was unlike anything she had ever imagined.

    A man as unshakable as Jaeger. a warrior as efficient, as fearless as he was. And yet, here he was, offering her a smile so open, so achingly honest¡ªone that held no pretence, no guarded edge.

    Her heart skipped, warmth rushing to her face before she could stop it. Why¡­ Why did seeing him like this make her feel this way? For the first time in years, Jaeger smiled with his whole heart. And for the first time, Aurora realized just how much he meant to her. ¡°Ah¡­this feeling¡­ It¡¯s not just my admiration towards him¡­¡±

    The rest of the day passed in lighthearted conversation. Jaeger even surprised her by cooking lunch for them both, revealing a hidden talent she hadn¡¯t expected. She was fascinated¡ªnot just by his skill, but by how effortlessly he moved around the kitchen, handling modern appliances as if it were second nature. He even took the time to teach her how to use some of them, much to her delight. Between bites, they shared stories¡ªsome joyous, some comedic¡ªabout their families and friends. Minutes turned to hours, slipping away unnoticed, and before long, the once-distant mercenary was laughing freely alongside her.

    Aurora found herself stealing glances at him when he wasn¡¯t looking, memorizing the rare sight of his unguarded expression.

    As evening fell, Jaeger escorted her to the base gates, where a luxurious sedan awaited her. As she prepared to part ways, she waved at him one last time before stepping into the car¡ªonly to be met with an unexpected sight.

    Her father, King Somnus, sat with effortless dignity, exuding a regal presence even in the relaxed atmosphere of the vehicle. A tablet rested in his hands, his fingers moving deftly across the touchscreen keyboard as he scribbled notes with practised ease. Without lifting his gaze, he spoke in his usual drawl, a mix of indifference and amusement.

    ¡°Well? Are you just going to stand there, my dear daughter, or will you take a seat?¡±

    Aurora silently closed the door behind her as the car eased onto the dirt road, the base¡¯s towering gates growing smaller in the distance. She cast one last glance behind her, searching for Jaeger, but he was already gone. Letting out a quiet sigh, she leaned back against the seat, the exhaustion of the day finally settled in.

    A moment of silence passed, filled only by the soft hum of the engine and the faint tapping of her father¡¯s fingers against the screen. Then, Somnus spoke again, his tone as casual as if they were merely discussing the weather.

    ¡°This device is truly fascinating¡ªan all-in-one tool for drawing, storing archives, and even aiding in report compilation. A magnificent piece of technology.¡± He tapped the tablet lightly as if emphasizing his point. ¡°To think they willingly shared the knowledge for us to mass-produce such innovations¡­ all in exchange for the privilege of studying magic. A wonderful deal, don¡¯t you think, Rose?¡±

    Aurora nodded absentmindedly, though her mind was clearly elsewhere. After the slight motion of agreement, her gaze drifted toward the window, her expression distant.

    Somnus, still focused on his report, didn¡¯t need to look at her to notice the shift in her demeanour. A knowing smirk tugged at the corner of his lips.

    ¡°So?¡± he drawled, tapping one final word into his report before setting the tablet down. ¡°Made any progress with him?¡±

    ¡°W-wha¡ª!? D-Dear Father!¡± Aurora¡¯s voice shot up an octave, caught entirely off guard. Her head whipped toward him, cheeks flushing a deep red.

    The driver, though professional, let out a barely contained snicker from the front seat before quickly straightening. ¡°A-apologies, Your Highness,¡± he murmured, though the amused glint in his eyes betrayed his amusement.

    Somnus chuckled, finally looking up from his tablet, his golden eyes glinting with mischief. ¡°Ah, no need to be so flustered, Rose. I was simply asking as a father, not a king.¡± He leaned back against the seat, crossing one leg over the other in a display of effortless elegance. ¡°I wouldn¡¯t mind if you were drawn to him, but¡­¡± he paused, his voice losing its playful lilt as his gaze sharpened. ¡°He has the look of a man who seeks his death on the battlefield. Are you certain about this? Or is it merely admiration for his strength?¡±

    His words struck her like a meteor, each syllable weighing heavily on her heart. She knew it too¡ªJaeger carried a burden far beyond what most could endure. The scars on his soul ran deeper than any blade could cut. And yet, despite the warmth still lingering in her cheeks from her earlier embarrassment, her resolve did not waver.

    ¡°Yes, Father¡­ He¡¯s¡­ someone I hold dear,¡± she admitted, her voice softer but unwavering. ¡°I want him to find peace after all that he has suffered¡­ even if it means I must stand by his side in this war as the spearhead. A support that he needed after all the pain he suffered¡­¡±

    Somnus¡¯s golden irises flickered, shifting into a slitted, almost draconic form¡ªan unspoken test of his daughter¡¯s resolve. The air inside the car grew heavier, charged with the weight of his authority.

    ¡°Even if it means taking lives?¡± His tone remained calm, but the gravity of his question was undeniable. ¡°Even if you must stain your hands with blood, walking alongside him on a road paved with death?¡±

    Aurora¡¯s grip on her dress tightened slightly, but her eyes¡ªthose radiant emerald eyes¡ªremained firm.

    ¡°I will be prepared the day it comes,¡± she declared, her voice steady, unshaken. ¡°Believe in me, Father.¡±

    For a brief moment, the King of Apollyon did not respond. He simply observed her, the depths of his gaze searching for any crack in her conviction. But what he saw instead sent a pang of nostalgia through his heart.

    Her unwavering determination, the way she stood firm despite the weight of what lay ahead¡ªit was just like her mother. The late Queen had been the same, never faltering when it came to those she loved, standing beside them even through the darkest storms.

    Somnus exhaled, his pupils shifting back to their human form as a rare, majestic chuckle escaped his lips¡ªone that was scarcely heard by anyone in the kingdom.

    ¡°You truly are your mother¡¯s daughter, Rose.¡± His voice was filled with something deeper than mere amusement¡ªpride, warmth, and perhaps¡­ a trace of sorrow.

    "Dammit, why am I their driver right now? I¡¯m just a damn logistics guy¡­!" the driver internally screamed, gripping the wheel a little tighter. "This atmosphere is way too heavy! I don¡¯t know what¡¯s going on, and I sure as hell don¡¯t want to get caught up in it!"