CH 188

Chapter 188 – High-Speed Striking Force, Sortie

So, is the training over?”

The night after the riflemen’s training. I spent the night with Sylphy and Isla in the lord’s mansion. We had just finished bathing and eating and were having an after-dinner drink and relaxing.

“Yeah, just the basics. Just thinking about the amount of ammunition used for training gives me a headache.”

Saying this, I took a sip of the mead Sylphy poured for me and let out a sigh. The sweet aroma of mead tickled my nose. I know that when I drink mead, my breath becomes sweet and floral.

Well, that’s the thing about training. You can’t just shoot one a day and be done with it. But, of course, you don’t have to shoot them every day either; you just have to have them shoot again after a day or two, just as hard as today.

One box of ammunition holds 250 rounds, so if all the members of the riflemen, who have been increased to 20, shoot four boxes of ammunition, that would be 20,000 rounds. However, all the ammunition shells used for training were recovered, so the cost was cut in half. Moreover, the shell casings are made of steel, not brass, which is heavy in cost.

Eh? Do you think iron shells are difficult to reload? Hahaha! When I use my ability to reload, it doesn’t matter if the bullet rim is rolled inward, if there is a dent in the body of the shell casing, or if the shell casing is made of hard steel. I can reload it perfectly and with the same feel as if it were brand new! All I need is gunpowder and a warhead. Well, even so, the recovery rate of shell casings was not 100%. It was difficult to recover the shells fired from the airboard…

“The Research and Development Department is also at full capacity.”

Isla looked up at me with her big eye as she rested her head on my lap. Apparently, she adopted a policy of being pampered today instead of pampering me. Sylphy is also snuggled up to me today, so it seems that both of them have adopted a policy of being pampered today.

“For now, just make sure you get a good night’s sleep. Also, I’ll help you with the delivery date, so if you need something that’s faster to be produced by me, just ask me, okay?”

“Hmm, okay. I’ll get the list made up first thing in the morning.”

“Do that. But don’t push yourself too hard, Isla. Sylphy, too. The most important stage is ahead of us, and it would be meaningless if you are exhausted by the preparation.”

“Yeah, I know. That’s why I’m clinging to Kosuke like this to build up my strength.”

“Hmm, Kosuke’s power.”

They say that they are recovering from a mysterious power. It is eco-friendly to be able to recharge your batteries just by sticking to me. But I also feel like I’m being healed by being attached to Sylphy and Isla. I wonder if this is a new kind of perpetual motion system?

“Have you heard any additional information from Ellen?”

“No, as far as the Holy Kingdom’s army coming from the home country is concerned. However, she seems to be making a lot of moves in regard to the control of Merinesburg.”

“Even if she’s making moves… that doesn’t mean they’re going to open the castle in response to our invasion, does it?”

The number of soldiers stationed in Merinesburg, including the city guards, probably numbered thousands. I don’t think it is possible to persuade all the soldiers to surrender to us so easily.

Incidentally, the high-speed strike force we will be operating this time consists of 20 Harpy bombers, 20 riflemen led by Jagira, plus 4,000 elite soldiers led by Sir Leonard, and a group of magicians led by Isla. In addition, we are planning to launch a mobile battle with a total of 500 people, including the necessary personnel for governance.

Following that, Danan will lead the main force of 3,000 men, including crossbowmen, heavy infantry, and a ranger force made up of former adventurers. Oh, and also, a test unit equipped with a prototype magic gun would be working together.

Basically, a 500-member high-speed strike force, divided into airboards, would smash fortresses and city walls and gates that would get in the way of the following main force’s invasion, and the following main force would overrun the battered enemy strongholds. This is the plan.

The high-speed strike force would not wait for the main force to arrive but would move on to the next and the next, using its high striking power to destroy the Holy Kingdom forces stationed at each base individually before the enemy could act in an organized manner.

We will try to minimize civilian casualties as much as possible, but it will not be without casualties.

“It seems that she intends to send the mainstream soldiers and generals out of Merinesburg for some reason or other. There will be large-scale patrols, mountain climbing as training, supply missions for the Holy Kingdom’s troops coming from the home country, and so on.”

“Is it safe?”

“I don’t know. That woman will do it her own way. No, even if she had a tenuous relationship with the mainstream, she was unmistakably a saint of the Adol religion. Suppose she takes full advantage of her status as a saint. In that case, she’ll probably be able to handle the situation a little better.”

“I wonder if that’s the way it’s going to be.”

Sylphy says so, but for me, I’m worried about it. When I gathered information on the title of “saint of truth,” I found that she condemned several corrupt clergies and crushed insolent people who attacked her in a fit of rage with a miracle of God. To me, Ellen is nothing more than a delicate, fragile girl who looks as if she would break if you touched her.

“That’s just it. Anyway, I don’t know what the outcome will be, but it won’t be amicable no matter how it turns out. All we can do is try to minimize the casualties as much as possible.”

“It’s a hard world, isn’t it?”

“I hate to say we don’t have a choice, but this is war.”

Then Isla closed her eye and let out a sigh. It’s not like Sylphy and Isla are fighting a war because they like it. Sylphy is trying to get her family and country back. Isla is trying to free her persecuted people from the control of the Holy Kingdom, Melty and Ms. Zamir share the same intentions as Sylphy, and Danan and Sir Leonard are trying to achieve revenge against the Holy Kingdom.

Of course, there is a bigger goal, not only for personal reasons but also to help the subhuman people who are suffering under the rule of the Holy Kingdom and restore the former Merinard Kingdom.

Is war the only way to achieve this great goal? I think the only answer is “yes.” The ideologies of Sylphy’s homeland, the Merinard Kingdom, and the Holy Kingdom are too different.

The Merinard Kingdom, where subhumans and humans coexist equally as “human races,” and the Holy Kingdom, which upholds human supremacy and uses subhumans as slaves, are too incompatible in terms of ideology. Even if we tried to discuss the matter, the Holy Kingdom would not listen to us as things stand now, yes.

“I hope this battle will be enough to decide the matter.”

“I think so, too.”

“Hmm, me too.”

The only way now is to fight, so it can’t be helped, right? We have to be careful not to just say, “We don’t have a choice, or it’s inevitable,” and continue fighting in the mud.

☆★☆

And a week passed in the blink of an eye after I returned to Erichburg, and the day of the operation came.

“I feel like I’ve managed to row my way through…”

The morale of the High-Speed Strike Force was high. A total of 500 people were riding in 100 airboards, and the sight of all the airboards lined up in a row was quite a spectacular sight. The Research & Development Department must be happy behind the leaves of grass, as they had ordered not only airboards for the High-Speed Strike Force but also those for the following main unit’s Transportation, and they worked hard to deliver all of the airboards. Go to heaven. Amen amen.

Incidentally, I alone am in charge of the logistics of the high-speed strike force. But I have enough water and food for a day’s worth of the crew. Even so, if I were to die suddenly, it would be the end of the high-speed strike force.

No, if I don’t engage in battle because of my mobility, can I escape back to Erichburg with time to spare? If I can retreat, can I manage it? I think losing Sylphy would be more dangerous than losing me. Sylphy is the leader of the Liberation Army, and she would be needed to free the royalty who have frozen themselves in the royal castle in Merinesburg, keeping their bodies and hearts frozen and sealed in.

“Princess, Kosuke-dono. Would it be possible to move a little further to the rear, or rather to the middle of the convoy?”

Ms. Zamir, who was riding with us, looked at Sylphy and me with her reptile-like emotionless eyes and asked.

“No. I’d actually prefer to be at the front of the line.”

“Considering our abilities, it would be obvious that we should be behind the riflemen, who are considered to be vulnerable to damage and high ammunition consumption.”

“…..”

Ms. Zamir exhales a sigh with her eyes closed after being rejected by Sylphy and me at the same time.

“Don’t worry. My new type of barrier can even prevent dragon breath.”

Isla, who is also on board, seems to be trying to cheer up Ms. Zamir by saying that, but I think that’s supposed to reinforce the fact that Sylphy and I are saying we’re fine in this position.

“With this group, we can break through even if we’re surrounded by a large army of the Holy Kingdom’s army. And if push comes to shove, I’ll fight too.”

“I don’t want to be part of a war between human races, but if it comes to that, I’d be happy to fly away with all of you in my arms.”

Melty is sitting on the backseat of the airboard smiling, and Grande, who is on Melty’s lap with a sleepy look on her face, is giving further support.

Ms. Zamir, perhaps giving up, lets out another sigh and closes her eyes.

The position of the airboard we are on is quite far forward in the formation. We were right behind the airboards of the riflemen equipped with machine guns. If an encounter were to occur, there was a very high possibility that we would be caught in the middle of the battle.

However, the Harpies are flying as scouts, so there is no way that an encounter would occur. Furthermore, harpy, who plays the role of a scout, is equipped with a golem communicator, so contact will be made immediately as soon as they spot the enemy.

“The roll call is complete for the infantry and the governing support units.”

As I was appeasing, or rather persuading, the worried Ms. Zamir, I heard Sir Leonard’s voice coming from the small golem communicator on the airboard we were riding on.

“Riflemen are ready.”

“Harpy Bombardment Squadron also ready.”

Hearing the transmission, Isla picked up the golem communicator and opened her mouth.

“Hmm, the Mage Corps is riding with the riflemen, so they’re ready. Yes.”

“Umu. Then, as planned, we will move with the airboard of the riflemen in the lead. Everyone keeps a safe distance from each other and does not cause any accidents. It would be laughable if we had to leave the front line before fighting the Holy Kingdom’s army due to an accident. The first target is Bobrovsk. The high-speed strike force, let’s go!”

At Sylphy’s command, about 100 airboards lined up float up and begin to move as if sliding. In the lead are the airboards of the riflemen with the machine gunners and mages, followed by our airboards, the airboards carrying the Harpies, and behind them are the airboards carrying the elite soldiers.

Well, it was hard work to teach over 100 people, including spares, to fly airboards… In my original world, they were a bunch of novice drivers who wouldn’t even have gotten their provisional licenses yet. It would be a miracle if we didn’t have an accident.

By the way, I’m the driver of the airboard we’re on. Of course, I am. Naturally, my airboard is a special edition. You can tell when you see the trigger on the control stick.

“Let’s do it.”

I’m already prepared to shoot the enemy with my hands. All I have to do is just do it.